A/N - An apology isn't even enough, will finish this story asap, I promise. 

Chapter Fifty Four

Adele was one of the nicest people that Julia had met. She'd been in the house for less than fifteen minutes and she felt at home. A quick tour of the lounge, the guest suite and kitchen preceded a glance at the large outdoor pool.

"Aaron said you like to swim? We're going to light the grill in a few hours. Did you bring a swimsuit?"

Julia nodded, watching the baby squirming in her arms, "I did."

Adele was still watching her, watching the baby, "you want a cuddle? I could get us some coffee."

Julia panicked, she couldn't remember when she'd last held a baby, there were very few occasions, she knew that. She started to refuse, back up against the wall, but then Casper gurgled, his big blue eyes looking up at her, and her heart melted.

Biting her lip, her nervous twitch, Julia gave a nod, then held out her hands. He was strong, sitting in her arms, reaching out a pudgy hand to smack at her cheek, her mouth. Turning her head, she kissed his hand, then looked from his angelic face to his mother, "he's beautiful."

"Thank you," Adele offered from across the kitchen, "we're kind of proud of him."

Julia's eyes flicked between the bundle of joy in her arms and the coffee making occurring across the room, amazed at how special it felt to have a baby in her arms. Aaron, his friends, his life....he was making her see so many things, experiences, feelings, moments to cherish, and this was definitely one of them.

And it was that idyllic sight that stole the breath from Aaron's chest as he followed Tom into the kitchen.

Tom gasped, "she's got you babysitting already?" Laughing he elbowed his wife, before stealing a cup of coffee,

Adele rolled her eyes, "your son is adorable, and FYI I am making coffee!"

Laughing, he pulled her into his arms and planted his lips on hers, a little too enthusiastically for company in Aaron's opinion, but then they weren't ever in each other's company that often, other than the office, or on the road. When his eyes drifted to Julia's, she was blushing, biting her lips as Casper tapped her cheek with his chubby hand.

"Hey mate," he moved to look down at him, over her shoulder. His bright blue eyes looked back, unyielding, his lips curled into a smile. "He's a handsome bugger, don't know where he comes from Hadden."

Tom rolled his eyes as he clapped Aaron on the back, and the two men disappeared out into the garden.

Half an hour later after Julia insisted on helping Adele prep for the meal, both women headed upstairs to change.

The only time that Aaron forget who, and what he was, was when he was here, out of the city with his friends, and more recently with Julia. Today was no exception, he helped Tom clean the pool, clear the garden furniture, prepare the grill for dinner. And they were both working and talking when he heard a splash from behind. Under the water was a body, and it wasn't until the familiar head of Julia emerged from the water, hair plastered down her back, water streaming from her face, that he realised who it was. She slowed in front of them, and he groaned as she stood, revealing she was wearing a one piece swimsuit and not the bikini he'd been fantasising over, not that he was disappointed. She was beautiful in a bin bag.

"This pool is amazing."

Tom chuckled as she tumble turned and headed off to complete another length.

"Fucking hot, mate. One HELL of a lodger."

Aaron rolled his eyes, "if you're done with me..." He left the words hanging as he pulled off his t shirt and turned to dive into the pool, heading off in hot pursuit of his 'lodger', never more relieved that he had already changed into swim shorts, suddenly he was desperate to get his hands on her.

He caught up with her just as she was about to reach for the side, an outstretched arm snagged her ankle and she turned and glared at him for a moment before the water engulfed her flailing body. When she emerged she spluttered a little, and Aaron regretted his action.

Patting her back, he pulled her into his arms, unable to control the grin on his face, as he swooped to kiss her, she squirmed away.

"They'll see us...."

He laughed, until he realised she was serious, "I don't care, and neither will they...we're all adults. "

Reaching for her, he pulled her body into his, and kissed her like he didn't care, because he didn't. For a moment she was resistant, but then he felt her surrender to the moment, and his heart surged.

