Chapter Eight
February
After a month on the job at Atwood Headley, Julia had quickly learned the telephone extensions of the key personnel in the office. Thus, she recognized the incoming call as being from Robyn, Nathan’s super-efficient assistant.
“Good morning, Robyn. How are you today?” she said as pleasantly as possible. The older woman had been exceedingly kind to Julia since day one.
“Just great, hon. Listen, the boss asked me to tell you that the Gregson meeting has been moved up by fifteen minutes, so be ready to leave here around nine-thirty. Is that okay?”
A quick glance at the clock on her computer shoved it to be just after eight-thirty. “Yes, that’s fine. I’ll meet Nathan by the elevators then.”
“Perfect. Talk to you later.”
Julia sighed as she hung up the phone. Over the past few weeks, anytime Nathan needed to communicate with her it had either been through Robyn or via email. Any face to face meetings they’d had – primarily about the Napa hotel project – had also been attended by at least one other person, usually that idiot Jake Harriman who spent most of the meeting staring at her tits. Nathan had certainly fulfilled his part of their bargain – acting like the perfect gentleman, always professional, always distant. Julia had a hard time reconciling his current behavior with the seductive, flirtatious, and passionate man she’d met in New York. No doubt, she thought unhappily, he was only sharing that particular side of his personality with his fiancée.
Being around Nathan on an almost daily basis had been far more difficult – and heartbreaking – than Julia could have imagined. She’d always been a sucker for a man who could wear a suit really well, and Nathan wore his collection of tailored designer suits – Armani, Prada, Gucci, Dolce & Gabbana – far better than most. He had a good eye for color – no doubt he had something of an artistic side given his chosen profession – and always paired his suits with perfectly coordinated shirts and ties. Her particular favorite was his black pinstriped D&G, especially when he teamed it with a crisp white shirt and dark red tie. She loved the way the beautifully cut jacket emphasized the breadth of his shoulders and back, and how the trousers fell just so from his slim hips.
Each time they met, her fingers itched to run themselves through all that thick, dark brown hair. She longed to see those beautiful light blue eyes twinkle at her, his sinfully full mouth to smile at her just once – really smile, not just one of those brief, polite acknowledgments that one might bestow on a total stranger. He never once asked her a personal questions, how her weekend had been, or complemented her on her appearance.
And yet, he did all those things and more to nearly everyone else in the office, male and female. She’d seen him give Becca, the receptionist, a wide grin and compliment her bright red sweater. Just two days ago he’d asked Jake the Jerk – and his sidekick Brent the Bonehead – about their weekends and had listened as each described in excruciating detail what they’d done. He’d even teased Courtney about her latest hair color – this one a bright electric blue. But with Julia herself, it seemed he was doing an exemplary job of acting like she didn’t exist beyond her sketches and designs for the Napa hotel.
He had, in fact, been a bit harsh with his critiques and she’d had to re-do a number of the designs several times. She had agreed with a few of his suggestions, but on most of the others she’d really felt like he was nitpicking and intentionally making things challenging for her. But she was determined to succeed here and had made every change he’d requested without complaint or argument.
She was working harder and putting in more hours than she had at Manhattan Interiors, but also felt more artistically fulfilled and satisfied with her work. There was more variety, more challenges, and more demands but she found those things had also lit a spark in her creative side, and in her opinion she was producing some of her best work right now.
Julia was actually grateful for the long hours she’d been working, a welcome diversion to her continuing infatuation with Nathan. In the six weeks or so since she’d moved to San Francisco, her day to day life had fallen into a busy but satisfying routine. She rose early enough to make it to a 6:00am Ashtanga yoga class at a studio close to her flat. She was at her desk beginning her work day by eight-thirty, and often worked past six in the evening. She cooked dinner for herself most nights – and occasionally for Angela when she could persuade her upstairs neighbor and girlhood friend to actually eat something. Weekends thus far had been spent doing household chores, laundry, shopping, more yoga, and dragging Angela to an occasional movie or dinner out.
One thing she did not do was go trolling in clubs or bars as she’d bragged to Nathan about. That had never been her scene and the only one-night stand she’d had in her life had been Nathan. And while San Francisco was proving to be little different from New York in terms of how many men stared at her or tried to hit on her, Julia was in absolutely no rush to have a steady man in her life. She tried to tell herself it was just because she had been so busy – settling into her new flat, getting to know her way around the city, and of course the many demands of her new job. But deep down she knew it was because she was too attracted to Nathan to want to settle for someone else, even though the attraction certainly seemed one-sided at this point.
Pride had demanded that Julia look her absolute best every single day at work, and she went out of her way to always wear stunning clothes and shoes, make sure her makeup was flawless and her hair perfect. She didn’t consciously think about flaunting herself in Nathan’s face, as though to remind him of everything he was missing, but knew that was likely the real motivation. She spent hours every weekend getting her outfits ready for the upcoming work week, making sure shoes and bags and jewelry were all perfectly coordinated with her dresses and skirts. But for all that Nathan commented or appeared to even notice, she might as well be wearing baggy jeans and shapeless sweatshirts every day.
The worst times, though, had been when she’d tearfully imagined him with his fiancée, making love to her as passionately and skillfully as he had done to Julia back in New York. Julia assumed that Nathan’s fiancée was a beautiful, sexy woman since someone as mindblowingly handsome as he was could easily have his pick of any female he wanted. She recalled how obsessed he had been with her boobs, and guessed that his fiancée must have an equally impressive rack. Julia wondered if the woman was blonde or brunette, tall or petite, what she did for a living, and if Nathan took as much pleasure in her body as he appeared to have done with Julia’s. Tears came to her eyes once again as she realized how much she missed him, longed for him, and how it made her physically ache just to be near him and know she could only look and not touch ever again. Angrily, she forced herself out of her melancholy and returned her focus to her work.
