Chapter Eleven
Late April
Julia ignored the good looking man who turned and gave her a wolf whistle as she passed him on the street. After the upsetting encounter with Nathan in her office several weeks ago, she’d sworn off men yet again, and just wasn’t in the mood to deal with what Travis jokingly referred to as her cheering section.
She had thrown herself into her work even more than usual this past month, spending insanely long hours at the office. When she wasn’t working she was at yoga, often taking two classes a day to work off the stress, and spent the remainder of her time cooking, shopping, or rearranging her closet – again. She’d made two trips to Carmel and Big Sur to see her parents and sister, desperate to keep busy and not allow herself even a moment to think about Nathan.
God knew he’d done a bang-up job of pretty much ignoring her these last few weeks. If he’d treated her professionally and somewhat coldly before the make-out session in her office, he was positively non-communicative and icy now. She hadn’t been assigned to any new projects that Nathan was also involved with. Instead, Travis and Olivia, one of the other designers, were working with Nathan on two new accounts, while Julia had been assigned to a project with Eric as well as working on several design-only accounts. That left only the Gregson hotel project, and Nathan had been leaving Jake to deal with most of the contact with Julia on that one.
She was certainly getting his message loud and clear. It was to be strictly business between them from now on, and as little business as possible. Julia was well aware that Nathan avoided her, even taking the long way around so he wouldn’t have to walk past her office. Last week she’d happened to be in the same elevator with him, and aside from a curtly nodded “Hello” he hadn’t looked at her or said another word.
And while she understood his need to keep contact with her to a bare minimum, it hurt like hell to have him treat her like a stranger. ‘For God’s sake,’ she thought ‘he had his tongue down my throat and his hand inside my panties and he acts like he can’t stand to be within ten feet of me.’ She couldn’t help but feel cheap and used, shuddering as she recalled how quickly she’d come against his talented fingers, how desperately she’d clung to him, and how eagerly she’d kissed him. Both times that she’d been with him – in New York and in her office – she’d been wrecked physically and emotionally after he’d left. And yet, stupidly, Julia feared that she would continue to be drawn to Nathan, to succumb to the pull she felt towards him, and to let him have his way with her whenever he chose.
No man had ever had this sort of affect on her. Certainly not Sam, her first love. He’d been kind and caring and sweet. They had grown up together, been each other’s first, and even when things had ended between them during college they’d been able to remain good friends.
Initially with Lucas she’d been dazzled by him. He had been older, of course, and his suave sophistication had swept her off her feet. But then she’d found out the truth about him, the secrets he’d been keeping, and she’d broken things off immediately. Lucas had kept pursuing her, but his lies had shattered her faith in him, and she’d steadfastly refused to see him again. He’d finally gotten the hint and left her alone.
In some ways, the situation with Nathan was all too similar to her failed relationship with Lucas, except that this time she was too weak and too attracted to forget about him. The fact that he belonged to another woman troubled her, of course. She didn’t condone cheating – had certainly learned a hard lesson about that with Lucas – but feared that she just couldn’t turn off her feelings for Nathan. When she’d been with him in New York, she hadn’t known about his fiancée until it was too late. She had already spent the most incredible night of her life with him and fallen hard. And try as she might, she was discovering that love wasn’t something you could just stop feeling, or that you could turn off such a strong physical attraction like a light switch.
The sensible solution, of course, would be to find another job so that she didn’t have to worry about seeing him every day. But it wasn’t easy to find a job in her field, and certainly not one with such a prestigious firm. There was always Ian Gregson’s standing offer to work for his company, and lately she’d begun to give it some serious consideration. Though the old “out of sight, out of mind” adage certainly hadn’t applied in the months between last September and meeting Nathan again in January. It didn’t give her great confidence that it would work this time, either.
She stopped at the corner, waiting for the traffic light to change, and looked straight ahead despite the very interested gaze of the tall, dark-haired man to her right. ‘Maybe I should have worn a coat after all” she thought tiredly. It was a very pleasant spring day, and since the client’s office she’d just walked from was only three blocks away, she had left her jacket back at her desk. Julia supposed it was her dress that was attracting what seemed like more attention than usual today. It was one of her favorites – something Aunt Maddy had received during last fall’s New York Fashion Week – but the weather hadn’t been right for it until today.
It was Narciso Rodriguez, who she thought knew how to dress curvy women better than almost anyone. This creation was of a deep coral shade, another pencil-skirted dress with a square neckline and cap sleeves. She’d teamed it with taupe peep-toe Louboutins and a Tory Burch clutch in the same shade. Julia knew the coral was a good color for her, setting off her golden brown hair and creamy skin, but was now a bit self-conscious of all the male stares she was getting as a result.
Her spine stiffened as she recalled Nathan’s comments about her outfits, how he’d sounded almost angry about the way she dressed. She’d even tried dressing more demurely for a few days, in lower heels and less form-fitting attire. But after a few sarcastic comments from Travis, like “Are you in mourning or something”, “Forget to pick up the dry cleaning?”, and “My grandmother has shoes like that”, Julia had defiantly decided to wear what she damned well pleased from now on. In fact, she’d even gone to extra lengths to wear the most figure flattering and alluring things in her vast wardrobe. Whether Nathan noticed or not, she’d at least had the satisfaction of knowing she looked awesome.
The light changed and she stumbled very slightly stepping off the curb. The dark haired stranger on her right immediately slid a hand to her elbow to steady her.
