by DRAYER, GINA
Simon followed the progression, devouring every inch of her, and growled longingly.
She just rolled her eyes. “Men. Make yourself useful and take care of the carrots.”
Her words might have been dismissive, but the blush in her cheeks told him she was pleased at his admission. Sex in the kitchen. That was going on the list, too. His list was getting long, and at the rate he was going, there’d be no time to sleep.
“If you’re not going to help, get out,” she said after he just stood there, imagining her bent over the counter.
She seemed relaxed and more assured of herself, just like she did when talking about her photography, and it made him want to push her a little more.
“I’ll give it my best shot. But be warned, I’m useless in the kitchen,” he said, coming up behind her. He reached for the cutting board on the other side and pressed himself against her back. “Unless you need me to take care of something else for you.”
“I will banish you from the kitchen if you don’t stop. How am I supposed to work under these conditions?” she said. Her words were a little breathy.
“As I recall, you work quite well under these conditions,” he said, kissing her neck.
“Simon,” she breathed, her words lost on a moan as he nipped her collarbone. “I can’t concentrate when you do that.”
“That’s the point.”
Julia turned and gave a gentle push. “It’s not that I don’t appreciate the attention. God, do I appreciate the attention. But I have food on the stove and a fire will definitely ruin the night.”
Simon sighed. “Fine. Why don’t I open a bottle of wine and then get started on those carrots?”
He fled the room, needing to put some distance between them. She was determined to cook, and if he didn’t leave then, Simon couldn’t be responsible for his actions. Julia was doing exactly what he asked. He wanted to spend time with her. Time that included eating and talking. He just needed to remind his body of that fact.
He found a red that would pair nicely with the Indian spices and headed back to the kitchen. He’d only been gone a few minutes, but already the room was filled with the heady aroma of cooking. “Mmm, something smells good,” he said.
“After we get these carrots peeled and sliced, dinner should be done in about twenty minutes.”
He opened the wine to let it breathe, all the while watching her peel and slice the carrots. Sliding in next to her, Simon picked up the other peeler and soon fell into a quick rhythm with her; he’d peel and she’d chop. Within a few minutes they’d finished, and Simon went over and poured them each a glass of wine.
“Now what?” he asked, handing her one.
She’d already transferred the carrots to a large pan and was adding several spices. “While I season these, can you pull the baking tray out of the oven? I made some naan yesterday. I was just warming it up.”
He pulled open the oven and the smell hit him. “You made bread? That’s it. You can never leave,” Simon teased as he pulled the baking sheet out of the oven. The flat disks of bread were golden brown and smelled like heaven. “I’m serious. I hope you come quietly, because it would be so much easier than keeping you locked up in my kitchen. And I’m fairly certain keeping a woman chained to my stove violates one of my homeowners association rules. But I’m willing to chance it for baked goods.”
He started piling the flat bread onto a plate, taking one warm piece and biting a chunk off. “Oh my God. This is delicious.”
“Those are for dinner. Hands off!”
Julia tried to snatch the plate from him, but Simon maneuvered to the other side of the island. “No way. These are mine. Hmmm.” He took another bite and shielded the plate with his body. “You’re going to need to get your own.”
She screwed up her lips and turned back to the stove. He’d been enjoying their little battle of wills and was disappointed that she gave up so soon. The moment lost, Simon started to put down the plate when she turned around with a bowl full of cooked vegetables.
“Well, if you’re going to keep the naan, whatever will I eat my curry with?” She picked up a chunk of potato with her finger and proceeded to suck and lick her fingers.
Plate forgotten, Simon gripped the edge of the counter, fixated on her lips.
“Would you like to try some?” she said in a husky voice. Again, she picked out a large chunk of potato and leaned over the island, hand extended. “Open up.” She placed the curry on his tongue and slowly withdrew as he sucked her fingers clean.
“Delicious,” he said.
“I agree,” she said, a devilish smile spreading across her face. “And it goes even better with naan.” In triumph, she held up the plate he’d had just seconds ago. “Now if you’ll get plates, we can eat in a few minutes.”
He wanted to keep the night relaxed. So instead of eating in the stuffy dining room, Simon carried the dishes into the great room and set up a spread on the low coffee table. “Have a seat on the floor,” he said.
“I forgot to grab the silverware,” she said, eyeing the spread.
“Isn’t that what the naan is for? Besides, I really enjoyed using your fingers in the kitchen. ”
“But—”
“No buts.” Simon patted the spot beside him on the floor. “Sit down. It will be fun.”
Chapter Nineteen
Modern Girl Tip #14: Play—Foreplay is important, even during a one-night stand. Rev things up with passionate kissing, touches, and compliments to get things going.
What he thought would be a fun and intimate meal completely derailed after the first bite. Julia sat patiently beside him and let him scoop up the curry with the naan. After finishing the taste, she licked the sticky sauce off the tips of his fingers.
The next few bites became less about eating and more a sensual tease. She sucked his fingers clean between each bite, occasionally licking drops off his hand and arm when his efforts were clumsy. And as the meal went on, he got more and more clumsy, forcing her exquisite lips to touch him in other places.
