Chosen Fool (Forever Evermore #5)(8)
Simply put, she was exotic.
But she was intimidating as hell as she scanned her surroundings with a trained eye. Her regard didn’t miss one item inside the suite before her brown eyes zeroed in on me.
I stayed perfectly still as her attention started at my hair, slowly working its way down.
“Your popping in during the middle of the night, while I have a guest in my room, is positively overbearing,” Leric muttered, rubbing his hands over his face in quick jerks, the action expressing his irritation but also an attempt to wake himself. “Not to mention, extremely f*cking embarrassing.”
His mom shrugged a graceful shoulder. “You’re my son. I can keep track of you however I wish.” She bent, lifting one of my black boots and my black bra off the floor.
An instant bloom of rouge stole over my cheeks.
She eyed each item with clear distaste, her gaze flicking to my hair in disbelief, then back to my garments. “Which you will understand when you have children of your own.” She dropped my clothes on the floor, brushing her hands off as if dirtied. “I keep telling you this, but I fear you’ll only understand once you’re a father.” The woman actually picked up the edge of the comforter and peeked under the covers.
Leric kicked the blanket out of her hold. “I have pajamas on.”
“So I saw.” Mrs Damon stepped to the dresser, lifting my purse from the top.
“That…uh…” I cleared my throat, flicking a finger. “That’s my private property.”
She held up my black monsoon purse with a raised eyebrow. “I never would have guessed it belongs to the spirit who wears funeral clothes. Thank you for informing me.” My eyes shot wide as she started rummaging through my purse. “You do know,” she lifted a condom from its depths, “you don’t need these while taking birth control?”
I cleared my throat, fisting the blanket at my chest. My blush would probably never go away. Like her. “I have it in case someone else needs one.”
“A good Samaritan,” she deadpanned, and flicked the condom back into my purse.
“Is this really necessary?” Leric asked, beginning to sound aggravated as he lifted on his elbows. The blanket slid down to his waist and displayed lots of lovely tanned flesh. “Those are her personal items you’re going through.”
“You can tell a lot about a woman by going through her purse,” Mrs Damon murmured, her eyes avid on her task of trespassing. “Such as, she is indeed taking birth control. She has a fascination with silver weapons. It appears she is homeless, since she doesn’t have any keys other than a hotel card. She’s prepared for her period but not on it. Her favorite colors appear to be black and hot pink—a shame. She’s not vain because there’s no mirror in here. She’s either broke or cautious, because she carries no cash. And…jackpot.”
Mrs Damon lifted my license. “She’s a youthful twenty-three-year-old spirit Elemental from New York. Your bedmate does, indeed, have blue eyes, weighs only one hundred and five pounds, and is a mere five-foot-two-inches tall.” Her lips curved up in satisfaction. “And her name is Caroline Jules.” Her head tilted, and white eyebrows rose as she peered over the license at me. “The Prodigy Elemental, I presume?”
“Yes, ma’am.” There was no other word for her. She was definitely a ‘ma’am’.
Brown eyes never wavered. “How long have you been sleeping with my son?”
“Mom…” Leric’s growl was a clear warning.
Mrs Damon didn’t appear to have any boundaries of courtesy.
She was in a whole other stratosphere of ‘Leric’s Mom’.
“What?” She turned innocent eyes on him. “I’m only curious.”
He glared.
Her lips slowly curved. It wasn’t a good sign. “All right, I’ll find out another way.” She dropped my license into my purse, setting it back on the dresser. Gracefully she moved to the end of the bed, staring blatantly where Tristan was taking up half the mattress. “He appears to like you, Ms Jules.”
I couldn’t help but chuckle quietly, patting Tristan’s side and making him groan at being woken. “He’s a big sweetie who flirts for chocolates.” I blinked, quickly glancing at Leric as I stroked Tristan in apology. Unlike Leric’s mother, I was polite when waking some one—or thing—unexpectedly. “I promise I haven’t given him anymore since…that episode.”
A white eyebrow rose. “I would hope not.” He flopped back on the bed, glaring up at his mother. “Mom, I love you, but get the hell out of here. I would like to rest for whatever remaining night there is.” I yelped when he yanked me down next to him, the abrupt movement putting me on my side facing him. “And so would she.” A deep, soft chuckle. “Or, I could tell Dad about this…”
Mrs Damon shrugged a shoulder. “He doesn’t think I know, but he’s out playing golf with his buddies. He wouldn’t answer your call right now, anyway.” Quick, irritated fingers ran through her hair. “He was supposed to help me start redecorating the dining room, but no.” Her eyes narrowed. “He ducked out the back door before I could stop him, and I know he saw the material swatches I left on the bar.” An arrogant wrist flicked. “As you know, I have my contacts. They informed me of his play date.”