It was chilly outside today with a cold wind blowing, so she’d dressed warmly in a light gray James Perse dress with elbow-length sleeves. The soft fabric was shirred from waist to hem, emphasizing her curves without being too clingy. Because the cross-front bodice revealed just a bit too much cleavage, she’d wrapped a gray and black print scarf around her neck to fill in the gap. She wore her favorite shoes – black Christian Louboutin pumps with sky-high heels – and carried a black Gucci tote bag. She’d curled her hair into long, loose waves, and taken extra care with her makeup to achieve the smoky gray eyes and pale pink lips that she knew were her best colors.
She was standing in front of the elevators and just starting to shrug into her Azzedine Alaia gray wool princess coat when she felt a hand on her shoulder, helping her into the coat, and heard a voice that said, “Here, let me.”
Her answering smile froze on her face when she saw that it was Jake helping her with the coat, and not Nathan, who was just walking into the elevator lobby, an impassive expression on his handsome face.
“Thank you,” she told Jake neutrally.
As usual, he was grinning from ear to ear, and she quickly buttoned the coat up so he couldn’t stare at her breasts again. “Oh, my pleasure, Julia. You look beautiful today, once again. You’re wearing my favorite shoes, you know.”
Julia gave him a small smile in return, making a mental note to shelve the black Louboutins for a few weeks. But it likely wouldn’t do much good with Jake, for he seemed to think she looked gorgeous no matter what she wore. Unlike Nathan, who never said one word about her appearance.
“Ready to go?” was all he said in a brisk voice. “Do you have everything you’ll need?”
Julia indicated the large black case she was carrying. “Everything’s in here, yes.”
He pressed the elevator button that would take them straight to the garage level. “We’ll drive. It’s freezing out today and I doubt you could walk fast enough in those shoes anyway.”
There was a tight, almost disapproving set to his mouth when he said that, and Julia now felt a bit foolish with her choice of footwear. She hadn’t assumed they would be walking to the Gregson corporate offices since they were more than a mile from here. Not that it would have done her much good to wear different shoes, anyway, since pretty much every pair she owned had at least a four-inch heel.
“Do you want to take my car, Nate?” offered Jake. “I don’t think the three of us are going to fit in your Beamer unless Julia sits in my lap. Which is just fine with me, by the way.”
Julia rolled her eyes at his latest innuendo and ignored his eager smile. God, she was really going to have to put the kybosh on his constant flirty behavior soon. Jake was harmless enough, and she certainly didn’t feel threatened by him like she had that creep Philip, but he was still annoying as hell.
Nathan remained expressionless as he checked a text on his phone while the elevator continued its descent. “Not a problem. I drove the Lexus today, so plenty of room for all of us.”
“Aw, too bad,” replied Jake as he playfully slipped an arm around Julia’s waist. “I was looking forward to sharing my seat.”
She firmly removed his hand from her waist and took great pleasure in hearing him yelp when she bent his little finger back. “Keep your hands to yourself. And your adolescent comments, too.”
While Jake nursed his sore hand – and undoubtedly bruised ego – Julia stole a quick glance at Nathan and swore she saw the ghost of a smile playing about his lips. But then the elevator doors opened on the garage level, and the three of them walked the short distance to where a dark blue luxury SUV was parked.
“Jake can ride shotgun,” she declared, not wanting to be that close in proximity to Nathan. Even from here she could smell the scent of his light cologne, feel the warmth of his skin. She was so attracted to him that she almost ached with the wanting, especially since she was forbidden from touching him the way she longed to do. Keeping her distance was a wise move.
Nathan held the back door open for her as she slid her case and purse inside. Julia eyed the high step up into the car dubiously, wishing her dress wasn’t quite so formfitting, but then shrugged and hoisted herself up into the car. Predictably, her dress had ridden up in the process and she automatically began to pull the hem down, catching Nathan’s gaze in the process. His eyes dropped to where the dress had crept up, revealing a glimpse of a lacy silver gray garter clipped to the top of her sheer, pale gray stockings. His jaw slackened momentarily before he tore his gaze away and abruptly shut the door. Julia couldn’t help but feel a small sense of satisfaction to know that he’d noticed her lingerie, and she hoped rather naughtily that he’d keep thinking about it all during their meeting.
Jake prattled on about some TV show he was watching during the short drive to the Gregson offices, but he was the only one talking, seemingly oblivious to the awkward silence that existed between Julia and Nathan. When they arrived at the parking garage, Nathan handed the keys over to the valet before hurrying over to open Julia’s door for her, somehow beating Jake to the punch.
“Here, watch your step,” he cautioned as he offered Julia his hand.
She took it lightly, grateful for his assistance as she stepped down from the SUV in her high heels. Before she could reach back in for her case, he was doing that for her.
“I’ll take it,” he assured her. “It’s a lot heavier than I thought, you should have had one of us carry it down for you.”
She shrugged. “It’s not so bad. But thank you.”
Julia noticed with satisfaction that Jake kept a careful distance from her as they exited the elevator from the parking garage to the main lobby of the building. Conversely, Nathan kept a light hand on her elbow, guiding her through the busy throng of people entering and exiting the main lobby until they were inside a crowded elevator car. It was the first time he’d made even the tiniest bit of physical contact with her since they’d met again, and she forced herself not to read too much into his almost impersonal gesture.
