by Andria Large
My eyebrows rise and I stare at her. "Seriously?"
She nods. "Dead serious."
"Well, shit."
"Exactly."
We stare at each other for a moment. I'm usually not one to comfort a woman. Even when I was with Hannah, I was never the overly mushy type. Come to think of it, my relationship with Hannah was mostly sex. We never had any real meaningful conversations. I didn't really know too much about her past. I never met her family. She was just there.
I hold my hand out to Nicole. The urge to hold her and comfort her too strong to resist. "Come here," I murmur.
She hesitates for a moment but eventually gives in and comes to sit next to me, tucking herself under my arm. She rests her head on my shoulder and places her hand on my stomach. I wrap my arm around her and drop a kiss to the top of her head.
"Everything will be okay," I say.
She nods against my shoulder. My heart pounds with how right it feels to have her in my arms. I'm not going to think too much about it right now, but I do know that no other woman has affected me like Nicole does. This is new territory for me and I plan to tread lightly.
~Nicole~
It’s finally the Friday after the gossip magazine fiasco, so Ace and I are able to take the two-hour drive down to Philly after we finish rehearsals. Ace's bodyguard, Alex, insists on coming with us so Ace makes him drive. This is so not what I had planned for when it came time to introduce a man to my parents, but fate has other ideas. What's even crazier is that Ace and I are just pretending to date for publicity’s sake. My parents don't need to know that, though.
I tell Raelynn that we are coming, and of course, she insists that we come visit her too. I don't mind introducing Ace to her, it's Sebastian that I'm worried about. That doofus is unpredictable; who knows how he will act around Ace? I really don't need to be embarrassed by him.
The three of us are going to be staying at my apartment for the weekend. That makes me super happy. I get to be home for a few days, in my comfort zone. Luckily, I have a spare room with a futon. So one of the guys can sleep there and the other can take the couch. We walk into my apartment at around 9:00 that night. I'm completely exhausted and ready to crash in my bed.
"Make yourselves at home. I'm not your waitress, so if you want something to eat or drink, you can get it yourself," I mutter with a wave toward the kitchen.
I turn on a couple of lamps so we can see.
"This is nice, Nicole," Ace says as he drops his bag down next to the door.
"Thanks," I reply softly. "There is a futon in the spare room, one of you can sleep there and the other can sleep on the couch."
"I'll take the couch," Alex says.
"Why does that not surprise me?" Ace mutters dryly.
"I'll get you a pillow and a blanket," I say, heading down the hall to my linen closet.
I return with a pillow and blanket for each guy.
"I'm beat, so I'm gonna head to bed," I say with a yawn.
"Really? It's only nine." Ace frowns.
"I'm tired. Unlike you, I go to bed when I'm tired," I say.
He stares at me for a moment, seeming like he wants to say something but decides against it. "Where can I go if I need a smoke?" he eventually asks.
I point to the sliding glass doors. "There is a balcony, you can smoke there."
Ace nods. "Thanks,"
"Do you care if we order take out? I'm starving," Alex chimes in.
"Not at all," I say, going over to the drawer where I keep the take out menus. I pull them all out and set them on the counter. "Here ya go."
"Thanks," Alex says, going over to browse the selection.
I turn to find Ace watching me. "What?" I ask.
"You sure you don't wanna hang with us for a little bit?" he asks.
He puts on that puppy dog face of his. Dammit! It's really hard to resist. His eyes are so blue and he's sticking out his bottom lip. He looks so freaking cute!
"Pwease," he adds.
I make an aggravated noise. "Argh! Fine!"
Alex snickers and shakes his head. "Asshole," he mutters.
I'm pretty sure he's talking about Ace and I can't help but agree.
We end up ordering pizza and wings. We sit in the living room so we can watch TV while we eat. The conversation is easy with Ace and Alex. They are both really funny and easy-going. Alex is a decent looking guy, definitely not ugly, but not as stunningly gorgeous as Ace. Alex has more of a hardened look about him, most likely from his former life as an FBI special agent. He might joke and tease, but he is serious about his job in protecting Ace; otherwise, he wouldn't be here.
It ends up being midnight before I am able to get away to go to bed. I say goodnight to Alex, then turn to Ace. I study his face for a moment. Why does he have to be so handsome? Alex, being the smart man that his is, excuses himself to go to the bathroom.
"Ace, I just want to thank you for doing this for me, it really means a lot," I say softly.
Ace smiles slightly and drops his large hand to my knee, giving it a squeeze. "It's not a problem, sweetheart. I owe you for sucking you into the spotlight."
"Even so, you don't have to do anything for me; you don't have to make sure my name doesn't get tainted, but you are, and I'm grateful," I say sincerely.
To my surprise, Ace blushes and averts his eyes. He clears his throat uncomfortably and squirms in his seat. "Ahh...you're welcome," he murmurs.
