CHAPTER 34

"I want you to meet my grandmother," Asher said as she got out of the shower.
She had begged then threatened and eventually had to bribe him to let her take a shower alone. If he had taken one with her,she was certain they were going to be doing a lot more than showering and they were going to end up going to work late.
"OK," she replied absently, realizing for the first time she had no change of clothes and she was going to work with him;in his car. What would people think? They were going to think she as sleeping with the boss of course; which she was.
"Great. We could stop over before we head to the office," he said and that brought her eyes snapping up to meet his.
"Today? Now?," she asked stupidly. Everything was going so fast she was having problem catching up. It was bound to happen the moment she agreed to marry him, but she was still reeling from the shock of it all. "But..."
"No buts," he stated, moving to take her in his arms and putting a finger to her lips. "She is going to love you. Of that I'm certain."
And that there, was her biggest fear. If his grandmother liked her not knowing about her deception, she was going to feel awful but if she hated her on sight, then why not? She deserved that and it was going to help with the crushing guilt she was feeling.
"I need to go home to change my clothes," she blurted hurriedly. Not that she was going to make any impression even with a changed clothes which all looked all alike by the way. Her wardrobe was nothing to write home about and she was still thinking of when to go shopping for new clothes. But she just said that because she needed an escape from his presence
Her guilt had been killing her slowly all morning.
"Hey hey, look at me," he crooned, taking her chin in his hand and raising her head to look in his eyes. "You can talk to me. If you do not want to meet my grandmother today, fine by me. I just want to show you off to the world, especially to my loved one. I'm OK if you are not ready for that yet."
Why was he being so nice to her? He was letting her have her way so often, more than she deserved. If Asher found out about her...
Scratch that. When Asher found out about her...
She shivered, not daring to think about what was going to happen then.
"That's not it. I'll love to meet your grandmother today. I just need to go home to change because I do not want to go to work with the same clothes two days in a row. It will raise suspicion. And if I've to go home then meet your grandmother, I'm going to be late for work," she argued.
"But I don't care about suspicions and I don't care if we are late," he replied fiercely.
Spoken like a true Alpha male, she thought to herself.
Asher had noticed her mood since they woke up. She had woken up with him wrapped all around her. After she had managed to escape from his hold, it was like she had been avoiding him touching her and she had got this almost gloomy look in her eyes that he knew pretty well had nothing to do with clothes. He was sure about that but he did not know what was bothering her and he was getting frustrated with her closing up, and trying really hard not to show it. He wished she would talk to him or better still, let him into her thoughts. He could do it if she was not ready. God knows he was more than ready but doing that would seem like he was putting pressure on her and he never wanted her to feel that way.
In their marriage, whatever Shana decided to do, she was going to be doing it because she wanted to and because it made her happy not because her mate made her do it. He had vowed to himself he was going to make her happy, just like she made him.
"I care," she said simply and turned away from him in search of her clothes.
He stared stupidly at her back. Were they having their first fight as a couple already? Something was definitely eating up his mate.
"Are you alright?," he asked as he followed her and took her in his arms.
"I'm fine, really."
"I don't think so. Maybe you can meet my grandmother another time," he suggested but he was not too happy about that. He wanted her to meet Rose as soon as possible, get to know and love each other, although it was all for his own selfish reasons. Shana meeting Rose was a hurdle cleared in his plans for a very quick wedding.
I'll love to meet your grandmother today," she answered tightly.
"You know you don't have to," he said, smoothing his hands through her tresses. He had been amazed the previous night when she had taken her hair down and the heavy strands had cascaded down her back past her waist. She had always had it curled up in a tight, messy bun and he had never really gotten to appreciate her beautiful hair until last night. He had never pictured her as a woman that would want to keep her hair that length, she had seemed more of a shoulder length type. Her excuse had been that she did not have the time to get a haircut and that had made him wonder what she had been up to before taking the job with Anderson Group but he had refrained from asking. He loved the glowing, light catching auburn tresses and she was going to continue to keep it the way it was if he had his way.
"I want to."
"Alright. And you do not have to worry about the clothes," he said smiling into her eyes and reaching for the phone.
He made a few, short requests into the phone,all the while holding her in his arms and staring at her then the call was over. "You'll have clothes in no time and we'll be off to see Rose."
"I'm going to be late for work," she mutters under her breath, her eyes going to his sexy lips. He saw the direction of her gaze but made no move on her. He was not going to rush her. If she wanted to kiss him, she could make the first move.
"I'm the boss Shana," he said with a wicked grin. "And besides, Rose lives just a few houses away. This territory belongs to my pack and I rule over all these." She could see the pride in his eyes as he talked about his pack and she felt another twinge of guilt that she was going to be the one to quench the light it brought to his eyes.
Unconsciously, she sighed deeply. Asher gave her a strange look. "Are you sure you are alright?," he asked for the tenth time that morning.
Yes, she had been counting and the question was beginning to grate on her nerves. "Your grandmother must be really dear to you," she automatically changed the topic and he fell for the bait.
For the next hour, he told her all about how Rose had been his only true family, how his mother had never been there and how his stepfather never accepted him. But he did not give her the details of what really transpired between his mother and stepfather, clamming up when she asked.
But she he had no idea she knew all the gory details, right in the palm of her hand. She knew things about him from his stepfather he did not even know about and it was killing her having to hide behind a facade and just play along, like it was all a game.
She had not bargained falling in love.
But she had a lot more to deal with.
What was she going to say when he asked to meet her family? How was she going to extricate herself from the lie involving a grandmother that had been dead for years?
That, she was going to have to think of a solution to. And fast.
★★★★★★★★★★
The clothes arrived, in numerous shopping bags she lost count of. And they were clothes she never imagined would graze her body in this life time. She felt like a different person wearing the silk halter top with a pencil straight navy blue skirt that did something amazing to the figure she had tried all her life to hide because she was too fat. But she did not look fat in them; she was sexy and could barely recognize herself with just a different style of clothes
Asher complimented her choice, not hiding the hunger brimming in his eyes as he watched her. "You look beautiful Kitty," he said as they made their way across his estate to Rose's.
The grounds were simply beautiful. She had not been able to admire them in the dark the night before but in the light of day, it simply took her breath away.
She could imagine a happy life there with Asher and a couple of beautiful blue eyed kids just like him.
But fate was never going to let her have that.
She took the few minutes walk in dread, picturing different scenario in her head where his grandmother took an instant dislike to her. Was she going to outrightly send her out of her presence or be courteous about it and just give her dead looks? Or was she going to love her at first sight, just like Asher predicted and wrap her up in her old arms?
In a way, she dreaded the last scene than the others.
They were at another grand estate in no time, but not as grand as his. This one was old and had a dreary feel to the old Victorian house and it gave her the chills. It had belonged to his stepfather, she was certain.
The interior was absolutely nothing like the outside tho. The family area was large, as expected and it felt toasty warm and welcoming. The decorations looked almost as old as the place but everywhere was pristine clean.
"Am I dreaming it up all in my old addled brain or am I seeing you more often than usual?," the deep, no nonsense voice reached Shana's ears before she saw the old woman wheeling towards them.
"Rose," Asher said brightly and went to her, happy to see her. He crouched down and wrapped his arms around the beaming and equally happy old woman. In that position, with his head turned away from her and his grandmother's facing Shana, he failed to see the old woman's eyes freeze when her eyes met his mate's guilty ones. He did not see the fear that entered her eyes; an emotion that Rose ever showed as she met the eyes of his mate across the room before the look was gone.
Just from that little exchange, Shana knew her secret was no longer a secret.