Change of Harte (Harte, #2) (Harte Series) (6 page)

Chapter 11

Eva’s eyes twitched and finally opened. Bright, morning light burned against her bare consciousness. She rubbed her eyes, slid her legs out the side of the high, four-poster bed, and pulled a face when she realised they’d forgotten to close the blinds last night. She grabbed Julian’s shirt off the floor and rushed to regain her modesty. She looked back at the bed. Julian lay on his back, bare chested with just a thin white sheet draped across his lower body.
Stupid sheet blocks the best part
, she thought giddily. She thought about pulling away the sheet and waking him with soft kisses, but she decided not to. She was enjoying watching him sleep far too much. It relaxed her and gave her a sense of calmness that she didn’t often feel.

After she flicked on the coffeemaker resting on the ridiculously oversized bureau at the far side of the enormous room, she scurried into the bathroom to freshen up. She scraped her hair back into a neat, high ponytail, splashed some warm water on her cheeks, and wrapped herself up in the oversized, super fluffy white robe waiting for her on the back of the bathroom door.

The coffeemaker bubbled loudly against the otherwise silent room. Eva hurried back to flick it off before it woke Julian. She quickly poured two cups of coffee. She guessed it’d taste like pond scum compared to the luxury stuff Julian had ordered for delivery to their room last night. She thought about calling down and repeating the order, but she wasn’t sure if she was even supposed to be in the hotel. Being Julian’s glorified booty call didn’t exactly make her a guest. She tried not to think about that right now. She set the coffee on a tray and walked toward the bed, the cups chattering all the way. Julian stretched and smiled as soon as she came into his view.

‘Good morning, gorgeous. Please tell me one of those cups is for me?’

Eva set the tray on the bedside table and leaned in to kiss Julian softly on the lips. ‘I thought you could use some?’

‘Some? I think I need a gallon of the stuff, at least.’

Eva smiled and flicked her eyes toward the empty whiskey bottle on the locker beside the bed. ‘How’s the head?’

‘It’s been better.’

‘You got pretty wasted last night after we…you know.’

Julian laughed and Eva knew that he was poking fun at her inability to say that they’d had sex out loud.

‘Ouch, the fuck.’

It was Eva’s turn to laugh as she sat onto the edge of the bed. Julian flipped onto his side to make room for her and rested his head on her thighs.

‘I think if I don’t move I’ll be okay. Or breathe.’ Julian put his hand flat across his forehead. ‘Or blink. I didn’t actually have that much. I think it was a combination of jet lag and a lot on my mind.’

‘Do you want to talk about it?’

Eva could feel Julian’s body become heavier with the weight of the question.

‘If you’re going to go all Dr. Freud on me, Miss Andrews, at least give me a fighting chance.’

Julian pulled himself upright. ‘Coffee first.’

Eva nodded. She passed Julian a cup, but the clasp of her bracelet caught in the sheet and tugged her arm, showering the sheets with piping hot coffee. Julian jumped up and quickly pulled the sheet away from them to minimise the damage. Eva was upright, with her back against the wall before she had time to think. It was a natural reaction. Suddenly, she was five years old again and memories of spilling her father’s beer at a neighbourhood barbeque plagued her mind. She’d paid the price with a broken collarbone. But she wasn’t a child anymore and her father couldn’t hurt her now. 

‘Hey there.’ Julian edged slowly closer to her. ‘There’s no use in crying over spilt milk. I’m pretty sure that extends to all beverages…coffee included.’

Eva laughed and grabbed him so tight she almost winded herself.

‘Would you like to talk about it?’ Julian asked.

Eva threw him a playful smirk at the irony of having her own words echoed back at her.
Up your game
, Eva told herself. She remembered Julian’s flippant reply the first time she’d offered her shoulder to lean on.

‘Talking helps?’ she asked, tilting her head. ‘And I thought sex was a much better answer.’

Julian raised both eyebrows and laughed. He rubbed his thumb and index finger along each side of his chin.

‘Well, Miss Andrews, that might be the first time any of your psychology mumbo jumbo has made any damn sense to me.’

‘I was being sarcastic,’ Eva said, shoving her hands against her hips for dramatic effect.

‘I know. But I wasn’t.’

‘I know that, too,’ Eva said pushing herself onto her tippy toes and kissing him hard.

‘Are you busy today or can we hang out?’

‘Hang out?’ Eva giggled. ‘Since when does Julian Harte hang out?’

Julian raised an eyebrow. Eva jerked her lips to the side, suspecting the air quotes might have been poking a little too much fun for Julian’s taste.

‘Since we’re friends, Evangeline. Don’t friends hang out?’

Eva poked her tongue between her lips.
And Julian wins again.
He always had to have the last word.

‘So, Miss Andrews, how does this friend’s thing work?’ Julian said.

‘Well, we could start by just talking.’

‘Talking?’

‘Yeah, you know, the open your mouth and words come out thing.’ Eva couldn’t keep a straight face.

‘Okay, smartarse, what would you like to talk about?’

