Chapter Ten
Nathan knew the exact moment Julia walked into the restaurant. Not because he could actually see her right away, but because every male head in the placed turned to watch her entrance. And when she did come into his view, he thought he’d have a heart attack on the spot for she’d never looked more beautiful, more tempting, more forbidden.
The sexy red dress made her look like a siren, with its cap sleeves, draped neckline, and the way the fabric clung to her breasts and hips. The hemline had a tiny slit just above the knee, concealing more than revealing, but just that slight hint of leg was much more of a turn-on that if the dress had been slit to the thigh.
Stilettos, of course, these of red satin with a teasing little bow near the open toe. She wore more makeup than she normally did at the office, her kissable, plump lips glossed in a deep red. Her glorious hair tumbled down her back in thick, lustrous curls.
Once again, she looked like both the sophisticated lady and the sultry temptress at the same time, and Nathan imagined that every straight man in the place was dying to fuck her. And he was grateful for the fact that Cameron was running late as usual, because there was no way he could have hidden the fact that he was practically drooling at the sight of Julia right now.
He’d been dismayed and concerned when Travis had very casually mentioned a few days ago that Julia would be here tonight. At first he’d argued the idea, rationalizing that Julia hadn’t been involved with this particular project. But he’d had no comeback for Travis’ calm, reasonable response that Julia would certainly be working with the clients in the very near future and ought to have this opportunity to meet them. He couldn’t very well have continued to argue the matter without betraying his attraction to Julia, especially when he suspected that his business partner was already well aware he found her extremely alluring.
Julia stood poised at the entrance to the vast bar area where the pre-dinner cocktails were being served, looking around uncertainly. Nathan’s fists clenched tightly when he saw the way at least a dozen men were staring at her, and for once she seemed uncomfortable with all the attention she was getting. But then she looked up and saw him and the smile that lit her face went straight to his groin. He started walking towards her, quickening his pace as he went, determined to reach her before someone else could approach.
When he stood directly in front of her, she touched his arm lightly, still smiling. “Thank God for a familiar face. I never imagined there’d be so many people here.”
He took her hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. “You don’t like big parties?” Large, splashy social events like this were what Cameron lived for. He’d grown used to them as a necessary evil to build his business.
Julia shook her head, drawing his attention to the ruby and diamond drop earrings she wore. “Not particularly. I like smaller groups much better. This is sort of intimidating.”
“You should have a drink to relax.” He beckoned a waiter over. He had yet to order a cocktail himself, figuring he should wait for Cameron, but he suddenly felt in dire need of some fortification.
“What would you like?” he asked her when the waiter arrived.
“Glenlivet on the rocks, please,” she told the waiter. “Preferably the 18-year if you have it.”
The waiter couldn’t take his eyes off of Julia and nodded automatically. “Of course, miss. We definitely have that.”
Nathan thought wryly that even if they didn’t the young, besotted waiter would gladly offer to run out to procure it for her. He cleared his throat until the waiter turned his way, a flustered look on his face.
“Oh, sorry, sir. I’m – I didn’t mean to ignore you. What can I get for you?”
Nathan grinned. “Actually, the same thing as the lady ordered. Excellent choice, Ms. McKinnon.”
As the waiter hurried off to fill their orders, Nathan regarded Julia curiously. “I wouldn’t have pegged you as the single malt Scotch type.”
She laughed softly. “My father is a Scotsman, after all, even though he’s lived in the States since childhood. And I don’t always drink Scotch. It just seemed like a good night for it, what with the fog and damp outside.”
“Ah, I see. So if you were in – say, Mexico - right now you’d be drinking margaritas? Or Mai Tais in Hawaii?”
Julia grinned. “Sure. And sangria in Spain, mojitos in Miami, wine in Napa.”
He chuckled, enjoying this little game. “Let’s see what else we can think of. Sake in Japan. Guinness in Ireland, vodka in Russia. And, of course, champagne in France.”
Julia froze, and he could have kicked himself for his thoughtless reminder of that night at the Plaza Hotel. But then she merely shook her head and murmured, “No. I only drink champagne when I want to be seduced.”
He made a low, feral sound in his throat and would have yanked her against him, kissing her senseless, if they hadn’t been surrounded by almost two hundred people. He was saved from having to think of a reply by the arrival of the waiter with their drinks.
Julia took a small, dainty sip from hers, while he bolted down half his drink in one rather ungainly gulp. There was now an awkward, uncomfortable silence between them, and he was trying desperately to get his emotions under control. Her comment about seduction had made his head spin, and all he could think about was sitting across from her at the Champagne Bar in the Plaza, holding her hand and imagining all of the naughty things he was going to do to her. Nathan closed his eyes for a brief moment, wishing with all his might that the two of them could be magically transported back to that exact same table.
He was saved from the awkward silence by the arrival of Travis and Anton, who both gushed over Julia and how gorgeous she looked. Anton in particular couldn’t stop fussing over her.
“Oh, my God, girl. I told you this was the dress, didn’t I? You look like sin. Travis, isn’t she just breathtaking?”
Travis, always the more subdued of the pair, merely smiled and gave Julia a peck on the cheek. “Always. I would say red is your color, sweetie, but I’ve yet to see a color that doesn’t look good on you.” He turned to Nathan. “What do you think of our gorgeous girl tonight?”
Nathan met Julia’s gaze head on. “That she always looks gorgeous, but especially tonight.”
Her cheeks pinkened. “Okay, that’s enough, all of you. You’re going to make my head swell if you keep this up.”
Anton giggled. “Honey, I’m guessing you’re making half the men in this room swell up right now. Different head, though.”
Travis and Nathan groaned at his innuendo, while Julia just laughed and gave him a playful swat. “You’re sooo bad! Do you always say such outrageous things?”
Travis smirked. “Can’t take him anywhere, no telling what he might say. Now behave yourself, Anton. There are a lot of important people here tonight and they aren’t going to appreciate your naughty mouth.”
“Speaking of important people, you should introduce Julia to Aaron and Lance before they get too busy,” suggested Nathan. “They’re right over there.” He pointed to the co-owners of the restaurant.
“Good idea, we’ll head right over.” Travis took Julia by the arm. “You coming with us, Nate?”
Nathan shook his head. “I’d better give Cameron a call and see where she’s at.”
“Running late again?” asked Anton, making a tsk-tsk sound. “I swear that girl is going to be late for her own wedding! Speaking of which, have you two set a date yet?”
