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“You’re getting better at all the words,” Jules praised. “Tomorrow we’ll try a different book.”
Nik moved over to the bed, sitting on the edge. Ava threw her arms around his neck in a hug, and he inhaled the scent of baby shampoo. It was fast becoming his favourite.
“You missed the story,” Ava said.
“I’m sorry I missed most of the story tonight. How about I come back tomorrow and you can read to me?” Nik offered. If he had his way, Ava would be able to read to him every night. Getting Jules on board was the next step.
Ava nodded emphatically, kissed his cheek loudly, and climbed under the covers.
“Good night, baby girl.” Jules kissed Ava’s forehead and tucked the covers around her.
Nik followed Jules out of the bedroom and into the living room, taking a seat across from her. She reminded him of a cat, sleek and sensual, as she curled her legs under her on the sofa. He was searching for the best way to present his plan when Jules spoke.
“You said you had an idea. I’d like to hear it.”
“We need to find a way to make people think my auction bid was nothing more than me helping out an old friend. I also have a few personal things I need to address. I have an idea that might take care of everything at one time.”
Jules gave him a puzzled look.
This never happened to him. Nerves had him fumbling for words. He wanted Jules to say yes to his plan, but what he was about to ask from her was a lot. Nik reached for all his negotiating skills and tried again. “I need to fly to Toronto soon to visit my grandmother. I didn’t get home for Christmas, and as my mother frequently reminds me, Yaya isn’t getting any younger. I’d like you to come. You should meet my family. After all, they’re Ava’s family now too.”
* * *
Grateful she was sitting down,Jules shook off the light-headedness that had hit her at Nik’s words. He wanted her to meet his family? He’d known about Ava for two days, and he was already— Jules inhaled deeply, struggling to settle her thoughts, and tried to focus on Nik as he continued outlining his idea.
“I thought this might be a chance to take care of several issues at once. We need to get to know each other better. We need some time alone to talk about how we want to co-parent Ava. If we use part of the Dream Date package, no one would question why we were going away together. Gossip might die down if people see us as two friends having fun. I checked, and the Orcas are playing in Toronto this weekend. If you could arrange for us to travel with the team, we could take in the game and still have lots of time to see Yaya.” He paused, waiting for her to respond.
He wanted to go this weekend? It was already Monday. Her relationship with the Orcas was strong enough that she might be able to pull it all together by Friday. Nik had a point about the impact of being seen together as friends, but there were so many reasons this was not a good idea. “I’m not sure—”
Nik broke in. “I think this is a good alternative to discourage the connection between WYCK and Coastal. If the team can’t accommodate the short notice, I can fly us out on the WYCK jet. We could stay at my condo. I suggested the Dream Date option because I thought you might be more comfortable staying at a hotel. I really want to introduce you to my family.”
His condo?No way. Jules ignored the longing building in her. Nik was right—they did need time to figure out how to be friends, for Ava’s sake. She could not allow it to become more than that. Being close to him for an entire weekend, in his own home? Not happening. He was temptation at the best of times, but alone in his own environment? That was asking for trouble. Ever since she’d told him about Ava, he’d been confounding her every expectation. He was digging his way into their lives, but Jules could not let her guard down. She needed to stay in control. And giving in to temptation and inviting him back into her bed would be a huge mistake. What would it do to Nik’s relationship with Ava when they inevitably broke up?
But meeting his family was an important step. If she could do it under the guise of fulfilling her Dream Date obligation, it would solve two outstanding issues at once. It shouldn’t be that hard to get the owner of the Orcas to agree to let them tag along on the road trip this weekend. And between Simone and Ava’s nanny, getting someone to take care of Ava wouldn’t be an issue. “I’ll call the team and see what I can do. But are you sure I should meet them so soon? Do you intend to tell your family about Ava?” Her stomach clenched at that thought. His family would likely view her as a gold digger, especially when they found out Ava was the result of a one-night stand.
Nik shook his head. “If I tell Yaya about Ava, she’ll be disappointed I didn’t bring her along on the trip. And we won’t be seeing the rest of my family. My father can be ... difficult. While my mother will be overjoyed to learn about Ava, I’d rather not tell them until the paternity test results are back. My father is one of the reasons I wanted to do the test. No way would he take our word about Ava being my child.” A dark look crossed his face, and anger and tension radiated off Nik as he mentioned his father.
“Your grandmother won’t mind me intruding on your visit? I’m a stranger to her.” Jules chewed her lip uncertainly. How did Nik plan to explain her presence?
“You aren’t a stranger; you’re the mother of my child. Besides, my grandmother doesn’t believe in strangers. She had nine children, all of whom have extended families. My entire life, my cousins and I brought our friends over to her place. My friends met her, my college roommate met her. She will love you.” Nik was grinning now, obviously excited about taking Jules to meet her.
His enthusiasm was contagious. If this was going to happen anyway, she might as well surrender gracefully and enjoy the trip. “You’ve convinced me. We’ll go to Toronto this weekend.”
CHAPTER18
Jules reached for her overnight bag and pulled her hand back when Nik’s fingers brushed against hers.
“Here, let me.”
Jules couldn’t resist watching the way his sweater stretched over his shoulders when he lifted her bag to join the rest of the luggage waiting to be loaded on the charter flight to Toronto. The thin knit clung to him, outlining every muscle and reminding her how his skin was like velvet under her fingertips. She shook away the tempting memories. She was here to fulfill her obligations under the Dream Date contract and to meet his grandmother. Nothing more was going to happen.
When Nik had won the Dream Date Auction, Jules had no idea what to expect. Was he a sports fan? Did he intend to come back to Vancouver to use some of the tickets? Regular season baseball wouldn’t start until April, and the NFL season was months away. The package had been structured to make the experience last, starting with a hockey experience that would impress the most ardent fan. His choice of Toronto made sense in so many ways.
Now they were at the airport on Friday afternoon, waiting to board the team’s charter flight. The team was flying into Toronto a day before the game, giving them an opportunity to get in a pregame practice and take care of other league business. Flying out with the team was all part of the package, but the Toronto game was the beginning of a longer road trip, so their return flights would be on a commercial airline. The team had paid for first-class tickets as part of the package. Jules was tense and anxious, the knots in her stomach growing tighter with every passing minute. Why had she agreed to this? Meeting Nik’s family could have waited. They could have found some other way to discredit any connection between WYCK and Coastal. Nik didn’t need to take her on this trip, he could have taken anyone along.He doesn’t have many friends in Vancouver,a little voice whispered.
They were surrounded by players and coaches, and Nik began making small talk with a couple of the players. Jules was looking for the team owner to thank him for his generosity when one of the coaches spotted Nik.
“Nikos Costas, are you here to buy the team?” The giant of a man pulled Nik into a bear hug, pounding him on the back before setting him down.
