“Wednesday it is then. I can’t wait to meet them.” He gives my thigh a squeeze as he looks past me to Cindy. “Anything I need to know about them? Think they’ll like me?”
“They’ll love you,” she says. “Grace and Phil are absolute sweethearts. They’ll welcome you right in as soon as they see how crazy you are about their daughter.”
“You think they’ll be able to tell?” he asks, making my best friend laugh.
“In like two seconds,” she assures him. “And if it makes you feel any better, they didn’t like her high school boyfriends at all.”
They’re still talking around me like I’m not here when Niki asks, “Oh yeah? Why not?”
“Because they were never good enough for Sav and only after one thing,” Cindy says. “We all knew she could do so much better.”
“I’m right here,” I remind them.
Niki grins and tightens his grip on my thigh while Cindy laughs and nudges my arm. “Remember when Brad tried to be all cool and he said he’d score a touchdown for you, but then he immediately got sacked?” Cindy asks.
Sasha perks up for some reason and gives Cindy a look that feels way too heated for the conversation we’re having. He grins at her and asks, “This happened on the football field at your high school?”
Cindy blushes and nods, and I quickly decide whatever is going on between them is none of my business. Turning back to Niki, I watch as he takes a slow drink. His throat bobs as he swallows, and I have the insane urge to lean closer and run my tongue up that tanned, tattooed neck.
“I’m a little jealous,” he admits when he puts his glass down. “You dated the high school quarterback?”
“He was really bad. You heard Cindy, he got sacked. He was always getting sacked. It was kind of sad, actually.”
“That does make me feel a little bit better,” he says, “but I still hate him on principle.”
“We didn’t date long, just a few weeks, and Cindy’s right. My parents hated him.” I lean closer so our shoulders are touching. “They’re going to love you.”
He kisses my forehead and whispers, “I really hope so, Van.”
With his hand still gripping my thigh, we visit with his family until the kids are either asleep in the arms of whoever is holdingthem or yawning and trying their best to fight it. When I fight my own yawn, Niki kisses my head and tells the others we need to get going, which starts a chain reaction of everyone standing and stretching and starting on their goodbyes. It’s not a quick process. There are lots of hugs and promises to call or visit soon, and when Luka says something to Niki in Russian, he nods and answers back in English, “Yeah, I’ll be there.”
Before I can even ask, Niki tells me, “Just a work thing. Nothing to worry about.”
When we’ve given our last hug and I promise to attend the next family supper in a week, we get into the elevator and I let out a sigh of relief.
“Better than you thought it’d be?” Niki asks.
“Yeah, they’re great. I have to constantly remind myself that you’re all criminals.”
He laughs and tries to look offended. “Criminal is such a strong word.”
“Is it?” I step closer and hook my fingers into the front pockets of his jeans. “What would you prefer to be called?”
“A tenacious self-starter,” he says, making me laugh. “I prefer to do things my own way. My family isn’t so great with rules and restrictions, and I guess that was passed down to me. I never really stood a chance. I’ve been breaking laws since I was little. I’m afraid there’s no stopping it now.”
“Maybe leave that little tidbit out when you’re talking to my parents.”
“Just a boring IT job,” he says. “Don’t worry. I won’t forget.”
My fingers slip under his hoodie so I can feel the taut lines of his abs. “You know it’s not because I’m ashamed, right? I’d love to tell them everything, but isn’t it safer if they don’t know?”
“It is.” He cups my face and gently pulls me closer. “Thank you for saying that, though.”
“I think you’re brilliant,” I tell him, and the big smile he gives makes it easy to keep going. “And unbelievably sexy and kind.”
“Wow, brilliant, sexy, and kind. That almost makes it sound like I’m good enough for you.”
“You’re way too good for me,” I say, but he’s already shaking his head before I’ve even finished speaking.
