“Sounded like Tiegan had a lot of fun.” He poured himself more coffee before taking a seat at the table. “What about you? Did you enjoy the show?”
Candace closed the magazine, revealing the photos of Juliette on the cover. One of them showed her exiting a building, perhaps where she lived. In another, she stood between a pretty brunette and a dark-haired man about his own age. A third photo of Juliette having dinner with a man completed the set. He guessed the man in the last picture was the married jerk she’d dated. He saw nothing wrong with men who chose to date a lot rather than enter into a long-term relationship. A few of his friends preferred to live their lives that way. He had a big problem with guys—women too, for that matter—who made a commitment to one person and then messed around on the side. Juliette claimed she hadn’t known the jerk in the photo was married. He saw no reason not to believe her.
“Mom and I both did too. It was an amazing show. And the hotel’s indoor pool was fantastic. I had trouble getting Tiegan out of it. She won’t forget this birthday, that’s for sure. Next year, though, don’t go quite so overboard.”
Considering the jackass of a father she had, his niece deserved to be spoiled every once in a while. Presently he was in a position to do so. “I’m not making any promises.”
“You invited Juliette to stay here,” Candace said before he could ask any more questions about their time in Boston or start any other conversation.
“She had no power and no wood to start a fire. She had blue lips when I went down to check on her. What was I supposed to do?”
“You could have given her some firewood. It’s not like we don’t have more than enough.”
He’d thrown wood in his truck before driving down with that very intention. It was still in there, in fact. When he saw her, he’d changed his mind. “I thought about it, but I was afraid she’d burn the cottage down.”
“Sure, you were.” She patted his hand and picked up her tea. “Sometimes, you’re a rotten liar. Has anyone ever told you that?”
Not that he recalled, but he didn’t make a habit of lying either. Lies tended to make life more complicated than he liked. “I’m not lying. I did bring wood with me when I went down to check on her. It’s still in my truck if you don’t believe me.” He shrugged. “But the next thing I knew, I was inviting her to stay here.”
“Must have been those blue eyes of hers.” She batted her eyelashes at him and smiled. “I saw the kiss you gave her before she got into her car.”
He should have known Candace’s what’s-going-on antennae would go up the moment he walked outside with Juliette. Honestly, though, his thoughts had been centered on tasting her lips one more time before she left and not who watched them from the window.
“Didn’t you tell me at this very table that you didn’t want anything to do with her?” Candace asked. “I think you even said something along the lines of if she was a schoolteacher, you’d consider asking her out, but because she comes from a wealthy family, you wanted nothing to do with her.”
Yep, he’d said that to her the last time they discussed Juliette, and he didn’t need Candace to remind him. “I kissed her. I didn’t propose to her.”
“You really don’t like to admit when you’re wrong,” she said before sipping her tea.
Did anyone? “Don’t you need to get ready for your class tonight?” His sister was enjoying this conversation far too much.
“Nope. So you are going to see her again, right?” Her smile faded a little, a clear sign the conversation was about to take on a more serious tone. “I like her and think she’d be good for you. You need someone in your life besides me, Mom, and Tiegan.”
She made it sound like he spent every night at home. True, it’d been months since he’d been on a date, but he met up with his friends on a somewhat regular basis. “You make it sound like I’m a recluse. But since you’re so concerned about my life, you’ll be glad to know Juliette and I have plans for tomorrow.”
Although now that he thought about it, maybe he’d invite her over for dinner tonight. The power had been out for over forty-eight hours. The food in her refrigerator would no longer be any good, and she did need to eat.
His sister’s smile returned. “Excellent. What are you doing?”
Good question. “No idea. She asked me, so she’s planning the night.” And he looked forward to seeing what she came up with.
Chapter 11
“Thanks for the invite, but I have plans tonight,” Aaron said as he logged off his computer and switched off the lights over his desk. After getting ready for his night out, he’d come back in to check his email one last time. He’d been in the middle of answering one when his phone rang.
