Freed Page 10

  “Because I had a good life. Sure I was overprotected, but I didn’t know any better, and I was lied to, but I wasn’t aware of it until recently. Compared to you and Phoebe, I have no right to cry over the mother I never had.”

  “Oh, please.” Halley pulled her into a hug. “That’s the most ridiculous thing I ever heard. We all had our own experiences before finding each other again, but one better one doesn’t negate the reality of what happened to you.”

  “You don’t resent me? At all?” She wiped her eyes with her hand, knowing she was smudging her eyeliner.

  “No, silly. I’m happy to have you back in my life. And you have as much right to wish for a good and decent mother as I do. Or Phoebe does. What did you tell her?”

  Sitting up straight, Juliette met her sister’s gaze. “That the bank was closed.”

  Halley clapped her hands and laughed. “Good one. That must have pissed her off.”

  “She wasn’t happy. She just took off.”

  Halley nodded. “I’m so sorry you had to have your own run-in with her.”

  “It had to happen sooner or later, right? At least now it’s done. She’ll leave all three of us alone,” Juliette said.

  “I hope so. Now let’s change the subject to something better. How are things with Braden? Better?”

  Juliette tried not to beam at the question. “He’s amazing, Halley. Everything I could want in a man. Hot, sexy, and loyal. He’s devoted to his father, which means family is important to him, and it’s important to me, too.”

  “And he treats you well?”

  She nodded, smiling. “No complaints here.”

  “Well, good. Then I won’t have to send Kane after him.”

  “What? You wouldn’t kill him on my behalf yourself?”

  “Gotta watch the hands, little sister.” She waved her paint-spattered hands in the air.

  For the first time all day, Juliette laughed.

  Chapter Eight

  Braden walked into Grace’s for a much-needed cup of coffee and to say hello to his girl. Since having sex with Juliette, he copped to feeling pretty damned possessive. He looked around the busy shop but only saw Tawny and Grace rushing around, filling orders.

  He waited until Grace walked over. “What can I do for you?” she asked. “Booth or takeout?”

  “Booth. Juliette’s section.”

  Grace shook her head. “I’d love to oblige you but she left early today.”

  That was unlike her. “Was she not feeling well?” he asked, concerned.

  “No. She had a visitor earlier. A homeless-looking woman. She sat down across from her, they had words, and Juliette was upset afterwards. Couldn’t focus and I sent her home.” Grace shrugged, indicating that was all she knew. “So can I seat you? Or are you off to find her?” she asked knowingly.

  He grinned. “You got me. I’ll take a rain check on that coffee.”

  Homeless-looking woman? He didn’t have a clue who her visitor could have been, who could have upset her so much she needed to leave work. Worried, he headed over to Juliette’s apartment and knocked on the door.

  She didn’t answer immediately and he knocked again.

  “Coming!” she called out, but it took a while for her to pull open the door a little ways. She saw him and opened it the rest of the way.

  She stood in the doorway wearing nothing but a towel wrapped around her. Water droplets clung to her fair skin and her hair was pulled up into a messy bun. “Braden! What are you doing here?”

  “Grace said you left early. That something upset you. I came to see if you were okay.”

  Gratitude etched her expression. “Thank you. Come in.”

  He stepped inside and she shut the door behind him.

  “I had a crazy morning,” she said. “I figured I’d take a relaxing bath and try to put it out of my head.” She gestured to her towel-clad body.

  His gaze raked over her, cataloguing the swells of her breasts peeking out from the top of the towel and her long legs with pink-polished toes.

  He forced his gaze upward to meet hers. “What happened?” he asked gruffly. He needed to focus on what was wrong and not how sexy she looked standing half-naked in front of him.

  “Talk to me.” Grasping her arm, he led her to a small sofa and sat down beside her, aware of her coconut scent permeating his senses.

  She sighed. “My mother came to see me at the coffee shop.”

  He blinked in surprise. “Holy shit.”

