Young At Heart by Kay Ellis Read Free Book Online

smiled coolly. “Although Antonio did mention you were going to dinner last night. I thought maybe he introduced you to someone more....”
    â€œMore what, Mother?”
    â€œSuitable.”
    â€œThan Jesse, you mean? You’d rather I was with some chinless wonder, obsessed with money and material belongings? Because that’s all Antonio’s friends have to offer.”
    She crossed the room to stand by the French window, staring out over the immaculately kept lawn, another of Arthur’s jobs. It was written all over her face. She knew who Antonio was setting him up with last night and she obviously approved. Maybe it had even been her suggestion.
    â€œHave you seen him?”
    â€œWho?”
    â€œThat boy.”
    He smiled softly, remembering the feel of Jesse’s body pressed against his. Throwing back his shoulders, he faced Erica defiantly. “I love him.”
    â€œOh, don’t be so stupid.” Erica snapped.
    A stony silence filled the room as Arthur entered bearing a silver tray. He placed it on the glass coffee table and glanced warily from mother to son. Noting their icy expressions, he backed out of the room again without speaking. One of the reasons he made such a good butler was his unerring ability to keep his head down and mind his own business.
    â€œShall I pour?” Erica asked, reaching for the handle of the teapot.
    â€œI mean it, Mother.” Devon was not about to let her ignore what he had said. “I love Jesse.”
    â€œNo.” Erica spoke so calmly it was chilling. “I won’t allow it.”
    â€œYou won’t allow it?” he echoed faintly. “Are you serious?”
    Putting the teapot back on the tray with more force than was necessary, Erica glared at him coldly. “I put up with it when you decided you had no desire to be with a woman. I put up with the bitter disappointment of knowing you will never give me grandchildren. And I put up with the embarrassment of entertaining God only knows how many men you’ve dated, but not this time. This time, I will not put up with you keeping this boy in our lives. He’s scum, Devon, a dirty little gold-digger who’s only interested in your money. I won’t stand for it. I will do whatever it takes to stop him ruining your life.”
    â€œWell, you’d better start doing it,” he retorted, striding toward the door. “Because I’m going back to London and I’m going to get Jesse back. Oh, and in answer to your question—yes, I saw him last night. The sex was amazing.”
    Arthur must have been hiding somewhere listening to their argument, because when Devon reached the front door he was there to open it. He gave a sympathetic smile. If anyone understood how Erica could get when riled, it was this quiet, long-suffering man.
    With a small shake of his head, Devon swept down the front steps and climbed into his car. The wheels threw up a cloud of dust and gravel in his wake as he sped away from the house. It had been a mistake to come. His mother would never change and he was suddenly desperate to get back and find Jesse. He might even ask him to move in, give Erica something to really complain about.
    Ninety minutes later, he pulled up outside the three-storey house where Jesse lived in a top-floor bedsit. Although he had paid the rent for the past three months, Devon had never been there before. Admittedly, he was used to the finer things in life, but even so, he was surprised at how rundown the place was. It was not in the best of areas either, making him more determined than ever to persuade Jesse to live with him.
    He climbed the stairs and knocked on Jesse’s door, feeling suddenly apprehensive. Would Jesse be happy to see him? Maybe when he left in the early hours of the morning, he meant it about ending their relationship. Devon had to make him see that was not what he wanted.
    There was no answer and he banged louder. If Jesse sent