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CHAPTER23
Jules rushed to shower and dress, struggling to squash her apprehension. Meeting Nik’s parents had not been on her agenda for this weekend. He barely spoke about his personal life but had mentioned that his father was in the same business he was. Jules had found it telling that instead of working with his father, Nik was a partner in his own firm. That usually meant conflict. He’d described his parents as overbearing, but what did that mean? Pushy? Obnoxious? And what did that mean for her and Ava? Would Nik tell them about Ava? How would they react? Nerves had her hands shaking as she dressed.
All she had wanted this morning was to enjoy a leisurely breakfast in bed before she and Nik had to return to the reality of business and parenting. Her plan had gone swimmingly when Nik touched her, and they had tumbled back into bed together. Their chemistry was as good as she had remembered from years earlier, and after being celibate for too many years, it was impossible to resist.
Now, though? Jules had to pull herself together and put on a show for Nik’s parents. Nik had gone from playful and sexy to tense and reserved as soon as he’d read the text. He was not happy about being backed into a corner.
Jules pulled on a black sweater and the casual black pants she had packed for travelling, then pulled her long hair back in a neat braid. She brushed on enough makeup to darken her lashes and added some colour to her cheeks. There wasn’t enough time to do more. At least the makeup helped mask her nerves. She picked up her bottle of antianxiety medication, then put it down and took several measured breaths instead. The medication sometimes gave her brain fog, and she needed to be sharp today. She wanted to make a good impression on Nik’s family. They were Ava’s family now too. Building a good relationship was important to her.
When she rejoined Nik in the living area of the suite, he’d dressed in a black sweater similar to hers, but his looked like cashmere, the luxurious knit hugging his shoulders and biceps. He was still frowning, but his eyes lightened when they landed on her, scanning her from head to toe. Heat flooded her limbs when his gaze lingered on the way her sweater outlined the curve of her breasts. “You look gorgeous. I wish we didn’t have to go downstairs. I had other plans for today.”
“Me too.” Jules was sure her plans weren’t very different from Nik’s, and exploring his plans would have been a fun way to kill the time until their flight left. Frustration and longing had her on edge, adding to her worry about meeting his parents.
“Are we going to tell them about Ava?” Jules blurted, unable to ignore her fears any longer.
Nik sighed. “I’ve been debating that since I read the text. My mother will be overjoyed. My father ... well, I’m just glad the paternity test results came back on Friday. Let’s see how brunch goes.”
Jules nodded. These were Nik’s parents. He would know best when to deliver the news.
Nik put his hand on the small of her back and urged her towards the door. “Let’s go get this over with.”
The restaurant was busy, filled with families enjoying Sunday brunch. It was bright, with walls of windows overlooking Lake Ontario. The room buzzed with conversation. Nik’s parents were already seated by the time Jules and Nik arrived. As they crossed the restaurant, Jules studied their body language. Mr. Costas was talking animatedly as he spoke to Nik’s mother. Mrs. Costas sat quietly, nodding occasionally. Even from a distance, Jules could guess why Nik said his father was overbearing.
“Jules, these are my parents, Cassandra and Giorgio Costas. Mom, Dad, this is Jules Roberts, the CEO of Coastal Casinos.” Nik’s introduction was delivered coolly, but his hand rested against her, rubbing slow circles that soothed some of her tension.
Nik pulled out a chair for her as Jules shook hands with the Costases before taking his own seat across the table from her. Jules covertly studied Nik’s parents. What kind of people were her daughter’s grandparents?
Nik’s mother was a slightly plump, shorter woman in her late sixties, a couple of inches taller than Jules. Her face featured laugh lines around her eyes and mouth, her skin the same slightly darker olive colour as Nik’s. Hair that had once been dark was liberally streaked silver-grey and cut in a midlength bob. Her most striking feature was her eyes. Instead of being dark, as her skin and hair colour indicated, they were hazel, with flecks of green and gold.
Giorgio Costas, on the other hand, was simply an older version of Nik. His still-dark hair had silver at the temples, and his dark eyes were identical to Nik’s—and to Ava’s. The resemblance was striking. His looks were where the similarities ended. Within minutes, he had taken control of the conversation, talking over both Nik and Cassandra and grilling Jules about her position at Coastal and how she had met Nik.
“You seem young to have a position with so much responsibility. What’s your background?”
Jules forced a smile. There was no point in antagonizing Nik’s father. He wasn’t the first man to assume that her slight stature meant that she wasn’t old enough, smart enough, or strong enough to make the tough decisions. “I’m older than I look. I’ve been with Coastal for ten years and have both my accounting designation and an MBA from UBC. I’m pretty good at what I do.” Giorgio nodded imperceptibly, and Jules hid her satisfaction. That had silenced him for now.
“We were surprised to hear that Nik was in town. When Angelo told us that he ran into the two of you visiting Yaya yesterday, I had to meet you.”
Nik’s mother exuded kindness and good humour, and Jules wanted to get to know her better. It would be wonderful for Ava to have another grandmother in her life.
“We’re only here for the weekend, but Nik invited me to experience an authentic Greek meal with him at Yaya’s,” Jules explained. “We didn’t know anyone else was going to show up.”Or that Angelo would stir the pot so much.His interference still irked her.
Giorgio snorted. “I’m surprised you risked going to see your yaya. Bad luck that your past showed up after all.”
Nik’s knuckles went white around the handle of his coffee mug, and Jules’s irritation rose. The contempt radiating from Giorgio might be for Angelo, but she suspected it was for Nik, and Nik’s reaction reinforced that belief. Jules jumped in, hoping to distract Nik before he said something he might regret. She didn’t want her first meeting with the Costases to be marred by a fight between Nik and his father. She hoped Ava would be welcomed by them.
“Nik insisted that since we were here in Toronto, he had to go see her. I’m so glad I went with him. She’s a wonderful woman, and lunch was sublime.”
“Why are you here? You told us that you would be tied up in Vancouver for the foreseeable future.” Giorgio continued to poke at Nik. Nik was shutting down, withdrawing from the conversation, something Jules hadn’t seen before. He was always so confident and self-assured, so seeing him as anything less was painful.
“Nik came to my rescue and won me and this trip in a charity auction. He really stepped up for me and the women of Vancouver.” Jules launched into the story of the auction, describing the impact of Nik’s bid for the women’s shelter, glossing over the incident with her ex-husband.
“One hundred thousand seems a little excessive, even for you,” Giorgio said. Jules might agree with him, but his dismissive attitude was infuriating. She was still grateful to Nik for saving her from Michael.
Nik waved his hand dismissively. “I can afford it. I was bidding against her ex-husband and wanted him to know he couldn’t win. My bid stopped him in his tracks. I wasn’t going to let anyone else win. Besides, it was all for a great charity. Helps the image of WYCK Capital too.” The conviction in Nik’s voice was unmistakable, possessive. For some reason Jules couldn’t define, she didn’t mind.
Cassandra smiled affectionately at Nik. “It all sounds terribly romantic. A dramatic bid at the last minute to win her away from her ex? It’s better than a book plot. Besides, it meant you came home and we could meet Jules.”
The unspoken meaning behind Cassandra’s words made Jules uncomfortable. Cassandra was reading far more into the events of the auction and this weekend’s trip than actually existed. Jules wasn’t even sure what their future held, whether they would be a couple or simply co-parents.
