CHAPTER 159: WHOSE IDEA.

CHAPTER 159: WHOSE IDEA.

~MIRA’S POV~

My heart shattered. I was just as stunned as Grey but I recovered faster. I cleared my throat and stepped forward with a hand stretched for a handshake.

“Hi, mum. I’m his wife, Mira.”

The gaze directed at my outstretched arm made me shudder. I dropped my arm like it was a log of wood.

“I’m not your mum,” the older woman said.

I gulped.

My mother-in-law didn’t give me a chance to recover before she turned to fire Grey. “Is this your wife?”

It would have been better if the ground opened to swallow me. Anything but this humiliation and embarrassment was better.

Grey stepped forward. “Mum.” His arm on my shoulder weighed a ton but I needed the support he was offering. He pushed me forward but my eyes never left the floor. “Yes, this is my wife. The love of my life. Please, be nice.”

“Hmm,” was all my mother-in-law said before storming into the house.

Grey was dumbstruck. So was I. My mother didn’t want me, my mother-in-law also didn’t. The only people who cared about me were my husband and best friend. Grey’s feet appeared in my line of view, he tilted my head up and my gaze finally met his. Tears I promised not to shed clouded my vision.

“I’m sorry about that, my love,” he said.

I knew he was sorry. I felt it in his words. “It’s okay.” The tears finally fell and Grey was quick to wipe them off. “I… Let’s just go to our room, okay?”

“Okay.” He hugged me before I could request for it and his scent enveloped me, wrapping me in a bubble I hoped my mother-in-law would not break.

Grey’s eyes metm mine again. “Don’t mind my mum, okay? Don’t take anything she says to heart. You’re the love of my life and nothing she says can change that. I love you.”

His words gave me strength. I looked to the door and saw my mother-in-law frowning at me but it didn’t stop me from saying, “I love you too, Grey. You are the love of my life.”

Those words got a laugh out of Grey. He squatted in front of me.

“Baby, what are you doing?”

“Giving you a piggy back ride,” he said over his shoulder, eyes shining with mischief.

I had a feeling he was doing it to annoy his mother and I couldn’t say no. My mother-in-law was being unkind for no reason.

“Baby, hop on.”

Giggling, I jumped on his back. Grey said a few things to the driver who was still awaiting instructions. When my gaze returned to the door, my mother-in-law was no longer there.

My mouth hung open for the second time since our arrival as I took in the inside of the mansion. It was better, finer than the exterior. The chandelier hanging low from the ceiling made me squint. There were so many doors I was certain I would get lost here.

Grey started for the stairs and I ran my fingers over the bannister, loving the smoothness of it. I could bet the rug on the stairs was expensive. Even the paintings on the wall looked like they belonged in an art shop. Greystopped in front of a door I guessed was his room, he pushed the door open and I gasped.

God. They were rich, rich. The kind of rich I only saw in the movies. I jumped off his back before he stopped me, walking tentatively as I inspected the room. The curtain felt lush against my fingers, the rug under my feet too soft and smooth. Grey hugged me from behind. His laughter tickled my ears.

“You like?”

I scoffed.

Taking a step forward, I opened the curtains and shook my head. There was a sliding door that led into a balcony like the one at our house. I stepped into the balcony and the breeze tickled my face.

Grey's footsteps echoed behind her, me, I turned slowly and spread my arms. This was a beautiful place.

“I love it, baby,” I said.

He hugged me, nibbling my neck. “I’m glad you do.”

The room was bigger than our living room back at home. It might as well have been a suite. I hopped to the television and grinned at my reflection. I loved this place already. Grey stood behind me, both of us grinning.

“I’m sorry about my mum,” he said. “I’ll talk to her.”

“It’s okay,” I answered too quickly.

Grey stopped in front of me and shook his head. “It’s not okay.” His thumb caressed my lip.

My eyes flicked to his. He already apologised outside and I didn’t think there was a need for another apology.

“She was rude and I don’t want you to feel uncomfortable.”

“As long as we are together, I can’t be uncomfortable. I don’t really want to talk about your mum right now.”

“Okay.” Taking my hand, he spun me in a circle and I giggled. “What does my baby want to talk about?”

