The Sweet Life

Home > Other > The Sweet Life > Page 18
The Sweet Life Page 18

by Sharon Struth


  He dipped his head, brushing her lips with a quick sweep while he dropped his hands to her waist and silently undid her belt. His gaze didn’t leave her face.

  She rested her palms on his bare chest, the firm muscles rising with each breath he took. Slowly, he slipped his hand beneath her robe, resting his palm on her shoulder. Moving aside the robe’s shoulder, he leaned over and placed a gentle kiss. His lips traveled to her mouth where he kissed the corner, to her throat where he left a warm trail, to the soft spot right above her breast where the bristles from his facial hair teased her skin and sent heat spreading through her core. She gasped and clung to him, her knees going soft.

  He drew back. “Are you sure about this?”

  She moved her hands along his shoulders, pushing his shirt until it dropped to the floor. “That answer your question?”

  Julian placed his hand beneath her robe and pushed it off. He took her in from head to toe with a bold gleam in his eyes, the way a conqueror might admire his prize. And she let him look. Tonight she was bold, no longer owned by vulnerability.

  He stepped closer, cupped her cheeks in his hand, and covered her mouth with his. Demanding. Possessive. She responded in kind so he’d know she felt it too. When the kiss ended, he led her by the hand through the dark room to the bedroom door.

  At the threshold, he gathered her close and kissed her again. He drew back and studied her with a hint of humor on his face. “Okay, gorgeous. Now the real adventure begins.”

  * * * *

  In the dim dawn light, Julian watched Mamie sleep, each breath even and slow. A strand of her shiny chocolate hair stretched across the pale mound of her breast. He reached out to brush it away, but stopped and retreated to avoid disrupting the peaceful expression on her face.

  He glanced at the time. She’d need to return to her villa before anybody realized she was missing, but he wasn’t ready to give her up. He studied her perfect lips, swollen from their intimacy, to her long ivory neck, to one exposed, hardened nipple. He shifted, desire for her so easily stoked. A change in her breathing made him look up to her face.

  Mamie smiled through sleepy eyes. “Have you been watching me for long?”

  He kissed her and slipped his hand beneath the sheet. “A bit.” Running a hand along her slender thigh, he inched closer. “What do you think, Cinderella? Do we have time for one more round before the clock strikes and everyone wakes up?”

  Her arms looped his neck. “Cinderella? She didn’t sneak out for a booty call.”

  “Is that all I am to you? A booty call?”

  She laughed and arched a brow. “It’s possible.”

  “What?” Her sleepy eyes still sparkled with the residue of her laughter and he raised himself over her. “If it’s a booty call you want, that’s what you’ll get.”

  Julian kissed her with all the tenderness swelling inside his chest.

  She moaned softly into his mouth. “Jeesh, Prince Charming, is that a sword in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?”

  He laughed and wrapped her in his arms. Rolling onto his back, he brought her along with him so she straddled his hips. “I don’t remember Cinderella being this sarcastic.”

  She slowly moved her body against him, the motion driving him wild. “In the new millennium, she is.”

  Dipping her head, she kissed him, sweeping him into the undercurrent of her passion. Every passing minute, he needed her more and more. As he wandered in the tenderness of this moment, he cast aside his usual caution and allowed his heart to soar.

  When they finished making love, she lay quietly in his arms, her head on his chest. Julian tried to clear his head, wishing he didn’t feel the need to figure out why this woman was so different. Every touch, every conversation, every single kiss filled a vacant space inside his heart.

  The rising sun brightened the room. He looked at the nightstand clock. “It’s almost six-forty.”

  She lifted her head off his chest and propped herself up on an elbow. “Guess I need to leave soon. I’ve got a question. How bad is it that you’re doing this with me while on the job?”

  “Goes against company policy. Something you have a habit of making me do.”

  “Me? Hey, you have free will.” She grinned while tracing a path along his chest with her fingertips. Her smile drifted away, replaced by a serious expression.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “Do you think your boss might actually fire you?”