Nathan caught Julia’s eye briefly, frowning when he saw the crestfallen look on her face before she turned away. “Valentine’s Day next year,” he told Anton, wishing like hell the subject hadn’t been brought up.
Travis seemed to sense his unease and tactfully pulled Anton away with him, giving Nathan a glance of part sympathy, part irritation. Nathan could only wonder what the hell that particular look was all about.
It was too loud in the bar to be able to make a phone call so he sent Cameron a quick text instead. While waiting for her to reply, he spied Eric Chiang and his cute wife Karen entering the bar and waved them over. As they chatted, Nathan couldn’t help but keep an eye on Julia as Travis introduced her to Aaron and Lance. Both of the restaurant owners were known players, though he was fairly sure Lance was married. It didn’t seem to matter, though, since both he and Aaron were almost shoving the other out of their way to get closer to Julia.
Jealousy and possessiveness raged through Nathan like a fast moving wildfire, and he wanted to hurry over to where she stood and claim her in front of all these people. But the fact that he couldn’t do exactly that gnawed at his guts and made him want to punch something. He knew he was being an unreasonable ass about the whole situation, but he wasn’t able or willing to let go completely. He was the one who’d turned Julia way, who’d made it very clear that Cameron was the only woman in his life. Julia was free to date or fuck whoever she wanted, and he had absolutely nothing to say about it. So he found himself caught in the intolerable situation of not being free to claim her for himself but not wanting anyone else to have her, either.
‘I’m so fucked,’ he muttered to himself in disgust, motioning the waiter over for another drink.
Cameron was well on her way to getting very, very drunk, but she figured she deserved it given the way her evening had gone so far.
Oh, it had started out quite well, no debate there. She’d spent several hours this afternoon getting ready for tonight’s dinner, knowing there would be a lot of local dignitaries and most likely media in attendance. She had left work early to allow plenty of time for all her primping – a mani-pedi, getting her pale blonde roots touched up and her hair blown out, and even having a professional makeup application done. Back at her condo, she’d tried on half a dozen outfits before deciding on the black Stella McCartney. The sequined fabric skimmed lightly over her slim frame, the elbow-length sleeves helping to hide her skinny arms. The shoes had taken longer to decide on, as she didn’t want to appear as tall as Nate but also didn’t want to wear anything too dowdy, either. She’d finally chosen the black Marc Jacobs pumps with the silver kitten heel and buckled strap. Dangling diamond chandelier earrings and a wide diamond cuff bracelet finished the outfit, and Cameron knew she looked damned good.
She had entered the crowded bar area of Taverna Francesca feeling like a million bucks, until she’d noticed that most of the attention in the room – the male attention, anyway – had seemed to be focused on the one person she really hadn’t wanted to be here tonight – Travis’ little bombshell designer Julia.
Cameron had seethed inwardly as she’d observed the little bitch, provocatively attired in a fitted red dress that she could never even consider wearing herself. Julia continued to attract attention as she was introduced to one group of attendees after another. Cameron had made a rather unpleasant face upon noticing how Travis and his little faggot lover Anton were fawning over Julia, laughing and conversing like they were all the best of friends. Travis had been making it a point, it seemed, to introduce Julia to every good looking man in the room, whether they already had a woman on their arm or not. Cameron had silently cursed the pair, whom she knew detested her as much as she despised them, and had grit her teeth to observe Julia holding court like she was a fucking queen or princess.
But what had really pissed her off was when she finally located Nathan in the crowd of people, only to observe how he was following Julia around the room, the lustful interest in his gaze unmistakable. Cameron’s cheeks had flamed with anger, and she had stalked across the crowded room towards her fiancé, determined to bring his attention to her instead of that little bitch.
Nathan had confirmed her suspicions by looking more than a little guilty when she’d appeared at his side. He’d given her a quick kiss and made sure she had a drink, but she could tell he was definitely distracted by something. In fact, it seemed to her that he’d been a little distracted for months now, almost as though he were going through the motions. Whenever she’d asked him about it, he had blamed it on work or being tired or dismissed her concerns altogether. But she knew something was off, especially with their physical relationship. Sex, which had always been a strong part of their relationship, had become more and more infrequent, and had seemed rushed and almost impersonal when it did occur. There had even been a few times when Nathan hadn’t been able to maintain an erection, or become aroused at all.
The natural assumption, of course, was that he’d been cheating on her, but she had refused to let herself believe that. However, after observing the way Nathan had been following Julia around the room with his eyes, she was beginning to have some real suspicions now. Could he possibly be banging that little bitch? It would explain his withdrawn behavior these past few months, their bland sex life, and other oddities she’d noticed. She made a mental note to herself to pay closer attention to Nathan’s habits and maybe even stop by the office more frequently to observe any interactions between him and Julia.
Cameron’s mood had not improved once they were seated for dinner, since their tablemates included Travis, Anton, and Julia, along with Eric and Karen Chiang, and a very attractive gray haired man in his fifties who introduced himself to everyone as Jackson West, the owner of the winery whose vintages were being served at tonight’s dinner.
From the very beginning of the meal, Travis and Anton had taken control of the conversation, and their very favorite topic of discussion had been Julia. During the first two courses, everyone at the table had been obliged to hear one or the other of them prattle on about what a great cook Julia was, how beautifully decorated her flat was, how kick-ass she was at yoga, no surprise considering that she had been a teacher of the practice during college. Cameron learned – reluctantly – that Julia had graduated from Cornell, had interned and then worked at one of the top design firms in Manhattan, and had lived in a tiny studio in the Upper East Side.
Cameron wasn’t sure which of these facts angered her more. She couldn’t cook at all, had always had hired staff to look after her while living with her parents, and nowadays she liked to joke that her favorite thing to make for dinner was reservations. She’d never really used the kitchen inside her professionally decorated apartment. She hated yoga, claiming that it wasn’t really a workout and that she needed something much tougher to challenge her, like kickboxing or spinning. The truth of the matter was that she wasn’t the least bit flexible and was also somewhat uncoordinated, but she’d never admit either of those facts to anyone.