She glanced up at him with a brief smile. “Thank you. I’m fine now.”
But as they walked across the street, tall, dark and handsome kept his hand on her arm. The smile her gave her was purely carnal, and she couldn’t help the little frisson of awareness that shimmered up her spine. He was certainly one of the most attractive men she’d ever seen.
“My pleasure,” he said in a deep voice. “In fact, why don’t you let me buy you a drink? You know, to steady your nerves.”
Julia laughed, but gently disengaged her arm from his grasp. “My nerves are fine, thanks. As for the drink, it’s a bit early in the day for that, don’t you think?”
The stranger shrugged as they reached the other side of the street. “It’s lunchtime. Barely. Or we could get coffee. It doesn’t matter to me.”
She smiled, shaking her head. “I don’t think so, thanks. I need to get back to work, I’m afraid. Have a nice day.”
“Wait.” He grasped her elbow again as she began to walk away. “Can I give you my card at least? In case you want to take a rain check on that drink?”
Julia hesitated. She normally blew off overly aggressive men like him, but her battered ego did feel in need of some bolstering right now. She took the proffered card. “Thanks again. I really have to go now.”
She felt his dark eyes on her ass as she walked into the building, and suddenly felt in better spirits than she had for weeks. Maybe she was being an imbecile to keep pining after a man who was already taken but who kept sending her mixed signals in spite of that fact. There were a lot of attractive, eligible, available men out there for the taking, and maybe it was well past time for her to start trying some on for size. Like the hottie who’d just passed her the card still folded in her palm.
There was an older couple waiting for the elevator when she approached, and she returned the friendly smile both of them gave her. The man – who she surmised to be in his early sixties – looked strangely familiar but she didn’t think they had ever met before. The woman, who was probably a few years younger, looked incredibly well kept for a woman of her years. Both were well dressed and looked fit and trim.
As they stepped inside the elevator, the woman looked at her admiringly. “That is such a beautiful dress, dear. What a perfect color for you. But you’re such a pretty little thing I’m guessing you look good in anything.”
Julia warmed to the woman instantly. “Thank you so much. What a lovely thing to say.”
The man grinned. “You’ll have to forgive my wife. She’s nearly always talking to strangers but she doesn’t mean to be so forward.”
His wife gave him a playful swat on the arm. “Stop that, Michael,” she scolded. “This young lady is going to think I’m crazy or something.”
“Or something,” teased Michael, before clutching his arm as his wife socked him again, harder this time.
Julia smiled at their obvious affection for each other, finding it similar to the easy, close relationship her own parents shared.
“I see we’re headed to the same floor,” she commented politely. “Are you clients of the firm or just visiting someone?”
“Oh, we’re here to visit our son, dear,” replied the woman eagerly. “Do you work here, too?”
Julia nodded as the elevator stopped and the three of them exited. “Yes. I’ve been employed as an interior designer here since January.”
The woman looked delighted at the news. “So you work for Travis, then? I’ve always said that boy had excellent taste. What’s your name, dear?”
Julia extended her hand, heedless of the small card that fluttered to the floor. “I’m Julia McKinnon.”
“Alexis Atwood,” replied the woman with the short, stylish dark blonde bob. “And this is my husband Michael. I’m sure you must know our son – Nathan.”
Julia was startled at this revelation but managed to compose herself enough to shake hands with both of Nathan’s parents. No wonder Michael had looked familiar – he bore a striking resemblance to his son, though his thick hair was almost completely gray, and his eyes an even lighter shade of blue.
“It’s so nice to meet both of you,” she told them sincerely. “So you’re here for a visit?”
Alexis nodded. “Yes, we’re out from Michigan for a week to see Nathan. And our middle son is going to be in town for a few days as well. Did you know Nathan’s brother Jared was a professional baseball player?”
Julia shook her head, not even knowing until now that Nathan had siblings or that he was from Michigan. They hadn’t exactly spent a lot of time exchanging family histories. “I wasn’t aware, no. You must be very proud of him.”
“Yes, absolutely,” agreed Michael. “Jared is an outfielder for the Colorado Rockies. The team will be here to play the Giants starting tomorrow. This way we get to visit our two oldest sons at the same time.”
“Our youngest – Greg – is attending law school in Michigan. The only one to follow in his father’s footsteps,” lamented Alexis.
So Nathan’s father was a lawyer. Judging from the way both he and Alexis were dressed – not to mention his Omega watch and her stunning gold jewelry – he must be quite successful. Julia was pleasantly surprised at how friendly and down to earth they both seemed, not at all like some of the very wealthy clients she dealt with.
“Well, you have three very successful sons, then,” commented Julia.
Alexis beamed. “Yes, and a darling grandson, too. Jared and his wife Brooke have an eight month old. Alas, no girls yet. Hopefully one of my sons will present me with a granddaughter someday.”
“Well, with Nathan and Cameron getting married next year, hopefully more grandchildren will follow soon,” added Michael.
Julia’s smile froze on her face at the mention of Nathan’s wedding. And she wasn’t sure if it was her imagination or not, but the beaming smile on Alexis’ face seemed to fade rapidly.
“One can hope,” replied Alexis quietly. “But I’m not counting on my oldest son giving me grandchildren anytime soon.”
