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