The knowledge that Julia had attended an Ivy League school had really touched a nerve. For most of her life, Cameron’s parents had pushed her to excel at school and get good grades so that she could attend a school like Harvard or Yale or Stanford. But she had generally disliked school, and had goofed off and partied a lot in high school. No number of private tutors to bring her grades up or improve her SAT scores had helped. Neither had any of her parents multiple social and political connections, or their monetary donations. By pulling a lot of strings, Cameron had managed to get accepted to USC but she’d dropped out after her freshman year due to academic probation. She’d eventually obtained a degree in art history from a small liberal arts school in Manhattan, but her father had set his foot down about her living there after graduation. He’d been willing to set her up in the gallery, but only if it was in San Francisco. He had wanted both of his daughters close by and under his control as much as possible. No matter that Cameron had always dreamed about living in Manhattan, which she considered a far more vibrant and exciting city than San Francisco. When Graham Tolliver made up his mind about something there was no denying him, and Cameron had grudgingly returned to San Francisco after college.
At one point in her life Cameron had fancied herself an artist, but had been told by more than one of her teachers that she simply didn’t have that sort of talent. She had settled for learning enough about art and artists to carve out a career as a gallery owner, and the Union Street establishment was quite successful. Travis had even bought several pieces from her recently for design projects, and one of those pieces was currently gracing a wall in the restaurant this evening.
Travis made sure to call everyone’s attention to the piece, complementing Cameron on her choice. “I think that turned out to be an excellent selection,” he told her. “I’m glad we went with the still life instead of the abstract, much more fitting with the décor.”
She nodded warily, a bit unsettled with this rare compliment from him. “I agree.”
Travis gave her an odd little smile. “Tell me, Cameron. What was the name again of that artist who did those magnificent landscapes hanging in your gallery? The ones you told me weren’t for sale?”
“You mean the Benoits? Her full name is Natalie Benoit and you’re correct - those pieces aren’t for sale. They’re part of my personal collection, pretty much my most prized pieces” she replied firmly.
Julia started visibly and shot Travis a quizzical look, but he only continued to regard Cameron calmly. “Well, you won’t believe this amazing coincidence. The woman you told me was one of your favorite artists of all time happens to be Julia’s mother.”
Cameron felt like she’d taken a punch to the solar plexus, unable to catch her breath or think of anything to say in response. She had only to look at the expression on Julia’s face to know it was true. She quickly reached for her wine glass and bolted down the rest of its contents before refilling it to the brim.
Jackson turned to Julia with great interest. “I’m not much of an art expert, but even I’ve heard of Natalie Benoit,” he gushed. “And lucky enough to have attended one of her shows about a decade ago. Your mother has incredible talent.”
Julia smiled up at him. “Yes, she does. She doesn’t paint much anymore, since she’s already begun to develop some arthritis in her fingers. She devotes most of her time to her gallery nowadays.”
“Oh, that’s the Spindrift Gallery in downtown Carmel, isn’t it?” asked Karen. “Eric and I have been in there a couple of times. They always have such a magnificent display. I’ve read that it’s one of the top galleries in the country.”
Eric snapped his fingers. “It just occurred to me, Julia. If your mother is Natalie Benoit, isn’t she married to Robert McKinnon?”
Nathan looked startled. “The architect?” He gaped at Julia. “Your father is the Robert McKinnon?”
Julia nodded. “Yes, though he rarely does design anymore. He prefers to build things these days – decks, furniture, cabinets.”
Nathan seemed fascinated by this revelation, and Cameron was furious that all of his attention now seemed to be focused on Julia. He and Eric peppered her with questions about her father, who apparently was some highly regarded architect that both men had studied and tried to emulate while back in college.
“I would kill to meet him someday,” said Eric. “Any chance he might pay you a visit soon?”
Julia shrugged. “My parents aren’t big city people. They love living in Carmel and don’t venture away from there too often. But I might be able to persuade them to come up for a visit one day.”
Travis gave Cameron a huge, very satisfied grin.”Well, wouldn’t that be something? Eric and Nate could meet their idol, and perhaps Cameron hers.”
Cameron would have gladly spit in Travis’ twinkling, humor-filled eyes at that moment. She knew now that he had brought all of this up deliberately to rub her nose in the fact that the artist she had idolized for years was the mother of a woman she saw as a rival. The knowledge stuck like a thorn in her side, and she had to clench her fists to keep from tossing her wine at his smugly triumphant face.
She finished off her wine, and discreetly motioned a waiter over, asking him to bring her a dirty martini. She’d had two already before dinner, plus four glasses of wine since, but needed the alcohol badly to steady her nerves that were all but screaming at this point.
Karen unknowingly poured salt into Cameron’s already gaping wound by asking Julia, “Are you an artist like your mother, then?”
Julia laughed softly. “There is no one like my mother. Her talent is otherworldly. I draw and paint a little as a hobby, nothing more.”
“She’s being modest, Karen,” chimed in Nathan. “There’s a series of charcoal drawings in her office that she swears she did on a lark, and they’re incredible”
Cameron felt like kicking Nathan under the table, and pulling Julia’s hair. The fact that her own fiancé was now singing the little bitch’s praises made her stomach clench. And how the hell much time was he spending in her office anyway? Her palm began to twitch with the need to hit something, someone.
When the waiter arrived with her martini, she drank it down like it was lemonade, drawing a raised brown from Nathan.
“Easy, there,” he said in a hushed tone. “What the hell’s the matter with you, anyway? You haven’t said two words all evening and you’ve been belting drinks back like a sailor on shore leave.”
“What’s wrong?” she hissed. “What the hell do you think is wrong? I’m fucking sick of hearing about how fucking wonderful that little bitch is. All of you might as well be kissing her perky little ass.”
“Keep it down!” he urged in a low whisper. “And ease up on the booze, Cam. Maybe we should order you some coffee.”
Defiantly, she poured herself another glass of wine and swallowed half of it at once. “I’m fine,” she bit out. “Now can you act like my fiancé for the first time tonight and try to change the goddamned subject at this table?”
In actuality, it was Julia who tactfully changed the subject when she asked Jackson more about this winery, a topic he was only too happy to expand upon. That only worked for a little while, however, before he began to ask her and Travis questions about potential re-design ideas not just for the tasting rooms but for two of his personal residences.
Julia was well aware of the murderous glares she’d been receiving all evening from Cameron. The blonde hadn’t even said hello to her when they had all taken their seats earlier, nor had she said a single word to her since.
And she had absolutely no idea what sort of little scheme Travis and Anton had cooked up between them, but it was quite obvious to her that something was up. She’d given Travis a couple of little nudges under the table, and frowned at Anton more that once when they had persisted in making her the subject of conversation. It made her very uncomfortable to find herself the center of attention, for she was normally a rather private person. She’d spent almost half her life trying not to call attention to herself, and wasn’t very happy that the two men were now doing just the opposite.
