“That sounds smart.” Had it really only been twenty-four hours since their hotel room games? It might as well have been an eternity ago, despite being fresh in Christopher’s mind.
“Besides.” Julie scooted to the edge of the bed. “Don’t the two of you have some sort of rule about not sleeping with whomever? Like, actual sleep?”
“We do...” Dante trailed off.
Christopher was more reluctant to have that confession out there than he should be. “But you’re staying the night anyway. No harm in doing that in our room.” Logically, that didn’t make any sense. Fuck logic. “Grab your digital tether and come back here.”
She glanced back at him with a smirk. “Is that an order?”
“Yes.”
She reached for her shirt.
“Ahem.” Dante’s throat clearing was painfully staged.
Christopher grabbed Julie’s wrist hard enough she gasped, but she didn’t try to pull away. “Getting dressed wasn’t one of the steps,” he said.
She shook her head and strolled from the room, gorgeous bare ass swaying with each step. When she returned, the frown she studied her phone with distracted from the view of her nude form.
“Is Andi all right?” Dante asked.
“Huh?” Julie looked up, and it took her a second to focus on his face. “Oh, yeah. I assume.”
The shift in tone was enough to send tension coiling through Christopher. “Then what’s with the sour look?”
She sank to the edge of the bed again, as far from the guys as possible while still being on the mattress. She returned her gaze to the device in her hands. “Do you want the truth or a brief brush-off story, designed to keep things uncomplicated?”
“When you put it that way? All of it.” Christopher was never good at glossing over details.
“It’s a text from my ex-fiancé.” Julie pulled one foot under the other knee and hovered her thumb over the screen without making contact. “Not that it’s out of the blue to hear from him; he called me a couple of weeks ago. The getting-in-touch-again thing has been amicable. He’s polite and kind. Heard I moved here and wanted to let me know he lives here too.”
That was a huge coincidence, considering the women weren’t from here. Focusing on that was easier for Christopher than acknowledging the jealousy pulsing inside. “Which doesn’t explain your expression.”
“It’s the timing. It’s awkward. Bad. Strange. I don’t know what to call it.”
“Can you be more specific?” Christopher was regretting asking for the full story. He didn’t like the clenching fist in his gut.
Julie hunched her shoulders until it looked as though she might fold in on herself. “I... uh... I should probably leave you two alone. Sleep in the guest bed.”
Dante was the one to grab her arm this time, but it was clear he kept his grip loose. “Did this guy say something?” His tone was as kind as could be. “What’s going on?”
“No. He didn’t say anything wrong.” Julie’s laugh was dark. “Just hey. Checking in. It’s more about why we broke up in the first place.”
“Which was...?” Even if Christopher wasn’t certain he wanted the answer, hearing it now was better than dragging things out.
Julie grabbed her shirt from the floor and pulled it on. “He wanted to experiment. Bring his best friend into the relationship. It turned out he loved his buddy, and not me. He broke off the engagement.”
“Oh.” Fuck. Christopher’s thoughts plummeted, to land in his feet.
“Yeah. So whoever this she is, who the two of you don’t think I’m like—whatever that was about—you’re right. This is different from any relationship that leaves those types of scars, because it’s not going anywhere.” Julie’s tone was flat. “Thank you for the fun. I mean it when I say it was. And thanks for letting me stay here. I’ll see you in the morning.”
A battle warred in Christopher’s head, as Julie walked from the room. He wanted to stop her. Assure her. But of what? She was right; they were going their separate ways at the end of this shoot. And it wasn’t as though he could tell her about his and Dante’s past now. It wouldn’t make anything better. He flopped onto his back.
“Fuck,” Dante said.
Christopher couldn’t have put it better himself.
Chapter Seventeen
Julie hated spoiling the mood last night. When she saw the text from Luke, reality crashed around her with the reminder threesomes didn’t work as long-term relationships. Hell, she struggled to believe in couples. After that, it felt best to keep her distance. In fact, she should take sex with Dante and Christopher off her casual fun list, while she was still detached and objective.
