The Tycoon's Resistant Lover (12 page)

His fury evaporated with her confession. He felt deflated, and yet still elated that she’d made such a statement. Jealousy meant that she felt at least something small for him and that gave him hope. “Liz and I had just come back from dinner,” he explained. “And she heard all about you, but she knew that you’d dumped me so she might have pushed the limits a bit.”

“What do you mean?” she asked softly, her blue eyes pleading with him to tell him that he loved her one more time.

James rubbed his neck, then looked back at her. “Jules, I’m in love with you, but if you have concerns about where this is going, we need to talk about it now. I can’t go through the last few days again.”

She stood there, stunned that he would admit that he loved her, even after everything she’d said over the last fifteen minutes. “You love me?” she asked again, wanting to hear the words.

“Of course I love you,” he replied, hands on hips as he glared down at her. “What do you think the past week has been about?”

“Sex,” Julianna whispered. “I thought it was all about sex for you.”

His eyes widened for a moment, then he shook his head. “It’s definitely been about sex, but this is more for me. So if it isn’t for you, then please just walk away and let’s just call it quits. I don’t like waking up after a night like we shared only to find you completely gone.”

Julianna blinked and shook her head. “I promise I left a note,” she said softly. She spun around and headed to the kitchen. She opened and closed several doors, finally finding the trash. Moving only a few items, she retrieved the note she’d written the day before and held it up for him. “Here,” she said and placed the neatly written note on the counter, food stains and all.

James looked down at the note, written in perfect, precise letters explaining that she was on a buying trip and asking him to call her when he woke up.

“Ah, Jules,” he said and moved closer, taking her in his arms and pulling her close while he cradled her soft body against his. “I’m sorry, love. I’m an ass and I didn’t trust you.”

“Why would she throw the note away like this?” Julianna asked, completely hurt and confused about the woman’s actions. The housekeeper had been cold and forbidding, but Julianna just couldn’t believe that an employee would completely sabotage an employer’s relationship in such a way.

He ran a hand over his face and neck once again. “Because she wants me to date her daughter. She’s been pushing her towards me ever since the first moment I arrived and has been so persistent that I had to have a talk with her about it just a few days ago. I guess she saw an opportunity and just took it.” He looked down at the note grimly. “But the woman is fired now. There’s no excuse for this.”

She put her arms around his waist as well, the hurt and pain of the last few days dissolving with his words. “I’m sorry as well. You’re just so….different.”

He rubbed his hands along her back. “Do you ever think ‘different’ might be a good thing? If I promise to behave maybe?”

She laughed and buried her face in his chest. “James, don’t you dare promise me something that you can’t deliver on.” She smiled up at him and shook her head. “You don’t even know how to behave,” she laughed at his stricken expression. His face changed from confused to appreciative within moments and he pulled her closer.

“But you like me, don’t you?”

She shrugged and looked at his chest. “I suppose there are characteristics about you that aren’t abhorrent,” she said, then glanced up into his handsome face.

“Name them?” he demanded, his hands lifting her up onto his countertop.

She squeaked when he lifted her, but when he only pushed her up onto his counter, she felt better since this put her higher and she could see his face better. She fiddled with the buttons on his shirt, wanting to open it up and touch his skin, but she was afraid of initiating that kind of physical contact. “Well, I guess, you’re…” she gasped when he pushed her legs open and moved his body between them, then slid her hips forward so she was pressed against him. “My….” She whispered.

“You were saying?” he asked, his eyes looking down so he could concentrate on the buttons of her own blouse.

She’d completely lost track of the conversation. “What was I saying?”

He grinned and kissed her neck. “You were telling me the things that weren’t abhorrent about me.”

Julianna shifted her body slightly and the friction was so intense she had to hold her breath until she could think again. “Yes,” she finally said. “Um….yes….I don’t dislike your smile,” she managed to say.

“What else?” he asked, pulling her shirt off of her and laying it on the counter behind her.  He made quick work of her bra, shaking his head at the fact that she’d reverted to wearing one again.

“I don’t hate the way you laugh,” she finally got out but then his mouth covered her nipple and she clasped his head with her hands, crying out as the intense desire shot through her. “Okay, I love just about every part of you,” she said between gasps.

James stilled, lifting his head and looking at her with an intensity she’d never seen in him before. “Do you mean that? You’re not just saying that are you?”

Julianna knew what he was asking and she put a hand on each side of his face and smiled gently. “I don’t know why, but somehow, you just got through that place inside of me that wants peace and tranquility and gave me chaos and insanity. But yes, I do love you.”

He groaned and kissed her ever so gently, holding her as if she were a china doll. When his cell phone rang, he pulled it out of his pocket and looked at the name on the screen. “Liz can wait,” he growled as he pulled her close.

A long time later, she poked him on the shoulder. “James,” she whispered, barely able to speak since she could barely breathe.

“What?” he asked, his head still buried in her neck as he too tried to steady his breathing.

She wiggled underneath him slightly. “Do you think we could move off to your bedroom? This counter is getting cold,” she said with a laugh.

James lifted his head and looked around. He was obviously just as stunned as she was that they’d made love on the top of his kitchen countertop, but he rallied to the occasion. “I thought you liked it when I didn’t behave.”

