Nick and Lilac (11 page)

After exchanging hugs with Sylvia, Nessie turned to them with a beam.

Jason and Nick both gave the older woman their best choirboy smiles, Nessie being one of the society women whose company they truly enjoyed.

Nessie laughed. “After all these years, I still can’t tell the two of you apart!”

Nick stepped forward. “Madame, your ball is once again a success.”

Her eyes twinkled as Nick kissed her cheek. “Ah, there’s my sophisticated Nick.”

“My darling Nessie,” Jason said wickedly as he kissed her other cheek. “I’m delighted to see you grow more beautiful each time we meet.”

“And that’s the ever playful Jason.” Nessie turned to Sylvia. “However did you cope with these two when they were young?”

Sylvia only smiled. “They were the loveliest boys. I couldn’t ask for anyone sweeter than these two.”

“Aww, Mom,” Jason said mockingly.

They laughed.

Nessie leaned forward towards Nick, whispering confidingly, “Don’t you worry, son. I made sure I didn’t invite that odious fiancée of Davos.”

Jason silently cursed when he heard what Nessie said. Now was the worst fucking time to mention Karla, after what they had discussed earlier. He watched Nick’s face become unreadable, the charming smile on his lips not reaching his eyes.

“You are a dear to do that for me, Nessie, but it’s not necessary,” Nick said very gently. The gentler his tone, the more he felt and right now he did feel. What Nick just couldn’t figure out was
what.
Was this helplessness inside him brought about by the fact that people still pitied him for being dumped? Or was it because he still cared for Karla and he fucking hated for anyone to think badly of her?

Inside his pocket, his phone felt heavy, a burning presence that reminded him of bridges he couldn’t or shouldn’t cross. But now – Nick was torn.

Karla.

Lilac.

It was as if by choosing to call one of them, he was making a decision with far reaching consequences.

More guests arrived, requiring Nessie to excuse herself. An usher took them to their own private table. It was the only one that had only three seats, but most of the other guests were used to this. The Christakos circle was famous for being extremely tight-knit.

“Don’t let it bother you, son,” Sylvia said softly, using a little-known Greek dialect that she had also required her sons to learn when they were young. It was one of the most effective ways to prevent eavesdroppers from gaining anything from their conversations.

Jason held his tongue, knowing that the scathing things he had to say about Karla Niall would only cause a rift between him and Nick.

Nick dealt him cold smile. “I know what you’re thinking.”

“Then appreciate that I’m not saying them.”

Nick inclined his head to the side. “Touché.”

They switched to English when a waiter came over to serve their drinks, filling the time with meaningless conversation. Nick idly remarked on the menu, Jason complimented Sylvia on her Oscar de la Renta gown, and Sylvia murmured about revisiting old friends in the other guest tables. All three of them were practiced in the art of deceiving, had been so since Aristos Christakos decided to wreck their lives so many years ago. Now, it was more a precaution, almost a habit, with not one of them easily trusting anyone outside their circle.

When the waiter left, Jason knew he had to bring up the distasteful topic once more. Still smiling, he switched back to the Greek dialect they were using earlier as he told Nick and Sylvia, “We need to make a decision tonight. The FBI has to either book her for good or let her go.”

“And regarding what she said about Karla being involved?” Sylvia murmured.

Nick’s fingers tightened around the stem of his glass convulsively. “She’s a victim, just like me,” he bit out.

Sylvia and Jason exchanged glances, hers dismayed, his grim.

“We’ll just discount what Beatrice says about her.” Jason couldn’t even bring himself to mention the woman’s name. From the very beginning, he and Sylvia had taken a dislike to her without being able to pinpoint why. Perhaps it was the hard glitter in her eyes or maybe the way she so
slyly
did everything.

He waited for his brother to speak, but when Nick continued to stare moodily at his glass, Jason continued, “As of now, we have no means to confirm or refute her words. But as for Beatrice---it’s your call, Nick. If we cut her a deal, you know she’ll double cross us the first chance she gets.”

Slowly, Nick set his glass back down, knowing he was a second away from crushing the stem into pieces with his bare hands. It was all too easy to think of it as Beatrice’s neck. The beautiful memories he had shared with Lilac earlier in the day had all but vanished, destroyed by the constant intrusion of Beatrice’s taunts – a toxic reminder that not everything in his life was perfect.

