Chapter Twelve
May
Angela perused the half dozen dresses carefully arranged on Julia’s bed, tapping one finger against her mouth. “You know what the problem is, Jules? You don’t have enough clothes. I think we should take a shopping trip to Neiman Marcus.”
Julia tossed a throw pillow at her friend. “You aren’t helping. I invited you over to help me pick out a dress. Well, and to try and feed you as well. But mostly for the dress.”
“I’m not hungry.” Angela took a sip of her red wine. “And don’t give me that look. It reminds me – not in a good way – of my mother. Not that any reminders of my mom are good ones.”
Julia pointed a finger at Angela. “One way or the other you are going to eat something before you leave here tonight. What have you eaten today – like, a Power Bar and a banana or something? After running, oh, fifteen miles or so?”
Angela shrugged. “Yes to the bar, no to the banana. And it was a twenty mile run, thank you very much. Stop trying to force me to eat, Jules. I’ll eat when I’m hungry, okay?”
Julia frowned as she studied the tall, graceful form of the woman she’d known since fourth grade. Angela DelCarlo had actually been more Lauren’s friend, but she’d been close to Julia as well. Angela had always been slender and willowy, but ever since a disastrous break-up two years ago, she’d lost so much weight that she looked waifish. She was at least twenty pounds lighter then she’d been in college, where she had played volleyball while at Stanford. Lauren thought Angela was scary-skinny, worried that she had an eating disorder, and vowed to do some real damage to the controlling prick who’d destroyed her during their tumultuous year together. Julia just wanted her to eat a sandwich once a day. Oh, and help her pick out a smashing dress for the Design Awards dinner next weekend.
“Okay, here’s what I’m narrowing it down to – these three. The Alexander McQueen blush corset dress, the Dolce and Gabbana black lace, and the Dina bar El blue satin halter. What do you think?” prodded Julia.
“Hmm.” Angela studied the three dresses carefully. It was hard to believe, given that Angela’s normal attire outside of the office these days consisted of workout gear or sweats, but the girl did have a good eye for fashion. Once upon a time she had been a stunning beauty with a figure most models would envy. Now she looked like a strong wind would blow her away, and hadn’t smiled for what seemed like forever.
“Not the McQueen. The color is too pale for you, and the style is a bit girlish in spite of the corset top.” Angela set that dress aside. “The bar El is gorgeous, amazing color on you, Jules. But the Dolce screams sex. If you curl your hair, do a smoky eye and red – no, burgundy lips – every guy in the room will want to fuck you if you wear that dress.”
Julia flushed. “I’m really not sure that’s my intent, honey. I just want to make sure I upstage that bitch Cameron.”
Angela smirked. “Well, you could wear your rattiest yoga pants and a baggy T-shirt and do that from what you’ve told me.”
“Impossible. I don’t have anything in my entire wardrobe you could call ratty. And I never wear baggy clothes. Now that we’ve got the dress, let’s pick the shoes.”
They studied the neatly arranged shelves of shoes, sorted by color, until Angela pointed to a particular pair. “These. Absolutely this pair.”
Julia grinned. “Also D & G. Good eye, Angie.” The sky-high black pumps were made of tulle and suede, with a peep toe, a sultry ankle strap, and a tantalizing little rosette detail on the forefoot.
Angela sighed. “I wish I wore a size six shoe. It’s hard to find cute ones in ten and a half. I have to special order my running shoes.”
“Yes, but I have to hem almost every single dress and skirt because I’m too short. So we all have our little fashion dilemmas. Now, since you’ve been so awesome in helping me pick out a killer outfit, let me feed you, okay?”
Angela rolled her eyes. “Are we still on that? Fine, tempt me with something really yummy and I might eat a few bites.”
Julia pumped her fist in triumph. “Honey, everything that comes out of my kitchen is yummy. Come on, let’s tempt those dormant taste buds of yours.”
Angela drank another glass of wine while Julia whipped up a tomato and cheese tart, salad nicoise, and crème Brule.
“So how did cocktails with that guy turn out the other night?”
Julia shrugged as she mixed up the salad dressing. ”About how I figured they would. Todd’s a nice enough guy – and very good looking – but he’s got player written all over him. Plus, his very favorite topic of conversation is Todd, more Todd, and, oh yes, still more Todd.”
“So he struck out then, huh?”
“I didn’t say that.” Julia smiled mischievously. “He’s taking me to the Design Awards dinner on Saturday.” At Angela’s look of disapproval, she defended herself by saying, “Hey, I needed a date. And he needed to be some real serious man candy.”
“Let me guess. So you can piss off Cameron.”
“No.” Julia shook her head. “She’ll probably be all too happy to see me with a good-looking guy, figuring I wouldn’t be interested in Nathan anymore. He’s the one I want to piss off.”
“Good for you, sweetie.” Angela toasted her. “Show that bastard you don’t give a crap about him any longer, that you’ve moved on.”
“That’s the general idea.”
During a drunken girls night-in about a month ago, Julia had tearfully confessed everything to Angela about what had happened in New York. It had been a comfort to finally have it all out in the open and be able to discuss the whole episode with someone. She had only told Lauren some sketchy details, and had sworn Angela up and down not to breathe another word to her sister, for Julia wouldn’t put it past her twin to actually confront Nathan and give him hell – or even a few bruises. Julia was quite certain that was why Angela had never told them the name of the guy who had wrecked her so badly.
During dinner, which Angela actually ate more than a few bites of, they talked mostly about work, Angela’s marathon training, and Julia’s yoga classes. The one thing they didn’t discuss – by silent mutual agreement – was their equally fucked up love lives. Angela hadn’t dated – hell, had barely left her flat, in fact, except for work and running – since her soul-wrenching breakup, and showed absolutely no interest in men at all, unless they were wealthy clients who wanted to buy a mutual fund or annuity. Julia was interested in men but didn’t trust her judgment these days, since her last two relationships had pretty much imploded.
“How do you shut it off?”
