The entire kitchen grew quiet as everyone looked over at me.
Shit. Damn it. Double damn. Why did I open my mouth?
Then I saw her. The woman who must be . . . Yiayia. She stood there holding a dish while her eyes met mine. The way she was looking at me had me swallowing hard.
“What have you tried your hand at?” she asked.
Nic chuckled. “There is Yiayia! Gabi, this is my grandmother.”
I would have extended my hand, but she was holding a dish of something that looked and smelled heavenly.
“Let me take that, Yiayia! Now go sit down!” Katerina said.
Yiayia started to head toward the massive dining room. There was a large table set up, but I couldn’t help but notice most of the people were heading out back or to the living room.
“Why is no one sitting at the dining room table?” I asked Nic as we moved closer to the kitchen island that was covered in food.
“That’s for the family.”
I glanced around. A few people nodded at me and smiled and I graciously returned the gesture. Weren’t they all family?
“Nic, all these people didn’t come just to meet me, did they?”
He laughed but never answered as we approached the table. My eyes scanned the endless amount of food on the table. Here I thought my family loved food.
“Wow. That’s a lot of food,” I whispered with a small giggle.
Before I knew what was happening, a plate was shoved in my hands and Katerina started piling on food. There was so much food on my plate I nearly dropped it.
“Now, Gabriella, you come sit next to Yiayia.”
My heart froze and I quickly looked over at Kilyn. She lifted her brows and pretended to spit.
Glancing back over my shoulder, I searched for Nic.
“Don’t worry, my Nicholaus will be sitting right next to you.”
Was it my imagination or did she keep referring to Nic as hers?
As I sat down, Katerina pulled on my hair.
“Ouch!” I cried out as I turned to look at her. What in the hell?
She blushed. “Oh, my goodness my bracelet got caught on your hair. Look at that?”
Holding a few pieces of my hair, she smiled as if she had won a great victory. I, on the other hand, rubbed the area of my head where she had robbed me of precious strands of hair.
I slowly sank down into the chair as Katerina leaned over to Yiayia. “This is my Nicholaus’s Gabriella, Yiayia.”
The older woman turned and stared at me. I did the only thing I could think of doing.
“So, yiayia means grandmother in Greek?”
She huffed at me and I swear I saw smoke come from her mouth and nostrils.
The way her eyes took me in had me fidgeting in my seat. “So, you are Italian and you think you can cook Greek food, huh?”
My eyes widened in horror. “Oh, well I’m sure I can’t cook it nearly as good as you or Katerina.”
“Then how will our Nicholaus eat?”
I laughed and gave Yiayia a wink. “Lucky for me he said Italian was his favorite food.”
The entire room fell silent.
How in the hell did they hear that over all this talking?
Everyone looked at me then Nic.
“Is this true, Nicholaus?” Katerina asked.
I couldn’t help but notice how Thad and Thano leaned in closer . . . like their next breath depended on Nic’s answer.
Kilyn looked at me with a terrified look on her face then said, “I think what Gabi meant to say was, lucky for her Nic will eat her Italian cooking.”
She motioned for me to agree. “Oh, yes yes. That is exactly what I meant to say. Not that Italian was his favorite.”
I let out a laugh and Kilyn followed with one of her own. Then Phoebe chuckled. “As if Nicholaus would like Italian food over Greek!” she said.
Nic sat there stunned. Not uttering a single word.
Yiayia laughed then everyone else laughed.
“I knew my Nicholaus would never prefer that food!” Katerina said.
In a sad attempt to keep my fake laugh up, my eyes scanned around the table until they fell on Dimitris. He sat there staring at me. A slight smile played across his lips as he reached for a glass of wine and lifted it. I followed suit. He took a sip while I downed the whole glass.
Yiayia made a tsking sound then said, “Well, we know she isn’t pregnant with the way she drinks.”
I started to choke on the wine. Finally, Nic was pulled out of the daze he had been in.
“Yiayia, Gabi isn’t pregnant.”