The Gregson Hotel Group’s American headquarters encompassed four full floors of this high-rise building, with the executive offices and meeting rooms on the twentieth floor. Julia found herself wedged into a corner of the packed elevator, with Nathan right beside her. When the woman in front of her turned slightly to rummage in her oversized handbag, she gave Julia an unintentional bump that pushed her back against Nathan.
His free hand instinctively grasped her forearm to steady her. “Easy,” he murmured in her ear.
Even though the wool of her coat she could feel the warmth of his hand, and she had to resist the urge to lean against him. The longing she felt to be in his arms again, to kiss him and be naked with him was almost overwhelming at times. She wondered how he could be so unaffected by her, how he could act like a completely different person than the man she’d had such mindblowing sex with in New York. But it was becoming more and more apparent that their time together hadn’t meant anything to him, and maybe even that it hadn’t been the first occasion he’d cheated on his fiancée. She forced that particular thought from her mind, for it only further ate away at the memories she had of that magical night, cheapening them to a greater degree.
The elevator doors opened into a spacious, elegant reception area with marble floors, a trio of pale mocha sofas arranged around a round glass-topped table, and a gleaming walnut reception desk. Nathan announced them to the receptionist – a cool, pretty blonde who smiled at the two men with an air that spoke of familiarity. She didn’t spare Julia a glance, something Julia had grown used to over the years. Most women found her threatening in some way or another, especially if there were men in the vicinity, and it was one reason she had only a few close female friends.
Within two minutes, a slim young man of medium height wearing a conservative dark brown suit and wire-rimmed glasses walked briskly into the reception area. He was unsmiling and looked all business. Julia couldn’t imagine ever trying to crack a joke around him.
He extended his hand first to Nathan, then to Jake, before turning to Julia. He did a bit of a double-take before introducing himself. “I’m Andrew Doherty, Mr. Gregson’s PA. You must be Ms McKinnon. We’ve all been looking forward to meeting the new designer for this project.”
She shook his hand, a little surprised at his firm, assured grip. He gave off something of a nerdish-vibe, but the brown eyes behind the glasses were sharp and intelligent, and she doubted he ever missed a detail.
“A pleasure to meet you. And please, call me Julia.”
Andrew gave a brief nod of acknowledgment. “Let’s head back, shall we? Everything is ready for you, and I’ll just let Mr. Gregson and the others know you’ve arrived.”
Andrew ushered them down a long, plushly carpeted hallway past half a dozen or more private offices to the left and cubicle workstations to the right. They turned right at the end of the hallway and were shown into a large, spacious conference room. One wall of the room was floor to ceiling windows that let in some much needed light on this rather gloomy, overcast day. The square conference table was huge and polished to a shiny rosewood patina. At least two dozen plushy upholstered chairs had been placed along the sides and at either end.
At one end of the room a wall to wall built-in credenza had been set with a complete coffee service, fresh fruit, and pastries, everything beautifully arranged. Closer to the other end of the room, several display easels had been set up.
“I assume this is where we should sit?”Julia asked Nathan, indicating the chairs closest to the easels.
He nodded. “Yes, Ian always sits at the head of the table here, and he prefers us close by. Do you need any help setting up your presentation boards?”
She shook her head as she began to shimmy out of her coat. “No, thanks. I’ve got it. I just need my case.”
“Here, let me,” he offered, as he helped her out of her coat. Julia’s breath hitched at the feel of his hands on her shoulders as they eased the gray coat off. “I think there’s a coat rack around here somewhere.”
“Oh, I’ll be happy to take that for you, Mr. Atwood,” said a soft, feminine voice.
Julia glanced up as a beautiful, shapely blonde girl walked into the room, her arms filled with a stack of folders. She set them on a corner of the table before taking Julia’s coat.
“Thank you, Tessa,” replied Nathan with a smile. “Julia, this is Tessa Lockwood, who works here for Ian and his staff. Tessa, I’d like you to meet our new interior designer, Julia McKinnon.”
Tessa, whom Julia guessed was a couple of years younger than herself, smiled sweetly, her big blue eyes kind. “It’s nice to meet you, Ms. McKinnon. What a lovely coat this is. Your dress, too.”
Julia’s discerning eye immediately pegged the black and white checkered wool skirt and black turtleneck sweater Tessa wore as inexpensive, most likely from a discount chain store. But when you had the sort of tall, curvy body the blonde girl did you looked good in most anything, expensive or otherwise. Julia smiled at her almost reassuringly. “Thank you so much. And please call me Julia.”
Tessa’s cheeks pinkened, and she swept an arm to the back of the room. “Please, help yourselves to coffee and such. I’ll be back in just a minute or two. The others are on their way.”
Jake make a smacking sound with his lips as Tessa hurried from the room. “I’d like to help myself to a nice big bite of her. Next to Julia, she’s the best looking thing I’ve seen in a long time.”
Nathan rolled his eyes. “Keep it under lock and key there, lover boy. And forget about Tessa – she’s a married woman.”
Julia’s eyes widened. “Really? She’s so young.”
Nathan shrugged. “Don’t know the story there. All I know is that Gigolo Jake here needs to back off.”
“That’s okay,” replied Jake with a grin. “I’d rather have Julia anyway.”
Nathan flashed him a warning glare, but Julia was more than capable of sticking up for herself. “Well, news flash. Julia would rather not have you, so give it a rest, okay? I may have to work with you but that doesn’t mean I have to put up with your constant flirting,” she retorted.
Jake smirked. “Probably all for the better, I couldn’t afford you, anyway.”
She gasped at the same time that Nathan angrily cautioned, “Watch it, Jake. I can pull you from this project in a flat second.”
