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She slid away from him, leaving him to do whatever it was men did with the condom, and reached for her bra. He made himself decent and buckled up, then helped her wriggle into her dress. It was impossible to pull the narrow skirt over her legs while kneeling, so she cracked the door slightly, did a quick scan, then got out. Standing in the V of the open door, she smoothed the skirt down.
“Decent?” she asked.
“Hardly.”
“I meant the dress, funny guy.” She rolled her eyes. Leaning past him, she scooped her panties from the limo floor. No way was she making the rookie’s mistake of leaving those little puppies behind.
“You look fine.”
He got out of the car and she gave him a once-over. It was hard to see much in the dim lighting, but apart from being a little rumpled, he looked fine, too. Which meant they were clear to head into the reception.
She glanced toward the boathouse, not sure how to say what needed to be said.
“Listen, Seth...I had a great time. But just so you know, I’m not really looking for anything. I’ve got a lot going on with my studies, I’ve got a graduate show to prepare for...” She trailed off awkwardly.
He was silent for a long moment, his expression unreadable. “So, what, this was just one night of the best limo-monkey-sex ever, no strings attached?”
She couldn’t tell if he was pissed or not. He didn’t sound pissed, but there was something about the way he was holding himself that made her a little nervous.
“That’s another way of putting it.”
He grinned hugely, his posture and expression relaxing. “I knew you were my kind of girl when I met you, Vivian Walker.”
She punched him on the arm, aware that he’d played her. “Thanks for freaking me out, James.”
“My pleasure.” He tugged her ruined panties from her hand. “I’m keeping these, too, by the way.” He slid them into his pocket.
“Adding them to your collection, are you?”
“I’m going to frame them and hang them above my bed.”
She couldn’t help but laugh. “Man, you are so full of it.”
But so charming and sexy, too. And, God, was he good in bed. Or, if they wanted to be strictly accurate, in car.
He pulled the cigarettes from his pocket and offered her one. She shook her head, and he lit up.
“We probably shouldn’t go back in together,” she pointed out.
“You want to go first or will I?”
“You go,” she said.
He considered her for a moment, then reached out and tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. “See you ’round, Vivian.”
“Back at ya.”
He started walking toward the boathouse, trailing smoke. She watched him, a frown forming as the repercussions of what they’d done finally made their way through her hazy, champagne-muddled brain.
Her sister was married to his brother. She and Seth would see each other at family functions for the next forever. Probably getting naked with him at the first opportunity hadn’t been the best way to kick off their relationship.
Then she remembered his kiss, and the feel of his hands in her panties, and the hard, thick slide of him inside her, and she waved a hand in the air, shooing her concerns away like an annoying fly.
What had happened between her and Seth had been inevitable from the moment they’d laid eyes on each other. They’d simply gotten it out of the way sooner rather than later.
Which was a good thing.
Smoothing her hands over her hips, she took a deep breath and went to rejoin the party.
CHAPTER TWO
Ten years later
“WE READY TO go people?”
The assistant’s voice rang out over the chatter in the studio, causing a flurry of activity. Lights were tweaked, reflectors placed at the ready. Robin changed lenses on his camera, his dark head bent, his focus on the task absolute.
Vivian shook her head in admiration. He was so damn good at what he did; taking him up on his offer to become business partners was one of the best decisions she’d ever made.
The model she was dressing shifted her weight and Vivian turned to her own task, concentrating on knotting the scarf around the pretty blonde’s neck in a jaunty and sexy bow.
When she was finished she stood back, eyes narrowed as she studied the effect. The model raised her eyebrows, waiting. Vivian nodded.
“You are good to go, sweetie,” she said, patting her on the shoulder.
The girl beamed—and she was a girl, barely sixteen—and took her place on the purple velvet chaise that was the centerpiece of the photo. Vivian sighed. Were the models getting younger or was she getting older?
Probably a bit of both.
This was the last shot before lunch, but she went to the clothes rack to check that the next couple of outfits were ready to go anyway.