The waiters had cleared away the main course and were starting to bring coffee around in preparation for dessert. Julia figured this would be a good time to visit the ladies room, and excused herself quietly. She happened to catch Nathan’s eye as she stood, and was conscious of him watching her as she walked away from the table.
She’d been more than a little on edge all evening with Nathan seated directly across the table from her. Very aware of the presence of his fiancée by his side, Julia had been extremely careful to keep any conversation with him brief and polite, and had avoided looking in his direction as much as possible. But despite her best efforts, there had been several times when their gazes had collided and held until one or the other had looked away abruptly.
It was killing her to see him with Cameron, to covertly watch the other woman touch him, whisper to him, to know that she would be the one sharing his bed tonight. Julia didn’t know if they lived together or not, but it was difficult to believe they didn’t have frequent and very physical sex. Nathan had been such a hungry and demanding lover during their one night together that she knew he’d need to fuck often and hard. She bit down on her bottom lip to stifle its trembling, and refused to let herself picture him screwing Cameron as well and as eagerly as he’d done her. It was obvious from his skill and his dominance in bed that he had a lot of experience, certainly far more than she did, and she realized that there had likely been quite a few women in his life. That realization made her doubt even more that the night they had spent together had really meant anything to him other than another notch on his belt.
The ladies room was mostly empty when she walked in, with one woman washing her hands and one of the stalls occupied. The woman at the sink looked up and smiled at Julia.
“I love your dress,” she gushed. “We’re sitting at the table next to yours, and I’ve been admiring it all evening. Lucky you to have the perfect figure for it.”
Julia smiled gratefully at the woman, who was in her early fifties and garbed in a stylish ivory wool pantsuit. “Thank you. You’re very kind.”
The woman, who had close-cropped auburn hair, finished drying her hands. “Oh, to be your age again and have every man in the room panting at your feet. Watch out for that one at your table in the black suit, dear. He looks like he wants you for dessert.”
With a wink, the older woman left and Julia locked herself inside an empty stall. Going around the table in her head, she flushed as she realized the only man in black was Nathan. The woman must have been mistaken, though, for surely Nathan wouldn’t have been looking at her in that way, especially with Cameron glued to his side and watching his every move.
She was alone in the bathroom while washing her hands until the door opened and Cameron strode purposefully into the room. The blonde’s gait looked a little unsteady, and as she drew closer Julia recoiled from the smell of alcohol on her breath. Cameron’s hazel eyes were furious, spitting fire, and her mouth was twisted into a tight, angry line.
Julia looked at her uncertainly. “Have they served dessert yet? I was hoping to get back in time. The desserts here are supposed to be fabulous.” She hoped wildly that she didn’t sound too forced in her effort to be pleasant to the other woman.
But Cameron was evidently in no mood to make polite small talk. “You fucking little bitch,” she snarled angrily. “I hope you and your fucking little queer friends are having a good old time making me look like an idiot tonight.”
Julia gasped, unprepared for the harshness of both Cameron’s words and tone. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she ventured. “No one is trying to do that to you.”
Cameron smacked her hand against the granite topped sink. “That’s exactly what’s happening. I’m well aware that Travis and his little pet hate my guts, and they know the feeling is mutual. This is their twisted little way of sticking it to me. They want to make me look bad in front of Nate. But it won’t work.”
“I’m sure that’s not -“
Cameron gave her a sudden, vicious shove, cutting her off. “Shut up! I’m sick of hearing you talk tonight, sick of seeing you looking at my fiancé like a lovesick calf. You’ve been sending him little suggestive glances all night, thinking I wouldn’t notice. He’s my fiancé, Julia. I’m the one he loves and is going to marry. Leave him the fuck alone!”
Julia gaped at her, one hand propped against the wall to steady herself. Cameron might be thin but she was also tall and strong, as evidenced by the push she’d just given her. “I’m well aware of that. Nathan is my boss, that’s all. And I don’t poach on other women’s territory.”
Cameron’s eyes narrowed dangerously. “Oh, but I bet you’d like to, wouldn’t you? He’s awfully yummy to look at, and sooo good in bed. You can’t tell me you don’t want him to fuck you? Or has that already happened? Have you been fucking my fiancé, you little bitch? Have you?”
Julia flushed. “Stop this. I think you’ve had too much to drink and -“
Crack!
The sound of Cameron’s palm making contact with her mouth reverberated though the cavernous bathroom. Julia whimpered in pain and pressed a hand to the corner of her mouth, startled to see blood staining her fingers. She’d noticed the massive ring on Cameron’s engagement finger earlier, and realized it had just cut her lip.
Memories of the night when Philip had tried to rape her came rushing back, for he’d struck her across the mouth in much the same manner, also drawing blood. Julia was shaking, tears running silently down her cheeks as she turned away from Cameron, afraid another blow would fall.
But Cameron seemed content to lash out with words alone. “Stay the fuck away from Nate,” she threatened. “If I catch you looking at him again tonight, you’ll be sorry. He isn’t interested in you, bitch, so leave him alone.”
She stormed out of the bathroom then, slamming the door shut behind her. Julia clutched the granite countertop, her legs trembling like crazy. She forced herself to take several long, deep breaths, afraid she was going to throw up or pass out. Hoping desperately that no one else came into the bathroom, she grabbed a paper towel and wet it before pressing it to her mouth. The bleeding stopped fairly quickly but her lip was swollen and sore, and she winced when reapplying as much lip gloss as she could stand to camouflage the cut. She dabbed under her eyes with a tissue to dry her tears and hoped her eye makeup wasn’t destroyed. After brushing her hair, she forced herself to return to the table, though it was the very last thing she felt like doing. She wasn’t about to give Cameron the satisfaction of driving her away, or letting the evil witch think she was afraid of her.
But something in her face must have betrayed her, for Travis frowned instantly upon seeing her and whispered urgently in her ear, “What the hell happened to you? Have you been crying?”
Julia bit her lip and turned her face away from the others to whisper back. “Can’t talk now. I’ll tell you about it later.”
She was silent and subdued for the remainder of the evening, which fortunately ended sooner than later. She was more than happy for Cameron to take control of the conversation, especially since the nasty bitch was quite obviously well on her way to being sloppy drunk, and making an ass of herself in the process. Even Jackson murmured to Julia, “Looks like someone’s been enjoying my wine a little too much.”