Like any other Tuesday, he’d spent much of the day in his home office. Today though, he’d struggled to stay focused on his numerous projects because his brain insisted on thinking about Juliette and the time they’d spent alone together as well as last night with Tiegan. Once his sister left for class, he’d called Juliette and invited her to join him and Tiegan for dinner. She’d accepted with no hesitation. He hoped her reason for joining them had more to do with wanting to see him rather than the fact she didn’t have much in her kitchen to eat.
Whatever her true reason for coming, he’d been a little jealous of his niece, a fact he wasn’t proud of, throughout the evening, because while he’d had Juliette’s undivided attention over the weekend, his niece got most of it last night.
While he prepared dinner, Tiegan and Juliette sat at the kitchen table and discussed their favorite dance styles. Later, while they ate, Juliette listened as Tiegan talked about her past recitals as well as the dance competitions she’d participated in. Naturally, that discussion led to Juliette sharing details about the years she’d spent on stage.
Since he’d had nothing to add—he didn’t know the difference between ballet and lyrical—he’d eaten his dinner and watched the interaction between Juliette and his niece. He didn’t know if Juliette spent a lot of time around children Tiegan’s age, but she was clearly comfortable with his niece. She didn’t talk down to her or insist her opinions were wrong. Perhaps even more importantly, Juliette didn’t give any sign she’d heard enough from his niece and wanted her to stop talking. While he loved the girl to death, even he sometimes grew tired of listening when she went on and on about a topic. Especially when the topic was one he knew nothing about.
Eventually, Tiegan retreated upstairs to call a friend. With his niece upstairs, though, he figured it was far safer for them to stay in the kitchen. Tiegan had seen people kiss before, and he knew Candace had already had the whole sex talk with her—a conversation he’d been glad she had to handle and not him after Tiegan came home sharing what she’d heard some kids saying on the bus. Still, he didn’t want her to come back downstairs and find him with his hand under Juliette’s shirt—assuming she let him put it there. Not wanting whatever this thing between them was to move too fast, he’d kept his hands from wandering too far over the weekend.
“You’ve got plans on a Tuesday night? Doing what?” Junior asked.
He’d known Maxwell Regan, Jr., better known as Junior, since middle school. And it wasn’t unheard of for them to meet up with some of their other friends on a random weeknight. If Junior had called last Tuesday and asked him to meet him at Renegade, a pub in Ashford, for a beer and to watch the game, Aaron would have gone.
“I have a date.” Juliette hadn’t given him any hint as to what they were doing tonight, so even if he wanted to tell Junior more, he couldn’t.
“With anyone I know?” Junior might not have lived in Avon his whole life, but he knew many of the residents, especially those that were around their age. “Or is it someone from work?”
The last woman he’d dated had worked at Gilcrest Banking and Financial as his department head’s personal assistant. He’d met her one afternoon when he’d gone in to meet with Stephen. If he told Junior he was going out with someone from work now, his friend would be
lieve it without question. But if someone saw him and Juliette together and recognized her, which he suspected some people would, it’d eventually get back to Junior.
“No. Juliette doesn’t work at Gilcrest.” He saw no reason to give Junior any additional information. Not that he’d want one anyway, but Junior didn’t give him a bio sheet on every woman he dated. “Maybe we can get together next week. Say hello to Robby and Broderick for me.”
“Will do. And if your date ends early, you know where to find us.”
Aaron checked the time before he shoved his cell phone in his back pocket. The doorbell rang before he closed the door.
“I got it.” Tiegan flew past him toward the front door. No doubt she’d seen Juliette’s car stop out front through the kitchen window and couldn’t wait to talk her ear off again.
He followed at a somewhat slower pace, although in truth he wanted to sprint toward the door. Less than twenty-four hours had passed since he last saw Juliette, but damn, he was eager to see her again.
Maybe a little too eager. True, before last weekend, it’d been months since he’d spent time with a woman, but lack of any kind of romantic relationship couldn’t account for the overwhelming anticipation that settled in his stomach the moment he stepped out of bed this morning and ruined his concentration all day. No, the blame rested solely on the fact he had a night with Juliette ahead of him.