“And what the hell did that last comment mean, anyway?” demanded Julia. “Are you trying to imply –“
Jake waved a hand in dismissal. “Of course not. All I meant was that you like a lot of expensive designer clothes. Those shoes you have on – six or seven hundred bucks, right? I know Travis isn’t paying you that well.”
Julia put her hands on her hips. “So – what? I must have a rich sugar daddy supporting me? Not that it’s any of your business, asshole, but I have an aunt in the fashion business who sends me stuff. Now – end of discussion. I’ve got a presentation to set up.”
She wasn’t sure who looked more shocked by her outburst – Jake or Nathan. But it didn’t matter because both of them shut up and swiftly finished helping her set up the display easels with the various designs they were presenting today to Ian Gregson and his team.
Within minutes, a dozen different people – men and women – began filtering into the room. Nathan did his best to introduce Julia to them – a Director of Marketing, a Facilities Manager, a Project Manager, and so forth – but she knew she’d never remember most of their names or titles at this first meeting. Until Ian Gregson entered the room, and she knew that no one could ever forget that name or face.
He was a tall, broad-shouldered man who instantly commanded attention and respect. Julia guessed him to be in his late thirties, possibly even early forties, and he was one of the most strikingly handsome men she’d ever met. Not in the same classically handsome, dreamy way that Nathan was, but in a more rugged manner that was at odds with his conservatively tailored black suit. Ian was also dark haired but the style was cut shorter and closer to the head than Nathan’s luxurious mane. Power rolled off this man in waves, and Julia felt more than a little intimidated by him.
But his hazel eyes twinkled at her, and his firm mouth curved up in a smile as Nathan introduced them. He clasped her hand in his for long seconds, gazing down at her from his vastly superior height.
“It’s a great pleasure to meet you, Julia,” he told her in a crisp British accent.
She smiled up at him with what she hoped was her best professional look. “The pleasure is mine, Mr. Gregson. It’s a privilege to work for the Gregson Group again.”
Still clasping her hand, Ian led her to the chair right beside his and held it out for her. “Ah, yes. I understand you’re responsible for the remodel of our hotel on the Upper East Side in Manhattan. I was given a brief tour the last time I was in New York, and as I recall it was quite impressive.” He slid her chair in once she was seated. “And you must call me Ian. Mr. Gregson always sounds like my father.”
Julia knew from having done her research that Ian’s father – Edward – was the CEO of the company, and that Ian’s two brothers – Hugh and Colin - were Managing Directors of the European and Asia Pacific regions respectively.
Nathan was seated to her immediate left, and as she caught his eye when he took his seat, she was puzzled at the frown he directed her way. She had no idea what he could possibly be displeased about already, given that the meeting had yet to begin. Julia gave him a little shrug and returned her attention to Ian.
To call the man dynamic was the understatement of the century. When Ian Gregson spoke, every person in the room seem mesmerized and paid him complete attention. Julia couldn’t properly explain what it was about him that commanded such attention, for he didn’t speak in a louder than normal voice, nor did he dominate the conversation, yell, demand, or intimidate. In fact, Julia thought him to be one of the best listeners she’d ever met.
No, Ian Gregson just had charisma, bucket loads of it, and both men and women were drawn to him. Even Nathan, who was himself an extremely dynamic and charismatic man, was giving Ian his rapt attention, and Julia sensed it had little to do with the fact that the Gregson Group was his biggest client.
When it came time for Julia to present her design boards, every eye in the room was fixated on her. She ought to have been nervous, for this was by far the most important project she’d ever worked on, but instead she was in her element as she went through each board and deftly answered each and every question that arose.
Julia had to contain a smug smile of satisfaction when Ian expressed some doubts about three of the four designs that Nathan had made her re-do. She was surprised when Nathan offered up, “I believe we have a second idea for each of these. Julia, did you bring the alternate designs with you?”
A raised brow was the only sign she gave him to acknowledge his quick-thinking cover-up. To the rest of the group, she merely smiled and replied, “Yes, I did happen to bring them along. Thank you for reminding me, Nathan.”
Julia forced herself not to gloat, or even to look in Nathan’s direction, when Ian and the others nodded their approval of her original designs. It made Julia wonder if Nathan had forced her to alter them just to be a hardass and exert his control over her.
One of Ian’s managers – a charming, older Frenchman who had recently transferred to San Francisco from the European headquarters – was trying to make a comment about one of the designs but was struggling a bit with the language barrier. Julia had noted from previous comments he’d made that his English wasn’t terribly good, leading her to guess he had likely worked in one of the firm’s French hotels or resorts before transferring to the London offices.
The man – Henri was his name – tapped his fingers on the table impatiently. “I cannot think of the English translation – it is a saying we have in French – ah, I am so stupid today.”
Taking pity on him, Julia told him in perfect French, “Dites-moi que vous voulez dire,” or in English “tell me what you want to say.”
Henri’s face lit up, and every pair of eyes at the table was focused on Julia. “Ah, la belle femme parle le francais,” he said joyously. He then spoke to Julia in rapid French, happy to be able to convey his thoughts properly.
She easily translated to English the commentary he had made on the design for the hotel lobby before moving on to the next design board. Once she was finished, it was Nathan’s turn to update the group on some modifications for the original building design that they had apparently requested at a previous meeting.
Julia used the break to rearrange some of her notes, and to discreetly observe the faces and reactions of the group gathered around the conference table. Nathan was an engaging speaker, and kept everyone’s rapt attention, especially that of an older, well-dressed blonde woman who stared at him with ill-disguised interest. Julia knew from the frequent questions and interruptions the woman had made that her name was Morgan Cottrell, and that she was the Business Development Manager. She was quite attractive and well-kept, but Julia guessed her to be at least ten years older than Nathan.