She got up before anyone else in the morning, which gave her enough time to shower and settle down in the living room with her laptop without having to jockey for access to the bathroom. Dante emerged about forty-five minutes after she made herself comfortable on the couch.
“Morning. Coffee?” His smile was too bright. Too friendly. Especially for him.
She was fine with that. Best to slide into the masquerade of being casual, comfortable, and relaxed around each other. It would become reality more quickly that way. “Depends. It’s not a day-old pot, is it?”
Dante’s chuckle was hollow. “Christopher told you he does that? No. I thought I’d make fresh, but only because we have company.”
Conversation faded as he moved around the kitchen and she tried to focus on her marketing plan. Tried being the key word. The heavenly smell of fresh-brewed beans filled the air, but it didn’t settle her. Maybe she should skip the caffeine this morning. Worrying about how she and Andi were going to handle the grand opening would keep her wired enough.
That didn’t stop her from accepting a mug when Dante handed it to her. “Thank you.” A bit of gratitude leaked into her voice when she saw he’d prepared it black.
The master-bedroom door creaked, and a second later, Christopher emerged. She smothered the rush of disappointment that both men were fully clothed. She was the same, so it made sense. “The windows in the shop should be finished today,” she said, as much to occupy her mind as to keep the conversation flowing. “With Christopher’s friend working nighttime security, I should be fine staying at my apartment tonight. It’s not like I can move in here.” She laughed nervously, hating the uncertainty inside.
“As long as you feel safe.” Christopher’s smile didn’t feel as fake as Dante’s, but that might be because he was friendlier by default. “You’re always welcome here.”
That wasn’t true, but Julie nodded anyway. “Of course.” Her cheeks ached from freezing her pleasantness in place.
They ate breakfast in relative silence, saying enough to communicate how good the oatmeal was fresh and how nice it was to not have to cook a fancy meal sometimes.
When the table was cleared, Dante gestured toward the door. “If you’re ready to go, I’ll drive you. Christopher has to take a detour, to pick up some new equipment, but I know you’re anxious to get down to business with Andi.”
They made their way to the car. “Right. Sounds fantastic.” Her words were so bright, Julie flinched. The last thing she wanted was to spend a commute of awkward or non-existent conversation with Dante. “Speaking of, do you mind if we get her on the phone while we’re in the car? If the three of us can talk now, it’ll be one less thing to deal with at the bakery.”
“Can’t help yourself, can you?” Dante’s teasing was strained. “It’s fine with me.”
Julie allowed a trickle of relief and gratitude to flow through her as she dialed Andi, got an answer, and confirmed now was an appropriate time to talk.
“Are you doing all right?” It was the least forced thing out of Julie’s mouth today, and the words were sweet relief rolling off her tongue.
“I’m fine. A little pain, but it’s not bad. And two sexy guys wait on me hand and foot.”
Julie winced at the envy that pulsed in her joints. “Sounds awesome.”
�
��I gave the camera and production crew the day off. That gives us time to work through the mechanics of this. Andi can still do the interview filming, if we need any reshoots after yesterday. We can show someone else decorating the cookies on the close-ups and leave the rest up to the viewer’s imagination.” Dante shed the pleasantness he’d adopted at home.
“Did you have someone in mind for those detail-decorating shots?” Andi asked.
“I’m leaving that up to the two of you. If you find someone whose work is up to your standards, that’s sufficient for me.” Dante was all business now. It felt more natural. Like the universe was working toward balance again.
Julie had an idea where to find someone to fill in—his number was in her phone. But it didn’t seem like a good suggestion.
“No clue where we’ll find someone on such short notice.” Andi sounded frustrated.