“Are you staying for dinner again?” his niece asked Juliette as he joined them. “We’re having roasted chicken tonight. Nana is already here. She brought over eclairs. She bought them at Sweet Tooth, so they won’t be as good as the ones she makes, but they’re not bad.”
If his mom had brought over eclairs, he hoped his sister saved him one. She knew how much he liked them, regardless of whether they were store-bought or homemade. Although the ones his mom and Candace made were far superior to anything you got from a bakery.
“No, I’m not staying for dinner, but eclairs sound tasty. I’m here to pick up your uncle.” Juliette smiled at him, all but knocking him on his ass. Even first thing in the morning when she woke up, the woman was beautiful. When she smiled, though, only one word described her: breathtaking.
Tiegan’s expression spoke volumes when she looked over at him. “Oh.” She glanced back at their guest. “Are you guys going on a date or something?”
“You don’t mind if I borrow your uncle for the night, do you?”
Tiegan shook her head. “Nope. Mom and Nana are always telling Uncle Aaron he needs to go out more. When they find out you’re going out, they’ll be happy.”
Thanks for sharing. Candace needed to remind her daughter that she shouldn’t share everything she heard while sitting at the kitchen table. Later, he’d tell his sister that.
“Where are you guys going?” Tiegan asked, oblivious to the fact it wasn’t any of her business.
Juliette pressed her lips together as if trying not to either smile or laugh and looked at him briefly before turning her attention back to Tiegan. Finally, she cleared her throat. “Just to dinner and stuff. Nothing super exciting.”
“You guys should go to Adventure Park. I went to a birthday party there for my friend Jasmine. They have indoor skydiving and surfing in a gigantic wave pool. It’s so much fun. I don’t remember where it was, but I can ask Mom. She drove me there.”
While indoor skydiving or even surfing might be a blast, it didn’t strike him as a great place for a first date. And although they’d spent considerable time together, tonight was their first date.
“It sounds like a great place, and I love surfing. Maybe your uncle and I can go some other time.”
“You know how to surf?” Tiegan’s eyes grew wide, and her voice went up a notch. “I so want to try it. It looked like so much fun.”
Juliette nodded. “I think you’d love it. If it’s okay with your mom, the two of us can go to Adventure Park and do it together.”
For the umpteenth time since Saturday, his conscience took the opportunity to point out he’d unfairly judged Juliette before getting to know her.
“Mom, did you hear Juliette?” Tiegan asked when she spotted Candace headed toward them. “Can she take me?”
“I did. And we’ll discuss it later. For now, I need you to set the table for dinner. And don’t forget napkins this time.” She walked past him and hugged Juliette. He’d never understood why so many women insisted on greeting each other that way. “Thank you for taking my brother off my hands tonight, Juliette. I owe you one.”
The laugh she’d been holding in during her conversation with Tiegan escaped. “Consider it repayment for the baking lessons. Does he have a curfew I need to keep in mind?”
Candace seemed to consider the question before she answered. “No, but he has to work tomorrow, so don’t keep him out too late. And if he doesn’t behave himself, let me know.”
“I’ll try to get him home before midnight,” Juliette promised, taking his hand and opening the door at the same time. Juliette led him outside, but once the door stood between them and the house’s occupants, she turned to face. “I missed you today.” An easy smile played at the corners of her mouth as she put her arms over his shoulders.
Her breasts brushed against his chest first, and all the blood in his body started its descent south. Before he could do one of the many things he’d been thinking about all day, she pressed a featherlight kiss against his mouth. As they stood there, he wondered how she’d react if he suggested they spend the next several hours at her cottage instead of doing whatever she had planned.
Pulling her lips away, she allowed her hands to slowly slip from his shoulders and across his chest before falling back to her sides. “We should go.”
Somehow his brain strung some words together. Exactly how, he had no idea. “Do you want me to drive tonight?” He knew the area, she didn’t, and regardless of where she intended to take him, he could get there without the use of GPS.
