She tentatively touched his back, rubbing at the tense muscles there. “Is everything okay, babe?” Quite obviously, it wasn’t, and she felt kind of stupid for asking, but she had to start somewhere.
“Not really, Angel,” he snapped, before softening his voice. “Sorry, baby.” He rubbed at his neck before straightening to look at her. “You need to go home. My parents are coming into town unexpectedly, and it won’t be good if you’re here.”
Wow, she hadn’t been expecting that. She knew from the few things that both he and Denny had shared with her that his parents were about as bad as hers. From his reaction, she had to think they could even be worse. “I don’t mind,” she protested, not wanting to leave him in his hour of need.
Pulling her back into his arms, he dropped a kiss on her neck before saying, “Remember when I said that my parents made yours look tame?” When she nodded, he added, “Well, that was somewhat of an understatement. Your mother may be a bitch and your father may let her get away with it, but that’s where the similarities end. In my family dynamic, my father is the asshole and my mother is the enabler. And to make matters worse, he’s also a drunk who abuses alcohol and God knows what else. He’s weak, selfish, and spineless. My mother tries to smooth his rough edges by pretending to care about us, and possibly a part of her does, but I’ll always be a distant second to her. They both sleep with whomever they want, but at the end of the day, they’re a team and anyone else is just on the outside looking in.”
Unable to process his words, she stared at him for a moment before saying, “Wow, I thought I had the parents from hell.”
That appeared to have surprised him enough to get a laugh out of him, which he’d looked sorely in need of. “I believe we both do,” he agreed, “just in different ways. They’re toxic, Angel, and I don’t want you to have to deal with it. You have enough to handle with your mother. Chances are that my father will be wasted, and when that happens, he can be nastier than usual. So it would make me very happy to know that you’re home enjoying your evening and away from their toxic behavior.”
“Are they staying with you?” she asked, still feeling as if she was abandoning him to the wolves.
“Hell no,” he responded immediately. “I’ll be their first stop, but luckily they prefer an expensive hotel. They generally stay at the Oceanix, so I figure I only have to survive a few hours—at least tonight.”
“All right,” she agreed. “I don’t want you to be stressed over them and have to worry about me, so I’ll go.” She was pulling away to stand, when he managed to halt her progress and lift her neatly into his lap.
“Thanks, baby,” he growled, “but I’m going to need a little something to get me by before you leave.”
“And what would that be?” she purred as his lips locked on hers. Dear God, the man could kiss. She might not have much to compare him to, but somehow she knew he’d be at the top of most women’s lists. He didn’t just kiss, he owned. He was in control, unless he was feeling playful and allowed her to take charge for a brief time. He believed in lots of tongue. When Mark took your mouth, you damn well knew it. Her clit throbbed and her nipples hardened, even though she tried to silently warn her body that there would be no satisfaction tonight—unless it was self-induced.
“Fuck,” he grated out against her lips. “I can’t believe I’m sending you away after that.” She felt the hard length of him pressing into her bottom. They were both worked up and in no way ready to see it end.
She curved her palm along his jaw, rubbing the stubble already showing there. “If you get rid of them quickly tonight, then come to me. You still have my key, right?”
He nodded, looking almost hopeful at her suggestion. She’d given him a key to her place the last time he’d left to go out of town. He hadn’t wanted to scare her by knocking on her door if he was late getting back, and she’d hadn’t wanted to wait until the next day to see him. “We’ll see, Angel. Leave the security chain off.”
“I will,” she promised, before getting to her feet. He walked her through the house and into the kitchen where she picked up her purse. She gave his arm a squeeze of reassurance. “It’ll be okay. Maybe they just want to see their son tonight.” Even as she said the words, she didn’t really believe them. If his father was anything like her mother, then there was no such thing as a simple social call. There was always some agenda, and it was never good.
“Could be,” he replied with a forced smile. He kissed her lightly, and then held the door open for her to get in the car. “If I don’t see you later, then I’ll come by your office in the morning.”
“Good luck.” She smiled brightly. As she was driving away, she took one last look, and her heart broke for him. He looked so alone and solemn standing there with his hands in his pockets. Crystal wanted to go back and demand that he allow her be there for him, but she knew well from her own experience that the last thing you wanted was to have an audience while you were verbally attacked.
She’d carefully tried to keep her parents away from Mark for the same reason. Deep down inside, she thought that was why she’d continued to attend the marriage counseling sessions. It satisfied her mother to some degree, and while she was happy, she left Crystal alone for the most part. And regardless of what Bill said about wanting to avoid her mother, she knew the moment she stopped going, he would go straight to her parents to enlist their support. Then, once again, Crystal would be the difficult daughter who never did as she was told. Unfortunately, she could no longer hide from the fact that going on as she had been made her nothing but a liar and a coward. If she went to these kinds of lengths to avoid conflict, then where did it end? How could she ever truly be the strong person that she wanted to be, while still letting others run her life? Even though she’d finally divorced Bill, she still wasn’t free of him, and she wouldn’t be until she learned to stand up for herself in all areas of her life. Maybe that was something that she and Mark could work on together, because it appeared that they were both suffering at the hands of the very people supposed to love them the most.
