Chapter Sixty Two

Six weeks later

"What do you mean you're not coming home?"

It was a cold December day, and Julia sat next to Abi in front of large illuminated mirrors, Abi's hair being teased as Julia's make up was being perfected. Behind them hung Abi's perfect wedding dress, and the best bridesmaid's dress that Julia could have asked for.

Reaching across she placed a hand over Abi's and squeezed it, "I'm such a whiz, the museum can't live without me."

Abi met her gaze in the mirror, then gave a huge eye roll, "really? More like you're in some shagfest bubble."

In the past Julia would have been embarrassed, blushed, dropped her head, but the last couple of months had changed her, so much. Instead she shrugged, "so true, but then you introduced me to him."

Abi, much to the hairdresser's chagrin, ran a hand over her eyes and groaned, "TMI."

Julia laughed, "and how many times have I heard you and Tom having sex? Walked in on you necking on the sofa? Then there was that time..."

"OK, OK, OK, you said we'd NEVER discuss that again."

Julia giggled as she reached for her glass of champagne, "so quit having a go. When you are loved up with your new husband you won't even remember me!"

Abi turned to her, eye's watering, "I'll miss you everyday."

Julia's heart pained, "me too, girlfriend, but we have to get on with this things called life, and it's an excuse for lots and lots of trips?"

"That can be arranged, I love NYC, and it's a gateway...we could do a week in Miami? Or maybe California some place?"

"All doable, Abs. You will be sick of me, I promise."

Squeezing her hand, Abi shook her head, "never."

An hour later, giggling from a couple of glasses of champagne, the bride walked down the aisle to meet her groom, and the maid of honour followed, to the handsome, strong man stood next to him. It was a beautiful ceremony, Julia cried, Aaron rolled his eyes, and then they were all thrust into a cacophony of shouts, cheers, and then photos.

They'd intended to play down things between them at the family affair, Julia didn't need Aaron's mother sucking into her family politics, not to mention the fact that she was desperate to see Aaron married. Neither was keen to think about that.

As Luke and Abi started their dance, it was a few minutes until Aaron was able to join the others on the dance floor, Julia in his arms.

"Have I told you how fucking stunning you look in that dress?"

She felt good, it was a charcoal grey number with a cerise sash, elegant, flattering...everything she hoped for. Tiptoeing to whisper in his ear, she replied, "several times, but have I told you that I couldn't wear underwear with it?"

Instantly hard, instantly dragging her close, she chuckled as he kissed her far too earnestly. It meant a lot of people glanced their way, but neither cared. People would have to be blind to not realise they were besotted with each other.

Cutting cakes, dancing, bouquet chucking...it all involved one or both of them. A long night. Separate.

It was late when she caught sight of Aaron across the room, and their eyes met, he was dancing with an elderly aunt, she was helping Abi gather her things together before her and Luke made a quick departure.

She basked in his attention for a moment, her smile as broad as it could be, his face torn. Over the last few months she'd become a different person, and when she placed her index finger in her mouth and swirled her tongue around it, sucking it clean. An innocent gesture to strangers, considering they hadn't long eaten the wedding cake, but to him, it was far more. His eyes flared, and she knew she'd fired him up. As soon as he could get away he'd be after her. And she loved that, who'd have thought that she'd be taunting him in these high price games.

"So Mexico. Can't believe you're going so far off the beaten track."

Abi grinned, their honeymoon was to an adult only retreat in Tulum, Mexico. No phone connection, Wi-Fi, internet, and from the brochures they'd reviewed the previous day, it seemed that clothing was optional too. An air conditioned hut, it was communication lacking, but not luxury, and a hot tub on a cliff top. Nearest neighbour being half a mile along the same beach.

"Still worried about sunburn on my nipples!"

That made Julia laugh, pausing from her role helping Abi change out if her gorgeous dress, "Luke's got more to worry about than that."

Abi screeched with laughter, "a LOT more...is it a family thing?"

She turned to stare at Julia and laughed as her friend blushed.

"No way, Abi. Get this dress off and fuck off on holiday, I am not going there."

