“This early?” the house thief said quietly. She scratched a small hand over her chest, her lips pursed in a sleepy ineffective glower.
“It’s after nine.” Elliot felt it important to point that out to her. It wasn’t early. Half the world was up and at work at this hour.
That was when she finally looked over and noticed that he and his brothers were taking up a good portion of the real estate in her dining room.
“I’m sorry, Julia,” Cole said as he moved toward her and helped her up off the step. “When we talked last night, I said we’d swing by in the morning and get started. I brought Elliot and Tucker with me to get a feel for the layout you’re looking for.”
There were men in her home. Three of them, all big and bulky and staring at her. She knew Cole and then there was a man that was clearly his brother. They had the same shade of brown hair, the same brown eyes that watched her with something akin to kindness.
The other man was obviously older by a few years, probably closer to forty, and was far bigger than the other two. If she had to guess, she would say that they weren’t related at all. At least not biologically, anyway. His hair was black, a little too long as it curled at the back of his neck, and he had dark, smoky-gray eyes that held no kindness, just a sort of animosity that Julia had seen before.
Aside from the glare he was sending her way, he was the most attractive man she’d ever seen. He had a chin covered with neatly trimmed dark hair, deep chiseled features, and an indescribable intensity that was solely focused on her, a wide chest with brawny arms crossed over it.
“I’m Julia,” she said, bypassing the moment where she’d thoroughly embarrassed herself, and greeted them all with formal handshakes. Tucker, as he’d introduced himself, the brother that looked like Cole, was staring at her, a strange expression on his face as he looked her up and down.
“You must be Elliot,” she pushed through the awkward moment and piercing stare.
“He’s the one that wouldn’t return your calls,” Cole chimed in, adding to the discomfort.
Her eyes turned back to Elliot who didn’t look the least bit apologetic as he still held her hand in a firm handshake, nor did he offer any explanation. She cut her eyes away, chiding herself for not looking him in the eyes longer, like she was supposed to.
“Get us set up for coffee and breakfast in the kitchen,” she said to Kelsey. She probably could have asked, but she and her assistant had worked together for a long time. They had a system and it worked for them. “I’ll be back downstairs in a few minutes.”
Elliot had thought the front of her shirt was racy, but he’d nearly choked when he’d read the back. Who Needs Big Tits? the front asked, in big, bold letters. He’d been helpless not to look, his brothers doing the same. The shirt itself hadn’t been that thick and he’d been able to see her nipples poking into the fabric on her chest. That had been enough for him to forget about the size.
That had been before she’d turned her sweet ass around and scampered out of the room, her hair flying around her. When you have an ass like this! was scrawled across the back, a big arrow pointing right at her luscious ass.
Yeah, Cole hadn’t been exaggerating. She was gorgeous, there was no doubt about that. He was still pissed that she’d stolen his house and that she was trashing the place. He certainly didn’t like her, but he wasn’t blind and he could appreciate a fine-looking woman.
“You all might as well sit and have coffee and something to eat. Her few minutes and your few minutes probably aren’t the same thing,” Kelsey told them as she set out a coffee carafe and a tray of pastries on the kitchen counter. Cole and Tucker sat themselves down like this kind of shit happened at client meetings all the time and started choosing pastries.
Tucker made an appreciative sound as he bit into one. “Where’d you get these? They’re amazing.”
“Oh, I got them in the city before I drove out this morning. I keep hoping if I put them out, Julia will try some, but she never does.” She shrugged. “More for me, I guess. And now you.”
“You live in the city?” Tucker asked. Cole seemed content to eat pastries while watching the byplay.
Elliot had no desire to sit and watch his brother hit on Ms. Julia of the Gorgeous Ass’s assistant. Why the hell did the woman need an assistant? She couldn’t make her own coffee? He’d never much liked high-maintenance women. There tended to be too much drama that revolved around everything.
“So you live in the city but work out here. Kind of a long commute,” Tucker commented.
“I’m moving here shortly,” Kelsey told him as her phone rang and she answered it quickly.
“Kelsey Riggs. Oh good, thank you, Anna. If you could just email me those contracts, I’d appreciate it, and just cc Julia and Jonathan both on everything.” As she spoke she refilled their coffee mugs and made sure there were fresh pastries. She was efficient, he’d give her that.
He checked his watch. It had been almost twenty minutes. How long did it take to throw on a pair of jeans and get going? Besides, they’d all already seen the plans, what the hell did they need her for anyway?
It was at least ten more minutes, listening to Kelsey on the phone talking about contracts and cars and who knows what else, before he heard Julia Hawkins come down the stairs.
The first time she’d come down, she’d been barefoot and had seemed so tiny to him, almost innocent and childlike. Now she was in a pair of distressed designer jeans that clung to her every curve, tucked into a pair of insanely tall boots. She wore a sporty sweater that looked luxuriously soft from where he stood, a complicated braid hanging over her shoulder. Her makeup was tasteful but obvious, highlighting her eyes. They were the most unique color he’d ever seen, reminding him of the bright green of natural sea glass.