Memories of his attack once again assaulted his mind, and Nick rubbed the sides of his temple. There was one thing he had never told anyone, not even Karla or his family. When he was interviewed by the police, he told them he was conscious during every second of his ordeal…but he hadn’t been.

A part of it remained a gray blur, and every time he tried remembering, his mind exploded in pain. Karla had told him nothing happened during that time, but somehow he couldn’t make himself believe her. And yet, somehow Nick also couldn’t make himself dig deep enough to discover the truth, fearing what he would uncover if he did.

“We let her go,” Nick decided in a hard voice. “Then we cut off all possible avenues of help. We force her on her knees and make her beg.”

Sylvia grasped her son’s hand. “Justice will soon prevail, my son.” She wanted to say more, but suddenly there was applause around them, signaling the start of the event. Without a word, they turned in unison towards the small stage set up in front, the three of them wearing expressions of polite interest on their faces. There wasn’t a single clue that they had been quietly plotting the downfall of their enemies.

The host of the event stood in the limelight, cracking jokes as he greeted the guests. “Oh, and of course we have the Christakos en masse in attendance,” the popular comedian remarked, this time in a more respectful tone.

Jason and Nick both responded with brief smiles while Sylvia acknowledged the greeting with a gracious nod.

The host turned to the crowd. “For those living under the rock, it’s thanks to Christakos Industries’ pledge of $50M that our charity has met its goal. It’s the most generous donation ever made...”As the host rattled on about Nick and Jason’s meteoric takeover of Silicon Valley, Jason noticed how Nick’s face only became harder with each word.

When the host announced that dinner would be served, Jason took that as a cue to introduce a new subject, one he was counting to lighten Nick’s mood. Jason said casually, “I heard you borrowed Briarwood for a day.”

Sylvia raised a fine brow at the surprising words. “
Briarwood?
Since when did you have a liking for the country?”

Nick shrugged.

Jason grinned. “And I heard you had a woman flown to you...”

“For the love of God, son,” Sylvia exclaimed. “Stop talking about women like they’re parcels to be delivered.”

Her sons gazed at her with identical expressions, and even the way they raised their brows at her were the same.

“Most of the time---” Nick said.

“---women are like that,” Jason ended.

Sylvia changed the subject with a sigh. “Never mind about that. What is this about Nick borrowing Briarwood for his date?”

Jason smiled wickedly. “
Date
is exactly the word to use, Mother. While most women would be more than happy to spend the night in Nick’s bed, this one had to be flown back on the same day.” He paused for effect. “And of course, Nick, being the gentleman he is, flew with her and even
personally
drove this girl to her home.”

This time, Nick’s cheeks became suffused with color.

Sylvia couldn’t hide her amazement. “Is this true?” Nick might be a workaholic, but outside the office, he was infamous for his selfish and self-centered ways, never ever putting himself out for another woman beyond the usual niceties.

“I have it on good authority,” Jason answered confidently.

Nick threw his brother a disgusted look. “You mean Old McCarthy told you,” he said, referring to the company’s sixty-something year old head of the aircraft engineering team. Since the wily old man had been in their employ for twenty years, he was treated as family – the only reason he hadn’t ever been fired for his big mouth.

Sylvia gazed at her son with interest. “Why don’t you tell me more about this girl, dear?” With the exception of Karla, Sylvia knew no other woman whom Nick was interested enough to pursue in such a way. She might not want to know certain things about her sons, but she wasn’t blind or deaf either. Ever since Karla left, Nick only wanted women for sex and anyone who wasn’t interested in giving it to him immediately lost their appeal – or at least it used to be so until this mysterious date.

“Is she to be your girlfriend?” she asked hopefully.

“No,” Nick answered shortly.

“He wishes,” Jason said at the same time.

Nick muttered a curse under his breath.

Jason smirked. He clapped his brother on the back. “Admit it, brother. You are smitten with her.” He was surprised when Nick answered in a gruff, irritated tone, “
Sexually smitten,
fuck yes.”

“
Boys
,” Sylvia reprimanded.

Jason was half-incredulous, half-amused at Nick’s unexpected answer. “She’s that unattainable?”

