Baiting Him (How to Catch an Alpha #2)(17)

“Now you’re just showing off,” I say through my laughter, and he chuckles quietly.

Starting to get cold from the breeze coming off the sea, even with his warmth seeping into my side, I step away from him and go to the couch and take a seat, and he does the same, settling right next to me.

“How was dinner with your mom?” he questions, placing his arm around my shoulders and bringing me closer to him.

Normally, I would not be okay with a guy being so touchy, but there is something about the way he does it that makes it feel right.

“It was good.” I peek up at him, thinking it’s a good thing he was so adamant last night about seeing me again. Who knows what would have happened if he’d just walked out of my apartment after my phone call with my mom? I don’t know if I would’ve had the courage to reach out to him, even if I’d wanted to, because if the shoe was on the other foot, I would have told him to jump in a lake. “My parents divorced about a year ago,” I say, wondering where those words are coming from. I didn’t plan on telling him that.

“I’m sorry.”

“Me too.” I chew on the inside of my cheek.

“Is that what the phone call was about last night?”

“Yeah.” I toy with the stem of my wineglass while focusing on the view. “My mom . . . well, really, none of us saw it coming. We definitely didn’t see any signs that he’d been having an affair for a while and wanted to marry his mistress.” His arm, which is around my shoulders, tightens briefly before he begins to smooth his thumb up and down along my arm, like he’s silently encouraging me to continue. “My mom has not been herself since then, but I think last night was her breaking point.”

“What happened?” he asks gently, never stopping the comforting sweeping movement of his thumb along my arm.

“She found out my dad’s taking his new wife to Hawaii, a place my mom always wanted to travel to with him.” I look at him, and his head tips down toward mine. “I think she realized what she was missing, not in my dad but in their marriage. Both my parents sacrificed a lot for my brother and me, and I wonder if part of that was the relationship they had with each other. I mean, I don’t know, but I think they got so lost in being parents to the two of us that they forgot why they were together. Or that’s what I think, anyways.”

“I get losing your way after having kids, sweetheart, but the cheating I absolutely do not understand.”

“I don’t get that part either,” I say, taking a sip of wine. “I would’ve never thought my dad would have an affair. Not when he always made it clear that his family was important to him.”

“Was?”

I know what he’s asking, so I answer, “I haven’t spoken to him since I found out about his mistress, and he hasn’t attempted to get in touch with me. My brother, Chris, hasn’t heard from our dad either. He’s completely cut us out of his life. The only reason I even know he’s still alive is because he and my mom have mutual friends that keep her updated on what he’s doing.”

“Jesus, that’s fucked up.” He takes a pull from his beer, then looks at me. “I’m sorry to say this, baby, but those friends of hers are not helping her heal. If anything, they’re making things harder on her. She needs to move on; she doesn’t need people giving her updates about your dad.”

“You’re right,” I agree. I’ve never thought about how those updates are affecting her, but I’m sure they aren’t helping her move on with her life. Actually, I’m sure they’ve been preventing her from moving on at all.

“Tell her that.” His thumb stops moving so his fingers can squeeze. “Tell her she needs to make it clear she doesn’t want the updates, and if they can’t be there for her without bringing him up, she needs to let them go.”

“I’ll tell her,” I whisper through the sudden tightness in my throat and chest.

“It will be easier for her to live her life without knowing what he’s doing with his. I told you about my dad being in love with my mom and her not feeling the same. It hurt him every time he had to listen to someone telling him she was seeing someone new.” He shakes his head. “It took him a long time to realize that all the time he spent analyzing every detail of her life, trying to find a way to make her see him, was preventing him from finding someone who actually wanted to be with him.”

“You’re very insightful,” I say, and the gorgeous smile he bestows on me nearly makes me skip a breath. “I really do think she’s on the right path. Tonight, she told me that she’s going to do all the things she always wanted to do, and she even insinuated she’s open to finding love again, if she happens to meet the right man.”

“She’ll find it.” He brushes his lips against my forehead, and my eyes slide closed.

I lean farther into him, resting my head against his shoulder and trying to figure out if I should have opened up like I did. But I wonder for only a moment before he proves once more that he can read me, even without looking into my eyes.

“I’m glad you talked to me.”

“Me too,” I agree quietly, feeling warm and safe in his embrace—something that’s odd, considering this is only the fourth time I’ve been in his presence. We don’t talk for a few minutes, and the silence between us feels comfortable. “What time do you have to go to work?”