  She nodded.

  He was well versed in her mother’s history of being an awful parent and even more aware of how much Juliette had wanted a mom growing up. “What happened?”

  He listened as she explained, realizing that her mother had no morals or scruples, showing up and admitting to taking money to stay away and asking her youngest daughter for pity money. To top it off, she now knew for sure her father had been paying her mother to stay away from her all these years.

  He cupped her face in his hands. “You can handle this,” he assured her. “You’re stronger than you think.”

  “I can,” she said with a forced smile. “I told her in no uncertain terms that she wasn’t getting money from me. And I had a good talk with Halley and I know I’m not alone with my mixed-up feelings about her. Plus I have you. So I’m really okay.”

  He grinned. “You do have me.” He brushed his knuckles along her cheek. “You have the rest of the day off?” he asked.

  She nodded, eyes gleaming as she looked up at him. “What did you have in mind?”

  He slid his fingers into the space between the towel and her bare skin, skimming his fingers along the swells of her breasts. “I thought we could spend the rest of the day in bed.”

  Apparently she liked his suggestion, because she rose to her tiptoes and pressed her lips against his. He backed her up, kissing her and edging her against the nearest wall. Mouth still on hers, he released the tuck on her towel, dropping it to the floor, leaving her stark naked, her beautiful body his for the taking.

  She reached for the waistband of his jeans, unbuttoning them and pulling them down along with his underwear. He kicked them both off, dropping the garments to the floor, adding his shirt to the pile. Shoes and socks followed.

  She ran her hands over his chest, her fingernails scraping over his nipples, her fingertips trailing downward, over his stomach, his waist, until she gripped his cock in her smaller hand.

  He groaned at her touch, and she held him tight, gliding her hand back and forth along his rigid length. If he let her continue, this would be one very short session.

  He grasped her wrist, stilling her movement. “Let’s take this to the bed,” he said.

  She nodded, and as she took his hand and led the way, he couldn’t tear his gaze from the delectable rear view, her narrow waist and the curve of her ass.

  Reaching the bed, he grabbed her, and they tumbled to the mattress, a tangle of limbs, his lips hard on hers, his cock aligned with the slick wetness of her pussy. A shift of his hips and he could be inside, he thought, as reality intruded.

  “No condom,” he muttered. “I wasn’t planning on this today.”

  She lay beneath him and met his gaze. “I’m definitely clean,” she said, watching him intently. “And I take the pill for other… issues.”

  “I gave blood for an insurance physical. In case something happened to me, I wanted my dad to have money to stay in a home.” Mike had stepped up as a willing guardian in Braden’s absence.

  “Then I guess we’re good?” she asked, her hips arching into his.

  A shiver worked its way through him, raw desire pulsing in his veins. “We’re good.” He came over her and eased into her silken heat.

  She was tight but not as resistant as the first time, and he slid into her, gliding all the way home. He groaned, unexpected emotion filling his throat as her soft inner walls gripped him in warmth.

  His feelings for her grew every time they were together, as did the fear of losing this. W
hat they shared. Her. In a short time, she’d come to mean so much to him, but circumstances conspired to keep them apart. He couldn’t let these feelings consume him, but he had very little control when it came to Juliette Collins.

  “Braden,” she said, scoring her nails down his back.

  He pulled out and thrust into her once more. Then, reaching down, he rubbed circles around her clit until she was writhing around him, gasping, clenching in need. “Come, baby. Come hard.”

  She whimpered and arched into his hand. He continued to play with her clit, swiping over and over at the tiny bud until she cried out, coming around his cock and his hand.

  He let go then, releasing his hold on himself and pounding into her hard. Losing himself in the woman who was very quickly capturing his heart. And when he came, she stiffened in surprise, another orgasm coming fast on the heels of her first.

  They spent the afternoon in bed, just like he’d suggested, and later, as he was thinking he had to get going, she spoke.

