Chapter 15
chapter fifteen
The second that Julienne clicked off her phone, she sent her address to Alek. Excitement and worry threaded through her blood making her a bit of a wreck. She didn’t know if this was a good idea, but she had been missing him since she left Maui. Without David here, she would admit that she had been a little lonely. They could control themselves, maybe. Possibly.
She was her mother’s daughter, however, and there was one thing Lillian Wulf taught her: always be prepared for battle. Especially with men.
She hurried through her shower, threw on a robe afterwards and walked through her closet and tried to decide what she was going to wear. It was nice out, just like Nicola told her it would be. She had said it could be hot and sticky during the day, but every night, the sun would go down and it was cool. Julienne had started working every morning and evening out by the pool. The lure of the watching the sunrise with a spot of tea and then doing the same thing later in the day had become too much. Tropical wasn’t her type of thing, but then Hawaii was different than other places she had frequented. She knew Hawaii could be highly touristy in spots, but since she had stuck to the house for over a week, she hadn’t seen that. Instead, she had enjoyed the atmosphere, the sweet air, and being close to the beach was amazing.
It had cooled off, but it was still warm for her English blood, so she thought that maybe a sundress would work. She was trying to figure out which one to wear when her mobile buzzed on the counter. She hurried back into the bathroom and couldn’t fight the smile that curved her lips when she saw Alek’s name.
Alek: Made it here.
Julienne:
Smiley face? Really, Jules? What was he doing to her? She had never been a woman who went for cutesy things. Now she was acting like a thirteen-year-old girl with her first crush.
Alek: I’m going to rent a car, so it will take me a little bit longer.
Julienne: Okay.
She set her mobile down and stepped back into the closet. She spied the one dress she truly loved but had never worn. She had been shopping with Nicola last year and she had picked it out and insisted that Julienne try it on.
“You have to buy that!” Nicola said, stepping up behind her as Julienne looked at herself in the mirror.
“I don’t know.”
“Yes. You need to buy it. And if you don’t, I’ll buy it and then make you feel guilty that I spent my hard-earned money on it.”
Julienne smiled at the memory. She had never had a really close girlfriend before, it was impossible with her family, but Nic had become her best friend. Other ‘girlfriends’ had turned on her as soon as the news had hit about her break up, proving her suspicions true. But of course, Nic had been there, just as she had been since Jensen brought her back after he’d moved back from New York City.
Julienne eyed the dress again, then, she threw caution to the wind and grabbed the dress. The clock was ticking, and she didn’t have that much time before he would be here. After hanging the dress up on the door, she went light with her makeup. Since getting here a week ago, she rarely wore much makeup. It was just so humid, and she liked having just enough on her face. Otherwise, she felt as if she were wearing a mask.
After drying her hair, she put some shimmer product into her hair, turning it into a mass of shiny curls. She would normally run a straightener through it, but she didn’t have time. And here in Hawaii, it would be wavy within thirty minutes anyway. At first, she had hated it. Truth was, she had loved her hair when she was younger, but again, living in the eye of the tabloids had made her worry about it. Now she thought she looked…sexy.
Taking the dress with her, she stepped into her bedroom. Choosing her lingerie shouldn’t be that important, because they were not having sex, right?
She rolled her eyes. She was having a hard time convincing herself of that. Also, if even her thoughts were this wishy washy, she was going to have a hard time convincing Alek. She closed her eyes as she thought of him. It always sent a shot of heat racing through her blood. The dress had a built-in bra, so at least she could forgo that. So, she grabbed a pair of white lace panties and slipped them on.
Then, she picked up the dress, as second thoughts hit her. It had a halter top and usually she steered away from those. When she had been in her teens, her family had gone on an outing in the south of France, and she had worn a halter top dress. The tabloids had been brutal about her weight, and even though she knew she could ignore all of that, those emotions were wedged into her psyche. And as much as she always thought she had moved on from those feelings of inadequacy, they cropped up anytime she put on a halter top dress.
With what she was sure was a determined look, she donned the dress then walked up to the mirror. Julienne had gotten a little color in the last few days. It brought out the green in her eyes, and the dress added perfectly to that. But…damn, she looked good in this dress. It fit her perfectly, accentuating her curves. It dipped a little low in the front. Looking at the time, she wished she could take a pic and send it to Nic. She knew her sister-in-law was probably sleeping.
As if she heard her thinking about her, Nic texted.
Nic: What exciting things do you have happening tonight.
She frowned over the text. Not that she didn’t love hearing from her sister-in-law, but Nic should be sleeping.
Julienne: What are you doing up?
Nic: *Liz Lemmon eye roll gif* It’s six am. Plus, I went to sleep last night before eight.
That’s good, she thought.
Nic: So, again, what are you up to tonight?
Julienne took a selfie in the mirror so Nic could get the full effect. It only took seconds for a response.
Nic: You finally wore it! OMG, you are gorgeous.
She smiled and shook her head. She knew she wasn’t an ogre, but Julienne wasn’t sure if she would ever be able to shake off all of her insecurities.
Julienne: So it looks good?
Her mobile buzzed and Nic’s face came up on her screen. “You look amazing in that dress.”
“Thank you.”
“You look like you got a little sun.”
“I have. I’ve been slathering on sunscreen but apparently some sun got through.”
“It’s Hawaii. You’re close to the equator. And you are English and very white.”
“Like you can talk.”