Angela glanced up in surprise from her crème Brule, which she had actually finished, at Julia’s sad, slightly drunk question. She knew exactly what her friend meant.
“The hurt? The betrayal? The heartache?” At Julia’s nod, she licked her spoon. “By shutting down everything. I just don’t feel anything anymore. It’s the only way I’ve been able to deal. It was either that or just be drunk all the time.”
While Julia was getting ready for bed later that evening, Angela’s pragmatic words came back to her, and she knew she didn’t want to live that way. Unlike her friend, Julia wanted to feel, to enjoy life, and to be in a happy relationship. That Angela had been severely damaged was both obvious and tragic, and Julia vowed she’d never let a man have that much power over her.
It was good, therefore, she told herself firmly as she tried to fall asleep, that she was bringing Todd as her date next weekend. The time had come for her to move on and forget about Nathan. Oh, he might desire her but he wasn’t going to act upon that fact. And he certainly wasn’t going to end his engagement for – what for him, at least – was obviously just a bad case of lust. It was well past the time that she wrote Nathan Atwood off as a closed chapter in her life and started living again. And next Saturday night was going to be the perfect launching off point.
Nathan let himself into Cameron’s condo while the driver waited outside. He’d warned the driver that they might be a few minutes, and had received a knowing chuckle in response, with the driver lamenting the fact that his wife was always at least half an hour late for everything.
It had been Cameron’s idea almost a year ago to exchange keys to each other’s place. He’d been a little reluctant at first to hand over a key to his condo, but had relented after she’d persisted. It wasn’t that he didn’t like her having the key, or minded her being in his condo if he wasn’t there. But he had always been something of a private person, liking his own space, and his two-bedroom condo wasn’t exactly spacious. For whatever reason, he always felt a little hemmed in when Cam stayed over, though that likely was due to the fact that she was a huge slob. Evidence of her untidiness was apparent around her condo as he walked into the expansive living/dining area.
There were newspapers, books and files piled haphazardly on the coffee, entry and dining tables. Shoes, handbags, and coats were strewn around without a care. He knew if he walked into the kitchen there would be dirty dishes piled in the sink, and half-empty coffee mugs and takeout containers littering the counters.
Nathan shuddered as he imagined the utter chaos of her bedroom and bathroom, with clothing, shoes and accessories flung every which way in the bedroom, and cosmetics, hair products, wet towels and dirty laundry in complete disarray in the bath.
Fortunately for Cameron, she had a cleaning lady who came in once a week, and Nathan only hoped the poor woman was paid a handsome salary because she would sure as hell earn it cleaning this place. He couldn’t stand living or working in such a mess, one of the reasons he didn’t especially enjoy having Cameron stay over at his place very often. She had long ago started keeping some clothing and toiletries at his condo, a few too many for his preference, while he kept a bare minimum of stuff here at her place. Every time she stayed over at his home, there would be a huge mess to tidy up the next day, despite his frequent pleas to her to pick up. Cameron usually laughed it off, making fun of herself as a hopeless slob, and claiming that she was far too busy to pick up after herself on a regular basis.
It was yet another serious issue they were going to have to resolve very soon, and certainly before they began looking for somewhere else to live. Neither of their current places was large enough for both of them, especially given the complete and utter disaster that was Cameron’s closets. Both bedrooms at her place were spilling over with all of her shit, and there was no organization to either closet whatsoever. Nathan wouldn’t even be able to store a single pair of shoes in either one. That they needed a larger place was obvious, but the real dilemma was exactly where that place should be.
His own place in the south of Market area was three blocks from his office, and as a result he walked there most days. Cameron, on the other hand, lived high atop Nob Hill in the multi-million dollar unit her parents had purchased for her ten years ago, while her gallery was on Union Street. She either drove or took taxis to and from work every day. Understandably, both of them wanted to live as close as possible to their jobs, though Nathan at least was willing to compromise and find someplace halfway between. Cameron, however, was being stubborn and so far had only been willing to consider properties within a couple of miles of her gallery.
And Nathan hadn’t even begun to broach the topic of his Tiburon property with her, knowing the timing really wasn’t good right now. Three years ago, during a downturn in the real estate market, he’d bought a vacant lot with amazing waterfront views in the affluent Marin County community. He planned one day – hopefully soon – to finish designing and then building his dream home and living there full time. The weather was great, the community about as safe as possible, the schools highly rated for their future children. But he wasn’t convinced that he’d ever be able to persuade Cameron to live there, devoted city girl that she was.
‘One thing at a time,’ he told himself. ‘Let’s find a place to live in the city first.”
When Cameron didn’t emerge from her bedroom a couple of minutes after he arrived, he called out to her, “Hey, are you almost ready? The driver is waiting downstairs for us”.
He heard doors being slammed, and other commotion coming from the direction of her bedroom. “Oh, hey, babe. Didn’t hear you come in,” called Cameron. “Yeah, I’ll be out in a few. Sorry, running a little behind schedule.”
“As usual,” he muttered under his breath. Cam’s perpetual tardiness drove him nuts, and it went hand in hand with her sloppiness and general lack of organizational skills.
“Try to hurry, okay?” he admonished. “I’d like to get there before the cocktail hour is over this time.”
“Hah, ha, very funny!” she retorted. “I’m working on it, babe! Be patient.”
His comment hadn’t been an exaggeration, since they had arrived at last year’s Design Awards banquet just as people were sitting down to dinner. He had vowed that wouldn’t happen this year, and had even hired the town car to pick them up and drop them off so he wouldn’t have to hassle with parking and the extra time that would take. The hired car would also allow him to relax and have a few drinks without having to worry about driving home safely.
After nearly a fifteen minute wait, Cameron finally emerged from the bedroom, and he could only stare at her in mingled surprise and a feeling close to horror.
‘Holy shit,” he mumbled under his breath.
For the Cameron standing proudly before him, hand on one cocked hip, bore little resemblance to the classy, somewhat conservatively dressed woman he’d dated for over two years. She’d obviously been aiming for the total bombshell effect tonight, but somehow something had gone horribly wrong.