She told herself angrily that she shouldn’t give a damn if some cougarish woman kept smiling invitingly at Nathan. It certainly wasn’t any of her business or concern – she ought to be leaving that up to Nathan’s fiancée. But she still couldn’t stop wishing she had the nerve to tell the overly eager Morgan to button up her blouse a bit higher, and to stop trying and interest Nathan in her impressive but undoubtedly fake cleavage. After all, hadn’t he told her back in New York that he hated fake boobs? It had been right before he’d licked her nipple, causing it to harden much as it was doing right now. Stifling a soft moan, Julia turned her attention back to Nathan’s presentation.
Forcing herself to look at anyone but Morgan and observe the older woman’s blatant interest in Nathan, she stole a quick glance to her right at Ian and was surprised to see his gaze directed not at Nathan – who was still speaking – but at the back of the room. Her interest piqued, Julia waited a few moments before discreetly following the line of Ian’s vision, and then she smiled knowingly to herself.
The beautiful blonde girl who’d been so sweet and helpful earlier – Tessa – was seated quietly in a back corner of the room, though not at the table itself. It seemed her purpose in being present was to not only take notes but also to make sure the coffee service and food stayed well stocked and tidy. Tessa’s head was bent as she wrote in her notebook, and thus she remained unaware of the look her boss was giving her. But Julia had seen that particular look many times on a man’s face, and wondered briefly how a commanding, powerful man like Ian dealt with the fact that the girl he was lusting after was a married woman and therefore unavailable to him.
The meeting wrapped up twenty minutes later and Julia spent a few extra minutes chatting with several of Ian’s team who approached her, including Henri who was delighted to converse in his native tongue. At some point, Ian joined in their conversation and he was nearly as fluent in French as Julia was.
From the corner of her eye, Julia spotted Nathan, who appeared to be trying to find a polite way to disengage himself from Morgan. The older woman was practically rubbing herself against him she was standing so close, and laughing flirtatiously. Torn between feeling that Nathan could take care of himself and didn’t deserve her sympathy, and a raging need to pull Morgan’s dyed blonde hair from her scalp, she settled for somewhere in between.
Excusing herself politely from Henri, she walked to where Morgan was nearly shoving her fake tits into Nathan’s chest and placed a feather-light touch on his arm.
“I’m so sorry to interrupt, “she said in her sweetest voice,” but we really do need to head back to the office. I have a client due to arrive within the hour, and I believe Jake does as well.”
Nathan looked at her with an expression of such gratitude that she couldn’t help but beam at him, while Morgan looked like she wanted to claw Julia’s eyes out.
“Yes, you’re quite right,” agreed Nathan eagerly. “You’ll have to excuse us, Morgan. I’m sure we can continue our conversation another time.”
Morgan pouted prettily, a ridiculous expression for a woman of her age. “Oh, damn, and I was going to offer to buy you lunch, Nathan. Do you have an appointment, too?”
He shook his head. “Not until later, but I’m the chauffeur today so I need to get my staff back to the office. Another time perhaps.”
“Of course.” She would have reached over to give Nathan a hug good-bye – which Julia thought quite unprofessional of her – but he was already grasping Julia’s elbow and moving away.
Julia gave her a dazzling smile. “It was lovely to meet you, Ms. Cottrell. I’m sure we’ll all see one another again soon.”
Morgan gave her a tiny smile in return, which made her overly-Botoxed face look tight and pinched. “Yes, I’m sure we will.”
Nathan whisked her away before Morgan could say another word, whispering in her ear, “Thank God. I owe you one for that.”
She arched a dainty brow at him. “I’ll keep that in mind when I need a favor.”
Ian clasped her hand tightly in both of his as they bid him farewell, a warm smile lighting up his otherwise austere features. “What a delight it’s going to be to work with you, Julia,” he said with enthusiasm, then gave Nathan a quick wink. “You’ve got a real treasure here, Nathan. I hope you and Travis treat her well. Not only beautiful but extremely talented as well.”
Nathan gave him an answering smile. “Yes, I think we’re well aware of Julia’s talents.”
A little shiver went up her spine at his softly spoken words, and she wondered briefly if he was referring to talents she possessed outside of the workplace. She remembered how he’d praised one particular talent of hers – one that involved her lips around his cock.
Her cheeks flushed at the naughty direction of her thoughts, and she barely heard Ian telling her half-jokingly, “Well, if they don’t treat you right, my dear, come and see me straightaway. I’d be honored to have you working for my company.”
“That’s very kind of you,” she replied,” but all is quite well at the moment.”
Ian’s expression sobered at that particular moment, his smile gone, and Julia instantly pegged the cause as the reappearance of sweet, shy Tessa.
“I’ve brought your coat, Ms. McKinnon,” she said demurely. “I didn’t want you to forget it.”
Julia reached for her coat but Nathan beat her to it, holding it as she slid her arms inside. “Thank you, Tessa,” she told her gently. “And thank you for helping us out today.”
The blonde girl’s cheeks pinkened adorably. “It was my pleasure,” she murmured, before hastily making her exit.
The drive back to the office was brief, and fortunately Jake was on his best behavior. Julia hoped fervently that her earlier chastisement would have some permanent affect on him, and that he’d stop his flirting and suggestive comments. She certainly didn’t want to cause trouble for him, but she also wouldn’t hesitate to complain to Travis if the innuendoes didn’t stop soon.
Jake did turn to face her during the drive but only to comment, “So you speak fluent French, huh? Where’d you pick that up from?”
