If You Only Knew (And Then Came Love Book 1) (10 page)

Monica shook her head. “You never get all the information about a person before you start dating.”

“Geez Monica, who fed you bitch pills today . . . duh . . . that’s why it’s called dating. You’re getting to know the person. I haven’t been married four or five times. I’ve dated three men . . . well now four. And only had sex with two.” She clenched her teeth. What was up her ass?

“You sleep with them and then they break your heart after you’ve given it up. I don’t want you to get hurt, Liza.” Monica’s voice softened. “I’m worried about you. You tend to fall hard and fast for people and it doesn’t end well for you. Make sure you know him before you fall into bed with him.”

“Do you even know me?” This was pointless. She knocked her chair over in her rush to get up.

“Where are you going?” Kaitlyn rested her hand on Liza’s arm.

“I’m going to wait for Julian.” Hurrying out of the building, she ducked into her car, leaving the door open. “Bitch!” she yelled as she slammed her hands into the steering wheel.

A hand touched her shoulder. Julian. She threw herself into his arms.

“What’s wrong?” He rubbed his hands over her back.

“My best friend of fifteen years called me a whore.”

“Excuse me?” Julian’s eyes narrowed and his fists clench against her back. “What the hell gave her that impression?”

Liza leaned her head against his chest.  She inhaled the masculine, spicy, but subtle scent of his cologne and behind it the scent that was his alone. “I was telling my friends about you. Then Monica lies and makes catty comments. I had bad experiences with three men. Her claim is that she doesn’t want me to get hurt. But damn it, she hurt me.”

“Fuck her. I’ll give her a piece of my mind.”

“No don’t. Let’s go in there, say our hellos and get it over with.” Liza caught his hand and led him into the restaurant.

“We don’t have to do this if you don’t want to. We can go somewhere else.”

“No, I’ll deal with it later.” She looked over at their table. Three sets of eyes were on her.

“Liza,” Julian said her name. He cupped the back of her neck, capturing her lips with his.

Her eyes drifted closed at the gentle probing of his tongue

He claimed her mouth and left her breathless, wanting more.

Hoots and hollers could be heard throughout the restaurant. Liza buried her head in his arms, her whole body warmed and she wasn’t sure if it was from the kiss or the embarrassment. Damn, he knew how to make her feel better.

“I missed you.”

She giggled and lifted her head. “We just saw each other last night.”

“That doesn’t mean I can’t miss you.” He drew her close. “We should head over to your friends. Otherwise, they may stare a hole in my back.”

“Be warned there will be stories passed around about me.”

Julian brought his hand up, bringing her to a halt. “You don’t have any strange diseases and you’re not seeing anyone else?”

“Of course not.”

“Good. We all have shadows and we’ve all done questionable things. It doesn’t mean my opinion of you is going to change, because your friends tell stories, which aren’t theirs to tell.”

Liza kissed his cheek. “Thank you.”

“It’s the truth.”

Liza took a deep breath before she led Julian over to the table and introduced him to her friends.

Monica reached out and pinched his arm. “You can touch this one.”  

Julian frowned. “And yet, while I can see you are able to touch me.” He picked up Monica’s hand and unceremoniously dropped it off his arm. “I would prefer you didn’t.”

Monica leaned over to Kaitlyn and put her hand in front of her mouth, but didn’t make any effort to lower her voice as she rudely said. “Bet he didn’t say that to her.”

Liza dropped into her seat.

Julian fumed. “Listen here—”

Liza put a restraining hand on his shoulder and met his gaze. “Please don’t.” She mouthed to him.

Julian drug the chair closer to her and put his arm around her shoulders. He brought his lips next to her ear and whispered, “If she keeps it up I won’t hold my tongue.”

“I’m fine.” She plastered a fake smile on her face.

“No need to keep secrets from us.” Kaitlyn smiled and tried to lighten the mood. “We don’t have any secrets.”

“You may not, but I am a rather private man.” Julian glared at Monica.

“What’s your last name?” Shana tried to break the tension forming between Monica and Julian.

“Vitalli. And before you ask, I am in pharmaceuticals.”

“Wow, Liza, you’re moving up in the world. A good looking man with a
job
,” Monica said. “That’s a new one.”

Julian stiffened.

She rested her hand on his leg and squeezed gently.

“Julian Vitalli,” Shana said. “The name sounds familiar.”

“My family is well known here.” His answer was curt.

Shana opened her mouth to add something to the conversation, but then closed it.

Julian’s phone chimed. He pressed the screen to read the message from.

“Important?” Liza leaned closer to him.

He winked at her. “Terra.”

“I guess his other girlfriend is more important than you are, Liza.” Monica waved her hand.

“Terra’s my sister. Not that it was any of your business.” Julian shoved his phone in his pocket.

Monica rested her elbows on the table and bent toward Julian. “I heard you’ve been helping Liza out over the last week?”

“Yes, she’s a wonderful woman.”

“What do you get out of the deal?” A smug expression crossed Monica’s face. “You looking for sex or are you actually interested in her?”

Julian stood jabbing a finger toward Monica. “Listen here, bitch.”

Liza closed her eyes. Monica hated the word bitch — especially if it came out of the mouth of a male. She jumped up and thrust Julian backwards. “We’re leaving.”

Monica’s face was red and it appeared as if her head would explode at any minute. “I may be—”

Liza spun around. “No, listen. At one time, you were my best friend, but you’ve treated me like crap today. If you don’t want to be my friend any more, fine. Wash fifteen years of friendship down the drain. But note, you’ve been a bitch today.” She spun on her heels and strode out of the restaurant. Not wanting to give Monica the satisfaction of knowing how upset she was.

