“You’re leaving, Brody?”
Julianne breezed into the kitchen, clean and sweet-smelling in a V-neck T-shirt and jean shorts. Her hair was still damp, pulled back from her face in a big clip. She looked fresh and bright-eyed and Will wanted to throw her over his shoulder, carry her upstairs, and muss her up until her lips were swollen and her scent was musky.
“And look who’s still up!” She nuzzled Owen’s toes while Will groaned behind her. “Ooo, give me that sloppy, yucky ball, sweetie.” The baby shrieked as she tried to take the football from him.
“Hey!” Both men yelled at the same time.
Julianne rolled her eyes, handing the ball back to a screeching Owen. “I hope Carly has a girl,” she mumbled.
Will handed her a cup of coffee from the Keurig. “Are you going back to Baltimore?” she asked Brody.
“Cape Cod, actually. My whole family gets together for a three-day party at the beach every Memorial Day weekend.”
“Well, by the time you get there, you’ll have missed most of it,” Julianne pointed out.
Brody shrugged. “They can be a little . . . overbearing en masse like that. My sisters invite all their single friends and I feel like I’m at a cattle auction or something.”
Julianne peered over the top of her coffee mug at Brody. “Some guys would love all that attention.”
“Yeah, well, it’s impossible to make everyone happy, and by the end of the weekend, one or all of my sisters will be gunning for me. It’s better to keep my visit as brief as possible.”
“Oh! Speaking of your sister . . .” Julianne put down her mug and went to rummage around the desk. Will tensed for a moment, thinking she’d notice her phone wasn’t as she left it, but she tossed it aside to pull out a large envelope. The same one that Brody had brought his sister’s picture in.
“Here.” She handed it to Brody, a shy look on her face. “I finished the design.”
Brody’s jaw dropped. “You did?”
“I don’t know if she’ll even like it, but if she does, I know a seamstress in Boston who can make the gown.”
He pulled the sketch out of the envelope and a wide grin broke out over his face. “Wow, Julianne, this is perfect. I know she’ll love it because it’s . . . her. You’re a genius.”
“Sophie had some ideas for jewelry pieces, too.” Julianne lifted a now-whimpering Owen out of the bouncy seat.
“Huh, merging the two businesses already,” he muttered low enough for only Will to hear.
Will glared at him.
Brody laughed. “Well, my business here is complete. Connelly, I’m going to kiss your wife now, so you might want to turn your back so you don’t go all caveman again.”
“Like hell I will.”
“Stop it, both of you!” Julianne pulled Brody in for a hug. He kissed her cheek and bussed Owen’s head.
“See you both back in Charm City. And Will, don’t forget to make that call,” he called as he went out the door.
Owen was rubbing his eyes as Julianne turned to him. “What call?” she asked.
Will hesitated. Why was she interested? “I need to call Roscoe, my agent,” he finally answered.
“Oh.” She smiled at him. “In that case, I’ll take this little guy upstairs and put him down for his nap so you can have some privacy.”
He felt like an idiot for not trusting her. “No, I’ll take him. It’s a holiday weekend. I don’t need to talk to Roscoe today,” he lied.
She handed him the baby and he leaned in and gave her an openmouthed kiss that turned fiery in an instant.
“Come upstairs with me,” he whispered.
Her cell phone buzzed just as she turned to follow him up.
“It’s been going off all morning.” Will hoped he sounded nonchalant.
Julianne checked the screen and turned off the phone. “Just Stephen.” She wrapped her hands around his waist, Owen now dozing on Will’s shoulder. “Upstairs, buster.”
“Does he call you often?”
“Ugh, every day since I’ve been here. He’s suddenly turned into a doting older brother. It’s annoying.”
Will laid Owen in his crib, relief coursing through his veins at her words. Roscoe had tainted his common sense with all his warnings about not trusting Julianne. But she wasn’t conspiring with her brother. She couldn’t be because Will was becoming too dependent on the feel of her beneath his hands, the taste of her on his tongue, and the warmth of her wrapped around his body.
He stalked to his bedroom, where she was already naked on the bed. Will whipped his T-shirt off and stepped out of his shorts, her smile of appreciation arousing him more. If he had any niggling doubts about his wife, he’d bury them now, as he buried himself inside her. When he was alone with her, he forgot all about Paul Zevalos, Bountygate, Hank Osbourne, and Julianne’s brother. It was just him and her finding that perfect symbiosis he’d been unable to find with any other woman. For now, that was enough. He’d worry about the world outside Chances Inlet later.