“Christopher knows people at the Illinois Institute of Art. He’s alumni.” Dante glanced at Julie, but she couldn’t read his expression. “He can put us in touch with a professor, to see if they have any students who might be qualified and interested, but there’s no guarantee that will go quickly.”
“It’s better than nothing.” Andi didn’t sound like she believed it.
Julie had to step in, because they needed to get this done. “I may have another option.”
“Spill it.” Dante clipped off the words.
“I’ve been talking to Luke. He’s not as good as you, Andi. Not creatively. But he should be able to learn your designs quickly enough to reproduce them. At least the goblins and the knights.”
Christopher furrowed his brow. “Who’s Luke?”
“Julie’s friend,” Dante said.
How did he know that?
“As in, your ex-fiancé?” Andi asked before Julie could reply. “I may get to finally meet the infamous Luke?”
“Oh.” Dante’s expression went flat.
Julie hid her grimace. “One and the same.”
“This is for camera work. Does this Luke guy have the same kind of long, delicate fingers Andi has?” Dante asked.
“If you need a hand-model match, we’re screwed. It’s not happening.” Julie struggled to suppress the frustration welling inside.
“Can we fake out the camera? Take a few shots of my hand over the cookie, interspersed with time-lapse work of the art being done?”
“I don’t know.” Dante shook his head.
Julie forced aside her swelling doubt. “Do you have a better idea?”
Dante pulled into the parking lot of the bakery, shut off the engine, and turned to face Julie. “Is he good enough for you?” The question seemed to hold two meanings.
Julie must be imagining it. “At the art? Yes. He’s got enough skill I’m comfortable associating his work with our brand. As long as Andi can teach him quickly.”
“If you can get him in here today and tomorrow, and both you and Andi are okay with it, then it’s a go.”
Julie couldn’t ignore the churning inside that this was a bad idea. It was a lingering doubt from the past, though. She wasn’t interested in getting back together with him. This would be fine.
*
Dante had better things to do than sit around and eavesdrop on Julie’s conversation with her ex. He didn’t care what they had to say to each other, or that Luke was her go-to the moment she needed backup. And the fact he had to tell himself those things was normal. Nothing out of the ordinary.
It also didn’t matter that Luke was available to come in immediately, and of course he could be on hand for shooting tomorrow.
The only reason Dante hovered in the doorway of the kitchen, watching Julie give Luke a substrate to practice on, was because Dante needed to oversee this. To ensure his show wasn’t about to be canceled due to yet another fuckup.
Andi examined the airbrush three times—hose and pump—before reaching for the power switch on the compressor. Even then, she used her bandaged hand and stayed at a distance. Dante realized he was holding his breath.
“Are y’all all right?” Luke took his gaze off Julie long enough to glance at Andi and Dante.
Julie gave him a weak smile. “We’re fine.” She turned on the air compressor and stepped back. “I won’t hover over the two of you. I’ll let you work.” She squeezed Andi’s arm. “I’m shouting-distance away if you need anything.”
“We’re all good here,” Andi assured her.
Christopher intercepted Dante and Julie in the hallway. “I need to borrow the two of you, if you have time.”
“Sure,” Dante said.
Christopher nodded at the conference room. “I’m installing more cameras. The new ones should be better hidden, with more sensitive microphones, and I have a couple in there. Do me a favor and hang out for a little while. Move around the room. Talk. Stand next to each other. Stand apart. Those kinds of things.”
The last thing Dante wanted was to be in a room alone with her. The fake friendliness wore on him. Not that he had a problem with being nice to Julie, but this forced stuff wasn’t fooling anyone. “I’m in if Julie is.”
“Already there.” Julie stepped into the room.
Silence descended between them, seeming to grow louder as the seconds ticked away. Dante rolled his eyes when Julie started to pace. She stopped abruptly and faced him. “I have a tough time imagining you, tough-as-steel asshole Dante who bitches people out on TV as part of your public persona, teaching cooking classes. Average Joe and Mary put up with your shit?”
