by DRAYER, GINA
He smiled and put the phone back in the desk drawer. Peter was right. They both needed to get out of the office. If he hadn’t been obsessing when she’d called, he would have said yes to her request without question. And he owed it to Megan. Not because of the girls in high school, but simply because she’d been there for him when they were kids.
They’d always been close growing up. The one thing he’d regretted since starting the business was that he and Megan had grown apart. Being the oldest son, Simon was always pressured to do more. Be better. Megan was the only person in their family who seemed to genuinely like Simon for himself, not just the idea of who he was.
Simon was determined to return the favor. She was twenty-nine and seemed adrift. Right after college, she seemed to know exactly what she wanted. She had two books published that had received critical praise. She’d been in a creative writing PhD program at the University of Chicago and was teaching some classes, but a couple years ago things just seemed to fall apart for her. Out of nowhere, she dropped out of her PhD program and started teaching at a small liberal arts school. And despite continued requests, she hadn’t published a book in years.
He felt like he was failing in his duties. They might be grown now, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t still be her big brother.
Chapter Four
Modern Girl Tip #2: Think Outside The Box—Or in this case, the circle. Unless you want to see your one-night guy again, choose someone outside your own social circle.
As Simon turned down the private drive, he remembered why it had been so long since he’d been back. His family always referred to the place as the lake house, but in reality it was more like a compound that spoke to his family’s wealth. The main house could easily sleep ten, and then there was the carriage house—a large detached four-car garage that had a full apartment. Tucked away from the main buildings was a caretaker’s cottage. And then of course there was the boathouse. Simon and Megan would sneak down there as kids and sleep in the loft during their summer breaks. It always felt like their own clubhouse.
They had spent every summer in Michigan growing up. He loved the state, but hated the sprawling, empty house where their father had dumped them with the nanny. As soon as their company was on better footing, Simon planned to buy some property here and build his own place. It certainly wouldn’t be this large, but it would be his.
Megan’s car was pulled in front of the main door, blocking the drive, as usual, so Simon pulled in behind her. There may have been room for six cars on the far side of the house, not to mention the empty garage, but Megan always left her car there, making it impossible to get around. At least it would be easy to unload their luggage to the door.
“I always forget how big this place is. That apartment over the garage is bigger than mine back in Chicago. Maybe we should move the company to Michigan and set up residence here.”
“You know the nearest bar is a fifteen-minute drive, and they don’t carry craft beers. Not to mention, there’s not a good steakhouse for miles. You won't last a month living here. Besides, I’d hate it.” Simon looked over the old house. “Too many ghosts."
Simon got out of the car and started to unload the luggage. The rhythmic pounding of footsteps caught his ear. Running up the driveway in shorts and a tank top was a young woman who he suspected was Megan’s friend. He nudged Peter, who’d come back to get his bags and nodded her direction. Peter was well aware of Megan’s plan to play matchmaker for her latest desperate friend and was willing to play along.
“She looks normal from this distance. And she’s athletic. I think Megan mentioned she used to dance. Maybe it won’t be so bad this time," Simon said. He hauled the first bag out of the trunk before turning back to Peter. “It couldn’t be as bad as that painter Meg tried to set you up with. That woman had some serious hygiene issues. I'm all for communing with nature, but showering once in a while is only polite.”
“And don’t get me started on the zoo she kept at her house. The woman had a wall of spiders. A fucking wall, and they were big ones.” Peter shuddered as if they were crawling on his skin. “I think Meg is still trying to pay me back for chasing off her prom date.” The footsteps got louder and Peter slapped Simon on the back. “I'll take a preliminary look for you. Test the waters.” Then he rounded the car to greet the woman.
Simon chuckled under his breath and went back to unloading the car. Besides their suitcases, he’d brought his laptop and several project folders still pending his approval. He wanted to spend some time with Megan this weekend, but he still needed to get some work done or he’d be snowed by Tuesday.
