Roark’s eyes narrowed. “What?”
“I’d prefer that you leave her at home.”
“Why the hell would I do that?”
“Because I’m asking you to.”
“Why?”
Reid bit back an impatient sigh. “C’mon, Dad. You know how hard it is for Mom to see you with other women.”
Roark’s jaw tightened, his hand clenching around his glass. “No one’s stopping her from seeing other—”
“Don’t go there.” Reid’s voice was low, barely above a growl. “Don’t fucking go there, Dad. Not now. Not today.”
Anger vibrated between father and son. Anger sharpened by the pain of past grievances.
After several tense moments, Roark dragged an unsteady hand through his silvered hair and exhaled a frustrated breath. “I just don’t see why—”
“I’m bringing Nadia home to meet the family,” Reid cut him off. “It’s going to be stressful enough for her without the added tension between you and Mom and your girlfriend.”
Roark looked indignant. “So you get to bring your girlfriend around the family, but I can’t?”
Reid stared at his father, gritting his teeth to control his surging anger. “Do it for me, Dad. If not for the mother of your children, do it for me.”
Roark held his stony gaze for a strained moment, then scrubbed a hand across his jaw and nodded tersely. “Fine. I won’t bring Hanh.”
Reid inclined his head. “Thank you.”
Roark waved off his gratitude. “It’s probably for the best. I heard your mother’s not too happy about your relationship with Nadia. There’s no telling what she’s liable to say or do over dinner.”
Reid winced. “Thanks for that comforting thought.”
His father gave a grim chuckle, then expelled a heavy breath and looked down at his glass. After a reflective moment, he raised his head. Deep blue eyes searched Reid’s.
“So you’re really serious about this young lady?”
Reid gave a slow nod. “I am.”
“I see.” Roark lifted his glass, took a sip of his scotch. “I understand she works as a recruiter at some community college. That’s quite a coup for her, landing a rich hockey player. Talk about an upgrade.”
“I know what you’re getting at, Dad,” Reid said sardonically. “She’s not a gold digger.”
“How can you be so sure of that?”
“Because I am. I know her.” He’d given Nadia his platinum card and she’d refused to use it, not even to buy gas. He didn’t know any woman who would have showed that kind of restraint. Most women would have wasted no time burning through the card, racking up on extravagant frivolities. But Nadia hadn’t spent a dime.
His father fixed a steady gaze on him. “You have a robust investment portfolio, perfect credit, millions in the bank from your salary and endorsement deals and memorabilia contracts. Just think about that for a moment. Think of all that money you’ve earned and diligently saved up over the years. If you marry Nadia and things don’t work out, half of your wealth will go to her.”
Reid shook his head. “I’m not thinking that far ahead, Dad—”
“Maybe you should be. If you’re planning to propose to her—and I suspect you are—you’d better have an airtight prenup ready.”
Reid frowned. “If Nadia agrees to marry me—”
“If?”
Reid ignored his father’s sarcasm. “If and when we do get married, I’m not going into it with the jaded mindset that we’re going to break up. I’m not marrying her with one eye on the nearest exit. I’m playing for keeps, Dad. I plan to spend the rest of my life with her, raising a family, growing old together, watching our children and grandchildren come into their own.” He paused, his chest squeezing with longing for a future he’d never dreamed of before he met Nadia.
“As for my money,” he continued, his voice husky with emotion, “what’s mine is hers. In fact, I plan to give her the sun, moon and stars after we get married. It’s the least I can do for the woman I love, the woman who taught me that there’s even more to life than hockey.”
When he’d finished speaking, his father gave him a marveling look and slowly shook his head. “My God, son. I’ve never seen you this way over a woman before.”
“I’ve never felt this way,” Reid said gruffly. “Nadia means the world to me, Dad. I almost lost her once before. I won’t make that mistake again.”
For a moment his father’s gaze flickered with pain and regret. But a second later, a mask slid over his expression as if that moment, that flash of vulnerability, had never happened.