“Viv.”
She glanced over her shoulder, smiling when she caught sight of Jodie standing inside the doorway of the huge studio space.
“Hey. You found us!” she said, waving for her sister to come in.
Jodie glanced around anxiously, clearly worried about getting in the way. It probably looked chaotic to an outsider, but the organized mayhem was second nature to Vivian after five years working as a professional stylist. Taking pity on Jodie, she met her halfway, pulling her into a tight hug.
“Hey, gorgeous,” she said. “Thanks for coming all the way into the city to see me.”
Even though Vivian had been in Melbourne for over two months now, she hadn’t caught up with her sister nearly enough to make up for the ten years Vivian had spent in the U.S.—something Vivian intended to change now that she was home for good. Hence today’s lunch date.
“It was no big deal. This place is pretty amazing.”
Vivian looked around, trying to see her new workplace through her sister’s eyes. Once a factory, the building had been converted into studios and offices in the seventies. She and Robin had managed to snag the penthouse studio, a cavernous space with age-stained floorboards, rough brick walls that had been painted white and a vast wall of metal-framed windows that flooded the room with natural light, which was one of the many reasons she and Robin had gone gaga over it when they’d found it five weeks ago.
“It’s working out really well.”
Robin had been a friend and occasional work collaborator in L.A., but she’d still had her doubts when he proposed they join forces when he heard she, too, was planning to head home to Australia. All reservations had been blown away the first time they’d sat down to truly hammer out the details of their partnership, however, and from that day she’d been pinching herself that she’d gotten so lucky.
“So you’re settled, then?” Jodie asked.
There was an odd intensity to her gaze as she waited for Vivian’s answer.
“I’m well and truly, officially home,” Vivian said. “No way could I face another transPacific move. Besides, I missed you guys too much.”
Jodie’s two boys, Sam and Max, were nearly four and five, her mum and dad were getting older... It had been time to return, and Vivian didn’t regret it for a second, even if she did miss some aspects of her life in L.A. Her friends, the opportunities. Her very cool apartment in Los Feliz.
“Good. Because I like being able to do this instead of making do with Skype,” Jodie said.
Vivian checked her watch. “You hungry yet? Robin doesn’t need me until after lunch, so we can raid the buffet and go sit on the roof if you like?”
“That sounds suitably inner-city groovy and exciting for a mum of two from Balwyn.” Jodie rubbed her hands together in comic anticipation.
“I might have a couple of scarves and handbags to throw your way, too,” Vivian stage-whispered as they headed for a trestle table laden with food.
“Oh, goodie.”
Vivian had been keeping her sister supplied with a steady stream of fashion and accessories for years. When she was in L.A., Vivian had packed up her finds every month and shipped them to Australia, causing Jodie to joke she was “dressed by Vivian.”
“My God. How are you not the size of a house?” Jodie asked as she considered the array of food.
Sandwiches, subs, doughnuts, cake, lasagna warming in a bain-marie, three different types of salads. Vivian handed her sister a plate.
“I don’t eat dinner most of the time. And usually this sucker has been gutted by the time I get here and I get a sandwich with someone else’s fingerprints on it, and the slushy salad from the bottom of the bowl.”
“Ew. Even I would lose weight in that case.” Jodie patted her well-padded hips self-consciously.
“Jodie, if I ever have children, I will pray to the gods that I look half as good as you do,” Vivian said. “Now, dig in before these vultures break for lunch.”
They both loaded up their plates, then Vivian led her sister upstairs to the rooftop, an inhospitable concrete expanse she and Robin were attempting to humanize with a few deck chairs and potted plants.
They grabbed a chair each and chatted easily while eating—Jodie catching up Vivian on Max and Sam’s latest exploits, Vivian filling in her sister on the challenges of launching a fashion styling and photography business.
“So who is the shoot for today, then?” Jodie asked as she finished the last of her carrot cake.