She nodded. “I’d hope not with the way she’s kicking them back.”
“What?” I asked with a stunned expression. “I’ve only had—”
Nic leaned in closer. “Let it go, Gabi. Let it go.”
THE REST OF dinner was spent with Yiayia trying to shove every kind of Greek food down my throat.
Try the moussaka.
Eat the pastitisio.
Have you tried the spanakopita?
If I ate another thing I was positive I would throw up. The entire dinner Yiayia kept talking to me in Greek, like I had a clue what she was saying. All I could do was stare at her.
I was surprised to see most of the family had left, leaving pretty much just the immediate family and a few Maria’s sprinkled in here and there.
Katerina cleared her throat and looked at me. “How long have you been baking, Gabriella?”
Nic took my hand in his and all the females in the room sighed. I’d also heard most of the night how happy they were their Nicholaus had found someone. Although, I did hear someone in the other room mention it was a shame I wasn’t Greek.
Katerina actually looked happy to see the exchange between Nic and me, but I still felt like an outsider. If it hadn’t been for Kilyn and Kira, I’d be the only person in the room who wasn’t Greek.
Smiling, I replied, “Since I can remember. My grandmother taught me.”
Katerina smiled big and bright. “Does she live here in Colorado?”
My hands started to sweat. I never talked about my past. Ever.
“Um, no she’s passed on a few years back.”
Sadness swept over her face. “I’m so sorry.”
With a fake grin, I reached for my wineglass and took a hearty drink before saying, “It’s okay. I was lucky to have the time I had with her.”
Katerina’s smile felt warm and caring. At least I wasn’t lying about my grandmother.
“Are you from Colorado Springs?” Aunt Agnes asked.
“The east coast,” I responded. They all waited for me to elaborate and when I didn’t, Nic spoke.
“Gabi moved here a few years back.”
“Gabi? Who is Gabi?” Yiayia asked.
I knew damn well she knew it was me.
Nic leaned forward to look around me and to his grandmother. He pointed to me. “Gabi. That’s her name, Yiayia.”
She frowned. “I thought her name was Gabriella?”
“It is. I go by Gabi though.”
Her lips snarled. Oh hell.
“Why? Gabriella is such a beautiful name. It matches your beautiful eyes.”
Then it happened. She spit on me. Or at the very least, made the noise and motion of spitting.
I jumped at the action. I was ninety-nine percent sure she hadn’t actually spit on me. Turning to Kilyn, she raised her eyebrows as if to say, told you.
“Yiayia, stop it,” Nic warned.
“Your parents?” Dimitris asked.
My chest was beginning to tighten up to the point where I couldn’t breathe. I hated lying. It was why I never talked about my past. I knew of only one way to make the questions top. “They’re dead.” Blunt. To the point.
Gasps were heard across the room. Now to add in the final blow. “I was young, eighteen.”
Katerina looked over to Kilyn. “You two have another thing in common.”
“Another thing?” Kilyn asked.
Katerina looked at Ki
lyn like she had grown two heads. “Yes, both your parents passed away when you were young.”
My heart ached for Kilyn, but at least the conversation was moving away from my past. I hated that I was lying and that this was actually something painful for her though.
“And what’s the other thing?” Kilyn asked. Katerina stood and reached for my plate then Nic’s. Thano looked over to his mother and gave her warning look. She smiled at him before looking at Kilyn and then me.
“Neither of you are Greek.”
“Of course,” Kilyn said with a sigh as Katerina announced dessert was coming. The buffet was long gone, and I had no idea who had actually cleaned it up as we sat and ate dinner.
Turning to Nic, I asked in a whispered voice, “Why is it so important for me to be Greek?”
He shrugged. “I don’t think it is honestly. Not with Kilyn being Irish and all. She’s just giving you a hard time.”
“Why?” I asked in a hushed voice.
Nic flashed me a panty melting smile. His dark hair was messy and he hadn’t shaved in a few days. I wanted to run my fingertips over his scruff and imagine it between my legs. My cheeks heated and Nic’s smile grew bigger and sexier. “What are you thinking about, Gabi?”
