Free Billionaire Novelist's Fiery Debutante by Nic Saint Page B

everything she said three or four times in case others were suffering from the same predicament.
    “I know. How’s things?”
    “Mom’s on the line, honey. How are things over there?”
    “Things are fine. Just came back.”
    “How was your trip? You have to tell me all about it.”
    He had absolutely no intention of telling his mother anything except the bare minimum. “You know. The usual. Writing. Reading. Relaxing.”
    “Rupert tells me you had company this time? Some girl? How did that work out?”
    He could hardly suppress a groan. “How do you—” Then her words registered. Rupert. The snake. He’d told his manager so many times not to divulge any details of his personal life to his mom, and yet she still managed to wheedle them out of him.
    “Rupert says she’s very pretty. A prostitute, is she? One of them call girls?”
    Josh sat up with a jerk. It was just like Rupert to jump to conclusions like that. “Absolutely not!” he roared.
    “Oh, this is nice,” Mom said, unperturbed. “You should speak like this all the time, honey. I can finally hear what you’re saying. So she’s not a call girl, huh? Who is she, then? And why did you bring her along?”
    “I didn’t bring her along. It was all a big misunderstanding. The Eden Island people called it an unfortunate double booking. First time it ever happened.”
    “Double booking, huh? Is that what they call this kind of stuff nowadays? You have fun with her?”
    “Fun?” He spat out the word. “I worked, Mom. Worked very hard, in fact.”
    “Worked?” she teased, drawing out the word. “In my time we used to call it sex. Not work.”
    “We didn’t—” He stopped short before uttering the dreaded words. Nobody knew what had happened on the island except him and Chloe. He’d told Rupert about the double booking but hadn’t gone into detail about his exact relationship with his fellow islander/writer, except to mention that they’d collaborated on their respective works-in-progress while they were there. He expelled a deep breath, trying to find that calm spot his yoga instructor kept harping on about. “We didn’t have sex,” he lied.
    “Is that right?” Mom sounded dubious. “I asked Rupert about it, but he said he didn’t know.”
    “He didn’t know because nothing happened.”
    “That’s your story and you’re sticking with it, huh?”
    “Yes, I am.”
    “Fine. Lie to your mother.”
    “I’m not lying!”
    “I can tell a fib when I hear it, Joshua, so don’t insult my intelligence.”
    “I didn’t have sex with Chloe,” repeated Josh through gritted teeth.
    “Yeah, yeah, yeah. I knew you were going to brush me off, so I asked her myself.”
    Josh’s blood ran cold. “You did what?”
    “I called her! Can’t a mother call her future daughter-in-law?”
    “She’s not—”
    “Anyway, she was a lot more forthcoming than you are, my dear. She said—and I quote—that she ‘had the most wonderful time with Josh and cherishes the time we spent together’. Now does that sound like a woman who got some or what?”
    “Mom,” grunted Josh icily, “I really don’t see how this is any of your business.”
    “That’s where you’re wrong, hun,” rasped Mom. “Everything that concerns this family is my business. Anyway. I googled her, and Rupert was right. She is gorgeous. Now just you make sure you treat her right, you hear me? None of that skedaddling you’re so good at. I like this girl. I think she’s great for you. So there.”
    “Thanks,” was all Josh could think of to say.
    “Thank me later. I’m meeting her tomorrow, and I plan to go all out in support of you, honey. I’m gonna push your candidacy like nobody’s business. If after our little get-together she still has doubts about marrying you, it won’t be because of me. Now tell me all about what happened on the island. I need to be prepared if I’m gonna pull this off. You’re a hard sell, and you know it.”
    Josh sank back in his