He's really cute when he blushes. Man, I really like him. If he were anyone else, I'd probably be pushing for a real relationship, not a pretend one. Unable to help myself, I lean in and place a soft kiss on his cheek. Well, it kinda ends up at the corner of his sexy mouth. It takes everything in me to pull back. I remember all too well how his mouth feels on mine and it's short of torture. This man is a sinful kisser and has the power to drive me to my knees.
Ace turns his head to look at me, his eyes now heavy lidded with desire. He moves so quickly that I don't have a chance to deflect, or maybe I just don't want to. His one hand thrusts into my hair as his mouth crashes into mine. His tongue immediately invades my mouth and I can't stop the moan that escapes. Damn, I really love the way he kisses. His fingers tighten in my hair, holding me where he wants me. His dominance is a total turn on for me. I really like when the man takes control - in sexual situations anyway, not always in other aspects of life.
A throat clearing has me wrenching away from Ace. Panting, I look over at the source – an amused looking Alex. "If you two are gonna fuck, please let me know so I can go get a hotel room," he says.
"No. No, we're not," I insist and get to my feet. "Goodnight," I say and rush down the hall to my bedroom without looking back at Ace.
I shut myself in my room and curse my stupid feelings for him. He's no good for me. Not only would our relationship be in the spotlight, but also my dad would never accept him. Who knows if any man would be acceptable to him. Ace is the epitome of every man he has ever warned me to stay away from. Tomorrow is not going to go over well. Nope, not gonna be a good day in the Gionelli household.
Chapter Five
~Ace~
The first thing on today’s to-do list is to go see Nicole's best friend. I will do anything she fucking wants. That kiss last night has me totally screwed up in the head. She's doing something to me and this need to do things for her is undeniable. Take this morning for example, I made Alex take me to the store for breakfast stuff while she was still asleep. Then when we got back, I cooked her pancakes and made her coffee. Alex just keeps looking at me as if he's going to toss me into the looney bin at any minute. She was shocked, too, but the smile that she gave me was absolutely worth it. Plus, she moaned the whole time while eating my special chocolate chip and banana pancakes.
We show up at her friend's house at around noon. I'm hoping that she's got something to eat, because I'm starving. Nicole rings the doorbell and less than a minute later, a giant blonde badass looking dude answers the door. I blink up at him. He has to be
about six foot four or five. He's wearing a white T-shirt and worn jeans, and his arms are completely sleeved with tattoos, even more covered than mine. He rivals Alex in the muscle department. But he just oozes cocky. We'll probably get along great.
"Like O.M.G., Ace Vaughn is standing on my step, like, seriously, this is crazy," The big blonde – who I thought was a badass – says in a mock valley girl voice while fanning at his face.
"Jesus Christ, Sebastian." Nicole sighs and stares up at the sky. Her face is beet red.
Alex is snickering behind me. "I like this guy already," he whispers to me.
I grunt in agreement.
A slow smile spreads across Sebastian's face. "Hi, Nicole," he drawls.
"You just had to embarrass me, didn't you?" she snarls, pushing past him to get into the house.
He chuckles. "Did you expect anything less?" he calls after her.
When he turns back to Alex and me, I step up and stick out my hand. He shakes it. "Sebastian Beck, nice to meet you," he says with a devilish smirk.
I grin. "Ace Vaughn, nice to meet you, too. This is my bodyguard, Alex DeGrassi."
"Hey, man," Sebastian says, shaking Alex's hand.
"Hey," Alex replies with a nod.
He ushers us in and shuts the door behind him. As we walk in, I see Nicole talking to a pretty, little blonde. As Sebastian shuts the door, the blonde looks up and gives us a bright smile. Both women start toward us. The blonde is much shorter than Nicole, probably just hitting five foot three or so.
"Wow, you're really real," the blonde gushes and sticks out her hand to me.
I chuckle. "Ah, yeah, I think so," I say, shaking her hand.
She waves her hand dismissively. "Sorry, it's just that it's so weird seeing you in person. Fan girl moment."
"I understand."
"I'm Raelynn, by the way." She smiles.
"Ace, and this is my bodyguard, Alex," I say, motioning toward Alex who is standing slightly behind me.
Alex steps forward and shakes her hand. "Hey."
"Hi," she chirps.
"Where's Mikey?" Nicole asks.
"Napping, I'm sure he'll be up in a little while," Raelynn answers.
Raelynn files us all into the kitchen where she has the table set up with various hoagies and snacky things. She shoves a plate into my hand and tells me to dig in. Hell, I'm not going to argue. We all grab some food and sit around the table. Sebastian is a freaking riot. The guy is insane, but in a good way. I would love to spend more than just a few hours with him. Plus, he and Alex spark up a friendship over guns. Alex doesn't have many friends, so to see him actually get along with someone who has similar interests is really nice. Sebastian even offered to take him shooting whenever they are both free, which has Alex almost giddy, and it takes a lot for Alex to get giddy.
After we eat, Sebastian offers to show Alex some of his guns. He jumps on the opportunity and I decide to tag along. I'm not a gun fanatic, but I do think they are pretty cool. We head upstairs to where he has the guns stashed in a safe in his bedroom.
