With Abandon: With or Without, Book 3 (7 page)

Aubrey smiled before he even thought about it. Funny how only the mention of Matt could do that. “Yes, and yes. His name is Matt and you’ll meet him next weekend when we come out to hunt. You will both adore him. He’s a great guy.”

Mom nodded. “Yes, Keaton says he’s a good kid. Very sweet.”

“And he cooks.”

“Aubrey Ian Reynolds, don’t you dare take advantage of him.”

Aubrey laughed. If she only knew how many different ways he wanted to take advantage of Matt. “Speaking of cooking, where are we going to eat?”

“Let’s just go downstairs and eat in the restaurant,” his dad answered.

“Okay, the restaurant it is.”

His dad motioned toward the chair and slipped his hand down, holding Mom’s. “Can we leave all this in here? We didn’t want to detour to the parking garage before we came up.”

“Sure. I’ll lock up.” Aubrey motioned to them to go ahead and secured the door. They headed to the elevator with his parents holding hands beside him.

“Your father and I have been talking…”

Aubrey groaned. Those seven words never preceded anything good. He glanced back at his office door.

Dad pushed the elevator button. “It’s too far. You’ll never make it.”

With a
ding
, the mirrored doors slid open.

“I might if I shove the two of you into the elevator first.” With a smirk, Aubrey followed his parents into the elevator.

Mom smacked his arm playfully. “Then you’d get a whoopin’.” The doors closed and she pushed the first-floor button. “What did I ever do to get two such ornery boys?”

“Is this where we inform her that Keaton and I take after her?”

Dad chuckled. “Probably not. She’d just deny it anyway.”

“Oh you just wait until you have your own kids.” Mom wrinkled up her nose. “They’ll be just like you.”

“Uh-oh. It’s the mom curse.” Dad snickered. “You’re doomed.”

“Her mom must have put the same curse on her,” Aubrey teased.

Laughing, Mom swatted at him again. “She must have, you brat.”

The doors opened.

Aubrey held his arm out toward the lobby. God, he loved his parents. “Shall we?”

They reached the restaurant and were greeted immediately. Being head of the company did come with its perks. Maybe he shouldn’t, but he liked the feeling of importance. He was accustomed to it.

“Ah, Mr. Reynolds. Table for three?” the maitre d’ asked with a smile.

Aubrey returned the gesture. “A booth in back if you please.”

“Yes, sir.” He took up three menus. “Right this way.”

As they sat down at the table, Mom said, “As I was saying before you distracted me in the elevator…”

Oh no. She was dramatically pausing. Aubrey had the urge to stick his fingers in his ears and chant,
Lalalalala
.

“Your dad and I were talking, and we think you should settle down and get married.”

Aubrey didn’t groan, but it was a close call. “You’ve thought that for the last six years.” He unrolled his napkin and put it in his lap.

“Yes, but—” Biting her bottom lip, she turned her head to look at Dad.

Dad sighed and frowned a little. “All the men in our family, your mother’s and mine, found their mates before their twenty-sixth birthday. You’re almost thirty-one, son.”

Guilt gnawed at Aubrey until finally a familiar numbness settled over him. He’d heard all this before.

Mom grabbed his hand and squeezed.

Dad swallowed hard. “The thing is, we don’t think you have a mate.”

Aubrey sat there stunned. They’d never told him he didn’t have a mate before.

“Reynolds Hall needs an heir. And there’s been a Reynolds running the company since the first Buchanan was opened,” Mom whispered.

He yearned to tell them about Matt. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. The longing to just reach out and clasp a future with Matt by blurting out they were mates was overwhelming but fleeting. What good would it do? Mom’s words had said it all. A rustling sound made him open his eyes.

Dad had opened his menu, but he didn’t take his gaze from Aubrey’s. “Son, you do so much already and I know you have a lot to think about, but with your brother being mated to Chay—and we love Chay, you know we do—we can’t take a chance on either Reynolds Hall or Reynolds Inc. going out of the family. You aren’t getting any younger, Aubrey.”

