Only With Me (With Me #2)(40)

Nic stood in front of me. "Gabi?"

My eyes swung up to his. "I'm taking my mother back to my place. Did you want me to come back for you?"

His eyes looked pleading. He had nothing to worry about, the last place I wanted to be was in the car with her again. So she could insult me more.

"Yes, that's um . . . that sounds good."

Nic leaned in and kissed me on the lips quickly. He pulled back slightly and said, "I'll be back as fast as I can."

Nodding, I forced a smile. My eyes moved past him to see Katerina standing there with a look I couldn't read. Was she still bothered by Nic and I, or was she maybe getting used to the idea? No . . . she certainly wasn't used to the idea. I swallowed hard.

"Thank you so much for helping, Katerina. It was a pleasure meeting you."

She nodded. "The pleasure was mine, and I enjoyed myself. Nicholaus?"

"I'll be back soon."

I lifted my hand and waved as I watched them walk through the back hall and out of sight.

Max walked up to me and stood there, staring down the hall.



       
         
       
        

"That woman scared the piss out of me."

"Me too."

He laughed and I turned to him. "What's so funny?" I asked.

With a shrug, all he said was, "You're so screwed."

My body sank and I let out a sigh. I had a feeling he was right.





WHEN I COULDN'T take the silence any longer, I spoke.

"Tell me what you're thinking, Mama."

She sighed. "I'm thinking two of my sons are trying to kill their mother."

I laughed. "Why?"

"One girl is Irish, now the other is Italian. Nicholaus, we can find you a nice Greek girl. Why must you settle on . . . on this one. Italian? That's worse than Irish!"

The grip on my steering wheel tightened. "Because I like this one. Mama, why is it so damn important for you that I marry a Greek girl? Do you not love Kilyn?"

She huffed.

"Mama?"

"Of course I love Kilyn. She makes your brother very happy, and she has given me a beautiful granddaughter whom I love very, very much."

"Even though she is half Irish?"

Her head snapped to look at me. "I don't look at Kira like that!"

"Then why do you look at Kilyn and Gabi that way, Mama?"

Her eyes narrowed at me. "Why can't you find a Greek woman? Why Italian?"

"Because the first moment I met Gabi, something happened that has never happened to me before. Never, not with a Greek girl, not with any girl."

Her look of frustration turned to a look of surprise. "What are you saying, Nicholaus?"

I pulled into my parking spot and turned to face my mother. Taking her hand in mine, I kissed the back of it.

"I'm saying that I've never felt this way before, and I really want to see where this goes. Please don't do anything to try to push Gabi away."

She swallowed hard. "You really care for this girl?"

"I really do. I'm falling in love with her."

With a gasp, she covered her mouth. Then tears formed in her eyes. "Oh, my baby is falling in love!" She looked up and started rattling off in Greek before she finally glanced back at me.

"Do you think she would take a DNA test?"

My smile dropped. "What for?"

With a shrug, she stated, "She might have a bit of Greek in her."

I rolled my eyes and got out of my truck. This wasn't going to be easy.



Gabi's front door was cracked open when I walked up to it. Pushing it open, I called out, "Gabi? Charity?"

I heard a voice coming from the balcony outside. 

As I got closer, I realized it was Gabi's voice.

"I understand how this works. I've been doing it for six years now. No, I don't think so."

Her voice was different. Cold, on edge. Whoever she was talking to, they made her feel on guard.

"I'm just as tired of this as you are. Believe me."

Not wanting to eavesdrop, I cleared my throat and Gabi jumped then spun around. Her somber face was quickly replaced with a huge smile. Her eyes lit up like it was Christmas morning.

"That's fine. I need to let you go."

She hit End and pushed her phone into her back pocket.

"Hey," she said softly.

I walked up to her and pulled her into my arms. "I missed you."

"You've only been gone for an hour."

"That's too long."

With a giggle, she buried her face into my chest. I could feel the stress releasing from her body as I held her to me.

"Is everything okay?" I asked.

Pulling her head back, her eyes searched my face. I swore it looked like she wanted to tell me something, but she smiled and replied, "It is now that you're here."