Season of Strangers by Kat Martin

Author:Kat Martin
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Published: 2011-11-08T19:30:54+00:00

Babs pounded with vigor on Julie’s office door, turned the knob without waiting for her petite friend to answer and walked in. As usual Julie was on the phone with a client, the receiver clamped between her ear and shoulder. Her cell phone was ringing in her purse.

Babs was undeterred. She was used to Julie’s back-breaking schedule. Taking a seat on the sofa, Babs crossed her legs, pulled a fingernail file from her newly purchased Dolce & Gabbana bag, and began a feverish attack on a rough-edged red polished nail.

Julie finished her second call, then with a glance at Babs, punched the intercom button and instructed Shirl to hold anything new coming in. She turned off her cell phone, as well.

“All right, I know that look, Babs. What’s going on?”

The look Julie referred to was one of exasperation tinged with an edge of alarm. “I came here to ask that same question of you, my impossible friend, but I’m afraid I already know the answer, which is the real reason I’m here.”

“What are you talking about?”

“In a word—or I should say two words—Patrick Donovan.”

A flush crept up Julie’s throat. “What about him?”

“You’re sleeping with him, aren’t you?”

The flush increased, fanned up into her cheeks and down into her breasts. “I’m not sleeping with him. I slept with him. Once. You’re always telling me a little casual sex would be good for me. You ought to be happy I took your advice.”

“Casual sex with Patrick Donovan? Come on, Julie, who are you kidding? It might have been casual for Patrick, but it certainly wasn’t for you.”

Julie straightened in her chair. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“You know very well what it means. You’ve always been physically attracted to Patrick, maybe even a little in love with the man you believed he could be. Until lately you’ve been smart enough to realize that Patrick isn’t going to change, that loving a guy like that can only lead to heartache. What I can’t figure out is why you’ve suddenly weakened. Just because the man had a heart attack—”

“That isn’t the reason.” Julie rolled back her chair and stood up. Rounding the desk, she walked over and sat down on the sofa. “Patrick has changed, Babs. Surely you’ve noticed the difference. In a lot of ways, he’s the same man he was, but in other, more important ways, he’s different. Patrick says I mean something to him, that he wants more from me than just sex. I have to find out if it’s true.”

Babs hardened her heart against the wistful, hopeful expression on her best friend’s face. “He was out with Felicia Salazar the other night—did he happened to mention that? I suppose he wants more than just sex from Felicia, too.”

Before Julie could reply, a sharp knock sounded, and Patrick walked in. Ignoring the women on the couch, he headed straight for Julie’s desk, laid a stack of files on top, then turned to Babs.

“Felicia was a mistake,” he told her bluntly.

“How did you—”

“I didn’t sleep with her and I don’t intend to, not her or anyone else.

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