The most glaring change to her appearance was the long hair extensions that fell halfway down her back. They were stick straight, very blonde, and so obviously fake that she looked like she was wearing a bad wig.
The second, and almost equally glaring change, was the deep gold spray tan. Even her heavily made-up face – with the longest, thickest false eyelashes he’d ever seen up close – was darkly bronzed. Her lips looked fuller and poutier, her lipstick a screaming shade of crimson that matched the color on her long fingernails and the toenails that peeked out of sky high strappy gold shoes.
And a great deal of that fake-tanned skin was exposed by the short, tight, strapless red sequined dress she wore. Nathan’s eyes widened at the display of her cleavage over the low-cut top, and he wondered what sort of miracle bra she’d found to give her small A cup boobs the illusion of being C’s. The hem of the dress ended well up on the thigh, baring most of her long, skinny legs. Cameron typically never wore anything that bared so much of her legs and arms because of their extreme slenderness, but for some reason it was all on full display tonight.
She grinned as he continued to stare at her. “Surprised? I’ve spent something like four days getting ready for this dinner tonight, but I’d say it was well worth it, wouldn’t you?”
Nathan gave himself a mental shake, choosing his words carefully. “I barely recognized you. You look, um, so different.”
Cameron laughed and strode over to him, looping her arms around his neck and giving him a long, deep kiss that he accepted more than returned. Thankfully, she didn’t seem to notice his lack of response. “But don’t worry,” she murmured in his ear. “I waxed two days ago so it won’t interfere with our fun tonight.” She tugged at his earlobe with her teeth while sliding her palm to his crotch, stroking his non-existent erection. “Just so you know, I’m very, very horny. Hope you’re in the mood for some loud, raunchy fucking.”
Nathan was somewhat guiltily aware that he’d never felt less like having sex than he did right now. Not only did Cameron’s startling appearance repulse him, but there were a variety of scents clinging to her that were all co-mingling and producing a rather nauseating result – her heavy, musky perfume, the spray-on tan solution, some sort of hair gunk – perhaps whatever had been used to attach those ridiculous extensions.
When she realized after long seconds of rubbing his crotch that he didn’t have an erection, she frowned slightly and stepped back. “Everything okay?”
“Yes, just fine. But we should really get going. Do you have a coat?”
She giggled and ran her hands down the miniscule expanse of her dress. “Nope, what you see is what you get. It’s a nice night, and we have the car to take us both ways. I wouldn’t think you’d want me to cover all this up, babe.”
He gave her a forced smile. “You’re right. Come on, then. Careful in those shoes, you don’t usually wear such high heels.”
He didn’t mention that with the towering stilettos Cameron was now a bit taller than he was. He also didn’t dare mention that instead of looking like the sexy siren she undoubtedly believed herself to be that she more closely resembled a high class hooker. It was all just a little too much, especially the short, tight dress that was rather inappropriate for the awards dinner venue. But he knew if he even hinted at any of this that Cameron would be hurt or angry or both, and that his evening would be ruined before it even began.
So he kept his opinions to himself as he helped her inside the back seat of the town car. Her dress rode even further up her thighs, exposing her all the way to the crotch where he could see her red lace thong peeking out. He’d never really had the guts to tell her that he actually didn’t like it when she got one of her Brazilian waxes. He knew a lot of guys preferred it when their women waxed off all their pubic hair, but he was just the opposite. He was fairly certain the main reason Cameron waxed regularly was so he wouldn’t suspect she wasn’t a natural blonde, something he had been well aware of since meeting her.
She seemed especially amorous tonight, sitting so close beside him she was practically in his lap. She continued to run her hand up and down the length of his thigh, her fingers teasingly brushing against his crotch. With the other hand she pressed his arm against her small breast. Nathan felt guilty again, knowing that between their hectic work schedules and his own odd ennui lately, that it had been more than two weeks since they’d slept together. And that had been a quick, hurried encounter that he’d been half afraid he wouldn’t even be able to finish given his lack of arousal.
“I am sooo looking forward to tonight,” she whispered sensuously in his ear. “Maybe we can cut out of the dinner a little early to get started on the night’s real festivities.” She cupped his crotch, fondling him through his trousers. “Unless you want to have a quickie right now,” she suggested naughtily.
Nathan was uncomfortably aware that he wasn’t even the least bit hard, and was desperately trying to think up a reason why when he was saved by the trilling of Cameron’s cell phone. She grabbed it out of her bag somewhat impatiently, but her eyes lit up when she saw who the caller was.
“Damn. Sorry, babe, this is an artist I’ve been trying to get a hold of for a week now. I need to take this.”
He was relieved when she moved slightly away from him to take the call, and even more so when the call didn’t end until the driver pulled up outside of the hotel. The pre-dinner cocktail party was in full swing when they arrived, though Nathan was relieved to see they still had a half hour or so until dinner. In addition to his co-workers and staff present tonight, there were bound to be several friends and acquaintances he knew. After ordering his usual scotch on the rocks and a dirty martini for Cameron, he was tapped on the shoulder. Spinning around, he grinned to see Ryan Latimer standing there, accompanied by his very pregnant wife Sophie.
The two men exchanged a quick hug, and Nathan bent to kiss Sophie’s cheek while Ryan did the same to Cameron. He and Ryan had been classmates at Berkeley, and kept in frequent touch despite the fact that Ryan worked for one of Atwood Headley’s chief competitors.
“Awesome to see you, buddy,” greeted Ryan. “I figured you’d be here seeing as you and your group are up for three awards tonight. Again.”
Nathan smirked. “What can I say? It’s been another good year. But great to see both of you, too. Baby’s due when – two months?”
Sophie, a pretty brunette of medium height, nodded. “Ten weeks, to be exact. If I last that long. It’s getting a little uncomfortable to waddle around these days.”