She stopped when she got to her car.

Julian was right behind her and tugged her into his arms. “I’m sorry, babe. I didn’t—”

She pressed a finger to his lips. “You have nothing to apologize for.”

“Liza?” Shana called.

Julian stepped protectively in front of her, but she moved around him to meet Shana.

“I’m so sorry, Liza.” Shana pressed her hands together. “From the bottom of my heart I don’t know what got into them today.”

“It’s okay.”

“No, it’s not.” Julian rested his hand on the small of her back.

“I don’t know you, but it is nice to know one of you was in Liza’s corner today.”

Shana held out her hand to Julian and he shook it. “I’m Shana, by the way.” She let out a sigh. “I’m also calling a cab. They’re out of control. I’ve never seen Monica behave like that.”

“You can take my car home? I’m going with Julian and won’t need it until tonight?” Liza handed her the keys.

“You’d let me drive your new car?”

“Of course.” Liza shrugged. “Thanks, Shana.”

Shana hugged Liza. “I’m sorry, again.”

Julian nodded. “At least you have one real friend of the group.”

Shana turned away and the two of them headed for his car.

He opened the door for her and helped her in before heading around to the driver’s side. “Well, it’s a little early for lunch and a little late for breakfast, so what do you want to do?”

“Anything.”

Julian started the car and put his hand on her shoulder. “I’d like to take you some place if you’re up for it?”

“As long as it’s the two of us, I don’t care where we go.”

“I like the sound of that.”

*****

The morning took its toll on Liza, she was lost in thought by the time he turned down a narrow lane. Dusty barbed wire fences lined the fields on either side of the lane. Gravel dust billowed up behind them as he parked the car in front of a log cabin. A small patch of trees surrounded three sides of the house, but all around it was open fields. “Where are we?”

“You wanna hear a story?”

“Sure.” Liza nodded.

Julian came around the car and opened the door for her. He interlocked his fingers with her and together they walked toward the cabin. “This cabin is a new addition. There used to be a house here.”

“Was it the house you grew up in?”

“No, my friend Ethan.” He paused to see if she remembered and when she nodded he continued. “His father grew up in the old farm house.”

“What happened to it?”

Julian unlocked the door to the cabin. He held it open for Liza and they went inside. “This is beautiful.”

“Thanks, I designed it myself.” He told her. “Long story short, I bought this part of the property off Ethan’s family a few years ago.”

She removed her coat.

Julian hung her coat on the coat rack and adjusted the thermostat.

“What do you mean you designed it yourself? I thought this was Ethan’s dad’s place?”

“Let me tell you the story, okay?”

“Sure.”

Julian left the room.

Liza examined the small cabin. There was a rustic feel, but she caught glimpses of modern amenities. The fancy security system and modern thermostat were her first giveaways. She walked over to the fireplace, the gas fireplace. A picture on the mantle caught her eye. A much younger Julian, in cap and gown, with his arm around a much older man.

“That’s Gramps. He’s my hero.”

She startled at his sudden appearance. “You scared me.” Liza looked at the picture again. “College graduation?”

“High school. I had a rough time and no one expected me to make it to my high school graduation.” He handed her a drink and kissed her cheek.

Liza ran a finger over the picture. “Why is he’s your hero?” She placed the picture on the mantel.

Julian stared at it, almost as if he were lost in a memory. When he turned to Liza he smiled. “If it wasn’t for gramps, no telling where I’d be now. He was injured in World War II, earned the Purple Heart. He’s a feisty old man, but I love him to pieces.” He twisted the ring on his right ring finger.

“That’s really sweet.” Liza grasped his hand and rubbed her thumb over the ring.

He pulled his hand away. “I was telling you about the cabin.”

What was that about?

He led her over to the couch and they cuddled together. He placed his drink on the table. “Ethan and my brother Jake have been best friends since they were both in diapers. Drew and I of course met Ethan later on in life – Jake too. Ethan’s a pretty likable guy. By the time, I was sixteen the house was abandoned, but we hung out on the property and had parties here.”

“Sounds like it may have quite a few memories.”

“Good and bad, of course.” Julian leaned forward and looked down at his hands. “I went a little crazy on you yesterday and then today when you brought up your past I realized I hadn’t told you my history with women.”

“You told me the other night you had two ‘monogamously challenged’ ex-wives.”

Julian chuckled. “My first wife, plain and simple, was a mistake. She cheated on me before we got married and didn’t change a damn thing after we got married. After her, I was weary, but then I met Whitney and things progressed. By the time, Whitney was done with me, I was sitting in my car out behind this cabin staring down the barrel of a shotgun.”

She put her drink down and wrapped her arm around him. “What?”

Julian met her gaze. He nodded. “She swore to me she’d never cheat on me, but she did. After the second one does it, it makes you question yourself.”

“Julian, no matter what happened between the two of you it doesn’t give either one of them an excuse to cheat. If you’re unhappy, leave.”

“Glad I’m not the only one who thinks that.” Julian glanced down at his hands. “Whitney was a lot like you when I first met her. Or so she led me to believe. She swore up and down she’d never cheat on me. I finally got to the point I believed her, and let me state, it took me two years to believe her. Then less than a week after that, my parents and I walk in on her riding some guy’s cock in the booth of a Mexican restaurant.”

Liza’s eyes widened. “Ohmygod! Are you serious?”

Julian nodded. “Needless to say I wasn’t in the best of places when I was here the last time.”

“Which was when you—” She lowered her voice before continuing. “Had the gun?”

Julian brushed a strand of hair behind her ear and drew her onto his lap. He wrapped his arms around her and rested his head against hers. “You’re amazing. You have this—”