Series: Fever Falls Series by Riley Hart
Total pages in book: 101
Estimated words: 96922 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 485(@200wpm)___ 388(@250wpm)___ 323(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 96922 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 485(@200wpm)___ 388(@250wpm)___ 323(@300wpm)
I rested my hand on Dax’s thigh. “I think you have a beautiful nose,” I told him, and I could tell by the way his shoulders relaxed, his smile returning, that he appreciated the sincere compliment.
“Oh, Jace,” Serena said, reaching to me and taking my chin in her hand. “You are the sweetest thing ever, aren’t you? And proof that love truly is blind…or at least in need of a vision prescription.”
“Ladies and gentlemen, the world’s worst mother ever,” Dax announced, gesturing to her.
Nance eyed me uneasily, and I chuckled awkwardly. It was easy to see why Dax had a hard time dealing with Serena. Although, knowing what he’d shared with me about their past, about the darkness they’d come through, I had to remind myself that despite the hard times they’d had, or this persona Serena shared with us, there was more to their relationship than the dynamic I was witnessing. They’d made it through tragedy and hardship. And clearly there was a reason why she was still in his life.
I couldn’t say the dinner got any easier for Dax. He and his mother kept sparring throughout, acting out a familiar battle, but Nance and Keegan seemed more entertained by it than anything else, transfixed even, as though we were witnessing drama on a reality TV series. After dinner, Keegan accosted Serena in the living room, wanting her to detail her past in Hollywood, while Dax and I managed to escape onto the back porch.
I kissed him, pushing him back against the wall. I savored the moment before pulling away and gazing at his eyes, sealed shut, but then they opened, and his smile, which had been scarce throughout dinner, returned.
“How you holding up?” I asked.
“Much better now. Surely you can understand why you haven’t met her already.”
“She’s definitely…charming.”
“To everyone but me.”
“She came all the way out here to meet the man in your life, so at the very least, she’s supportive.”
“Supportive.” He snickered. “Yeah, I guess. She wasn’t this way when I came out. I don’t think she was the worst anyone could have been about it, but as you can imagine, it wasn’t about how I felt. It was about what we could tell other people. How I should keep it hidden. I didn’t even want to be in the business anymore, but it was all: ‘What if you try to make a comeback?’ Or, ‘The press will try to make this about me and what I did.’ Wasn’t the most encouraging conversation in the world.”
“I’m sorry.”
As I’d noticed throughout dinner, and from what I knew of their relationship, I could see in his expression in that moment his genuine desire for the love of his mother, to have her in his life.
“Sometimes I have to remind myself it’s not what it once was. She’s gotten help. She hasn’t been using. And this…well, this is quirky compared to what it used to be.”
“Well, if it makes you feel any better, this nose is fucking gorgeous,” I said as I stroked my thumb across it. “And under your eyes is just fine too.” I kissed them gently, one at a time, before pulling away and gazing into his much calmer expression.
“And I don’t care if you’re a Donnie or a Dax…you’re still a sexy motherfucker.”
“I’m surprised I hadn’t already mentioned that about my name. Guess I just want to forget about that part of my life. Thanks for not making a big deal out of it.”
“Thank you for bringing your mom here. It means a lot.”
“I kept telling myself it was just to get her to quit harassing me about it, but I know the real reason.”
“Which is?”
“I wanted her to meet this pretty incredible guy I’m falling for.” He snickered, but then his gaze returned to mine, his dark eyes glistening with the porch light.
“I’m falling for you too, Dax Munro.”
There was something so exhilarating about confirming our feelings, yet so relaxing at the same time. This sensation stirred in my gut… Jesus, was this what butterflies felt like?
“It’s hard to be surprised by it when you are the way you are,” Dax added. “I never believed a man like you could really exist.”
“I didn’t know a man like you could really exist either,” I admitted. “But I’m glad you do.”
We kissed again, Dax relaxing in my arms, allowing me to slide my hand around his hip, to his ass, which I hoped to be inside of later that night.
As I pulled away from our kiss, I rubbed my nose against his. “The most beautiful nose ever,” I muttered, and he laughed.
A stray impulse seized control of me, and I added, “My boyfriend’s nose.”
His expression sobered, and he licked his lips.
What was I saying? I’d never had a boyfriend before. It was the first time, outside of the speculation in the media, that either of us had brought the word up in relation to what we were doing, and as I said it, it felt so fucking right.