Julia absolutely refused to glance across the table where Cameron and Nathan were seated, even though she felt the almost continual force of Nathan’s gaze upon her. As drunk and obnoxious as Cameron was quickly becoming, Julia wouldn’t put it past her to make a scene if she caught Julia looking at him again. She kept her gaze downcast and hoped no one tried to engage her in conversation.
Travis, with his famed sense of intuition, seemed to have put the puzzle pieces together fairly quickly, and fortunately wrapped things up and made their excuses to leave as soon as dessert was finished.
“I’m sorry to eat and run, everyone, but Julia and I are meeting a client at 8:00am in the office tomorrow,” he explained. “We all need our beauty sleep, especially me, so we’ll bid you good night.” He pulled Julia’s chair out and helped her to her feet. “And I promised Julia that we’d all share a cab home.”
Julia could have thrown her arms around her boss and kissed him, but settled for uttering a subdued “Good night” to everyone at the table, without singling anyone out.
Jackson set his napkin down on the table and stood. “Let me walk you out,” he offered. “We still need to exchange business cards.” He placed a hand on the small of Julia’s back and steered her out of the room, with Travis and Anton trailing just behind. Normally Julia would have shied away from such contact, but for some reason Jackson’s light touch was oddly comforting tonight.
She managed to hold it together until the three of them were safely ensconced in their cab, and then she lost it, sobbing onto Travis’ shoulder while Anton squeezed her hand comfortingly. She managed to choke out what had happened in the ladies room between sobs.
“I’m going to make sure Nate knows what just happened,” warned Travis. “In fact, he’s getting a text as we speak.”
“No!” Julia put a hand over his. “Please don’t. Let’s just leave him out of this.”
Travis’ mouth firmed. “No. His bitch of a fiancée assaulted my employee at a business function. She’s fucking lucky I’m not calling the police right now.”
“Travis, please. I don’t think Cameron would have acted that way if you and Anton hadn’t acted like the co-Presidents of my fan club. What were you two thinking anyway?”
Anton grinned. “That we’d piss her off real good. But I guess we pushed a few too many buttons.”
“Yeah, that elevator went all the way to the roof,” said Travis wryly. “I’m sorry, sweetie. We were just trying to rile her up a little, get back at her for all of her previous nastiness. And also trying to get her Dr. Jekyll side to surface so that Nate could see she wasn’t the sweet Miss Hyde she pretends to be.”
Julia sighed, gingerly probing at her split lip. “Well, I think that part at least was successful. Too bad I’m going to have a fat lip as a result.”
Nathan was furious when he arrived at the office early the next morning, his mood not helped by the fact that he’d had precious little sleep. By the time he’d dropped a falling down drunk Cameron at her condo and driven back to his place, it had already been close to midnight. And then sleep had not come easy to him after the tumultuous events of the evening.
He couldn’t say who he was more pissed off at right now. The candidates included Travis and Anton for whatever little scheme they’d cooked up to antagonize Cameron; at Cameron herself for drinking so much and very nearly making a scene; or at that sly old bastard Jackson West for daring to flirt with Julia all night and then having the nerve to actually touch her. West was more than twice Julia’s age, had been married and divorced three times, and was a notorious womanizer. The fact that he had engaged Julia in a discussion about doing some design work annoyed Nathan greatly, for the last thing he wanted was to give the horny old bastard multiple opportunities to associate with her.
But he was perhaps the angriest at himself for not having spoken up last night when Julia had returned to the dinner table clearly upset about something. He knew that Cameron was somehow involved, for his fiancée had arrived back at the table a few minutes earlier, looking very smug and satisfied. She had quite obviously said something to rattle Julia, but he had been too afraid of riling Cameron up in public to confront her about it.
It certainly wasn’t like Cameron to get so completely wasted. Oh, he’d seen her drink quite a bit before and even get plastered, but last night her drunkenness had turned ugly. She’d puked on the sidewalk just outside her building, staining her dress and shoes, and had immediately gotten sick again once inside her condo. He’d helped her get cleaned up, and made sure she took some Advil before leaving, rather appalled that she had wanted him to stay the night. The mere thought of sleeping in the same bed with her after her actions had made his skin crawl. She was sure to be pissed off at him this morning, especially when coupled with the vicious hangover she must have.
Recalling Travis’ comment about having an early client meeting, Nathan made sure he was waiting for Julia inside her office by 7:30am. He needed to talk to her privately for a few minutes and get her side of the story. Cameron had been in no shape last night to discuss what had happened, and Nathan hadn’t been in the mood for the argument that was sure to occur when they did eventually talk it out. It didn’t take a rocket scientist to realize that Cameron was extremely jealous of Julia, and he wasn’t the least bit anxious to discuss her with his fiancée. Cameron was a highly perceptive person, and if she prodded and pushed hard enough he was very much afraid that she’d uncover his attraction to Julia and what had happened between them in New York.
While waiting for Julia in her cozy, tidy office, he studied the grouping of framed photographs artistically arranged on her credenza. One was of an attractive older couple that he knew to be her parents. The woman bore a great resemblance to Julia, and he recognized the dark haired man as his idol, Robert McKinnon. He was still in disbelief that Julia was his daughter, and that he hadn’t associated the two before now.
There was a photo of Julia’s mother and another, more sophisticated woman who looked just like her, and Nathan assumed this was the aunt who supplied so much of Julia’s scintillating wardrobe. Twins evidently ran in the family.
And there were three different photos – the frames hinged together – of Julia and her own twin. One had been taken when they were both young girls – already beauties – with three Australian Shepherd dogs snuggled between them. He smiled at this one, for the girls obviously loved their dogs, judging by the way they cuddled them close. He’d grown up with dogs, too, mostly Labradors, and missed having a pet of his own. Then he grimaced as he thought of the tiny, yappy dog owned by Cameron’s mother. He was a nasty, temperamental little thing that Mrs. Tolliver insisted on dressing in ridiculous articles of dog clothing and bejeweled collars.
The second photo was of both girls in cap and gown at their high school graduation. The final photo looked more recent, and had been taken at Christmastime, evidenced by the decorated tree in the background. Two identical pair of green eyes gazed at the camera, though it was easy to tell the girls apart. Julia was dressed up in a silky blouse, wool skirt and high heeled boots, while her twin wore a bulky sweater, jeans and sneakers.
He checked his watch – now reading 7:40am – and frowned, wondering if he’d understood Travis correctly, or if their meeting was even here at the office. He had just decided to swing by his partner’s office when he heard the clicking of high heels in the hallway outside. Julia froze in the doorway of her office as she stared at him in surprise.
