Harlequin Desire January 2021--Box Set 1 of 2 by Maisey Yates (inspirational books .TXT) 📗

one sun-filled day, one night spent in his arms. But she did not want it to end. Today was particularly tough, because what were they celebrating if not the end?

“Now I’ve made you cry!” Grace cursed. “I should have stuck to the rules.”

“Am I crying?” Nina wiped her cheeks with the back of her hand.

“I was going to say that you two look like the real deal. I’ve seen enough nonsense to know the difference.”

Hope crashed into Nina with the force of the waves. Validation from an impartial and dispassionate observer such as Grace was priceless. It meant that she hadn’t imagined this grand love affair. It wasn’t all in her head. And what a relief! She was so in love with Julian, so wildly in love with him, she could not stand to lose him.

Nina couldn’t overthink her present predicament. Grace was smiling at her, and it was distracting as hell. It was the first time the woman had smiled at her with genuine warmth, and it was luminous. If she weren’t careful, she might fall in love with Grace.

When they got back to Sand Castle, she and Grace parted ways. The manager hurried off to her office, and Nina set out to find Julian. The party was unraveling. Bettina and Pierce had slipped away earlier with a bottle of champagne. Everyone else was slumped on lounge beds, partied out. Julian, however, had not lost steam. He stood with a foot propped up on a chair, telling a story to a captive audience. Seeing him this loose and animated made her realize just how much pressure he must have been under these past months.

She approached, and he drew her close and dipped her into a mock Hollywood kiss. Nina played along, swooning like a screen siren. Then he gazed into her eyes. “I think we’re done here.”

Nina knew what he meant, but wished he’d phrased it differently. She didn’t protest when he carried her off to the elevator.

“To think I hated this tin can when I first got here,” he said. “Look how handy it’s been. Do you remember the first time we did this?”

“I coughed up on your shirt.”

“And I was completely charmed.” He squeezed her tighter. “It must be this house. It has powers.”

“Grace’s family will be selling it soon. Maybe you should buy, rename the place Knight’s Landing.”

“I love this house, but I don’t ever want to be here without you.”

The elevator stopped, and the doors slid open. Julian carried her to the door, over the threshold and into the bedroom. He dropped her unceremoniously on the bed and plopped down alongside her. He would break any bed he owned; Nina was sure of it.

Nina rolled onto her side and raked her fingers through his hair. Eyes shut, expression soft, his profile remained strong and defined—the not-so-classic matinee idol. She was not a performer, but she would gladly play the role of his screen siren. There really wasn’t much she wouldn’t do for him. That included tossing her pride aside and opening up to him. “I have to tell you something.”

Eyes closed, he said, “What’s that, love?”

Nina called to the angels of the fresco for strength one last time. “I may be in love with you.”

He slid her a look, eyes brimming with equal parts affection and amusement. She’d hedged and he knew it. “Want to tell me when you’re sure?”

Her answer was buried somewhere deep in her kiss.

CHAPTER NINETEEN

What was next for them?

The question kept Julian up well after Nina had fallen asleep, her cheek pressed to his chest. When she breathed, her breasts pressed into his ribs. Gradually his breathing synced with hers. In every way they were one, except they lived on opposite coasts.

Last night they’d cleared one hurdle—their feelings for each other were more or less clear. Where were they going to live? He was making plans to return to California in a week to get on with editing. Would she come? Maybe she could be persuaded to fly out with him. She could write anywhere; wasn’t that what she’d said? His house on the Hills wasn’t as romantic as this old mansion that had become their home, but it offered plenty of space for her to spread out pages on the floor, and the view from his desk was inspiring.

Julian’s phone buzzed on the nightstand, and the screen glowed green in the night. He ignored it. He was too comfortable, and he didn’t want to wake Nina. Then the damn thing buzzed again and again and again. Nina moaned in her sleep and rolled onto her back. He snatched the phone and tapped on the screen to silence it. It was two in the morning, and he had a missed call from his publicist and five text messages from Kat.

Julian tossed back the duvet and swung his legs over the edge of the bed, his insides twisting with apprehension. He’d been on a high! Wrapping the movie on time if not on budget, earning the respect of the actors and the crew, collaborating with Frank—these were all things he was proud of. Getting to share the experience with the woman he loved was a surprise gift that he wasn’t sure he deserved. He was willing to go to the ends to defend this newfound happiness. He remembered his life before, and he wasn’t going back.

He took the phone into the bathroom, and instead of wasting time scrolling through the messages, he called Kat. She answered straightaway.

“Hey. What’s going on?”

“Didn’t you read my texts?”

“No. I was asleep.”

“Is she with you?”

It was too late to play these games. “What are you getting at?”

“We need to speak privately.”

“It’s all clear, just talk to me.”

“All right. Nina Taylor kept detailed notes of your time together. Were you aware?”

“She’s a writer.”

“Intimate notes, Julian.”

He breathed out through a fisted hand, forcing his brain to work. He tried coming up with the worst-case scenario. “She keeps a diary.”

“To later publish as books.”

“That’s not why she does it.”

Nina