She walked toward him, but turned sideways to sidle past him to get into the kitchen where she took the full cup of coffee Kelsey was holding out for her.
“I got updated sales contracts from Anna this morning,” Kelsey began as Julia took her first sip. “I emailed you an itinerary for the weekend and a note about Frank, though I already put that on the schedule, and Susan will be by before the movers in two weeks. Employee contracts should be in your email if you want to look them over, otherwise I’ll double check everything before you finalize the sale.”
“Thank you,” Julia said briskly.
“No problem. Now, you need to deal with this contractor business, unless you want to hand over the reigns on that.” At Julia’s blank look, Kelsey nodded. “I didn’t think so. If you’re done with me for now, I’ll call the cleaners to get on the books for when you wrap up in the city, get your mail for us to sort later, and get all this food put away.” At Julia’s nod, Kelsey gave a quick wave and walked out the back door.
“Wow.” Cole laughed. “I think I need an assistant, too.” He looked to Elliot. “Think we can swing it?”
“You should look into it,” Julia said as her eyes cut to Elliot then away again. “They’re great at returning phone calls.”
Tucker snickered. “She sunk your battleship, Elliot.”
3
Julia made it through showing the Williams brothers her home, but just barely. Since Cole had seen most of it already, she let him do most of the talking from a construction standpoint, only answering when they questioned her choices in what materials she wanted used.
As they toured the house, her body felt like it was equal parts frozen and on fire. She didn’t like it. She was angry that Elliot Williams had come into her home, sizzling with annoyance aimed directly at her, yet he’d been the one who’d ignored her calls for weeks. When he pointed out things he thought flawed with her home design, he wore a deep scowl on his face. He didn’t say anything directly to her, more his brothers, and she felt the icy coldness of being ignored.
She’d lived on the outside for years and was familiar with what it felt like.
She didn’t appreciate being made to feel that way in her own home.
She was an attractive woman. She wasn’t stupid, she’d looked in the mirror and knew her features were pleasing. She dressed well and it was a reasonable assumption that some men found her attractive. Elliot Williams was the first man who’d seemed so angry about it. He’d been angry with her from the first, complaining that she’d been late even though they didn’t have an appointment on the books. Still, it hadn’t been her intention to wake up so late. After her talk with Cole the night before, she’d spent hours working on code for a new program that would help builders draw up a detailed, three-dimensional version of a finished construction project to show prospective clients. It would work with different blueprints and plans, integrating finishes as well, including fixtures and specific woodwork.
Then she’d considered not making it a software program at all and making it an app instead, for easier access to consumers, but that would decrease some of the detail in the programming.
She needed to get her team to do some more research and planned on making some calls after the men left.
After finishing their tour, Julia had left them in what would be her office, to discuss where the last builder had left off and their game plan, then went in search of Kelsey.
In the kitchen, her assistant took advantage of Julia being alone and started the second she walked into the room.
“Invitation from the Herberts for a dinner party in three weeks at the New Canaan Country Club? It’s a fundraiser for new equipment at the children’s hospital. It’s the night before you leave for San Francisco.”
“No,” Julia responded immediately while sorting through a stack of glossy fashion catalogs. “Decline the dinner. Send a donation directly to the hospital.”
“Gallery opening at The Grand Lady art gallery in Brooklyn next month. Olivia Fallon is showing.”
“Yes.”
“Fundraiser for the public schools at the rec center in Flatbush.”
Julia looked up from the catalog she’d been perusing. “How many schools are we talking about?” Kelsey threw out a number. “Decline the invite, send new computers to all of the schools if they need them. If they don’t, send them something else. Something they need.”
“How about a dinner request from your grandparents?”
“No.” There was no hesitation in her quick answer.
It had been four years since she’d seen her grandparents and if she had her way, it would be another few decades before she had to see them again. As far as she knew, the feeling was mutual. She wasn’t sure why they’d been sending her invitations recently, but whatever it was, she didn’t trust it.
Julia’s mother had run away from home in her twenties and fallen in love with a British musician. When she’d turned up on their doorstep a few years later with a baby on her hip, her parents had lost it. So afraid of how it would look to their rich, uptight friends, they’d taken in Julia and her mother.
Julia was too young to know what really happened, but she knew her grandparents well enough to know that whatever it was, it had all been to save face. All she knew was that her mother had been married four times, none of which required Julia’s presence. She’d been formally adopted by her grandparents when she was five, seeing her mother no more than twice a year. Every man her mother married was richer than the last. Two had died and two she’d divorced. Julia knew it was only a matter of time before her mother would be settling down with victim number five.
Growing up, her grandparents had no idea what to do with her. She’d been smart, but not smart enough to know how to be social. They hadn’t understood her anxiety or quirks, calling it all nonsense, and had simply insisted she act more normal. As if it were that easy.
When that didn’t work, they sent her to live in the pool house, with a caretaker, to be homeschooled. They didn’t even want her to be seen in public.