With each morsel of food, he drew her closer until she was sitting on his lap while he fed her with his fingers. When a large chunk of carrot slid off the naan and ended up tumbling down his shirt, Julia tore at the buttons to get at the mess. She carefully licked up every bit from his chest, and then continued lapping her way down. Her quick little hands were on the buttons of his shorts before he even knew what she’d planned.
Simon caught his breath with a moan and jerked as her lips found his pulsing cock. The bite of carrot he had left on the bread slid off onto his chest. Julia simply fisted his dick and licked sauce from his tightening abdominal muscles. All clean again, she picked up where she’d left off, sucking his dick.
Aroused by the enthusiastic way she’d lapped up the food, Simon wasn’t about to let her to have all the fun. He shifted her away from him. “My turn."
With a yank, he pulled her faded tank top over her head and positioned her on the table. With a handful of the spiced carrots, he wiped across her breast and down her stomach, licking the remains from his fingers.
“I can’t let you have all the fun,” he said before lowering his head to sample her skin.
He worked his way down her belly, nibbling the chunks of carrots as he went. To increase his access, Simon pushed her farther back on the table until she was splayed like a dish herself, waiting to be devoured. Julia just leaned back and let him lap the food off her body. Giving up on any dinner, Simon tore her pants off and smeared more sticky sauce on her body.
Taking in the magnificent sight of her before continuing his work, he sighed. “Do you realize how incredibly sexy you are, laid out on the table?”
“Thank God for sturdy wood furniture,” she said and shot him a devilish smile. “Do you realize how pissed off your housekeeper is going to be?"
“It’s a little late now to worry about the mess.” Simon moved up to kiss her, and Julia lifted her head and licked a trail of sauce that had run down his c
heek.
“Well, you made this mess. I expect you to lick every last drop off my body.”
“Yes, ma'am.”
He had every intention of doing just that. Really getting into the spirit of the thing, he lowered his head and licked and sucked at her clit, careful not to get any of the sauce near her delicate folds. She was wet and swollen and it only took a few minutes until she was writhing beneath his ministrations. Within seconds, she came with a loud scream and dug her nails into his shoulder as he buried his tongue inside her pussy.
Fuck, she was hot as hell and he didn’t care about the mess. He just needed to be inside her now. With his shorts still bunched around his ankles, Simon found a condom and slid up her sticky body, plunging inside her hard and fast. Julia wasn’t surprised by his impatient gesture. She was just as turned on as he was.
The food-play had been incredibly hot, and it didn’t take long before he was shuddering with his own release. Spent, he fell back onto the floor and pulled her onto his lap while they both caught their breath. Her petite frame curled in his lap perfectly and Simon rested his chin on her head.
In that quiet moment, Simon decided this was more than just a quick fling. The longer he spent with Julia, the more he wanted her. She was smart, funny and adventurous.
The room was a disaster, but Simon insisted they leave it. He dragged her upstairs to take a slow, lazy shower, and he finally got to do all the things he wanted to do with her back at the hotel. Then, after they were clean, they collapsed in his bed exhausted, naked, and still damp.
It was late and Julia curled up at his side, falling into a sound sleep. But Simon couldn’t shut off his brain. He lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, and tried to figure out what the fuck he was doing.
He was falling for her fast, and he wasn’t sure what to do about it. New York loomed over his head like the sword of Damocles. After what Megan had told him about Julia’s failed engagement, Simon knew building a relationship with her wasn't going to be easy. This was a dangerous game he was playing with both their emotions. The second he stepped on a plane, everything they were building together could fall apart.
He traced the scar that ran the length of her spine, seeing it now under the thick black ink. He couldn’t even begin to imagine what she’d had to deal with all those years ago, and she still had her mother to think of.
“Don’t look at it. It’s ugly,” Julia said, rolling over to her back.
“Is that why you covered it?” he asked.
“I was tired of that being the only thing people saw. At least with the tattoo you can’t see the scar unless you get close, and even then most people miss it because of the ink.”
“Don’t get me wrong, the tattoo is hot. But you’re beautiful. Especially because of your scars.”
“You didn’t see it before.” He couldn’t read her expression in the dark room, but her voice was small and far away. Julia propped up on her elbows and looked down at him. “The first guy I ever slept with knew about my accident, but hadn’t seen the scars. In college I was really self-conscious, and the first few times we were together I insisted on keeping my shirt on. When he finally did see them, he treated me different. It was like he was afraid to touch me. Like I’d break.”
“That’s ridiculous.”
“It is. I’m fine now. I did have to stop dancing, because I’m not as flexible as I used to be because of the rods, but other than that, I'm perfectly healthy.”
“You won’t hear me complain,” Simon said, keeping his tone light.
“You might be surprised how many people do have a problem. Every guy I’ve ever been with has had some issue with my scars. If they didn’t think like Jeremy, they considered them a flaw, like Luke. Luke thought the scars marred my beauty. I thought it was why we didn’t have a great sex life. It’s why I got the tattoo. I hoped covering it up would make him desire me more. Unfortunately, he hated the tattoo more than the scars."
That really pissed him off. Why didn’t he punch Luke in the face when he had the chance?
