disappointed if he hadn’t stopped by today like he did every Wednesday and Sunday, so he hoped the runny nose and the damned sneezing wasn’t a cold coming on. He didn’t want to get his mother or anyone else in the retirement center sick. He approached her wheelchair from behind. It was positioned in front of the TV and she was watching the end of “Jeopardy.” He knew it was the end because he made sure to time his visits so that she would be finished watching her favorite show. Jeopardy’s theme music began as the host ended the episode, and the credits rolled. Mark knelt on one knee next to the wheelchair and looked into Martha Okle’s keen brown eyes when she turned to see who had arrived. Her features were heavily lined from years of sun exposure, not to mention the fact she was well over eighty now. “My boy.” Her features lit up as he rested his palm on the chair’s arm and she patted the back of his hand. “You are such a good young man to come see your mother.” “Of course.” He smiled at her. His mother had been his world since he was a young boy and his father had abandoned them. Mark gritted his teeth. My sperm donor, not father . “How are you today, Mother?” “As good as someone who’s eighty and in a wheelchair can be.” Martha cackled. “Raced George and Betty down the corridor this morning. I won.” Mark chuckled. “I bet the staff wasn’t too happy about you having wheelchair races in the home.” “I’m too old to give a damn what they think.” Martha waved away his comment. “Where’s that pretty girl of yours?” She looked behind Mark. “Here she comes.” Mark glanced over his shoulder to see Selena Gallo and his dick hardened at the sight of her lithe form and curves he knew so well. Even with the expensive tailored slacks and fitted jacket she wore, she looked both sexy and dangerous at the same time. She had pulled her hair back into a smooth knot, emphasizing her sharp cheekbones and exotic features that came from her Greek and mixed heritage. He had looked up the meaning of her first name—Moon Goddess. It fit her perfectly. He always wondered how he’d gotten so lucky to have a woman who could have been a runway model interested in him. They’d hit it off after a “business associate” introduced them, and had been together ever since. Wanting to appeal to her even more, he’d lost weight over the first six months they’d dated. These days he wasn’t told he could play the part of Santa Claus if he had a long white beard and a red suit. That had always pissed him off, so he’d worn thick black-framed glasses, colored what hair he had black, almost always wore business suits, and kept a close shave to help him look as different as possible. Once he’d lost weight, he’d ditched the glasses, but kept the rest. Unfortunately, there wasn’t anything he could do about his growing bald spot. The fact that Selena had talents beyond sucking his cock, talents that benefited his business, was purely a bonus. She more than earned every extravagance he attempted to bestow on her. When he’d learned that she had been an assassin for the cartel, he’d been a little intimidated when they met. That didn’t last for long—she’d gone down on him the same night they’d met and sucked him dry. “Lovey.” Martha spoke to Selena as she held her arms open, bringing Mark’s attention back to his mother. “Come give your future mother-in-law a hug.” Mark’s face warmed. He and Selena hadn’t said the “L” word, much less talked about marriage. But his mother was determined Selena and Mark would have a big wedding before she died. She didn’t want her only child still single when she passed away. “Hello, Martha.” Selena never seemed to mind his mother’s insistence on calling Selena her daughter-in-law. It made Mark wonder if Selena might love him. She leaned over and hugged his mother, a smile of genuine caring on his girlfriend’s