Alec

I don't think I have ever been more embarrassed by a question.

"Why would you even ask me that?" I asked, my head downcast.

"Look at him, he belongs on a magazine cover, Keela."

And that meant he couldn't be with me?

"Is it that impossible in your mind for me to have a good lookin' boyfriend without some sort of scheme bein' involved?" I asked, my voice filled with emotion.

Alec was my fake boyfriend as a favour to me but still, I could go out with a good looking person if I wanted to. It wasn't that farfetched of an idea!

"Of course you can go out with a good looking person, you're a very pretty girl Keela even though you are overweight."

Oh my God, I thought and slumped my shoulders.

Why did she always have to bring my weight into everything?

"I've lost more than a stone since you’ve last seen me mother. It's comin' off slowly but surely. Can you not tell?" I asked, curiously.

My ma gestured for me to stand up so I did. Then she twirled her finger around, I turned around as well so she could she all of me.

"You do look slimmer, and I really like that dress on you, it hugs your waist perfectly," my mother said, humming in appreciation.

I blew out a breath of relief.

Thank God for that at least, my diet and exercising was working after all.

"Thank you," I said then sat back down.

Things were quiet for a moment, and I didn't dare look in the direction of the kitchen to see what Alec was doing. I was happy being unaware of him right now.

"How old is Alec?" my mother asked.

I stared at her blankly and unblinking because I had no fucking idea what the answer was to her question. I cleared my throat then glanced at Alec who was looking at me and mouthing something, but I couldn't make it out.

"How old is Alec?" I repeated with a smile and glanced to him again.

He was now showing me his age on his fingers; he flashed his hands twice then held up eight fingers.

Twenty-eight?

I thought he was closer to my age; he didn't look near his thirties or act like it.

"He is twenty-eight, mother."

"Hmmm," she murmured then waved me off.

"About Micah's and Jason's wedding, if you check your email you will see all of the information about the wedding. It is in the Bahamas six days from today. You and Alec will be flying out on the twenty first of September, two days from now on Monday, and return home on the seventh, the day after the wedding. Your plane tickets are included in the email all you have to do is print them out. Print out your accommodation proof for the Pink Sands Resort as well so you get your room key when you arrive. Families from both sides have already been in the Bahamas a week, but since I don't like the heat I will only be flying out the day before the wedding."

I stared at my mother blankly, blinking.

She got Alec a plane ticket and added him to the room she got me at the resort already? But she only just found out about him!

"Ms. Daley?" Alec's voice said from our left.

I looked as he moved in our direction from the kitchen with a cup of tea in his hands.

"I appreciate you thinking of me and getting me a plane ticket and sorting out my accommodation but please let me reimburse you-"

"No, consider it a pre-wedding gift for you and Keela."

Ex-fucking-cuse me?

"Mother!" I screeched.

My ma smiled, evilly.

"This was a fun chat, it was lovely to meet you Alec. Thank you for taking a chance on my girl."

Oh my God.

"It was actually Keela who took a chance on me. Your daughter is too good for me Ms. Daley, but I plan to spend as long as it takes to be worthy of her," Alec said proudly as he sat next to me and put his arm around my shoulder while he placed my ma's cup of tea on the coffee table in front of her.

I could have squeezed him for saying what he did because the shocked look on my ma's face was priceless.

"I better get going. I will see you both the day before the wedding when I fly out. I expect you both to look the part, do not embarrass me Keela."

"I wouldn’t dream of it ma," I said, my tone cold as ice.

My mother hummed as she stood up and straightened her clothes. "Lovely to meet you pet," she said to Alec then turned and walked towards the door of my apartment. She of course gazed down the hallway and into the kitchen for God's only knows what before she opened the door and left.

I groaned in relief and shrunk backwards into the settee.

"Thank God that is over with."

Alec nudged my knee with his. "It could have been worse."

I looked to him with raised eyebrows. "How could it have been worse?"

Alec grinned. "She could have walked in on me fucking you on the kitchen table."

Don't hit him.

"You're sick in the head, you know that right?"

Alec shrugged then looked to the coffee table. "Why did she ask me to make her tea if she didn't drink it?"

I sat upright. "She doesn't drink tea, I'm pretty sure she asked you to make it just so she could grill me with you out of the way."

Alec glanced to me. "I heard her talking to you about your weight and I want you to know she's wrong. You're not overweight; I think you're the perfect weight. You have a gorgeous body."

He thought that?

I flushed. "You're just sayin' that because I won't sleep with you and you don't like bein' rejected."

Alec winked at me. "You're correct, I don't like being rejected so that is part of the reason why I want to fuck you. But the other part, the main part, is because you're hot."

I frowned. "Am I supposed to be flattered?"

"Yes."

"You're a dickhead."

Alec laughed. "Is that the best insult you've got?"

"Give me awhile, I'll come up with some bad names that will shock you to the core."

Alec stood up. "I don't doubt that for a second," he said.

I scratched my arm and curiously asked, "How long was she here?"

Alec shrugged as he got my mother's untouched cup of tea and brought it to the sink. "About ten minutes before you got back."

I groaned. "What did she talk about?"

Alec shrugged, again. "She just asked where I was from, who and where is my family and what I did for a living."

I swallowed. "And what did you tell her?"

Alec glanced to me and grinned. "I told her the truth, that I am from New York and I came here with my four brothers and I am currently in-between jobs."

I blew out a breath of relief and it made Alec laugh.

"You didn't really think I would tell her what I previously did for work did you?"

I blushed. "You're very open Alec, I don't think I could ever be certain over what comes out of your mouth."

Alec stuck his tongue out at me then whistled loudly before calling Storm's name.

I gaped at Storm when he barrelled down the hallway from the bedroom and into the kitchen. I have to call him at least ten times before the fucker will even acknowledge me.

"How did you do that? He never comes to me when I call him the first time."

Alec shrugged as he bent down and petted Storm's head. "Maybe it's the tone I call him in. I don't leave room for arguments."

I snorted. "That must only work with dogs then."

Alec glanced to me. "It works on humans, too."

"Not this human."

Alec smiled. "Wait till you warm up to me kitten, you will see just how persuasive I can be."

I felt like he was threatening me.

"It will be a cold day in Hell before you can persuade me to do anythin', playboy."

Alec winked. "I'm going to thoroughly enjoy completing these challenges you're setting, one by one."

I snarled at him making him snicker as he got Storm's lead from the table and hooked it back onto his collar. I got up from the sofa and quickly moved into the kitchen next to Storm and held my hands up in front of my chest.