Page 60 of The Husband Diet
I nodded and let him hug me as I cried my eyes out on his good shoulder. ‘I was a complete idiot. I was so afraid something would happen to you one day and I’d be in real trouble without you. When the hospital called, I thought I’d lost you, Paul.’
‘Well, not quite, luckily for me,’ he said, patting my shoulder and helping me sit up with his good arm. ‘I’m here, sweetie.’
‘You know how much you mean to me, right? I can’t even think of life without you.’
‘You don’t need to, sunshine. I’m not going anywhere.’
After a few quiet moments of me leaning contentedly on Paul’s good shoulder, Julian came back into the room with a tray full of sandwiches and wraps and fruit and nuts.
‘Ooh, yummy,’ Paul said and grabbed one as he hopped to his feet and headed toward the door. ‘See you later,’ he chimed.
I panicked. ‘What? Where are you going?’
‘I have to see Bobby – I promised him,’ he shrugged and wiggled his eyebrows at Julian. ‘He’ll stay here and take care of you, won’t you, Julian?’
‘Absolutely,’ Julian replied, his eyes tender on me, his face turning red.
‘See ya, lovebirds,’ Paul sang and closed the door on my protests.
Lovebirds? I glanced at Julian, the most magnificent male in Creation, sitting on the edge of the bed with a tray full of food for me. What else could a woman want from life? I looked away so I wouldn’t have to see the look in his eyes.
‘I’m so sorry about Paul’s innuendos, Julian. As much as I love him, he doesn’t have a firm grasp on reality.’
Julian cleared his throat. ‘Erica, I think you and I need to have a serious chat.’
Hoo boy. Here it was. ‘Well, thanks for being here. I don’t even know why Paul called you.’
Julian cleared his throat. ‘I brought the kids home.’
‘Oh.Duh.’
Julian smiled, his eyes studying my face. ‘Why didn’t you call me? You know I’d have come running.’
I looked up, confused. What was he saying? ‘I-I didn’t… there was nothing you could have done.’
‘I could have been by your side. You should never have been on your own in a moment like that – ever.’
‘I’m a big girl, Julian. Everyone can see that,’ I said with a giggle when instead I wanted to pull back the covers and jump his beautiful bones, just like I had endless times in my fantasies.
He took my hand and squeezed it. ‘Let me be there for you.’
If I was thinking of a fling, this sounded like more. What did I want? ‘Don’t waste your time on me, Julian. I’m just a pseudo-suicidal homicidal housewife. Stay away from me.’
He grinned, lifted my hand to his lips and kissed it. I looked into his face as my skin began to tingle. It would have been so easy to lock the door and let him slide under the covers with me. Or rather, it would have been easy for me. For him, not so much, because I’d never let him go again. Ever.
I watched him, long lashes fanning his red cheeks, as his lips touched my hand. And then his eyes searched mine. ‘I’m sorry, Erica…’
I nodded. ‘It’s OK. You don’t have to apologize for staying away.’
He shook his beautiful head. ‘I’m apologizing, because I don’twantto stay away. Not anymore. I think you’re the most beautiful, kind and caring woman in the world.’
I swallowed to stop my heart from jumping out of my mouth. ‘And I think, Julian, that you’re absolutely nuts. Go home and leave a poor woman her inner peace.’
Julian lowered his eyes. ‘I’m sorry, Erica. I didn’t mean to… I don’t want…’
He swallowed, his cheeks hot as he gathered my hands in his, bringing them to his heart, palms flat on his chest. I could feel it pounding inside him, could almost see his shirt twitch under the force. He leaned over the tray, his breath shallow, his expression solemn, like I’d never seen him before, and took my face in his hands.
I could have closed my eyes, but I didn’t want to miss a thing. I didn’t want to miss Julian’s beautiful, beautiful lips searching mine. Didn’t want to miss the sight of his face an inch from my own, his dark hair falling over his forehead, his incredibly dark eyes…
