Chapter 13
chapter thirteen
Friday morning dawned, and Julienne found herself out of sorts. No, that wasn’t the right word for it. She was…god, what was she? She was a bundle of nerves. First, she’d barely slept last night. Her entire body buzzed with excitement. Her sleep was restless because she woke up with the bedsheet tangled in her legs. When she tried to get out of bed, she lost her balance and landed on her face on the floor. Thankfully, there was a thick area rug. Hitting the hard, wooden floor would have probably left more than a few bruises.
What did she expect? The most beautiful man she had ever seen was coming to spend the weekend with her. Worse, he made it no secret he was attracted to her, but she had made him promise to no more sex. Because…rules? Why did she think it was a good idea to deprive herself of a man like Alek? Because she thought the crazy need she had for him would fade. No man had ever taken up this much head space for her. Even Gregor. There were times that she forgot she was engaged during their time together. And…damn, she was a bitch.
No. She refused to think that. In truth, that had been their relationship. Both of them had been so busy, and they understood that their jobs came first. Then…it wasn’t. Oh, Gregor had been happy with the arrangement, but Julienne had looked across the table one morning and realized that if she had to spend the rest of her days with him, she would die of boredom.
She wanted what her parents had. Before her father’s death, her parents had been ridiculously in love. And now Jensen and Nic were that way. But it frightened her, and she had no idea why. What was it about the thought of being in love that freaked her out?
Then she realized she had been sitting on the floor trying to figure out her life. Bloody hell.
After cleaning up and grabbing her robe, Julienne slipped out of her room and padded downstairs. She had taken to watching the sunrises and sunsets on the lanai because, well, it was the most amazing thing she had ever seen. For a week and a half, she’d stayed in the house, but it hadn’t bothered her one bit. In London, she would be climbing up the walls. It wasn’t that her flat wasn’t spacious. It was, ridiculously so. There, the fast-paced life always called to her. In Hawaii, it was different. Here she sipped tea as she watched the sun rise, enjoyed the sound of the surf as she sat on the lanai, and was never in any hurry to get to work.
It was odd. She started behind everyone else in the family these days, the time difference made it that way, and normally she would worry about being up and having online meetings. But that didn’t bother her, not at all. In fact, she tended to wait to work until after nine a.m. For most people that probably seemed normal, but back in London, she would start working the moment her eyes opened.
“Good morning, Jules,” Marta said as she stepped into the kitchen. “Your tea is ready.”
“Brilliant,” she said. The woman could make a mean cuppa. Nic had said she taught Marta how to make real tea, as Americans aren’t that good at it. Jensen could be a little fussy about his tea.
As if conjured up in her thoughts, her mobile buzzed and Jensen’s face appeared. She rolled her eyes and Marta smiled. “Go on out. I’ll bring it to you.”
“Mahalo, Marta.”
Julienne answered the call, which was a video call. Did he not think she might be busy or possibly have company? Probably not. Both of her brothers most likely still thought she was a virgin, or at least that was what they told themselves even after she lived with Gregor for two years.
“What do you want?”
He made a face. “Not very professional. I could have people here listening in on the call.”
“Your fault. The sun is still rising here.”
He blinked as if confused. She got that because she usually got up on London time no matter where she was.
“Oh, I didn’t know you were having a lie in.”
“Give it a rest, Jensen. There’s nothing wrong with Nic, is there?”
His features softened at the mention of his wife. “No. And I could have been calling about that and you were acting like a prat.”
“She always acts like a prat,” she heard her other brother Jakob say in the background. Ugh, Jensen and Jakob were ganging up on her. For what reason?
“Is there something that you two needed? You’re interrupting the sunrise.”
He blinked again, and she could read the confusion on his face. She didn’t take time to watch sunrises or sunsets, and she definitely didn’t sleep in.
“Are you all right?”
“Of course I am.”
Jakob crowded in and both of their stupid faces took up most of the screen. “Yeah, you sound weird.”
“Weird?”
“What is going on with you? Do I need to send Jakob over there?”
She rolled her eyes. “Like I need a big brother to take care of me? No thank you. There’s nothing going on.”
“You’re sleeping in, being lazy…that’s not like you,” Jensen grumbled.