Ten minutes later, they came down the stairs from the room she'd changed in, to find most of the guests milling around in the hallway, in the centre was Luke, dashing in his going away outfit, eyes trained on his wife. Abi shivered beside her, and Julia squeezed her hand, making her stop for a moment.

"Before you bugger off for the greatest time in your life—as a wife, not just the holiday, I just want to tell you how much I love you. How much I appreciate everything you've done for me. All I am, is because of you. I just want you to know that."

Abi turned to her, "why don't you start to realise, that you aren't some leech, taking from everyone? We have had more fun together than anyone else I know. We are a duo, invincible, OK? You...me...we're two halves, and distance, shit family, happiness or sad, doesn't change that. You are the first person I tell things, and you're the only person's advice I really care about...though I'll have to deny that if Luke asks."

Julia was crying, it was inevitable, "I feel like I'm losing you."

Abi hugged her, then shook her head, "I am never going anywhere, just ask Aaron."

"What do you mean?"

She shook her head, "not enough time. I'm going. I'll call you whenever I get phone reception. I love you, girlfriend."

There were just a few steps left to descend, and Luke sighed as they reached him, "talk about the longest walk in history."

Abi giggled, putting a finger to his lips, then she turned to Luke's shadow, his big brother, "you take care of my girl. No arguments."

Aaron laughed, "no arguments."

He reached for Julia as the happy couple were swamped, but for Julia it was time to step back, her friend had to go...and she had to keep up this game with her lover, so she swerved his grip, and backed out of the room. It was a long moment before he realised she wasn't beside him, and turned, his eyes widening with excitement as he met her eyes, watching her disappear through a doorway.

The corridor led deep into the hotel, Julia didn't know where she was going, but it was away form the party, and that was what mattered.

Since the moment he'd danced with her, Aaron had been hard, he was desperate to get his hands on Julia, but the pomp and ceremony of a wedding seemed to be determined to keep them apart. Frustration wasn't an emotion he was familiar with these days, then there were her shenanigans, lewd gestures – he knew she'd see through these days, evasion and avoidance. She'd be lucky if he didn't pin her to the wall in the hotel foyer he was that desperate.

He threw the door open, following in her wake from the ballroom, just catching a flash of colour at the end of the corridor. He broke into a run, then was rewarded as he rounded the corner, to find her standing there, bottom lip snagged between her teeth like a naughty child.

God he loved this woman.

Without a second thought, he grabbed her, tossing her over his shoulder, regardless of her screams, and took the nearby stairs two at a time.

She started to punch his back, "put me down, Aaron."

He laughed at that, "no way, unless you want me to strip you in the corridor where anyone could walk past?"

That shut her up, and he chuckled, slapping her backside for good measure.

By the time he found his room, he was struggling, she wasn't heavy but her squirming, her protests, somewhere on the third floor they'd gone from angry and frustrated to teasing, she was playing him, he knew that. Throwing open the door, he walked to the huge bed and threw her down onto it.

"Dress. Off. Now."

Her eyes popped open at that, and he wanted to laugh, but she'd been teasing him all day, he wasn't about to ease up on her. He did watch her though, check that this was okay, after all her past, her history, he never wanted to scare her, and he feared that being controlling, demanding might trigger her. But she just looked at him with lust-filled eyes.

When she didn't move, he raised an eyebrow, "need me to remind you of what I just said?" He gave what he hoped was a menacing look, then started to loosen his tie, still towering over her.
With a little squeal, she turned, offering him the zip, which he slid down slowly, he had barely attacked one button on his shirt when she pulled the dress over her arms, revealing that she wasn't lying when she told she was bare beneath it.

"Shit."

Suddenly he couldn't get his clothes off quick enough, within seconds, he was on her, kissing her, touching her, devouring her, swallowing her moans, before heading south, to worship her breasts, those teasing nipples, and then he was biting her inner thighs, diving into taste every hidden inch of her.

Julia was jelly. Collapsed back across the bed, body throbbing.

"You OK?" Aaron asked, as he came back up her body, nuzzling at her neck. When she nodded, and groaned, he laughed. "You've been asking for that, ALL day."