Julia regarded Nathan’s mother curiously, sensing – or perhaps hoping – that Alexis wasn’t thrilled with the prospect of having Cameron as her new daughter-in-law. But then Alexis quickly changed the subject and quizzed Julia about her own family and background. She was delighted to learn that Julia had a twin, and over the moon when she heard that Aunt Madelyn was the head buyer at Bergdorf Goodman.
“Well, I can see where you get your fashion sense from, dear,” she gushed. “I love clothes, too.”
Michael rolled his eyes. “Yes, I can certainly vouch for that. As each of my sons has moved out, Alexis has taken over their bedroom closets. She could open her own department store.”
Alexis gave him another playful swat. “I can’t help it,” she confessed. “My shopping addiction is a holdover from my modeling days. Oh, nothing major, mostly catalogues and local stuff. And it was a very long time ago, of course.”
Julia noted Alexis’s tall, slender figure, perfect makeup and hair, and smiled. “You still have the look, you know. I can totally imagine you strutting the catwalk.”
Alexis was absurdly thrilled at the compliment, giggling like a girl, and giving Julia an affectionate little hug. “You are the sweetest little thing besides being beautiful. How lucky your mother is to have not one but two girls like you.”
At the sound of heels clicking on the foyer’s tile floor, Julia glanced up to see Nathan heading straight towards them. After the initial look of surprise on his face at seeing her in his mother’s embrace, it was swiftly replaced by an expression Julia couldn’t quite place – annoyance, irritation, maybe even a bit of panic. Whatever it was, he wasn’t pleased.
Julia gently disengaged herself from Alexis’s arms as Nathan strode into the foyer. Alexis smiled at her son and gave him a hug.
“Hello, darling. Your father and I were just having the most delightful conversation with Julia. I suppose we lost track of time,” she apologized.
“I was wondering where you were,” Nathan told her. “I should have guessed you’d be busy making a new friend.” He turned and gave his father a quick hug. “Dad isn’t doing a very good job at keeping you under control.”
Michael chuckled. “Like I’ve ever been able to do that, son! You know how your mother gets at times.”
Nathan looked at Julia expectantly. “I hope my parents haven’t been making pests of themselves. They were supposed to have met me in my office ten minutes ago.”
Julia shook her head. “Not at all. And I’m sure they didn’t mean to keep you waiting.”
“It’s my fault,” exclaimed Alexis. “I was just so taken with this pretty little thing that I kept hounding her for more details about herself. I hope you don’t think me a nosy old lady, Julia.”
“Not at all,” reassured Julia. “I enjoyed meeting both of you. You should probably be off to lunch, though. Nathan seems a bit impatient.”
Alexis wrapped a hand around Nathan’s arms and leaned her head on his shoulder. “Oh, he’s no fun sometimes! Indulge your mother, Nathan, you don’t see me all that often.” Her eyes lit up all of a sudden as she beamed at Julia. “I know. Why don’t you join us for lunch, dear? I’m sure it’s too early for you to have already eaten, and I would love to continue chatting with you.”
Julia was startled at her impromptu invitation and stammered, “Um, I really don’t think –“
Before she could finish her sentence, Nathan interrupted. “She can’t join us for lunch, Mother, because she has a client meeting with Travis in half an hour. Isn’t that right, Julia?”
Julia almost recoiled from the terseness of his tone, not to mention the angry expression on his face. “Y-yes, I do. In fact, I need to get some things ready for it, so if you’ll please excuse me.”
She turned to walk away, but Alexis held her back. “Wait, dear. I just wanted to say how much I enjoyed meeting you. Will we see you again during our visit? Maybe we can have coffee together.”
Julia gave her a warm smile, wondering how Nathan could be such an asshole sometimes when his mother was such a sweetheart. “I’ve enjoyed meeting both of you, too. And I’m sure we’ll see each other again here at the office before you leave.” She tactfully didn’t mention having coffee together, knowing that Nathan wouldn’t like that idea. It hurt her to the quick to realize he didn’t want her anywhere near his parents, and was already pissed off that she’d spent time talking with them. The excuse about a nonexistent client meeting that he’d just invented was just a flimsy way of keeping her away from them.
Julia blinked back a tear or two as she started walking away, until Nathan called her name.
“Did you drop this?” he asked, holding out the business card she’d forgotten all about. He glanced at the name, which she hadn’t even bothered to do yet.
It was on the tip of her tongue to tell him to just throw the card away, but she was so hurt and angry at his abrupt dismissal that she reached out a hand for it.
“Yes, I did. Thank you.”
Nathan frowned as he looked at the card again before handing it to her. “A client?”
She shook her head. “No. It’s – personal. Someone I’m meeting for drinks later.”
She was oddly pleased to see the look of displeasure on his face.
“I see,” he replied tightly. “New boyfriend?”
She gave a careless little shrug. “Perhaps. It’s too soon to tell. Thanks for the card.” To Alexis and Michael she said, “Enjoy your lunch. It was lovely to meet you both.”
She walked directly to her office after that, and put her things away, still holding the stranger’s business card. She was almost ready to throw it away before deciding with a sigh that she ought to at least know his name, just in case Nathan asked her about him.
Tall, dark and handsome’s name was Todd Bryant, and he was the Chief Operating Officer of a hedge fund. Julia stared at the card for long seconds, debating whether to throw it out or throw caution to the wind and call him.
In the end, she merely tucked the card into her desk drawer, too timid to actually pick up the phone but oddly reluctant to completely ignore the stranger’s invitation, either.
