relieved. Then she threw her phone into her bag and hopped off the stool.
“I’ll get our suitcases and Clara’s passport. You two go ahead. I’ll meet you downstairs.” Noel didn’t give either of them a chance to reply as he left the kitchen and headed for his room.
“You know, he knows about us,” Julian pointed out.
Stephanie sighed. “I’m going to pretend like he doesn’t. Remember, we’re lying.”
Julian closed the distance until he was able to wrap his arms around her waist and bring her body close to his. “We’re terrible liars,” he softly said then dipped his face and let his lips flutter over hers.
Once.
Twice.
Three times, he let his lips brush over Stephanie’s before his hands cupped the side of her head and he deepened their kiss. Fire ignited. His chest exploded and soared. His body did a million things. His brain thought a million and one thoughts. Everything was better when he kissed Stephanie. Everything in his life was perfection when she sighed his name. And everything became a disappointment when she pulled back with a light giggle. Just like in Thailand, her giggles did wonders.
Finding love wasn’t like finding a needle in a haystack. It was harder. Much harder. It was searching through currents, under crevasses, to the depths and bottoms of all the seas. Finding love was like finding that one perfect grain of sand on the sea floor. Rare and a journey of absolute beauty. What she did caused wanderlust within him. Like she had all those years ago.
“You think they’re going to be okay?” she asked, worry consumed every aspect of her face.
Julian brought her closer and then kissed the top of her head. “They’re fine. They’re married now. And plus, they’re super in love. What we do need to worry about is making sure you look at all those billboards for Mona.”
The concern on her face quickly vanished and amusement reached her eyes. “You know it’s just a pity assignment.”
He hated that she had used the word pity. Hated the way she had said the word. Hated the way she had formed it into her sentence.
“Don’t say that. Don’t ever say that your employment or the task they have you do is out of pity,” he said. A layer of desperation was clear, even to him.
She shrugged away from his touch. “It’s pity when you’re only hired because of who your father is.” Stephanie faked a smile that he saw right through.
“Who is your father?” he asked, curious.
“A story for another time. Come on; we have a mission today, remember? Get the Parkers to the airport. Do you mind driving? I don’t know if you’re a great driver, but I’m hoping with me in the car you won’t go Daniel Riccardo on me.”
“I love that you used a Formula One racer in that sentence. And you seriously trust me to drive that BMW of yours?” He furrowed his brows at her.
Stephanie rummaged through her bag until she pulled out her car keys. “If I can trust my sister-in-law, then I can trust anyone. I have insurance. Of course, I know who Daniel Riccardo is. When your mother takes you to the Monaco Grand Prix every year, you—”
“Who is your mother?”
Her eyes widened, and she tensed. Then she blinked several times as if trying to come up with an explanation. Julian wanted to laugh at the way she swallowed hard. Whoever her mother was, he wanted to know her. Because the Monaco Grand Prix was a luxury and definitely not a necessity. He also wanted to know why the mention of her had made Stephanie’s eyes widen and her hesitate.
The sound of Noel clearing his throat had interrupted them. “You’re both exactly where I left you. Since you’re both here, Julian, do you mind taking Clara’s suitcase down?”
Julian peered past Stephanie to see Noel with two suitcases in front of him and his arms crossed over his chest. It seemed like Noel was trying to figure out what he and Stephanie had. Julian was sure that Noel knew and that he didn’t like keeping it from his wife. Clara knowing was added pressure that could make Stephanie flight instead of fight. And all he wanted was for her to fight. Fight the way she hadn’t back in Thailand. And fight the way she hadn’t for the years they had been apart. It was time that he fought for the both of them. It was time that he made his intentions clear.
Julian stepped forward, cupped Stephanie’s