“I lost my hotel key,” he lied, but herealized he hadn’t stopped to think of a reason for coming here solate.
Aida stiffened on the couch when she heardJulian’s voice. Her eyes darted to the hallway leading to herbedroom, and she rose as she prepared to bolt. She’d decided tobecome scarce while he was in town, but she hadn’t expected him toshow up at their placenow.
“How did you manage to do that?” Cassidyasked as she stepped aside. “Come on in.”
She shot Aida a sympathetic smile as shestepped aside to let in her brother. Aida gulped as she bracedherself to see him again, but it was still a physical blow to herstomach when Julian entered the apartment. He’d always beenhandsome, but he could easily rival every model and TV star she’dever seen.
“It must’ve fallen out of my pocket at thebar,” Julian said as he entered the apartment.
His eyes immediately found Aida standing bythe couch. Her face hardened as she gazed at him. In her eyes, hesaw the same fiery anger from earlier. Yep, it was definitely goingto take a lot to get her to like him again, never mind lovehim.
“Aida,” he greeted.
“Julian.”
“Couldn’t the hotel clerk give you a newkey?” Cassidy asked.
It took everything he had to tear hisattention away from Aida and focus on his sister. “I rang the bell,but no one came out. I’m not exactly staying at the Ritz.”
He should have come up with a better excuseto come here, especially since the key card was burning a holethrough his pocket and into his thigh while he lied to hissister.
“Kyle won’t be back tonight.” Cassidy glancedguiltily between Aida and Julian, and before she spoke, Aida knewwhat she would offer. Aida was her friend, but Cassidy wouldn’ttoss her brother out on the street. “You can crash on thecouch.”
Aida bit back a scream of frustration as shestared at the dogs on the wall. She could handle one night ofhaving him in her apartment. She didn’t have a choice.
“I’m going to bed,” she said. “I have to beup early. Good night, Cassidy.”
“Good night,” Cassidy said.
Aida didn’t look at him before she stalkeddown the hallway and entered the second room on the left. Julianalmost went after her but stopped himself. If the look on her facewas any indication, she might try to kill him if he followed her inthere.
“I’ll get you some sheets and a blanket,”Cassidy said. “The couch pulls out.”
Before he could reply, Cassidy strode downthe hall and went into another room. She returned a minute laterwith a blanket, sheets, and a pillow. She shoved them into hishands, and he fumbled to catch them.
“Next time, come up with a better lie forcoming here,” she said in a low voice.
Julian did a double take as he held thebedding against his chest. “You knew?”
“I’m not an idiot. I’m not entirely surewhat’s going on between you two, I have my suspicions, but it’sbetween you guys. I will say youblewit last time. Don’t doit again; she deserves better.”
Before he could reply, Cassidy turned andwalked away.
CHAPTER 9
Julian barely slept, and when he did, he dreamed ofAida, but that was nothing new; she haunted his dreams every night,and every morning he woke hard as a rock and aching for her. Whenhe heard her phone ring at six thirty the next morning, he strainedto hear the conversation.
“Yes.” There was a pause. “I’ll be there inhalf an hour.”
Silence followed before her door opened andsoft footsteps sounded in the hall. Julian sat up on the couch asthe bathroom door closed, and a minute later, the shower turned on.Unable to tolerate the idea of her naked, in the shower, with waterrunning over her bare flesh, Julian threw back his blanket andjumped out of bed before it became impossible for him to walk.
He really should have thought all thisthrough better last night, but he’d wanted to see her again, notspend the night. However, after being this close to her all night,he was reluctant to leave, but he didn’t have a choice. He couldn’tsay he lost his key twice in a row, and none of his things werehere.
Besides, Kyle would come home. When he did,he’d probably want his bed. Julian busied himself with removing thesheets and blanket from the bed. He folded them and stacked them ontop of the small armchair in the corner of the room. With bits ofyellow stuffing poking through some of the threadbare spots, it wasobvious the chair had seen better days, but it looked inviting.
He closed the bed up, returned the cushions,and sank onto the couch as the shower turned off. He rose againwhen he heard her shuffling around the bathroom and paced into thekitchen. Opening the fridge door, he smiled when he spotted thebags of blood tucked inside next to the cartons of leftoverfood.
He removed a bag, tore off the top, and drankit too fast to notice the chill of the thick blood. When hefinished, he tossed it in the trash and drummed his fingers on thecounter. The bathroom door opened; he caught a whiff of her shampooand lavender soap before she disappeared into her room.
