Chapter 18: Mr. and Mrs. Winters

KIANA

I felt my blood start to boil, and my muscles tensed up. I would never use someone for their money. Yes, Chase was paying me, but that was because we were only pretending to be in a relationship. Not that I wasn’t grateful—but everything I was doing was morally justified.

“You don’t know anything about me,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady despite my rising anger.

He didn’t even bother to look at me as he said, “I know your type.”

I was quick to respond, “No, you don’t. I’ve worked my tail off for everything I’ve accomplished and will accomplish. I do it solo. I’ve never asked for anyone to pay my way, and I don’t plan on starting now. Being with Chase doesn’t change that.

“I don’t care about his money. And I don’t appreciate being judged for something you know nothing about, especially when your only reason for judging me is your son’s apparently ~poorly chosen~ past girlfriends, Mr. Winters,” I retorted. My words were sharp, but my tone remained calm.

Despite his antagonizing, I’d succeeded in keeping my cool.

He studied me for a moment. He was almost as intimidating as Chase, but I held my ground.

Finally, he laughed, waving his tongs at me. “I like you.” He extended his hand for me to shake, winking at me. “I’m Charlie. Mr. Winters was my father.”

I eyed him warily but accepted his hand. Just then, Chase came back. Without hesitation, he wrapped his arms around my waist, glancing between me and Charlie.

“Everything okay?” he asked, eyebrows raised in question.

“Never better,” Charlie replied with a grin.

I returned the smile.

***

I was introduced to Chase’s aunt, Stella. She was Loren’s older sister, and the two women were remarkably alike. They both had bright-blond hair, light-brown eyes, and a youthful complexion.

It was clear what side of the family Ben and Crystal had inherited their looks from.

When I first met Stella, she embraced me a little too tightly and pinched my cheeks as if I were a child. I was secretly relieved when Ben and Crystal joined the party shortly after and diverted her attention.

Looking around, I couldn’t help but notice that Chase’s entire family looked like they’d stepped straight out of a fashion magazine.

Chase stayed close to me throughout the night, holding my hand and occasionally planting soft kisses on my cheek. Each time he did, I would blush, which oddly seemed to work in our favor.

Charlie seemed to warm up to me as the night went on, but I could tell he was still cautious. Having met Joanna, I couldn’t exactly blame him.

The view of the setting sun was breathtaking. The night was clear and starry. It was easy to see why his parents had chosen to retire here.

“So, what made you want to become a vet?” Charlie asked.

“It was just always something I wanted to do,” I replied with a shrug, taking a sip of my ocean-blue drink.

“Honestly, I like you way more than the last one. She was such a bitch,” Crystal suddenly remarked, innocently sipping at her own pastel-pink cocktail.

“Crystal!” Stella exclaimed.

Charlie leaned back in his seat, amused by the direction Crystal had steered the conversation.

“What? She was. She was a fake, cheating whore—” Crystal started.

Loren interrupted her, clearing her throat loudly. “So, how did you and my son meet?”

~Oh no.~

I couldn’t believe we’d forgotten to discuss this!

What should I say?

CHASE

“She’s a catch,” Ben commented. “I could tell the moment I met her. She only had eyes for you, and there was more than enough eye candy at the charity event. I mean, I was there, after all.” He wiggled his eyebrows.

We were standing by the back doors, a few steps away from everyone seated at the table.

I disregarded his joke with a nudge of the arm. “Yeah, she is,” I agreed, looking at her profile and taking a sip of the green cocktail my cousin had insisted I try. I found myself strangely drawn to the color green lately.

“You’ve got that look in your eye,” Ben teased.

“What look?” I asked, turning to face him, confused.

“The look you get when you want something you know you shouldn’t have.” He laughed.

“Don’t be ridiculous. She’s already mine. What more could I want?” I lied.

My chest tightened as I said those words, ~she’s already mine~. I watched her laughing with my family. She fit in perfectly, like a missing puzzle piece you always knew should be there but could never find.

It was amazing how one smile could light up a room. Hers could illuminate an arena. The moonlight reflected in her eyes, her bronze waves falling softly around her face. She was different, yes, but…

~Did I want her to be mine?~

I suppressed a sigh. It didn’t matter what I wanted. She didn’t want me. She had made that clear from the start.

My thoughts were interrupted when I heard something that caught my attention.

“So, how did you and my son meet?” my mom asked.

Kiana nervously twiddled her thumbs in her lap, taking a moment to gather her thoughts. I considered cutting in, but curiosity got the better of me. I wanted to hear her response.

“We crossed paths at a party about a year ago. My friend had a bit too much to drink, so I called for a taxi. Unbeknownst to me, Chase was parked outside, waiting for his buddy. I mistook his car for our cab, and we hopped in.”

A shared laugh passed between us. I was intrigued to see where she was going with this.

