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He wipes at his chin. ‘Have I got food on my face?’
She gives a throaty laugh and shakes her head. ‘No. I like hearing you talk about Sydney.’
‘Really?’
‘Yeah. You get this look on your face. This little smile like people do when they get a nice text or remember something funny. You obviously love it here.’
His body doesn’t know what to do with all the warmth spilling from his chest. It’s like it’s flowing out of his body, trying to wrap Jules in this same feeling.
He nods slowly. ‘True. I didn’t realise until I came back here, how much. I’ve actually been wondering—’
He cuts the words off. Why is he doing this again? Jules doesn’t want to hear about this shit. You don’t offload your worries onto a woman you’re having a fling with. Even if it feels normal to do just that, like this whole morning with her has felt normal. Natural.
‘Wondering what?’ Jules’s blue eyes show clear interest in the conversation.
It’s on the tip of his tongue to tell her, ‘I’ve been wondering if I made a mistake leaving Sydney’. To tell her that he didn’t realise how much he missed Sydney. Didn’t realise how lonely he’d been until he came here and spent time with her, and his sisters and Matteo. That he may have made a mistake and that, maybe—shit, the thought sinks like a needle right into his muscles—maybe the solution is to move back. Away from Canberra. Away from Jules.
His mouth twists, a stickiness coating his insides.
Her hand lands over his on the table, warm and soft, and it almost pulls the words from his chest anyway. But the contact also shoots that familiar electricity down his spine and the desire reminds him of what this is. What Jules asked for and clearly defined, their first night together.
A fling.
It’s not right to burden her with his worries when this thing between them is only temporary.
He sends her a smile and pulls his hand out from beneath hers.
‘Never mind.’ He wipes his hand on a napkin and takes a long swig of coffee. ‘Should we get started on your presentation now?’
Chapter 17
Jules is in the middle of dressing for her presentation after lunch when her phone starts vibrating with an incoming video call from her friends. She accepts quickly and Cat and Tori’s faces appear on screen.
They’re squished together in the corner booth of the tiny cafe in between the Infinity office and where Tori now works, where they sometimes meet up during the day if there’s big news to spill or someone is craving a chocolate oatmeal biscuit. That cafe makes the best ones. Big as your hand and fifty per cent chocolate.
‘We need a Cameron update,’ Tori says immediately.
‘Hi, Jules. How are you?’ Cat asks with clear sarcasm.
Jules shakes her head at them. ‘Hi. I’m good. Got my talk soon.’
‘Feeling ready?’ Cat asks.
‘Yeah. I am.’ Which is the truth. There are some nerves, for sure, but she doesn’t mind those when it comes to public speaking. They help keep her energy up. ‘I can’t believe you’re at Big Drip without me,’ she accuses, propping her phone up against the tissue box on her bedside table so she can continue getting ready.
‘We missed you. We needed comfort food.’ Tori lifts her giant cookie up to the screen. ‘Not sure that’s the outfit I’d wear for your presentation, by the way. You look hot though.’
Jules does a twirl in the matching blue bra and pantie set she’s currently in. ‘Thank you. And no, I’m going to go with the outfit you picked for me, Tor.’
Jules pulls open the wardrobe door and takes down the pencil skirt and blouse combo.
‘How is the conference going though?’ Cat asks again.
‘Really good. I didn’t realise how down I was in the office until I wasn’t there anymore.’
‘Down like, stressed?’ Cat asks.
‘I don’t know. A little. But more like uninspired? I just feel lighter out here.’
