With his hand on the small of her back, he led her into the dining room where four new faces were, seated and waiting for them. There was an older woman at the left corner of the dining table sharing facial similarities with Cainan and the two young ladies at the right and the young man sitting close to the chair where Donald just took, the siblings sharing a similar look with their father.
On seeing them, Ada got up and walked over to them, kissing her son’s forehead when she was close enough,
“I’m so glad you made it, Cainan.” She cheered.
“I had to, I’m trying to be a better son remember?” He said with a smile that didn’t reach his eyes.
She nodded and stroked his cheek before turning to look at Jasmin. Her brown eyes twitched and warmed up and before Jasmin could utter a polite greeting, she wrapped her arms around her.
“We didn’t come to hug, we came to eat,” Cainan grumbled aloud and the two women pulled away with Ada casting a glare at him which he ignored, took hold of Jasmin’s wrist and then led her to one of the two empty seats around the dining table.
“So, Jasmin, Cainan has been a bit quiet when it comes to talking about his love life and now even with you, he refuses to share and I’d like to think that that’s because you two only started seeing each other not quite long ago.” Ada began to speak, after picking up the serviette and wiping her mouth.
“There’s nothing wrong with being a private person, mother,” he growled out, feeling a little uncomfortable at her statements. Usually, he didn’t mind talking to her about his private life, but here she was present with the rest of her family and requesting the same and he didn’t feel comfortable.
“But we are your family, son, you can’t keep things from us.”
“They are your family,” he mumbled under his breath but Jasmin heard it.
Ada sighed, knowing how easy it was for Cainan to pull away, especially when it has to do with talks about his personal life and she didn’t want that tonight. “Jasmin, how did you two meet?”
Jasmin nodded in agreement to what Ada said and turned to stare at Cainan who seemed to be holding a look that said he would rather be anywhere but here.
“We met at a dinner party.” She began to narrate their fairy tale encounter, keeping to the story Cainan had given her on their way over. “And here we are.” She concluded, glancing at Cainan and smiling at him.
“Oh wow, that’s a good one,” Donald said from across the table and Jasmin didn’t miss how Cainan’s jaw flexed.
“What do you do, Jasmin?” Ada asked with interest in her eyes.
She didn’t know if the question was tricky or if Ada was really being serious.
“She just said it, mom,” Cainan spoke up before she could, causing a disruption as he dropped his cutleries down on the plates dramatically.
“Let the young lady speak!” Ada snapped, giving him a pointed look.
Jasmin gave him a reassuring smile, “I am a waiter, Mrs Abayomi, I work at the Paradise restaurant.”
“You still work there?” Daniel asked and Cainan cast a glare at him which he didn’t seem to notice.
Jasmin immediately placed her palm on Cainan’s upper thigh and she felt him still and stiffen in response and the fury in his expression disappeared.
“Yes, I do work there, Cainan picked me up this evening.”
“How did you convince him to let you keep working there after you two started seeing each other, I know my son and he can be very stubborn sometimes,” Ada grumbled and drunk the red wine in her glass before dropping it on the table.
The rest seated across the table chuckled and Cainan would have glared at each of them but her hand on him, softly rubbing him into quietness, restrained him.
“We fall out almost every day about boundaries, but we have to respect each other’s opinion to make it work. I know about Cainan’s reputation and his work and I understand that I have to adjust my life to fit into what he demands, but also have a life to live and I don’t want everything taken away, that won’t make me happy. I care about him and he got a good heart and he is very considerate of my desires to continue working so it isn’t very difficult. We haven’t known each other quite well, but we will and it will get even better.”
There was total silence at the table as they all stared at her and she only realised it after she finished talking.
“That’s the sweetest thing I’ve ever heard.” Lisa cooed with the most aww-filled voice.
Cainan leaned in towards her and whispered, “You’ve said more than you should,” and although those words weren’t erotic in any way, it took a lot of restraining she had to not moan out in response.
He pulled back and his hand took hold of hers on his thigh and rubbed small circles with his thumb and shivers rushed down south in response.
“Cainan seems happier than he has been in the last few weeks and I know why now, he got a woman that is his match,” Donald spoke up, taking a glass of wine to his lips.
Cainan’s brows shoot up as his gaze hardened on Donald, “What’s that supposed to mean?”
He dropped the glass on the table and raised his hands in surrender, “Calm down, Inferno, it is a compliment. Every man needs a woman that matches his energy in fierceness and passion and until you find that, you will never feel satisfied.”
Jasmin almost busted out laughing, she wasn’t his match, she decided to put on her poised and reserved font tonight because Cainan requested it. There was nothing special about it, or them and Cainan’s family were all reading into things that weren’t even there.
That was the point though, Cainan wanted to show to them that he was no longer alone and they seemed to believe that so far.
“Okay, thanks for the compliment.” He said, sounding less convinced.
“Remi, Cainan told me you were still in the university, what are you studying?” She asked, quickly changing the subject and easing the tension in the room.
“Medicine, I’ve got one more year to go.” She replied with a smile.
“That’s very—” her words cut halfway in her throat when she felt Cainan’s warm palm on her thigh, “uh very” she cleared her throat and she lost the ability to process her words properly. “Good.”
“Do you have plans of maybe someday getting a degree yourself?” Donald asked with interest in his voice.
She paused and did a little thought and realised that though the thought had come to her before, she wasn’t interested. Education wasn’t for her, she had a lot to deal with and she couldn’t add it to it.
“I never saw myself getting a degree though,” she felt Cainan’s hand move even further up her thigh, almost touching her panties and her heartbeat grew so loud that she feared everyone was hearing it, “but if the opportunity presents itself…” she shuddered and lost her voice as he moved it down and away from her, but the havoc had been unleashed already.
The eyes of everyone seated including Cainan was on hers and she couldn’t believe he just did this to her.
“I wouldn’t mind because it would be beneficial, but I’m happy either way and that’s the most important thing.” She said, more liked moaned.
“You’re right, happiness is the most important thing and I see that in my son and I’m happy you’re responsible for it,” Ada spoke up in agreement obviously not taking note of the struggle she was going through.
The rest nodded in agreement and Cainan was so close to laughing out loud.
This man was the devil himself.