“I was the best.” He chuckled, and it felt right—her tone, her approach, that it was okay for him to counter her comment. “Had waiting lists for my more popular courses. Offered hands-on participation. All of it.”
“I don’t believe it.”
“I’ll prove it.” The conversation eased his racing thoughts and replaced anxiety about his show’s future with nostalgia. Back in the day, he didn’t have the stress of producers who made impossible demands and were out to get him. Dante stepped to the far side of the conference table, and with a few seconds’ focus, slid into the softer persona he used for classes. “Chocolate. It can be sweet, bitter, smooth, or have a potent bite. Regardless, it is without question better than sex... when there’s no chocolate involved.”
Julie laughed, and her smile reached her eyes. “Sounds messy.”
“It is. But that’s the nature of chocolate. If you’re working with it correctly, you’ll always have an excuse to lick your fingers after.” He winked. “But never tell anyone I said that.” This was simple. The lines were scripted and the innuendo intentional, but the words flowed naturally, like a soothing mantra.
“I can’t believe you said something like that to a room full of people.”
“Every fucking weekend. A sexy instructor, talking sweets? I pulled it off, and no one questioned me.”
She rolled her eyes, amusement never fading. “At least your ego’s always been a part of the presentation.”
“This is all about showing off my best traits. From here, we’ll skip the in-between bits. No reason to get into double boilers versus chocolate-melting ovens, because inevitably, you’ll disagree, and we both know you’ll be wrong.” He kept the teasing in his voice.
She raised her brows. “Hold onto your delusions. They suit you.”
The normal malice that accompanied their arguing was absent. Julie was sexy as fuck when she was pissed off, but when she was smiling and enjoying herself like now, she was breathtaking. It was unfortunate the one thing she had in common with Rachel—besides the whole control-freak flaw—was that she’d written off Dante. It didn’t matter. He was enjoying the moment too much to dwell on what came after. “For the last half hour of the class, I invite people up to do some practical learning.” He nodded at the spot next to him.
“You want me to pretend to dip candy in chocolate with you?”
“Candy. Strawberries. Marshmallows. We have an assortment. The thing to remember—I’m sure you already know this—is t
hat none of this process is dainty. There’s no I don’t want to get my hands dirty allowed here. Your fingers are going to get covered in chocolate.”
She stepped up beside him. “I’m not pantomiming candy making.”
“No?” He moved behind her. “Worried about getting a little filthy?” He glided his fingers down her arms to cover her hands. A whisper in the back of his head said he was going too far, and he silenced it by burning the heat of her form against his into his mind.
“Did you flirt like this with your students?”
“Sometimes. I was careful about what was and wasn’t working.”
She leaned more of her weight into him. “What about this?” Her voice dropped low enough he barely heard it. “Is this working for you?”
“Better than I could have hoped for.” That wasn’t what he wanted to say. He didn’t even realize he was thinking it until the words spilled out. It sounded good, though. He brushed his lips over the back of her neck.
Julie’s sigh drove straight to his groin. “I’m pretty good with it, too.” Her voice was breathy.
He moved his grip to her hips and slid his fingers along the top of her jeans. Anticipation danced over his body and sparked every place his skin met hers. He was tempted dip down beneath her zipper like this. Could they keep quiet if things went further?
“Am I interrupting?” Christopher sounded amused.
Julie jerked away so quickly, it would have hurt Dante less if she’d slapped him. “Nope.” She spat out the word. “Having a little harmless fun. Nothing more.”
“Don’t let me stop you.” Christopher leaned against the door frame, gaze flicking between Julie and Dante.
“I should go see how Luke and Andi are doing.” Julie brushed past him without waiting for an answer.
Dante forced irritation over his disappointment. “No biggie. Back to work, right?” He doubted his false indifference fooled Christopher any more than it did him.
Chapter Eighteen
Control Games (Game for Cookies Book 2) Page 12