  “Based on the stories I hear, I do. We need to be careful around the others. If Claudia catches wind of it—” His cell phone vibrated on the nightstand. He leaned back to read the display and saw his producer’s name. “Jesus Christ.” He pushed the button to go into voice mail and returned to facing Mamie, who was smiling at him. “What?”

  “Everything okay?”

  Hell, he’d told her the worst of his story—getting fired and why. Might as well dump the latest problem. “The call was from my old boss. From the show.”

  “Is that who called you the day we were in Florence. At the statue?”

  He nodded. “You remember that?”

  “Well, the call seemed to bother you. Why would he call so early this morning? Is he in another time zone?”

  “I don’t know where Gary is right now.” Julian knew he could be anywhere. “He’s been bugging me to come back to my old job.”

  “I imagine that would be hard after what happened.”

  “Yes.”

  “I have a confession to make.” She frowned. “I read about you on the internet. And I also found an article about your parents, their show...” She quieted. “And how they passed away.”

  His chest tightened. “So you know all about me, huh? My sad little story.”

  “All things considered, you are a remarkable man.” Mamie reached for his hand. “That was a lot for a kid to go through.”

  He shrugged it off, like it was no big deal. But it really was.

  She looked him in the eyes. “I was just feeling so desperate to know about you. It started with the show, but somehow I ended up on things more personal. I hope you’ll forgive me.”

  “Of course I do.” He drew her into a hug, unsure if it was meant to help her or himself. It didn’t even matter. The truth was being with Mamie felt exactly like where he was supposed to be at this moment of his life.

  Chapter 17

  Julian entered the common room, not surprised to hear opera music playing. Gigi loved the opera and, as the person in charge of setting out breakfast for guests during their stay at the villa, her personality added to the atmosphere. The tour had been lucky to find the local grandmother of ten who lived in town and was happy to make extra money.

  He posted the day’s activity offerings on a corkboard near the entrance and went to get breakfast.

  “Okay, here’s another one.” Bob turned from the buffet spread and nearly bumped into Julian. “Oh good. Just in time, Julian.”

  Bob approached the long wooden table where ten or so other guests already sat eating. In a loud voice, he asked, “How do you know the concert you’re attending is not Woodstock?”

  In unison, the diners yelled out, “How, Bob?”

  Bob, dressed in a black T-shirt that read “Peace on Earth,” grinned and puffed out his chest. “Because Santana turns out to be a jolly bearded guy with a sackful of presents.”

  A few people laughed, but Carol sat shaking her head. “Honey, you told some people that yesterday.”

  The group quieted with the rare rebuke from Bob’s wife, who always seemed to go with his flow.

  “Did I?” Bob shrugged and pulled the lid off the yogurt, grinning the whole time. “Mamie, you weren’t there, were you?”

  “Nope. It was cute.” She smiled at Bob and cracked her hard-boiled egg on her plate. “I hadn’t heard it before.”

  Jul
ian grabbed some yogurt and headed toward the table where Mamie sat near Tina and Sandra.

  “Good morning,” Julian put his yogurt in front of a seat then went to a nearby table holding coffee and condiments. Glancing back over his shoulder as he grabbed a ceramic mug, he asked, “Everyone happy with their quarters?”

  “Ours were great,” Tina said. She elbowed Joel, nose buried in a book. “Right, sweetheart?”

  He glanced up. “Hey, Julian.” He slowly turned to his side. “What, Tina?”

  “Nothing.”

  “So were ours.” Bernie glanced over the top of reading glasses while he spread butter on a chunk of Italian bread with surgical precision. “Gorgeous view out into the courtyard. Damn it, I forgot jelly.”

  He stood and approached the table where Julian filled his mug with coffee. Bernie stopped close to Julian and picked through a basket filled with jelly packets. “Yup, beautiful courtyard views.”

  “Good. Glad you liked them.”

  Bernie gave Julian a slight tap with his elbow. Julian glanced sideways.

  Bernie’s full white brows lifted. “I hope Mamie liked hers.” He waggled his brows, either a hint he’d seen something last night or he was doing a bad Groucho Marx impersonation.