When he finally let her go, Julia was mortified, at both the fact they were so easily observed, and how easily she caved into his demands. It was obvious that Aaron and Tom were friends, and she didn't want to jeopardise that by including them in this lie, because all day she'd had time to think and now realised that this was going to end, that it was temporary...that he was still helping her.

Smiling at him, she made to move away, but he took her hands, "don't push me away, Tom and Adele, they're my friends, they're OK. They don't judge."

That made her gulp, they wouldn't judge her? She wasn't sure about that, but then he was kissing her again, and she was lost.

A cough and the sizzle of the grill caused them to fly apart, and Aaron cupped Julia's flushed jaw as she dropped her head, "don't be embarrassed, we're adults....and I can't resist you. They can understand that."

He could see the lack of conviction in her eyes, but giving his body just a moment to calm, he hauled himself out of the pool, and found a couple of towels, holding one up for her as she climbed the ladder to get out. Half hour later, she was lounging on a sunbed beside him, as they watched Tom wrestle with some steaks.

"So," Adele lowered herself to perch on a chair between them having finally gotten Casper into bed and asleep. "Tell me all about your work, Julia. Aaron says that you work in the museum?"

Aaron rolled his eyes, then covered his face with his hands, "now you've opened the cage....wake me when it's dinner time."

Julia elbowed him playfully before turning to the other woman, and waxing lyrical about her favourite thing, Bogda, her charge.

Much later, the sun was setting, turning the sky vibrant shades of red and purple. The four adults were sat in comfy chairs around a table, the remnants of their meal between them, and several empty wine bottles. Aaron couldn't remember the last time he felt this relaxed, the last time he'd been so comfortable with his friends. It was all due to Julia, was changing him irreparably, and he knew he had to tell her asap. He would hate to throw himself open like that, but there was no other option. Not really.

"So we need to read through those documents before you leave tomorrow."

Trust Tom to bring work to the table, though that wasn't actually true, normally it would be him that never let work lie. Instead he gave a theatrical groan then agreed to it.

It was dark when they finally made it to bed, too over filled with alcohol and food to do more than spoon affectionately.

Julia stretched, her body waking before her brain engaged into their where and when of the day. One eye opened and she failed, for a moment, to recognise the water colour picture on the wall, and the bedside table complete with a Tiffany lamp. But the body pressed against her was as familiar as the air in her lungs. Sighing she stretched again, knowing that the action pressed her pelvis back into the one surrounding hers. And the response was immediate, him hardening against her buttocks.

She moaned at that, and his breath was warm on her shoulder as he chuckled against her skin.

"Good morning," his voice was hoarse from sleep, just the way she liked it.

Her body melted in response, but instead she quipped, "is it?"

Laughing he rolled her so that he could see her face, then raised an eyebrow, "definitely." With that his lips descended on hers, and she was lost. The hunger, the desperation, the fever...it never seemed to fade, and they were tearing at the minimal clothes that they wore to bed within seconds.

He paused at her belly, his tongue swirling in her belly button, to look up at her, "is this OK?"

She loved that he checked in with her, still made sure that he wasn't overwhelming her, he could never scare her, her bad dreams were long gone. She knew that, but he didn't. He was still treading on eggshells. She hated and loved that in equal measure.

When she nodded, he dipped down, sliding his fingers and tongue between her legs, and she exploded far too quickly, it was insane how much he turned her on, how quickly she tipped over the edge. It was hard to imagine that just a few weeks earlier she'd never experienced an orgasm. Now, they seemed to be around every corner, she was one lucky girl.

She was still convulsing around his fingers as he moved over her, his eyes watching until she'd regained her breath, then without any further instruction, she wrapped her thighs around him and her eyes rolled to the back of her head as he entered her forcefully.

She was relaxed, content, half asleep with a smile on her face, he didn't want to disturb her, but there was work to do, so kissing her forehead, he slipped out of bed and straight to the bathroom.