Fifteen minutes and a lot of oohs and ahhs later, Sebastian sends Alex downstairs. "Hey, Alex, do you mind if I have a word with Ace, alone?"
Alex lifts an eyebrow. "As long as you don't kill him."
"I can't promise anything," Sebastian says, completely deadpan.
Alex grins and shakes his head as he heads out of the room. I look at Sebastian curiously, wondering what he wants to talk to me about. He rubs the back of his neck and starts to pace in front of me.
"Look man, I don't have any little sisters, so Nicole is like the closest thing that I've got to one. She's a really great girl and has been an awesome friend to my wife," he starts. His pacing stops in front of me and he looks directly at me. The look kind of freaks me out because it seems like he can see more than I want him to. "I know this thing is just for show, but I can see the way she's looking at you. I also see the way you're looking at her. She means something to you and if you're smart, you'll snatch her up and never let go," he says seriously.
I blink at him. I don't even know what to say to that. "How can you possibly know how I'm looking at her?"
Sebastian snorts. "Man, I've watched my three brothers fall head over heels in love with their spouses, I know what I'm seeing."
"I'm not in love with Nicole," I insist. I'm not. I know I'm not. I just like her a hell of a lot.
"Not yet, but you are well on your way, my friend. And like I said, if you're smart, you will scoop her up before someone else does. Nicole is a catch and she deserves a good man. You can try to play the badass all you want, but I know deep down that you're a good guy."
I smirk. "Oh yeah?" I ask curiously.
Sebastian grins wide. "Yeah, you and I are very much alike."
I bark out a laugh. "Okay, I can't argue that. You are just a tad bit crazier."
He shrugs. "True."
"I'm not going to lie, I like Nicole a lot. I'm just not sure if I want a relationship right now."
"I can understand that. Maybe being in this 'pretend' relationship will help you figure it out," he suggests.
I nod. "Yeah, maybe."
"Just try not to hurt her. I don't like to see my family hurt and you do not want Sebastian Beck coming after your ass, believe me," he warns.
"Did you just refer to yourself in the third person?" I ask, cocking an eyebrow.
"Sebastian did, do you have a problem with that?" he asks seriously.
I laugh. I don’t know how this guy keeps a straight face with half of the shit that comes out of his mouth. "No, no problem at all."
"Good. Sebastian likes you, Ace. Let's try to keep it that way," he says, finally cracking a smile as he claps me on the shoulder.
I chuckle and follow him back downstairs.
~Nicole~
I don't think that I've ever been so nervous to go to my parents' house for dinner. I tried to make Alex stay at my apartment, but he was having none of it. It's going to be bad enough to get humiliated in front of Ace, I really didn't want to have Alex there to witness it, too.
We pull up to my parents' house and park at the curb. I've warned Ace like twenty times already about how bad this is going to be. He's assured me that he will be fine, he can handle it. As we get out of the car, my little sister Gina - who's 25 and still lives with my parents – opens the front door and steps out onto the porch. She gives me a tense smile. Great. That means my dad is already starting shit. Thankfully, my mother is nowhere near as bad as my dad. I can at least talk to her and make her understand my side. My dad? Forget it; it's his way or the highway.
"Run, run now before they see you," Gina says through her false smile.
I groan. "That bad?" I sigh.
Gina glances at Ace and Alex. "Uh, yeah," she says grimly.
I turn to look at Ace. "Maybe this isn't a good idea," I mutter.
Ace gives me a gentle smile. "It'll be fine, I promise," he says, brushing his knuckles over my cheek. Such a sweet gesture. I don't know if he just did it because Gina is standing here or what.
I catch Alex's confused glance. He obviously can't tell either. I take a deep breath and turn back around. All right, let's do this. Ace's fingers brush mine as if testing the waters. I glance back at him and he gives me a reassuring smile, which makes my stomach flip and my heart race. I lace my fingers together with his. He's really going to make some girl really happy one day.
We go inside. My mother is nowhere to be seen, but it smells delicious in here so I can only assume that she is in the kitchen. My dad is sitting in his recliner watching the news on channel six, his favorite station. He glances at us before turning back to the TV. He has that Robert DeNiro mean mug going on. Not good.
"Ciao papà," I say, leaning down to give him a kiss on the cheek.
"Ciao, Nicole," he grunts.
My parents do speak very broken English, but they insist that when we speak to them, we speak in Italian because it's just easier for them to understand.
I introduce the guys to my father in Italian before turning toward them and saying, "Ace, Alex, this is my father, Gaetano, you can call him Guy."
"No, non Guy. Mr. Gionelli!" My dad snaps.
I clench my teeth. "Alright, fine. You can call him Mr. Gionelli."
Ace steps up to my father and holds out his hand. "Nice to meet you, Mr. Gionelli," he says cordially.
My dad doesn't even bother to take his eyes off the TV, not even acknowledging Ace’s existence.