Friends With Full Benefits (Friends With… Benefits Series (Book 2)) by Luke Young

slip down to the floor with her ear to the vent.
    She listened as Beverly whispered, "I will not have an unmarried couple fornicating in my home."
    Jillian giggled at the use of the word, "fornicating." Then she was convinced she heard Beverly say, "That whore better not be corrupting my son."
    Brian pushed open the door, and Jillian popped up from the floor. He gave her an odd look. "What the hell are you doing?"
    Grimacing, she motioned for him to close the door. He did, and she met him in the center of the room. "Your mother just called me a whore."
    He scoffed. "What?"
    "I can hear them in their room through that vent right there."
    "Maybe you misheard."
    "She said, 'That whore better not be corrupting my son.'"
    "Maybe she said, 'that girl,' not 'that whore.'"
    She looked at him, unconvinced. "Maybe... I swear that I heard her use the word, 'fornicating.'"
    He said casually, "Oh, that does sound like her. They joined this wacky church about five years ago. 'Fornicating' is a big word around here. There is no fornicating of any kind allowed here."
    "I don’t think she likes me."
    "Oh, I think she does. They’re just nervous."
     
     
    Beverly prepared a lovely dinner. In the dining room, Jillian felt the eyes of Brian's parents and his brother on her. She barely touched her food; instead, she quickly drank a glass of wine, then Brian poured her a refill before anyone said another word at the table.
    Beverly broke the ice. "So, Jillian, can you still have children?"
    Blindsided by the question, she nearly spit out her wine.
    Brian glared, wide eyed, at his mother. "Mom!"
    Jillian cleared her throat. "I’ll answer. No, I don’t think I can have any children. I had a miscarriage a few years after Rob was born, and the doctor thought my prospects for another pregnancy were not good."
    Smiling, Beverly couldn't get her reply out quickly enough. "Brian loves children."
    Brian fired back adamantly, "I do not."
    With everyone at the table giving him a look, he explained, "I mean, I do like children. I’m not sure if I want to have any of my own." He frowned. "What’s with the interview questions? We're only dating."
    After gazing uneasily at everyone at the table, Jillian took a big sip of wine. It was quickly going to her head.
    "We’re just trying to get to know her, dear." Beverly smiled at him assuredly.
    Brian's facial expression screamed he wasn't buying it.
    Edward asked, "How is your son, Rob, dealing with this?"
    "He was a little upset at first, but I think he’s accepted it."
    "It’s got to be a little off-putting to have your mother dating a man who’s only a few years older than you are." Beverly looked her in the eye. "Oh, no offense dear."
    "That's... okay." Jillian gave her an anxious smile.
    After grunting, Brian changed the subject. "We should all go to the Hot Grill while we’re here."
    Jim smiled. "Definitely."
    Looking at Jillian, Brian explained, "It’s this great place to get hot dogs and fries. The best hot dog you’ll ever taste."
    "And we should play some tennis," Jim said.
    "Jillian is an amazing tennis player. We actually met on the court."
    Beverly gave Jillian a fake smile. "I hear you write pornography?"
    Brian stared at her, horrified. "She writes romance novels."
    "Oh, sorry. I used the wrong word there."
    "She’s a best-selling author," Brian added proudly.
    "Wow, that’s wonderful. We don’t read a lot of fiction in this house," Edward said.
    After polishing off the last of her wine, Jillian frowned as she looked down at her plate. "I’m not feeling very well." Slowly, she raised her eyes until they met Brian's. "I think I’m going to lie down for a few minutes." Jillian got up and left the room.
    When she was out of earshot, Brian glared at his mother. "Mom, could you take it easy on her? Pornography! Come on."
    "I simply misspoke. But any mention of premarital sex in a book automatically makes it pornographic in the eyes of our church."
    Rising, Brian moved away from the table.