She shrugged. “My mother’s parents were French Canadians from Montreal. They moved to New York City before my mother and aunt were born but always spoke French to them. I learned from my mother and also from my grandparents when I’d visit them.”
“Huh. So you’d already spent a lot of time in New York as a kid?” asked Jake.
“At least twice a year from the time my sister and I were little. It’s great to be a kid in Manhattan – the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, all the museums, tea at the Plaza Hotel.”
Julia added that last bit in deliberately, curious to gauge Nathan’s reaction at the mention of where they had spent such a memorable evening. But aside from gripping the steering wheel a bit tighter, it didn’t seem to faze him.
Jake had picked up on a different subject matter, though. “Sister? Is she older or younger?”
She rolled her eyes. “Older by five minutes. We’re twins.”
“Really?” Now Jake’s interest had really been piqued. “You mean there are two gorgeous babes that look like you walking the planet? Well, if you aren’t interested in me maybe twin sis would consider going out with me sometime.”
Julia hooted in a rather undignified manner. “That’s hilarious. Trust me when I say there’s no way you could handle my sister. She’s – um – a tough cookie.”
She was saved from further inquisition about Lauren when Nathan pulled into the garage of their building. But she was still smiling to herself at the mere thought of feisty, ballsy Lauren with smarmy Jake and his clichéd come-ons. Lauren didn’t even glance at men who wore suits and ties. Her type was either the outdoorsy sort in cargo pants and hiking boots, or tattooed rocker guys with piercings.
As they exited the elevator on their floor, Julia moved to take her case from Nathan but he waved her off. “I’ll take it to your office for you,” he offered. “There’s something I want to talk to you about anyway.”
Julia nodded in agreement but was more than a little nervous as they walked to her office side by side. Was he going to reprimand her for bringing her original designs, thinking that she’d meant to show him up? Was he displeased with her presentation today?
Nathan set the case down on her desk while she hung up her coat. He was studying the framed charcoal sketches on her wall when she turned to face him.
“These are fantastic,” he said sincerely. “Carmel, right?”
“Yes. My parents’ house has some incredible views from the deck. Endless hours of inspiration.”
“You did these?” he asked incredulously. He peered at them more closely, noticing the way she signed all of her artwork – JMcK – in the lower right corner.
She nodded. “Back in December when I was staying with them. Just to pass the time.”
Nathan ran his finger over the middle frame. “You’ve missed your calling, I think. You’re a very talented artist. Have you ever displayed your work?”
She shrugged. “Occasionally my mother will claim a piece for her gallery, but I hardly have time anymore to sketch or paint. Do you draw?”
He smiled faintly. “Not for years. I’ve got an easel and paints stashed away somewhere, but I’m like you – too busy with work these days to indulge. And I’m nowhere near as talented as you.”
Julia deposited her purse into a drawer of her credenza and tried to sound nonchalant. “What did you want to talk to me about? I really do have a client coming in soon.”
“This won’t take long,” he told her, not bothering to take a seat. “Bottom line is very simple – don’t flirt with Ian Gregson anymore.”
Of all the things he could have said, that was likely the most unexpected. She stared at him in bewilderment. “What? When was I flirting with him?”
He shook his head, clearly annoyed. “When weren’t you? Come on, all those little smiles and the way your voice got all soft and breathy? I know he’s a good looking guy and quite a catch, but he’s our best client and you aren’t going to mess up what’s been a very good working relationship.”
“You have got to be kidding,” she said in disbelief. “Let me assure you I’m very well aware of how important a client he is. Not only am I also unwilling to jeopardize that professional relationship, but I have a personal policy of never getting involved with clients. Even if they are six four with huge shoulders, Armani suits and British accents.”
Nathan did not look pleased at her succinct description of Ian. “Well, it sure as hell seemed like you were flirting with him to me. And he liked you plenty, given the way he kept looking at you.”
Julia smiled cattily. “You sound jealous. Need I remind you that’s not your prerogative?”
He made a low, harsh sound. “I realize that, yes. Were you trying to make me jealous, Julia?”
She scoffed. “Hardly. I don’t make it a habit to beat my head against a brick wall. And to stress the point – I was not flirting with him or him with me.”
“But you think he’s an attractive man apparently.”
She gave a roll of her eyes. “Are we really having this conversation? Yes, Ian Gregson is a hunk. He’s also rich, powerful and charming. A real catch, as you said. He also happens to be obsessed with that pretty blonde admin assistant.”
Nathan frowned. “You mean Tessa? Ian wouldn’t mess with her. Not only is she way too young for him but she’s married.”
Julia laughed. “I doubt Mr. Prim and Proper would hit on a married woman, either. That doesn’t mean he doesn’t think she’s hot or stares at her when he thinks no one’s looking. I assure you he certainly didn’t look at me that way. Now, are we through with the lecture? I’ve got to get ready for my meeting.”
He still didn’t look convinced but gave a small shrug. “Fine. Just keep it professional, okay? I’m not going to risk losing a client because you decide he’s new boyfriend material.”
His words hurt, that he could be so callous and uncaring, and she felt the overwhelming urge to lash out in return. “What makes you think I don’t already have a new boyfriend?” she challenged. “I believe I told you that wasn’t a problem for me.”
He was visibly taken aback by her retort, and Julia could swear he actually looked hurt. But then he simply shook his head and muttered, “Whatever. Have a good meeting.”
And then he was gone, leaving Julia to gaze after him, once again fighting back unshed tears.
Nathan was not in a good mood when he returned to his office, barely acknowledging Robyn as he passed her by. He spent a few minutes checking his email and voice mail before pushing himself away from his desk in irritation to go stare out the window.