It was a while later when Julia finally opened her eyes, familiarising herself with the strange room for a second time. The bed was comfy, that was a bonus, and it still smelled of Aaron. Stretching for a moment, she took in the sunshine fighting its way through the curtains, and realised it was more than late enough. She was a dreadful guest sleeping in for so long.

Dragging herself out of bed, she showered quickly, then headed downstairs.

Adele was in the kitchen humming along to the radio as she prepared a mountain of pancakes, Casper in a high chair beside her, mashing banana into the tray.

"Are you expecting an army?"

She turned and smiled at Julia, "the men are running, which is code for making a business deal. They always return hungry. Can I get you coffee? Tea?"

Julia couldn't hide the moan that the thought of strong coffee caused, "coffee...I may be British, but I am coffee over tea every day."

Adele nodded in agreement, filling a mug from her rather expensive looking machine. Leaving Julia to ponder how little she really knew about Aaron. Yet suddenly she was looking forward to dinging out. This weekend, it was something they'd shared as a couple, and it made her feel as though a huge step had been made. Before it had all felt temporary, but to introduce her to friends, to be so open in his contact with her, it all added up to stepping to a more permanent thing. It scared her terribly, and she was fighting the internal war that made her want to step back, run away and throw herself headlong into things. It was all so confusing.

Eventually everything was prepared for the breakfast feast, and Adele joined her at the kitchen table with her own coffee.

"So it's good to see Aaron happy. He's never brought anyone here before."

Julia tried not to choke on her coffee as she digested that, "I'm not sure that I'm that good for him."

Adele scoffed, "don't be ridiculous, he is laughing...kissing you...the man is besotted. Which is a good thing, I mean he's do darned serious normally, calling Tom all hours of the day and night, working hundred hour weeks, never was there a man who needed to live a life more."

Then she blushed, and Julia got it, "so a more relaxed Aaron lets Tom off the hook a bit?"

"Am I that transparent?"

Julia laughed, "not at all. You're married to a man you love, have a young family...I'm sure you'd love Tom to work as little as possible."

"He does miss out on lots."

Julia felt unsettled at the love in the other woman's eyes as she talked about the man she so clearly adored, she wasn't used to that, her family definitely weren't that open with emotions, and even Abi and Luke, so obviously in love were nothing like this. It felt as though she was stepping inside their lives, and for someone who kept her cards close to her chest, that was a hard thing to comprehend.

As she sipped coffee, Adele then told her all about she met Tom, he'd employed her best friend as an office manager, and he'd found her one day sat on her friend's desk, cross-legged, wholly in appropriate in her eyes, but Tom instead of being angry had pursued her, quite aggressively. And whilst it had taken a while, she was now suitably besotted by her husband.

Fortunately, there was no questioning of how she 'met' Aaron, and for that she was extremely grateful, because Adele was a genuine and nice person, in other circumstances they would have been good friends, but she was blatantly aware that they were lying to her and Tom, and she felt more guilt at that...she was becoming consumed by the emotion.

The breakfast table was laden with juice, pancakes, bacon, fruit yogurt, it was a veritable feast, but the men still weren't back.

As they sat drinking another coffee, Julia lifted an eyebrow, "so are they usually this long?"

Adele grinned, handing another piece of pancake to the baby who was playing with it, rather than eating it, squashing in his chubby fist, "they can be, what with everything that's going on."

Julia felt a flinch of pain at the fact that she didn't have a clue what she was referencing. It wasn't the first time that she'd had that realisation. But before she could contemplate that further, Adele was carrying on.

"So have you got an amazing dress for the Charity Ball next week? I am so sad not to be going, especially as I was heavily pregnant last year, but I have NO sitter." She sighed, then looked up at Julia awaiting an answer.

She didn't know anything about a charity night, she knew very little about anything or so it seems. So she gave a non committal smile, and had never been more grateful to see the kitchen door open and two very sweaty men come in from their run.