Modern Girl's Guide to One-Night Stands (26 page)

The last time he’d been with her was incredible, and he didn’t want this night to be one-sided. He was going to make damn sure she got there with him. It took everything he had not to rip the dress off her, but as he slid his hands up her side, he fucking loved that dress.

When his finger brushed her sensitive nipple, she sucked in a sharp breath and leaned into his touch. They stayed like that, kissing and exploring one another, until her pleasurable sighs turned into hungry demands.

Julia arched her hips into his as her teeth grazed his ear. “I’m not above begging,” she whispered and rocked her hips against his eager erection. “Please.”

Not one to deny a request like that, he reached into his pocket for the condom. It might have been presumptuous of him, but he’d hoped the weekend would lead to this.

Once sheathed, he pushed up her dress and touched her. Julia arched back and moaned at the contact. The sight of her, disheveled and wanting under the moonlight, was carnal and erotic, and had his already aching cock screaming for release. He needed to be inside her now.

“You’re beautiful,” he whispered as he gripped her hip and moved her panties to the side, not even bothering to remove their clothing.

“Simon,” she breathed, and met his gaze as she rocked her hips, letting him know she was right there with him. Her body bowed up, matching his own out-of-control pace. There was no possibility of the slow seduction he’d planned. It was a frantic and wild fuck, but it was what they both needed right then.

It didn’t take long before her breathing got choppy, coming out in short bursts against his sweat-soaked skin as she started to lose control. Simon focused on her as he felt her body clench around him. The satisfaction that shone in her eyes was the most honest and abandoned expression he’d ever witnessed, and more than anything else, he loved seeing it on Julia’s face.

When her nails dug into his scalp as she found her release, Simon finally let the white-hot sensation of his climax take over. His vision went dark as he let himself go, feeling every inch of her quivering heat as he slid in and out a few more times.

Spent, he collapsed back in the chair. Screw presumptuous. As long as this woman was near him, Simon was going to start carrying condoms by the dozen. There was no way he'd miss another opportunity like this.

His eyes were still closed when she shifted position to lie beside him on the chair. He cracked an eye and looked down at her cradled in his arms. A thin sheen of sweat coated her body, plastering strands of hair to her face. If possible, she looked sexier than before.

He couldn’t imagine how that asshole Luke had managed to snag her, let alone screw around on her. She was bold and willing to please, but there was still a soft, vulnerable side that he found irresistible.

“Wow,” she said with a shy smile. Her cheeks were still colored with the flush of her orgasm, but the look still had a charming innocence to it.

He hummed to show his agreement, still unable to form coherent words, and she laughed. The breathy sound sent another spike of desire racing down his spine.

Yes, he was pretty sure this woman was going to be the death of him.

Simon let out a long, contented sigh. Still watching her, he couldn’t keep the smile from sneaking into the corners of his mouth. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but you’re welcome to return the favor anytime. That was amazing.”

She laughed again and pressed her face into his chest, away from his scrutiny. A strong breeze off the lake blasted them, and he realized just how cool it was on the deck.

He hugged her closer and whispered into her ear, “Do you want to go back inside?”

Julia pulled away and looked up from under her lashes. The sex goddess was gone, and the shy girl he was growing to love just as much returned. “I should probably head up to the house and get ready for bed. I have an early morning.”

Simon tightened his grip around her waist. “Don’t leave. We don’t have to go inside. We can stay out here if you want. Just stay.”

Reaching behind him, he found a throw, and wrapped it around her. If she left now, Simon knew she’d talk herself out of the arrangement they’d agreed to. And maybe she was right—that this whole thing was a bad idea. But there was something about her. He’d felt it that first night in the bar. He needed to know if it was purely physical attraction, like Peter seemed to think, or if there might be something more.

“Simon, about this week—”

“Just hear me out,” he said, staving off her argument. “Let’s just see how it goes. It’s just a week. I’m not asking for anything more.”

He could see the inner debate being waged once again. She reminded him of the housecat they’d had growing up, sleek and graceful but jumpy as hell. He was going to have to tread lightly if he wanted this to work.

“I really don’t have much time. I’m going to be busy with the shooting schedule,” she said.

That was his in, and Simon pounced. “Tell me about these new photos. I know they’re not ready, but tell me about the subject.”

He thought she was going to hedge again, but Julia stretched back out beside him and sighed. There was a palpable tension coming off her that he didn’t quite understand. He thought she’d jump at the chance to talk about her work. And even though she hadn’t left, he could feel her pulling away.

“I find it hard to believe you’re interested. I know we’ve talked photography before, but it isn’t necessary,” she said. Her voice took on a flat tone that worried him. “Don’t ask if you’re just trying to get me to stay. I’ll stay a while longer, but if we’re going to do this, let’s agree to at least be honest with one another.”

“I wouldn’t have asked if I didn’t want to know.” He leaned to the side so he could get a good look at her. She frowned back, clearly not believing him. “I’m not lying. Christ, Julia. What is this about?”

“I have some experience with men feigning interest to get what they want.”

The idea that she’d lump him in with that prick Luke pissed him off. And now it was his turn to wonder if he’d misjudged the situation. He remembered Peter saying he wouldn’t want to be the rebound guy. Was that what she was doing? Trying to get back at her ex by sleeping around?

It had been months since January. He’d never thought to ask if she’d slept with anyone else. Maybe she was trying to sow those wild oats now that she wasn’t engaged.

