Modern Girl's Guide to One-Night Stands (31 page)

“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.

She pulled onto the street as the phone booted and immediately chimed with messages. Pushing the hands-free button on her steering wheel, Julia braced herself for the messages.

As expected, the first one was from Simon.

“Julia, I wish you’d come back and talk to me. Fuck. Please call me back.”

The next message filled the car and Julia could hear the resignation in his voice.

“I’m leaving for the airport. I didn’t want to leave like this, but there’s not much I can do about it now. The plane should land in New York by nine thirty. I’ll call when I get there. Please take the call. It’s worth the effort. You’re worth the effort.”

Julia almost pulled over to call him. He’d still be at the airport. But the next message started.

“Miss Hopkins, this is Jamie Rodgers from Horizon Village. I hate leaving a message like this, but we’ve been trying to reach you all day. Your mother went into respiratory distress and we had to transfer her to Silver Cross Hospital."

How she didn’t end up in a ditch was a miracle. Julia pulled into a random driveway and dialed Horizon Village. The director of nursing had already left for the night, but the floor nurse filled her in.

For a week, her mother had been fighting a cold that rapidly turned into suspected pneumonia. They had tried to reach Julia at home when the fever spiked. And after her mother’s blood oxygen levels fell below ninety-three percent even with supplemental nasal oxygen, the director called an ambulance to take her to the emergency room.

Julia immediately dialed the hospital and waited for what seemed like an eternity until a doctor finally picked up.

“We placed your mother on a BiPAP machine a few hours ago. She’s stabilized and resting comfortably, but at this point her oxygen levels haven’t returned to a normal state. If her condition doesn’t improve in the next few hours, I’d recommending placing her on a ventilator.”

“If that will help, why haven’t you done that yet?”

“I was hoping to hear from you before it became necessary. Once your mother is placed on a vent, it’s likely she’ll become dependent. And then there's the matter of her infection. Her overall condition has deteriorated since she was brought in. Is there any way you can come to the hospital for us to discuss your options?”

“I can be there in a few hours.”

Julia was thirty minutes into the drive when she remembered her gear was still on the boat. She wasn’t going back. There was a chance the caretaker could move the gear into the boathouse until she had a chance to come back and collect it, but she didn’t have his number.