“I’ll concede the point…”

“And there’s no way you can tell me that you didn’t enjoy the last few minutes.”

Julianna raised her arm and looked at her watch. “James, it’s been a bit more than a few minutes.” They’d been in the kitchen for over an hour. “And I haven’t eaten today so I really need some food.”

He immediately stood up and helped her down off of her counter, concern on his face as he pulled on his slacks. “Why haven’t you eaten?”

“Because the crazy man I fell in love with didn’t call me back after an incredible night of sex,” she said as she slipped her arms into the sleeves of her silk blouse.

He grinned and pulled her close again. “When will you marry me?” he asked. “How about next week?”

She laughed and put her hands on his shoulders. “We don’t need to get married. Why don’t we just figure this out?”

He shook his head and slid his hands down to her still bare bottom. “No way, Julianna. There’s been too much going on over the past week. I want to know that you’re mine and I want it to happen fast.”

She smiled gently, feeling exactly the same way but too shy to say it out loud. “Name the date.”

“Next week.”

She thought about all the things she would need to organize for a wedding, all the invitations, the reception, the flowers, a dress…the list went on and on. “How about an October wedding?” she suggested.

He grinned. “That’s next week, you know.”

She rolled her eyes again. “I meant, October of next year.”

He shook his head. “Absolutely not. How about next week?”

She looked up at him with exasperation. “James, there’s no possible way we can organize a wedding in just a couple of weeks. And definitely not by next week.”

He released her and stuck his head into his fridge, pulling out a covered dish and lifting the lid. “You’ll either need to move in here, or I’ll move into your place until we can be married next week,” he said and stuck the dish into the microwave to heat up. “I hope some sort of chicken is okay for dinner. Oh, and you’ll need to be here tomorrow when I fire my housekeeper.”

Julianna was having a hard time keeping up with what he was telling her. “James, aren’t you listening to me? We can’t have a wedding by next week.”

“Is chicken okay? I think there’s other stuff in there if you want something else.”

She stared at his bare back, only slightly distracted by the muscles all over his shoulders and sides. She was more exasperated with him because she knew that he was ignoring her. “Okay, here’s the deal. If you can organize the wedding by next week with all of my friends there, we’ll be married next week.”

“Deal.” He popped the door on the microwave and peered inside. “Here, eat this and write down a list of all of your friends. You have fifteen minutes before I work on your next demand,” he said with a lascivious grin.

She blinked as she took the fork he put into her hand. “What was my other demand? She asked, still trying to make a mental list of the people she wanted at her wedding.

He leaned forward and kissed her stunned lips. “To make love to you in a bed.”

Julianna blushed and looked down, ignoring him when he chuckled at her embarrassment. “Why do I love you?” she asked with increased exasperation.

“Because I’m different, I suppose,” he laughed and pressed his chest against her back, taking the fork out of her hand and cutting a piece of the tender chicken, feeding it to her since she wasn’t making any progress. “You’re too slow,” he said with that deep, sexy voice so close to her ear.

“And you’re obnoxious,” she whispered back.

“But you love me anyway.”

Chapter 7

Julianna stared at the man standing at the end of the aisle. Living with him would be a continuous trial, she thought with love and more than a little irritation. The music started and she took her first steps down the aisle, her gorgeous Victorian style gown flowing around her, the crystals glinting the sunlight off of her veil and new diamonds that James had given her on her hand and her ears. He truly was a very generous man and she couldn’t believe what he’d done to make this wedding happen. There were about one hundred people sitting in chairs around the small pond and a huge tent set up off to the left filled with food and wine, champagne fountains and a five tiered cake with shimmering frosting and flowers covering the layers.

He’d moved into her house because he liked it better than the penthouse he’d bought when he knew he’d have the big waterfront project to work over the next few years but progress was coming along well on his new house. Juliana was eager to start decorating that house with all of her antiques and James was giving her free reign on the décor with the stipulation that she couldn’t put any lace in the bedroom. She’d laughed at that demand since he’d given the order while laying on top of about ten pillows all with a different type of lace on each one. He liked to toss them off of her bed at night, playing basketball with them and her trashcan before he pulled her into his arms.

But she still couldn’t believe that this day had arrived. All she’d done was make a list of her friends and pick out a dress from the ten that James had shipped from Paris overnight.

The result of his efforts, and that of the most amazing event organizer in the form of his sister Liz who turned out to be just as fun loving and outrageous as James, was the most magical day of her life.

When she reached James, she smiled up into his handsome face, tears glistening on her lashes. “I love you,” she whispered for only his ears.

“I love you too.” He leaned down and kissed her gently. “I told you we could be married this week.”

The minister cleared his throat, obviously not approving of the kiss before he even started the ceremony. The witnesses behind them also started laughing at the scene in front of them.

“Be good,” Julianna whispered up to him, but she was smiling as she said those words to him once again.

He leaned down once again. “I always am, my love.”

It was the first time the guests had ever seen a wedding commence with the bride laughing.

Epilogue

“Stop that!” James called out to her and swiftly stood up and took the heavy casserole dish. “Go sit down,” he commanded.

