Ambrose sighed, his hope sinking. Things were going so well. Did he have to tell her?

Of course he did, but he wished he would have found a way to tell her sooner. The longer it dragged on, the worse all of his rehearsed explanations sounded in his head.

“Just tell her the truth. What’s the worst thing that could happen?” Konstantin punched Ambrose’s shoulder and then leaned on him. “If it’s that much of an issue, then it’s best to find out now. You can only keep this game up for so long.”

“What’s that?” Della asked, looking up from her work. “Have you been lying to this girl?”

Ambrose nodded, ashamed to have to admit it.

“Well, fuck. Even the newest of Masters knows that’s no way to start a relationship.” Della frowned at him, and he felt like he was in the principal’s office. “You can’t give this to her until you lay all of your cards on the table. So what’s the big secret? You have another girl on the side who she doesn’t know about?”

“No.”

“You’re fucking pretty boy there?” she asked, flicking a finger at Konstantin.

Konstantin chuckled and shifted closer, throwing an arm around Ambrose’s shoulders.

“No,” Ambrose replied. “He wishes.”

Banner grinned and sat on Ambrose’s other side, joining in the group cuddle.

Della rolled her eyes. “So what, then?”

“She doesn’t know he’s rich and he’s too chickenshit to tell her.” Konstantin barked a laugh. “Poor girl. She’ll be so disappointed to find out you want to take her to Europe.”

“How on earth do you hide something like that?” Della asked. “Do you want a regular buckle, by the way, or a locking one?”

“Regular.” He moved to put his empty mug down on the coffee table, refusing Misty’s offer of another refill. She whisked his mug away almost before it touched the wood. He had a hard time imagining Everly being a service sub like that, but they could always hire a maid.

“He rented a crappy apartment in a crappy part of town and everything.” Banner nudged him companionably. “To be fair, he still dresses the same as he always did.”

“She has an enchanted pussy,” Konstantin confided. “Banner and I can’t think of any other reason he’d be doing such crazy shit.”

Della whistled. “It might seem ridiculous, but lying is lying. How can she trust you with her submission and her safety if you’ve been lying to her?”

“But if I’d told her right away, she never would have given me a chance,” Ambrose explained. Della’s words made panic rise in his chest. “She hates rich people.”

“Then that would have been her choice, and maybe her loss.” She shrugged. “If you really love her, though, lying is a craptastic way to show it.”

Even mousy little Misty nodded her head in agreement.

Damn. That was the same thing Kate had said. And his mom, when he’d told them not to mention it when they were there for dinner. Fuck.

Christmas was in two days—then he’d tell her. Afterward, so that if she hated him forever, at least he didn’t ruin the holiday.

It had seemed like such a harmless lie of omission in the beginning. Like any woman would care that much that a guy had money? But he’d been so wrong, and now the best thing that had ever happened to him was hanging in the balance.

*   *   *

“You okay?” Everly looked at him. He loosened his grip on her hand, realizing he’d probably cut off her circulation.

The strains of Gene Autry’s Christmas album filled his parents’ living room. Usually the songs brought him back to Christmases as a kid, but the tension from the past few days was making him edgy.

Knowing they were going to visit Everly’s mom tomorrow was freaking him out. His relationship with Everly was based on a lie, so his relationship with her family was going to be a sham. The thought had kept him awake all night, staring at the ceiling. Only Everly using him as a pillow had stopped him from pacing the house.

“Yeah, I’ll be fine.” He smiled at her, wondering if she’d be smiling back at him a few days from now, when he told her. Waiting until after Christmas had been a stupid idea. He’d thought it would keep the holidays from being ruined. It was too late now. “I’m just thinking I should check on the turkey.” Plausible excuse, since the turkey smelled amazing.

She frowned. “That’s a pretty serious frown for turkey.”

Awkwardly, he patted her. He rose and went to the kitchen, leaving Everly alone with the festive music and his parents’ obnoxiously decorated tree. As long as she didn’t look at the thing too closely, she might not notice that the ornaments were all hand-painted by him and Augustine when they were little. Classy, his family was not. Although the apple hadn’t fallen far from the tree.

In the kitchen, his parents were whispering to each other.

“What’s up?”

His mother turned to him, her lips pursed. “Well, since you’re asking,” she whispered, “I’m not at all comfortable with you involving us in this big mess of lies. Everly is a lovely girl. Even if she forgives you later, what is she going to think of me for agreeing to keep my mouth shut?”

“It’s not like he’s hiding a mistress or something, Jody,” his father mumbled back, keeping an eye on the door. “Is hiding something good really that big of a deal?”

She arched a brow. “Well, hiding the new mixer you got me for Christmas was one thing. This is a little different.”

“I know. This is probably the stupidest thing I’ve ever done. And that’s saying something. I just need a chance to put this right. A few more days?” Ambrose gave her the pathetic puppy eyes, and she finally sighed and grimaced.

“Fiiiine. Just don’t blame us if we slip up. We’ll do our best.”

His father shook his head, but busied himself with taking the turkey out of the oven. If Mom said okay, Dad never contradicted her.

His father started his signature whistling along with the music coming from the living room, and Ambrose wished he could freeze this moment in time. It would have been like their own family holiday card, other than the fact that he had The Lie hanging over his head, and Augustine was missing. His girlfriend, Charlotte, had insisted on going over to her parents’ house for the evening. Ambrose didn’t mind because it meant fewer people had to cover for him, and his parents could get to know Everly better. He knew they’d love her. Who wouldn’t?

The commotion in the kitchen caught Everly’s attention, and she wandered in. Without any hesitation, his mother handed her a potato masher.

“Do you mind?”

Everly grinned. “Not at all. Ambrose never lets me help.”

“He can be a bit controlling.” His mother realized what she’d said and started to laugh, and his father joined in.

Ambrose rolled his eyes and shook his head. Leave it to his parents to get creepy.

“But I guess I don’t need to tell you that.”

Oh jeez. He was going to disown them.

Everly’s cheeks went pink, but she glanced at Ambrose and laughed, at least. “You should see your face.”

“I’m just trying to decide which nursing home to put them in when they’re old,” Ambrose grumbled. “I need to find somewhere that believes in feeding the residents TV dinners every night.”

His father clucked his tongue in mock disapproval. “Now, now, son. I know you’re annoyed, but luckily, your memory is short, and you’re not that cruel.”

Everly opened her mouth to respond, her eyes dancing with mischief. He arched a brow at his girl and she shut her mouth, satisfying herself with a giggle.

His parents turned away to fiddle with the gravy, and he grabbed Everly’s ass hard and gave her a warning look. A fire lit behind her eyes, and her expression softened. Unable to deny himself, he leaned down and kissed her, pulling her to him and enjoying the feel of her in his arms. Having her here with his family like this made him happier than he ever would have guessed. He loved having her to himself, but there were so many parts of his life that would be better if only she were there with him. Soon. As long as he could convince her he’d had his reasons to lie, and that he’d never meant to hurt her.