Nic cupped my face within his hands while brushing my tears away with his thumbs. A look of disappointment swept across his face. “I’m sorry you found that, and I’m so sorry you would think I would do that to you.”
I shook my head, feeling foolish how I reacted. “I’m sorry I acted that way. I’m not sure what in the world is going on with me. You bring out so many different feelings and I’m so confused, Nic. I have never in my life been a jealous person, but seeing that note after what we just shared. All these images of you with another woman came crashing in on me.”
His smile made my knees weak. “I swear to God I would never hurt you, Gabi.” The way he gazed into my eyes, I knew he was telling me the truth. I also felt it in my heart. His lips pressed to mine. Wrapping my arms around his neck, I kissed him back.
When he finally pulled back some, he softly whispered against my mouth, “I know it hasn’t even been two weeks, and I hope like hell I’m not about to fuck things up.”
My breath stalled in my throat.
“I’m falling in love with you.”
His words rushed through my mind like a bolt of lightning. Every hair on my body rose. I needed to tell Nic the truth. Everything needed to be out in the open before I declared my love to him. No. No . . . I was going to follow my heart and not my head.
“I’m falling in love with you too.”
The brilliant smile that covered his face made me giggle.
“Please don’t leave. I don’t want your first meeting with my mother to be like that.”
“What would we say if I came back?”
Right then my phone went off. It was Max. Nic frowned.
“Emergency at the bakery. Looks like I really do need to leave.”
He nodded. Then holding up his finger, he said, “Wait, don’t move. I’ll be right back.”
I watched as he raced back to his condo. A minute later he and his mother walked out of the condo and headed my direction. I couldn’t shake the feeling I had when his mother stared at me like a bug that needed to be stepped on.
“I told my mom about your emergency at the bakery. She wants to come along.”
My eyes widened in horror. “W-what? To the—the bakery?”
Katerina smiled big. “You’re a baker? I love to bake. And cook.”
Oh. Shit.
“Me too,” I said before I realized how it sounded more like a challenge than a simple response.
She nodded. “So, let’s go see this place of yours. I can hardly contain my excitement. First to learn my eldest son is dating, and then to find out she owns her own Italian bakery.”
The way she stressed Italian couldn’t be a good thing. And by the look on her face I would say she was far from excited.
When we stepped onto the elevator, she glanced over to me. “Are you recovered from your . . . choking . . . incident?”
With a wide smile, I nodded my head and tapped my hand on Nic’s chest. “Oh, yes. Nic saved me. I’m sorry we had made such a mess. Things got a little, crazy.”
Nic attempted to hold back a laugh.
Katerina simply smiled. As we stepped out of the elevator, she walked next to Nic and went on and on about a baby shower. I took out my phone and sent Kilyn a text.
Me: 911! Katerina showed up at Nic’s right after we had sex!
She’s with us now. Going to the bakery for an emergency!
She responded back within seconds.
Kilyn: This is a CODE RED. I repeat! CODE RED! You’ve had the forced meeting. That is NEVER good. Take deep breaths and whatever you do . . . don’t tell her you own the bakery.
Oh no.
Me: Too late.
Kilyn: Oh . . . no. Okay. Be prepared. She is going to insult you in ways where she is acting like she isn’t insulting you. Be ready. Smile. Don’t let her know she’s getting to you.
I cringed on the inside. Glancing up, I noticed Katerina stood at the passenger side door. She was giving me an exasperated look, and I winced, wondering how long she had been waiting for me to walk up. Then I noticed she was standing at the front passenger side door, making me go to the backseat.
With a smile, I slid into the backseat and started back up with my texting.
Me: She’s making me sit in the backseat! WTF
Kilyn: That doesn’t surprise me. You are a bug she needs to crush. Okay, next, be ready for the challenge.
Me: Challenge?
Kilyn: Yes. She needs to prove you unworthy of her son and her above you, what better way to do it than challenge you in some way.