Nick squints. His voice is rugged and sharp when he responds. “You’re dating someone else?”
Wait, what? I shake my head. “No. Goodness, no.” I’m still shocked Nick asked me out and wants to see me. I’d never date two men at once.
Nick’s jaw tightens, and he sits up straighter. “Then explain.”
An uncomfortable feeling settles heavily in my stomach, making the food I’ve eaten rather nauseating. I curl my hand into a fist, pressing my thumb into my palm, searching for the jolt of pain I need to push through. I scratch at the spot with my nail, trying to pierce the skin.
“Well, my mother wants me to see a man she thinks is good for the family business. I don’t want to see that man. I want to see you.” My entire body is tight, tremors of unease sliding along my skin as I wait for him to speak.
Instead of getting mad or being the growly Nick I’ve seen a few times already, he tips his head back and laughs heartily. So much so, he tucks an arm around his waist and holds his ribcage with the effort.
Um, not the response I expected, but I guess it beats anger. Slowly, that knot inside me untwists just a sliver, and a glimmer of hope eases along my psyche. “Uh, Nick? What is so funny?”
He laughs a bit more, and I watch as his skin turns a rusty gold and his cheeks pinken attractively. He’s so masculine. From his muscled forearms, up his large biceps to his corded neck, every flash of tanned skin I see makes me want to lick and bite it. A shiver skips its way through my limbs, making the space between my thighs heavy and needy.
Nick presses his thumb and forefinger of one hand into his eyes and then rubs his face. “That’s a classic Mom maneuver! She trying to set you up.” He smacks at the table. “My ma’s tried that with every Italian woman’s daughter from her bunco group. Nice to see that your mother is no different.”
I blink and try to understand what he means. My mother wants me to marry for business, and Nick’s mother wants him to marry an Italian woman.
“I’m not Italian.” I toss this out because nothing else he says makes any sense.
He grins widely. “It’s okay. We’ll tell her you’re five percent. It’s enough. Trust me. A white lie goes a long way with my ma. She may not believe it once she meets you, but she’ll go with it to make herself feel better.”
“Are you saying, if I’m not Italian, your mother isn’t going to like me?”
Oh my, that’s almost as bad as the idea of me bringing Nick to meet my parents. Which incidentally will never happen. They would absolutely not approve. If he’s not worth seven figures or more, he’s unworthy of sharing space with a Carmichael. At least according to Judi and Timothy Carmichael.
Nick wraps an arm around my shoulder and tucks me in close. “She’s going to love you. Don’t worry. You’ll come to dinner next Sunday. Do you know how to cook?”
I’ve never cooked anything in my life. We had servants for that. And in college, I ate in the cafeteria or went out. Now all of my meals are made and delivered by the hotel. Not wanting to dig a deeper hole with Nick, I give a little shake of my head and bury my face into the front of his shirt. He smells so good. The leather scent reminds me of the plush leather seats in his muscle car. The hint of citrus is lighter tonight but still there, hiding in the background. I breathe him in, wondering if it’s the last time I’ll get this close. There’s nothing smart about attempting to be with Nick, regardless of the way he makes me feel. He’s everything good, strong, and right in the world. He deserves a woman who’s worthy of his attention. I am not that girl, but I’m too selfish to not let this play out a little longer. The memories of this time with him will be such a beautiful spot to revisit when I’m lonely.
“Eh, it’s okay. If she asks you Sunday night, just dodge the question and ask to help. She loves a woman eager to assist.”
“Why?”
He rubs his lips against my temple and kisses me there. I close my eyes and soak up what could be the last time I experience this.
“Because she’s the boss.”
“Not your father?” I question.
My father is king and my mother is his willing, evil queen. She does his bidding and is the perfectly put-together socialite. Everyone in my mother and father’s circle wants to be like her. It’s impossible to live up to her standards when the bar is set so high.
Nick chuckles, and the movement has me sinking deeper against his side. I set my hand along his hard chest, appreciating the thump of his heart against my palm.
“Not a chance. My mother rules the roost, and my father brings home the bacon.”
I hum against his chest, taking it all in. His family sounds colorful and, if Nick and Grace are anything to go by, rather lovely. Except meeting the rest of them seems daunting. I’ll need to discuss it with Dr. Hart before I can commit to it, if we’re still seeing one another by the end of next week. The more he gets to know the real me and sees there’s nothing much there, he’ll lose interest like every other man I dated back in college.
“Are you done eating?” He kisses my forehead when the waiter leaves the check.
I nod, realizing he’s cleaned his plate, but I didn’t eat very much. He brought up so many things I want to think about, most of which make me nervous and twitchy. I’m not quite sure what to do
