Julie's Butterfly (15 page)

Julie moved her head back a little. “An injury, yes?”

His dark expression was confirmation enough.

“How did it happen?”

“I don’t remember exactly.”

Julie didn’t believe him. He was clearly not being honest with her, and that thought alone was enough to halt her own desire.

“And why can’t you remember exactly?” she insisted.

Something unfathomable flickered in his green eyes. “I don’t know exactly when it happened because my attention was diverted,” he said unconvincingly. He gave a pained sigh. “These things happen to me all the time. It’s nothing to make a fuss about, and I manage fine.” His eyes softened. “Time heals all wounds.” He quoted the words of wisdom with a crooked smile.

“Not all.”

“But most. I’m living proof of it,” he said, kissing the tip of her nose gently. “It’s not important, OK?”

Julie nodded in a daze. “OK.”

She would have to learn not to overreact every time he hurt himself.

“Come now. I’ll take you home.”

She didn’t actually want to go. She wanted to stay at his place and sleep in his arms. But she had to get up early the next morning, as she was taking over her sick boss’s shift, and she had a hungry little cat who was eagerly awaiting her return.

When he pulled up outside her building, she looked at him sleepily. She was absolutely exhausted. “That was a lovely evening.”

Bastian smiled. “I had a great time too.”

His voice sounded sincere, compensation for the fact that she would soon be crawling into her bed alone. She looked sullenly out at the rain.

“You don’t happen to have an umbrella, do you?” she asked hopefully.

“I’ve got something better.”

Bastian hopped out of the car and ran around to her side. He held her door open as she blinked in irritation at the rain. Bastian had removed his coat and spread it over his head. He reached out his hand.

“My own living umbrella,” she said, delighted. With a giggle she stepped out into his dry embrace and snuggled up to his warm body. “This is so much better.”

“I thought so too.”

He guided her to the entrance and stopped outside her door, then he took her chin in his hands and brushed a light farewell kiss over her lips. A flicker of heat was kindled inside her, but before she could get carried away, he had disappeared back into the rain with a final longing glance.

C
HAPTER
21

Julie had sent Bastian a message saying that she would be finishing early at the café and that he should pick her up at home. He was nervous as he knocked on her door.

She would like Felix, he was certain. She would recognize his intelligence and his offbeat sense of humor. But she would also experience head-on the utter truth of what life for a butterfly child could be like. And she would inevitably come to her own conclusions about it. He wouldn’t hold it against her; everyone had reservations. He had only himself to blame for not considering the matter earlier. Until now, his only concern had been the question of whether it was advisable to introduce her to his friends at all if their time together would be limited.

But there was no going back now.

Julie threw open the door. She was standing before him in nothing but a towel. Water dripped from her wet hair onto her shoulders. She stretched onto the tips of her toes and kissed him, then grinned. “You’re early.”

Bastian cocked his head and let his gaze wander appreciatively over her. “I’d say I came at precisely the right time.”

She broke out in goose bumps, and Bastian wasn’t convinced they were entirely due to the cold draft blowing into the apartment. He closed the door and stepped resolutely up to her as she pulled his gloves off his fingers.

He just had to touch her.

Her eyes widened under his burning gaze.

“We’ll be late,” she warned him weakly.

“You’re probably right.” He put his arm around her waist and pulled her toward him. With his lips, he concentrated first on the small droplets on the nape of her neck. His hands found their way beneath her towel and stroked her soft skin. He guided her into the living room, but it was brightly lit—no way could he seduce her there. He hoped his kisses would be enough to distract her as he changed direction and moved her toward the dark bedroom.

Julie pushed her hands tentatively beneath his sweater. He was ready for her touch, but he still flinched as her fingertips skimmed over his sensitive skin. She paused for a moment, as though she could sense his tension, but then she dug her fingers into the sweater and pulled it, together with the T-shirt beneath it, over his head so that he stood before her with his torso bared. He resisted the impulse to fold his arms over his chest. It was so dark in the room that she would hardly be able to see him. He almost felt safe.

As she’d stretched to remove his sweater, her towel had come loose and fallen to the floor.

Perfect.

Julie nestled her naked body up to his bare chest. She let out a deep sigh, wound her arms firmly around him, and gently stroked his back.

The warmth she radiated touched him inside.

Driven wild, he began to kiss her.

For a brief time, he forgot the world around him.

Bastian returned only reluctantly to reality.

Julie lay spent beside him, fighting for breath. “We’re going to be late,” she panted with a laugh.