Ryan grinned and pressed a kiss to his wife’s head. “Don’t listen to her. She’s doing great. But let’s have a look at this gorgeous thing next to you.” He let out a low wolf whistle as he regarded Cameron. “Almost didn’t recognize you, Cam. You’re looking hot, girl.”
Cameron visibly preened at the compliment, the kind that Nathan hadn’t been able to bring himself to give her. “Thanks, hon. Thought I’d try a new look. Spice things up a bit, you know?”
As the Latimers continued to compliment Cameron on her new look, Nathan wondered if they were being sincere or just polite. He’d seen the startled look on both of their faces when they’d first seen Cameron, especially Sophie’s. In fact, Cameron seemed to be getting quite a few looks, from both men and women, and Nathan was starting to feel a little self-conscious with her hanging all over him. She was by far the most scantily clad woman here so far, her attire much more suited for a dance club than a semi-formal dinner.
They walked around the room, greeting several of his co-workers including Eric, Jake, and Brent, all of whom exhibited equal surprise at the sight of the new Cameron. From across the room he caught Travis’ eye, and his partner was staring at Cameron in frank disbelief. Travis bent to whisper something in Anton’s ear, and the shorter man looked over at Nathan and Cameron, only to gape at them slack jawed. Nathan quickly hustled Cameron out of their range of vision, not wanting any sort of confrontation tonight.
With that goal in mind, he’d given Travis very strict instructions not to sit at the same table with him and Cameron. Travis had assured him that he had requested a separate table just for his staff, which had silently answered another of Nathan’s requests – to keep Cameron and Julia far apart.
He assumed she was here tonight, though in this crowded, tightly packed room it was difficult to find anyone, and he certainly wasn’t going out of his way to locate her. The further apart he could keep the two women the better. So far Cameron seemed to be having a great time tonight, chatting and laughing with everyone they came in contact with. It was a major change from the tense, uncomfortable atmosphere at the Taverna Francesca fiasco a couple of months ago.
He’d just handed Cameron a second martini and was about to take a sip from his re-filled glass of scotch when yet another old friend approached to shake his hand. He and Travis had worked with Will Dunleavy at their former firm. Will had moved on to a smaller firm, but he kept in regular contact with Nathan. The last time he’d actually seen Will, though, had been last year at this very same function.
“How the hell are you, man?” greeted Will. “Can’t believe we haven’t seen each other in a whole fucking year. Where does the time go?”
Nathan shook his head. “Tell me about it. I never seem to have a free minute these days.”
“I haven’t even congratulated you on your engagement,” bemoaned Will. “Saw the news on your Facebook page. Cameron’s a great girl. I hope the two of you will be real happy. Where is the beautiful bride-to-be anyway?”
Nathan spied her a short distance away chatting up the wife of yet another Berkeley classmate of his, and pointed her out to Will. “What about you, William?” he asked, jokingly using his full name. “Surely you’re not here solo tonight?”
Will shrugged. “’Fraid so, my man. I was seeing someone for a few months but we just split up a couple of weeks ago. I haven’t been in the mood to start trolling around for a replacement. You know, it gets kind of old after awhile.”
“Yeah, I know exactly what you mean,” agreed Nathan with a grimace. “That’s one of the main reasons I wanted to get married. Playing the field is great for about ten years, and then it all gets to be a big game you grow tired of.”
“I hear you.” Will glanced across the room, his smile deepening. “Oh, hey, there’s old Travis. I see he and his little dude are still together. What’s his name again?”
“Anton. And yes, they just celebrated their fourth anniversary. It’s kind of sad that Travis has been in a longer-term relationship that either of us.”
Will chuckled. “How about that.” Then his jaw dropped and he let out a long, low whistle. “But who the hell is that standing next to the happy couple? Goddamn, that is the hottest babe I’ve ever seen in my life. How the fuck does Travis know someone like that?”
Nathan knew who Will was drooling over even before he turned and saw Julia for the first time that evening. “Fuck me,” he muttered under his breath, his heart pounding furiously as he saw how gorgeous she looked tonight. Gorgeous, and sinfully, erotically sexy.
He’d never seen her looking quite like this – in full-out femme fatale mode. And while Cameron’s own attempts to look like a sultry siren had failed rather miserably, Julia had no such problem. She looked like – sex.
She wore a black dress with a ruffled hem and a V-neckline trimmed in black lace that showcased her spectacular tits. Nathan quickly bolted down the last of his scotch as his gaze remained fixed on the generous amount of cleavage she was displaying tonight, and the erection that he hadn’t been able to summon up earlier was at instant and full attention now. She’d left all that glorious hair loose, except for a few curls she’d piled messily on top of her head. She was wearing more makeup than usual - her eyes darkly shadowed and lined, her pillowy lips shiny with dark red gloss. She was wearing those sheer black stockings that were the bane of his existence, and the sexiest shoes he’d ever seen – high, high heels, ankle straps, and a bow on the forefoot.
She was so delicious, so arousing, that he wanted to fling himself at her feet and beg for whatever small attention she might be generous enough to bestow upon him. He saw now how many other covetous male glances were being directed her way, staring at her face, her mouth, her breasts, her legs. And Nathan longed to yell out to all of them to stop looking at her because she was his. He wanted to stride over and cover her up with his black suit jacket so that no one else could admire and lust after her gorgeous tits.
Will was nudging him frantically. “So spill the beans. Who is that beautiful creature? And how can I get an introduction?”
Nathan motioned a passing waiter to bring him another scotch before answering Will. “Her name is Julia McKinnon and she’s one of Travis’ designers. As for an intro, buddy, you’ll have to finagle that yourself. I, um, stay out of my employees’ personal lives.”
“Well, probably doesn’t matter anyway. That guy she’s with sure as hell doesn’t seem like he wants to share. And as much of a stud as I am, I’ve got to admit I’m not in his league.”
