Then
she relaxed into him and he knew that she was allowing herself to experience
whatever this was. She touched him lightly on his neck and he deepened their
kiss, feeling an urgent burst of excitement travel between them. He didn’t know
how long it lasted—it was forever and a day. It was a split second.
On the periphery of his mind Julian heard others
approaching but the pieces of information that his senses were trying to
assemble couldn’t form a complete picture in time. He couldn’t react fast
enough. He couldn’t make his muscles move him away from Carolyn before they
entered the room. Rhys, however, had no problem. Julian felt his best friend
roughly pull him off the bench and drag him across the small stage.
“What the hell are you doing?”
Julian felt the wall against his back as Rhys closed in
on him. They were eye to eye with Rhys’ hand pressing into his chest. His
friend looked at him with wild eyes as if he'd suddenly lost his mind.
Julian saw every thought Rhys had cross his face: the
unspoken acknowledgement of Julian's feelings for Carolyn—a topic neither of
them had ever addressed; the reminder that Milan was outside in the car waiting
for him; the fact that the wedding was days away; and the threat that Rhys
would kill him if he hurt Carolyn.
“What are you doing with my sister?” Rhys asked again in
a heated whisper.
“I'm sorry, Rhys. I don't—”
“Get out of here. Now!” Rhys had never looked at him like
this before, no matter what had happened.
“Rhys, please stop,” Carolyn implored. She was hovering
by the piano with Cera.
Julian strained to see her over Rhys’ shoulder, “Carolyn,
I'm sorry—” he started but Rhys moved to block his view.
“I said, now,” Rhys growled.
They stared each other until that moment of mutual
understanding when they both knew that Rhys had won this battle. Rhys loosened
his hold on Julian and stepped back, keeping himself between Julian and
Carolyn. This was wrong. He’d never been on the opposite side of a fight with
Rhys before. It didn’t feel good.
Luke entered the front door and immediately sensing
tension, sidled up and positioned himself between the two men. “What's going
on?”
Julian licked his lips and backed away, “Nothing.”
Carolyn stepped forward and his eyes snapped to hers. She looked confused,
upset and embarrassed at the same time. He had done that to her and he wouldn’t
forgive himself. “I’m sorry,” he said and left the club.
Cera dropped the Jameses off at their door and they
entered the house in silence. In the family room they stood like statues
looking at each other, no one knowing what to say or where even to start.
There was so much going on in Carolyn's head that she
needed to get away from her brothers’ questioning looks and sort things out
herself. She made an exaggerated yawn and excused herself. Sadly, closing the
bedroom door did not keep the confusion out of her mind.
Her room was hot and she cursed their lack of air
conditioning. She stripped off her clothes, put on a loose tank top and shorts
and went to sit in the window seat, hoping that a cool breeze would clear her
mind.
Just last night she’d looked up into the same sky with
Julian, but there was no moon tonight and the drifting clouds were playing
peekaboo with the stars. She folded her arms over her knees and tried to make
sense of all that had happened.
Rhys had come home a few days ago and she’d expected him
to bring her some clarity. Instead things had turned upside-down. Mark was
offering her a chance to completely change her life and now, after that kiss,
she was thinking of Julian in a way she’d never allowed herself to think of him
before. And Rhys—she’d never seen him so angry. It was because of her. How had
she let herself come between them?
She sat there for hours trying to make sense of it all
until, finally, she fell asleep.
TUESDAY
CHAPTER ELEVEN
“Let me get this straight,
she relaxed into him and he knew that she was allowing herself to experience
whatever this was. She touched him lightly on his neck and he deepened their
kiss, feeling an urgent burst of excitement travel between them. He didn’t know
how long it lasted—it was forever and a day. It was a split second.
On the periphery of his mind Julian heard others
approaching but the pieces of information that his senses were trying to
assemble couldn’t form a complete picture in time. He couldn’t react fast
enough. He couldn’t make his muscles move him away from Carolyn before they
entered the room. Rhys, however, had no problem. Julian felt his best friend
roughly pull him off the bench and drag him across the small stage.
“What the hell are you doing?”
Julian felt the wall against his back as Rhys closed in
on him. They were eye to eye with Rhys’ hand pressing into his chest. His
friend looked at him with wild eyes as if he'd suddenly lost his mind.
Julian saw every thought Rhys had cross his face: the
unspoken acknowledgement of Julian's feelings for Carolyn—a topic neither of
them had ever addressed; the reminder that Milan was outside in the car waiting
for him; the fact that the wedding was days away; and the threat that Rhys
would kill him if he hurt Carolyn.
“What are you doing with my sister?” Rhys asked again in
a heated whisper.
“I'm sorry, Rhys. I don't—”
“Get out of here. Now!” Rhys had never looked at him like
this before, no matter what had happened.
“Rhys, please stop,” Carolyn implored. She was hovering
by the piano with Cera.
Julian strained to see her over Rhys’ shoulder, “Carolyn,
I'm sorry—” he started but Rhys moved to block his view.
“I said, now,” Rhys growled.
They stared each other until that moment of mutual
understanding when they both knew that Rhys had won this battle. Rhys loosened
his hold on Julian and stepped back, keeping himself between Julian and
Carolyn. This was wrong. He’d never been on the opposite side of a fight with
Rhys before. It didn’t feel good.
Luke entered the front door and immediately sensing
tension, sidled up and positioned himself between the two men. “What's going
on?”
Julian licked his lips and backed away, “Nothing.”
Carolyn stepped forward and his eyes snapped to hers. She looked confused,
upset and embarrassed at the same time. He had done that to her and he wouldn’t
forgive himself. “I’m sorry,” he said and left the club.
Cera dropped the Jameses off at their door and they
entered the house in silence. In the family room they stood like statues
looking at each other, no one knowing what to say or where even to start.
There was so much going on in Carolyn's head that she
needed to get away from her brothers’ questioning looks and sort things out
herself. She made an exaggerated yawn and excused herself. Sadly, closing the
bedroom door did not keep the confusion out of her mind.
Her room was hot and she cursed their lack of air
conditioning. She stripped off her clothes, put on a loose tank top and shorts
and went to sit in the window seat, hoping that a cool breeze would clear her
mind.
Just last night she’d looked up into the same sky with
Julian, but there was no moon tonight and the drifting clouds were playing
peekaboo with the stars. She folded her arms over her knees and tried to make
sense of all that had happened.
Rhys had come home a few days ago and she’d expected him
to bring her some clarity. Instead things had turned upside-down. Mark was
offering her a chance to completely change her life and now, after that kiss,
she was thinking of Julian in a way she’d never allowed herself to think of him
before. And Rhys—she’d never seen him so angry. It was because of her. How had
she let herself come between them?
She sat there for hours trying to make sense of it all
until, finally, she fell asleep.
TUESDAY
CHAPTER ELEVEN
“Let me get this straight,
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