Sinking my teeth into my lip, I replied, “It’s probably better I keep it to myself.”
“So, Dad, did you get that junker car running yet?” I was pulled out of my naughty daydream by Thano. Looking his way, he leaned back and rubbed his satisfied belly.
Dimitris stood. “Junker my ass. I’ll show you what I’ve done. Come on, dessert can wait.”
All four men stood, but Kilyn and Phoebe stayed seated so I did as well. I wondered if the other Drivas men were dominating like Nic had a tendency to be. I didn’t mind it at all. As a matter of fact, I found that it turned me on.
Nic leaned down and brushed his lips across the skin under my ear. My whole body shuddered and I was positive Katerina noticed. My cheeks heated.
“I’ll be back baby. Don’t move from this spot.”
I nodded. “I won’t.”
He moved and pressed his lips to mine. “Good girl.” The authority in his voice had me squeezing my legs together to keep the throbbing at bay.
My eyes swung up to meet Kilyn’s. Thano was whispering something into her ear and I could tell she was feeling the exact same way as me.
When they walked away, she looked at me and said in a soft voice, “Kind of hot when they act all caveman, isn’t it?”
I nodded and attempted not to blush again.
Katerina walked back in with Agnes and Maria. Or was that Sophia?
“Ahh. The best part of the meal, isn’t that right, Gabriella?”
“It’s one of my favorites,” I answered.
Dish after dish after dish was placed on the table, replacing the plates of food that had been sitting there.
“Eat! Eat up!”
Phoebe and Kilyn dug in like two hungry animals that had been deprived of food. I knew if I refused, I’d be insulting Katerina, so I grabbed a small piece of a few different desserts.
Katerina pointed to each one to tell me what they were.
“That is ekmek kataifi, those are koulourakia, and this right here is Yiayia’s famous phyllo pastries.”
“Hmm, everything looks so delicious.”
Yiayia picked up my plate and put a piece of baklava on it. “Eat. You need to fatten up for the babies.”
Kilyn groaned as did Phoebe.
“Oh, Yiayia, stop that!” Katerina said with a laugh.
“Babies?” I asked in a panicked voice.
Katerina scooped more desserts onto my plate. “Kourabiedes, also known as Christmas butter cookies.”
My eyes met hers as I repeated, “Babies?”
She nodded, but didn’t utter a word. It was like she was letting the old lady break the news to see if I’d run or not.
Well, she had no idea who she is dealing with. My eyes caught a familiar dish.
Smiling, I reached for the dish. “Diples. My mother made something similar around Christmas time.”
“She probably made these,” Katerina added.
Yiayia added to the conversation. “The damn Italians. Always ripping off the Greeks.”
Katerina gasped then giggled. “Yiayia! Don’t be mean to our lovely Gabriella.”
Yiayia waved Nic’s mom off with her hand and shoved a truffle ball of some sort into her mouth.
Kilyn cleared her throat, getting my attention. “So, Thano said you were heading to Italy.”
I swallowed hard. With a slight smile, I nodded. “I am.”
“How exciting!” Phoebe said. “Have you been before?”
With a wider smile, I replied, “Lots of times. My family used to go every spring or early summer.”
“Do you have family there?” Katerina asked as she sat down.
I froze.
Stick to the plan, Gabi. Stick. To. The. Plan.
“Distant relatives. Family that we would see very briefly on our visits. One of them still owns my parents’ bakery that they left behind when they came over to the US.”
“Really? Do you speak with them often?”
The lump in my throat was growing by the second.
“No. I haven’t really spoken to any of them in a number of years.”
“Where will you stay? I mean if you don’t have close family there.”
“At a hotel not far from the bakery. I grew up spending my summers there, so I know my way around pretty well.”
I felt his stare before I knew he was there. Nic stood in the dining room staring at me. I didn’t like the way he was looking at me. There was something dark in his eyes, and it wasn’t anything sexual. It was something else. Something I’d never seen before and it sent a chill through my whole body.