Nathan felt the rage begin to build rapidly, like water about to boil over, as he belatedly noticed the man glued to Julia’s side. She’d brought a date – a fucking date – and what made matters so much worse was that the man with her tonight was Todd Bryant. Nathan had to acknowledge – reluctantly – that the fucker was even better looking than his Linkedin photo and about two inches taller than himself. They did look awfully good together – Todd tall and darkly handsome, Julia petite and fair and lovely.
Nathan snatched his third glass of Macallan from the waiter and downed half of it at once, his gut clenching unpleasantly as he watched Todd slide an arm around Julia’s waist, hugging her close to his side. She looked relaxed and happy, daintily sipping on a flute of champagne.
‘Motherfucker!’ he cursed under his breath. ‘Champagne.’ Julia was drinking champagne. What was it she’d said at the Taverna dinner – ‘I only drink champagne when I want to be seduced.’ She was planning on letting this suave, smooth talker with the gel-spiked black hair seduce her tonight. Shit, for all he knew they’d already fucked, multiple times. He watched the way Todd’s gaze dropped to Julia’s cleavage, and he wanted to run over and slam his fist in the prick’s gut.
The call to dinner came then, but his relief was short-lived for the table that Julia and her overly-amorous escort sat at was across from his own, giving him a direct line of view.
Despite the lively conversation at his table – where three of the other architects and their guests sat along with him and Cameron – Nathan grew increasingly silent and terse as the evening wore on. He polished off his fourth glass of scotch before starting on the Cabernet Sauvignon. He knew he was getting quietly, steadily drunk, barely touching his food, but it was the only way he knew how to cope with seeing the woman he so desperately desired being continually pawed by another man.
Nathan had to temper down his rage as he watched Todd touch Julia on the arm, the shoulder, the nape of her neck. He wanted to throw wine in the asshole’s face when Todd ran his fingers through a lock of Julia’s silky hair. Todd’s gaze seemed frozen on her breasts, and to Nathan it appeared that her neckline revealed more and more full, creamy flesh as the evening wore on. He was hard and aching, his balls throbbing with the need for release, but he only wanted Julia and it seemed like she was now completely off limits to him.
She looked up once and caught his burning gaze upon her, giving a little gasp. She worried her bottom lip uncertainly before looking away. Fortunately, Cameron was too busy being in her element as the center of attention and didn’t notice his preoccupation with the next table over. It would have only taken one time for her to notice the way he was staring at Julia, most certainly with a combination of undisguised lust and barely controlled rage, and she would have gone crazy. When the awards ceremony started while dessert was still being served, he kept his fingers crossed that that he wouldn’t win any awards that would require him to walk up to the stage and make an acceptance speech. At this point he wasn’t sure his legs would be steady enough, and he was damned certain his brain was far too addled with booze to utter a coherent sentence.
He wasn’t nominated for any individual awards this year but the firm as a group was. In addition, both Travis and Eric were up for individual honors. The firm wound up losing to another group, but Travis and Eric did win, and Nathan joined in the rowdy applause coming from the tables occupied by the staff.
The evening continued after the awards presentation with dancing. The bar also remained open, and Nathan watched grimly as Todd escorted Julia there, walking right past his table without glancing at him or saying a word.
Cameron noticed them as they passed and frowned. “I didn’t realize she was here tonight.” She sniffed. “At least she brought a man of her own so she doesn’t have to pant after mine.”
He finished off his wine, having lost count of how many glasses he’d consumed. “Don’t start, okay? It’s been a nice evening so far, don’t ruin it.”
“Yeah, a nice evening where you haven’t said a word, and you’ve been pounding back the drinks all night. What has you so pissed off anyway?” she hissed.
“I’m not pissed off.”
“Fine,” she challenged. “Then dance with me. Come on.”
Nathan gave a slight groan but allowed Cameron to pull him to his feet – a bit shakily – and propel him to the dance floor. Fortunately, it was a slow dance so he didn’t have to do much more than guide her around in circles. The feel of her body pressed up closely to his wasn’t the least bit arousing, and in fact he found her clinginess tonight annoying. He was relieved when the song ended, to be replaced by a fast song currently popular on the charts.
“I’m going to sit this one out, okay?” he told her. “Maybe get some coffee.”
She looked annoyed but merely gave a shrug as she sauntered off to join in the dance with a group of other wives and girlfriends. Soon there were nearly a dozen women all gathered in a tight group shaking and shimmying to the music. Grateful to escape, Nathan started making his way to the bar, hoping they had a hot pot of coffee ready. He was really starting to feel the effects of too much alcohol, his head beginning to pound and his gait unsteady.
But then he saw Julia leaving the banquet room alone, and he changed his mind about the coffee.
Julia escaped into the quiet sanctuary of the ladies room gratefully. She really needed to get away from Todd and his overly eager hands for a few minutes. It had been a huge mistake to invite him along as her date tonight. She’d known that the minute he had picked her up at her flat, sweeping her into an amorous embrace and a demanding kiss. He’d suggested having a quickie before going to the dinner, and even blowing the dinner off altogether. He had been a bit pissy when she had gently but firmly refused both ideas and she wasn’t looking forward to the end of the evening when she was going to refuse him again. In fact, she already knew she wouldn’t be seeing him again after tonight.
Oh, he’d been charming enough, maybe a little too much considering how touchy-feely the guy was. It seemed that his overeager hands were everywhere, and not just on places like her arm or shoulder. Three times now his hand had been sliding up her thigh, even under her dress, and she’d had to remove it a little more firmly each time. And she was cursing herself for wearing the Dolce & Gabbana, given the way Todd kept staring at the lavish display of her breasts in the low-cut dress. She swore she could practically feel his hot breath on her bare skin, and had felt his hand “accidentally” brush up against the side of her boob a couple of times.
And while there was no denying the guy was handsome – Julia had noticed all the roving female eyes directed his way – he made her skin crawl for some reason. Maybe it was the fact he wore too much cologne mingled with the scent of his hair gel, or that he talked incessantly about himself, no matter who tried to change the subject. And he was constantly checking his phone for messages or sending texts – in between talking about himself, of course. Julia was quite certain that the texts were to and from other women, a fact that didn’t bother her in the least.
