“Um… no,” Douglas replied cautiously, uncertain where she was going with this new topic of conversation and mentally reminding himself to make certain Mrs. K stocked the ingredients for mojitos in the house. He started the car and pulled away, heading toward home.
“I’ve just had an idea!” she exclaimed brightly. “Tony said he might be here for business once or twice a year, isn’t that fabulous?” Again, she gave him no time to respond and carried on. “So, we find him an Englishman and then maybe he’ll stay here forever and we can all have barbeques again and Super Bowl parties.” He glanced at her only to see her face fall. “You don’t have the Super Bowl here, do you?”
He didn’t answer, he didn’t need to, she reversed her displeasure and happily babbled all the way back to Sommersgate planning Fourth of July outings, fondue parties and what she called “Oscar Nights”.
For his part, he was pleased – no, thrilled – to learn that Tony was g*y.
When he parked the car in the drive, she got out and did not hurry to the door but waited for him. Further, when he took her hand, thinking she still might need steadying (and because he damned well wanted to), she didn’t resist but walked with him, hand-in-hand to the house.
“I’m so glad you came to get me, I hate calling on Carter,” she admitted and he found himself slowing their pace, making the walk longer so he could draw out this moment. She would come to her senses soon, her mind would kick in, the walls would come up and he found he was enjoying this too much to let it go.
“Why?” he asked as he pushed the door open and they walked through it together.
“Because it seems so, you know, servant-y.”
Douglas laughed quietly, closing the door behind them. “Darling, essentially he is a servant.”
She gave a faux shudder. “I can’t get used to it. To me, we’re all just family.”
At her words, something inside him shifted and along with it the ache for her intensified, turning into need. This need was so consuming, it blurred his vision, it wiped his thoughts, all that existed in the universe was her scent, her hand holding his and the sound of her voice saying those words that still hung in the air.
Her hand tightened in his as she tugged it gently, pulling him to a halt.
As he looked at her upturned face, he was experiencing something he’d never felt in his life.
He was dazed.
Her happy face turned concerned.
“Are you okay?”
“Fine,” he answered distractedly.
“Douglas?”
“Hmm?”
She laughed, that sexy laugh she had, low in her throat and he focused on her.
“Why do I have the impression you’re looking at me but you aren’t seeing me?” she teased.
She actually teased.
He felt his body tighten as the yearning intensified.
“I see you,” was all he said but what he meant was he saw her everywhere, in his thoughts, in his dreams, in his home, in his car, in his bed, everywhere.
She interrupted his preoccupation. “I never properly thanked you for Fred.”
“Fred?” He was losing it, losing the thread of the conversation, losing everything with the overwhelming desire to lift her in his arms, shackle her to his bed and do things to her that would force her to agree to bind herself to him legally and in the eyes of the children, her family, her friends and God.
She broke into his thoughts. “The kitten, he finally has a name.”
That got his attention.
“You named him Fred?”
She giggled. “I didn’t name him Fred, Willie did. He and I traded, since I couldn’t pick a name, I let Willie name my cat and I get to name his dog when he gets one.” She tilted her head adorably. “I’m thinking ‘Babykins’ is a sweet name for a dog, what do you think?”
“I am not addressing a dog as ‘Babykins’,” Douglas replied gruffly.
“Babykins it is!” Julia chortled and then, shocking him to his core, she leaned into him, kissed his cheek just like she had her first night at Sommersgate, tugged her hand gently free and headed to her room, humming the whole way.
Leaving him watching her go and knowing that he was quite emphatically done with sweet anticipation.
It was time for victory.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Julia Decides
Julia had lost.
She spent the entire day after her lovely evening catching up with Tony avoiding Douglas at the same time thinking about him nonstop. She’d even not gone to dinner, feigning a headache (not exactly the most original excuse in the world but she couldn’t think of anything better that wouldn’t worry the children).
While she was thinking, she realised she knew she’d lost, probably known it for ages but was too stubborn to admit it.
She loved Douglas, loved him as long as she knew him, regardless of how cold, proud and haughty he was (or maybe because of it) and had been fooling herself for fifteen years.
Charlie was right, even if he would never love her, couldn’t love her and even though she knew one day she’d lose him, the time she had with him would be better than anything she could get from anyone else. She needed to take that risk, even if her happiness was short-lived, at least she’d have it for awhile. Tamsin and Gav hadn’t known their joyous lives would be cut so short and they still lived every moment like it was precious.
Julia needed to learn that lesson.
Douglas wasn’t just gorgeous, dangerous, mysterious, sexy and rich as Croesus. His voice made her tremble, his hands made her shudder and his mouth made her wild. When he looked at her, she felt the most beautiful woman, not just in the room, not in the world, but in history. Though she knew it wouldn’t last, now she felt safe with him, she believed to the depths of her heart that he would always do the best for the children and no matter how it ended; he’d never be deliberately cruel to her.
So she was going to marry him.
And tonight, she was going to tell him.
Her consultancy was done. They were ready to hire an Executive Director and begin to put her and Douglas’s business plan in motion. Even though they wanted Julia to apply for the job, she still had no leave to work in the United Kingdom and she didn’t think she could take full-time employment for the sake of the children. One of the Trustees offered her another consultancy with another charity he supported, an even smaller organisation. Julia took the job, it would last less than a month but it was something to do.
Today was her last day at work and they’d had a small going away luncheon for her that was very sweet. Julia had made friends with the women there and before she left, they officially invited her to attend their monthly “Girls Night Out” dinner. Julia felt honoured, making friends was another important step in feeling home and conquering homesickness.