Nathan glowered when he pulled up Todd Bryant’s detailed profile on Linkedin later than afternoon. He’d committed the fucker’s name to memory after glancing at his business card twice before handing it over reluctantly to Julia.
He had hoped that the guy Julia was meeting for a drink – and most likely a lot more – was a total loser, someone she’d quickly decide wasn’t worth her while. But it seemed that Mr. Bryant was the exact opposite – quite a catch.
At thirty-six years old, Bryant was more than ten years Julia’s senior, but judging from the guy’s admitted good looks Nathan guessed that the age difference wouldn’t bother her in the least. The guy was smart as hell, too – undergrad at Harvard, MBA in Finance from Wharton. He’d lived in San Francisco for about seven years, presumably moving out here from New York where he’d last worked to take the job at the hedge fund. The guy was single, and his hobbies included sailing, tennis and skiing.
‘Great, just fucking great’ thought Nathan sourly. Not only was Todd good looking, smart, and undoubtedly rich, he had the Ivy League education and years of living and working in Manhattan in common with Julia. There was no reason at all why the two of them wouldn’t hit if off big time. Nathan scowled as he pictured them together – Todd with his dark good looks and Julia with her golden brown hair and creamy skin. Todd’s mouth was probably watering right now at the thought of running his hands over all of Julia’s luscious curves – her hips, ass, thighs, those round, perfect breasts.
Nathan groaned when he realized he was getting hard again just thinking about her. She’d looked delicious today in that figure-hugging coral dress. He’d longed to cup that sweet butt in his hands, to bend and press a kiss to the glimpse of cleavage bared by the neckline of the dress. Instead, once again, he’d been a total asshole to her, treating her with the cool standoffishness that he’d had to work so hard on sustaining these past months.
He hadn’t meant to be such a prick to her, but he’d panicked when his well-meaning but interfering mother had invited her to lunch. It just figured, he thought tiredly, that his mother would meet Julia and be so completely enchanted by her. Alexis had continued to ask question after question about Julia during lunch, until Nathan had told her in exasperation that she knew more about the woman than he did. That had finally silenced Alexis, but he knew it hadn’t stopped her fascination with the girl Nathan himself was enthralled with. If he’d allowed Julia to come to lunch with them, he wasn’t at all sure that his wily mother wouldn’t have suspected there was something between them. And that had been his main motivation in ensuring she didn’t join them.
Conversely, Alexis had never seemed to warm up much to Cameron, at least not like she’d appeared to do so quickly with Julia. His mother was always charming and kind to Cameron, but he’d never sensed even the slightest sort of bonding or friendship between the two women. Of course, a lot of that was Cameron’s fault, for she saw any woman as a threat to her relationship with him – even his own mother. And Cameron was very close to her own mother, and didn’t seem at all inclined to forge a similar sort of bond with Alexis. Cameron always hedged about going back to Michigan to see his family, or to Colorado to see Jared and Brooke. She’d reluctantly conceded to paying a visit with him for a week last summer, but had refused to do the same at Christmas, preferring to remain in San Francisco with her family. It had given him cause for concern for the future, hoping that Cameron would be agreeable to splitting the holidays between their respective families. They definitely needed to get those sort of details ironed out, and sooner than later, before they became an issue in their marriage.
Nathan and his parents were having dinner this evening with Cameron and her mother and father. Cameron’s father had insisted on dining at the private yacht club he belonged to, and of course Graham Tolliver always got his way. Nathan didn’t have a problem per se with the club, though he didn’t think the food was particularly good and the atmosphere was a little too stuffy for his taste. He couldn’t imagine, for example, his rowdy group of former water polo teammates in such a formal setting. The guys tended to get a bit raucous when they had a few, behavior that would surely be frowned upon here.
As he pulled the Lexus SUV into the parking lot, he remembered to caution his parents. “By the way, don’t say a word to Cameron about meeting Julia today. She, er, doesn’t care for her.”
Alexis gave a little gasp. “Now how can that be? Julia is the sweetest girl. Why doesn’t Cameron like her?”
“I’d be willing to bet she’s jealous of her,” observed Michael. “But we’ll do as you ask, son. Alexis, keep that mouth of yours closed, understand? We don’t want to cause any trouble for Nathan.”
“Fine.” She sighed in resignation. “And I still don’t understand why you rushed her off today, Nathan. I don’t believe that nonsense about a meeting. You just didn’t want her to go with us.”
“Mom, it’s not that simple, okay? She’s an employee and it’s really not a good idea for her to be socializing with her boss and his parents.”
Alexis frowned. “I thought Travis was her boss. And it was just a casual lunch, Nathan. I think you’re overreacting, dear.”
“And I think you’re butting into things that don’t concern you,” retorted Nathan. “Now, come on. Let’s go inside, shall we?”
It wasn’t the first time that Michael and Alexis had met Cameron’s parents so everyone was relatively at ease during dinner. As usual, Graham dominated the conversation with his deep, booming voice and know-it-all attitude. Nathan didn’t like his future father-in-law very much, especially the way he needed control over everything and everyone in his life. He’d ordered the wine tonight, for example, without asking anyone else’s opinion, and had proceeded to tell everyone at the table what the best entrees to order were. When Alexis had tentatively mentioned ordering the shrimp scampi, Graham had made a loud noise of disapproval, telling her the cook did a terrible job with them here. Intimidated, Alexis had rather meekly relented and ordered the salmon instead.