Nick struggled to put his dilemma into words without giving anything away about his and Lilac’s unique situation. “It’s…complicated.”

This time, Jason doubled over in laughter. “If you are giving me an answer that can be found on Facebook, then, brother, you aren’t just sexually smitten. You’re obsessed with her.”

Sylvia’s heart eased as she watched her two sons together. When Jason paused to speak to a waiter, she leaned close to Nick, saying softly, “I would really like to meet this girl of yours, Nick.”

Nick squeezed her hand. “She’s
just
a friend.”

“All the more reason I have to meet her,” she answered firmly.

“We’ll see.”

Sylvia graciously retreated, knowing it was the best she would get from him. “And just so you know,” she whispered, “I like her already for making you smile more often.”

The Tenth Encounter

“We are really…going to talk about you joining the SAC?” Lilac asked him seriously the next day.

“Sponsoring
SAC,” he corrected Lilac as he opened the car door for her. “And not joining the SAC. There’s a difference, sweetheart.”

She shook her head. “So…selfish.”

“It’s called a strategic use of my resources,” he corrected her. “I can afford the money but not the time to personally help. I’m sure the beneficiaries won’t mind.”

She sighed. “But you really…promise? We’ll talk…about it?”

It fucked with the mind, really, how he went from having hundreds of girls begging for a chance to blow him to bribing a girl into cutting classes for him. Worse, the bribe did not have anything to do with sex.

Nick sighed. “I promise,
manari mou.
Now, will you get in the car?”

“But I just---
Nick
?” Lilac blinked at the disconcerted look in Nick’s blue eyes.

Fuck.

Over Lilac’s shoulders, Nick caught sight of Jilly stepping out of the school’s parking lot’s elevator. She was twirling her keys around her fingers, wearing a baby pink suit that screamed sorority president. She started to smile when she saw Nick. Then her gaze narrowed.

Fuck,
Nick thought again just before grabbing Lilac’s hand. “We have to go now.”

Lilac blinked up at him, her pale eyes questioning.

Lust arrested him in place, and he almost groaned. He wanted to growl at Lilac. This was
not
the time to
unconsciously
seduce him with her eyes, dammit. Unfortunately, she did that constantly, without even doing or saying a thing. Even now, dressed as she was like a nun gone hippie, Lilac remained too goddamn sexy for her own good.

“Why are you…in a…hurry?”

“Because---”

“Lilac, Nick, fancy seeing you two together!” Jilly suddenly appeared between the two of them, beaming at Lilac even as she glared daggers at Nick.

Okay, now he was really fucked. Nick knew he should have spoken to Jilly about Lilac, but he had put it off, knowing it would lead to the kind of conversation he hated.

He watched Lilac turn to Jilly, faint color staining her cheeks. “Jilly.”

Lilac sounded awkward,
Jilly thought.
And that was NOT a good thing.
It just made her want to kick some billionaire’s ass even as she managed to say casually, “You’ve been quite the busy bee the past few days.” As she pulled Lilac close for a quick hug, Jilly gave Nick the finger. The fucking bastard had really done it this time.

Nick Christakos only responded with a cool smile. She could see he was playing the arrogant billionaire card, acting like he didn’t give a damn about what anyone thought. It was all about him, and what the billionaire wanted, the billionaire would always get.

Not this time, asshole
, Jilly thought furiously. Lilac was her friend. She had warned him against going after Lilac, but goddamn him to hell, he hadn’t listened!

When Jilly stepped back, she gently chided Lilac, “You haven’t been answering my texts.”

Lilac answered lamely, “I…”

Not liking Jilly’s tone or how she was making it awkward for Lilac, Nick said lightly, “I wonder what those texts were about.” His cool gaze met Jilly’s fiery eyes. “Girl talk dissing bitches and jerks?”

When Lilac jerked and Jilly flushed, Nick knew he had hit the mark. His fists clenched. Friend or not, Jilly was treading on extremely thin ice if she thought she could turn Lilac against him.

Lilac couldn’t meet Nick’s eyes. Mostly, Jilly’s texts had been about Nick and they hadn’t been exactly encouraging.

What’s up with you and Nick?

Everyone’s talking about you two – are you really sure about what you’re doing?

