“I’m gonna hang around and help with measurements or something,” Caleb said with a smart-ass grin. “The chick is right. This is way better than a movie.”
“Friends are a pain in the ass,” Ryan muttered.
Julia glowered in Caleb’s direction. “On that we agree.” She stomped up the stairs to her mother’s apartment. Earlier, she’d checked on her via phone but Julia wanted to see in person. Soft feminine voices filtered through the door. Ah, good. Janet, her mother’s friend, had arrived.
“Why did you lie about your mother?”
Julia whirled around to face Ryan. “Are you still here?”
“I’m not going anywhere.”
“Why? Our marriage was a stupid mistake. Just sign the divorce papers so we can both move on with our lives.”
“Damn it, Julia. Our marriage isn’t a mistake. Can’t you give us a chance? You told me you loved me.”
“I—”
The door flew open before she could get out her reply.
“Ah, I thought I heard voices.” Janet was a petite brunette, stylish in her black slacks and red and black silk shirt. As usual, she’d boosted her height by teaming her outfit with a pair of gorgeous black shoes with a spike heel. Janet spent a lot of time with Elise and Julia didn’t ask nosy questions—not when she was so grateful for Janet’s presence.
“Is it Julia?” Elise called.
Janet smiled and gave Julia a swift hug. “Julia and her young man,” she called back. “Make sure you’re decent. I’m bringing them in.”
“I’m Ryan, Julia’s husband,” Ryan said. “Pleased to meet you.”
“We’re getting a divorce,” Julia snapped, thrown off balance by Ryan’s solid presence, his insistence on keeping up the marriage charade.
Ryan placed his hand on the small of her back to shunt her through the doorway, and she couldn’t prevent her gasp of shock. His sparse touch generated an electric charge that rocked her to her toes. A healthy dose of heat blossomed where it had no business blooming, and her pulse kicked into a racy beat.
“You’d better come in,” Janet said dryly, her gaze darting from her to Ryan and back again with curious fascination.
“Do not tell my mother we’re married,” Julia ordered in a harsh whisper. Her friends would ask enough questions. Right now they were likely pulling supposition together, speculating. “She has enough to worry about at present without you upsetting her.”
“The good news would cheer her up. Not the divorce part,” Janet said, winking at them with mascara laden eyes. “But the fact you’re married. She worries about you, Julia. She thinks you hate men.”
Julia’s mouth opened and closed, another weird flash of heat striking her cheeks at the sound of Ryan’s husky laugh. “I do so like men,” she said when her wits unscrambled.
“I can vouch for that,” Ryan said, arming his cheeky grin with enough charm to win over the grumpiest maiden aunt.
Julia counted to ten under her breath but didn’t reach five before she blew. “No one asked you.”
Amusement played tag with Janet’s lips. “I wasn’t implying you were a lesbian. I meant you treat men as commodities and throw them away when you’re done.”
“And you had the cheek to call me a slut,” Ryan said silkily.
Her gaze jerked to him, her mouth opening to refute his charge when she caught the familiar twinkle in his eyes—one that weakened her knees and sent sensations coursing the length of her traitorous body. The one that made her want to jump him.
“What are you whispering about out there?” her mother called. “I might have one foot in the grave but my hearing is still excellent.”
Janet stood aside, making shooing motions with her hands. Julia walked into her mother’s room, each step filled with foreboding. “Mum, how are you?”
“Thanks to you, I had a good night’s sleep. Aren’t you going to introduce me to your young man?”
Ryan stepped forward before Julia could reply. “I’m Ryan Callander.” He swung a glance in her direction, his chin lifting a fraction in challenge.
“Ryan, this is my mother, Elise Maxwell. And you’ve already met her friend, Janet Wright.” She cut across his challenge, barely pausing for a breath as she prayed he wouldn’t drop the H bomb again.