“I have helped Sammie redesign the resort, and I sent in my ideas on the new resort in Indonesia, not to mention getting things ready for the redo of the Hamburg deal. I have not been lazing about not doing anything.”
Jakob’s frown turned darker. “I say you still sound weird.”
“She sounds relaxed,” Nicola said off screen.
“What the bloody hell are you doing out of bed?” Jensen demanded.
“I’m allowed to walk around, and I just had a nap. Give me your phone.”
Jensen huffed, a sure sign that he was irritated, but he knew better than to be an ass to Nicola. “Love, you need to rest.”
“Give me your phone, right now.”
Jensen sighed and looked at the phone again. “Don’t keep her long.”
Then, he handed the phone over and Nic’s face came on screen. “I can’t believe you two are bothering her. She’s in Hawaii and still working, and I say good for her she’s not getting up in the middle of the bloody night so that you two can bother her. Now go away.”
“This is my office,” Jensen said.
“I don’t feel like walking up all those bloody stairs. Go away so I can talk to your sister.”
Both of her brothers grumbled, but they did as Nic ordered. Jensen gave her a kiss on the cheek and an order for her to sit down.
Nic accepted the kiss but warned, “And close the door.”
Julienne laughed. “Oh, that was brilliant. I swear I need to take lessons on how to get them to do what I want.”
“They’re both being ridiculous. You don’t have to be up in the middle of the night. If there were meetings, it would be easier to accommodate you, not the other way around.”
It was amazing to have a sister in the family, finally. “How are you feeling?”
“Fine. Bored. Thankful that you let me borrow David. He is a godsend.”
“That he is.”
“So, tell me, what have you been doing? Your texts are kind of vague.”
Before she could answer, Marta appeared with tea, some toast, and fruit.
“Marta!” Nic said and Julienne couldn’t help but laugh. Her sister-in-law wasn’t one for sitting around, and she knew there was a good chance Nic was having serious withdrawals.
“Nic, how are you doing? How is the baby?”
“Just fine, although she’s doing a number on my bladder at times.”
Marta laughed. “They tend to do that. You take care of yourself.”
“I will.”
Once Marta left them alone, Julienne asked, “So, you know you’re having a girl?”
“No. But I can’t be saddled with another Wulf man. They are so much work.”
Jules snorted. “That they are.”
“So, have you seen that Alek?”
Her face flamed the moment Nic said his name. Blasted fair skin.
“Actually, he’s coming to Oahu tonight.”
Nic danced around in her chair, and Julienne was happy Jensen wasn’t there or he would have probably complained. “Yay.”
“Don’t get that look, Nic. He’s coming over because he wants to show me the island. I haven’t been out much.”
“What? Why?” The demand in her voice and the dark frown made Julienne chuckle.
“You know my driving skills.”
And she didn’t see much fun in running around by herself, but she didn’t want to say that to Nic. Julienne was worried her sister-in-law would feel guilty about David not being here.
Her smile faded, telling Julienne she figured it out anyway. “I should send David back over there.”
Of course she figured it out in a few seconds. The woman was sharp. “Absolutely not. You need him. The truth is, I’ve actually enjoyed the last couple of weeks. Do you know I can’t remember the last time I just sat by a pool and rested?”
“Okay, I might have to apologize to your brother. You do sound a little…different.”
Julienne laughed again not taking offense at all. “I do because for once I’ve had several nights of sleep.”
In London, she rarely got four hours of sleep, let alone the eight they say you should get. She would normally work and work until she ended up passing out from exhaustion. That happened at least once a month. Then she would start it all over again, working on four to five hours of sleep a night. And she had been living it up sleeping at least eight hours a night and taking light naps by the pool during the day. Well, all the nights but last night, but she wouldn’t mention that.
“Hmm, and you look amazing.”
“What? I’m a mess. You should see my hair down. I look like I put my hand in an electrical outlet.”
“No, you don’t, and you know it. Also, part of it is your skin. You’re not tan because, well, you’re a pasty Brit.”
“Thanks for that.”
Nic ignored that comment. “But there’s a glow. So, you’re excited about him coming over.”
“Nothing will happen, Nic. We agreed. He’s just coming over to show me around.”