  Julian shrugged. “You’d have to ask her.”

  Bernie grinned, waving his brows again in a manner as subtle as a symphony gong. He lowered his voice. “Nah, I don’t want to embarrass her.”

  Luciano Pavarotti’s voice rose as he sang a popular number from Rigoletto, the same moment Bernie added, “I was up early taking a walk. I saw her leaving another villa this morning.” Bernie winked as he lifted a strawberry preserve packet. “Ah, here’s what I want.”

  Julian’s stomach flipped, but he hoped to God the background music prevented anybody from hearing. “Out with it, Bernie,” he whispered. “What exactly did you see?”

  The older man grinned. “Ah, don’t worry about it. I knew something was up with you two. Your secret is safe with me.” He started to leave, but then turned back around. “But you could tell the others. Heck, all us Wanderers are pushovers for a good romance.”

  “Right now, I’d appreciate it if you kept it quiet.”

  “Consider it done.” Bernie gave Julian’s shoulder a paternal pat and returned to his table.

  First Joel and Tina had caught them kissing in Siena. Now Bernie, who would surely tell Sandra what he’d witnessed this morning. Somehow, it seemed only a matter of time before others found out. He’d been careless.

  In fact, since the second Mamie stepped on his bus, he’d taken risks. Like he wanted to get caught or something...which he didn’t.

  “What’s on the agenda today, Julian?” Joel looked up from his seat as Julian sat down.

  “Glad you asked.” He raised his voice. “If I could make a quick announcement. I just posted the daily activities offerings on the board. After lunch, you can either hop on a van from a local vineyard to visit there, or see an Etruscan site not too far from here on the bus with me and Beppe.”

  All eyes rested on him. Julian struggled to keep his head in the game as he wondered if every person in this room knew what he and Mamie had done last night. Would any of them report him to Claudia? Travelers expected a lot from their guides on these tours, and some could frown upon anything personal between passenger and guest. The reason Claudia had the rules she’d put in place.

  Everyone started talking, so he cleared his throat. “Please sign up if interested. If you want to relax around here, feel free. There are bikes, swimming, hiking. Tonight after dinner, I’ve planned a Woodstock trivia contest with the help of Sandra. Seems there’s been a little debate going on amongst the group about who knows the most about the three-day concert?”

  Joel puffed out his chest. “No debate. I’ll be glad we can finally put this question to rest.”

  Tina rolled her eyes, but Julian couldn’t help but notice the head shaking and laugher from several men. The door into the common room opened behind him. He waited a moment while whoever it was came inside before finishing the morning announcement.

  “Well, well. I’ve finally found you.”

  That voice. The last person Julian expected to hear right now. Julian turned around, anger and disgust churning inside of him.

  Gary Simon stood in the doorway. He could’ve looked like any other tourist in his khakis and creamy yellow polo shirt, not the way the locals dressed.

  Gary glanced around the room while running a hand through his short, light brown hair. When he stopped, the spikes of his bangs remained pushed up. His gaze landed on Julian. “You’re a hard man to track down.”

  “Didn’t I ask you to leave me alone?”

  “On the one call you answered, yes. But you didn’t even let me talk. If you’d answered my call this morning, me showing up wouldn’t be such a shock.” Gary took in the group and a smirk crossed his face. “Hello, everyone. I’m Gary Simon, producer of Exploring the World with Eddie. Did any of you realize you’re traveling with a real-life celebrity in your midst?”

  “Well I’ll be damned!” Frank Bruno belted out in his thick Bronx accent. He slapped his hand on the table. “I knew it!”

  Low murmurings filled the room. Panic swallowed Julian whole. Did they know about the wing suit accident and Julian’s role in it? Or what had happened the day he got fired? He’d avoided all media after he got fired, so he wasn’t sure how much was disclosed to the public. Far as he was concerned, Eddie had died jumping off that cliff, too.

  Gary’s arrival resurrected Eddie from the dead.

