One: Ring

Lisa's pov

I stood in the large living room of our family mansion in New York City and waited for my mother to come home after her long time away in Greece.

My sister sat next to me on the couch and turned to me with a grin. "Do you think Mom will bring any gifts from her trip?"

I smiled back at her and said, "I hope so. She always picks the best things for us."

My brother leaned forward from the other couch and added, "I just want to hear her stories about the beaches. I missed her voice around the house every day."

My other sister laughed and jumped in. "Yeah, me too. And maybe she will tell us about all the food she ate. Greece sounds like heaven."

We kept chatting like that, laughing and guessing what Mom would say first when she walked through the door. Then the front doors opened with a loud sound and my mother Julie walked inside with a wide smile on her face.

She looked happy and relaxed from her vacation, but she was not alone. A tall man with broad shoulders walked right beside her and held her hand tight.

My mother laughed softly, "Hello everyone. I want you to meet my new husband, Erin. We got married in Greece and I could not wait to bring him home to all of you."

The diamond ring on her finger sparkled under the lights. My brother stood up fast and blurted, "Mom, are you serious right now? You just got back and you brought a husband with you?"

My sister jumped in right away. "This is such a big surprise, but he looks nice. Tell us how you met him right now."

My mother pulled Erin closer and told us, "He swept me off my feet during my first week in Greece and we knew right away that we belonged together." She turned to me next and asked, "Lisa, what do you think, sweetheart? Do you like him?"

I stepped closer to them and my voice came out sharp. "Mom, why did you bring this man into our home without telling any of us first?"

She looked confused and asked me, "What was wrong with me, Lisa? Do you know Erin from somewhere?"

I glared straight at Erin and told him, "You need to leave our house immediately."

My brother said, "Lisa, why are you being like this? You never act this way toward anyone."

My sister added, "Yeah, you are scaring us now. What is going on?"

Erin just stood there and smiled slow at me. Then he spoke for the first time in a calm voice. "It is nice to meet all of you, especially you, Lisa. I have heard so much about you from your mother. She says you are a very successful lawyer now."

My mother pulled me to the side and spoke to me in a calm voice. "Erin is part of the family now, Lisa, and I need you to give him a chance for my sake. This marriage means everything to me and the wedding will happen soon right here in the house. Please be nice to him. I do not want any fights."

I told her, "Fine, Mom, I will try, but I do not like this at all. Why did you not call us first?"

She hugged me and murmured against my neck, "Thank you, sweetheart. That is all I ask. I just want us all to be happy together."

We all sat down for dinner a short time later. My mother asked Erin, "Tell them about the day you proposed to me."

Erin looked across the table at me and began, "I took her to the best beach at sunset and got down on one knee. She said yes before I even finished the sentence."

My sister clapped, sounding annoyingly giggly, "That is so romantic. Tell us more about the beach. Was it beautiful?"

Erin nodded, "It was perfect, just like your mother."

My brother asked, "Erin, what do you do for work?"

Erin shrugged, throwing slow dark glances at me, "I run several businesses in the city and I plan to take good care of your mother. You do not have to worry about that."

I turned to my mother and asked her, "So when is the wedding exactly?"

She smiled and said, "In three weeks, right here at the mansion. I want all of you to help plan it. What do you think about the flowers, Lisa?"

My palms melted with sweat but I managed to gather the courage to respond, "Here? Why here? I am not happy about any of this."

My brother laughed nervously and said, "Come on, Lisa, give the guy a break. He seems cool."

My sister added, "Yeah, tell us more, Erin. How did you know Mom was the one?"

Erin glanced at me again, everything about it was slow and deliberate.

He went on, "When I saw her, I knew I had to have her forever. She makes me feel things I never felt before."

My mother blushed, clinging more to him, "Stop it, Erin. You are making me shy in front of the kids. But I love hearing you say that."

I turned to Erin, "Do you plan to live here in the house with all of us?"

"Yes, if that is okay with everyone. I want to be part of the family," He answered almost immediately, it made me look at him suspiciously.

My sister chipped in, "Of course it is okay. We need a man around here again."

My brother added, "Yeah, and you look strong. Do you like sports?"

Erin smiled, "I do, and we should watch a game together soon."

I stayed quiet but every time our eyes met I felt my body react. My nipples pushed hard against my blouse and heat built between my legs. The way my siblings related with this man like they had known him all their life triggered me.

After dinner we moved back to the living room. My mother nudged Erin, "Darling, tell them about the boat ride we took in Greece. It was so much fun."

Erin laughed and said, "Your mother got seasick at first but then she loved it. We danced on the deck under the stars. I didn't think I was going to have a thing for star dancing until I met your mother, she opened my eyes to a lot of things."

My sister was already daydreaming so she itched towards me and muttered, "That sounds amazing. I wish I could have been there."

"Erin, do you have any kids from before?" My brother chimed in again, his relentless questions caused my stomach to twist. Erin was loving the attention.

"No, but I hope to be a good stepfather to all of you."

I was beginning to choke. The laughter was doing a serious number on me and I was on the verge of losing it so I turned to my mother and whispered, "I think I need some air."

She glanced at me to be sure that I was feeling okay, "Okay, sweetheart, but come back soon. We still have to talk about the wedding cake flavors."

I excused myself and went upstairs for a few minutes, then came back down. Erin stood close to my mother in the corner of the room with his hand resting low on her back. He leaned in to whisper something to her but his eyes stayed locked on me over her shoulder.

My mother mumbled, "Erin, you are too sweet. I love you."

He kissed her cheeks, "I love you too, Julie."

The evening finally came to an end and everyone started to head to their rooms for the night. My mother hugged me tight and whispered, "I hope you will try to get along with Erin for my sake because I need you here until the wedding."

I promised her, "I will do my best," even though I knew it was a lie I told to keep the peace.

Erin stayed behind in the hallway as I walked toward the stairs and he caught up to me quietly so no one else could see. His body moved close enough that I could smell his scent.

He leaned in so his mouth was right next to my ear and his voice came out low and rough.

"Careful, little lawyer. You are dripping for the man who is about to fuck your mother in the bed I once fucked you in."