But Reid knew it had. And he knew all too well the source of his father’s suffering.
Quietly sipping his scotch, Roark stared off into the distance. “I wasn’t good enough to make the pros. But you were, son. And you didn’t just make it into the NHL. You came in guns blazing, determined to leave your mark and carve out your place in history. And you have. Everyone agrees that you’ve already made a tremendous impact on professional hockey. If you stay healthy, you can play for several more years. But it goes even beyond what you’ve accomplished on the ice, Reid. You’ve got what it takes to transcend the game, to leave a lasting legacy in this world.” Roark’s expression softened, becoming almost wistful. “As much as I try not to live vicariously through you, there’s a part of me that always will. So I guess I don’t want to see you taking any risks that will jeopardize the dream. Yours…and mine.”
Reid was silent, staring down at the black marble counter. Not for the first time, he felt the weight, the responsibility, the burden of being his father’s son, savior and last best hope.
After a while, Roark turned his head and studied Reid for a long moment, his expression astute and assessing. “So she’s really the one, huh?”
“Yes, sir. She is.”
His father’s large hand settled on his shoulder and gave it a reassuring squeeze. “Don’t worry about your mother. Everything’s gonna be all right.”
“I know,” Reid said with quiet conviction. “As long as I have Nadia by my side, nothing else matters.”
His father’s face softened.
After another moment he smiled and reached up, ruffling Reid’s hair the way he’d done when he was a little boy.
“Can’t wait to meet her, son. Can’t wait.”
26
Nadia’s nonstop flight to Detroit took two hours and forty minutes. She spent the entire time battling anxiety and nervousness over the prospect of meeting Reid’s family.
What if they were cold and unfriendly? What if they didn’t approve of Reid dating her? What if they hated her on sight?
The questions nagged at her, making it impossible for her to relax and enjoy the plush first-class seat Reid had paid for. Her only consolation was that she didn’t have to meet the Holdens all at once. Since Reid’s sisters were picking her up from the airport, she’d get to meet the family in increments, like a new swimmer easing her way into the deep end of a pool.
When she arrived at the airport, Reid’s sisters were waiting for her. She recognized them right away from the pictures she’d seen on Reid’s Instagram page.
Avery had pretty features with sleek dark hair cut stylishly beneath her chin. It swung from side to side as she moved across the terminal, elegantly slim in a tailored blazer, ruffled white blouse and gray dress slacks with designer pumps. She was only twenty-six, just a year older than Nadia. But she carried herself with an air of sophistication that was hard not to admire.
Her sister Aria was drop-dead gorgeous with high cheekbones and rich dark hair that hung in a waterfall down her back. She was wearing a low-cut red blouse under a cropped leather jacket with skinny jeans molded to her long legs. Her calf-high black leather boots made her appear even taller than she already was.
When the two sisters spotted Nadia, they waved and hurried forward to greet her. Despite having shorter legs, Avery reached her first, her green eyes sparkling with her smile as she eage
rly clasped Nadia’s hand.
“Hi, I’m Avery. It’s so good to meet you.”
Nadia smiled warmly. “Same to you,” she said, some of her nervousness abating in the face of such a friendly greeting.
“Hi, Nadia!” Aria leaned down and gave her a warm, sisterly hug. “We’re so glad you could come this weekend.”
“Thank you for having me.”
Aria pulled back and beamed at Nadia. She had big blue eyes with long, sweeping lashes that gave her a perpetual look of wide-eyed innocence—until you glanced downward and saw her bombshell curves.
“Oh my God,” she gushed. “You’re so pretty!”
Avery grinned. “Isn’t she a doll?” She draped an arm around Nadia’s shoulders, giving her a quick squeeze before pointing to the strappy leather heels that laced up her ankles. “I love those shoes.”
“So do I.” Aria looked Nadia up and down in approval. “Love the whole damn outfit.”
Nadia beamed. “Why, thank you, ladies.”