Julianna rolled her eyes and waddled back into the kitchen to check on the turkey. “Is this done?” she called out?

Jessica walked up behind her and peered into the oven. “Looks done to me,” she whispered. “But what do I know? I burn toast.”

Julianna grimaced as well. “I have no clue either” she confided. The both stood up, Julianna holding onto the granite countertop while Jessica balanced her son on her hip. “Where’s Delly?” she asked, using the nickname for her daughter, Delilah who was an adorable three year old who so far had figured out how to rule their household.

Jessica wiped some drool off of Timothy’s chin, then kissed him on the nose. “She’s watching that American football game with Edward. James is trying to teach her how to armchair coach,” she explained.

“I have no idea why those two like that sport so much,” she said as she arranged the rolls into a basket. They were perfectly browned with garlic and butter and had her mouth watering to taste them.

“Neither do I, but every year when we have to celebrate James’ American Thanksgiving, those two are huddled in the television room watching it all day long.”

“We should insulate the kids from them during these times. They cuss up a storm.”

Jessica rolled her eyes. “Delly said ‘damn’ the other day!”

Julianna laughed, but shook her head. “That’s horrible! What did you do?”

Jessica opened a can of mushed green beans for Timothy’s dinner. At six months old, he was too young for the turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing and something James called ‘green bean casserole’ which was heavenly good, but really shouldn’t be considered a vegetable. “I just looked at Edward who laughed and picked her up, kissing her on the cheek and telling her that she shouldn’t say things like that unless she was watching American football.

Julianna rolled her eyes again. “Those guys are ridiculous! Why are they even friends? They are completely different from each other.”

“They make a lot of money together though.”

Julianna had to nod at that. “I suppose you’re right. And they have fun.”

“Yeah, well, James is a good influence on Edward. He’s loosened up a great deal in the past few years.”

“And you don’t think that has anything to do with you?” Julianna teased.

Jessica laughed as well. “Okay, so I won’t let him get away with his stuffy, snooty attitude any longer.”

“James won’t let me do it either. He just tickles me whenever I try and pull it off.”

Jessica set her son down in the high chair and started feeding him, the boy devouring the food as fast as she could spoon it out to him.

Twenty minutes later, all six of them were gathered around the table. Julianna looked at the opposite end of her dining room table and smiled, tears almost filling her eyes as she surveyed the man she’d loved so much for three years. Her daughter was next to him and their best friends Jessica and Edward. As she looked around, she wondered how things could have worked out this way. She’d been dating Edward so long ago, and now he was happily married to Jessica, who had been friends with James and would have married him if her father’s deadline had gotten too close. Now she was married to James and expecting their second child. It was strange how things worked out.

James must have felt her look because he glanced up from fixing Delilah’s plate and froze. After a moment, he winked at her, then went back to cutting up Delly’s turkey.

When everyone was settled, James looked around the table. “Thanks everyone for coming tonight for yet another Thanksgiving weekend. It’s nice to be here with all of you when I can’t be home with my own family,” he said and grinned wickedly at Julianna who had experienced dinners with his family back in the United States. She’d clung to him nervously the whole first time, terrified of what his brothers might do to her. After three years though, she could hold her own and he loved the way she wouldn’t take any of the crap his siblings dished out to her.

“So I know you Brits have your own traditions, which I find unnecessarily complicated,” he ignored Edwards grunt and Jessica’s rolling eyes and continued, “but this is really how to celebrate an occasion. Just put as many carbohydrates onto one table as possible, add in as much fat as you can, normally we bring together all the obnoxious family members into a small house so that they get on each others’ nerves, then we eat until we’re too stuffed to move, except to waddle back to the television for more football. Any questions?” he asked.

Edward raised his glass into the air. “A toast,” he called out, waiting for everyone to have their glass in the air, including Delly who raised her glass of milk, eager to be part of the exciting tradition. “To obnoxious Americans, beautiful ladies,” he said to Julianna, Jessica and Delilah, “and a hope that James won’t have us celebrating the 4
^th
of July any time soon!”

Everyone laughed and clinked their glasses together, even James who was more than willing to show them how to burn hot dogs and hamburgers, light off fireworks and celebrate freedom from their country.

“Behave, James,” Julianna said just as James opened his mouth.

“But you don’t even know what I was going to say,” he claimed and leaned back in his chair to watch her across the table, loving her more each day.

Julianna shook her head and glared at him. “I do know what you were going to say and if you say it, you don’t get any chocolate mousse pie,” she challenged.

James opened his mouth, then closed it. “Is it the pie from that bakery down the street?” he asked carefully.

“Yes,” she said and took a sip of her seltzer water. “Your favorite.”

He thought about that for a long moment, causing Jessica and Edward to laugh and raise their glasses to Julianna. “It’s a rare thing that someone can cause James to be speechless.”

James lifted his wine glass and saluted her one more time. “Actually, she leaves me speechless every morning I get to wake up in her arms.”

Julianna had been about to take a bite of turkey but his words stopped her and she looked back at him, her heart melting with love for this man who had given her so much. “I love you too dear,” she said.