Coming to a stop, I fiddled with his buttons, undoing them slowly till his shirt was open. “She doesn’t want to talk.” I bit my lips, batting my lashes in a sensual motion. I disposed of his belt and started on his buckle. “Your baby just wants to cuddle.”

“I want to cuddle too,” he replied with a grin.

In a blink, I was thrown over his shoulder and carried inside the bathroom. Grey took his time to get rid of my gown. He filled the bathtub with water and scattered petals inside.

I blushed. He was acting like this was our first night together. We settled into the tub together. Grey scrubbed my back and I did the same to him. Our bodies said all the things our lips couldn’t. We bathed in a silence that spoke volumes. Grey grabbed a towel for me after we were done. We padded to our room like two overexcited kids on our first day at boarding school.

Our luggage had arrived. I met our boxes in the centre of the room. I helped my husband arrange out clothes in the closet, stunned again by the money lavished on the design of the house. Everything was exquisite.

“I think we should have dinner in the room,” Grey said.

One towel was tied around his waist and the other hung from his shoulders. He wiped the water dripping down his hair.

“Just for tonight though.”

“Okay.”

Left to me, we wouldn’t eat any meals with his mother present but the purpose of this visit was to get acquainted with my mother-in-law. Besides, my father-in-law might be kinder. Grey only had good things to say about him. “Just for tonight. I like that.”

Grey was silent as I dressed up, I looked up to see him staring at me. “What?” I asked. “What is it?”

“Nothing.” He ran his hand over his damp hair and I suspected he had more to say. I passed him a shirt that matched his black shorts. “What do you want to eat?”

“How does this work?”

This was new to me. Where I came
from, I ate what was available. Not request for what I wanted. Even in the US. I always cooked and we ate whatever was available since I stopped the cooks from sending us food.

“Just tell me what you want and I’ll have the maids prepare it.”

“The maids?” I mused.

He nodded. He threw on the shirt and helped me with the button on my pyjamas. My hands closed over his.

“Do you miss them?”

“Miss what?”

One eye roll later, I replied, “The maids.”

My hands swept over the room. The bright ceiling lights, the cream walls. The exquisiteness of this place made our home look small, very average. Life had always been handed to him on a platter and I came into his life to change that. Demanding him to wash plates, join me in the kitchen, do the dishes and cancel the meal order.

“The ease of life. Do you miss it at all?”

“Sometimes.” Holding my hands, his gaze kept me in a stronghold. “But I like where I am now, with you.”

“I like where we are.” On another thought, I placed his hand on my chest. “You promise to always tell me when you want more? Or want to change something.”

“I promise.” His head dipped, his eyes shone with love and mischief.

I knew he was aiming for a kiss and I wanted that. I wet my lips as his mouth neared mine, my eyes closed but the kiss never happened. A knock broke us out of our trance.

Grey groaned. “Who’s that?”

The door opened and his mother walked in. “It’s me.”

On cue, I shifted behind Grey. My mother-in-law scared me.

“Aren’t you coming down for dinner?”

“No,” Grey answered a little too happily and I shrunk.

He should at least sound sad about it so his mother wouldn’t hate or blame me for this.

“We are eating up here.” He squeezed my shoulders, so proud to show me off to his mother as he placed a kiss on my temple.

I didn’t feel so special at the moment due to the woman glaring at me. “Me and my lovely wife will join you in the morning for breakfast.”

“Whose idea was that, Grey?” She took a step as if coming for me.

I tried to move but Grey wasn’t having it. He hugged me from behind, resting his jaw on her head.

“Was it your idea to keep my son away from us?”

“Mum, stop.”

My mother-in-law’s gaze bore holes into me and I averted my gaze. What did I ever do to this woman? As if sensing my unease, Grey slipped his hand into mine. His mother’s eyes narrowed slightly.

“It was my idea. We are tired from the trip.”

“Son. A word.”

“Mum, we want to..”

“Baby,” I stopped him. Backing my mother-in-law, I patted his chest. “It’s fine. I’ll wait for you here.”

“Are you sure?”

I wasn’t but my mother-in-law would hate me more if he stayed back.

Grey kissed me. “I love you. I’ll be right back before you know it.”