Nic stared at the screen, saying nothing, just that dead eye stare. It’s the look that makes grown men cry—or that’s what Jensen said. He always said he needed Nic when things went sideways with something at work. Whenever he needed someone with a steel set of balls, it figures Jensen would call in a woman. But Nic had always been like this. Take no prisoners. Julienne was sure it came from competing on the world stage as a teenager.
“What?”
“The man is flying over from another island, and let me guess, you have been talking every night.”
“Yes. And texting…”
“How often?”
“All day.” The look on Nic’s face was one of excitement “Don’t. He doesn’t want forever, and you know me, I need some kind of commitment that even if it isn’t forever, there is a chance for it. I know it makes me weird.”
“No. It makes you who you are, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with you,” she said fiercely, making Julienne smile. Growing up like she did, friends who defended her were a rare occurrence. In fact, she couldn’t remember ever having a friend stand up for her.
“Thank you,” she said around the lump in her throat.
Nic wasn’t finished though. “You’re honest and that’s something most people can’t say. But, Jules, you need to have fun, and when you talk about this guy, you light up.”
“I do not.” She totally did.
“You do. And how are you going to know if you have a chance with him unless you take that chance? Did he say that he wasn’t interested in long term?”
She thought back to their conversations and realized he hadn’t. She had assumed.
“No.”
“Then why do you think it can’t work out?’
“He lives here. I live in England.”
“Love has a way of working those things out.”
Julienne rolled her eyes. “I am not in love. And I’m not ready to put it all out there again.”
“Why not?”
It took a moment or two to gain the courage to ask the question that had been haunting her for several days. “What if I do and it falls apart again?”
“Scared?”
“Terrified.”
Nic nodded. “Good. I got the feeling that you thought Gregor was safe.”
“Safe?”
“Yeah. He was comfortable—which is why you were bored—and you never had to worry about any bumps in the road. But you’re a Wulf and you get bored easily. You need fire in your relationship, and Gregor didn’t give you that. I have a feeling Alek would.”
“I…” she couldn’t say the words, but Nic had never taken it easy on any of them.
“You’re frightened.”
She closed her eyes in embarrassment and nodded.
“Good.” Julienne opened her eyes and waited for Nic to continue. “If it’s kind of scary, then it means he might just be worth it. Life is too short to do the easy thing all the time. Look at your brother. He’s a pain in my ass most of the time, and I love him for it.”
Julienne smiled. “And we are all thankful for that.”
Nic’s blue eyes softened. “Just think about it okay?”
“All right, if it gets you to shut up.”
“Oh, now you’re going to be mean to me? I could make you talk to Jensen again.”
“Was he just calling to bother me?”
Her expression softened even more. “He was checking up on you. I think he’s worried about you.”
Julienne frowned. “Why? It’s not like he checks on me when I’m in England.”
It was hard to even have to worry about that. With work keeping them both in each other’s pockets, they tended to see each other several times a week and usually talked daily.
“He hasn’t seen you in two weeks.”
“And? You two usually run all over the world.”
They had up until Nic’s pregnancy. “Yes, but you’re normally here and with your family and friends. Having you out and about makes him nervous.”
She snorted. “Friends. You mean the ones who abandoned me when Gregor lied about me?”
“Well, at least close to the family. You’ve always lived in London and any vacations have been short. I also think it has something to do with becoming a father.”
Julienne smiled. “Yeah. I can’t wait to see him change a nappy.”
Nic laughed and there was a sheen of tears in her eyes. “I can’t wait.”
God, she missed Nic. They had gotten even closer over the last few months and, while she was having a great time in Hawaii, she couldn’t help but miss her sister-in-law. “Hey, I have an idea. Why don’t we watch the Hawaiian sunrise together?”
“That sounds fantastic.”
She set the tablet up so Nic had a good view of the horizon and they chatted about the family and David’s latest work. She had her light breakfast and tea, and when they were done, Julienne felt better. She did miss her family, but for once in her entire life, she felt as if she was on her own.
And it felt bloody fantastic.
Now, she needed to get ready for tonight. She might not expect anything from this relationship, but there was no reason she couldn’t at least knock his socks off.