CHAPTER 16

Michael

My head was buzzing as I slowly opened my eyes. Julie was still asleep next to me, curled on her side and still naked from the night before. I groaned and rolled away from the window to block out the sunlight streaming through the curtains. My head was already starting to pound with the beginnings of a hangover. After everything I drank the night before, I wasn’t surprised that my body was protesting this morning.

With another groan, I squeezed my eyes closed and rubbed my temples. I hadn’t felt this hungover since college.

“You’re awake,” Julie said softly. I rolled back over to face her. She was smiling at me, but her eyes were barely open.

“Good morning.” I smiled back and moved closer to her. “How’d you sleep?”

“I have no idea,” Julie said with a soft laugh. “I feel like ass.”

“Me too.” I laughed, but immediately regretted it. The motion jostled my head and made my stomach lurch with nausea. “Oh god.”

“We should eat something,” Julie said and pushed herself up. Her hand flew immediately to her head as she slowly adjusted to the new position.

“I’ll order room service,” I said weakly.

“You don’t have to do that,” Julie said. “We can go get something.”

“No.” I shook my head firmly. “I’m not ready to leave this room. Maybe never again.”

Julie chuckled and nodded. She sank back down into bed and closed her eyes again. I rolled over and grabbed the phone off the bedside table. As I dialed for room service, I could hear Julie’s soft moans of pain. We were both miserable, but there was a note of happiness buried beneath the misery.

After I ordered the food, I lowered myself back down beneath the covers. Julie rolled toward me and buried her face in my chest, her eyes still squeezed tightly closed.

“I’m sorry,” I said.

“About what?” Julie asked.

“Your hangover,” I said.

Julie just laughed and nestled closer to me. She smelled like alcohol and perfume, the perfect scent for the morning after an amazing night.

“Last night was perfect,” Julie said. “The hangover is just a reminder of that.”

“Perfect?” I teased.

“Don’t you think so?” she asked.

She sat up just enough to look into my eyes. I grinned and pulled her in for a kiss, melting into her soft lips. Even with our heads pounding and our stomachs aching, I still felt that familiar surge of need when her lips danced against mine.

“It was more than perfect,” I said softly. Julie grinned and laid her head down on my chest.

I wrapped my arms around her and closed my eyes, letting her presence relax my aching body. The food would arrive soon, but I didn’t care. All I wanted to do was hold Julie and let the rest of the world disappear.

It had been years since I felt so deeply for a woman. After what happened with my ex, I put relationships on the back burner and focused almost entirely on work. I never saw the point of committing to someone again. Then I met Julie, and everything changed.

“I really didn’t expect to have fun last night,” Julie admitted with a laugh.

“What? Why not?”

Julie shrugged. “It was a company party. Business. I just assumed it would be boring.”

“Oh, ye of little faith,” I teased.

“Seriously,” Julie said. “It was amazing. You threw a great party. Everyone had such a great time.”

“Especially me.” I kissed her forehead. “My clients loved you.”

“I don’t know about that,” Julie said.

“I do,” I said. “I’ve never seen half those guys warm up to anyone the way they warmed to you. You even charmed their wives, which is no easy task.”

Julie shrugged again but didn’t get a chance to respond. There was a loud knock on the door, so I gently pushed Julie off my chest and hopped out of bed. Throwing a robe around me, I hurried over and opened the door.

“Room service?” the man said.

“Yes, thank you.” I stood back and let him wheel the cart inside.

I grabbed my wallet off the table and tipped him, smiling and ushering him quickly back into the hall. Julie was still in bed, hidden under the covers but naked. I didn’t want him to catch a glimpse of something he shouldn’t. She was all mine.

“Hungry?” I asked, pushing the cart closer to the bed.

Julie laughed. “Yes and no. I feel like I could throw up.”

“You need food,” I said. “We both do.”

Julie nodded and groaned. She sat up just enough that the sheets slid off her breasts. My eyes flew immediately to her bare skin, and I felt my dick twitch. Just one look was enough to remind me of how it felt to be with her last night.

We had collided like animals the night before, but it was the most intensely intimate experience of my life. When I saw her naked breasts, I couldn’t help but want to relive every moment of the previous night.

“I thought you wanted to eat,” Julie said, shooting me a sly grin as she grabbed a muffin off the cart.

“I do,” I said roughly. “Just not breakfast.”

Julie took a bite of the muffin but kept her eyes locked on mine. My skin felt hot as I climbed back on the bed beside her. We were so close that my heart began to pound in my chest. My hangover was forgotten. All I wanted was Julie.

“Are you going to kiss me or not?” she asked softly, putting the muffin back down.

I grinned and moved closer. Our lips were inches apart when my phone rang sharply on the bedside table. I dropped my head to my chest and groaned.

“Not now,” I mumbled.

“Work?” Julie asked.

“Probably.”

I grabbed the phone and answered it without looking at the caller ID.

“Hello?”

“Hey, brother.” Josh’s voice filled my ear, and I blinked.

“Hey,” I said. “I didn’t expect to hear from you today.”