Eva’s cheesy grin straightened and she looked at him with serious eyes. She knew just how to approach this. She wanted to know why he was here, and since he’d technically brought it up, it was the perfect opportunity to investigate. It would most likely get pretty difficult pretty quick, she decided. But she had learned from the master, after all… ‘Let’s play a game?’

‘A talking game?’ Julian looked less than impressed.

‘Just a game, Julian. Can you do that? Can you play my game?’

Julian tilted his head and shrugged his shoulders. ‘Sure, let’s see what you’ve got.’

Eva exhaled slowly. This was either all going to explode in her face or she was going to push him into revealing something about his past. Knowing Julian and his layer upon layer of secrets, it was most likely going to get messy—but she was past worrying about that. She could handle messy. In fact, she was hoping for it.

‘What were you parents’ names?’

‘My father was Terry and my mother was Deirdre, but everyone called her Dee.’

Julian didn’t flinch; in fact, he had almost no reaction except to smile a little when he said his mother’s nickname. The answer slipped off his tongue as simply as if she’d asked him his favourite colour. It wasn’t what she expected. She’d expected a little hesitation, at least. This was her game, but this was
Julian
she was playing with. She’d asked a simple question—as friends do. He’d given a simple answer—as friends do, but now she was as confused as hell. Nothing with Julian was ever simple. The cheeky bastard was trying to play her at her own game. She’d have to stay one step ahead. God, he always tested her. It was exhausting. He was turning her brain to mush. She didn’t know why. Maybe it was because, instead of talking, she’d prefer to be lying back on the bed behind them with her legs spread and his face buried between them.

Eva tugged the collar of her robe away from her neck. She was suddenly a lot warmer than she was comfortable with. If Julian looked her up and down one more time, she was either going to slap him or strip him and fuck him on the spot.

She coughed a little, clearing her throat, and hopefully her head.

‘Okay, thank you. So, brothers and sisters. Do you have any?’

‘I was the oldest. I had a little sister and a newborn baby brother.’

‘Had?’ Eva didn’t like this game after all. ‘Did they…’

‘Die?’

She nodded.

‘It was a house fire. The whole place went up in a matter of seconds. A complete mess.’

Eva’s hand flew to cover her mouth. ‘Oh, my God, Julian. I had no idea. I never would have…’

‘What? Asked?’

‘Well, pushed you so hard to talk about it. I’m sorry.’

Julian stepped back and sat on the edge of the bed. His usually toned and delicious body looked heavy and hunched now. As if just remembering had aged him instantly. He rocked a little, back and forth, like a weary, old man. And finally looked up at Eva, smiling.

‘I haven’t said my parents’ names in twenty-three years.’

‘That’s a long time.’

‘Too long. Crazy long. It’s too hard to talk about them, and I try not to think about them.’

Eva sat beside him, her shoulder pressing against his arm.

‘You need to remember them. They’re your parents.’

Julian tapped his chest with his fingers. ‘Kettle,’ he pointed to Eva, ‘Pot.’

She smiled. ‘Oh, no you don’t. You’re not going to make this about me. For once, we’re talking about you. Tell me more. I want to know all about your family.’

Julian took her hand in his and raised it to his lips, kissing it softly. ‘I never talk about this stuff.’

‘Well, never ends today. Tell me, Julian. Please? Sounds like you really loved your mom and dad.’

‘Yeah. Yes, I did. They were great.’ Julian ran his hand through his hair, ruffling it a bit.

His face looks even more beautiful when he allows himself to be vulnerable
, Eva thought.

‘My dad was big into Rally Racing. He’d driven in a few races. Brought me along a couple of times to watch. He always said it wasn’t about winning, just how you play the game.’

‘That’s great advice.’             

Julian laughed. ‘Yeah, it was, and then my mam would always say, ‘Nonsense, Terry, now go kick some arse.’’

‘Ha. I like the sound of your mom. I bet she was beautiful.’

Julian stood up suddenly and Eva froze. She was conscious of pushing him too far. He pulled his wallet out from his inside jacket pocket and handed Eva a small, tattered-around-the-edges photo from inside.

‘She
was
beautiful,’ Julian said as Eva studied the aged photo.

‘Wow. This is her.’ Eva pointed to the lady in a lemon, summer dress by the sea. She was holding a young boy, maybe four or five, in her arms. His round, dark brown eyes and wavy, chestnut hair were an instant giveaway ‘…and you?’

‘I’d just started school, I think.’

‘I thought you said you didn’t think about them, but you have this picture in your wallet all the time?’

‘I don’t have the photo to remind me. I don’t need to have a photo to remember. I have it because it’s the only thing of theirs that was left after the fire. It’s the only piece of my parents that still exists.’

Eva’s fingers began to tremble. The damaged Polaroid she held was possibly the most precious thing Julian had in his life, and he’d just shared it with her. That had to mean something.
Actions speak louder than words
, she told herself.

‘That’s not true,’ Eva said softly. ‘There’s you. You’re a piece of both of them.’

Julian stood up and reached his arm out to Eva. ‘Let’s get out of here. I need a decent coffee.’