Nathan was largely silent throughout the meal, for when Graham didn’t have the floor it belonged to Cameron or her mother Elaine, who talked incessantly about wedding plans. Nathan watched his mother struggle to maintain a polite expression on her face throughout the evening, knowing how much she loved to talk herself. His father, on the other hand, wasn’t doing such a good job of hiding the irritation he felt as the Tollivers controlled the conversation. Nathan felt badly for his parents, knowing they were both too well mannered to interrupt, and wished the rather uncomfortable evening would come to a blissfully quick end.
As dessert and coffee were eventually brought out, he couldn’t help but wonder if Julia’s parents were much different than Cameron’s. He remembered Julia’s comment that they disliked going to the city and preferred to remain close to their home in Carmel. And then he wondered why in hell he was even giving a second thought to two people he’d never met, and likely never would.
His mother didn’t hold anything back during the drive back to his condo, going on and on about what a pompous ass Graham was, and how rude Elaine was and how Cameron hadn’t even asked her opinion about any of the wedding plans. His father, well used to Alexis’ little emotional outbursts, kept mostly quiet except to tell Nathan, “You need to be careful of that man, son. He’s the sort that likes to walk all over people and always get his own way. And I’m sorry to say this but I think Cameron takes after him in certain ways. Don’t let yourself be controlled that way, Nathan. I didn’t raise my boys to take orders from other men, or women for that matter.”
Nathan sighed. “I know, Dad. It’s a tricky situation is all. Cam and I need to hash a few things out sooner than later. Her overbearing father is only one of them.”
In the backseat, his mother was muttering under her breath, but Nathan didn’t miss part of what she was saying. “Don’t know what he sees in that girl. He’s too good for her in my opinion.”
He knew better than to argue with his mother when she started talking to herself so he tactfully said nothing.
His brother Jared had flown into town with the rest of his team the night before, and they had a full day off before starting a four-game series with the Giants. It was a welcome opportunity for the two of them to enjoy a leisurely lunch with their parents at a tapas restaurant near Nathan’s office.
The balmy late April weather was continuing so Alexis had begged to sit at an outdoor table on the expansive front patio. Back home in Michigan the weather was still too chilly to even think of eating outdoors, so she was enjoying this rare opportunity while in San Francisco. Over a multitude of shared small plates and a pitcher of Sangria, the pleasant conversation and relaxed atmosphere was a welcome relief from the stilted, uncomfortable dinner with Cameron and her parents last night.
Nathan knew he’d been lucky to have such terrific parents and the most amazing childhood a boy could want. He’d grown up in the affluent community of Bloomfield Hills, and even though Michael could have easily afforded to send his sons to expensive private schools, he and Alexis had been firm supporters of the local public school system. Alexis had been the perfect mother, volunteering at school events, chauffeuring her boys to and from athletic practices and games and play dates, and encouraging the boys to invite their friends over to their home. Their house – a big, sprawling place that his parents still lived in – had been filled with laughter and good times. He couldn’t ever remember his parents having a really serious argument, and though he, Jared, and Greg had certainly had their fights and disagreements, overall the three boys had been very close all their lives.
Athletics had been encouraged during their childhood and teens, and each boy had chosen a different pursuit. Nathan’s had been swimming and later on water polo, and he’d been good enough to get an athletic scholarship to Berkeley. Jared, of course, had always been crazy about baseball, and had played college ball at Arizona State. Greg’s passion had been cross country and track, and he’d run both at the University of Michigan.
Nathan missed his family – which included grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins – but kept in close touch with them as often as possible. He paid at least two visits a year back home, once during the summer and again at the holidays. In turn, his parents came out to California once or twice a year.
“I do wish Greg had been able to make the trip,” Alexis said wistfully. “Maybe we should have waited until June to visit.”
Jared shook his head. “I told you, Mom. The team won’t be back in San Francisco until August. Besides, you’re bringing the Gregster along when you come out to Colorado in July. I’m not sure I can stomach too much brotherly love.”
Alexis gave him a playful swat. “Oh, stop that. You know you love seeing your brothers. And I know we’ll be visiting you and Brooke and my darling little Damien soon. But Nathan isn’t certain he can fly out, so all of us might not be together.”
“I’ll try, Mom,” he assured her. “No guarantees, though, okay? I’ve got a bunch of projects going on right now, and I’ve already promised Cameron to spend the Fourth of July up at her parents place in Tahoe. I don’t know if I can take any more time off in July.”
She patted him fondly on the cheek. “I understand, darling. I just miss my boys, that’s all. And I’m so afraid when you get married next year that we won’t be seeing you as often.”
Nathan frowned. “Why do you think that?”
Alexis gave a little shrug. “Well, Cameron is obviously very close to her own family, so there are bound to be times when there are conflicting events. That’s all.”
He was saved from having to think of a suitable reply by the arrival of their waiter with several more plates of food. He was absorbed in making a selection from the various dishes spread out on the table, not paying the slightest attention to any of the people walking by on the sidewalk just on the other side of the patio. So he started in surprise when his mother exclaimed happily, “Oh, look, dear. Isn’t that Julia walking this way?”
