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“I would really like that,” he said, gazing around.
Julie wondered if she’d overdone it with her decor, but reminded herself he used to like her apartment. She could not stop herself from asking, “From what you see, does it remind you of the apartment from the old days?”
“Yes and no. It’s looks like a different Julie to me.”
Mr. X-ray Vision strikes again.Rather than admit how right he was or show how it affected her, Julie tossed out, “Well, I have a child to consider now.” Which she knew had nothing to do with the more conservative ostentatious look she’d chosen. To protect herself. But she went with it and babbled on. “Molly’s going into second grade in September and she is a pretty good reader so far. I bet you were probably an early reader. I forgot to offer you some coffee. Would you like some coffee or maybe—”
“Why don’t we get to the beach while the sun is high.”
“I know you like it hot,” she said, trying to regain some of her mojo.
Noah got a sexy look in his eye but said only, “Got your sunscreen on?”
“Yep. Ready to go.”
In their past years, they had always been in the city, except for a few trips to her family’s Connecticut home when she drove him there in the car she’d kept in a guarded lot in the city and hardly ever used. Yet one more thing that had shocked him about her pampered life. Now that he had a nice income himself, she hoped he hadn’t become one of those men whose ego was threatened if a woman manned the wheel.
Her Mercedes SUV was in the driveway now next to where Noah had left his Range Rover, and he walked directly to the passenger side.
Not an asshole. He never had been.
Too bad she had traded him in for one.
When they got to the beach, Julie spread her towel out on the sand, then took off her cover-up and sandals. The other days when they got naked in his bed, Julie had been too excited to take the time to admire the physical perfection of this man. Today she let her eyes linger on Noah as she walked with him to the water. She liked that there were never many people here.
The ocean breeze helped against the hot sticky day, but nothing except submerging in the ocean would do. They waded out, riding the swell of the waves, and when the water level reached Julie’s chest, a more forceful surge came and knocked her over.
Noah grabbed her, wrapping her in his arms. When she looked up at him, his forehead lowered to touch hers, then his lips came down on hers too. How did he know she was dying for him to kiss her?
For the last two nights, sleeping had not come easily to her with all the thoughts of him, both past and present, swirling about.
Now her hand reached up and her fingers brushed his cheek.
Noah lifted his head and said, “You are more beautiful than ever.”
Their first few meetings they had both been skittish and careful and wary. She did not want to spend her time with him unearthing painful memories, maybe bringing up his residual anger, but today she knew for sure that the trust she’d once had in him was still there. And the look in his eyes told her he felt the same.
He released her, making sure she was on her feet, and they swam out a little farther, then wallowed in the cold salty Atlantic.
When they returned to their beach towels, Julie stretched out on her back, letting the sun dry her off, spreading out her long wet hair next to her shoulders.
Noah reclined on his side, his elbow bent, head on his hand, staring at her.
“What?” she said, laughing.
“I can hardly believe it is you.”
“Most of the time I feel like it isn’t,” she said, her tone dry. “I’ve kind of lost the real me.”
“If that’s the case, what will bring the real Julie Vaughn back?”
She turned on her side, facing him. “Maybe a big dose of Noah Taylor would do it.”
His hand brushed a strand of hair behind her ear. “Have you ever had an espresso martini?”
“No. I don’t drink much.”
“It’s my favorite and I know how much you love coffee. Tutto is not far from here and they have great Southern Italian food. How about we—”