Chapter Eighteen
His mother had the grace to at least look apologetic when he opened the door an hour later. “Sorry, dear,” she murmured as she preceded her husband in the door.
“To what do I owe the unexpected pleasure?” Mark asked dryly. His father, he noted, actually looked marginally sober, which was a rare occurrence. Apparently, that wasn’t going to last long, though, because he ignored Mark’s question and started opening cabinets in the kitchen until he found the one with liquor in it. He rummaged around next for a glass and poured it nearly full of bourbon. Great. It looked as if tonight Mark would get to deal with both his father’s drinking and the aftereffects.
“Why don’t we all go have a seat in the living room,” his mother suggested. “I’m sure we’d be far more comfortable there.” He wanted to point out that the last thing he wanted was for them to make themselves at home, but he held his tongue. At least his mother was trying to be civil. He turned and led the way, hoping to God he could get rid of them soon so he could go to Angel and forget all about his messed-up family.
Mark took one of the armchairs, while his mother reclined back on the sofa where he’d so recently been seated with Angel. Something about that seemed wrong, and he wanted to ask her to move. Dammit, must they taint anything good in his life? His father chose to remain standing, which would probably turn to swaying soon after the large glass of liquor. “So, son,” he said, making Mark’s back go ramrod straight. They were playing the parental card tonight—how fucking spectacular. “We’re here to meet your girlfriend. According to Oliver, you’ve been seeing someone for quite a while now.”
Freaking Oliver. How did he even know what was going on in Mark’s life? Oliver was his father’s brother and lived in Santa Barbara, California. Mark spoke to him about as often as he did his parents, which wasn’t much. But the bastard was nosy and about as bitter as his brother that he hadn’t been left controll
ing interest in the DeSanto Group. He was also more than happy to cash his dividend checks and enjoy the life that Mark provided them all. “My personal affairs aren’t open for discussion.” Lifting a brow, he asked, “Now, was there anything else?”
His mother moved from her perch and put a manicured hand on his shoulder. “Mark, we’d just like to meet her. Surely, you can understand why we’d be curious. You’ve never been in a relationship before.”
“Plus, there’s more to consider here than picking out goddamned china, boy,” his father interjected. “You come from a very wealthy family and this woman doesn’t. We have to make sure that she understands her place.”
“Her place?” Mark parroted, unable to comprehend what he was hearing. His mother’s hand tightened, and he thought that her husband’s crazy ramblings might have surprised even her. “What exactly are you talking about?” he asked, trying to rein in a temper that was threatening to blow out of control.
“Honey, I believe what your father is trying to say—and maybe not well—is that we’d love to meet Crystal. I’m sure she’s a lovely young woman, but we’re a little concerned about the difference in your backgrounds.”
Mark could only gape at her. “You grew up sharing a bedroom with three sisters and your mother made your clothes. Tell me how you’re suddenly better than the woman I’m seeing or how you could possibly stand here and have the audacity to participate in this absurd conversation? Unless I’m mistaken, you weren’t raised rich—actually, Crystal probably had it much better than you did.”
“Now listen here, son,” his father blustered. “Don’t talk to your mother in that tone. We’re tired of being treated like lepers every time we visit our son. After all we’ve done for you, is it too much to ask for some respect?”
“Respect?” he spat out. “Is that what you’re showing me when you barge into my home and immediately begin hurling insults at the woman I’m dating? By the way, I’d like to know how you know so much about her. Because I swear to God, if someone on my payroll had her investigated, then their ass will be out the door before they know what hit them.”
He could tell by the momentary shift on his father’s face that it had indeed been someone at DeSanto. Great, he was officially picking up the tab for invading Crystal’s privacy. A few of the older employees who were loyal to first his grandfather, and then his father, were still employed, and he could easily see his father finagling some favors with the assistance of Oliver. No one in his father’s family was capable of arranging anything complicated on their own. They were too used to making one simple call and getting what they needed. “This girl is divorced; were you even aware of that?”
“Of course,” Mark huffed. “We’re not living in the Stone Age. People get married and sometimes it doesn’t work out. Should they stay together when that’s the case?” He didn’t bother adding that he’d pegged his parents for a future divorced couple from a young age and was constantly amazed that it hadn’t happened yet.
“We understand that, Mark,” his mother again injected. “We have friends who are no longer together. We’re not saying that it doesn’t happen.” Great, another organized tag team session, he thought as she paused for a moment before continuing. “What we’re distressed about is the fact that while she’s seeing you, she’s also attempting to reconcile with her ex-husband. I assume that you know that, so could you explain that behavior to your father and me as well?”
Mark froze, staring up at his mother. She looked genuinely perplexed, which made two of them. Surely, they’d gotten something wrong somewhere. He knew that Crystal’s mother had ambushed her into dinner with her ex-husband several weeks back, but she hadn’t made mention of him once since then. That was probably what this whole thing was about. The investigator had found out about it. His chest lightened as he looked over at his now-pacing father. “Her ex is close with her parents, so naturally she’s run into him there. That’s all it is, though. She spends most of her free time here.”
