Chapter 15 #2
Juliana looked away from Michael and came face-to-face with Pam and David Newman, close friends of hers and Jeremy’s who were stunned to see her with another man’s arm around her.
“Pam, David.” She tried to hide her shock. Oh God. They’ll tell Jeremy they saw me with Michael.
They both kissed her cheek while trying not to stare at Michael.
“This is my friend, Michael.” She made a huge effort to keep her voice normal as she introduced them. “This is Pam and David Newman, friends from high school.”
With what appeared to be great reluctance, David shook Michael’s hand.
“What brings you guys to Annapolis?” Juliana asked a little too brightly.
“It’s our anniversary,” Pam said, looking Michael over with interest. “Three years.”
“Already? That seems hard to believe.”
“How’s Jeremy?” David made no attempt to hide his annoyance at seeing her with Michael.
“He’s doing great. Working hard in Florida. I was down there a few weeks ago.”
“Be sure to tell him we said hello,” David said. “We’ll have to get together when he gets home.”
“Do I know you from somewhere?” Pam asked Michael.
“No, I don’t think so. We need to get going, Juliana.”
“Well, it was nice to see you guys.” She hugged and kissed them both. “Happy anniversary.”
“Thanks,” Pam said, studying Michael again before David led her away.
“Oh my God,” Juliana whispered, trying to catch her breath. “Oh God.”
Michael put his arm around her and led her to the parking lot. “Hey,” he said once they were in the car. “You haven’t done anything wrong.”
“David will go right home and call Jeremy. He might not even wait that long. Jeremy was David’s best man. I was a bridesmaid. This is really bad.”
“Juliana, look at me.” When she turned her eyes to him, he said, “You aren’t doing anything that he’s not doing, too. Surely if David calls him, Jeremy will tell him that.”
“No,” she whispered. “Jeremy will just freak out. He won’t tell David we’re not seeing each other. He’d never tell him that. They’re going to think I’m cheating on him while he’s out of town.”
“But you’re not. Come on. Don’t do this to yourself. You know the truth.”
She dissolved into tears.
He brought her into his arms. “Oh, Juliana, don’t. You’re breaking my heart here.”
“I’m sorry,” she sniffed. “It’s not that I’m ashamed to be seen with you, Michael. I’m so proud to be with you.”
“You are?”
“Of course I am. I just don’t want them to think I’m cheating on him. I couldn’t bear that.”
“Then maybe you need to tell them what’s going on.”
“Yes,” she agreed. “I’ll have to.” She looked up at him. “I’m sorry to ruin our evening. Thank you for dinner.”
He kissed her cheek. “Thank you for taking my mind off the trial.”
“Can we go home? Please?”
“Absolutely.”
They were quiet on the ride, but he kept his hand wrapped around hers. At home, he asked for her opinion on which suit and tie he should wear to court the next day. He laid the two options on his bed. “What do you think? The navy suit and red tie or the gray suit with the blue tie?”
Juliana studied the choices. “Blue suit, red tie,” she said. “Definitely.”
“How come?”
“You’re representing the government, right?”
“Right.”
“Red and blue is patriotic.”
“Good point. Thanks.”
“I’m going to bed.”
He put his arms around her. “Are you sure you’re all right?”
With her hands on his chest, she nodded. “Good luck with everything tomorrow. I’ll be thinking of you.”
“I’ll be thinking of you, too,” he said, kissing her lightly.
“Think about your work. Don’t think about me.”
“Impossible.”
“Good night.”
“Night.”
Hours later Juliana lay awake, her mind racing with unpleasant scenarios. Running into Pam and David had thrown her. She wasn’t prepared to explain her relationship with Michael to them or anyone else. Hell, she couldn’t even explain it to herself.
When the ceiling above her bed creaked a couple of times, she realized he was pacing. She got up, pulled on her robe, and tied it around her waist on the way upstairs.
Moving back and forth across his big bedroom lost in thought, he wore only a pair of loose-fitting pajama bottoms that hung low on his narrow hips.
Juliana tried not to stare at his muscular chest and washboard stomach. “Michael?”
“Hey,” he said, surprised. “What are you doing up?”
“Couldn’t sleep. What about you?”
“I can’t.” He tapped his head. “Can’t turn it off.”
She went over to him and took his hand. A perplexed look crossed his face when she tugged him toward his bed. “Lie down.” He did what she asked, and she could tell she shocked him again when she lay down next to him.
He groaned. “Is this supposed to be helping?”
“Turn over.”
Keeping his eyes trained on her, he shifted onto his side.
“All the way.”
Face down on the bed, he turned his head so he could see her.
She reached over to massage his back, her mouth going dry as her hand made contact with his warm skin.
He sighed.
“Close your eyes.” She moved to her knees so she could massage him with both hands. “Feel good?”
“Mmm.”
“Go to sleep.”
He snorted. “Yeah, right. I’ve got the most beautiful girl in the whole world in my bed, and you expect me to sleep through it?”
His words shot straight to her heart—and a few other places.
When she leaned over to kiss his cheek, his eyes flew open.
“Sleep,” she said, brushing a hand over his eyes to close them again.
She kneaded the tension out of his shoulders before she worked her way down his back.
As his breathing became slow and steady, she applied less and less pressure until she was certain he was almost asleep.
She started to move off the bed, but his arm encircled her hips to draw her down next to him.
Since it was either fight him and wake him up or stay with him, she chose to stay.