“I thought we could plan dinner,” Josh said. “You said I could meet this mystery girl sometime soon.”

As he spoke, memories from the party came flooding back. Josh texting me about meeting my new girlfriend. Julie agreeing to meet him. Me agreeing to the whole thing.

“Oh,” I said. “Right.”

“So,” Josh said. “What about tomorrow night? Does that work for you guys?”

“Um.” I looked at Julie nervously. She was watching me closely, a confused frown on her face. “Do you want to have dinner with my brother tomorrow night?”

“Sure,” Julie said, looking a little surprised. “It’s fine with me.”

“She said yes,” I told Josh.

“Great!” Josh said. “Well, I’ll text you the details.”

“Sounds good.”

We said a quick goodbye, and I tossed the phone on the bed. My arousal was gone and in its place was a huge ball of nervous energy. I was sure this dinner was a bad idea, but there wasn’t anything I could do about it now.

“You okay?” Julie asked.

“I’m fine,” I said too quickly. “Just still fighting this damn headache.”

Julie nodded and grabbed her muffin again. She nibbled on it slowly as she stared out of the half-open window. I watched her for a few seconds and realized I wasn’t the only one feeling nervous about dinner.

“What’s up?” I asked.

“I’m a little nervous,” Julie said with a sigh. “Meeting the brother. It’s kind of a big deal.”

I took her hand and squeezed it. “We don’t have to do this if you don’t want,” I told her, trying to keep my voice even. I’m not sure why I even agreed to it to begin with.

“Are you sure?” Julie asked. Her voice was soft. Shy. I’d never heard her like this before. It was adorable and made my entire body soften.

“Of course,” I said.

She considered for a moment and I held my breath.

“No, I want to,” she finally said.

I let out a breath. “Everything will be fine,” I told her. “I promise.”

Julie smiled and nodded. We finished our breakfast and lazily made our way out of bed. We showered and got dressed, ready to head downstairs to check out. The whole time, I tried to get my own nerves under control.

Despite my assurance that dinner would be great, I didn’t feel confident at all. Josh and I were still trying to build a brotherly relationship. He’d never once met a girl I was seeing. I didn’t know how I was going to handle this complicated situation, but I knew it was time. Dinner was planned. There was no way of getting out of it.

“You ready?” Julie asked as I pulled my shoes on.

“Yup.” I smiled and jumped up to grab our things.

We walked downstairs, holding hands the whole way. We checked out quickly and then made our way outside to where the limo was waiting for us.

Julie grinned and slid inside. I followed quickly behind her and tossed our things onto the seat.

“Home?” I asked.

“Sure.” Julie shrugged. “I should change at least.”

“I was thinking…” I said slowly. “There’s this big event in the town square tonight. They’re lighting the Christmas tree, and I thought, maybe, you might—”

“I’d love to.” Julie’s answer was fast and certain.

By the time we pulled up to her house, I felt like my smile was permanently etched on my face. There was something about being with Julie that overwhelmed me. I wasn’t just happy. I was content in a way I hadn’t been for years. All my worries about dinner melted away as I followed Julie through her front door.

“What time is the tree lighting?” Julie asked.

“Sunset,” I said. “They always do a big carnival, and the tree lighting is the final event.”

“You gotta love small towns,” Julie said.

“Is that why you moved here?” I asked. “You just have a strong love for small towns?”

Julie laughed. “Not exactly.”

“No?”

“No, I never thought I’d live in a small town,” Julie said. “I always pictured myself in a big city. Dallas, where I lived for years, or New York. Somewhere like that.”

“So, what made you come here?” I asked with a frown.

“Remember the ex I told you about?” Julie asked.

I nodded, my stomach tightening uncomfortably.

“Well,” Julie said. “After he ended things, I just felt like I needed a fresh start. My best friend found this house and told me about it. I wasn’t sure at first, but it just felt like the right thing. So, I moved, and now, here I am.”

“No complaints here.” I grinned and walked over to her.

She smiled at me and wrapped her arms around my neck. When we kissed, she melted into me. Her body curved forward as she pressed herself against me. We fell onto the couch, and suddenly, our hangovers were nothing more than a distant memory.

By the time we were finished, the tree lighting festival had already begun. We got dressed quickly and walked into town.

The town square was full of people, everyone crowding around the giant tree in the center of the square.

“It’s starting,” I said.

I grabbed Julie’s hand and pulled her quickly through the crowd. We pushed our way toward the front.

“This is a really big deal here, huh?” Julie looked around with surprise. “I didn’t even know this many people lived in town.”

I grinned. “It’s the biggest party of the year.”

Julie just smiled and turned her attention to the tree. Seconds later, the whole thing was lit with sparkling Christmas lights. The colors lit up Julie’s face, making her pale blue eyes dance. I grinned and pulled her to me.

“I like you,” I said simply.

“Well,” she said. “It would be awkward if you didn’t.”

“I’m serious,” I said softly. “I really like you.”

Julie kissed me slowly, sighing and letting her tongue slide over mine. We lost ourselves in the feel of each other, forgetting that people were all around us.

“I like you too,” she whispered.