Although she normally preferred to travel in comfort, she’d wanted to make a good first impression on Reid’s sisters. So she’d donned a stylish black jumpsuit with a deep V neckline and three-quarter-length sleeves. To complete the glam look, she’d slicked her hair back into a sleek ponytail that accentuated her features. In anticipation of her trip to Detroit, she’d splurged on an Olivia Pope–inspired white Burberry trench. If the wool coat didn’t help her survive the Michigan cold, Reid would.
His sisters ushered her outside to a silver Lexus coupe parked at the busy curb. It belonged to Avery, who apparently didn’t share Reid’s conviction about driving only American cars.
After stowing Nadia’s bag in the trunk, Avery insisted that she sit up front with her, and Aria slid into the backseat before Nadia could refuse.
As they pulled away from the airport, she said warmly, “Thanks for picking me up.”
“No problem,” Avery said, waving off her gratitude. “It gives us a chance to get to know you before you meet everyone else.”
Nadia smiled. “I appreciate that.”
“It also gives us a chance to dish all the dirt on Reid,” Aria joked.
They all laughed.
“Is this your first visit to Detroit, Nadia?” Avery asked conversationally.
“It is,” she said.
Avery grinned. “Forget what you’ve heard. This is the best damn city in the world.”
Nadia chuckled. “Your brother says the same thing. I’d never actually met anyone from Detroit before I met him.”
“Aww. So he’s your first.”
Nadia grinned. “He is.”
A naughty twinkle entered Avery’s eyes. “I told him you could stay with me, but he politely declined. Apparently he’s planning to have a sleepover with you at the hotel.”
Nadia’s cheeks warmed. Lifting her chin, she sniffed with feigned indignation. “I’m not that kind of girl.”
Avery and Aria burst into delighted laughter, and Nadia joined them.
Before long they reached downtown Detroit. Nadia stared out the window, taking in the tall buildings, bright lights and glittering holiday decorations. Downtown, at least, was much nicer than she’d expected. But she kept the thought to herself, unsure how it would be received.
Reid had put her up in the same hotel where he was staying. When Avery pulled up in front of the glistening glass building, a valet immediately came out to open their doors. Another attendant retrieved Nadia’s bag from the trunk and carried it inside the elegant lobby while she, Avery and Aria followed behind, their arms linked like old friends.
After stopping at the front desk to pick up Nadia’s room key, they rode the elevator all the way up to the top floor. That should have been Nadia’s first clue about her accommodations. But she didn’t become suspicious until she stepped off the elevator and saw that there weren’t many rooms on the floor.
When she unlocked her door and stepped inside, her eyes widened and her jaw dropped.
Reid had booked her a penthouse suite.
It was huge and luxuriously appointed with high-end furniture, sparkling chandeliers and sumptuous carpeting. The paintings on the walls were illuminated by their own spotlights. The suite boasted a dining room, a wet bar and an expansive seating area separated from the bedroom and bath by a bank of French doors. There was a private balcony beyond floor-to-ceiling windows that provided stunning views of the city. In one direction lay downtown, a forest of glittering skyscrapers. In the other direction, the Detroit River glistened luminously in the night.
Avery let out a long, appreciative whistle. “Whoa.”
Nadia couldn’t help feeling a little embarrassed as she set her bag down. “He really didn’t have to do this,” she protested, looking around in stunned disbelief. “A standard room would have sufficed.”
Aria snorted, giving her a look of amused incredulity. “Honey, if a rich dude wants to put you up in a three-thousand-dollar-a-night suite, by all means, let him.”
“Seriously,” Avery agreed, grinning broadly. “Our brother’s crazy about you, Nadia. And we love it. ”
“We sure do.”
“Also— Wait.” Avery turned and stared at Aria, her eyes narrowed in suspicion. “How do you know the nightly rate for these suites?”
Aria bit her lip, looking guilty as sin. “Lucky guess?”
“Lucky guess, my ass,” Avery said with a snort. “You spent the night here with that douchebag, didn’t you?”
Aria frowned, those big eyes of hers blinking innocently. “What douchebag?”
