“Great job everyone! I’ll see you later tonight.” Julia grabbed a towel and dabbed the perspiration off her forehead and upper chest.
“Are you packed?” Maggie asked.
“Not yet,” Julia said. “I thought I’d chuck a few things in my bag tomorrow morning. I don’t need much for the weekend. I’d better catch up on the bookwork before I go.”
“No, Julia, come shopping with us now,” Christina said. “I’ve found a new designer and she has some beautiful dresses in stock. They’ll pack well.”
“I’ll do the bookwork for you,” Susan said. “It’s no problem.”
“Ryan won’t ring until later tonight,” Maggie said.
“All right,” Julia said. “We’ve worked hard recently. Let’s do it.”
The following afternoon, Julia boarded The Air New Zealand flight to Sydney. She caught a cab to their hotel in Darling Harbor and checked in. A big bunch of pink roses greeted her when she walked into the suite, the floral bouquet filling the room. She set down her bag with a thrill of pleasure heating her through.
A small square parcel sat on the end of the bed, wrapped with a pink bow. Julia opened the card and smiled, a tingle of anticipation widening her grin until her lips ached. She shook the box, breathless with anticipation when she pulled off the lid. The scent of rich chocolate rose to greet her. The box contained several handmade truffles plus three small jars of some sort of chocolate substance and a selection of brushes. A saucy laugh spilled free. Edible body paint.
“Fun gift,” she murmured.
A key card sounded in the door, and she turned.
“Julia?” Ryan’s overnight bag thumped to the floor.
“Ryan!” She flew toward him, leaping into his arms from a few feet away. Her legs wrapped around his hips as she clung to him. He laughed, twirling her around. Then he was kissing her, wrapping his arms around her as if he hadn’t seen her for months. Julia opened her mouth to him, slid her hands down his back, touching as much of him as she could manage.
“God, Julia,” he said. “I’ve missed you so much.”
She kissed the tip of his nose. “Don’t you like sharing a room with Caleb?”
Ryan snorted. “The dude snores.”
“I missed you too. So much. How long do we have?”
“The rest of the afternoon. I need to be at the stadium by seven.”
“And after the concert?”
“I’m all yours,” he said. “I told Seymour I didn’t intend to stay for long tonight. Caleb and the others are taking care of the parties and promo stuff.”
“In that case,” Julia said, releasing her tight hold of him. She gripped the hem of his black T-shirt and drew it over his head, feasting her gaze on acres of masculine flesh. Next, she yanked on his belt and unfastened his jeans, her frantic hurry making him laugh.
“Boots first, sweetheart.” He sat on the edge of the bed.
Julia knelt by his feet and pulled off his boots and socks. Soon he was naked and she stood back to admire her husband. His gaze rested on her, his easy smile absent for once. Each rapid breath showed in the rise and fall of his chest while his feet were spread apart, arms resting at his sides. His cock jutted out, jerking a fraction under her scrutiny.
“Are you going to do more than stare?” Gritty arousal filled his voice.
“Definitely, but we do have the entire afternoon.”
“On the bed,” he snapped out, urgency glittering in his pale blue eyes.
Julia chuckled but kicked off her shoes, hastening her pace. “Let’s have a quickie before we get to the good stuff.”
He cast a considering glance down at her bare legs, his gaze an invisible caress. “Very thoughtful of you to wear a skirt. Much quicker.”
“And here I thought you favored skirts because they showed off my legs.”
“Very true. Condom?” He was suddenly all business, yet his gaze slid to her breasts and lower, the visual touches leaving a trail of acute expectation. Her hands trembled as she reached into the side pocket of her pink handbag.
