“Morning,” he greeted once he pulled her face back.
Stephanie stared at him; her eyes never leaving his before a smile slowly crossed her lips. “Morning.”
“I could have sworn I locked that door when I left,” he wondered out loud.
“Oh, Clara went out this morning. She went to go see Liam,” Stephanie replied as she broke their contact and led him into the kitchen.
When they reached the island bench, Julian noticed Noel out on the balcony. Noel’s tense posture was evident in the way his shirt wrapped tightly around his body.
“Is he okay?”
From the corner of his eye, he caught Stephanie shaking her head. “He’s worried. When Clara woke up this morning, she just walked out of their bedroom and said ‘I have to see Liam.’ She hasn’t been back since.”
The sad tone of her voice had him facing her. He was met with a frown. Julian hated that frown. “Aren’t you supposed to be at work? You faking another sickie, Blondie?” Julian teasingly asked.
His plans to make her smile worked as a grin replaced the frown she had made. “No. Mona knows that I have to drop them off at the airport. She told me to make today a research day. See what all the billboards on the way to the airport say and advertise.”
Julian kissed her temple. “Fair enough. Hey, how about you get yourself ready and we’ll leave in a few. I’ll talk to Noel and we’ll get Clara on the way to the car. Okay?”
As he began to take a step towards the balcony, Stephanie’s hands clutched his arms. He looked down at her to see a questioning expression take hold of her beautiful face.
“Thank you,” she uttered.
“For?”
“For not having sex with me last night.”
His shoulders sagged and he let out an exaggerated sigh. “Most women don’t thank me for that. Most are thanking God and me for the sex. Or sometimes they get confused and moan the Big Man’s name instead of mine. Honest mistake.”
To his surprise, a small laugh met his ears.
“You are so full of shit.”
Julian inched his face closer to hers. “Oh, yeah? You were one of them, Blondie.”
The realisation that swept her entire face had him laughing. The way her lips parted and her eyes widened was a memory that would never leave him.
When she didn’t say anything, Julian cupped her face and let his lips meet hers. Kissing Stephanie was like realising just how easy breathing and blinking could be. You did it because it was right. You did it because it made sense. Kissing Stephanie was both.
“Now who’s the one who is so full of shit?” he asked against her mouth.
“Still you,” she moaned before she pushed at his chest and broke contact. “Let me do my makeup and grab my things.”
Julian leant in and his eyes roamed the surface of her face. “Because you so need it.”
“Whatever. Could you just deal with Noel?”
“Fiiine.”
“Thank you.” She smiled, and before he knew it, he’d watched her bedroom door shut behind her.
The moment Julian stepped onto the balcony, Noel had turned and gave him a tight smile. The worry in Noel’s eyes was on clear display. Bright and terrifying.
“How’d you lose your wife, mate?”
“I didn’t.” Noel sighed. “She’s on that bench outside with him.”
Julian approached the railing and looked over to see Clara and her ex-fiancé, Liam, sitting on the garden bench. There was nothing to indicate anything was happening between them. From what he could see, they weren’t even speaking.
“Looks pretty innocent to me,” Julian concluded.
“I can tell she still feels guilty for leaving him. I can’t help but think of how she’ll handle seeing Andrea.”
Julian spun around at the worried tone in his friend’s voice. Noel ran his fingers through his hair and then pressed his lips together. The only thing Julian could offer was an attempt at a reassuring smile. No words he could give would release his friend from the guilt his wife held.
“Clara shouldn’t feel guilty. Andrea broke up with you. Now, come on. Let’s go get your missus and get you on that plane,” Julian suggested.
Noel slowly breathed out then nodded and made his way back into the apartment. Julian had followed a few steps behind and ensured he’d locked the balcony door behind them. When they had arrived at the kitchen bench, Stephanie was on a barstool glaring at her phone.
“You ‘right, Blondie?”
She snapped her focus from her phone to him and Noel. “I’m good. Let’s go or they’ll miss their flight,” Stephanie said, almost