Binding 13

Frowning, she stepped closer and pulled at the hem of my skirt and pursed her lips.

"You're a small four." Her eyes trailed over me. "With the most amazing bone structure. Sha

"Jesus Christ, Ma," Joh

His mother's eyes widened in excitement when she said, "Would you like to come see if we can find something for you to wear in my –"

"No, she fucking wouldn’t," Joh

"Fine," Mrs. Kavanagh huffed.

"Thank you," Joh

Turning to her son, she whispered, "Door open, Johnathon," and gave him a hard look before walking out of his room, humming softly to herself.

Joh

Exhaling heavily, he turned to look at me.

"Again, I am so fucking sorry about her." Joh

"It's okay," I hurried to soothe him. "She's, uh, she's very friendly."

"Yeah," he muttered. "Just be glad she didn’t drag you into that clothes room." Shuddering he added, "You'd never get out of there."

"Really?"

"Oh yeah," he muttered.

"Oh."

"Sorry again about the whole her sizing you up thing," he said, looking mortified. "She wanted a girl – they were told they were having a daughter, actually." Gri

"A 6'3 rugby playing son," I mused, smiling back at him. "I can see why you might have thrown her."

"Yeah," he chuckled and then pinched his nose in an act of embarrassment. "She and my Da wanted a bunch of kids, but it didn’t work out that way for them." He scrunched his nose up then, obviously thinking about something personal. "Took them a bunch of attempts at IVF or some shite like that." He shrugged and gestured to himself. "This is what their money got them."

"You," I offered with a smile.

He gri

Yes.

Lucky them.

"She's away for work most of the time," he continued to say. "She actually flies back out to London in the morning for a few weeks. But when she's home she likes to be involved in my life."

"It's nice," I told him. "You're lucky to have a mother like her."

"Yeah," he shot back sarcastically. "Sure I am."

He was.

Joh

Maybe even years.

"Listen, you better just take a shower and give me your clothes," Joh

Was he serious?

Was I actually supposed to take a shower in his house again?

"I am serious," Joh

"Oh." Blushing, I knotted my hands in front of myself and shrugged uncertainly. "Um, okay?"

He stared at me for the longest moment before shaking his head. "Come here."

"Come where?"

"Here," he instructed, gesturing for me to follow him into his ensuite bathroom.

Like a baby foal, I hurried after him, all shaky legged and clumsy.

Hovering in the doorway of his luxurious bathroom, I watched as he reached over the tub and turned on the shower.

"You, uh, said you had a problem with it last time," he mumbled with a shrug.

"Did I?"

"Uh, yeah," he replied, shifting uncomfortably. "You were mumbling in your sleep about my shower scalding you."

I turned beetroot red.

"Oh, god, I'm sorry," I choked out, feeling nervous again.

"Stop," he warned with a smile. "It was cute."

"Cute?" I squeezed out, practically hyperventilating.

"Uh, yeah, I'll put some clothes out for you again." Joh

"Where will I put my clothes?"

"Just throw them out to me when you're naked– ah, when you're ready," he muttered gruffly. "I'll put them in the dryer," he added before closing the door and leaving me alone in his bathroom.

Trembling, I sank down on the closed toilet lid and exhaled a ragged breath.

Oh, god.