“Welcome to my studio. I brought you these.” I smile, handing the flowers to Charlie’s mum.
“Oh, Derrick, aren’t you the sweetest?” She smiles, grabbing the flowers from me and sniffing them. “They are stunning. You didn’t have to get me flowers, but they are appreciated.”
“I can take them and put them into water,” Rory says as she hands him the flowers.
“I can see where your children get their looks from.”
“You charmer.” She grins before turning to her son. “Charlie, he’s so hot.”
“He can hear you.” Charlie chuckles.
“Hey, Derrick. Ignore Mom, she has no filter,” Everly says, hugging me.
“Hush, girl, don’t tell all my secrets,” her mum chastises her.
“I have the same problem,” I tell her, which makes her smile.
“I am so excited to be properly meeting the man who has swept my baby boy off his feet.”
“Mom.”
“Well, he has, hasn’t he?” she asks him.
Charlie turns, looks at me, and gives me a heated stare. “He certainly has.”
“He’s swept me off my feet too,” I confess to her. She looks between the two of us.
“You two are adorable. Come here. Welcome to the family,” she says, rushing over and hugging me. “Thank you for saving my boy,” she whispers into my ear, surprising me.
“He saved me too,” I whisper back, then to break the emotional tension between us she rubs her hands over me.
“Mom!” Charlie exclaims.
“What? He’s handsome.” She cuddles into my side.
“You can’t touch my boyfriend like that.”
She rolls her eyes at her son. “I was just hugging him.”
“Groping him,” Charlie corrects her.
“Anyway, please tell me all these beautiful dresses are for me?” she asks, changing the subject.
“They are. I have loads of options for the charity gala and some extra items that I thought you might like,” I explain to her.
“You’re a doll. Let’s go shopping.” She grins as she walks over to the racks with Everly.
“I’m so sorry about her,” Charlie says.
“Why? She’s great.”
“She is?”
“She seems like so much fun,” I tell him.
“Fuck, I love you.” He grins, grabbing my neck and pulling me to him as he kisses me.
“Hey, stop distracting Derrick, we have things to do,” His mum calls out to us.