He didn’t have any right to ask, but now he couldn’t help think that he was just another tally on her list. Maybe he was the one who should be rethinking their situation. “Even if you decide you’re not interested in me, do yourself a favor don’t judge every man against Luke. He’s an asshole, and not every man is like that.” Simon stood up, adjusting his pants, and grabbed his jacket off the deck where it had landed. “You’re right. It’s late. We should head back to the house.”

He slid open the door and walked inside without waiting for her to respond. The stereo was still playing some soft rock ballad in the background, and he turned it off, not wanting to hear about hearts and love right now. Their situation had been fucked up from the minute they’d met, and Simon didn’t know what he wanted anymore.

“Simon, wait. Please don’t leave,” she said, coming in behind him. “I’m sorry. I’m not very good at this.”

Still angry, he turned around and threw his hands in the air. “Not good at what? You don’t seem to have a problem sleeping with me. I don’t understand why you don’t want to spend time with me outside of bed. Is there another guy? That I can deal with, but this passive-aggressive bullshit where you lump me in with your cheating ex just isn’t working for me.”

She flinched at his words and Simon immediately regretted saying them. But instead of shrinking under his assault, that spark of determination lit her eyes.

“I’m not good at this relationship thing. I don’t know what I’m doing here. While other girls were going to prom, I was learning to walk again. In college, instead of dating, I was taking care of my mother. So excuse me for not knowing the right way to deal with situations like this.” She crossed her arms and stared back at him, unflinching. “So to answer your question, no. There isn’t another man. I don’t sleep around. I can count on one hand the number of men I’ve been with, and most of them ended poorly. So, like I said, I’m not very good at this.”

“I promise you, I’m nothing like Luke.”

She slumped down to the sofa, all of the fight out of her now. “I know. If there’s one thing I got out of that relationship, it was the ability to spot guys like him. You’re a nice guy, but you’re my friend’s brother and I’m afraid we're going to mess this up.”

Julia turned her back to him and laid her head on the arm of the sofa. Her carefully constructed hairstyle was now in shambles. Stray auburn curls framed the bold artwork on her back. He itched to sit down next to her and trace the lines of her tattoo with his tongue. But they needed to talk, and if he touched her that would be the end of the discussion.

He sat down in the chair on the other side of the small room, knowing that this was the conversation they should have had earlier. “We can do this without messing things up. I’ve told you that I want to get to know you better. That wasn’t a lie. While the sex has been great, I’d like to see if we could spend some time together with our clothes on.”

She looked over her shoulder, brow creased, and shrugged. “To what end? You’re leaving in a couple months anyway.”

“It’s only temporary. Chicago is my home. I plan to be back before New Year. Next summer at the latest. And before you get all defensive, think about it. This is perfect for our situation. You don’t want to jump into another serious relationship. If things don’t work out, I’ll be gone. We can both move on, and it won’t be as awkward.”

“And what if I change my mind? You’re still leaving,” she said, actually considering his idea.

“But it’s still a good thing. We can take things slow. We’ve mastered the internet thing, and I’ll be back every month or so to handle stuff at the office here.”

Julia looked away and concentrated on her fingers as she outlined the pattern on the sofa. “It seems like a lot of work for what has basically been a series of hookups.”

She continued to trace the patterns, not looking up, but Simon could tell she was warming to the idea. Feeling emboldened, Simon moved next to her on the sofa.

“Let’s start simple. It’s only ten-thirty,” he said. “Stay a while longer and tell me about what you’ve been working on. Then we’ll talk about dinner tomorrow.” The desire to touch her won out and he pulled her feet onto his lap. Her shoes were long since abandoned.

She tried to protest, but when he started rubbing her soles, the words died on her lips. “If you keep doing that, I’ll talk about anything you want,” she said on a sigh.

Simon ran his hand up to her calf and started kneading the muscle. She let out a breathy moan, and he had to stop himself from traveling up her leg to see if he could elicit other sounds from her. “So, the photos?” he asked, trying to focus.

“I’m doing a series of portraits. There are some really interesting people who live around here. Did you know that Manuel, the man who runs the grocery store, came to the U.S. when he was barely a teen, penniless and alone? Now he owns three grocery stores.”

She continued to tell him about the people she’d met in town. Simon was ashamed to admit that, despite spending summer months here his entire life, he didn’t know most of the people she was talking about. He just let her go on, caught up in her enthusiasm, while he continued to rub her feet.

“Then there are the art pieces. These are entirely out of my comfort zone. Outside of the few sessions at that abandoned mansion, the rest will be shot in a studio with models. It’s the first time I’ve had to hire makeup artists and hairdressers, so I’m a little bit nervous.”

“Trust your instinct. It’s spot-on. I mean, you picked me out of the bar, didn’t you?” he said and shot her a self-satisfied grin.

She pulled her legs back and tossed a pillow at his head. “Smug, much? How do you know it was my instinct? You might have been the first guy I talked to.” She got up and walked over to the bar to pour herself a drink.

Simon came up behind her and ran a hand down her side. “I knew,” he said, teasing her ear with his lips. “I could see it in your face. I knew the minute you decided.”

Julia turned and met his stare. “Is that so? I’m that easy to read, huh? What am I thinking now?”

The stormy blue-gray of her eyes had gone dark, and when she wet her lips, Simon pulled her against his growing erection. “You’re thinking the same thing I am. But this time, let’s lose the clothes.” He reached behind her and undid the button at the back of her neck. Just as he hoped, the dress pooled around her feet, leaving her completely exposed.

She stepped out of the dress and pushed him back to the sofa. So much for spending the evening talking. Those expressive eyes of hers told him he was in for a wild ride.

Chapter Seventeen