Nic had alabaster skin, which looked stunning with her dark hair and ice blue eyes. It was one of the things that had made her so amazing on the ice. Julienne remembered watching her compete and thinking how she looked like an ice queen.
“True.”
“How are you feeling?”
“Irritable, but it’s been better since David got here,” she admitted. “Have I told you thank you for sending him to me?”
“Only three times a day.”
“I’m sorry I stole him away from your trip.”
“Actually, it’s been very good for me. I’ve had a lot of time to work and just relax.”
And that much was true. She no longer got up in the morning with a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach. Now, she let the birds wake her up, and she’d been getting close to eight hours of sleep every night.
“Good. So, what are you up to tonight in that getup?”
Oh, bother. She hadn’t thought through sending the picture, and she had no idea what to say now.
“Come on. Tell me.”
“I’m going out to dinner with Alek.”
“San Francisco Alek?”
She rolled her eyes. “He’s not San Francisco Alek.”
“Are you on Maui? No, wait, you told me something about this.” She frowned as she watched her sister-in-law mull over it.
“Oh,” her ice blue eyes focused again. “Alek is coming over there, that’s right. This baby is eating my brain cells. And you’re dressed to impress. I approve.”
“Don’t.”
“Don’t what?”
“Don’t read anything into it.”
“So, you begged him to come there?”
She knew the answer to the question, but Jules answered anyway. “No, he called and asked if I was up for a weekend visitor.”
Nic gave Julienne a knowing look. She could not have her friend thinking this was more than just two friends going out sightseeing.
“Stop,” she said, glancing at herself in the mirror. Even with her light tan, it was easy to see her blush.
“Someone has a thing for you.”
“He’s being polite.”
“Um, Jules, he got on a plane to come see you. I know you’re rich and used to that, and while I know that he’s comfortable, he doesn’t have a private plane at his disposal. Guys don’t do things like that.”
“I told him there would be no more sex.”
She snorted. “You sound so sad about that.”
It was true. She was. “It’s best. We have to work together. And I’m leaving in a few weeks.”
“So? Do you want my advice?”
“Can I stop you from giving it?”
She ignored Julienne’s question, of course.
“Gregor was your first…guy.”
Julienne smiled at the hesitation. Once the stories started hitting the rags, Nicola had raged about how much she didn’t like him. It had been then when Julienne had admitted that he had been her first and only sexual experience.
“And?”
“I know that you might be a little bit worried about your reputation, or what people would think, but truly, Jules, who gives a damn? The only two people who should care about what’s going on between you two should be you and San Francisco Alek. Don’t do anything you don’t want to, but for once in your blessed life, Jules, do something that makes you happy. And if that means doing Alek, then by all means, do him.”
It was like a light bulb went off inside her head. Nic was right. It was only their business and everyone else could sod off. Determination filled her as she straightened her shoulders.
“And the dress looks good?”
“Definitely. I’d do you.”
Julienne snorted out a laugh. “Thanks, I think.”
“Go get him, woman, and have fun for once in your life.”
“I will.”
“Love you.”
“Love you,” Julienne said, before ending the call.
She looked at herself once more. Grabbing her lipstick, she slathered it on, red again. With Alek, it seemed to be her signature color. She hurried downstairs knowing he would be there soon. As if on cue, the doorbell rang. The urge to run to the door and throw it open almost overwhelmed her. Instead, she told herself to calm down. There was no reason to get so insane about a man who was going to remain in the friend category.
By the time she made it to the entrance, she thought she had convinced herself that their relationship was one of friends of the opposite sex. But the moment she opened the door and saw him standing on her welcome mat, the heated rush of memories washed over her. The smell of his skin, the way his tongue felt as he licked over her nipple, and the moment he plunged inside her…bloody hell.
For a long moment, she couldn’t think of anything to say or do.
“Good evening,” she finally said, inwardly cringing. She really needed to learn another way to deal with her awkwardness.
She stepped back and let him come into the house. He still had his work clothes on, a pair of light-colored slacks and a Hawaiian shirt. He had a bit of scruff on his face—and she liked it. She also liked the way he was smiling at her. Like she owned the entire world.
“I hope the flight was an easy one.”
His smile widened. “I have a feeling it will always be an easy journey back to you.”
Her heart sighed. Why did he insist on being this man, one who could easily charm her back into bed and most definitely leave her with a broken heart?
“I’m famished, if you just want to set your bag down.”
“Can I change? I feel overdressed.”
She looked down at her own dress rethinking it.
“Oh, no, you are not changing that dress,” he said, his deep timbre rolling over the syllables.
Julienne raised her gaze to his. “Not too much?”
“You are never too much.”
Dammit, the man was inching into her heart one comment at a time. She had always been told she was too loud when she was younger. Not by her parents, but her teachers had admonished her for being a little raucous. What did people expect?
“I’ll wait here for you if you just want to pop into the bathroom down there.”
“Yes. I’m also famished.”
There was a twinkle in his eye that told her he wasn’t talking about food. But before she could respond, he was on his way to the bathroom.
She could do this. She could definitely do this.
As if Nic knew she needed a pep talk, her mobile buzzed with a text from her.
Nic: Don’t you dare second-guess yourself. Go get him.
Julienne: Thank you.
Nic: Just think about how good you feel right now…how he makes you feel. You don’t need a commitment, but you do need some fun.
Just as she finished reading the text, Alek stepped out of the bathroom. He’d slipped on a pair of shorts and another Hawaiian shirt, one that brought out the gold in his eyes.
Oh, yeah, she was going to have fun and worry about the consequences later.