Mark felt a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach as his father gave him a look that was a cross between pity and compassion. That unsettled him more than any words that he could have said. He knew something—goddammit, what was going on? Instead of his usual booming voice, this one was quiet as he said, “Son, she’s been going to marriage counseling while you’ve been involved. The counselor’s name is Celia Mulkey, and she has an office downtown.” Then the evening took an even stranger turn when without saying anything other than good-bye, his parents left as quickly as they’d arrived. Either they felt that their work at dismantling his life was complete or they felt sorry for him and decided not to kick him again while he was down. To Mark, it just drove home the fact that he’d been caught completely unawares and hadn’t been able to hide it.
What was Crystal doing going to marriage counseling? There was no way that information was a mistake. Owing to the nature of the business, his employees went through a rigorous background screening as part of the hiring process. He had an entire department dedicated to designing and maintaining an advanced encryption system for the routers they manufactured, and security breaches were always a threat. He hired only the best to ensure that didn’t happen. So he knew that they wouldn’t pull something like that out of the blue. So why wasn’t he picking up his phone and calling her to demand an explanation? Perhaps he didn’t want to hear her explanation. This was the first real relationship he’d ever been in, and he liked how his life was with her in it.
Laying his head back wearily, he admitted the truth—he was afraid of what she’d say. He knew they couldn’t go on as they had been without him knowing what in the hell was going on. He’d never had anyone that he was scared to lose, and he didn’t like how it felt at all. She’d gotten closer to him in the short time they’d known each other than any woman ever had—including his own mother. And he had no idea how to deal with it.
Mark stayed in the same position for another hour before getting to his feet and going to pack a bag. A quick call to his pilot ensured the plane would be ready in an hour. Jacob was still in Boston dealing with problems there, and he was going to join him. Right now, he needed distance from Angel until he could come to terms with what she’d done.
• • •
Crystal checked her phone yet again, hoping to see a message from Mark. She’d been worried about him since last night, and he hadn’t attempted to contact her. She’d called him as soon as she woke that morning, but his phone had gone straight to voice mail. She’d left a message and then texted him a few hours later when she reached the office. Since they’d been together, he was seldom out of contact. If he didn’t take her call, then he returned it, usually within the hour. So this silence from him was unusual and worrisome. Now it was time for her break, and she was going to drop by his office and see if he was in.
When she reached the door with DESANTO GROUP on it, she gently pushed it open and was met by a smiling, middle-aged receptionist. Crystal had met her several times before when she’d waited for Mark after work. “Hi, Ginny, is Mark in yet?”
The other woman looked momentarily confused as she said, “No, honey, he’s in Boston. He left last night, I believe. Jacob is already there, so obviously there was some issue to make Mark leave so suddenly.”
Crystal was stunned and from the look of sympathy on Ginny’s face, it showed. “I . . . um . . . oh, that’s right,” she stuttered, “I’d forgotten about that.”
As she turned to leave, Ginny called out, “Did you want to leave a message for him?”
“Oh no, that’s okay. I’ll talk to him later,” she managed to choke out before hurrying out the door. What is going on? she wondered frantically as she walked back to her own office. It wasn’t like him not to let her know he was leaving town. Had the visit with his parents been upsetting to the point that he’d fled without a word? Well, that wasn’t quite true. Ginny knew he was gone.
She was distracted for the rest of the day. Lydia asked her a few times if everyt
hing was all right, and she’d attempted to smile and assure her that she was just tired. Not technically a lie since she’d tossed and turned most of the night, worried about Mark.
When five o’clock finally came, she gathered her things and was grateful that Lydia was on the phone. She gave her a wave as she walked by and went straight to her car without stopping on the way to speak to Gwen or Mia. Normally, she’d pop in and chat for a few minutes, but today she wanted only to get home and make sense of what had happened.
• • •
“Care to tell me again why we packed up in the middle of the night like a bunch of outlaws running for our lives? Don’t get me wrong, I can see you trying to avoid your parents again, but I’ve heard through the family grapevine that they’re out of Myrtle Beach today,” Denny said between mouthfuls of his breakfast. He might be complaining about their last-minute trip, but he was certainly enjoying the food at their hotel.
Mark had opted for just coffee, not feeling up to a large meal this morning. He took his time taking a sip before answering his nosy cousin. “Jacob’s been tied up here for too long. If Williams can’t run this fucking location without having his hand held, then I need to make some changes. We shouldn’t have to constantly bail him out.” Williams was the new general manager and was having issues with those loyal to the one who had been recently terminated. The other manager hadn’t been doing his job, and the company had suffered as a direct result. Mark had given him ample opportunity time and again to get his act together. Yet nothing had ever changed. He’d continued to come in late or not at all, while contracts went unfulfilled. The man was single-handedly ruining the reputation of the DeSanto Group and he had to go. Unfortunately, thanks to his lax work ethic, he was popular with the employees, and they were making it hard for their new boss.