Nathan glanced up automatically at the mention of that name, and gulped when he realized his mother was absolutely correct. Julia was walking down the street in her usual steady but measured pace, and once again every man in radius was staring at her in stunned admiration. She looked as breathtaking as ever, in yet another of her classy but sexy as hell outfits. Today’s ensemble was a sleeveless white silk dress with black polka dots and a black patent leather belt. Black buckled heels and a matching tote coordinated with the dress. Oversized black sunglasses obscured the upper part of her face.
As she walked closer towards the restaurant, Alexis called out to her and waved. Julia seemed as startled to see them as he had been to spot her, but she approached their table with a tentative smile.
Alexis reached over the low concrete wall that separated the dining area from the sidewalk and clasped Julia’s hand. “I knew that was you the second I spotted you,” she told her, smiling brightly. “All that beautiful hair, and the way you walk. I’m so happy to see you again, dear.”
Julia pushed her sunglasses to the top of her head, revealing the rest of her face, and Nathan heard Jared mutter under his breath, “Holy crap!”
“It’s nice to see you again, too,” replied Julia politely. “Hello, Mr. Atwood,” she nodded to Michael. “Nathan.” Her gaze rested uncertainly on Jared, who immediately surged to his feet and proffered his hand.
“Jared Atwood,” he introduced himself. “The middle and best looking of the brothers.”
Julia laughed and shook his hand. “A pleasure.” She glanced at their table. “Well, I’ll let you all get back to your lunch. Enjoy the beautiful weather.”
But Alexis wasn’t so easily deterred. “Why don’t you join us, dear? We’re just having tapas so there’s more than enough to go around.”
“Yes, please, have lunch with us,” urged Michael. “We’d love to have you sit with us.”
Nathan kept his face deliberately impassive, not wanting to give Julia any encouragement to join them but also not willing to be scolded by his mother again for being rude. Fortunately, Julia must have sensed his reluctance and shook her head.
“Once again, I’m afraid I have to decline,” she said gently. “I’m meeting someone for lunch about a block from here.”
“Todd?” asked Nathan tersely.
She stared at him in bemusement, her green eyes wide. “Who?” Then she flushed. “No, not him. I’m meeting Angela, who I went to high school with. She lives in the flat above me.”
“That’s so nice that you’ve kept in touch and stayed friends all these years,” gushed Alexis. “Is Angela an interior designer, too?”
Julia smiled. “Actually, she’s a stockbroker. And I’m sorry to dash off, but I’ll be late to meet her if I don’t leave now. Enjoy your lunch. Nice to meet you, Jared.”
Jared stared after her, his jaw hanging open. “Holy crap,” was all he could repeat.
Nathan shook his head, putting a finger under his brother’s chin. “You’re drooling, little bro. Not to mention a married man. With a child.”
Jared pushed his hand away. “Don’t care. No law against looking. And, uh, wow. Who was that?”
“She works in Nathan’s office, dear, “volunteered Alexis helpfully. “Well, technically, I suppose she works for Travis. Isn’t she lovely?”
Jared coughed. “Uh, yeah. Lovely, very lovely.” To Nathan he whispered, “More like fucking hot. How do you keep your hands off all that lusciousness?”
Nathan gave a short, impatient shake of his head, silently imploring his brother to shut up. Jared got the hint quickly enough, but unfortunately Julia’s unexpected appearance had started Alexis off again on singing the girl’s praises.
“She’s the sweetest little thing, too,” cooed Alexis. “Nathan, dear, does she have a boyfriend? She’s so beautiful I can’t imagine that she doesn’t.”
“I’m sure she does, Mom, but I really don’t know any details,” he replied shortly.
Alexis laid a hand over Jared’s. “Maybe you should introduce her to one of your teammates, darling. Do you know any nice men who’d like to meet her?
Nathan spewed out the mouthful of Sangria he’d just swallowed, his eyes watering. Jared grinned, patting his brother on the back.
“Easy there, big bro. Nothing to get choked up over. As far as any nice men who’d like to meet Julia, I can probably think of at least twenty off the top of my head who’d love to do just that. Nathan, what do you think about Mitch Rivington?
Nathan was sorely tempted to give his brother the finger. “I think he’s a freaking manwhore who’s had more women than he can remember,” he retorted. “Not a good choice.”
“You’re right. Brandon Solomon is a much better choice. Think I could get a photo of Julia so I can text it to him?”
Nathan bared his teeth at Jared, knowing instinctively that his brother sensed his attraction to Julia and was jerking him around big time. “Drop it, okay? I’m sure she can get a guy whenever she wants without our interference.”
Thankfully the subject of Julia was dropped for the duration of their lunch. Jared had to attend some team press conference afterwards while his parents were going shopping at Union Square, allowing Nathan several hours to get caught up at work. With his family in town, he’d been away from the office more than usual this week and was behind on several projects.
As timing would have it, Julia arrived back at the office at precisely the same time he did, resulting in an awkward elevator ride. In a casual attempt to lessen the tension, he asked “Enjoy your lunch?”
She seemed surprised that he was even speaking to her, but nodded. “It was good, thanks. And yours?”
“Awesome. It’s always good when my family visits.” He hesitated before inquiring casually, “How was your date yesterday?”
She blinked. “My date?”
“With Todd.”
She frowned. “You seem awfully obsessed with him. Why do you even remember his name?”
Nathan shrugged. “I don’t know. I glanced at his business card and the name just stuck with me. So how was it?”
