Serendipity (Inevitable) (42 page)

His condo was about what she’d expected – a clean, modern, open space, though with less square footage then she would have guessed. It was comfortably if sparsely furnished, but she immediately picked up on the various personal touches he’d included – paintings, family photos, books and mementoes.

“So, does the decorator approve of my humble digs?”

She smiled. “Not so humble. I have an idea of what these places sell for, and you have one of the better views. But to answer your question, it’s got a relaxed feel but could use some more color and a few more pieces.” She bumped shoulders with him. “I could give you a discount on my services.”

Nathan laughed, slipping his arms around her waist and pulling her in close. “Your boss – or at least his partner – might have something to say on that subject. Besides, I’m not sure how much time and effort I want to put into this place. I never intended it to be my main residence.”

She looked at him curiously. “You have another home?”

“I own a waterfront lot across the bay in Tiburon. One of these days it will have the house of my dreams built on it. If I can ever get the design just right, that is. I must have drawn up at least six different versions so far, none of which felt exactly right.”

Julia fiddled with a button on his shirt. “I’d love to see this lot sometime. I have a weakness for waterfront property, given that I grew up in an oceanfront house.”

“Deal. In fact, maybe we’ll take a drive over the bridge tomorrow to see it. After we have a fantastic champagne brunch at a very romantic restaurant. You are
not
going to cook for me all weekend.”

She nipped at his bottom lip. “Sounds great to me, honey. Now, show me the rest of your place.”

She loved the size and space of his kitchen, and sighed over the high end stainless steel appliances, especially the five burner stove. The smallish spare bedroom and guest bathroom got a quick onceover, and then she paused at the doorway to the master bedroom.

Julia looked uncertainly at the king-sized platform bed, neatly made up and covered with a plain graphite gray duvet. “Am I being unreasonable to not want to sleep in that bed?” she asked quietly. “Knowing that Cameron – and likely other women – have already been there?”

He rested his hands on her shoulders, pressing his body against her back. “No, not at all, baby. I understand exactly how you feel. I’ve tried real hard not to think about who else might have shared your bed.”

She leaned back into him. “That didn’t bother you last night?”

“I made myself block it out. I wanted you too damned bad to care.”

She reached back and patted his cheek. “Well, no need to block anything out, honey. You’re the only man who’s ever slept in that bed. I bought it when I moved out here. My teeny tiny apartment in Manhattan would never have fit a bed that size.”

He slid his hands down her arms and kissed the side of her neck. “Maybe I’ll just buy a new bed. It would be worth it to have you stay over with me sometimes.”

“Hmm, I think I could live with that. Though shopping for a new bed with you could be dangerous.”

Nathan chuckled. “Baby, I’m always feeling a little bit in danger when you’re around. Danger of being tempted to do lots and lots of dirty things.”

“Tsk, tsk. My mother always warned me to stay away from bad boys like you. Good thing I rarely listened to her.”

“Have I told you how glad I am you wore that dress and those shoes today?”

Julia smiled across the table at her handsome, charming lover and took a small sip of her Bellini. “Hmm, I think this might be the third – no, make that the fourth time. But it’s okay. I’m just glad you recognized it.”

Nathan’s glittering light blue gaze travelled slowly over the white Lanvin dress down to the mauve platform stilettos on her feet. “Not recognize the outfit you were wearing the first time I saw you? Baby, that particular dress has been featured in any number of my fantasies about you. Though not nearly as many as the pink dress. You’ll have to wear that one again for me very soon.”

She felt her cheeks flush at his intense regard. “Apparently with a different pair of panties, since that particular pair went missing.”

“Ah, not true.” He grinned at her devilishly. “Those very pretty pink lace panties are safely stashed away. For my eyes only.”

She gasped. “You found my panties and kept them? That’s – well, sort of pervy, Nathan.”

He drew her hand to his lips. “I found them in the room after you left that morning and couldn’t stand the thought of not taking them with me. They were a reminder of the most incredible night of my life.” He ran the back of her hand against his now smoothly shaven cheek. “I thought about you all the time. Mentally kicked myself for what I’d done. And came real close at least four times to booking a plane ticket to New York and trying to find you again.”

His confession touched her. “Really?”

“Yeah. One time I had the flight all ready to book on Orbitz, and was about to hit the confirm button when I chickened out. And then the more time that passed I figured you’d moved on and forgotten about me. Or that the odds of finding you again were pretty weak.”

Julia traced her index finger over his lips. “But we wound up finding each other anyway. Guess it was fate.”

“My brother called it serendipity.”

She frowned “You told your brother about me? About us?”

He nodded. “Yeah. It was during his visit back in April, the same time you met him and my parents. The guilt had been weighing on me for months and I knew I could trust Jared not to say anything. So I unloaded on him one night over beers. Not, uh, anything too intimate, of course. Though he did ask if your boobs were real.”

Julia gasped. “Well, that’s rather rude. And he’s a married man.”

Nathan rolled his eyes. “Married but not dead. Besides, he also told me I should end things with Cameron and be with you since it was pretty obvious I was crazy about you.”

She grinned. “Okay. I’ll forgive him for the comment about my boobs. How do you think your parents will react to the news?”

“Considering my mom has a massive girl crush on you, I think they’ll be thrilled. She asks me about you all the time, you know.”

“Your mom is a sweetheart. So they won’t resent me?”

He gave a little scoff. “Hardly. They weren’t exactly close to Cameron. She’s so attached to her own parents that it’s been hard for her to bond with mine. But I can already tell it won’t be the same with you.”

“You’re right. I really like your family, at least from the little time I’ve spent with them. Though it’s going to take me awhile to forget about the boob comment from Jared.”