Bastian sprang up, discreetly removed his condom, and dressed before Julie had a chance to turn on the bedside light.

“Wait. I’ll do that,” he said as casually as he could and went to the door to switch on the ceiling light.

Both of them blinked in the bright glare. Looking at Julie, his breath caught.

Her slightly damp brown hair stood out in all directions. Her sensuous mouth was red from his hungry kisses, her dark eyes shone, and her creamy skin appeared to glow from within. The way she smiled at him so innocently was indescribably beautiful. He could hardly bear the thought that she would eventually look at him with horror or revulsion.

A small line creased Julie’s brow. Had she noticed his fear?

He blinked again. “We’d better go,” he said, forcing a casual smile.

She got up, came toward him, and studied him closely. Whatever she saw in his eyes caused her to press a comforting kiss onto his lips and smile. “I’ll hurry,” she promised and disappeared into the bathroom.

He followed her in a daze and splashed cold water on his face while she slipped into tight-fitting jeans and a dark-green sweater. She then hip checked him away from the sink with a cheeky grin. The playful gesture was enough to lift his spirits, and he gave her a playful clap on the behind.

“I’ll wait outside.”

“I’ll be finished very soon.”

Fully aware that “very soon” was a relative term for women, he sat down on the sofa with Spot, who demanded his full attention with a loud purr.

As it was already after eight, he sent Felix a message to say they would be a few minutes late. Fortunately, he had already ordered and picked up the food on his way over. He could only hope the food would still be at least somewhat warm by the time they arrived.

To his surprise, Julie really did only need a few minutes. Helping her with her coat, he asked, “Have you got everything?”

She glanced in her purse. “Key, phone, wallet, tissues.” She grinned. “I’ll leave the rest to your imagination.”

Bastian raised an amused eyebrow. “The mysteries of a woman’s purse?”

“Exactly.”

He followed her to the door and then stopped abruptly. “Where are my gloves?”

“No idea.” Julie frowned. “Where did you take them off?”

Bastian searched around the hall. “Somewhere around here.”

“But we’re going to see your friends,” she said. “Do you really need them?”

Yes, he needed them. Really. They might have to stop somewhere on the way. Or Felix might ask him to run an errand for him. Or they might run into someone on the street.

He searched the floor in growing panic. Where had he left the stupid things? He always knew where they were.

“Here they are.” Julie bent down, picked them up, and handed them to him.

He took them with relief. “Thanks.”

“Everything OK?” She studied him with a furrowed brow.

“Yes.” Bastian pulled the gloves on and suppressed a pained sigh. “Everything’s OK.”

“Then let’s go.”

As he was getting in the car, his phone pinged.

“Felix is getting impatient,” he said, tapping in a quick reply to let Felix know they were on their way. “Fortunately, it’s only a few minutes from here.”

“Is there anything I should know before we meet?”

“I’ve already told you he’s more badly affected than I am.”

“I actually meant topics of conversation that would be best avoided. Religious fanaticism, former loves, terrorizing nurses. Things like that.”

He was a complete idiot. He’d just made it obvious that he feared her reaction to Felix.

He swallowed the lump in his throat before shaking his head. “No need to hold back. Felix and Elena are both very open-minded.”

As they drove off, he saw Julie fumbling nervously with the strap of her purse in her lap.

“I’ve thought of something,” he announced finally.

Julie looked at him uncertainly.

“He’s bound to try and steal you,” said Bastian trying his best to smile. “You’d be doing him a huge favor if you politely put him off. Otherwise I might have to hurt him.”

“And then you’ll sling me over your shoulder and carry me off to your cave?”

He laid a hand on her knee, gently stroked her thigh, and threw her a dark look. “I’ll do that anyway.”

A light blush rose in her cheeks. “Neanderthal,” she murmured, but the gleam in her eye told him she was just as taken by the idea as he was.

He could hardly wait to be back inside her, even though the last time had been barely half an hour ago. She really was making a Neanderthal of him.

“What did you do today?” he asked in an attempt to distract himself.

“I’ve been at the Siesmayer since eight this morning.”

“Why did you go in so early?”

“Sasha’s still sick, and the drinks are delivered on Thursdays.” She leaned back in her seat. “I’m totally done in.” She laughed.

“Was there a lot going on there today?”

“Thursday’s just a busy day for us. Don’t laugh—a seniors’ club meets there in the morning, and students get a head start on the weekend with rounds of drinks in the afternoon.”

“Did anyone come on to you?” The question burst out of him before he had a chance to think about it.

“No,” said Julie slowly. She stared at him in amusement. “And what if they had?”