It had backfired somewhat as she ended up well ahead of the other kids her age and, as if she weren’t strange enough, graduated high school at a very early age.
They’d been wealthy and had provided her education, for which she’d be forever grateful, but at sixteen, when she’d graduated from college, they’d refused to help her any further, telling her that it was time to make her own way in the world. They’d essentially washed their hands of her.
She’d known they would, but hadn’t expected to be so unprepared. She didn’t know how to live on her own or be an adult. Hell, she hadn’t even been an adult. Long story short, she’d ended up tracking down her birth father and he’d helped her get set up.
Turns out, he’d made it big as a musician and felt awful about not being there for her childhood. Eventually, he even became one of the first investors in her company, believing in her ideas and her talent. It had been a revelation to Julia, she hadn’t understood why he didn’t think she was too different. Too strange.
Her father had just shrugged and smiled, telling her he was used to weird. To distance herself from her grandparents, and at her father’s urging, she’d taken his last name and at seventeen, had started a new life for herself.
That had been nine years ago and while her relationship with her father didn’t always come naturally for Julia, they still spoke frequently and she enjoyed talking to him.
“It’s the third one in as many weeks,” Kelsey said as she held a pen above the fancy textured invitation.
“No.”
“Didn’t you just harass Elliot Williams for not returning your calls?” Kelsey pointed out.
“Are you not sending the declinations?” Julia countered.
“Of course I am.”
“Then I’m returning their calls. I’m just declining the invitation.”
“Tomato, tom-ah-to.” Kelsey shrugged as she marked the paper and set it aside. “Want to deal with the cars?”
Noticing the absence of male murmurs, Julia walked to the office and saw the men all standing there, looking at her.
“What’s wrong?” she asked.
“We heard Elliot’s name and stopped talking, then you came in,” Cole said as he walked toward her. “We’re about done here. Want us to start this afternoon?”
“How close to my timeline are you?” she asked him. Tucker stood behind him, smiling as he continued studying the plans. Elliot bore angry holes into her, his black eyebrows slashed down over his gray eyes.
“Oh, we’ll be right on time,” Cole said casually as he put his arm around her and steered her toward the kitchen. “About two weeks downstairs, all together, I think. With all the demo done, we’re ready to get moving. Should go quick. Any pastries left?” He directed the question at Kelsey as they approached the kitchen counter.
“Hey, Julia, can you tell me about the drawings you did? What program did you use? Sometimes, it would really help if we could make up something like these and bring them to clients so we all have an idea about what the finished product is really going to look like, but I’ve never found a program I like.” Tucker spoke as he and Elliot joined them at the counter.
“It’s not a program that I used per se, just source code,” she explained. “I made my own program just to make those pictures so I could explain what the finished product should look like. Is it something you think you’d be able to use in your line of work? What are the other programs on the market like?”
Tucker was the first to respond. “None of them come close to these details,” he told her, his voice brimming with excitement. “These look like finished photographs. I thought they were, at first.”
“What the hell is source code?” Cole scoffed.
“Can we get to work?” Elliot huffed, interrupting.
“This is her work,” Kelsey snipped as she perused a catalog. She held it up to Julia. “Like this sk
irt?”
Julia turned her head so she could see Elliot out of the corner of her eye. He was looking at her with complete disgust. She didn’t know what she’d done to him, but he acted as though he hated her.
“Would you mind taking a few minutes when you aren’t working to discuss this with me?” she asked Tucker, mustering every ounce of politeness she possessed. When he agreed she then turned to Cole. “Kelsey and I will stay out of your way this afternoon while you start working.” She leaned in to look at the skirt Kelsey had asked her about. “One in each pattern.”
Making no comment to Elliot, she left the room.
“Jesus, Elliot, if I knew you were going to act like such an asshole, I wouldn’t have had you come with us,” Cole groused as they went back to his and Tucker’s house to get their tools out of the barn.
“Why didn’t you just ask her if she had a puppy you could kick?” Tucker added.
“Oh please,” Elliot scoffed. “The woman is a pain in the ass! Special outlets here,” he mimicked a high-pitch voice that didn’t sound anything at all like Julia. “Solar power there, cabinets in the closet.”
“She’s paying us to do it. Why do you care what she wants?” Cole asked.
“Because that’s my house!” Elliot said as they backed up to the barn door. When Tucker put the truck in park, he got out, slamming the door behind him.
As he was picking tools in the barn, his brothers came in and eyed him warily from the door.
“Oh, stop with the staring,” he huffed.
“El, buddy, I know you really wanted the house, but it’s Julia’s now. We’re just doing a job here. Just like we always do,” Tucker said quietly. “Gram would be happy to have someone like Julia living there. She loves the place almost as much as Gram did.”
A pain stabbed Elliot in the chest at Tucker’s words. “I love that house.”
“Elliot,” Cole tried to reason. “You loved Gram, not her house. Of course we all have awesome memories of being in that house with her, but it won’t bring her back. Not owning the house doesn’t take our memories away.”
Elliot: The Williams Brothers Page 3