“Well, I for one love the tattoo,” Simon said. “And I love the scars. The accident shaped who you are today. You’re strong, full of life, and sexy as all get-out. And I wouldn’t change a thing about you.” Julia looked up, eyes glassy with tears, and he kissed her. “Fuck. I didn't mean to make you cry, sweetheart.”
She pressed a hand to his face and smiled. A few tears spilled down her cheeks. “That was the nicest thing anyone has said to me.”
Simon scooped her up into an embrace and held her there until they both drifted to sleep. He didn’t care if he had to fly back to Chicago every weekend. There was no way he was going to let Julia go without a fight.
The next day, Julia made arrangements with the rental company to pick up the generator and lighting she’d had delivered to the site. She’d planned on one more day, but after reviewing the photos she’d taken that morning, Julia knew she had the right shot.
She packed the remaining gear on the boat and headed back to the lake house early. It was a little after two by the time she reached the house. Not even bothering to unload after she secured the boat to the dock, Julia ran up the stairs from the lake. She couldn’t wait to tell Simon that for the next three days she was all his.
The great room was empty, and she assumed he was doing some work in the office. But he wasn’t there. She came back upstairs, ready to check the bedrooms, when she caught sight of the suitcase by the front door.
“Simon?” Julia turned around the room, looking for any sign of him.
She didn’t want to believe that he was planning on leaving again without telling her. Maybe Megan had come back from California? She’d forgotten to plug in her cell phone and it had died before lunch, so if Megan was on her way back she could have missed the call. And she could have missed a call from Simon, telling her he was leaving.
She was halfway up the staircase when the front door opened and Simon grabbed the bag.
“Simon?” she said, a cold chill running down her back.
“You’re back,” he said. “I'm sorry, I’ve got to leave for New York.”
“So, what? If I hadn’t come back early you were just going to leave?”
“No. Fuck. How could you think that? I was going to wait until you got back. I’ve been trying to reach you since I got the call,” he said.
“My phone is dead.” She reached into her pocket and pulled out the useless device. “I’m glad you weren’t just going to leave, but that doesn’t explain why you’re leaving.”
“It’s work. Kim called me right before lunch. Charlie, the creative director at the New York office, put in his notice, citing irreconcilable differences—as if this was a fucking marriage and not a business. And then three other senior staff resigned. She doesn’t know what to do. My flight leaves at seven. I figured you’d be back by then.”
He took a step in her direction, but Julia held up a hand. She didn’t want him to touch her. Last-minute trips and urgent calls from the office were all too familiar to her. And even though deep down she knew Simon was nothing like Luke, she couldn’t keep the swell of doubt at bay. Well, I’m back now. There’s no need to wait until seven if you can get an earlier flight.”
“Fuck, Julia. You know I wouldn’t leave if I didn’t have to. Matt needs to stay close to home because of Beth’s pregnancy. Peter has gone MIA since he left here and I can’t reach him. One of us has to go and take care of this. We thought having Kim there would help, but evidently it just made things worse. These last few days have been—”
“I finished the rest of my photos today,” she blurted out. “I was just coming back to get the car so I could pack up the rest of my gear." She walked over to the side table by the door and picked up the keys to her car. If he didn’t know how hurt she was this wouldn’t be as hard. Julia plastered on her best smile and turned to face him. "This is probably for the best. Now that I’m done and you’re leaving, I can head back early to prep for the studio shoot.”
“Julia. Please don’t leave like this.”
“Like what? This has been fun, but we both have work we need to attend to. I get it. Maybe you can call me when you’re back in town.”
She walked out the door and went straight for her car without looking back. Simon kept calling her name, but she couldn’t deal with this right now. This trial run at a relationship, or whatever he wanted to call it, didn’t even last a full week before things got complicated.
And even though every part of her heart was screaming to give it a chance, her brain kept reminding her of the wasted years she’d had with Luke. Simon wasn’t Luke, but he was dedicated to his job. With Simon she’d always be second, after his company. And while it might make her high-maintenance and selfish, Julia deserved someone who would put her first.
She drove down the shore, back to the old abandoned mansion. She parked in the drive, wiping away the stupid tears. What was she crying about? She understood he had to leave, and didn’t hold that against him.
But as she sat in the overgrown driveway of the long-abandoned house, Julia couldn’t shake those old feelings of rejection and worthlessness. Logically, she knew it was just that hurt little girl inside her, afraid of being left by someone else she loved. But that didn’t mean she wasn't hurting.
It wasn’t even three yet. She had at least three more hours to kill before she could head back to the house. She couldn’t just leave. All her gear was still there, so Julia rolled down the windows of the car and sat, listening to music on the car radio. After she was sure Simon had left, she could collect her things and go home.
The muggy July air was thick and heady, and before long, Julia nodded off. When she woke, twilight had settled. It was five thirty and Simon would be at the airport waiting for his flight.
She was just going to pack her bags and head back to town. If she was quick, she could make it home before eleven and be settled into her own bed tonight.
Deciding to call Megan and let her know she was leaving the lake house, Julia turned her now-charged phone on. Thankfully she’d remembered to plug it into the car charger.