One day, it’s not just going to school gossip, Lil. Are you ready when news about you two break in the real world?

“I’m just warning her about wolves in sheep’s clothing,” Jilly said bitingly.

“That’s great,” he returned without hesitation. “I warn Lilac about that, too, since she’s a very nice girl and I don’t want her to be hurt.”

Jilly made her eyes go wide. “I’m surprised that you’ve noticed Lilac is such a great girl. I mean, we all know your tastes run more toward the bimbo variety.”

Lilac blinked at her friend’s words. “J-Jilly?”

But Nick seemed to be taking it in stride, even giving Jilly a smile that simply oozed with sexiness. “Is that so?” Nick drawled. “Then I’ll make sure to let Marla know.”

Jilly colored again, belatedly remembering that her
own
cousin had once dated Nick, too. She said tightly, “Marla’s an exception.”

“There you go then,” Nick answered smoothly. “Lilac here is an exception, too.”

Jilly glared at Nick, realizing that it would impossible to win a word war with him. He was too fucking cunning and slippery like a snake. She changed tactics, looking back at Lilac. “Anyway, I really, really need to talk to you.”

“Umm---”

“Please,” Jilly begged sweetly.

Nick tensed. So Jilly was really going to fucking fight him on this. He had no wish to quarrel with a friend’s betrothed, but this was Lilac. This was different. This was…practically his future in the balance, with Lilac the only one keeping him sane.

Lilac appeared torn. “I…”

“We have somewhere to go, Jilly.” He said it evenly, for Lilac’s sake, but his eyes were cold with rage as it met Jilly’s.
Don’t fucking mess with me on this.

“It’s the most important thing in the world,” Jilly begged, also for Lilac’s sake while her equally furious gaze challenged Nick’s.
I don’t give a shit about what you think.

Nick stiffened. If she dared---if she dared to turn Lilac against him---

He watched Jilly gently touch Lilac’s arm. “Please, Lilac?”

His jaw dropped at the sight of tears welling up in Jilly’s eyes. What. The. Fuck?

Lilac was visibly weakening. “Nick, I think…”

Nick grabbed hold of Lilac’s other arm. He couldn’t fucking cry crocodile tears like Jilly the Cheat there, but he could definitely play tug of war if that was what it took to keep Lilac by his side. “We were supposed to talk about fundraising today, Lilac. Thousands of homeless, hungry children are counting on this project.”

Jilly saw Lilac’s expression waver.
Bastard,
she thought hatefully. He really knew which screws to turn to mess everyone up.

Jilly tightened her grip on Lilac’s arm.

Nick wanted to do the same, but stopped himself in time. He was Nicholas Goddamn Christakos, a self-made billionaire, one of the most sought-after men in the goddamn world. He was not going to fucking play this game of tug of war---

Jilly gave Lilac a pleading look. “Please, Lilac?”

Ah, fuck it.

Nick tightened his hold on Lilac’s arm as well, ready to pull her towards him if needed. “What do you say, Lilac? Shall we talk about the future of children?”

Lilac opened and closed her mouth a few times, as if not knowing what to say. Then she glanced down at her arms. “Umm…”

Jilly and Nick let her go simultaneously, realizing how low they had stooped. Jilly scowled. Nick frowned.

Her head twisted back and forth between the two, her gaze searching. Lilac asked haltingly, “Are you…two…fighting?”

"No," Nick said.

"Yes," Jilly snapped.

Nick’s eyes narrowed.

Jilly lifted her chin. “Lilac, just five minutes of your time – surely you can give me that much?”

“Y-yes---”

“Good. Let’s talk at the library.” She put an arm around Lilac’s shoulders, turning her friend around. But as she was about to move, steel fingers wrapped around her wrist, keeping her in place.

Shit.

“I want to talk to Jilly myself. I have a message I need to pass on from her fiancé.” Nick gave Lilac a charming smile. “So you go ahead, sweetheart. She’ll be with you shortly.”

“Why can’t…we all…talk…here?” Lilac was bemused. There were angry sparks flying off the two but they didn't seem to be romantic in any sense. They were really fighting, then? But hadn't Jilly introduced Nick as one of her very good friends?

“It’s a private matter about Ephraim and Jilly,” Nick answered readily.