“You must be Julia,” Peter said, a few yards off.
“And you must be Peter. I’m sorry,” she said, still breathing heavy. “I’m a mess. Megan said you wouldn’t be here until later.”
Simon pulled out the last bag and closed the trunk, catching a glimpse of Megan’s friend from the back. She had a petite but athletic frame, and killer legs. Runner’s legs. He couldn’t believe this woman had any trouble getting men, and he wondered what was wrong with her to cause Megan to resorting to matchmaking. Simon turned to take the bag to the entryway, leaving her to Peter’s charm.
“No, you look fantastic. Better than I would look after a run. We got here sooner than planned. Simon’s a bit of a control freak. He wanted to get out here before the traffic got bad, so we were on the road at the crack of dawn."
Simon inwardly groaned as he went back to get the other bags. Peter was going straight toward his trusty rules of engagement. Simon often wondered if he had signed up for some “How to Win a Girl” class on the internet.
Rules one and two: make the woman feel desired and make the competition look bad. Peter always pulled them out, but who was he to argue? They always seemed to work.
“Well, I’m glad you’re here. And that the elusive Simon has finally made an appearance. I was beginning to think Megan had made up her older brother," she said with a laugh in her voice. Simon could almost see the girl’s smile in his mind. Maybe Megan hadn’t done so bad this time. “I’m surprised he came. Every time she’s invited him out with us something came up. He is really here, right?”
“This last year has been crazy for both of us. Trust me, had I known you were the new friend Meg has been going on about, I would have made the time to come visit. But we’re here now. Simon is just unloading the car,” Peter said as Simon came around the car with the last bag. They had moved to the porch and Peter pointed over her shoulder in his direction. Simon nearly dropped the bag as Julia turned to look at him. “Julia, I'd like you to meet…”
“Simon?” Her eyes went wide. She took several steps back, bumping into Peter. “Oh, God.”
His sentiments exactly. In front of him stood the one woman he never thought he’d see again. He’d almost put Julia, the mysterious woman from the bar, out of his mind. Simon was shocked to find the Julia he’d met was actually Julia, Megan’s friend.
All the pieces began to fall in place like tumblers in a lock. She’d said she was moving. She’d been staying under a ridiculous fake name at the Harrington, a hotel his sister loved. Christ, why hadn’t he seen it before? She was alone that night because Meg had left for some teaching conference. Meg had even asked him to check in on her that week while she was gone—which Simon had failed to do.
Simon had a death grip on the bag’s handle now to keep it from slipping out of his grasp, and just stood staring for what seemed like an eternity. He wasn’t quite sure what to say. He wanted to scream at the woman for leaving without a word and kick himself for not knowing her identity. If he’d just put aside work for one night and joined Meg for drinks, he might not be in this situation.
“Simon!” Megan screeched and raced down the stairs toward him. He set down the bag and braced himself for the impact as she vaulted across the lawn into his arms. “I'm so glad you’re here.” She hugged him tight and Simon couldn’t resist swinging her around like he used to do when they were kids.
“H
ey, Meg.” He plopped a kiss on the top of her head and set her back on the driveway. He looked over Megan’s shoulder to where Julia was standing. She was pale and had a frightened look in her eyes, like a cornered animal. He put even odds on whether she was about to bolt.
“Great, you’ve already met Julia. I have you in the master, Simon, because I put Julia in your old room. Peter, you’re set up in the guest suite," Megan said, giving Simon a wink. A big grin lit up her face, like the cat that ate the canary. She was enjoying this way too much.
The master suite was just across the hall from his old room and was isolated from the rest of the rooms, so as not to disturb anyone else on the floor. How convenient. Simon glanced over at Peter who was laughing at him. He wondered if his friend was in on the setup, too. How had he ended up in this mess?
Megan hooked her arm through Simon’s and started to drag him to the porch. “I was just making breakfast. Why don’t you all come inside?"