“Why do you want to know?” She sounded annoyed. “Frankly, I’m not comfortable discussing it with you.”
“Fine,” he said brusquely. “Date whoever the hell you want.”
Julia glared at him. “Now, that sounds like a great idea. I think I will. Not that I need your permission, of course.”
The elevator stopped on their floor, and she flounced off without a backwards glance. Nathan watched as she walked away, mentally calling himself ten kinds of an idiot for putting the idea in her head.
The balmy day had given way to a much cooler evening, but Nathan and Jared didn’t seem to mind as they sat outside on the balcony of the condo. Their parents had already turned in for the night, and Jared was getting ready to head back to the team hotel once he finished his beer.
“So, you seemed awfully touchy today when I was mentioning guys to introduce to that girl,” drawled Jared. “Any particular reason?”
Nathan tried to seem as nonchalant as possible. “Mom seems obsessed with her for some reason. I was just trying to steer the conversation away from her.”
Jared took a swig of his beer. “Bullshit. I can read you like a book. You didn’t like the idea of me introducing her to my whoring buddies because you want her for yourself.”
“Now you’re the one spouting bullshit. Don’t forget I’m engaged.”
Jared gave a hoot. “Hell, I’m happily married and have a baby at home. Doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate the finest piece of booty I’ve ever seen. You’re only engaged, bro, plus you get to check out that smokin’ hot chick every day. Don’t know how you’ve managed to hold out this long.”
Nathan hesitated. What had happened between him and Julia in New York had remained a deep, dark secret between the two of them so far. But he’d longed to unload the guilt he’d felt for long months now, and he trusted Jared more than anyone else.
“Can I tell you something?” he began. “Something you have to abso-fucking-lutely swear is only and always just between us?”
Jared grinned. “Oh, this sounds like it’s gonna be juicy.”
“I’m serious, Jare. This is something big. It’s been bothering me for months now, and I haven’t had anybody I could talk to about it. Please.”
Jared instantly sobered. “Okay, sorry. Yes, you know I won’t tell anyone. Even Brooke. You can trust me, bro. Always.”
“All right, then.” He took a deep breath. “I first met Julia back in September. In New York. I was attending a conference and she was living there at the time.” He ran a hand over his face. “And so help me God, I’m pretty sure I fell in love with her the minute I saw her face.”
Jared’s light blue eyes, so similar to his own, widened.”Shit, not the L word. That’s pretty deep, Nate. So what happened exactly?”
Nathan related the series of events – seeing Julia twice before finally asking her out for a drink. He skimmed over the more intimate details of their night together, but Jared certainly got the picture.
“So let’s see if I’ve got all this. You see this woman a couple of times, develop some sort of fixation with her, finally ask her to have a drink with you, fuck her like an animal, and then say the next morning, ‘Sorry, babe, gotta run back to my fiancée now?’ That’s kinda harsh, Nate, especially for a nice guy like you. Now, my buddy Mitch I can totally see doing some douchebag thing like that, but you – what the fuck, bro?” asked Jared in disbelief.
Nathan hunched forward, his elbows on his knees, hands messing his hair. “I know, I know. I should have got the award for Asshole of the Year for what I did. Hey, I’ve had plenty of one-night stands before, but I never felt guilty about any of them. Not like this. And on both sides of the coin, too. I mean, of course I feel like a total shit for cheating on Cameron, but I really, really feel like a prick for what I did to Julia.”
“So why the hell after what you did to her would she willingly move out here to work in your office? Oh, shit, she isn’t like one of those crazy ass stalker chicks, is she? I mean, she seemed perfectly normal.”
“She isn’t a stalker. And she didn’t follow me out here. This is how fucked up the whole thing is – can you believe it was a complete one hundred percent bad, bad coincidence? First that she’s an interior designer, second that she already knew Travis? Both of us almost passed out when we saw each other again in January.”
“Maybe it’s like – what do they call it – serendipity?”
Nathan frowned. “Like I know what the hell that means. I call it a little black storm cloud following me around.”
Jared shook his head. “No, no. Didn’t you ever see that movie with John Cusack? I’m pretty sure it was even set in New York. He meets this hot chick but they’re both involved with other people and go their separate ways only to meet up again by accident. In fact,” he typed something into his phone and waited for the screen to load, “according to good old Wikipedia, serendipity means a happy accident. That’s what it was when the two of you met again like that.”
“Yeah, well, the accident part I’ll buy. Not so sure about the happy part,” Nathan grimaced. “My life has been a daily hell since she’s been in San Francisco.”
Jared frowned. “Thought you said she wasn’t in stalker mode. Or is she just pissed off and making your life miserable? She seemed so sweet, though.”
Nathan groaned. “She is. And no, it isn’t anything she’s said or done. In fact, she’s been a total pro about this whole fuckfest. What I meant was that it’s been hell for me to see her every day because she’s so fucking gorgeous all I can think about is jumping her bones.”
“Oh.” Jared waved a hand in the air. “Well, that’s totally understandable. Hell, I have a hot wife at home who’d castrate me if I even thought of cheating. That doesn’t mean she can stop what goes through my brain, and if someone as fine as Julia worked with me, I’d spend half of each day fantasizing about different ways to bang her.”
“Yeah, but you don’t have the extra baggage of knowing exactly what it’s like to bang her. Every time I see her all I can think about is that night in New York. And then I have to feel guilty all over again. Thus the daily hell.”