She was still wearing her coat, of black and white checkered wool with large black buttons, and those sexy black Louboutin stilettos. Her face was as flawlessly made up as usual but she looked pale and tired.
“What are you doing here so early?” she asked quietly as she hung up her coat and set her purse and laptop case down. Beneath the coat she was simply but elegantly attired in a white button-down blouse cuffed at the elbows, and a black pleated skirt, this one a little fuller than her typical pencil style.
“I wanted to talk to you before your client meeting,” he explained.
She looked puzzled for a moment, and then shook her head. “Actually, there’s no meeting. Travis must have made that one up on the spur of the moment so we could leave a little early.” She stood behind her desk, arms crossed over her middle as she looked at him. “What did you want to talk about?”
Nathan shut the office door and locked it. “I want you to tell me what the hell happened last night after you came back to the table. You looked like you’d just seen a ghost, while Cameron looked like the cat that swallowed the canary. Did she say something to you?”
Julia didn’t answer him for long seconds, and refused to meet his eyes, her head turned slightly away from him. “You haven’t already asked her these questions?”
He gave a short, mirthless laugh. “Kind of hard to carry on a conversation with someone when they’re upchucking in the gutter. Let’s just say she wasn’t in the mood for talking last night, and neither was I.”
She maintained her stubborn silence for a bit longer before stating quietly, “I think you should talk to her. I don’t imagine she’d appreciate knowing you were in my office right now.”
“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” he burst out. “Did she warn you away or something? Exactly what did she say to you last night?”
Julia looked up at him, and he was alarmed to see the shimmer of tears in her eyes. “Not a whole lot that made sense. But she did accuse me of sleeping with you, or at least wanting to sleep with you.”
He closed his eyes, fearing that something like this had been bound to happen sooner than later. “What did you tell her, Julia?” he asked harshly.
She stared at him angrily. “What do you think I told her? Not the truth, for God’s sake! I told you before, Nathan – I won’t betray you. She won’t hear about what happened in New York from me.” She turned away, as though she couldn’t bear to keep looking at him. “All I told her was that you were my boss and that I didn’t poach on men who were already taken.”
“What else did she say?” he persisted. “You seemed way too upset, and she looked far too pleased with herself from the little you’ve told me.”
Julia gave a careless little shrug. “Does it really matter, Nathan? I mean, all you care about is whether or not I’ve kept your secret and I did. I have. So let’s just forget about last night and get to work, okay?”
He placed his hands on her shoulders and turned her around firmly to face him. “No. Not until you tell me the rest, because I know there’s more. And believe it or not, I care about more than just keeping secrets. I care about your feelings too, Julia. So, please, tell me what really happened.”
She shut her eyes, stubbornly refusing to look at him, and took a deep breath before murmuring in a barely audible voice, “She warned me to stay away from you, that she was your fiancée, and that if she saw me looking at you again I’d be sorry.”
Nathan cursed softly when he noticed a single tear tracking slowly down her cheek, and he wiped it away with his thumb without giving it a thought. She tried turning her head away again, but he held her still, gripping her chin between thumb and forefinger. “What else? I can tell you’re leaving something out.”
She shook her head, but more tears fell from her eyes, and she brushed them away impatiently. “No, there’s nothing else.”
“Then why are you crying?” he pressed. “Tell me all of it, Julia.” He wiped away a tear that had trailed down to the corner of her mouth, only to recoil when she whimpered in pain.
“Ow,” she cried, trying to dislodge his hand on her chin, but he only gripped it tighter.
“What’s the matter?” he asked urgently. “Did I hurt you? Let me see.” Gently, he probed the side of her mouth, noticing for the first time how swollen it was beneath a thick coat of dark berry lip gloss. “Jesus, what happened here? It looks like someone hit you.”
And then, realization washed over him and he groaned, pulling her into his arms.
“It was Cameron, wasn’t it?”
Julia didn’t reply to the question that was really more a statement of fact, but did give a tiny nod against his chest. She rested her palms lightly on his shoulders as he held her gently, his hand stoking her hair.
“I’m sorry,” he whispered. “I would never have let her touch you if I’d been there. She was drunk and pissed off and jealous. That’s no excuse for slapping you, but I’ve never known her to become violent before. Let me take a look at it.”
Julia reluctantly let him examine her swollen lip more closely, and he frowned when he noticed the still open cut. “Did she scratch you with her nails or something? I wouldn’t have thought her strong enough to draw blood.”
“No, it was her ring. Her, um, engagement ring. It’s so big that it split my lip when she slapped me.”
He felt anger surging through him. “You should have hit her back.”
She covered her face with her hands, and he felt her trembling in his arms. “I was scared,” she confessed faintly. “It brought back bad memories. From that time in my old office.”
She didn’t elaborate, but he knew exactly what she meant. She’d been flashing back to the night that fucker had tried to rape her, when he’d hit her and bruised her. Nathan was furious at himself that he hadn’t been there to protect her, either in New York or last night.
He caressed her cheek tenderly, pressing a gentle kiss to her forehead. “It’s okay, baby. Everything’s okay. That bastard can’t hurt you anymore, and I’ll make sure Cameron leaves you alone from now on, too.”
She nodded, but kept her eyes downcast, the tears still streaming down her cheeks. Overwhelmed with the need to protect her, to comfort her, he threaded his hands into her thick, silky hair and tilted her head back. His lips touched her cheek, whisper soft, soothing her, trying to dry the tracks of her tears. As he continued to press soothing kisses along her cheeks and eyelids, she grew calmer and her sobs began to subside. She lifted huge eyes the color of wet moss to his, her lips parted as her breath started to slow down, and he groaned at the tempting, delectable picture she presented. Then, as though it were the most natural thing in the world, he bent his head, claiming her full, lush mouth in a searing kiss. She made a little “mmm” sound deep in her throat that went straight to his groin, and he yanked her against him, his arms wrapped around her back, practically lifting her off the floor.
Julia wound her arms about his neck, kissing him back with an almost desperate ardor, her hands in his hair. His tongue sought entrance to her mouth, and she welcomed it, meeting it with her own. His hands slid from her back to the sweet curves of her ass, holding her still as he rubbed the hard ridge of his erection against the cleft of her thighs. She moaned beneath his kisses, her hands sliding inside his suit jacket to clutch handfuls of his crisp pearl gray shirt.