He took a deep breath to get rid of the image of her surrounded by students. “I wouldn’t be too thrilled,” he said more calmly.

“Neanderthal.” A satisfied smile crossed her face. “How was your day?”

“A bit tangled.”

“Did you manage OK with the cables?”

“Yes, but I’ve still got a lot to do. I’ve got to go get the rest of them from the agency tomorrow morning.”

“Do you normally work weekends?”

Bastian shrugged. “It depends how I’m feeling. Sometimes I work, sometimes I take photos for myself, and sometimes I’m simply disgracefully lazy and watch movies while stuffing myself with fast food.”

“Sounds heavenly. That’s exactly what we’ll do when we’ve had enough of my family.”

“It’s a deal.” He turned down a side street. “We’re here.”

He parked the car and grabbed the food. The closer they got to the apartment, the more tense he became.

Elena was standing in the doorway, waiting for them. “You finally made it. Julie, I’m so pleased to see you again,” Elena said, hugging her warmly.

“It’s good to see you too.”

Bastian nodded. “Sorry we’re late.”

“Come in.”

Bastian brought the food, and then they all made their way into the living room.

Felix was sitting in an easy chair, and he gave Julie an appreciative look. In honor of the occasion, he had swapped his black sweatpants and T-shirt for a pair of black cotton slacks and a blue checked shirt. He’d rolled up the sleeves so that the bandages on his fingers and arms were visible.

“Julie, this is Felix. Felix, Julie.”

Julie took a step toward Felix and gave him a friendly smile.

“Nice to meet you.” Her right hand twitched. It looked like she had intended to shake his hand in greeting, but she did not.

Because she didn’t want to touch him?

Bastian swallowed.

“The pleasure’s all mine,” replied Felix with a smile, and he held out his bandaged hand to her.

Julie reached out without hesitation and shook his hand with what looked like a featherlight touch before letting go and moving back to Bastian’s side. Her eyes betrayed neither excessive pity nor obvious aversion. He ran his hand gently down her back, relieved at her unprejudiced attitude toward his friend.

“I’ll go get the food,” announced Elena.

“Can I help?” asked Julie.

“That’s kind of you.”

She gave Bastian an affectionate smile before turning and following Elena into the kitchen.

Bastian and Felix stared after her.

Felix lifted his hand to his heart. “I’m in love,” he sighed.

Bastian smiled. “I don’t doubt it.”

“You’re such a lucky devil.”

The dining table was already beautifully set, with a tall candle burning in the center. Next to it was a carafe of red wine. Knowing Elena as he did, Bastian figured she’d gone out of her way to buy Greek wine to go with the meal.

He helped Felix to the table before taking his place opposite him.

“Have you sorted everything out with Elena?” he asked.

“Everything’s great between us,” replied Felix. “And I called my insurance company today. They’re sending us some paperwork, and we’ll take it from there.”

The two women returned, laden with two large serving plates and a bread basket. They were both laughing.

“Don’t let Isabelle intimidate you. She’s crazy about you,” Julie was saying to Elena as they placed the food on the table.

Felix gave them a skeptical look. “Are you expecting a football team?” he asked Bastian as he took in the vast assortment of delicacies before him.

“That’s only the first course,” Julie told him with a giggle. “He was obviously afraid we’d starve.”

“Well, it certainly looks delicious,” added Elena as she sat down. She looked at Felix inquiringly. “What would you like?”

“What the hell is it all?” he asked.

“Grilled feta cheese with paprika, roasted eggplant, spinach phyllo pastries, stuffed mushrooms, olives, and garlic bread,” Bastian rattled off.

Felix gave him a disappointed look. “Not much to choose from then.”

“Don’t worry. It’ll go quickly.” He was confident of it.

“Well, you eat like a seven-headed caterpillar,” said Elena, laughing.

“That’s true,” confirmed Julie, earning a look of betrayal from Bastian. She took little notice. “I’ve seen it for myself.” She grinned as she recalled their first meal together in the warehouse.

“I’ll try a little of everything,” decided Felix, leaning forward for a serving spoon. As he loaded some eggplant onto his plate with a shaking hand, neither Elena nor Bastian offered him help—if he wanted it, he’d ask.

“What’s Isabelle been up to now?” asked Felix.

Elena and Julie exchanged knowing smiles.

“Nothing special,” replied Elena. “She’s just been showing me a bit more of her temperamental side.”

Felix looked at Julie. “Is she really that volatile?” he asked with a scornful twinkle in his eyes.