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Her overnight bag had been placed in one of the bedrooms, and there was a large white box in the centre of the bed. Intrigued, Jules opened the lid. The box was filled to the brim with Orca gear: a jersey, scarf, hat, hoodie, T-shirts, signed posters, anything a fan could want. Under all the adult gear were a children’s hoodie and jersey. This extra touch brought a smile to her face. Chip had even thought of Ava.
Jules changed into one of the team shirts and wandered back out to the living area. “I think they want us to get into the team spirit.”
Nik’s eyes roamed over her, lingering on the way the T-shirt clung to her breasts. “I like the way they think.”
Heat crept up her cheeks at his blatant appreciation. He’d done nothing to hide the fact he was at least as attracted to her as she was to him, making it hard to remember why she was standing her ground on keeping their relationship platonic.
Jules ignored Nik’s suggestive tone. “Have you looked in your room? Did they give you a box of swag?”
“They did, probably similar to what was in yours. I’ll wear one of the shirts to the team dinner, but this is my hometown. I’ve got to support the home team. Think the Orcas will forgive me for sitting behind their bench in the enemy’s colours?” Nik’s grin was charming, his voice teasing.
Jules laughed. Thanks to Sergei’s introduction, the team had made Nik welcome, with several players asking for meetings to discuss business in the future. “I think you might get away with it. Maybe we can change your team loyalty over dinner.” Jules gave him a coy smile.
Nik looked at her in mock horror. “Never. I’m a Toronto boy through and through. This will always be my home.”
Nik’s words, spoken so casually, were a slap back to reality for Jules. Toronto would always be Nik’s home, and she couldn’t imagine living anywhere but Vancouver. Even with Ava as a permanent connection, there was no way they could build a future together living half a country apart.
CHAPTER19
Nik was sipping coffee when Jules wandered out of her room looking adorably rumpled. There should have been nothing sexy about her oversize shirt and pyjama pants, but somehow the baggy cotton was more alluring than if she had been decked out in the skimpiest lingerie. He gripped his cup tight to keep from reaching for her.
The three-hour time difference between Toronto and Vancouver wasn’t worth adjusting to for a weekend trip, so it was midmorning by the time she came out of her room. He had been up for hours, used to constant time changes from his travels.
“Morning, sleepyhead.”
“You are way too cheerful for this early on a Saturday morning.”
“It’s almost ten a.m. You slept half the morning.”
Jules poured herself some of the coffee and sat across from him. “It’s seven in the morning in my world. Even at home I usually get to sleep until eight on Saturdays.”
Her grumbled complaints amused him. After they’d eaten with the team, some of the younger players had gone clubbing. He and Jules had joined Sergei and some of the married players at the hotel bar instead. They’d wound up squeezing into a booth, with Jules pressed up against him for hours. He’d been conscious of her every move, the heat of her making him ache and reminding him of their first night together. By the time they’d returned to the suite, it had been late, and Nik had burned for her. Jules had gone straight to her room, either oblivious to his desire or ignoring it. It looked like her night had been less than restful, giving Nik hope that she had been as affected by their evening as he had been.
“We’ve got a busy day, between lunch with Yaya and team events.”
Jules bit her lip and looked away. “Are you sure you want me to meet your grandmother this weekend? You could always go without me. Bring Ava out to meet her first.”
Nik searched her face for some clue of what she was thinking, why she was trying to back out now. He wanted Jules to meet his grandmother, to see he was more than a billionaire businessman. He was sure Yaya would adore Jules. Other than Vanessa, he had never brought a woman over to meet his grandmother. As the mother of his child, meeting Jules was important. Especially if he could convince her to give them a chance for a future too.
“Yaya is expecting both of us. Everything will be fine.” Nik gave her a reassuring smile. “She is making traditional Greek food for lunch,” he said, tempting her. One thing he’d learned was that Jules loved good food. “Including baklava like nothing you’ve ever tasted before. You don’t want to miss that.”
After a long pause Jules gave in with a nervous laugh, much to Nik’s relief. “How can I say no to baklava? Do I have time to shower first?”
The image of Jules naked, water sluicing off her pale skin, captured Nik’s imagination. He forced his breathing to remain even as he responded. “Lots of time. Lunch isn’t until one.”
Jules picked up her cup and a piece of fruit from the bowl on the table and headed to the shower.
A few hours later Nik opened the rideshare door for Jules in front of the two-storey brick house his grandmother had lived in for more than six decades. He noted that the walk was shovelled and the exterior well maintained, which meant the maintenance firm he was paying was doing their job. None of the family lived in the same neighbourhood, and he worried about her living in this big old house all alone. He had offered to buy Yaya a newer house, something closer to any of her children, but she’d refused. Instead, he made sure the house was taken care of for her.
“My grandparents both emigrated to Canada with their families right after World War II ended. They met in high school and married when my grandmother was only sixteen. My father was the oldest of nine, born the year after they got married. My grandfather was a plumber, and he built this house, and they raised their family here. Yaya is eighty-six now.”
The door swung open, and his grandmother stood there, her snowy-white hair swept up in the same twist she’d worn for as long as he could remember. Her face was lined, but no worse than the last time he’d seen her, and her dark eyes were sparkling. She stood tall in the doorway, her hands on her hips. “Nikos, hurry and bring your friend to the house; it’s cold out.”
The last lingering worry was swept away by her scolding, and relief made him giddy. Yaya was clearly doing fine. “Coming, Yaya.” Nik waved at her. “I told you she would be happy you came,” he whispered in Jules’s ear. Her scent surrounded him when he leaned down to speak, filling his senses. Her cheeks coloured a dark pink, and Jules smiled an acknowledgement. They hurried inside to get out of the unseasonably cold, fast-blowing wind.
“Yaya, this is Jules Roberts. Jules, my grandmother, Maria Costas.” Nik took the jacket Jules slid out of and hung it alongside his in the closet.
“Mrs. Costas—”
