Private Party (17 page)

And as much as he’d wanted to make love to her, to continue to tap the newfound depths of her sensuality, he also just wanted to talk to her, to hang out like they used to. Not that they were getting much talking done now. He groaned as she turned to face him. He caught her legs behind her knees and pulled them across his lap.

She moaned in response as his hand slid up the smooth skin of her thigh. His palm moved higher still, until his thumb rested in the crease between her thigh and hip. She wasn’t wearing any underwear beneath his shirt, his fingers encountering nothing but silky bare skin. He could
definitely
get used to this.

It was another hour before Julie got back to her villa. Chris walked with her and left her at the door with another one of his toe-curling kisses.

“If I come inside, I’ll never leave,” he said, tearing his mouth away from hers. “Have dinner with me tonight?”

Julie knew she probably had the dopiest, mooniest smile on her face, but she didn’t care. “Of course.” Julie was so happy she was humming as she walked into the villa. She was tired, pleasantly sore, and yet full of an inexplicable energy.

She was on her way to the shower when she noticed the message light blinking on the phone beside her bed. The first message was from Amy. “Julie, it’s Amy. I tried to reach you last night after you left.” Julie’s mouth curved up in a smile at the thought of why she’d been unreachable. If only Amy knew.

“Anyway, I wanted to let you know we’re all getting pedicures and massages this morning starting at nine. I went ahead and made you an appointment, so just meet us at the spa.” Julie glanced at the clock. Eight forty-five. She was going to have to hustle.

“Jules, it’s me.” Julie’s stomach dropped when she heard Wendy’s voice. Why would Wendy call if not for an absolute emergency? “I’m sorry to bug you—I wasn’t going to call. But I didn’t want it to come as a complete shock when you got home”—Julie rolled her eyes to the ceiling. Come on, Wendy, get to the point—“but Brian has been calling me nonstop, trying to find out where you are.” Julie’s hand tightened around the phone, then immediately relaxed as Wendy continued. “I didn’t tell him, of course, but you should know he’s looking for you. And there’s one other thing.” Julie sat down on the side of the bed, bending double as nausea roiled in her belly. “He’s fighting the annulment. He won’t sign the papers. Says it’s not that simple. Anyway, I’m sorry to lay this on you when you’re on vacation, but I just wanted you to be prepared for the shit-storm waiting for you. Call me if you need me.” PrivateParty

Unbelievable! What did he think would happen? That if he refused, Julie would come running back?

Knowing Brian and his ego, that was probably exactly what he thought. Part of her wanted to call him right now and tell him that she’d just had the most unbelievable sex anyone ever had, with his younger brother. Let’s see if he wanted her back then.

She was actually reaching for the phone before she stopped herself. No. She was not going to taint this.

She was going to enjoy her vacation, damn it, and if Brian wanted to stonewall her about the annulment, that was his business. She’d deal with him when she got home.

But the idea of rubbing her—whatever it was—with Chris in Brian’s smug face was mighty tempting.

Julie did her best to put any thoughts of Brian and the real world out of her head. What better way to relax than with a little pampering? Half an hour later she and the four bachelorettes were wrapped in fluffy spa robes and having their feet rubbed, lotioned, and polished to perfection.

She succeeded in banishing thoughts of Brian, too, until Amy asked her if she was feeling okay.

“Of course,” Julie said, jerking slightly as the woman pumicing the sole of her left foot hit a ticklish spot. “Why wouldn’t I be?”

“Maybe I don’t know you well enough to say this,” Amy paused to nod in assent as her pedicurist held up a bottle of iridescent violet polish, “but you just don’t seem your cheery self. It’s like you’re brooding about something.”

Kara slanted a sly glance at Julie. “Is this about Chris? You two certainly left in a hurry.” As one, four pairs of eyes locked on Julie.

“N-no,” Julie said, feeling a hot flush blaze up her cheeks. Even though it was true—Chris was the least of her worries right now—she still felt like she’d been caught doing something she shouldn’t.

“The look on poor Mike’s face when Chris led you away,” Kara laughed. “It was like someone just ran over his puppy.”

“Was Mike really upset?” Julie asked. She really did feel bad about leading Mike on.

“Don’t worry about Mike,” Chrissy grinned. “Mike was very well consoled.”

