“A little.” A cheeky grin surfaced—one containing an edge of flirtation and a smidgeon of boyish charm. The sort of grin that tugged at a person and made them want to return the sentiment. His dark eyelashes fluttered, a striking frame around his pale blue eyes. “Is it working?”
Julia bit her lip to stop laughing, ultra-aware of the gleam in his eyes, the light press of his weight against her and the prod of his erection. To give him credit, he didn’t grind against her or do anything else tacky. Instead they stared at each other, silent messages flying back and forth while she tried to remain grounded.
“I’m going to kiss you.” A clear statement of intent.
She sucked in a harsh breath. She would tell him to move away so she could finish her coffee. Yes, she’d do that any second now. His head lowered, coming closer. The scent of soap, herby with a touch of lemon, filled her next breath. Then his lips were on hers and he was kissing her. His mouth was gentle but insistent too. Immediately he shoved her into the past, into a dreamlike state where pleasure danced through her senses, prickled in the damp heat between her legs. She moaned and clutched his shoulders, bringing his weight against her. So good. She could kiss him all day, exist in this world of desire and the beginnings of erotic pleasure. A world without problems.
As if he read her jumble of thoughts, he pulled back, his mouth reddened, his lips slightly wet from their kiss. The sense of loss was unbearable. She leaned into him, silently imploring him for more.
“Julia, your phone is going.”
“Huh?”
He turned away and grabbed her cell phone off the counter top. She accepted it from him and took two tottering steps back, groping her foggy mind for sanity. A trembling finger stabbed the right button to answer the call. “Y-yes?”
“Julia,” he whispered.
She couldn’t look at him, not even when he repeated her name. Her coffee appeared in front of her nose, and she realized that was what he was trying to tell her. She clutched the cardboard cup and tried to ignore her unsteady hand.
“Are you there?” Maggie’s familiar voice dispersed some of the mist inside her head.
“Sorry. Just a bit distracted.” She glared at Ryan when he snorted.
“Do you want to share a cab to the club with us?”
“I thought I’d jump on the loop bus. It goes right past the club.”
“Good idea. We’ll do the same. Be there in five minutes.”
“No, I’m not dressed yet. I-I slept in.” Julia closed her eyes, but pretending she wasn’t in her kitchen and standing a short distance from Ryan didn’t lessen the agitated thump of her heart. “I’ll need another ten minutes at least.”
“Okay, we’ll meet you at the café,” Maggie said. “See you later.”
“You didn’t tell her I was here.”
“That will be obvious when we walk into the café together and both say we’ve had breakfast already,” Julia shot back. “Where’s Caleb?”
“Probably panicking because he can’t find me. He’s turned into a fusspot since my accident. I should ring him before he leaves for Tauranga. He’s visiting his parents for a few days.”
“He’s your friend,” Julia said. “Friends can mother you when you need it. Why aren’t you going home too?”
His gaze narrowed on her. “Caleb is my friend, and that’s all he’ll ever be to you.”
Suddenly the tension between them was a tight spring ready to uncoil. “I was talking about my friends, but since you’ve brought up the subject, we discussed ourménage à troiswhen we first talked about marriage.”
Ryan’s breath hissed out. He scrubbed a hand over his face before he looked at her again. “I have no recollection of the conversation.”
He seemed lost, and his expression made her want to wrap her arms around him in a comforting hug. She quashed the idea to maintain a grip on her sanity.
“What did—” His voice cracked, and he gave a whip-sharp cough before he continued. “What did we decide?”
“That Caleb was our friend and we didn’t need a third person in our bed.”
“Thank you,” he mumbled.
Julia squeezed his arm and moved away when sympathy urged her to do more. “I’d better shower. My list is on the counter. Why don’t you take a look and tell me if anything jumps out at you?”
She swallowed the remains of her cooling coffee. “Won’t be long.” Julia hurried to the bathroom, telling herself she was making a huge mistake. She should sprint in the opposite direction, or at the very least, approach her lawyer about a restraining order. But no, she intended to invite him to stay. One way or another they’d use the proximity to discover if their marriage should continue.