Even though the meeting with the Gregson group had gone remarkably well, it had otherwise been a shitty day. It had started on his drive to work with a phone call from Cameron. He’d known immediately from her high-pitched, overly sweet voice that she wanted something.
“Hi, babe. Are you at the office yet?” she’d asked cheerily.
“Not yet. I’m surprised you’re awake this early.” It had been just before eight and Cameron was not known to be an early riser.
She’d yawned. “Just got up, still in my robe. But I had a text a few minutes ago from that wedding site I told you about up in St. Helena. They can see us this morning at eleven and I was really, really hoping you could get away with me. We could get lunch afterwards.”
Nathan had sighed. Cameron was full throttle into wedding planning now, and coming to a decision on the site was at a critical junction. She and her uber-controlling mother kept going back and forth between a big city wedding at one of the fancy hotels, or holding it at an estate or winery in the Napa Valley. Cameron was currently favoring the latter.
“Cam, I’m sorry but that isn’t going to work for me today,” he’d told her gently but firmly. “We have a meeting with the Gregson group mid-morning and it’s going to last a couple of hours or more. I can’t cancel or re-schedule with Ian, you know that.”
Cameron was well aware of how important a client Ian was, but even that didn’t stop her usual wheedling. “Well, of course you can’t do either of those things with him,” she agreed. “But is there a real reason you have to personally be there? Can’t the rest of your team handle it?”
He’d been as patient as possible while explaining that no, he really needed to be there. “Besides, it’s not a whole team of people today. Just myself, Jake, and Julia.”
“Who’s Julia? I’ve never heard that name mentioned before,” Cameron had inquired.
Nathan had hesitated, choosing his words carefully, not wanting to give her even the tiniest hint of his past with Julia. “She’s Travis’ newest designer. He hired her after the holidays.”
“And he gave a brand new employee the Gregson account?”
He’d forced himself to sound as nonchalant as possible. “She replaced the designer who’d worked on the project initially so it was a natural transition. Plus, apparently she’s done some work on one of the Gregson hotels in Manhattan. Anyway, this is her first meeting with Ian and he specifically requested that I be present. I’m sorry, but can we go to St. Helena another day?”
There had been more back and forth, and it had been frustrating because Cameron never seemed to get it that he couldn’t just drop or delegate something on a whim. It was different for her, since her role at the gallery was almost more of a figurehead. Her staff – well paid and well trained – did the vast majority of the work and she actually spent little time there. To Nathan, it seemed the major part of Cameron’s job was to host artist shows and receptions and socialize with the patrons.
He’d ended the conversation rather abruptly, knowing she was annoyed with him but unable to let it interfere with his day. But the phone call had irritated him and started his day off on the wrong foot.
His pissy mood had intensified when it was time to leave for the meeting with Ian. The first thing he’d seen upon walking towards the elevator was Jake helping Julia on with her coat, and quite obviously relishing the physical contact. Then Jake had made that comment about her shoes, and Nathan had had to stifle a groan.
He was very familiar with those goddamned Christian Louboutin black stilettos. Julia wore them often and every single time he saw her in them he had a hard-on that lasted for an eternity. He certainly didn’t need Jake calling his attention to them and making matters worse.
And then Jake had continued his almost nonstop flirting with Julia. It had angered Nathan to the point where he’d almost been ready to punch out his associate architect until Julia herself had quite capably put him in his place. He’d been both relieved and absurdly pleased with her at the same time.
But then the torture had continued when she’d stepped up into his SUV and bared enough leg in the process for him to catch a glimpse of her lacy garter. He’d felt like someone had kicked him in the chest, unable to look away from that delectable bit of lingerie until she’d discreetly tugged her dress back down. It hadn’t helped one bit, though, for all he’d been able to think about for the next half hour was the fact that she was wearing a garter belt and stockings and probably did most days That knowledge only added more unnecessary fuel to the ongoing fire that burned inside of him each time he imagined Julia without her clothes on.
Next he’d had to suffer through more than two hours seated right next to her at Ian’s conference table. Close enough to small her perfume, her shampoo, the scent of her soft skin. That gray dress had clung to her tits like a lover, defining their firm, round perfection. She’d thankfully worn a scarf to fill in the neckline but every so she’d moved the right way and he’d get a tantalizing glimpse of cleavage. And each time he did his cock would get a little bit harder.
It had only gotten worse when Julia stood to give her presentation. Then he’d had to observe how that damned dress hugged the sweet, high curves of her ass, and how hot her legs looked in those sheer stockings. And, of course, it was back again to those cockteasing shoes.
And it really, really hadn’t helped to notice that every man in the room was also enjoying the view. Even Ian, who was always a perfect gentleman, the model of proper British decorum, didn’t bother to disguise his appreciation for the very tempting picture Julia presented. Nathan didn’t care if Julia was right and that the woman Ian was really interested in was young, pretty Tessa. Ian might want the luscious admin assistant but he wouldn’t have refused Julia, either.
But the straw that had broken the camel’s back – what had put him over the top into this incredibly foul mood – was Julia’s mocking comment about already having a boyfriend. That had been his worst fear since seeing Julia again last month – that she’d followed his lead and forgotten about New York, had moved on and found someone else. God knew she was right in that it would be the easiest thing in the world for her to get a man. If she’d wanted Jake, for example, who happened to be a good looking guy, all she would have had to do was snap her fingers and he’d be on his knees like a well-trained lapdog.
