It was eight in the evening the following Thursday and Nick and I were standing in front of a white two-story house somewhere in London. I tried to appear calm, carefree even, but deep inside, my heart was pounding inside my chest.What does a girl do during her first meeting with the family of the guy she’s dating?I felt Nick’s hand cover mine.“You look nervous,” he said.“Because I am.”He laughed. “Relax. You’ll be fine. They’ll like you. And if they don’t, I honestly don’t give a damn. But it’s impossible not to like you. You’re Ken Clarke. You always end up stealing the hearts of the people you meet, which is becoming a problem for me now, to be honest.”“Problem?” I asked.He smiled at me sheepishly. Then he stepped forward and put his arms around my waist. “Yes. I recently found out that I’m an extremely jealous and possessive guy. The other day, at Rhythemes, I wanted to rip out the throats of the guys who were eyeing you with interest.”“I thought you were extremely confide

Great! Nick was nursing his broken heart when he laid eyes on me. Boom! Heartache gone. New adventure begins. Hello, rebound romance!Then unexpectedly, he had to face the previous axis of his world again. I couldn’t blame him. I would have a torn look on my face too if this ever happened to me. And I was not sure whether I should feel sorry for myself or for him.I took a step back. His eyes looked panicked and then he snatched me into his arms again. “No, no, kitten,” he said. “This does not change anything about what I feel for you. That chapter of my life is totally over. It’s our time now. I should have told you about her sooner. And I’m sorry about that. But nothing changed. Margot and I didn’t end in good terms. I still loathe her. Nothing changed.”That was the problem. I think it broke my heart hearing him say that he was still mad at her. Hatred and anger are very strong feelings. Like love. And sometimes, you hate your exes because you have not completely forgiven them, bec

It was already ten in the morning when I opened my eyes. Light flooded through the glass doors, touching my skin. Nick was no longer in bed when I turned to his side. I sat up, looking for any sign of him.The door of the bathroom opened and he appeared with only a towel wrapped around his waist. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes, biting my lower lip.Seriously? Did he have to show me this so early in the morning?As if I needed a reminder of how hot he actually was. That toned body, those abs—they sent shivers down my spine the first moment I laid eyes on them, even back when I thought I’d never be with a guy. But now, shit! I need a cold shower!“Good morning,” he greeted.“Morning,” I greeted back.He stared at me for a moment, his eyes smoldering, his lips slightly parted as if he was undressing me in his mind.“What?” I asked.He shook his head and took a deep breath. Then he replied, “My stepfather asked me to meet one of his associates. They needed to consult with me rega

“Nick…” I whispered.He took a step forward as if he wanted to lunge forward and take me into his arms. I prepared myself to be caught by him, maybe even to be crushed in his arms as his lips bruise mine, like he used to do… But he stopped midway, hesitating. Then I remembered last night, when I told him to think things over between us, between him and Margot. Now, staring up at his handsome face, I kept asking myself, what the hell was I thinking?! I didn’t know what he will say to me and what decision he’s made. Frankly, if I wasn’t busy worrying about how I looked like in this dress and in my makeup, I would be pacing back and forth waiting to hear what he had to say.Nick didn’t seem to know how to act in front of me either. When I looked at his face, I hardly recognized him. He used to be sweet and jolly, always having a mischievous, playful expression on his face. Now, he looked somber and tired, as if he was up all night thinking.And I did not find it comforting that he had

I think my heart just stopped beating.Shit! What was Blaze planning? These people already didn’t like me just for the fact that I showed up in Nick’s arm when all of them had high hopes that he and Margot would get back together. Now, Blaze wanted me to get up on stage. For what?I shook my head, glaring at Blaze, though I doubted he could see me from the stage. I looked at Nick. He didn’t look happy. He, too, was looking murderously at his brother.“Come on, bro. My surprise performance will only work if you let go of your girl for just fifteen minutes. I promise I will return her to you, unspoiled and unscathed,” Blaze said.The people were quiet now, and they were all staring at us, wondering what Blaze was planning to do.“Vince, please escort our lovely Mackenzie to the stage, please.”A tall blond guy was beside me in an instant, holding his hand out. Nick stood up and started pushing the guy away.“Take a step back or I swear I will punch all your teeth down your throat right