  “I can’t remember the last time I was this… happy,” she said, kissing his chest. “Which is odd, considering the confrontation I had with my mother earlier.”

  “This was a good day away from everyone and everything.” He stroked her hair, his brain telling him it was time to go, his body urging him to stay.

  “We should do it more often.” She climbed on top of him, tempting him once more.

  “Will you kill me if I say I need to go?”

  She shook her head. “You gave me more time than I expected. You should have been at work or with your father, so I’ll take what I got and be grateful.” She kissed his lips and rolled off him.

  He kept a hand on her hip. “We’ll find more time.”

  “Good. Now go. Before I stop being so agreeable.”

  With a groan, he rolled off the bed and started getting dressed to leave.

  * * *

  Two weeks passed, during which Braden took his dad to doctor appointments out of town, and work piled up, keeping him and Mike busy. His updates to Juliette’s father consisted of two words. Status quo. His gut churned, knowing he was going behind her back with even the most benign information.

  Juliette was consumed with the work for her sister, shopping for items to make the house look open, airy, and sellable, all the while overseeing decluttering and painting touch-ups and repairs. They found time together every few days, even if it was just a quick dinner, and her patience was never-ending when it came to Braden’s rush home to his father at the end of the day.

  The annual town festival was this weekend, and he hoped to spend a couple of hours there with Juliette on Saturday, barring his father having a bad day. Lucy was more than happy to swap days with him, and not for the first time, he said a prayer of thanks for having her as his neighbor and his dad’s nurse.

  On Saturday morning, he parked his car far from the festival, the closer spots already long gone, and walked to Juliette’s to pick her up.

  Excited and ready to go, she met him at the door. “Morning!” She bounced out wearing a pretty summer dress in yellow and white, her hair in a ponytail, a big smile on her face.

  “Morning to you.” He pressed a kiss to her lips and they were on their way, walking around the building and to the main street where the festival was held.

  Main Street was covered with tents, beneath which individual stores had tables and displayed their goods, both on sale and regular price. The gallery had a display of paintings, including Halley’s, which Juliette stopped to admire.

  The local animal shelter had a booth of puppies and kittens up for adoption, and Juliette paused as they passed. “Halley said she got Monty at last year’s festival,” she said with a wistful sigh.

  “Are you wanting a puppy, city girl?” Braden asked.

  She looked up at him with those big blue eyes. “I wish. But I’m in such a tiny apartment and I don’t know my permanent situation…” She glanced longingly at the booth. “Which is why we cannot stop here. I can’t look at a dog and get attached at this point in my life.” She started to walk away, picking up speed.

  But he took in the desire in her expression and yearning in her gaze. If anyone was cut out for a dog, it was Juliette. She had so much love in her heart to give, but she was right. The timing was off.

  He didn’t want to think about her leaving at the end of the summer. The unrealistic part of him, the part that wasn’t dealing with reality at the moment, hoped she’d love it here in Rosewood Bay and stay for good. Of course, that same part of him wasn’t dealing with the fact that he held a whopper of a secret from her, either.

  He frowned and caught up with her, pushing negative thoughts to the back of his mind. “Someday,” he said, returning to the dog conversation.

  “I hope so.” She glanced over and a smile lit her face. “There’s Phoebe!” she said, pointing to a booth in the corner.

  They headed toward her sister to find Phoebe had taken a booth for her real estate company. She had glossy brochures with listings for sale and agents behind the table to discuss homes with potential buyers or sellers.

  “Hi!” Juliette said, greeting her sister with a smile.

  “Well, look who’s here. My newest employee.”

  She laughed. “The booth looks great,” Juliette said. “Doesn’t it?” she asked him.

  Phoebe glanced his way. “Hi, Braden. How are you?”

  “Fine, thanks. And things look good here. Things going well for you?” he asked.

  Phoebe nodded. “I still have competition from my old boss.” She gestured across the way, where Walsh Real Estate had a booth set up. “But we’re getting new clients, so it’s all good.”

