“Yeah—fuck it,” he said. “There’s always tomorrow.”
“There’s always tomorrow,” she agreed and dragged his mouth to hers.
After that, there was no going back. She tightened her arms around his neck as he shifted in the bed and lowered his hand to the moist spot between her legs.
As she gasped and arched toward him, he knew he’d have to answer for this eventually. His sister would probably hate him as much as Charlotte, once they learned the truth.
But the life he’d had, the one he really wanted, was essentially over, anyway. So he let go of the last shred of his restraint—possibly his decency, too—and simply handed himself over to the desire that was driving him.
Almost before he knew it, it was too late to make a different decision. He’d pressed inside her, and she’d locked her legs around his hips as he began to move.
chapter 25
“If I’d known what I was missing, I would’ve made more of the weeks we’ve already been here,” Charlotte teased Julian as he lay exhausted in her arms. “That doesn’t happen to a girl every day.”
“Yeah, well, I think we’ve already established that you’ve been married to a selfish bastard.”
Charlotte had been so used to tolerating Cliff and his behavior—and trying to be the one to make up the difference—that she hadn’t even realized how bad it’d gotten or how heavy that role had become.
“I don’t want to talk about Cliff.” She didn’t want to think about him, either. She couldn’t believe he’d defected and broken her heart—or that, because of Julian, she was actually feeling better than she had before Cliff had asked for the divorce.
She could only hope whatever this was would last...
“No problem,” he responded. “As far as I’m concerned, we don’t have to talk at all.”
“You’re not going to get out of it that easily,” she said wryly. “What’s going on with you?” He’d wanted to tell her something while they were making love, but she’d been too afraidthat whatever it was would make him stop touching her, like when he’d ended their kiss.
“Nothing,” he replied. “I’m tired. I just want to sleep.”
“Okay. I’ll go to my room.” She started to get up, but he caught her by the wrist.
“I meant with you.”
“That’s better,” she said with a laugh and checked the clock on the nightstand. They had a few hours before Sloane and Lilly got up, so she climbed back into bed.
Once he was settled in her arms with his head on her shoulder, she combed her fingers through his hair. There was no way she’d be able to sleep. She was too shocked by her own emotions. Shouldn’t she feel odd being with her best friend’s brother like this?
She probably should. Until just a couple of months ago, she’d been with Cliff. And yet shedidn’tfeel odd. She felt as if she’d finally found her way home.
“Are you okay about... about what we did?” she asked. “I mean... we crossed a line I know you’ve been careful to stay away from. You’ve been a lot better about it than me. But... I hope you don’t have any regrets.”
“I enjoyed every second of it,” he said.
Her breath settled. His weight felt right. “It won’t be easy to explain to Sloane.”
“No, it won’t.”
“Is that what you were going to say before when I... I told you not to screw it up?”
This time, he didn’t speak for several seconds. Then he said, “We’ll talk about it in the morning. Just... give me this night.”
“No problem. But I don’t want you to worry. I know you think I’m on the rebound and don’t know what I’m doing, but that’s not the case. Tonight meant something to me.Youmean something to me.”
When he didn’t respond, she continued combing her fingers through his hair. She assumed he was falling asleep—until tears warmed her skin.
“Jules?” she said.
“Tomorrow,” he reminded her.