  Anger pooled in his fists. He stomped toward Gary. One, two, three... Counting didn’t soothe his rage. Gary’s smug expression mirrored the one he’d worn the day they’d filmed in Hawaii, three weeks after Carlos’s death and the day Gary had fired Julian.

  Julian barreled forward until he stood a few feet from the man he’d loathed upon waking every single day for the past year.

  “You’re not welcome here, Gary. I’m leaving. Call yourself a cab.” He stepped away but stopped and turned. “And learn to take no for an answer.”

  He walked out the door.

  * * * *

  Mamie debated. She wanted to go after Julian, but her bottom stayed rooted in her seat. Never had a man looked more like he wanted to be left alone.

  Frank Bruno brought Gary a cup of coffee, offered him a seat on a sofa near a stone fireplace. Several others went over, too, excitedly asking the producer questions about the show. Gary answered like a pro. Easy. Confident. Crest bright smile. On the surface, his clean-cut appearance seemed about as threatening as Mr. Rogers at the start of his show.

  “Poor Julian,” Tina said.

  Sandra nodded. “He looked very upset.”

  Bernie leaned in, lowering his voice. “Remember the day Frank first mentioned how he looked like the show’s host? Julian didn’t look thrilled. I wonder what happened to make him leave the show?”

  “And take a job with this tour company.” Sandra shook her head. “It can’t be that exciting after everything he’s done.”

  Mamie wanted to tell them about the death on the show, Gary’s role in it, and how Julian blamed himself. For her to tell others would be wrong, especially since he’d gone to great lengths to keep that story hidden. She understood. The past five years, she’d lived in the shell of another persona.

  Seemed they both found a way to hide in plain sight from their pasts.

  But Gary’s arrival proved one thing: the past never really disappeared.

  Joel reached across the table for a packet of sugar. “I can’t imagine why he’d hide all this from us.”

  Joel’s comment drew Mamie back to their conversation. “I’ll tell you why.”

  They all looked her way and Tina placed a hand over Mamie’s. “Oh, honey. Did you know? I mean, you two are...close.�
��

  “Yes, we’re friends, but...” She stopped. Tina had seen them kissing after the horse race. “Yes. I knew.”

  “Mamie?” Bernie placed a hand over hers. “It’s okay. I saw you saying goodbye to Julian this morning.”

  Sandra winked at Mamie. “He’s a sweet boy. I’m happy for you both.”

  Lowering her voice, she said, “Then you all know about us?”

  “Yup.” Bernie reached for his coffee. “None of us are going to tell. We’re happy for you. I mean, we were the generation of love.”

  “It’s fine, honey.” Sandra patted Mamie’s forearm. “Did you know he was on the show?”

  “I just learned about it recently.” Mamie turned to Joel. “You wondered why he’d hide it, Joel?” She glanced around the table. “Maybe all of you do. It’s not my place to tell you why, but sometimes people need a break from their lives. That’s all Julian has been trying to do.”

  She swallowed and readied herself for what she was about to tell them. Just like she and Julian had confessed to each other, it was time the people of this tour met the real Mamie—at least her real personal side. She still couldn’t share her work mission.

  She drew in a deep breath. “I haven’t been honest with all of you, either. The story I told you about getting divorced isn’t the real me.”

  They watched her, brows furrowed and faces marked with concern.

  Mamie lifted her chin, about to cross a line she’d avoided for five years. “I was once married. But I lost my family in a car accident....”

  She shared details that often got stuck in her throat. Eyes watered. Tears fell. But there were hugs. Loving hugs from new friends, who made her see how the support of others wasn’t something to run from, but embrace.

  Why it had been so difficult to accept the same kind support from people she’d known much longer remained a question she couldn’t answer. One thing was certain, though. She’d crossed a line into a new part of her life where she let others in for a change.

  * * * *

  Julian sat on the grass staring out at a hillside, a perfect Tuscan view of an olive grove to his left and a field of bright red poppies to his right. The strong morning sun hung amongst puffy clouds in the blue sky. Another gorgeous summer day. One he’d looked forward to until Gary showed up.

 

‹ Prev