  “Phoebe? A couple has a question about your listing,” one of the agents behind the booth said.

  “Excuse me.” Phoebe turned ninety degrees to where the couple stood.

  Braden glanced in the same direction and caught sight of his ex standing with her new fiancé, waiting for their question to be answered. “Shit,” he muttered, the word coming out before he could censor it.

  “What’s wrong?” Juliette asked.

  He groaned. “That’s my ex-fiancée Phoebe is talking to.”

  Juliette blinked and discreetly glanced toward her sister. “I’m sorry. Do you want to go in the other direction?”

  He shook his head. “It’s not a big deal,” he said, hoping Emily didn’t make it one. She did like to throw a dig or two his way when they ran into each other.

  He’d said he wished her well, and he did, but the fact was, them seeing each other was never comfortable. Not because he still had feelings for her but because they were exes. And she held a grudge over the fact that she hadn’t been able to win in what she’d perceived as a tug of war over Braden and his time. As if he’d ever have sacrificed his father. She never should have expected him to.

  “Let’s go,” Braden said.

  To his surprise, Juliette reached down and grabbed his hand, holding on to him as they left the booth.

  “Bye!” Phoebe called, interrupting her conversation. “See you two later.”

  “Bye.” Juliette waved.

  And just as he thought would happen, Emily looked over and met his gaze. “Braden.” Her lips pursed as she looked at him and she stepped closer to the current man in her life.

  “Em,” he said. “Good to see you.” He inclined his head, hoping to make it out of there without drama or even introductions. It just wasn’t necessary.

  “Actually, I’m surprised to see you out and about.” Her gaze flickered to Juliette, her stare zeroing in on their joined hands. “Your father doesn’t need you?”

  He clenched his jaw. “Dad has his good days and bad days,” he said. “Thanks for asking.” He didn’t hide the inherent sarcasm in his comment.

  Juliette squeezed Braden’s hand tighter but she didn’t say a word.

  “Come on, Em. We got our answer. We can go,” Rick, her current boyfriend, said. He shot an apologetic glance at Braden. C
learly he knew what to expect of his soon-to-be wife.

  But she glanced at Juliette. “Be prepared to come in second,” Emily said to her, tossing her hair over her shoulder.

  He rolled his eyes. “She always did like to have the last word,” he muttered under his breath.

  “Family should always be a priority,” Juliette said to her. And before Rick could drag Emily away, Juliette pulled Braden in the opposite direction.

  From her heavy breathing, Braden sensed she was pissed off and gathering steam, and when they got far enough away, Juliette spun to face him. “What a bitch!”

  He frowned, nodding in agreement. “She didn’t start out that way. She only morphs into one when she doesn’t get her way. Oh, and she holds a mean grudge. Something else I didn’t find out until too late.” He shook his head. “This is the drawback to living in a small town. You’re bound to run into people you’d rather avoid.”

  She smiled at his comment.

  “What’s with this?” He lifted their still-intertwined hands.

  Her eyes gleamed with mischief. “This is me staking my claim.”

  He burst out laughing. “I can’t say I mind.” He wound his arms around her waist and leaned down for a long kiss. His tongue slid between her lips and played with hers, until someone bumped into them, and they broke apart, Juliette laughing in embarrassment.

  After another hour of walking around, Braden introducing her to friends of his, and eating funnel cakes for lunch, he knew he had to wind things down.

  “Lucy wants to go visit her daughter this afternoon, and I need to watch my father,” he told Juliette. “Do you want to stay here?”

  She shook her head. “I’m beat. I’m more than happy to go back to my apartment and chill,” she said easily, reminding him of how different she was from Emily.

  But he couldn’t stop wondering if things were more serious than a summer fling, would her patience eventually run short? Or would she get tired of having just a part of his focus, never all? And really, did it matter? Because the minute he confessed their initial meeting hadn’t been an accident, she’d walk away from him anyway.