“Nope. I’ve got it.”
He’d hoped she’d hand over her car keys and ask him to drive. Even as a kid, he’d had a thing for cars, and he’d love a chance to drive Juliette’s Porsche. But he didn’t argue as he followed her to the plum-colored vehicle. He’d never seen a Porsche or any other car painted that color. If her car had a custom paint job, he wondered what other extras it might have under the hood.
Juliette looked at the shoes on the counter. She’d worn some ugly footwear on various photoshoots, but the footwear the bowling alley employee had just set down elevated the word to a whole new level. Whoever had designed them needed to have their eyesight checked.
Aaron accepted his pair of shoes with no hesitation and thanked the employee. “Something wrong?”
Yep, I’m wondering if we should have gone someplace else.
Like she’d planned, they’d eaten dinner at the Stomping Ground, a restaurant in Ashford right on the lake. If anyone recognized her, they left her alone and went about their business. Aaron hadn’t been so lucky. First, their waitress, a woman who looked old enough to be Juliette’s mom, recognized Aaron and spent time inquiring about how he’d been, as well as his sisters. Once she left, he’d shared the woman had been his and Candace’s eighth grade math teacher and that he’d heard she worked at the restaurant to keep herself busy since retiring. Later, while they’d been enjoying dessert, his friend Hunter and his wife sat down at the table next to them. It hadn’t escaped her that when Aaron made introductions, he didn’t mention her last name, where she was from, or how they’d met.
“Nope.” She picked up her shoes and promised her feet a pedicure soon to make up for forcing them to wear footwear that was sure to be as uncomfortable as it was ugly.
Although a Tuesday night, many of the lanes were already being used, and they walked toward the far end of the building. “The last time I bowled, I was with my nephew, Mason. That had to be more than a year ago, but I think we spent more time in the arcade that day than we did out here bowling,” Aaron said.
The
y’d passed the noisy arcade when they’d walked inside. She’d never been big into video games, but for someone who enjoyed them, the room they’d passed would be like heaven.
“This is my first time.”
Aaron stopped at an empty lane. “You’ve never been bowling?”
Shaking her head, she sat down so she could change her shoes.
“Let me get this right. You’ve been surfing but not bowling?” Sitting down next to her, Aaron untied his shoes.
“I love the water, and my family used to vacation a lot in Hawaii. As far as I know, no one in my family bowls. I don’t think any of my friends do either.”
“Maybe we better not keep score tonight.”
She’d never played, but how hard could it be? You rolled a ball down the floor toward some pins and knocked them down. “Whatever you want. It doesn’t matter to me.”
Juliette quickly learned how wrong she’d been. Bowling might look easy, but there was a lot more to it than simply rolling a ball.
After managing yet another gutter ball, she turned and walked back to where Aaron sat nursing his beer. “Maybe I should’ve taken Tiegan’s suggestion and brought you to the indoor skydiving place instead.” Dropping into the stiff plastic seat next to him, she narrowed her eyes at him. “What’s so funny?” Aaron found something amusing. She hoped it wasn’t her debut performance bowling tonight.
“I was just thinking about something that happened when I went bowling with some friends in college.” Without continuing, he stood and started toward the ball return.
Clearly, the memory included a humorous story; otherwise Aaron wouldn’t have a grin stretching across his face. She liked a good laugh as much as the next person. “Aren’t you going to share?”
Rather than retrieve his ball and take his turn, Aaron came back and sat down. “There was a bowling alley not far from campus. Every Thursday night was college night, so it was half price to play. Maybe once a month a bunch of us would go over and play. Anyway, a guy named Jim came with us one night. I don’t even remember his last name. I didn’t know him well. He played on the football team with my roommate, Lee. He was a nice guy, but he was the walking embodiment of the dumb jock stereotype. I don’t know how he ever got into college, never mind how he graduated.”
The Billionaire's Kiss (The Sherbrookes of Newport Book 14) Page 13
