She hadn’t meant to cause a problem or to upset him. They weren’t even pregnant yet, and already she was worried about the future of her child. She didn’t want them to grow up hating their parents. Her mother had told her love and passion were the key to enjoying life. Tobias told her they were useless emotions.
“What is it?” she asked.
“My parents are here. They’re on the way up.”
Oh great!
Chapter Nine
The second his mother said she was entering the lobby with his father, Adora’s words rang in his head. His parents did like to control him; they had since he was a kid. He wasn’t a fucking pushover, and wouldn’t let them drive him to the breaking point. They’d trained him well, too well—he’d surpassed his father’s strength in their industry well over a decade ago. Tobias had protected himself and his investment in the Bennett Corporation, so his parents could never fuck him over like they did with Maximus. He’d been drilled to be the perfect son, but his parents had shown their true colors too many times over the years. His loyalty had begun to fracture long ago.
“Why are they here? Do they usually just pop in?” asked Adora. She was distraught, trying to arrange her hair and fix her shirt. Actually, it was his shirt, and she looked fucking adorable in it.
“Relax. I’m sure they’re not staying. We’re not exactly a close-knit family.”
Tobias decided this was as good a time as any to break the news to his parents. Adora would be the mother of his child, and, he hoped, his wife. This all happened so quickly, he still wasn’t sure how it would all work out. He knew he needed an heir, but didn’t have a plan of action until he saw Adora standing by his window.
A loud knocking echoed in the room. He could only imagine why they were stopping by, but he didn’t have a good feeling about it. Tobias had made sure there was plenty of distance between his condo and his parents’ home when he’d bought the penthouse suite. It had been one of his major deciding factors.
He opened the door.
“Tobias, is that any way to answer the door?” asked his mother. He glanced down at himself, not really giving a shit that he only had jogging pants on.
“What does social protocol tell us about showing up uninvited?”
She ignored his question and pushed past him into the condo, followed by his father and another woman. “Tobias, this is Gloria Ellen Palmer. You remember her, don’t you?”
“Should I?”
“Don’t be rude. She was at the country club golf tournament last year,” said Julia, his match-making mother. He was forty-five, not twenty-five. Tobias did not need help finding a woman, certainly not from his family.
“Julia, it’s early Saturday morning, and you’ve shown up without calling. I’m not in the mood.”
“I’ve tried calling, but you never answer your phone.”
His father, Andrew Bennett, stood there with the same miserable frown permanently creased into his features. He’d been a cold, demanding father growing up, never accepting an ounce of weakness from him. Tobias had to remind himself he was no longer a helpless child, and the old bastard no longer called the shots in his life.
“Your mother went through a lot of trouble to arrange Gloria’s visit today. I’d think you’d at least be grateful,” said Andrew.
“I never asked to be set up,” he said. “But if this has anything to do with the heir you’re so insistent on, I’ve got it covered.”
His mother looked back and forth from him to his father, confusion on her face. “I don’t understand.”
Tobias closed the front door and walked through the great room to the kitchen. Adora was still standing behind the counter where he’d left her.
“I’d like you to meet Adora Garcia,” he said, waving his hand in her direction. “Adora, my parents.” He internally cringed. This was not the first face-to-face he’d planned. It was supposed to include a nice dinner and grand introduction, everyone on their best behavior.
“It’s nice to meet you,” said Adora, her sweet, shy voice making him smile.
His mother didn’t even acknowledge her, rolling her eyes less than discreetly. “Now, what were you saying about an heir?”
He ground his teeth together. No one tested his patience more than his own family. “I’m trying to introduce you to the mother of my child.”
Julia’s jaw dropped. “The maid? What are you talking about, Tobias? Explain yourself.”
This was turning out to be worse than dinner last night. He kept fucking up over and over, and how long until Adora had had enough?
“Why would you assume she’s my fucking maid?”