Eva passed him back the photograph and watched as he carefully slid it back into his wallet. And despite how much she didn’t want the moment to end, she found herself nodding. ‘Yeah, me too, I know a quiet little place nearby.’

Chapter 12

I’m so sorry Shell.

Feel like such a b!*ch.

How does coffee at 2pm sound?

My treat. Call me xx

Eva had barely hit send on the text when her phone rang.

‘Hi, honey,’ Shelly chirped.

‘Oh, my God, Shell, I feel awful. I don’t know what in the hell happened last night. Well, I do. But it’s a long story. Still pinching myself now. Where are you? I can meet you anywhere.”

‘Would that long story end with Harte and begin with Julian?’ Shelly snorted.

‘Do you even need to ask?’

Shelly grunted into her end of the phone.

‘You knew he was coming, then?’

‘Yeah. But before you freak out, I didn’t get time to warn you. He had it all decided and sorted out within five minutes.’

‘It’s okay. Not your fault.’

‘Is everything okay with you two, anyway?’

‘Well, I thought it was. He said he had something really important to talk to me about this morning. We went out for breakfast and everything. But he was acting really weird, and as soon as we ordered, he got a phone call and was gone.’

‘He did the same thing when we landed last night.’

‘You flew over together?’

‘Yeah, on his jet. I thought I mentioned that. Sure, that’s how I ended up coming over early.’

‘No, you left that part out. You just said your flight was changed and you’d explain when you got here.’

‘Oh, okay. Well, sure suppose I better explain so.’

‘Erm, yeah, s’pose.’

‘Well, actually, that’s kind of it. Cancelled my flight ‘cause Julian was coming anyway and I came with him on his jet.’

‘His jet?’ Eva flicked her eyes to the ceiling. His jet? Of course, he had a plane, and of course, Shelly rode along…
as you do.
This was all edging down the familiar road of Fucked-Up and Eva was suspecting it was time to take a U-turn back to Knowing What The Hell Was Going On Avenue.

‘Did he say where he was going?’

‘Julian? Ha. Nope. Does he ever? But he offered to make it up to me tonight with dinner. Said he’d send someone for me, the usual. Made me feel like a bit of a consolation prize, to be honest.’

‘And you said?’

‘Well, I sort of agreed. I know, I know. But I said I wouldn’t join him in some fancy-ass restaurant.’

‘You didn’t, did you?’

‘Yeah, I did. He was suggesting this ridiculously posh place way outside the city. There isn’t even anything out there except a golf course and an old hospital.’

‘You sound annoyed.’

‘I don’t even know. Yeah, I suppose I am. Like why did he turn up last night and then at the drop of a hat run off again this morning? He always does this to me. He confuses the hell out of me.’

Eva realised she wasn’t annoyed with Julian. She was annoyed with herself. He did this shit—never felt he owed her an explanation.

‘So, are you free tonight then?’

‘Well, no. I agreed to dinner, but I said my place. No chauffeurs, no limos, and no Michelin Stars. Just normal stuff, you know.’

‘But Julian doesn’t do normal.’

‘Well, he agreed.’

‘Really?’ Shelly was genuinely surprised. ‘Are you going to cook?’

‘I told him I was, but I’ll just order takeout and hide the boxes before he arrives.’

Shelly laughed. ‘Where are you now?’

‘Still sitting in the restaurant waiting for the breakfast we ordered. Going to be mortified when they bring out two plates to the girl who the hot guy ran out on. Jesus.’

‘Oh, God, Eva. Just get it to go.’

‘Don’t suppose you’re hungry? I’m just a block away.’

‘A block away makes no sense to me. I wouldn’t even know where to turn when I come out of the hotel. And my head hurts like you wouldn’t believe. The fizzy blew the head of me.’

‘Yeah, I know that feeling. So glad I’ve got the next two weeks off. I think I need it just to get over this hangover.’

Shelly laughed. ‘I’ve taught you well.’

‘Yeah, unfortunately, you have. So you coming down for breakfast or what? It’s easy to find. Left and left again…come on, I’ll wait for you.’

‘I would but Nathan is here and…’

‘Nathan is there, too? Jesus. Is there anyone who
isn’t
here?’

‘Shit. Sorry, I forgot to mention that he was coming, too, didn’t I?’

‘Yeah. Yeah, you kind of did.’

‘Ah, Eva, come on. This was all Julian’s idea, and we were just dragged along for the ride. I’m sorry.’

‘Yeah.’ Eva suspected Julian was in charge here but it was a convenient excuse for Shelly and it was all rather annoying.

‘Look, just get the breakfast to go. Come back to the hotel. I’m in suite 165a. I really can’t wait to see you. The holiday starts now.’

‘Okay. You can fill me in when I get there.’

‘Yeah, of course. And hurry up. I haven’t eaten since lunchtime yesterday, Irish time. It was all posh caviar on the plane and I don’t eat stuff that looks and smells like snail puke.’

Eva smiled seeing her food on the way. ‘Ten minutes. Don’t disappear on me again.’