“You know damn well I’m talking about that smarmy real estate hotshot you were dating a few months ago. I can’t believe you slept with him after I specifically warned you—”
“Warned? Jeez, Av, how old do you think I am?”
“You’re twenty-four, old enough to know better. Too bad you don’t act like it.”
As the two sisters began bickering, Nadia grinned and discreetly stepped away to check out the gorgeous bouquet of flowers that had been left on the dining table. Next to the lavish arrangement was a gourmet gift basket filled with assorted goodies and an expensive bottle of Chardonnay.
Nadia smiled, leaning down to bury her nose in the fragrant bouquet. There was a small white card nestled among the blossoms. She plucked it out and read the note, which was more of a letter:
Hey, beautiful. Welcome to my hometown. I wish I could have met you at the airport, but duty calls. I hope my sisters are behaving themselves. You should be ready for dinner by now, so why don’t you and the girls order room service or try the restaurant downstairs. It’s owned by some famous chef and the food is excellent. Avery and Aria can keep you company until I get there. But once I walk through that door, it’s on, baby!
See you soon....
Love,
Your First Detroiter
Nadia laughed softly, her insides melting.
She glanced over her shoulder to look at Avery and Aria, whose argument was ramping up. The sight of the two sisters rolling their necks and wagging their fingers at each other amused her to no end.
And who says only black women behave that way? Pfft.
She cleared her throat loudly, cutting through the cacophony of bickering voices.
Avery and Aria shut up instantly and looked at her as if they’d forgotten she was there.
Satisfied that she had their attention, she humorously announced, “As a token of his appreciation for your hospitality, Reid is treating us all to dinner.”
A delighted grin eased across Aria’s face. “Big brother’s buying dinner?”
“Yup.” Nadia held up the card, paraphrasing what Reid had written—minus the part about him ravishing her.
Avery beamed with pleasure. “He’s so thoughtful. It’s been a long day, so I vote for room service.”
Aria clapped her hands together. “I’m ordering lobster!”
Laughing, the three women peeled off their coats, kicked off their shoes and or
dered room service. While they waited for their food, they uncorked the bottle of wine and ripped open the basket of gourmet treats, then made themselves comfortable around the crackling fire in the sitting room.
Avery took a sip of her wine and sighed. “Isn’t this cozy?”
“Very.” Nadia broke off a chunk of fudge and stuffed it into her mouth, savoring the melting sweetness on her tongue. “God, that’s good.”
Aria grinned. “That’s Sanders fudge.”
“Sanders?”
“It’s a Detroit-based confectionary,” Avery explained. “Their hot fudge is a local staple that goes back generations. They actually invented the ice-cream soda, and we grew up on their hot fudge cream puffs and bumpy cake.”
“Yeah?” Nadia ate another morsel of the delectable fudge and sighed appreciatively. “I think I’m in love.”
Avery and Aria laughed.
“Better not let Reid hear you say that,” Aria warned teasingly. “He might get jealous.”
Nadia laughed. “He probably would. Your brother can be very, let’s just say, territorial.”
“Really?” Aria shared a delighted glance with Avery. “Reid’s never been the possessive type.”
Avery grinned. “He sure hasn’t. Protective of his mother and sisters? Definitely. But possessive over girlfriends? Nahhh.”
“Is that right?” Nadia chuckled dryly. “That’s surprising. He’s got the jealous caveman act down to a fine art.”
“That’s because you’re special to him,” Aria said in a singsong voice.
“Seriously,” Avery agreed, her eyes sparkling with fascination as she stared at Nadia. “Reid’s never brought a woman home to meet the family. You’re the first. So that’s how we know he’s really serious about you.”
“Yup.” Aria polished off a butter brickle pretzel, then rubbed her hands together in diabolical glee and grinned at Nadia. “So what do you want to know about your man? Ask us anything and we’ll tell you.”
Nadia laughed. “Um…what was he like as a kid?”
Wicked Games (Denver Rebels) Page 37