“Having to go back home for the funeral.” She shuddered—either due to the idea of returning to Australia or because the May air held a slightchill.
“How is that sobad?”
“One word. My mother.” She giggled. Holly’s drunk giggle was kind of cute. “Oops! Make that twowords.”
“I take it your mother isn’t great?” If we were to compare mothers, mine would be as far from being Mother of the Year as Earth was fromUranus.
“‘Holly,’” she said in a snooty tone that spoke of high income and house staff. Maybe even a butler who looked down his nose at unworthy house guests. “‘How could you believe that a ninety-five percent on your math test was an acceptable mark? Holly, proper young ladies do not run around the house like heathens.’” Holly giggledagain.
“Yeah, I’d say that’s pretty bad. Though I’m sure my mom could topyours.”
“Really? I didn’t think anyone could be worse than myparents.”
“My mom abandoned me when I was akid.”
What’s the best way to shock someone? Do exactly as I just did. I usually didn’t tell anyone the truth about my parents. Blame it on the truth serum (AKA alcohol) this time. That, and because Holly had told me something about her parents. Tit for tat and all thatcrap.
With her green eyes round like the moon, Holly stared at me for a moment. “Oh, God. How could she dothat?”
I shrugged. “She learned from the best—myfather.”
“Wait, are you telling me both of your parents just up and leftyou?”
“Pretty much. My father played in the NHL and married my mom when they were young. It didn’t work out and he divorced her. It didn’t help that he preferred screwing puck bunnies to being married. After a few years of raising me by herself, she decided one day she’d had enough and left. No forwarding address. Nonothing.”
Holly gasped. “What did youdo?”
“The only thing I could do—I got up every day and went to school like I was supposed to, believing she was coming back. Eventually I realized she wasn’t. That was about the same time the landlady began demanding past-due rent. Long story short, social services was brought in and I was sent to live with my grandparents.” Nice story, huh? Don’t worry, I’d say I turned out all right in the end. For the mostpart.
Although from the way Holly was looking at me like she longed to give me a blowjob to make me feel better—or maybe it was just wishful thinking on my part—I was toying with telling her what camenext.
Once I turned sixteen years old, I stayed with billets. Think of them as foster care for junior hockey players who played for a team far from home. Some billets were great, while others were sadly lacking in the “great”department.
“Wow, and I thought it was bad enough when my parents abandoned my brothers and me to the care of our nannies. And Nanna,” she said, instead of giving me the blowjob I could have gone for.Too bad.“My parents weren’t around much, thanks to their careers. Dad was around even less than Mom, always traveling. Always at meetings. But they would never have let us fend for ourselves. I’m so sorry that happened to you,Josh.”
She reached up and gave me a kiss. It wasn’t a blowjob, but it was pretty goddamn hot. Hot enough to kiss away all my boo-boos.
“Is that why you don’t want kids?” she asked once she had pulled away. She was clearly remembering the conversation we’d had when we first met. We were having dinner with Trent and Kelsey, and the topic of kids came up. Both of us had said that we didn’t see kids in our future. “You figure that since your own parents failed you as a kid, you won’t do muchbetter?”
“Pretty much. I haven’t exactly had the best role models, especially since my father used to play in the NHL and nowIdo. Not that it’s a big deal. I’ve long since realized the whole marriage and family-making deal isn’t for me. My hockey career is a biggerpriority.”
“Same here—except in my case, replace hockey with a financial career. And since I’m not even an American citizen and don’t have my green card yet, I could easily be deported back to Australia tomorrow.” She grinned at me. “Too bad we don’t have anything to drink. We could’ve toasted to us not becoming parents and to avoidingmarriage.”
I laughed. “I would definitely toast to that.” Then remembering how the conversation had started, I sobered up for a moment. “When’s your grandmother’sfuneral?”
A soft sigh escaped her lips and she gazed at the ocean—and for the first time since I’d met her, the usually confident Holly looked lost. “NextThursday.”
“Well, in case you haven’t heard, I’m now available. And I wouldn’t mind checking out Australia for a fewdays.”
Holly’s head spun back to me, her eyes wide and hopeful. “Are you saying you’ll go to the funeral withme?”
“Sure, why not? Unless you don’t want me there. I mean, if I’m cramping your style when it comes to all the horny men lining up for a chance to keep you there permanently.” I winked ather.
Holly let out a delighted squeal and flung her arms round my neck, surprising me. Before I could respond, her mouth crashed against mine again. She still tasted like a mix of alcohol and strawberries, and it didn’t take much prompting on my part for my tongue to invade hermouth.
She moaned, and I suddenly couldn’t get enough of her. I tangled my fingers in her hair and pulled back on it, allowing myself to deepen thekiss.
By the time we stopped a moment later, we were panting like dogs in heat. My entire body was aching to explore the rest of her with my tongue, but this wasn’t theplace.
