Mom wandered into the kitchen, heading straight for his dad. “Dad tried to keep the fact that you have a lady friend a secret, but you should all know by now your father with a secret is visible from the International Space Station.”
Dad couldn’t lie to Mom, either. Linx theorized it had something to do with the fact that they were both Lincoln men, and she had a sixth sense with them.
“Lady friend?” The edges of Becca’s mouth twitched before she stopped them by biting her bottom lip.
He grunted in a not-really reply.
Linx made the introductions between Becca and his parents. To her credit, she rolled with this development as well as she’d done with the senior citizen lap dancing session earlier.
He appreciated that in a woman—the ability to go with the flow.
“It’s not called a lady friend, Mom,” Courtney said, her popcornpop, pop, poppingin the background. “It’s called a girlfriend.”
Becca paled. All the blood in her body drained to her toes. Just like that, she wasn’t melting against his side. She was stiff as a stick of butter from the freezer.
There was that weight again. He and Becca hadn’t had the girlfriend discussion. He cleared his throat, giving Becca extra space between them since that’s what she seemed to need.
“Why would you do this to me, Courtney?” Linx pressed his palms into his eye sockets. “What did I ever do to you?”
“Do you want the list?” Courtney asked.
Becca laughed, gentle like. He felt that laugh in his soul, even if her complexion was still sans color. “Your family clearly loves you. They’re just checking to be sure I’m not a serial killer or something.”
Courtney gave Becca a knowing smile. The kind of smile that implied they were going to be good friends. The kind of smile that meant he was fucked.
“This is the first time you’ve ever seemed like you’re making good choices,” Courtney said. “Nice job, big brother.”
Okay, that wasn’t fair at all. He was the king of making good choices.
“I make good choices,” he said, defending himself because it would be poor form if he brought Becca to his house to have almost-sex with her in his Porsche.
“Eh.” Of course, it would be his father with the shoulder lift and the ambivalent lack of acknowledgement of Linx’s life choices. “That’s debatable.”
Becca adjusted her purse on her shoulder and glanced to the butler's pantry like she debated how quickly she could get out of there. “I should probably head out.”
“No,” Linx said at the same time Courtney also said, “No.”
Becca stalled, clearly unsure of the proper etiquette in such a situation. Hell, who fucking knew?
What he did know? He didn’t want her to leave. He wanted to finish what they’d started.
“Cedric makes excellent choices,” Mom said to Becca. “I mean, he’s practically a household name.” Mom gave Dad a knowing look. “You don’t get to that level unless you make good choices.”
“Thanks, Mom,” Linx said. Mom could officially stay. Not that it mattered if he wanted to make it official. She’d do what she wanted to do, anyway.
Becca still looked unsure about sticking around.
Dammit.
“Hecould be a serial killer,” Courtney added. “They become household names, too.”
“I’m not thanking you.” He stuck his tongue out at his sister because… yeah… old habits die hard.
“Did he tell you all about himself?” Courtney turned her focus back to Becca.
“He told me a little,” Becca said. “But we’re not—”
“Did he tell you he sucked his thumb until he was five?” Courtney asked.