“Lucky for you,” Kara said with a nasty bite in her voice, “one little blonde was interchangeable with the next for Mike. Unlike Chris,” Kara’s hard stare turned back to Julie, “who only has eyes for you.” PrivateParty

“Don’t be such a bitch, Kara,” Jen said, “just because he totally blew you off.” Julie glanced at Amy, whose smile grew more strained with every biting comment the women exchanged.

Maybe if she spilled the entire mess about Brian, she could prevent Jen and Kara from engaging in a full-blown catfight. In any case, these women, who had eons more experience than she, were bound to have some good advice.

“My best friend called me this morning,” Julie said softly. “Brian’s fighting the annulment.”

“What a creep,” Jen said with a roll of her eyes.

“I can’t believe he has the nerve,” Amy said. “Does he think you can work it out?

“I have no idea,” said Julie. “Brian always gets his way, and somewhere in that fat head of his he probably thinks I’ll come groveling back.”

“What a jerk.” Chrissy leaned over and patted Julie on the thigh. “I hope you don’t let it ruin your vacation.”

“I won’t,” Julie sighed, trying to convince herself as much as the others. “But it’s more pressure I don’t need right now, you know? I wish we could get it over and done with and move on.”
And find someone
who really loves me,
she added silently.

“Why don’t you just tell him you’re playing hide the salami with his brother?” Kara said. “That should change his mind about the annulment.”

“It’s not like that,” Julie protested. But Kara’s comment struck a nerve, boiling her affair with Chris down to its sordid essence. And hadn’t Julie herself considered rubbing Brian’s face in it just hours earlier? Julie could protest all she wanted, but it wasn’t like she had any moral high ground to stand on.

Kara scoffed. “What, do you think you and Chris are going to ride off into the sunset together?” Jen broke in before Julie could answer. “Don’t pay any attention to her. Just because every guy gets sick of her after a couple of weeks, she thinks that happens to everyone.” Kara shot Jen an evil smirk. “But the two months I had with
your
guy were a hell of a lot of fun.” She jerked the separators from between her toes and stalked off for her scrub and honey wrap. Jen flashed her middle finger at Kara’s retreating back.

PrivateParty

“Don’t mind her,” said Amy. “She gets bored easily, likes to stir up drama. If there aren’t cameras following her constantly, she’s not sure she really exists.”

“Why are you even friends with her?” The question flew from her mouth before Julie could stop it. “I’m sorry, that was completely rude.”

Amy sighed. “No, it’s not. Kara and I grew up together. She used to be a lot different, before her parents got divorced. The whole bitchy party girl thing is a way for her to get her parents’ attention.”

“Oh, please,” Jen snapped, “her parents got divorced over fifteen years ago. You can’t keep excusing her behavior just because she was nice to you back when you were, like, five.” Chrissy nodded in agreement. Obviously this wasn’t the first time the women had had this conversation. “Ignore Kara and her poor-little-rich-girl, daddy-doesn’t-love-me bullshit,” Jen said, looking pointedly at Julie and Amy in turn.

Julie tried to relax, but she couldn’t get Kara’s comments out of her head.

“What do you think about Chris?” Julie asked as she and Amy lay on adjoining treatment tables for their facials.

“He’s gorgeous, and seems like a nice enough guy,” Amy said.

“But, what Kara said, he
is
Brian’s brother.” Julie turned slightly so she could see Amy’s profile, covered in a green seaweed mask. “Don’t you think me sleeping with him is, well, tacky?” Amy emitted a short burst of laughter. “Julie, Brian was doing his secretary in the utility closet at your wedding reception, and you’re worried about being tacky?” The aesthetician giggled and gently held Amy’s head in place. Julie was grateful that her own mask hid her embarrassment. New Julie or not, she really didn’t appreciate having her personal life so much part of the public record.

PrivateParty

10

A
n exfoliating rub, herbal wrap, and full-body massage still weren’t enough to ease Julie’s mind. All of the doubts and misgivings she’d shoved aside had come rushing back with Kara’s snide comments.

What the hell did she think she was doing?
she thought as she showered off the residue left by countless coats of oil and lotion.