“Baby, that’s just guy stuff,” he assured her. “Besides, you can’t blame Jared. I mean, look at you. I’m not sure how I’m managing to keep my hands off you right now. If you were sitting next to me, and not on the other side of this damned table, I’d already know if you had on panties or a thong.”

Julia smiled saucily. “Who said I’m wearing underwear?”

Nathan growled. “Okay, you are
so
getting a spanking when we get back to your flat.”

As they lingered over a lazy brunch on the terrace of the ultra-romantic restaurant in Sausalito overlooking San Francisco Bay, Julia thought she’d never been so happy in her life. She and Nathan had already crammed so many memories into the past thirty-six hours that her head was spinning. She’d cooked him a really fabulous dinner last night – steak au poivre with mushrooms, a crisp wedge salad, tiny, buttery potatoes, and an almost sinfully rich chocolate torte. They’d fed each other bites of food, shared a bottle of expensive Cabernet, and cuddled over post-dinner cappuccinos.

And then he’d spent the rest of the night rocking her world again with his hungry, demanding lovemaking. He’d wrung several more stunning orgasms out of her – using his fingers, his mouth, his cock. He had alternated between teasing, almost playful sex to fierce, pounding fucking to slow, gentle lovemaking. She’d fallen into an exhausted slumber, completely wiped out, only to be woken in the middle of the night by his persuasive kisses and caresses for another mind-blowing session. And then it had been her turn to wake him just before daybreak by sucking his cock with slow, long pulls and deliciously arousing licks. Nathan had cried out his love for her as he’d come in her mouth, calling her his darling girl, his sweet temptress.

She’d quite intentionally chosen the white dress after learning he’d thought of her wearing it so often. And the look on his face when she’d walked out into her living room earlier this morning had been thrilling. As had the deep, scorching kiss he’d given her.

He’d taken her to this fabulous restaurant in Sausalito for a leisurely brunch, and they had sipped Bellinis, held hands, and exchanged kisses like the bedazzled lovers they were. Julia had noticed several other couples glancing their way – some with envy on their faces, others with indulgent smiles.

“We make a very attractive couple, if I do say so myself,” she told him impishly.

He laughed. “After watching the way you’ve mastered the art of the brush-off, I still can’t believe that I’m the lucky guy who finally managed to snag you.”

She entwined her fingers with his. “I’m the lucky one. I love you, Nathan.”

He kissed her hand. “And I love you, Julia. More than I can say. Now, let’s finish up here so I can show you the future location of my dream home.”

The spacious waterfront lot that Nathan owned in Tiburon was sandwiched between two sprawling, custom built homes. Holding hands, they walked the expanse of the lot, with Julia admiring the spectacular view.

“Did you keep the designs you made?”

“Most of them. I’m close, you know, but there’s just something missing,” he told her. “I’ll let you have a look at them soon; maybe you’ll have some ideas.”

“Well, I’m no architect, but I am the daughter of one so I understand the process. I’d love to look at your ideas, give you my opinion.”

They lingered at the lot awhile longer before heading back to her flat. Julia knew that the time was drawing closer to when Nathan had to pick Cameron up from the airport, and his growing tension was becoming obvious. She stroked his arms comfortingly.

“It’ll be okay, baby, “she assured him. “I know it’s tough, but you’re doing the right thing.”

He pulled her onto his lap as they snuggled on her comfy sofa, burying his face in her hair. “I know. I’ve known for some time now that the only reason we’re still engaged is because I’m afraid of hurting her. But I also know things could never work between us when I’m so in love with some else – namely you.”

She pressed a kiss to his temple, wrapping her arms around his neck. “Were you really in love with her? I mean, I guess you must have been to actually ask her to marry you.”

Nathan chuckled. “I think she was the one who asked me to marry her in all honesty. We were at a wedding for one of my old college friends. I’d been drinking enough to feel a nice mellow buzz and having a really great time with all my buddies. Cameron caught the bouquet and then said something to me like ‘now you have to marry me’ and I just sort of agreed. Next thing I know everyone in her family and circle of friends hears that we’re engaged and it became increasingly awkward to back out.”

“How long had you been engaged when I first met you?”

“Not long at all. A few weeks at most. Obviously I was already having doubts, even that early into the engagement. And the way I felt the first time I saw you – not to mention what happened after that – should have set all sorts of alarms off.”

Julia gave him a playful punch on the arm. “Yes, it certainly should have, you louse. Instead you broke my heart and left me swearing off men for the rest of my life.”

“Not to mention leaving you there in New York in harm’s way of that fucker who hurt you,” he gritted out. “I still think your sister and I should pay that creep a visit. She can be my back-up. Or she can wail on your old boss instead.”

She smiled. “Forget about it. I pretty much have. Especially since I hear that Vanessa’s business has almost completely dried up. I got an email from Gerard a couple of weeks ago, and the thinks the bitch will be out of business by the fall. Just desserts, you know.”

“It doesn’t matter. I should have been there to protect you, defend you. I at least should have flown back there to beat the shit out of that creep.”

“Don’t, Nathan.” She nestled her chin into the crook of his shoulder. “I just want to forget about it, okay? As well as how awful I felt during those months after you left. Being with you like this – I’ve healed a lot this weekend.”

“Baby.” He kissed her deeply, his tongue licking into her mouth and devouring her. She groaned as his hands were seemingly everywhere at once – cupping her breasts, skimming down the sides of her hips, caressing her ass. Deftly, he unzipped her dress, pushing the bodice off her shoulders to her waist.

He gazed hungrily at her breasts as they spilled out of her lacy white bra trimmed with lavender ribbon. “Beautiful,” he whispered, sliding his hands up to fondle them, his thumbs rasping over the nipples. Julia clutched his dark head to her chest as he kissed the full upper curves of her boobs. Swiftly, he pulled one strap off her shoulder, causing one round globe to pop out of its lacy cup.