The guy was a player through and through, and under normal conditions she wouldn’t have given someone like him the time of day. But it had been a necessary evil to bring a date tonight – and not just any date. Knowing that Nathan and Cameron would be in attendance, Julia supposed it was a matter of pride to show both of them that she had her own hot guy and didn’t need to lust after Cameron’s. She sure as hell hadn’t wanted any sort of confrontation with Cameron, and bringing Todd along had pretty much guaranteed that wouldn’t happen.
But, truth be told, she’d really wanted to make Nathan jealous, to make sure he really knew just how capable she was of getting a man. And, of course, to rub his nose in the reality of just what it was he’d rejected, to remind him quite blatantly of all that he was missing. While helping her get ready tonight Angela had assured her that she looked hot enough to sizzle to the touch, and Todd’s jaw had dropped when he’d first seen her in the scintillating black dress. She had hoped rather snarkily that Nathan would be eating his heart out by the time the evening ended.
The tables had wound up being turned on her, however, when she saw how mouthwateringly sexy he looked tonight. Clad all in black – suit, shirt, silk tie – he looked like the devil in his most handsome and tempting form. His thick, dark brown hair had been expertly styled, and she’d longed to climb onto his lap, kiss him senseless, and run her hands through his locks. She’d been sneaking discreet little glances at him all though dinner and the awards, occasionally meeting his gaze. Fortunately, Cameron had been chatting with someone each time and hadn’t witnessed their brief interactions.
Julia had been startled – more like shocked – when she’d seen Cameron for the first time tonight. The change in her appearance was astounding, but Julia privately didn’t think it was in a good way. The very obvious hair extensions were too long and stick straight, and didn’t suit Cameron’s long, thin face at all. The short, tight dress was all wrong for her tall, slender body, for it emphasized just how skinny she was. And the killer heels – which Julia enviously recognized as Jimmy Choos – made Cameron an inch or two taller than Nathan.
Travis and Anton hadn’t been anywhere near as kind with their opinions. After they’d stopped alternately staring in horrified disbelief, then laughing hysterically, the comments had really poured out.
“My God, she looks like a bad female impersonator, “gasped Travis in between bouts of giggles.”I swear I know half a dozen trannies that are better looking and have more curves than her.”
“Well, if her art gallery folds it’s nice to know she’s got another career to fall back on,” smirked Anton. “One that involves a lot of falling on her back. Ooh, I’ve got to get a photo and Instagram it to Stephanie. The girl can add it to her Facebook album.”
Todd, naturally, had been rather bemused at their cackling and commentary but Julia had told him this was how Travis and Anton usually behaved. That hadn’t, however, stopped Anton from keeping the quips up all during dinner, albeit in whispered tones to either Julia or Travis.
“She’s only tarted herself up, you know, to try and compete with you,” Anton had murmured. “Oh, not that you look like a tart, baby girl. On the contrary, you look more fabulous than ever. But instead of looking sexy, Cameron just looks like a sad clown.”
Julia finished tidying up her hair and makeup before tucking her lip gloss back inside her black satin clutch. As she exited the empty ladies room, she wondered what Nathan thought of his fiancée’s dramatic new style. The few times she’d dared glance in his direction, he’d seemed silent and morose, but each time Cameron had been hanging all over him – clutching his arm, rubbing his neck, kissing his cheek. Julia’s fingers had itched to go yank those ridiculous hair extensions from her scalp or to dunk her overly made-up face into her bowl of soup.
They said jealousy was a two-edged sword, and that was definitely the case tonight. While she had tried to make Nathan jealous, she herself was almost sick with the same emotion as she saw him with Cameron. Her ploy at bringing Todd along as her date hadn’t worked out so well, for it didn’t seem to be bothering Nathan in the least.
She hadn’t walked more than a few yards from the ladies room on her way back to the banquet when a hand reached out and manacled itself around her upper arm. Julia gasped in surprise as she spun around to face a livid Nathan. He was unsmiling, his face slightly reddened, and she half-expected to see smoke curling out of the top of his head.
“Nathan, what in the world -“
She was cut off from the rest of her sentence when he began to walk in the opposite direction of the banquet room, propelling her along in his wake. He didn’t say a word, but his anger was obvious and she had zero idea why he was so pissed off at her when they hadn’t exchanged a single word all evening. She could smell the lingering traces of alcohol on his breath, and wondered how much he’d had to drink tonight. He didn’t stop his progress until they reached the end of the hallway, and he yanked her inside an empty, darkened meeting room, slamming the door shut behind them.
“What are you do -“ she began, only to be cut off again, this time by him shoving her up against a wall and kissing her with such force that she whimpered. He held her face between his hands, his tongue ravaging her mouth as he pressed his body against hers, pinning her in place and not permitting her to move away. Julia clutched handfuls of his suit jacket, not sure if she should be pushing him away or pulling him closer. He kept kissing her with those hungry, devouring kisses until her head began to spin and she thought she might faint from lack of oxygen. She began to push at his shoulders almost frantically, and finally tore her mouth away, gasping for air. Nathan rested his head on her shoulder, his mouth pressed against her throat, his breathing as ragged and uneven as her own. His body continued to press against hers, holding her firmly pinned with her back against the wall, and she squirmed to get loose.
“Nathan, we – we can’t,” she whispered faintly. “Please, we should get back. We’ll – they’ll start to wonder where we are.”
“I don’t give a shit,” he muttered. “Unless you’re in a hurry to get back to your new lover, that is.”
Julia winced at the rage in his voice and tried to turn her head away. “Don’t, Nathan.”
He grasped her chin, forcing her to look at him. Even in the darkened room, with only the Exit lights lending a bit of illumination, she could see his light blue eyes glittering fiercely. “I’ll bet he’s real anxious to get you home so he can fuck you good and hard,” he bit out. “The way he’s been putting his filthy hands all over you, how he keeps staring at these beautiful tits.” He ran a rough hand over her breast, squeezing it until she gasped. “Unless, of course, he’s already fucked you. Has he, Julia? Have you let that asshole fuck you?”
