“Driving to a flight home right now.”
I could hear him sigh heavily. “I heard about the show. I don’t know what to think about you and Julia.”
“I suppose that’s understandable,” I said. “Everything happened so fast.”
“I assume that’s why you didn’t tell me right away.”
“Exactly. We wanted to sort of ease you into the idea
so you weren’t too shocked.”
“I guess I can understand that. You realize that if it were anyone but you, I would freak out at the age difference.”
“Absolutely. But I swear to you, Connor, I only want to treat her like a princess. A queen. Or, more importantly, however she wants to be treated.”
His chuckle filled me with relief. “That last point is the most important,” he said. “She’s young, and still a bit quiet and shy sometimes. You’ll need to listen carefully, and encourage her to speak up.”
“I will. I promise.”
“As a father, I’m fairly certain I’m supposed to warn you that if you break her heart, I’ll kick your ass.”
Connor didn’t have a violent bone in his body, but I appreciated the sentiment. “Fair enough.”
“But as a friend, I think you might actually be a great couple. In a couple of weeks, once everything settles down, I’d like to have you both over for dinner.”
Swallowing hard, I said, “Thanks, Connor. That means a lot.”
As soon as we hung up, I wanted to call Julia to tell her the great news, but didn’t have time.
The second my flight landed, I fired off an email to my PR person stating that I required two weeks notice for any further appearances. All the last minute nonsense just wasn’t worth it anymore.
After a quick drive and a much-needed espresso, I walked into my house and dropped my suitcase in the foyer, falling onto the couch to call Julia.
“Hello?”
“Hey, sweetheart. I just got in. Would you like to come here for dinner and a chat, so that I can apologize for being so rude to you? I’m so sorry, baby. It will never happen again.”
“That depends,” she said. “What’s for dinner?”
Damn, I loved that she was so sassy with me. It made my heart feel like it was spinning in my chest like a top.
“Anything you’d like. I’d love to cook for you. Or we could just order in pizza.”
Her light laugh was so clear. “The super celebrity chef is going to order in? Scandal!”
“Hey, everyone gets tired sometimes,” I laughed.
Her voice softened. “You must be exhausted after two flights. Are you sure you have the energy for a visit tonight? I could always see you tomorrow.”
“No. I can’t waste any more time. Julia, I need you to know how much—”
I looked up to see her standing against the door frame in a silky dark blue nightgown.
Dropping my phone, I simply stared at her little pink tipped toes, the lovely curve of her hips, and the surprising amount of cleavage.
She tossed her soft blonde hair over her shoulder, licking those perfect lips. “Since I have your key, and thought you might be tired, I decided to come over to put you to bed.”
In a blink she was in my arms, kissing me hard as I lifted her up. Her legs locked around my waist as I carried her up the stairs and into the bedroom.