“I can’t. I’ve got to unpack—”
“I need to shower—”
Simon and Julia both started to make excuses at the same time. He looked over to where she was standing with Peter. Her cheeks were ablaze with color, and he’d bet good money it wasn’t from the run. She obviously hadn’t shared their encounter with Megan, so should he act like he didn’t know her? Intimately.
What the fuck was he going to do now? He was pissed at her for leaving. He was angry at himself for staying the night. He never stayed. Simon had convinced himself that not seeing her in the morning was the best thing that could have happened. He never imagined she’d show up with his sister, but there she stood on the front porch.
He had the urge to shake her, and at the same time, as he watched her chew that plump bottom lip, he wanted to kiss her just to see if her lips tasted as good as he remembered.
Megan and Peter both stared at him, waiting for some answer. Simon couldn’t do this right now. Not in front of his sister and best friend. He needed some time to think. Time to decide how he was going to make it through this weekend with Julia sleeping right next door.
“I already ate, so I’m going to unpack and set stuff up in the office. I have some work to do this weekend.”
Without waiting for a response, Simon grabbed his suitcase and beelined for the front door, pushing past Peter and Julia. He ignored Megan as she called his name and went right to his room.
Of all the things she’d expected this summer, finding out that her impulsive one-night stand was with her friend’s brother wasn’t anywhere on the list. Megan didn't know about that night, and now Julia feared it would all come out.
“Earth to Julia,” Megan said. “Are you coming?”
They’d already moved into the house and Julia was just standing there like an idiot. “I can’t. I’m sweaty and need a shower.” Afraid that Megan would read the panic on her face, Julia rushed past them and upstairs. “I’ll be down later."
She spent the better part of two hours in her room getting ready after her shower. It wasn’t that she took any extra care in looking nice. No, the truth was she was hiding. This was going to be a disaster. Julia went over every possible scenario in her head, and still didn’t know what to do.
She had slept with her friend’s brother. How did she not know it was him? Megan and Julia had been friends ever since Megan had joined the faculty last fall. Megan talked about Simon all the time. There had even been photos of him at Megan’s house.
She tried to remember the wall of family pictures. There had been a few studio portraits from when Megan was a kid. The skinny six-year-old Megan sitting on a bench in front of a serious-looking blond boy. A group shot of their frail-looking mother and the two kids, barely teens at the time. Her mother had died of breast cancer just a few months after the photo was taken. Megan had told her it was the last photo they had taken as a family. She did have a few candid shots. There was a photo of their trip to Aspen, just after Megan’s college graduation. Simon and Megan were huddled together, arm in arm, smiling. But they had ski gear on, right down to the goggles. And there was another at a Cubs game. But again, there were ball caps and sunglasses.
The two looked nothing alike. With her dark hair and curvy figure, Megan was the complete opposite in the looks department. Other than the striking whiskey-colored eyes they both shared, there were no family similarities. Julia paced the room, racking her brain for any clue she’d missed.
How the fuck was she expected to connect the sexual Adonis she’d met at the bar to those crappy photos in Megan’s house? One photo with his face visible could have saved them both some embarrassment.
Her karma sucked. Out of all the men she could have had picked in all of Chicago, it had to be Megan’s brother. He was supposed to be her one act of rebellion. A single night in a lifetime of doing the responsible thing. When he’d said he was there for a business meeting, she thought he’d been passing through. Julia was sure she’d never see him again.
There was a knock on her door. “Julia? Are you okay? You’ve been up here for a long time.” Megan’s voice came from behind the solid wood door.
Julia threw on a robe and cracked open the bedroom door. “I’m sorry Meg. I’ve got a headache. I’m going to try to take a nap and I’ll join you guys for lunch.”
“Is it Simon? You don’t hate him, do you? He really is the nicest guy if you give him the chance.”