Most of the time, Nathan congratulated himself on maintaining the very professional relationship he’d insisted on having with Julia. He’d been careful as hell not to be alone with her, had made sure all of their meetings and interactions had occurred with at least one other person present. He’d discussed nothing personal, hadn’t touched her in any way, and continued to do a very good job at repressing the memories of their night in Manhattan.
Today, however, he’d faltered a few times – touching her, albeit lightly, with a hand on her elbow or helping her with the coat; being alone with her in her office where he’d praised her artwork and then somehow eased into a discussion about her personal life. He couldn’t – wouldn’t – let any of those things happen again. God knew it was a daily struggle to keep things professional as it was – he didn’t need any added temptation.
And Julia was everything tempting, everything forbidden. Christ, the way she dressed every single, fucking day was enough to drive a man insane. She looked like a model, always perfectly put together and coordinated, only she was far more beautiful and sexy than any model he’d ever seen.
Her angry comment to Jake about an aunt in the fashion industry explained why she had such an extensive and obviously expensive wardrobe. It had been a relief to learn that some man at some point hadn’t been the one to gift her with the seemingly endless supply of figure hugging sheath dresses, pencil skirts, silk blouses, and high heels. Always, always, with the erotic high heels. He wondered if she even owned a pair of shoes with less than a four-inch heel. And now that he knew she wore stockings – fuck him blind – it was going to take even more of a superhuman effort not to shove her up against the nearest wall and grind himself against the cleft of her thighs.
He’d gone through the tortures of hell the past few weeks since Julia had begun working here. His willpower was being tested on a daily basis, and at times he thought he would go insane with the effort. Or come in his pants, as he’d feared he might one day last week when Julia had looked especially hot. If he closed his eyes he could still picture the sexy black lace sleeveless top, ass hugging gray wool skirt, and sky high gray pumps. He’d been positive he could see glimpses of a black lace bra through the top, even though it was fully lined. Her stockings that day had seams up the back, and he’d wanted to fall to his knees and lick her from ankle to thigh before lifting that skirt and burying his face in her sweet, juicy pussy.
“Shit,” he muttered, realizing he had a raging hard-on again.
Nathan honestly didn’t know if he could keep this up – working with Julia, seeing her every day, wanting to fuck her constantly. The worst part was that he couldn’t talk to anyone about it. No one but he and Julia knew what had happened in New York, and he had to make sure it stayed that way. He knew Travis probably still suspected something, but so far his partner hadn’t confronted him again.
Common sense would indicate that if he was this obsessed with a woman who wasn’t his fiancée that he ought to end the engagement to said fiancée. But Nathan simply couldn’t bring himself to hurt Cameron that way. He cared about her – correction, loved her – and was committed to marrying her. They had been together for two years now, and he couldn’t even think about how shitty it would be to just give up on all they had shared, the relationship they had worked on building, just because the hottest woman he’d ever seen was back in his life.
And Cameron was most assuredly a hot, beautiful woman herself. Granted, she was much different than Julia both in looks and personality, but certainly attractive in her own right. She was older than Julia, of course, approaching her thirty-fifth birthday in a few months. She was actually almost two years older than Nathan himself. And, while he knew she’d been completely faithful since they’d started dating, he also knew she’d been with a lot of men – a lot of them – before him. Even if she hadn’t already talked at length about some of her past relationships and sexual exploits, her experience had been readily apparent in her aggressiveness in bed, in the things she said and did, most of which were exciting but some that were actually a huge turnoff. She enjoyed not only initiating sex between them but controlling it, and often resisted his efforts to take the lead.
Unlike Julia, who had submitted so sweetly to the dominant behavior he liked to unleash at times. Oh, he definitely was not into any sort of BDSM – though the thought of blindfolding and binding Julia was certainly appealing – but he certainly preferred to be the controlling partner in bed.
“Dammit!” He was at it again, remembering the hot sex he’d had at the Plaza Hotel, how responsive Julia had been, how eager and easy to please, how tight her juicy cunt had been. Without being told, he sensed somehow that there hadn’t been very many men in her life. In spite of her gorgeous face and centerfold body, she seemed reserved, almost shy around men, though that could just be the defenses she’d built up out of necessity.
And she’d been a total pro about this whole messed up situation, certainly living up to her end of their bargain. She barely looked at him most of the time, and had never once tried to strike up a conversation that could be deemed the least bit personal. From what he had observed and also had reported to him from other employees, she worked her butt off, spending long hours in the office and turning out some admittedly stellar work, and got along famously with all the other employees. He had been ridiculously proud of her talent, and knew he’d acted like a total bastard by forcing her to re-do some quality work. He still didn’t know what had compelled him to be such a hard ass that day, especially when he knew Ian would prefer the original designs. Perhaps it had just been a way for him to exert his dominance over her when he couldn’t very well do the same in the bedroom with her again. And she’d proven her professionalism yet again by not giving him a gloating “I told you so” look when Ian hadn’t liked the sketches she had re-done. Instead, Julia hadn’t missed a beat and simply took out her original designs which she’d probably known all along were exactly what Ian had in mind.
He wished like hell he could talk to someone about this dilemma, but all of his friends and family knew Cameron and he wasn’t about to put one of them in the position of having to lie to her. It had been difficult enough for him to keep the truth from her – he wasn’t going to consciously force someone else to have to do the same.
No, he was just going to have to toughen up and stop thinking so much about Julia. Cameron was his fiancée, the woman who’d been in his life for two years, and he wasn’t enough of a bastard to just shove her aside for a younger model on a whim.
Fortunately, he was due to fly to Colorado on a business trip next week, and he hoped the time away would provide him with some much needed breathing room. And a reprieve from wondering what sort of sexy outfit Julia was going to wear each day to torment him.