She closed her eyes, trembling from the force of his anger. “No,” she confessed breathlessly. “We haven’t – done that yet.”
Nathan’s hand caressed her cheek. “But he wants to. Badly. I can tell you all the filthy, nasty things he’d dying to do to you, baby. The first involves this pretty, sexy mouth of yours.”
He tugged her lower lip with his teeth, sucking at it until she groaned, and then kissed her again with long, slow licks. His kisses were different from earlier, more sensual and arousing, more deliberate, and she began to make hungry little noises beneath the coaxing pressure of his mouth. He kissed her until she was whimpering, her lips feeling bruised beneath the demanding pressure of his mouth, his tongue ravishing her endlessly.
“He wants to kiss you just like this,” he breathed in between those slow, seductive kisses. “To taste this delicious mouth with his tongue, lick these perfect lips, have you suck his fingers just like this.” He slipped two fingers inside her mouth, groaning when her tongue flicked out to curl around them. “But that’s only the beginning of what he wants you to do. He wants you to suck his cock, to wrap those pretty lips around him and blow him hard until he shoots his load down your throat, and watches you swallow every drop.”
Julia whimpered at this deliberately dirty talk, finding it wickedly arousing. He kissed her again, a wet, open-mouthed kiss that took complete possession of her mouth, leaving her weak-kneed and shaking. She was so turned on that she couldn’t speak, or think of anything but how much he was arousing her, how much she craved him to fuck her again.
He pressed his hot mouth against the side of her neck, running his tongue around her ear. “Next, he wants to mark you right here so that everyone will know you’re his. So that no one else would dare to do any of these nasty things to you, because he’s the only one who has that right.”
She gave a little cry when he bit the tender skin, sucking hard enough to leave a mark. He followed this action by soothing the bite with his tongue, before tugging the lobe of her ear with his teeth.
His hand moved up and down her bare arms caressingly, toying with the lace-edged strap of her dress. He ran a finger over the high curves of her breasts before dipping into the space between them. Her breathing grew choppy as he deliberately aroused her, taunting her with his caresses. There was zero doubt that he was the one in complete control right now, and she could only stare at him mesmerized and let him do whatever he wanted.
“And of course, what he really wants is to see these beautiful breasts.” Slowly he slid the strap of her dress off one shoulder, revealing the full globe of her breast encased in a low-cut black lace bra. “Every man in that room tonight wants to see these big, gorgeous tits.” He slipped his palm beneath the lacy bra cup, squeezing the bare, warm flesh of her breast.
“Nathan.” His name escaped her lips with a moan as his fingers pinched her nipple and her head fell back limply against the wall.
“He wants to kiss them.” He pressed hot, hungry kisses along the bared flesh of her upper breasts and into the deep cleavage between. “Suck and lick these pretty pink nipples.” She gasped as he yanked the bra strap down her arm, causing her breast to pop out. “Make you scream his name and beg for more.”
“Oh, God,” she panted, threading her hands into his hair as he bent and took the nipple into his mouth, suckling her hard.
Without lifting his head from her swollen, achy breast, he yanked the strap of her dress and bra down the other side until both breasts were bared, her arms trapped in place. While continuing to lick and suck at one breast, he cupped the other in his hand, twisting the nipple between his fingers.
“Ohhh,” she murmured in pleasure, feeling the wetness between her legs as he continued to lavish attention on her ultra-sensitive breasts. “God, that feels so good, Nathan.”
“Shh.” He lifted his head from her breast, placing a finger over her lips. “I haven’t finished yet.” He sunk to his knees in front of her, running his hands up and down her stockinged legs from ankle to knee.
“He’ll want you to leave these shoes on because they’re so damned hot. He’s been thinking all night about fucking you while you’re wearing these sexy shoes, with your legs wrapped around his neck.” He toyed with the little bow on the instep before wrapping his fingers around her ankle. “And he’ll be almost ready to blow his load when he feels how silky these stockings are, and sees up close how amazing your gorgeous legs look in them.”
Julia groaned when he began to run his tongue along the back of her knee and up her thigh. He grasped the hem of her dress, and slowly began to roll it upwards, an inch or two at a time, until the fabric was bunched at her waist, baring her lower body to his hot, fevered gaze.
“Jesus, look at you.” His voice was hoarse, barely audible as he slid his hand to the top of one silky black stocking, two of his fingers slipping inside to tease the soft flesh of her thigh.
“You look like a fucking wet dream come to life in this, baby,” he said raggedly, tugging at the ultra short hem of her sheer black garter skirt. His roaming hands crept under the sexy little garment to cup her butt, half-bared by the high cut of her lacy black panties.
“Naughty, dirty girl, baring your ass like this,” he scolded playfully.”Naughty girls like you need to be spanked when they’ve been bad.”
Julie cried out, startled, when his palm smacked one round buttock, then the other. She was so aroused, so desperately needy for his touch that her whole body was quivering now. She was so wet that she thought she’d go mad if he didn’t touch her – there – and soon.
“Nathan, please. Oh, God, I need –“she broke off, unable to form the words.
“I know what you need, baby. And I’m going to give it to you real soon,” he promised in a husky voice. “Now let me finish, hmm?”
He hooked his thumbs in the waistband of her panties, and pulled them slowly down her legs until they pooled at her feet and she stepped out of them. He picked them up, bringing them to his face, and inhaled deeply.
“Aw, hell, you smell so good, baby. And you got these pretty, sexy panties all wet. Mmm, I’ll bet your pussy is real juicy by now. Let’s find out, hmm?”
She let out a sigh of bliss when he ran his tongue through her slick folds. He licked her clit before sucking on it hard, drawing a long moan from her throat. And then he was thrusting two long fingers deep, deep inside of her while continuing to suck on her clit.
