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Was David trying to blame her for this calamity?

“The drinking is his cross to bear, not yours,” David clarified. “And while it might affect you, you could always walk away, divorce him if you want, free yourself from the burden, easy as that.”

“Divorce is never easy, David. You know that better than most. Your ex would have clawed your eyes out if she could.”

David smirked. “Debbie still might. But what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.”

While she didn’t agree with his oversimplification of divorce, Julia was curious about David’s take on her situation.

Christian had finally texted, so at least she had proof of life.

But for all his rambling pleas for forgiveness and promises that he would stay sober and go to meetings, she wasn’t anywhere near offering absolution.

She had no clarity on how she would move forward.

“So what is my problem, if it isn’t Christian?”

David’s smirk was reminiscent of a magician’s expression before a big reveal. “Money,” he said blandly. “You, my dear, have a money problem.”

“Well, no shit,” said Julia. “Christian’s torched us.”

“And you can blame him all you want, but what good is that going to do you? You can’t expect the person who caused the problem to fix it.”

Julia didn’t respond.

“If Christian knew how to get you the money,” David said, “you wouldn’t be in this mess. The mistake you’re making is thinking that he can fix it and you can’t.”

Julia squinted at David, as though he were dim. “If I could get the money, I would. I’m not an idiot.”

David stretched his legs out long. “No, of course not. You’re just caught up in fear, which blinds you to possibilities.”

“And what possibility am I missing?” Julia was losing patience. She wasn’t in the mood to be toyed with.

David pointed to himself and said, “Me,” as he finished the last sip of his drink.

“You didn’t ask me for the money. Look around, Julia.

” He gestured toward his grand mansion as if he had personally constructed it, forged every bolt and rivet with his hands, and turned sand into the glass she peered through.

He’d undoubtedly spared no expense; Julia could see that.

The floor was of the highest quality, the windows had triple panes, and none of the furniture required assembly instructions.

“We’re not talking about pocket change,” Julia said. “Are you suggesting you’ll just give me the money and make it all better?”

“Something like that,” David answered cryptically.

Julia didn’t like his tone—it raised hairs on the back of her neck. She folded her arms across her chest, having caught a sudden chill. When she saw a spark of desire catch in David’s eyes, her icy shiver became an Arctic plunge.

“No,” she said defiantly, keeping her arms folded. “I’m not a whore.”

David pretended to act aggrieved. “I certainly don’t think of you like that. We seem to have an opportunity here to… help each other out. You want something, and I want something— again .”

Julia got flustered, stammering, “What we did was stupid and thoughtless, and—”

“Fucking amazing,” David said, cutting her off. “You were everything that night, Julia. Don’t think for one second that I haven’t wanted a replay.”

Julia’s muscles went weak. Her thoughts drifted back to that day at the lake seven years ago, when she knocked on David’s door, the old sturdy pine one, painted a shade of green that blended with the surrounding forest. She was dressed in a tight-fitting top and a loose skirt that would give him easy access to everything she came to offer.

She’d invited herself inside and didn’t say a word before she kissed him hard on the mouth.

He hadn’t met Debbie yet. The twins weren’t born, so they had the house to themselves.

“Whoa,” he’d said, pulling back, but only after he explored her with his tongue. “I think you might be mistaking me for your husband.”

She didn’t laugh or crack a smile. Instead, she leaned into him and traced a path up his inner thigh with the tip of her finger while nibbling at his ear. She whispered, “Take me upstairs.”

But they didn’t make it that far. Another man might have asked questions or tried to douse the flames with the cold water of reality, but not David.

Instead, he turned her around, grabbed her by the hips, and pulled her against him.

He reached under her shirt, lifting her bra, exploring her, his touch igniting her desire.

She guided his hands under her skirt, showing him exactly what she wanted.

David didn’t need much direction. Their bodies were in sync, breathlessly grasping for each other as he entered her from behind, right at the base of the stairs.

She pushed against him, moaning, greedy, knowing it wouldn’t last nearly as long as she wanted, but David surprised her.

He slowed down, using his fingers in just the right place, sending waves of sensation through her body until she went over the edge, losing all control.

“I like your idea about going upstairs,” he said afterward, a wicked gleam in his eyes.

He took her by the hand, leading her to the bedroom.

He touched her more slowly, gently, her passion rising again.

When she was ready, she pushed him inside her, desperate with longing.

She no longer wanted him to be gentle. She couldn’t get enough, and she knew he felt the same—wanting more, needing more—until they finally came together in a shuddering, glorious release.

“This won’t happen again,” she told him as they lounged naked in his bed. Christian was hiking with Rick, so she’d have time to shower and change before he returned.

“Understood,” said David, who’d asked no questions, so it felt incumbent on Julia to explain.

“He cheated on me with some random woman he met on a business trip. This was payback.”

David nodded languidly. “I’m honored,” he said, his tone indecipherable.

Again, no questions asked, a clear signal that he’d take whatever she gave him and seek nothing more.

This wasn’t a surprise. She knew David well enough to guess how he’d react to her advances.

He was a man who wanted what he couldn’t have, and he could never have Julia, even though he had idolized her for years, decades even.

He had had a brief fling with Erika when they were teenagers.

Young love often doesn’t last long, and it faded for him before it did for her, but luckily their friendship endured.

Julia had never fallen for David’s ways like Erika had.

She’d remained the unobtainable one, which made Julia all the more desirable in his tangled logic.

It made her someone to protect, respect, and admire, though only from afar.

He was like the Mob in that he had a code, something which she understood about him.

He wouldn’t expose her or beg for more; he’d never mention it again, even in private.

Instead, he’d follow Julia’s lead because that was the gentlemanly thing to do.

But now he was asking or offering, because the situation had changed, the stakes had risen, and she was a helpless fish bleeding in the water, attracting him—the hungry shark.

“One night with you, and I’ll make all your troubles disappear,” he said.

Julia rose from her chair. She knew what she should say: No, absolutely not, that’s not an option. But the words that came out surprised even her.

“I’ll think about it,” she said.