Free The Billionaire’s Lust (His Submissive, Part Seven) by Ava Claire Page A

difficult relationship with his father, but from the bits and pieces he’d shared of his childhood, he’d always had a solid connection with his mother. Not to mention the fact that I hoped they were close since he was sharing important facets of our relationship with her...like a desire to ask me to be his wife. None of it seemed to line up with the contemptuous vibes he was throwing her way.
    If she was taken aback by his comment or reception, it hardly showed on her classically attractive face, her eyes glinting for a moment before she blinked it away.
    I guess the mask was genetic.
    “I’m sorry if you were pre-occupied .” Her emphasis was on the word as her gaze detoured to my chest. When her eyes returned to mine, she gave me a knowing wink that made me cross my arms uncomfortably. I wasn’t even that close with my own mother.
    “We were just, uh, a bout to have something to eat.” I said, gesturing at the kitchen.
    She didn’t wait for further explanatio n, breezing past and taking in the spread like it was the most scrumptious thing she’d ever seen.
    “How delicious,” she said, popping a grape in her mouth. She chewed and swallowed then batted her thick eyelashes at me. “Room for one more?”
    “Sure/No.” Jacob and I said in unison. I frowned at him and he glared right back.
    I ignored him. “We’d love to have you.”
    She clasped her hands together with glee, her manicured nails glittering...along with a wedding ring that eclipsed her left hand. I knew that Jacob’s father had passed away years ago so seeing it made me feel odd. My inner voice told me that I didn’t know what their relationship was like, but I felt like Jacob and Allegra’s revelations helped me put together a fairly accurate picture of what Carlton and Alicia Whitmore’s marriage was like.
    Jacob’s father was filthy rich and he had a young, beautiful trophy wife...but she wasn’t just in it for the money. She loved him. Loved him even though he had an affair that lasted for years. Loved him when he ended the affair and shut his heart off to both his wife and son. The fact that she was still walking around with the ring, the very symbol of their love and marriage was...unsettling.
    I gave myself an internal shake and walked over to help her with the plates, trying futilely to hide the fact that I was bra-less. I didn’t exactly have the cup size to pull it off without making it fairly obvious that I was missing support, so I needed to put something on stat.
    I put down the last plate and turned toward the stairs. “I’m just going to run upstairs real quick and--”
    “You don’t have to put a bra on for me, dear. I have a pair of my own and I’m sure my son i s more than acquainted with yours.”
    And I was pretty sure every inch of skin on my body flamed red with embarrassment.
    So Alicia Whitmore didn’t mince her words. I tried to tell myself that was a good thing, but from the look Jacob gave her, I think we were both in agreement that there was a line...and talking about my breasts at breakfast was over it.
    I sunk into the chair beside Jacob and realized that ‘look’ wasn’t even the right descriptor for the way he was eyeballing his mother. He was glaring at her like one more misstep and he’d toss her from the balcony.
    I reac hed over and gripped his thigh and he blinked, like my touch roused him from a trance. He glanced at me and gave me a small nod. He was okay for now.
    I uncorked the syrup, about to douse my pancake with the sticky sweet sugar u ntil I remembered. I offered his mother a sympathetic smile. “Sorry we didn’t have any extra, I wasn’t expecting company.” I pointed at the kitchen. “I could whip you up a couple of pancakes real quick if you’d like.”
    “ I haven’t had a-” She twisted her mouth. “-‘pancake’ since I was a child. But you’re such a sweetheart for offering.” She shifted her eyes to Jacob. “You didn’t tell me she was so sweet, Jakey.”
    My