Chapter 34: Stranger Sex

Dorian turned at the sound of Naomi’s voice.

"Uh, hi..."

Excellent introduction, husband.

The older woman beside him stepped forward with an easy smile. "Hi."

Naomi straightened automatically. Dorian gestured between them.

"Mum... Naomi." Then toward his mother. "Naomi... Mum."

"How are you?"

"I’m fine, thank you, Mrs. Heathcliffe."

"Just call me Eleanor." Her smile widened. "All his wives do."

Dorian sighed heavily.

"I’m so sorry our lunch date got cancelled," Naomi began quickly. "I didn’t want to... it’s just I had a... uhm..." Her voice trailed off.

"She had an emergency," Dorian cut in smoothly.

Naomi looked at him. Their eyes met. After everything they had argued about the night before, Naomi appreciated that. She gave him a grateful smile.

Eleanor nodded. "Of course. Ginny tells me you’ll be coming to dinner this Sunday."

"Yes!" she said a little too brightly. "Sunday! I can do Sunday."

"It’s nice to meet you, Naomi."

"You too."

"I made some egg pasta and chicken," Eleanor added. "I hope it meets your standards."

"Someone once told me anything a mother cooks tastes just right."

"I have another daughter who is a mother. Her cooking is terrible."

Naomi burst out laughing. "I’m sure it’s not that bad."

"It is. Trust me, my kids? They’re all lost causes."

"Mum!" Ginny whined behind her.

Naomi laughed harder. She liked Eleanor. Eleanor smiled at Naomi once more.

"I’ll see you Sunday, Naomi. The whole family will be expecting you."

Eleanor said and turned around to leave.

"The whole—" Naomi’s eyes widened.

Dorian saw the panic hit her face almost immediately. He moved before she could finish the sentence. His palm went straight over her mouth.

Her eyes became even wider. Eleanor turned back around. Dorian reacted quickly, shifting his body so his back faced his mother and his frame completely blocked Naomi from view.

"Did you say something?" Eleanor asked.

Dorian kept one hand firmly over Naomi’s mouth. Naomi made an offended sound against his palm. "No, Mum...We’re just talking."

Eleanor’s eyes dropped to his stance. A knowing little smile appeared. "We’ll leave you two alone." She caught Ginny by the wrist. Ginny glanced between her brother and the woman currently trapped behind him. Eleanor pulled her toward the door. "Goodnight!"

"Goodnight, Mum."

Dorian waited. Then he removed his hand.

"The whole family?!"

Dorian sighed. There it was. Exactly the reaction he had prevented his mother from witnessing. "You need to learn to keep your thoughts to yourself until only you and I are in the room."

"How many people are going to be at this dinner?"

Dorian thought about it.

His parents.

Ginny.

Alexandra was out.

Daniel, most likely.

His nephews were out too since Alexandra claimed she was spending time with the kids.

"Give or take six."

Naomi began pacing. "I’m going to pretend in front of six people?"

"My family knows enough. What they do not know is that we signed a six-month contract. So don’t say anything about the divorce happening in a few months."

"Oh... they know about Vegas?"

"Yes," Dorian answered.

"Oh my Lord! They are going to think the worst of me!" Naomi covered her face with both hands. "You didn’t tell them we had sex, did you?"

"I did."

she collapsed dramatically to the floor. Dorian looked down at her. Naomi remained sprawled there. "You couldn’t save me some dignity?" she asked from the floor.

Dorian’s brows lifted. "Will you stop being a child?"

"My dignity is gone."

Dorian sighed as she stared miserably at the ceiling.

"The one mistake of my life is the gift that keeps on giving."

"Naomi... I’d really like to sleep early tonight. Can we skip the theatrics?" Dorian held out his hand. "Come on."

"I want to die."

"Die in bed, come on!"

She ignored his hand. He sighed again, bent down and caught her beneath both arms. She yelped as he hauled her upright. "Hey!"

He pulled her fully to her feet. She leaned dramatically against him. "Seriously, there is no use being this dramatic. Everyone has sex."

"Not with strangers!"

"Stranger sex was kinda hot. More people should try it."

"You’re such a man-whore."

Dorian smirked. "It’s not the worst thing to call me."

Naomi groaned. "Uhhhh... my life is over."

"I will throw you down these stairs."

They climbed the last flight. He finally grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her through the kitchen doorway.

"Sit." He guided her toward one of the stools at the island and planted her onto it. His mother had left the food covered and neatly arranged. He reached for the containers.

Naomi rested her elbows on the island. "Your mother seems nice."

"She is."

"She really just showed up because you missed one day of work?"

"Yes."

"That’s kinda sweet."

"It’s invasive."

"You say invasive. I say loved."

He opened one of the containers. She leaned forward.

"Oh, that smells good."

He pulled out two plates. "Should I feel just as you feel now when I have to meet your family?" Dorian asked.

"You..." She blinked. "You do not have to meet my family."

Dorian looked over at her. There it was again. That tiny shift. One second she was relaxed, talking about his family and laughing at his mother treating him like a child. The next, every invisible wall around her had gone up. "So they’re quite okay with not knowing the man you married?"

Naomi picked at the edge of the napkin in front of her. "I don’t think long-term attachments should be made, don’t you think?" She immediately changed the subject. "You seem close with your mum."

he remembered the argument from the night before.

Stay out of my business.

"I guess so." He spooned some of the egg pasta onto her plate. "I’m her only boy. It becomes tedious sometimes. You’re trying to maintain a certain persona, and your mum waltzes in and treats you like a five-year-old boy."

"It sounds nice, though. Having your mum worry about you."