“Fairbank and Rose,” Vivian said, naming one of Australia’s most prominent and exclusive department store chains.
Jodie’s eyes widened. “Is that an ongoing thing?”
“It’s an audition. We’ve got a proposal in with them, and this catalogue shoot is the first stage. I guess you could say we’re dating, but no one is ready to commit yet.”
“They’ll be down on one knee, begging you to marry them in a matter of days,” Jodie predicted.
“I should record that and play it back while I sleep,” Vivian joked. “On to more important matters. What would Sam love for his birthday?”
Her youngest nephew was turning four on the weekend, and Vivian wanted to get him something memorable and fun.
“Anything that references monkeys in any way will go over a treat,” Jodie said. “Also, anything related to pirates. If you can find a pirate monkey, you’ll have hit pay dirt.”
“Pirates and monkeys. That should be enough to get me started.”
Jodie set her plate on the ground and dusted off her skirt. She’d given up her work as an accountant when Max was born, and usually she spent the day in jeans and sweaters, but today she’d clearly gone to a bit of trouble, pairing a short-sleeved cashmere turtleneck with an Asian-print skirt Vivian had sent her.
“I wanted to ask you something important, Viv.”
She looked so serious that sudden dread clutched at Vivian’s stomach. “Okay. Should I be sitting down for this?”
“You’re already sitting down.”
“Good point. Then do I need a box of tissues?”
Jodie smiled. “I really hope not.”
Then Vivian twigged. “Oh, my God, you’re pregnant again!”
Another niece or nephew. Fantastic. And this time she would be here to share the whole experience. She leaned forward to hug her sister but Jodie fended her off with a laugh.
“Will you calm down and let me get a word in sideways? I’m not pregnant. But you’re kind of on the right track. Jason and I have been talking lately, and we realized that now that we have Max and Sam we need to stop living like kids and plan for the future.”
Vivian blinked. She couldn’t think of a single couple who were more grounded, sensible and grown-up than Jodie and Jason. They were both accountants, for Pete’s sake, they managed their finances down to the cent, they had two children, a mortgage, a dog and a family wagon. How much more adult could a person get?
“Sweetie, if you and Jason consider yourselves kids, then I am officially an embryo. No, less than that, I’m the hopeful, horny glint in someone’s eye.”
“It might look like that from the outside, but we don’t have life or disability insurance.... And we haven’t thought about who we’d like to look after the boys if something happened to us.”
Vivian stared at her sister, wondering if she was misinterpreting the hopeful expression on Jodie’s face. Surely she wasn’t asking if Vivian would be willing to step in if Max and Sam needed her to...?
“Jason and I had a big talk about it, and as much as we both love our parents, we think the boys would be better off with someone younger. Dad’s slowing down a lot now, and Jason’s mum adores the kids, but she has a bit of a short fuse when they’re being rowdy. So we wondered how you would feel about being named as guardian to Max and Sam. In case anything, you know, happened.”
Wow. Just...wow.
Vivian blinked away the hot rush of tears. She couldn’t believe this. That her sister—and Jason—trusted her so much. Sure, she knew she’d done a lot to rehabilitate her reputation as the crazy, flighty sister over the years, but for Jodie to trust her with her beloved children...
“Are those happy tears or oh-my-God-get-me-out-of-here-I’m-so-freaked-out tears?” Jodie asked.
“These are happy tears. And the answer is yes. Times a bazillion. I would crawl over broken glass for those boys, and I would be honored to be their guardian,” Vivian said earnestly.
“I was hoping you’d say that.”
She was having trouble choking back a wellspring of emotion. “Jodie...I want you to know this means a lot to me. I will not let you down. I will do whatever it takes to make sure Sam and Max are happy and healthy, that they never want for anything.”
“Should anything happen to me and Jason,” Jodie amended with a twinkle in her eye.
“Right. Of course,” Vivian added hastily. “Of course.”
Jodie laughed outright. “Wait till I tell Jason you were ready to drive over and pick the kids up straight away.”