“By the time I realized our mistake, my friend was out cold on my shoulder. There was no way she was getting out of the car. So, Chase waited for his friend and then kindly dropped us off at home.

“I thought that was the end of it, but I had foolishly left my purse in his car. I was in a panic until I heard a knock on my door the next morning. As a thank you, I invited him out for coffee, and he accepted.

“During our coffee date, I managed to spill my drink all over his shirt. It was mortifying. But from that day forward, we became friends.

“We realized we both had started developing feelings for each other, but he was seeing Joanna, so I kept my distance. We happened to reconnect a few weeks ago, just as friends. Then Joanna…did what she did…and I saw it as my opportunity to make a move.

“I knew I couldn’t let him slip through my fingers again. That would be downright crazy.”

She glanced at me, a smile playing on her lips, and our eyes met. She blushed, realizing I had heard the fabricated tale of our first meeting.

“I know it was quick, but I couldn’t wait for him any longer,” she concluded.

Feeling she needed some support, I decided to step in. The questions would start pouring in after that story, and she had held her own pretty well so far.

I moved to stand behind her, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. “And I was foolish not to trade up for her sooner,” I added, earning a round of laughter from my mother and aunt.

I leaned in and whispered, loud enough for everyone to hear, “Let’s call it a night. It’s getting late.”

She nodded, visibly relieved, and bid everyone goodnight before we made our way upstairs.

As we were leaving, I caught sight of my dad motioning for me to join him.

“I’ll be up in a bit,” I reassured Kiana before heading over to my dad.

“What’s with the face?” I asked him, wary of his lopsided grin.

“I was never a fan of Joanna, and I won’t lie, I had my doubts about Kiana when I first met her.”

~Here it comes.~

“But she seems…~different~ from the rest,” he said, a genuine smile on his face.

~What?~ That was unexpected. My dad had never approved of anyone I dated—not that there were many. He always assumed they were just after my money.

“She’s one of a kind,” I responded with a chuckle.

“Tell me more about her. What’s she like? What does she do for fun?” he asked, curiosity piqued.

“She’s a serious student. She prefers volunteering at an animal shelter on weekends rather than going to parties.

“She’s strong-willed yet somewhat shy, compassionate but never afraid to voice her opinions.” I found myself grinning as I answered his questions. I looked over at my dad and found him smiling back at me.

He moved closer, placed a hand on my shoulder, and gave it a reassuring squeeze. “You look content,” he simply stated. “If she’s a keeper, son, don’t screw this up,” he advised warmly.

And then he was gone.

I headed to my room, still processing the unexpected conversation with my dad.

This might be tougher than I’d anticipated.

As I entered the room, I heard the shower stop. The sweet scent of honey and lemon shampoo filled the room from the slight gap in the bathroom door.

I pictured Kiana in a short towel, water droplets tracing her sun-kissed skin. Her hair, damp and tousled; her eyes twinkling with mischief, and her lips…

~No. I can’t let my mind wander there.~

She emerged from the bathroom, effectively shattering my brief fantasy. She was wearing silk pajamas, and her shorts barely covered her ass. If she bent over, I’d have a perfect view of her round bottom.

“That was quite the tale,” I teased.

She turned to look at me, tucking her hair behind her ear with the towel.

“I had to think on my feet, so I made it up as I went along. How did I do?” she asked, biting her lip in anticipation.

“Well, everyone seemed to buy it.”

KIANA

Chase sauntered over to the dresser and began undressing—first his jacket, then his shirt—I watched until he reached for his belt buckle.

“What are you doing?!” I shrieked, dramatically covering my eyes with my hands.

“I’m sleeping in my underwear tonight. Consider yourself lucky I’m not going commando,” he joked, then proceeded to remove his pants.

I could feel my heart pounding, and I was sure my cheeks were a bright shade of red.

I was at a loss for what to do, so I grabbed a pillow from each side of the bed and placed them in the center.

“What’s going on?” he asked, reaching for his phone.

As he was engrossed in his screen, my gaze unintentionally traveled down his body, landing on his noticeable bulge.

I swallowed hard, my cheeks flushing with embarrassment as I blurted out my next words.

“I’m… I’m creating a boundary,” I managed to say.

“A boundary?” he echoed, sounding puzzled.

“This is your side, and this is mine,” I explained, pointing to the respective sides of the bed. “Consider this a divider, splitting the bed in half.”

He chuckled.

“All right, whatever you say, ~princess~,” he said, emphasizing the last word with a playful bow.

“Don’t call me that,” I retorted, quickly climbing into bed and pulling the covers up to my chin.

Chase mirrored my actions but chose to lie on top of the covers.

It bothered me how he could be so ~casual~ lying next to me while my stomach was doing somersaults.

Sleep didn’t come easily, but eventually, I drifted off.