Jared finished his beer and set the bottle on the ground. “Stupid question here but – you haven’t told Cameron about this, I assume?”
Nathan’s jaw dropped. “Do I look like a guy who wants to walk around without testicles? Of course not. Jesus, the first time she met Julia I thought I was going to puke or faint. Both. Fortunately, Julia’s been cool about it, not giving anything away. Even when Cam bitch slapped her.”
Jared stared. “Wait a sec. I think I need another beer for this one. I’ll sleep it off in time for the game tomorrow.” He reached into the cardboard six- pack they’d brought outside with them and popped the top on another bottle, taking a long swig. “Okay, now tell me about the cat fight. Damn, I can’t believe all of this has been going on and you never said a word. And here I thought your life was boring as hell.”
“I wish. And there wasn’t a cat fight. It was pretty much one-sided. We were all at a client dinner. Cam was having a hissy fit because Julia looked super hot, confronted her in the ladies room, accused her of sleeping with me, and walloped her. She’s lucky Julia didn’t press charges.”
“Holy fuck.” Jared took another drink. “Not that I don’t understand why Cameron might be jealous of your hot little lover, but to actually hit her?”
Nathan shrugged. “Cam was pretty tanked, not that getting drunk is an excuse. And Julia isn’t my lover, okay? It was that one night only.”
“Why’d you do it, Nate? I mean, weren’t you already engaged back in September, even unofficially?”
“I was. As for why – I ask myself that a lot. Part of it was I’d just had a fight with Cam on the phone and I was royally pissed off. And I’d probably put away about four glasses of Macallan by then so I wasn’t thinking with a totally clear head. But mostly,” he sighed, “I just fucking wanted her. Call me a selfish SOB – I have plenty of times – but I couldn’t stop thinking about her. It wasn’t just the pretty face and the wet dream body. When I looked at her there was just – something.”
Jared studied the label on his beer bottle. “So what happens now?”
“What do you mean?” asked Nathan warily. “Nothing. We go on like it never happened. Cameron and I are getting married next February. That part has never been in question.”
“What about Julia?”
“What about her? For all I know, she’s out fucking some new boyfriend right about now. She told me once when I was being a real prick to her that she could walk into any bar or restaurant and have a new guy in a matter of minutes. And she’s right. I’ve seen the way total strangers check her out just walking down the street. Most guys would kneel in front of her and kiss her feet in order to have coffee with her.”
“And you’re okay with that?”
Nathan grabbed another beer. “Fuck no. But I don’t really have a choice in the matter, do I? She isn’t mine, never was, and I don’t have any rights at all to her. Seeing her every day, feeling the urge to back her up against the wall and drill her till she can’t walk, but knowing I can’t even hold her hand – that’s my hell, Jare, my punishment for being a lying, cheating bastard.”
“You should tell Cameron it’s over. Obviously, it wasn’t meant to be with you two, not if you’ve fallen so hard for someone else.”
“No.” Nathan was adamant. “I am not going to be that guy, okay? It’s not Cam’s fault that I was weak, that I was a selfish prick. She and I have a good thing going, and will have a good marriage. So what if it isn’t fantasy stuff? I mean, once you get married all the romance fades away anyway, doesn’t it?”
“Not necessarily. It sure hasn’t for me and Brooke. And that’s a really shitty attitude, Nate. To enter into something like marriage with the thought that you’re just going to be good buddies with your wife? If you’re already feeling that way, you should just do both of you a favor and end it. How are you going to be happy – and make her happy – when you’re in love with someone else?”
“I’ll make it work,” Nathan insisted stubbornly. “Mind over matter, that sort of crap. That’s just the way it has to be. I’m not going to be the dickwad who breaks his engagement to the woman who’s done nothing to deserve that sort of treatment just because his cock twitches every time he sees some other woman. I really don’t think I could live with myself, provided I could ever have big enough balls to actually do it.”
Jared smirked. “Yeah, if Cameron slapped Julia just for looking too pretty, I can’t even imagine what she’d do to you for breaking the engagement. Didn’t you tell me once that her father insists she keep a loaded gun in her condo?” He glanced at his phone, noting the time. “Hell, I really do have to go now. Thanks for dinner and the brews. You’ve got the tickets for the game tomorrow night?”
Nathan nodded. “Club level passes, parking permits, the works. You know how to take care of your loved ones, bro.”
The brothers stood and exchanged a hug before walking through the living room to the front door.
“Hey, thanks for listening to me, Jare. You don’t know how hard it’s been to keep all that bottled up for so many months. I appreciate having you to lean on.”
Jared patted his older brother on the shoulder. “No problem, Nate. Call me anytime you need to talk. My lips are sealed. But you gotta answer one question I’ve been dying to ask since meeting Julia yesterday.”
Nathan eyed him warily. “What’s that?”
Jared grinned wickedly. “Her tits. Are they real?”
Nathan couldn’t help returning the grin. “Well, to quote one of our favorite Seinfeld lines of all time – ‘they’re real and they’re spectacular’.”
“That’s what I thought. Then you’re more of an idiot than I imagined to walk away from a rack like that. Maybe I should set her up with Brandon after all. He loves big tits.”
Nathan wrenched the door open and shoved Jared out. “Get lost. And forget about it. She doesn’t need to be fixed up, especially not with your slutty guy friends.”
“Sounds like sour grapes to me, Nate.”