Julia was so aroused, so desperately needy, that the first orgasm came quickly, and she shuddered with the force of it, crying out weakly as her hands tangled in his hair. But Nathan gave her no respite, simply removing his fingers from her throbbing pussy and replacing them with his eager, hungry mouth. He licked her wet folds, sucking her labia between his lips while his thumb rubbed circles around her clit. It seemed like mere seconds before she was climaxing again, clutching his head to her as he continued to stimulate the super-sensitive flesh between her legs.
Nathan slid back up her body, holding her close as she shook, soothing her by stroking her hair and pressing kisses to her temple, her forehead. “He wants to do all that to you and more, baby,” he whispered in a low, wicked voice. “To finger fuck that hot little cunt until you scream, and then lick up all the juice until you come again. And then he wants you to taste how delicious you are.”
His lips were still shiny with her juices and she groaned when he kissed her savagely, bruising her mouth and letting her taste the salty muskiness. She was wild for him now, slipping her hands inside his jacket and pulling him close, rubbing her bare breasts against his shirt and loving the way the fabric abraded her flesh. She kissed him back with equal force, sucking on his tongue and biting his lip until he swore softly.
She could feel the heavy thudding of his heart against her breasts, hear how his breathing was labored and uneven. He was grinding himself against her as they kissed hungrily, unable to get close enough. She slid a hand down his chest, over his stomach, until her palm opened and cupped his rock hard erection through his pants.
He moaned, a sound that was a mix of pleasure and pain, and he fisted his hand in her hair, still kissing her, as she stroked the length of his cock. “Ah, Julia, sweetheart,” he gasped. “Fuck, that feels so good. God, I’m going to explode in another minute. I want you so much, baby. Here, let me.”
He unzipped his fly and released his cock, which she immediately took into her hand, stroking and pumping it. He put his hand on her wrist, stilling her motions. “No, stop, baby. I’m going to come in your hand if you do that. And that’s not what’s supposed to happen.”
Nathan lifted one of her legs, wrapping it around his hip. Their eyes met in the semi-darkness, and she was almost afraid of the rawness of his expression.
“Because what he wants most of all,” he drawled seductively, “is to ram his cock so deep inside of you, fuck you so hard and so good, that you won’t be able to walk tomorrow. That’s all he’s been able to think about all night – fucking you just like this.”
“Ohhh, God!”
“Ah, Christ!”
Their cries of passion were vocal and simultaneous, as he thrust inside of her in one swift, hard movement. Nathan stilled briefly, holding her leg wrapped firmly around his, as he buried his face in the side of her neck.
“Nothing has ever felt this good before,” he uttered brokenly. “And it’s never felt so right.”
He started to move again, his thrusts slow and controlled at first, then increasing in force and speed as he pounded her against the wall. Julia was pinned between the wall and Nathan’s hard body, and she whimpered in mingled arousal and fear, never having seen this aggressive, domineering side of him, as he didn’t just fuck her but possess her. He rode her so hard that she saw stars, her head banging against the wall with each powerful thrust. Time and time again she felt herself on the very brink of orgasm, but she intentionally held back, wanting to prolong the bliss as long as possible. She clutched him to her, needing him so desperately that it brought tears to her eyes, her body starved for the lover she’d missed so badly. Greedily, she didn’t want this to end, wanted him to go on fucking her for hours and hours, until she was raw and bruised. It would be worth it, she thought incoherently, willing to pay any price just to have him back inside of her like this.
He was breathing so hard she could barely understand the words he whispered to her, his voice guttural. “I’m going to come any second now, baby, fill you up with cum until I’m drained. Touch yourself, baby, come with me.”
Gasping, Julia touched her clit, which was almost unbearably sensitive from her prior orgasms. But she obeyed his command, rubbing her fingers over and around the distended nub as he continued to fuck her like a madman, catapulting both of them over the edge to a screaming, shaking climax. Nathan called her name out over and over, like a chant, crushing her against him as he came, his mouth sucking her neck in another of those searing love bites. She tried to utter a cry, but only silence escaped her parted lips, too wrung out to make a noise.
When he finally lifted his head and pulled away to adjust his clothing, Julia’s wobbly legs gave out and she slid down the wall, too weak to stand. She was too dazed and exhausted to care what she looked like at this moment – half-undressed and thoroughly fucked. She sat on the floor, her legs sprawled out like a broken doll’s, her head lolling to one side.
Nathan squatted down beside her, grasping her chin in his hand and forcing her to look at him. He looked satisfied and almost smug, the side of his mouth curling up into a wicked half-smile.
“Your would-be lover might crave everything I just had,” he told her quietly. “but he’s going to know that I was there first. He’s going to smell my scent all over your body, see where I left my mark on your skin, and hear my name on your lips. And if he still dares to fuck you, he’ll feel my cum deep inside you.”
She moaned softly at his words, closing her eyes, until he pressed a soft kiss to her lips. “God, don’t let him touch you, Julia,” he pleaded. “I know I don’t have the right to ask but I’m asking anyway.”
A single tear ran down her cheek as she opened her eyes and gazed at him. “And can you tell me you aren’t going to touch Cameron tonight?” she whispered shakily. At his startled expression, she turned her head away. “Don’t bother answering that. Just go now, Nathan. Please. I need to be alone.”
“Baby -“he began, only to shake his head as he got to his feet. “Julia, I’m not going to leave you here, not like this. Come on, I’ll walk you to the ladies room.”
“No.” She brushed away the hand he extended to her. “I want to be by myself for a few minutes. Leave me alone, Nathan.”
She curled herself into a little ball, wrapping her arms around her bent knees and hiding her face. Silent sobs shook her body, but she refused to let him comfort her. Moments later, she heard the quiet click of the door as he left, and only then did she raise her head, tears streaming unchecked down her cheeks. Once again, Nathan had made her cry, and she mentally kicked herself for allowing him to have this affect on her.
He was her addiction, the forbidden temptation that she just couldn’t leave alone, and he was slowly destroying her. The scariest part of that realization, though, was that she knew she didn’t have the strength to kick the habit.