What was there to say? He’d known this was part of his duty nearly from the cradle. Having found his mate didn’t change anything. Matt was unsuitable. He couldn’t give the Reynolds dynasty an heir.

Mom busied herself arranging her napkin in her lap, avoiding his gaze.

Dad glanced at his menu. The scent of anxiousness, or was that nervousness, surrounded them both.

Aubrey nodded, trying to ease their discomfort. He’d known this was coming for a long time now.

“Even if she’s not your mate, Tara would make a wonderful mistress for Reynolds Hall,” his mom offered with a weak smile. “You should stop holding off and go ahead and marry her.”

It was the perfect solution for him, but he’d never do that to Tara. He wanted her to be happy and have a love like his parents had, not simply the loving friendship he could offer her. He wiped his clammy hands on his slacks. Perhaps he wasn’t quite as detached as he wanted to be, but just because he suffered didn’t mean his parents had to. They’d given him their best since the day he was born. He could do no less for them.

“I’ll see what I can do. With any luck you can start planning a wedding at Reynolds Hall by the beginning of next year.”

“Why’s it dark in here?” Matt stumbled into the apartment and closed the door behind him. He dropped his backpack in the foyer and stepped down into the living-room area. “Hello?” Aubrey should be home, but it was very quiet. Matt lifted his nose and sniffed. Yes, Aubrey was here, as was Tara, and there was meat cooking.
Yum.
Aubrey had started dinner. “Au—”

Something hit Matt smack-dab in the middle of the forehead, startling him into stumbling back a few steps. “Ah!” He almost fell on his butt when his heels came into contact with the foyer step. He ended up doing the flapping-arms thing for a good ten seconds and finally caught his balance. When he was able to touch his head, he came away with a suction-cupped foam dart like the ones in his younger brothers’ Nerf guns.

“
Yes.
” Aubrey’s triumphant shout echoed from somewhere inside the dark apartment.

A feminine giggle preceded a light being flicked on. “Good shot.” Tara stood by the end table with the lamp, holding a yellow and blue plastic rifle, or at least what Matt thought was blue and yellow.

There was a crack, a clicking sound and a barrage of darts flew in her direction.

“No fair. Time out. Time out.” She dove behind the couch.

“Lime green?” Aubrey popped up from behind the end of the kitchen island with a Nerf machine gun in hand and tilted his head in a quizzical manner. His gaze was directed at Matt’s feet.

Matt tossed the dart toward Tara and glanced down at his socks as he continued into the living room. “I was wondering what color they were.” He sighed. “I’m beginning to think I should’ve played the
what color is this
game with Eddie before I packed.”

Tara peeked around the couch, spotting Aubrey with his weapon lowered, and she stood. “I’ll go through your clothes for you if you want, but Bree has better taste than I do. I’ve been known to mismatch my own clothes.”

“Well you can’t do any worse than I do.”

Aubrey frowned at Tara. “On purpose.” He returned his attention to Matt. “She does it to annoy her father. You’re color-blind?”

“I can’t see reds and greens.”

Chuckling, Aubrey came forward and leaned on the back of the couch. “Guess that explains the pink shirt. But what’s with the dress shoes and shorts?”

Matt strode past the two Nerf assassins and tossed the Ducati keys on the bar separating the kitchen from the living area. “Pink is the bane of my existence. But dress shoes with shorts is stylish.”

Aubrey’s eyebrows shot up. “If you say so.”

“You sound like my dad.” Matt shrugged it off. So he had a unique sense of style, sue him. “What’re you two doing?”

“Playing. We started doing this occasionally when someone…” she jerked her head toward Aubrey, “…has a rough day and needs to unwind.”

“You had a bad day?” Matt pulled out a barstool and sat facing Tara and Aubrey.

“No worse than it’s been for the past month. I really need to hire another executive assistant. Speaking of…how was your first day?” Aubrey appeared nonchalant, but Matt detected a hint of something… Had Aubrey’s day been worse than he was letting on?

“Well? What did you do at school?” Tara asked, jostling Matt out of his concern.

“I got asked on a date.”

After dropping the gun behind him onto the couch, Aubrey crossed his arms over his chest and scowled.