Gasping for breath, he reluctantly broke the kiss, only to move his lips to the side of her neck. He shuddered with arousal as she licked his chin, the corner of his mouth, his lips. Christ, it had been so long since that night he’d fucked her into oblivion, since he’d held her and kissed her this way. She had haunted his dreams for months, aroused him just from being in the same room, and he’d wanted her more than he could even try to put into words. He was already so hard that his erection pressed painfully against his trousers, afraid that he would lose it at the slightest touch of her hand.
“You smell so good,” she whispered, nuzzling her nose against his cheek. “I want to lick you all over, eat you up.”
Nathan growled, spinning her around and shoving her up against the wall. Julia gasped as he simultaneously cupped her full, lush breast with one hand and lifted one of her legs to wrap around his hip with the other. He ran his hand up under her full skirt, hissing when he found the frilly garter attached to her silky stockings.
“Fuck, you’re wearing those goddamn stockings again,” he groaned. “Do you just wear all these cockteasing things to torture me? Let me see.”
He pulled her skirt higher until he could see the sexy black garter clipped to the sheer hosiery, then followed the length of her leg down to those shoes that had given him so many hard-ons.
“You’re so fucking sexy,” he hissed. “Every time I see you, every goddamn day, all I can think about is ripping whatever you’re teasing me with that day off this delicious body, touching these beautiful tits, these fabulous legs, your gorgeous little ass.”
Julia was panting as he ran his hands over her body, squeezing her breasts, pinching her nipples, cupping her ass cheeks, sliding up and down the length of her leg. “I want you, too,” she breathed. “So much. I want to throw myself in your arms every time I’m near you. I miss you so much, Nathan.”
“Sweet Julia,” he groaned. “I can’t get you out of my mind. And it drives me crazy to have to watch other men look at you, to listen when they talk about how hot you are. When that dirty old man touched you last night I wanted to punch him in the face. I can’t stand the thought of anyone else putting their hands on you. Especially here.”
She cried out as his hand slid all the way up her leg to the crotch of her lacy little panties. He cupped her through the silk, finding the fabric soaking wet. Pushing the crotch aside, he swiftly thrust two fingers up inside her wet, tight cunt.
“God, look at how juicy you are,” he whispered, his tongue tracing around her ear. “So tight and hot. Do you know what it does to me to know I can get you this wet so quickly?”
“Ohhh.” She released a long, low moan as he fucked her with his fingers, first with slow, deep thrusts, then with faster, shallower ones. When his thumb moved to circle her swollen clit, she shoved her fist into her mouth, stifling the erotic whimpers coming from the back of her throat.
He was so hard he feared he’d come in his pants just from watching the glorious spectacle that was Julia as she climaxed against his fingers, her head falling back against the wall, her mouth opened in a silent moan. He pulled her mouth to his, kissing her savagely as he continued to stimulate her ultra-sensitive cunt.
“This is mine,” he muttered hoarsely, cupping her vulva possessively. “I don’t want anyone else touching you here. Or anywhere else for that matter.”
Julia gasped and stiffened in his arms before unexpectedly gripping his rock hard erection through his pants. He was startled at her sudden move but couldn’t help the groan that escaped his lips at the feel of her small hand on his immensely swollen prick.
“Really, Nathan?” she asked angrily. “Does that go both ways?” She stroked along his length and he shuddered in reaction. “Does this only belong to me? You aren’t going to fuck your fiancée with it anymore?”
Stricken by the hurt and anger in her voice, he grasped her wrist and reluctantly pulled her hand from him, even though his body was screaming for release. Shamed, he turned from her and took several long, deep breaths.
“That’s what I thought,” replied Julia quietly. “You might want to fuck me but she’s still the one you’re with, the one you’re going to marry. Don’t touch me again, Nathan. You don’t have the right anymore.”
He nodded, willing his erection to subside enough for him to walk to his office. “I’m sorry, Julia. I was way out of line. It won’t happen again, okay?”
From somewhere behind him he could hear the sound of her weeping, and it broke his heart. It was an unpleasant reminder of how upset, almost incoherent she’d been that morning in New York when he’d told her he was engaged. He turned back, reaching for her as she sobbed into her hands.
“Don’t cry, baby. I’m such an asshole. I’m not worth your tears,” he pleaded.
Julia shoved him away, grabbing a wad of tissues from the decorative box on her credenza, and wiping her eyes and nose delicately. “Please just go, okay? I have work to do. And this is not going to happen again, understand? I’m tired of being used. You are an asshole – I should have remembered that before I let you touch me.”
Her words stung like little pieces of broken glass, but he couldn’t fault her for saying them. “I’ll leave you alone, Julia,” he whispered. “I’m sorry.”
He walked out of her office without a backward glance and kept on going, like a robot, until he reached his own office. He slammed the door shut, not really caring if anyone else in earshot had arrived yet, and emitted several vicious curses. There was a neat stack of file folders on the corner of his desk and he knocked them all to the floor in one fell swoop. He took his suit jacket off with sharp, jerky motions and flung it onto the sofa, before pacing angrily around the room over and over again.
Finally he plopped down in his desk chair, banging his head against the surface of his desk several times. “Goddammit!” he swore in a low voice. “Fuck, fuck fuck! How the hell did I just manage to make an already shitty situation into a complete and total clusterfuck?”
He’d started out the conversation with Julia intending only to find out what had gone down last night between her and Cameron. He hadn’t expected anything more serious than some catty sniping on Cameron’s part, enough to upset Julia but nothing over the top. The last thing he’d anticipated was that Cameron had physically harmed Julia, and shook her up so badly.
And when he’d seen the tears trickling down her cheek, his only intent in embracing Julia had been to comfort and console her. He sure as hell hadn’t planned to kiss her as though he wanted to eat her alive, and most definitely hadn’t figured on touching her body, much less fingering her to an orgasm right there against her office wall. And then he’d had to go ahead and make that domineering, possessive statement about how she belonged to him and no one else. He didn’t blame her in the least for being pissed off, for he’d acted like a total dick to her once again.
Nathan gave himself a few minutes to calm down before picking up his discarded files and restoring order to them. He hung his suit jacket up in its usual place before opening his office door.
Robyn was just arriving, and took one look at his face before shaking her head. “So it’s going to be one of those mornings, is it? I should go get myself a double espresso right now. Or maybe a tequila shot.”
He smiled faintly, rarely able to resist her perennial good humor. “Sorry. I just had a rather upsetting conversation a little while ago. Give me some time to get over it, okay?”
She shrugged. “Sure, whatever. So how was the dinner last night?”