“No, really, it’s not Simon,” she said, trying to soothe Megan’s feelings. But how could she tell her it was Simon? It was bad enough that she’d slept with him, but the fact that Megan was trying to set them up was almost comical. “I’m really feeling run-down, but since we’re talking about him, I’m really not interested in being fixed up. I’m happy to hang out and get to know Peter and your brother," she said, almost choking on the last word. “Please don’t give him the impression that I’m interested. I don't want to start another relationship. I was lost with Luke. I’m just starting to find myself again.”
“I’m not asking you to get married. I just want you to loosen up a bit. You need to remember that you’re still a young, attractive woman. Since the breakup, you've done nothing but work. You’re doing more at the school. You’ve added that evening class to your schedule. You even started running more. You’re not finding yourself, Julia. You’re filling your time so you don’t have to face how much you’re hurting.”
Leave it to Megan to cut to the chase, but only part of what she said was true. Julia wasn’t running away from a failed relationship. She was trying hard to ignore the fact that the relationship had completely changed her. She had changed into a different person just to please Luke, and she really didn’t like the woman she’d become.
“Please, just leave it alone.” Julia closed her eyes and pressed her cheek against the cool wood of the door. “I can’t do this right now. My head is killing me. I’m just going to lie down and take a nap. Tell Peter and Simon I’m sorry. I’ll see you at lunch."
“Fine,” Megan said. “But don’t think this talk is over." Reluctantly, Megan left without saying another word.
Julia could tell she was disappointed and perhaps a little angry, but she’d deal with that later. Right now, she needed some time alone to decide what she was going to say to Simon.
Julia collapsed on the bed. The fictional headache had developed into a real one. She stared up at the ceiling, watching the shifting shadows from the trees outside the window. They mimicked her own tumultuous feelings, going light then dark.
Should she get him alone and try and smooth things over? Would he even listen? He didn’t say anything on the driveway. Did he just want to pretend that night never happened? Could she do that? Especially since he’d starred in every erotic fantasy she'd had since. Or did he not recognize her? God, that would be even worse. The most incredible sex she’d ever had, and he might not even remember her.
There was a soft knock on the door and Julia turned to the clock. She’d been lying there having a silent debate with herself
for the last half hour, and still hadn’t come up with an answer. The knock came again, and she rolled away from the door, slamming the pillow over her face. She wasn’t ready to talk yet. If Megan thought she was asleep, maybe she’d go away.
Julia heard the door open and click closed again. “Damn it. I don’t want to talk about it right now.” She sat up and tossed the pillow toward the door.
Simon caught the pillow before it hit him and frowned. “Talk about what?” he asked.
She was shocked to see him standing there, leaning against the door, a deep frown marring that beautiful face. His large hands clenched the pillow in a death grip as he waited for her to answer. Julia couldn’t help but remember the feel of those hands on her body, and had to shake her head to banish the thought.
“I’m sorry. I thought you were Megan,” Julia said as she climbed out of the bed, thankful she was still dressed. But even with the yoga pants and a t-shirt, Julia felt naked under his gaze. Screwing up her courage, she crossed her arms over her chest and looked straight at him. “Did you need something?”
“What don’t you want to talk about with Megan?” His shirtsleeves were rolled up to the elbow, as though he was about to start a dirty task.
Maybe that’s what he thought—she was a dirty secret he needed to clean up. It certainly felt that way when he looked at her with that stern and angry expression. Like he was judging her. Just like Luke used to do.
“It was nothing,” she said, lowering her gaze.
“Was it about me? Does Megan know what happened between us?”
“No,” Julia said a little too fast. She sighed and leaned her hip against the dresser for support. “I mean, sure, it was all her idea, but she doesn't know I actually went through with it. I never told her what happened after she left.”
“Are you telling me my baby sister put you up to sleeping with me?”
“No. Not exactly. She just thought it would be a good idea if I found someone…” Julia trailed off, too embarrassed to finish. Did she really just tell him she’d been looking to hook up that night? Julia looked down at her feet and chewed on her lip. “I had no idea who you were.”