That made her stretch like a cat, she had it all, a man who read her like a book, cared about what she wanted, and put her first, a job that was extending for six months, and a best friend who had a new husband which helped assuage the guilt she felt at moving away.

"Maybe I'll make that a regular request?"

He laughed, throwing back his head, as she snaked her arms and legs around him, trying desperately to join their bodies.

"Shit...need to find a condom..." he breathed against her lips, their bodies a hair's breadth from colliding.

She grinned at that, "I'm on the pill, I think it's time..."

"Bareback?" he squeaked, as his body reacted to that thought.

She shrugged, "I'm clean, you said you are, isn't it time we...trusted each other."

That was her playing him at his own game, of course he trusted her, but this was about her proving that she was equally trusting her back.

"Fuck," he tried to breath as he slid into her, "I've never...fuck...you feel amazing."

And he was right, it was perfect, just what they both wanted, needed and got.

There was nowhere Julia wanted to be more, than wrapped up in his arms, their sweaty limbs entangled, their hearts pounding a matching beat. She never wanted to leave.

A furious rap at the door woke them. Aaron reached for his watch.

"It's six am, who the fuck is that?"

Julia stretched, thrusting her body into his, "ignore it."

"Could be important."

Kissing him passionately, she pulled back, "what could be more important than hearing your lover, tell you she loves you?"

It was way past time, she should have told him weeks ago, but now, as he stared at her, eyes wide, mouth open, she knew it was perfect timing.

Until the rap at the door repeated, "Aaron, it's your mother, can you get up please?"

Julia stared at him, "lover or mother? Such hard choices for a man."

Giggling, she watched him search for his boxer shorts, then kiss her briefly before making for the door. The bed was tucked away so she was hidden. They hadn't exactly told his parents that they were together, not really. Though their display at the wedding gave it all away.

"Mum, what the hell is wrong?" She could hear the anxiety in his voice. "What are you doing?"

With that his mother appeared at the end of the bed, suddenly all humour had backfired on Julia, who clutched the sheet over her naked body.

"I asked my son to introduce us last night as my mother isn't well and I can't hang around today. But he disappeared before I could meet you as his girlfriend instead of my daughter-in-law's best friend."

She held out a hand, and Julia grimaced as she shook it, "I'd imagined this being a little different."

Aaron groaned, "and it would have been, but I have this impatient bloody mother."

His mother ignored him, "I'm Cheryl, I'd love to spend more time with you before you go back to America."

"And you will Mother. But there's a time and a place. Which would be maybe tomorrow, if you are offering us some dinner."

Cheryl rolled her eyes, "I had to dive in now, because you have never brought one single girlfriend to meet me, why would you start now?"

"Is grandma OK? Really?"

She nodded, "of course. Just getting forgetful, can't leave her for long. You'll definitely visit?" When Aaron rolled his eyes, his mother added, "I just want to see you happy, darling. That's all."

"Well, I'd be happy if you hadn't woke us before seven am."

"And I'd be happy knowing rather than guessing that this is an us, not a me."

As the door closed, Julia chuckled, "touché."

He rolled his eyes, crossing the room as she added, "mortified doesn't cover it."

Shaking his head, he threw himself onto the bed beside her, "don't care about that, I want to hear all about my lover telling me that she loves me."

She smiled nervously, "you all ready knew that."

"Maybe. Be nice to hear you say it though."

"Tell me why Abi said I need to ask you, about why SHE isn't going anywhere?"

He cocked an eyebrow, "an answer, for a declaration?"

Groaning she agreed, and he announced, "they're coming to see us on the way back from Mexico, I offered enough, that they couldn't refuse."

"That sounds intriguing," she was hiding her happiness at the news as best she could, and his response was to cup at hand at his ear.

"OK."

"Just say it."

She huffed, "OK..."

"...waiting."

"Fuck you, Harding."

Infuriatingly, he grinned, "think that's the opposite you're looking to say."

"OK, know-it-all, I love you."

It came out in anger, but he new that was just reactionary, so instead of questioning that, he bowled her over and showed her exactly what her words meant to him. This was all he'd ever wanted, and never thought he'd get. This was everything.