MY BODY WAS tangled up in Nic’s as I laid there and stared out the windows while my fingers lightly brushed over his arm.
I gently sighed as contentment settled in. Glancing down, I smiled as I looked upon Nic sleeping so peacefully. His head laid on my stomach and his arms and legs were wrapped around my body like a pretzel.
It was crazy insane how much my life had changed since he came into it. I used to live in fear of being found by Dante, now I lived with so much peace and content in my heart I had to pinch myself to make sure I wasn’t dreaming.
Lifting my eyes, I watched the sun dance on the water. Last night had been amazing. Nic showered me with attention in every possible way imaginable. The things he whispered to me while he made love to me still had my stomach fluttering and my heart racing.
I closed my eyes only to snap them open when Nic’s phone vibrated on the side table . . . again. Last night he had silenced it, refusing to answer his mother’s texts. Pulling my lip in between my teeth, I glanced over at the phone. It buzzed again. I carefully untangled myself and reached for his phone.
“Ignore it,” Nic mumbled while grabbing me and dragging me back over to him. I couldn’t help but giggle.
“You should probably answer her, Nic.”
He crawled over my body, planting soft kisses as he moved up toward my lips.
When his gaze met mine, I inhaled a deep breath. He was so damn handsome. His dark hair and hazel eyes were just the icing on the cake. Nic had a body to die for. Rock solid muscles that knew how to hold me perfectly, whether he was making love to me or being a little rougher.
The scruff on his face had me moaning as it brushed against my hypersensitive skin.
His mouth sucked on a nipple, causing me to gasp and arch my body up for more.
Finally making his way to my lips, he whispered, “I’ll call her after I make love to my wife.”
Slowly sinking deep inside me, we were soon lost in a world of utter bliss. A world where it was only the two of us. Soft sweet kisses, whispered words of I love you, and touches that were sure to set my body on fire.
Heaven.
This was heaven.
Sipping my coffee, I pulled my knees up to my chest and took in view. The beautiful blue water of Lake Tahoe was calming. Nic couldn’t have picked a better place to get married. I hated Las Vegas. I’d only been once, but the idea of going there and getting married would have made my skin crawl.
I could hear Nic talking on the phone. From what he was saying, I was going to guess Katerina wasn’t very happy.
I’d already called my parents yesterday when we arrived and told them we were eloping. It killed me to hear the sadness in my mother’s voice. She’d missed so much the last six years, and in a way it was selfish of me to deny them this. But it was only fair. If I didn’t want Nic’s family here, I couldn’t have mine here. I promised her we would fly back home and do something special.
“Mama, will you stop acting like you’re crying,” Nic said as he stepped out onto the balcony.
My fingers went to my lips in an attempt not to laugh.
He sat next to me and rolled his eyes.
“It was last minute. No one knew. Well, Charity and Cole knew.”
Peeking back out over the lake, I silently wished we could stay here forever.
“We’ll do something when we get back. Yes. We can have a reception. I’m sure Gabi would love to invite her family out for that.”
Smiling, I nodded.
“See, she just said yes. Wait, what are you doing? Dad, what is she doing?”
Oh no. This could only mean trouble.
“How does she have the number? Dad, will you please stop her?”
Nic covered the phone then said to me, “Code red. Call your mom. My mother is about to call her and plan the reception.”
I nearly fell out of the chair. “What?” I cried out as I raced back into the room.
My hands fumbled around with my phone before I was finally able to dial my mother’s number.
“Hello, sweetheart. How is the honeymoon?”
“Good. It’s good. Mom! Listen! Katerina is going to call you and—”
“Oh, she’s buzzing in right now.”
“NO! Don’t answer it!”
“Why on earth not, Gabi?”
“She’s going to invite you to a reception for us in Colorado Springs.”
My mother called for my father. “How exciting!”
I shook my head. “Mom, you don’t understand Nic’s family. They are overwhelming, to say the least.”
“Nonsense, Gabi. I’m looking forward to meeting them. Now, let me listen to her message and call her back. Oh, this is going to be fun! We can plan it together. The menu, the desserts. How exciting!”
I groaned as I sat on the sofa. “Mom, Katerina will take over. It will be a Greek festival when she is done planning it.”
Silence.
Nothing.
Not even the sound of her breathing. Then, finally, she spoke.
“Is that so?”
Oh. Shit.
“We will plan something for there at home. Nic and I can fly out and—”
“No no. Let’s do this. I think it will be more . . . interesting.”
“For who?” I asked chewing on my thumbnail.
She laughed so evil I had to pull the phone away to make sure I still had my mother on the line.
“Don’t worry, Gabi. I’m positive I can hold my own next to Katerina. Besides, everyone knows what they say about Greek food.”
I held my breath. Dear God no. Please no.
“It’s just Italian food, but without the flavor.”
Relaxing back against the couch, I sighed.
“I’m not going to talk you out of this, am I?” I asked with nothing but defeat in my voice.
My mother laughed. “Enjoy your honeymoon! Talk soon.”
And just like that, she was gone. Probably dialing Katerina’s number right then. I covered my face with my hands and groaned. “This is not going to end well.”
Dropping my hands to my sides, I turned to see Nic walking in. He sat on the couch and said, “She let me go. Said your mom was calling.”
He looked at me. “You know what this means, don’t you?”
I nodded. “Food wars.”
With a slow smile, he fist pumped. “Yes!”
Sitting up, I looked at him like he had two heads. “Are you crazy? You want our moms to compete?”
Now it was his turn to look at me like I was crazy. “You’re kidding, right? Italian food, made by your mother. Have you tasted her food?”
Laughing, I nodded. Nic and I had flown back to New Jersey a couple months ago so I could properly introduce him to the family. He never left my mother’s kitchen.
“Yes, but you know your mother won’t let you take a bite of Italian food.”
He brushed me off with a gruff laugh. “I’m not worried.” Standing, he pulled out his phone again.
“What are you doing?” I asked.
“Texting your mom. I’m going to see if she’ll make that pasta with artichoke in it.”
I watched him walk out onto the balcony as he typed away on his phone.
Shaking my head, I leaned back against the couch.
“This ought to be interesting,” I mumbled.