Oh yeah, that’s right, she was sleeping with her husband’s younger, wilder half brother. If her parents ever found out they would kill her. Her father was always despairing of David Dennison’s behavior, his affairs that were ripe fodder for the gossip pages. If the press ever got wind of where Julie was and what she was doing, there would be absolute hell to pay.

She wasn’t a complete idiot. She’d known her impulsiveness could lead to disaster. But she was so sick of worrying about what everyone thought and about doing the right thing, that for a while, at least, she’d been able to ignore reality in pursuit of a little fun.

No one could ever find out that she was here. And no one could ever find out about Chris. She chewed a thumbnail, praying that none of the girls would say anything when they got home. Especially Kara. She definitely seemed the type to blab out of spite. On the other hand, she and Julie didn’t run in the same social circles. She might not even realize Julie would be a target of the press.

She looked at the clock. Four-thirty. She still had an hour and a half before she was supposed to meet Chris for dinner. An hour and a half to call him and cancel. Because that would be the smart thing to do.

End things now before they gave anyone anything more to talk about. And before her feelings got any more complicated. Really, who was she trying to fool?

PrivateParty

Despite Wendy’s pep talks, regardless of all of her own resolve this morning to keep things casual and uncomplicated, there was nothing casual about the way he made her feel, nothing casual about the way his hands and lips felt on her body. But even if there was a chance in hell they made this last beyond her short time here, could she really face her parents and tell them she was in love with Chris?

Good one. Like it or not she still had obligations to her family and the business. Once she got home, she had enough of a mess to clean up without adding a hot romance with her ex-husband’s brother to the mix.

She should really nip this thing in the bud now before too many feelings—namely hers—got ground into the dust.

But before she could pick up the phone, a knock sounded at the door.

Gathering her white cotton robe more closely around her, she flung open the door to find Chris leaning casually against the doorframe. His coffee brown hair gleamed with auburn lights and his gorgeous blue eyes crinkled in a self-deprecating grin.

“I know we’re not supposed to meet for another hour,” he said, pushing away from the doorframe and wrapping his arms around her waist, “but I couldn’t wait to see you again.” He lifted her off the ground to meet his kiss, and all thoughts of canceling their date and ending this melted at the first taste of his mouth. She wasn’t about to deny him—or herself—a damn thing.

“I’ve been thinking about you all day,” he said, his tone almost accusing. He carried her into the sitting room and settled her on his lap on the padded wicker sofa. “I’ve been staring at spreadsheets for six hours, and I can’t concentrate because all I can think about is this.” He untied the knot at her waist and slowly spread the lapels, licking his lips as her breasts were bared to his gaze.

The hot, hungry glint in his eyes made Julie feel like the most beautiful, desirable woman in the universe. When he covered her breasts with his large, callused palms Julie couldn’t hold herself back.

She plunged her fingers into the thick silk of his hair and pulled his mouth to hers, thrusting her tongue between his soft lips. She wanted him, wanted him so much.

At that moment, it didn’t matter that this couldn’t go anywhere, that once she left Holley Cay, she and Chris would go their separate ways, no looking back. Didn’t matter that if the world found out, the scandal would be bigger than when David Dennison had left Brian’s mother for Chris’s. There was no way she could give this up. She would take whatever he could give, and relish the time they had together.

And if, as she feared, she was left with a broken heart? She’d jump off that bridge when she got to it.

PrivateParty

He couldn’t get enough of her. That was all there was to it. Julie lay back against the pillows of her king-size bed, a well satisfied smile on her lips.

Chris couldn’t resist the urge to lean down and taste it.

“Mmm,” Julie moaned. “You are the most amazing lover in the world,” she purred.

The soft, husky rasp of her voice was enough to bring him back to semi-hardness.

“You’re going to be the death of me,” he sighed.

Julie wriggled against him with a sleepy, naughty smile. “Really? Because I feel like I need more practice.” She raked her nails lightly down his back, sending shivers all the way to the soles of his feet.

“This whole wild, uninhibited sex thing is new for me. I have a lot of catching up to do.” She was nipping at his neck, following the soft bites with flicks of her tongue, just the way he loved.

“Trust me,” he said, smoothing his hand up her thigh, “you’re a natural.” Unbelievably, he was already hard again. But just as he slid her underneath him for round two, both of their stomachs growled. Loudly. In stereo.