Lilac’s frown cleared. “Oh.” She slowly nodded. “I’ll go…then.”

Jilly and Nick maintained their smiles while watching Lilac walk back to the elevator that would take her back up to the ground floor, where the university’s library was. The moment the elevator doors closed behind her, Jilly hissed, “This is beneath you!”

“I’m not doing anything to her,” he hissed back. “We’re just
friends
.”

“Ha!” Jilly let out a scornful laugh. “Nick Christakos,
just friends
with a girl? That’s rich.”

“But it’s true.”

She wanted to strangle him for using that icily composed tone. “Nick, what the hell is this about? You can’t make Lilac your
rebound---
”

“And I’m not.”

Jilly gazed at Nick, waiting. Black hair, blue eyes, gold skin and a tall, strong lean build always made sexier by the most elegant suits. He really was one of the most beautiful men that she had ever seen, with his sophistication a part of him as much as his ancient Greek bloodlines were.

And Lilac…she had always been this cool beauty Jilly admired, the kind who didn’t take shit from anyone, never losing her poise. Like Nick, she had seen the girl hidden under the hideous clothes – but did Nick
also
see how Lilac was even more exquisite on the inside?

“Nick…she’s not like us. She’s just…not.”

The fierceness of Jilly’s tone got through to him. Fear followed in its footsteps, his heartbeat thundering at the threat that Jilly represented. If she chose to ruin him in Lilac’s eyes, he knew without a doubt she would be able to make a dent on Lilac’s belief in him, make her distrust him…like she should.

“I know she’s special, dammit,” Nick gritted out. “I know I’m not what she needs, but
I
need her.”

“And that’s it?” she snapped. “What about Lilac? Does she know that your heart already belongs to someone else? That you’ll never love her?”

“Yes.” After a beat, Nick said, “I’d rather hurt myself…than hurt Lilac.” His tone was reluctant, and Jilly knew it was because Nick was unused to explaining himself to anyone. “She’s important to me, Jilly.”

She said carefully, “I get what you’re saying, Nick. You’re my friend – but she’s
my
friend, too. I can’t in all conscience let her…” Jilly let out a frustrated sigh. She waved towards her surroundings, watched surprise flicker in Nick’s eyes when he saw that a crowd had formed beyond the circle of privacy his bodyguards always afforded him.

The crowd was mostly made up of girls, all of them more than a little in love with him, all of them more than a little hateful towards anyone who spent more than a minute in his company. “Lilac is out of her league with you and I just want to talk to her to be sure…she really will be okay when it’s over.”

Nick dealt her a ferocious scowl. “You don’t know if it will be over---” He stopped speaking at the sad smile that touched Jilly’s lips.

“It will be over, Nick,” she said quietly.

“What makes you so fucking sure?”

“Because…” She took a deep breath. “I learned from Karla herself that…she’s leaving Davos for good.”

****

“I’m here,” Jilly said in a breezy tone as she slid into a chair opposite Lilac.

Lilac looked up, her smile uncertain as she closed her book and pushed it away. “Is everything…all right?”

“Yes, of course, Nick and I are like siblings,” she said airily. “We fight like cats and dogs all the time.” She inched her chair closer. “Now, spill. When did you two hook up?”

Lilac shook her head. “We never…hooked up.”

“Lilac, don’t lie to me.”

She said earnestly, “I’m…not.”

Jilly shot her an incredulous look. “You’re honestly telling me you never did anything---” She groaned at the way Lilac’s cheeks turned pink. “See! So you did hook up!”

“Sssh!” Lilac glanced around her in alarm. “Jilly…we are just…friends.” She ended on a firm note.

Jilly sighed. “I’m just worried about where this is going. One look at the two of you…I get why you haven’t been answering my texts.” She didn’t wait for Lilac to speak. “It’s because Nick’s calling all the shots in this rela---”

“It’s
not…
a relationship,” Lilac stressed. “It’s…a…friendship.”

“Friends with benefits?”

Lilac paled.

“Ah, shit. I’m sorry. I’m just worried, hon. I’m really worried you’ll get hurt after this.”

Jilly wanted to curse again when she saw that Lilac couldn’t meet her eyes any longer as she answered, “I know…the real score between…us.”