“Dad wanted to know if the desserts were on the table yet.”
He never took his eyes off of me as he spoke.
“He knows it is here. Tell that old fool to stop tinkering with that piece of junk car and get back in here.”
Nic nodded and turned on his heels.
I let out the breath I hadn’t noticed I had been holding in. A buzzing sound came from my right. Glancing down, it was Nic’s phone. My heart stopped when I read the preview of the text message.
Scarlett: You’re all set with the tickets. Let me know if you need anything else. I miss
I instantly felt sick. Why was he getting a text from Scarlett? What did she miss? Him? His call? Their friendship? Their relationship?
My mind started spinning in a million directions. Every word that was said was a blur. The only thing I could think about was the text.
Nic sat back down next to me and I tried to relax. He glanced at his phone, swiped it open, frowned, and then pushed it into his pocket.
Do I let it go?
Chewing on my lip, I placed my napkin onto the plate of desserts and stood. “I’m so very sorry, but I’m not feeling well. I think I need to leave.”
Everyone jumped up. Nic, his parents, both his brothers . . . even Kira. They all came rushing over to me.
“Nicholaus, take her to the couch so she can lay down,” Katerina said as she led the way.
I shook my head and called out, “No.”
It came out harsher than I had intended. Nic stared at me with a worried expression.
Looking into Nic’s eyes, I said, “I’d like to go home. Besides, Nic has a text I’m sure he is eager to answer.”
Frowning, he looked confused. “What?”
Tears formed in my eyes.
This was my payback for all the lies.
The only thing I could do was whisper, “Scarlett.” Turning, I looked at both Katerina and Dimitris and said, “Thank you so very much for dinner.”
Katerina walked up to me and kissed me on the cheek then hugged me tightly. Dimitris followed her lead as she said, “Of course. Of course! I hope you feel better, Gabriella.”
Kira who had be
en playing with her cousins most of the evening came rushing up to me. “Don’t leave, Gabi! I wanted to play hide and seek with you.”
Kilyn walked over to me and glanced between Nic and me. “Is everything okay?” she asked while bending down and picking up her daughter.
“It’s fine,” I said before spinning on my heels and quickly making my way out of the Drivas house.
I needed air.
I needed to think.
MY HEART WAS pounding in my chest. I wasn’t sure if it was from hearing Gabi say she only had distant family in Italy or the fact that she had seen a text come through from Scarlett. Who in the hell was Antonio? The uncle who owns the bakery now?
I kissed my mother, Kilyn, and Phoebe goodbye. Shaking my father’s hand, I ignored my two brothers and rushed out the door to follow Gabi.
She was walking as fast as she could toward my truck. Her phone was in her hand.
“Gabi.”
“Don’t talk to me, Nic.”
“Jesus Christ, don’t do this.”
She stopped and faced me. Her eyes filled to the rim with tears she was fighting to keep back. “You told me there was nothing between the two of you. Yet, she is texting you. What does she miss, Nic? Your cock?”
Anger raced through my veins. “No, I asked her to do me a favor for work. She knows someone who owns a travel agency and one of the guys needed plane tickets. I asked if she could get her friend to help out.”
Holy fuck. That lie came way too easy.
Gabi’s face softened. The beginning of the message must have been making sense to her as she put the two together.
“What does she miss?”
Pinching my brows together, I asked, “What?”
“In her message, she said, I miss . . . That was all it showed.”
I knew I had to tell her the truth. One, because I didn’t want to lie to her any more than I was, and if she asked to see the text, she’d see that was what it said. “She said she missed me.”
“Do you miss her?” she asked in a trembling voice.
Placing my hands on her arms, I looked directly into her eyes. “No. Not one bit.”
Her shoulders dropped slightly and she let out the breath she had been holding.
Closing her eyes, she softly said, “I’m sorry. I don’t know how much more of this I can take. I overreacted again.”