A little thrill shot through Matt. Oops, he’d worded that wrong, because it hadn’t been a
date
date. But it was nice to know his mate was possessive of him.

Tara tossed her gun next to Aubrey’s and got up, coming toward Matt. “You said no, didn’t you? I mean you just got here and—” She looked at Aubrey and bit her bottom lip, then looked back at Matt. “Maybe you should wait and see if you get any better offers.” Blushing, she glanced back at Aubrey and fidgeted in place.

She was hinting that they should get together? Aubrey obviously hadn’t told her they were mates. She also didn’t appear to know that Matt knew Aubrey was gay, but she was definitely matchmaking. Matt smiled. “Actually, it was just a friend type of date and I agreed to lunch. I have no intention of dating the guy.”

Tara hadn’t outted Aubrey thus far, even to Matt, which meant she was trustworthy. Would Aubrey tell her? Matt rather liked the idea of her knowing.

“Matt knows I’m gay,” Aubrey said with a smirk, coming to the same conclusion about her motivation. To Matt he added, “Subtle isn’t she?”

“Oh good.” She beamed at them and rubbed her hands together. “The two of you have quite a bit in common. Don’t you think?”

“She’s going to drive us insane with trying to get us together.” Matt caught Aubrey’s gaze.

Aubrey stared back. “Probably, but it’s up to you. Given my request for secrecy, I have no right to divulge information.”

At least he wasn’t asking more of Matt than he himself was willing to give, but the reminder stung after withholding their relationship from Logan. “I lied to my brother today.” He didn’t like lying to people he cared about, and he wasn’t about to hide his pain from Aubrey. He just hoped Aubrey didn’t think he was pressuring him.

Turning her head, Tara pulled out the stool next to Matt. “About what? You lost me, what’s going on? I thought you and your brother were close?” She sounded sincere and looked so crestfallen that Matt’s tension eased a bit. She cared about him. His initial bond with her wasn’t a fluke. He didn’t want to hurt her feelings, but he’d promised Aubrey not to tell. Was Aubrey just trying to appease Matt or did he want Tara to know?

Aubrey’s attention never wavered from Matt. He didn’t smile, but he winked. “Matt is my mate, Tee.”

“What? Ohmigod!” Tara laughed. “That’s awesome.” She did an impromptu tap dance in place and threw herself at Matt’s side, nearly knocking him off the barstool.

Taking a deep breath, Matt let it sink in. It didn’t feel as much like a dirty little secret now. It was like getting something off his chest, but had he pressured Aubrey into telling?

Aubrey must’ve sensed Matt’s reluctance, because he came forward, rested his hands on Matt’s thighs and dipped his head to catch Matt’s gaze.

The tension left Matt’s shoulders and happiness bubbled up inside him. This was going to work. He just knew it. In time, Aubrey would be comfortable enough to tell everyone.

Tara was oblivious, still dancing around at Matt’s side with her arms looped over Matt’s neck. “Oh, this rocks. I’ve been telling him for years he’d have a guy for a mate. Especially after Keaton found Chay.”

“Tara?” Aubrey asked softly, almost hesitantly. “It has to stay a secret. That’s why Matt didn’t tell his brother.”

Dropping her arms from Matt’s neck, Tara stepped back and frowned. “You cannot keep this a secret.” Nervousness and regret were written all over her face. “This is a good thing.” She glanced at Aubrey and shrugged before looking back at Matt. “Oooh, I knew the minute I met Matt he’d be perfect. Isn’t this a good thing?”

Aubrey nodded. “But you know better than anyone what my life is like.”

The despondent look Tara turned on Matt shouldn’t have made him feel good, but it did. She was on his side.

“It’s okay. I understand his reasoning. I’m glad you know, Tara.” Wrapping his arms around Aubrey’s and Tara’s waists, he pulled them all together in a group hug. Only he was too forceful and made them all bonk heads. “Ow.”

“I just want you both to be happy.” She looked at Aubrey and slid her arm farther around Matt’s back. “You deserve to be happy, Bree. All the secret one-night stands and sneaking around, hiding who you are, isn’t good for you. It’s made you bitter and resentful.”