His smile faded abruptly. “Don’t ask.” He checked his watch. “Speaking of which, I’m going to see if my dear partner has dragged his ass in yet. He has a few things to answer for.”
Robyn called after him as he stalked away. “Should I call Courtney and warn her to duck for cover?”
Travis had been expecting Nathan to drop in sometime this morning, and to also be in a foul temper. So when his partner strode purposefully into his office unannounced, slamming the door behind him, he didn’t even glance up from the designs he was studying.
“What the hell kind of juvenile little game were you and Anton playing last night?”
Travis calmly set the design boards aside, and glanced up at a very pissed-off Nathan, smiling broadly. “Well, good morning to you, too, sunshine. A bit hungover, are we? No, wait, that would be your oh so charming fiancée who fits that bill.”
Nathan pounded a fist on Travis’ desk. “What were you two thinking anyway? Why did you deliberately antagonize Cameron that way?”
Travis raised a pale blond brow. “Who says we were trying to do that? All I intended was to have some pleasant dinner conversation, that’s all. It’s hardly my fault if your fiancée couldn’t handle not being the center of attention for once.”
Nathan plopped down in a guest chair, glaring at his partner. “It wasn’t bad enough to keep praising Julia all night – she went to Cornell, she speaks fluent French, she was a yoga teacher during college, she’s such a great cook. But the kicker was when you told Cam the artist that she’d admired and raved about for years was Julia’s mother – that kind of put her over the edge.”
Travis’ eyes blazed angrily, a rare emotion for him. “Yes, and I saw the aftermath of that edge Cameron fell over. You weren’t in that cab last night when poor Julia was shaking like a leaf. Your girl really walloped her, it wasn’t just some little smack on the cheek. And don’t blame me. Cameron’s a grown woman, after all, and ought to have better control over her emotions. And the fact that Natalie Benoit is Julia’s mother is public knowledge and would have come up eventually.”
Nathan sighed, rubbing a hand over his weary face. “I know it would, bizarre coincidence that it is. There’re an awful lot of coincidences involving Julia, matter of fact.”
“Like what?’ asked Travis curiously.
Nathan shrugged. “I don’t know. Like the fact she did design work for the Gregson Group in New York. Or that the two of you shared a mentor.”
“That’s not a coincidence That’s merely a situation that brought her out here in the first place. If I hadn’t already known her via Gerard it’s highly unlikely she’d be working here now. So what else is a coincidence?”
Nathan waved a hand in dismissal. “Nothing, I guess. Forget I said anything.”
“All right.” Travis returned his attention to the stack of design boards. “Well, if you’ve finished scolding me for being a naughty boy, I’d like to get back to work now.”
“Why did you do it?”
Travis frowned in annoyance. “Because I damned well felt like it, that’s why. Your charming fiancée hasn’t been quite so charming to Anton and me. You know darned well she can’t stand us, that she despises gays in general. Which considering she lives in one of the gayest cities in the world, and works in the art world, is sort of mind blowing. And I won’t even discuss her prick of a father.”
“Yes, please, let’s not. I have to see the old bastard at some fucking boring party tomorrow night, and that will be soon enough.”
“Well you might want to keep the Princess away from those dirty martinis,” drawled Travis. “Evidently someone can’t hold her liquor as well as she thinks she can.”
“She was just pissed off and jealous,” Nathan replied dismissively. “She hardly ever drinks like that, and especially not when her parents are around.”
“If you say so. I’m not really sure why she’d be jealous, though. Cameron seems like the most confident woman I’ve ever met.”
Nathan hesitated. “She is, but I think she feels threatened by Julia somehow.”
“Really? Can’t imagine why. Unless it’s because Julia is younger, hotter, and is actually nice to people. Or maybe it’s just because Cameron sees the way you stare at Julia’s tits, like you know what they look like naked.”
Nathan flushed a bright red and looked shocked, his mouth gaping open. “I don’t do any such thing.”
Travis laughed heartily. “Oh, you sure as hell do. I may be gay and don’t look at women the same way, but lust is lust, buddy. And you’ve got it in spades for my girl. You’ve got to do a much better job at hiding that from your fiancée, though. Discretion, Nathan, discretion.”
Nathan had the good grace to appear disgruntled. “Well, how the hell do you expect me – or any red-blooded hetero man – to keep from staring at her when she dresses that way?”
Travis frowned. “There’s nothing wrong with the way Julia dresses. She’s classy all the time, no cleavage or see-through fabrics, nothing too short or clingy.”
“None of that matters. She just wears all of these form fitting dresses and skirts, and those fucking high heels. I’m only human, you know. Can’t you get her to wear baggy clothes and flats?” he pleaded.
Travis looked alarmed. “Oh, hell no am I having that conversation with her! She may be a friend of a friend but that doesn’t mean she can’t claim sexual harassment . Besides, “ he added with a wicked grin, “her amazing good looks and that smokin’ little bod have helped us get an awful lot of business lately. Including a very promising lead with Jackson West just last night.”
“That fucker,” cursed Nathan, not looking at all pleased. “Rumor has it that he likes pretty girls less than half his age, and that he’s got the money to buy whatever sweet young ass he wants.” He pointed a warning finger at Travis. “You’d better keep him the hell away from Julia. Get his business but put another designer on the job. I don’t want her anywhere near that bastard.”
Travis guffawed. “You don’t want her near him? Last time I checked Ms. McKinnon worked for me. Why do you give a shit who she works with anyway?”
“I own half this business, remember?” challenged Nathan. “If one of our employees gets harassed by a client it affects me, too. Just do us all a favor and assign someone else to work with that douchebag West.”
“You’ve got the hots for her yourself, don’t you?” challenged Travis.
“No, that’s not it,” Nathan insisted. “Just because she’s attractive doesn’t mean I want to fuck her. And – hello – have you forgotten? Engaged man here.”
“Oh, right. I did forget, excuse me,” replied Travis sarcastically. “You’re so blissfully in love with Cameron that you couldn’t possibly be attracted to someone else? Sorry, my mistake. Now look, as fun as this conversation has been, I really do need to work. Close the door on your way out, will you?”
Nathan glared at him for long seconds, as though he wanted to say something else, but finally threw up his hands in frustration and stormed out just as he’d stormed in, slamming the door behind him.
Travis chuckled with unmitigated glee. ‘Engaged my ass. He could be engaged to a dozen different woman and he’d still want Julia,’ he thought to himself. ‘Well, he certainly has something to think about, doesn’t he?’
And with that very pleasant thought in mind, Travis got back to work.