“Honey, another trip to Houston?” Julian asked his wife sadly, “Aren’t the treatments working? Has there been any progress? I wish you’d let me go; you know I want to be there by your side as support.” He touched her cheek gently.

Evelyn rolled her eyes behind her husband’s back as he embraced her.

“Dear, you know I don’t want you to get distracted from business at Crane Industries,” she looked sincerely into his eyes, “I promise you that I’ll be fine on my own; I always have been. I’m going to go for my chemo treatments, stay a little while to recover, and then I’ll be home before you know it,” she lied.

Evelyn Johnson Crane had always been a wonderful liar. If only Julian knew that his wife really didn’t have cancer and wasn’t going to Houston, Texas to receive chemotherapy at the best cancer research hospital in the world, but was really going to the Bahamas with one of her many lovers…rich lovers that is.

Julian Crane was made C.E.O. of Crane Industries after his father died a few years ago. He was also the most loving husband to his wife, and the most loving father to his two children he created with his ex-wife who had died while giving birth to their second child. Julian didn’t think he could go on after Ivy’s death; he was just so grief stricken…until he met Evelyn Johnson. She taught Julian how to love and live again…

“And you’ll call me once you’ve landed?” he kissed her forehead.

“Yes, yes, I’ll call you from the jet,” she smiled and received his kiss to her lips, “Well, I better go pack; I have to leave in two hours,” she slipped away from him and made her way to the stairs.

She had just closed the door to her room and sat at her vanity and began brushing her hair.

“God, that was too easy,” she laughed mockingly of Julian, “What an ignorant fool?” she continued to laugh.

She then got up from her chair and grabbed her suitcase from the closet and placed it on her bed to start filling it up.

Eve finished packing, had the driver drive her to the airport where they had gassed up the jet, and boarded it.

“So, Mrs. Crane, Houston is the destination this time?” the captain asked her after he walked out of the cockpit.

“Hmm, you know, Andrew, I was thinking more about taking a trip to Los Angeles, what do you say?”

“But Mr. Crane made it very clear that we’re supposed to arrive in Houston…”

By the time he could actually finish his sentence; Eve had unbuttoned his pants and yanked them down, along with his underwear.

“You were saying…” she knelt down in front of him.

“Ooh, Mrs. Crane…that’s it, ohh, now I wouldn’t want to cause any trouble for you,” he moaned.
---

Well, Eve had gotten her wish; the captain had agreed to stay quiet…well, after Eve’s “generous” gesture of “affection”.

It hadn’t taken long for her to arrive in California since she was traveling in the Crane jet.

“Hmm, now all I need to do is this one tiny thing before I get going,” she knocked on the door to this one nice quaint beach house.

“Yes, can I help y-o…” the other woman trailed off as she stared back at herself, “Evelyn, what are you doing here? What do you want this time?” the woman said impatiently.

“Why, Eve dear…is that how you greet your only sister…twin sister that is?” she smiled.

“Oh God, you must be in some trouble for you to be talking to me this way,” she shook her head and opened the door wider so her sister could come in.

Evelyn and Eve talked for some time…

“Ugh, no, I object to that,” Eve stood up and shook her head, “No!”

“Oh come on, Eve…please! You know I’ve done so many things for you when we were younger?”

“Are we talking about the same childhood? Because from what I recall, I was always staying out of trouble, but always seemed to get blamed for the things YOU did,” she gave her a look.

“Could I help that I was so much better at talking my way out of things?”

“I don’t care; I’m still not doing it,” she got up and started walking to the kitchen.

“Do you really think that’s wise?” Evelyn caught her arm and brought her back, “Do you really want Mother and Father to know that you were the cause of the death of our dear Aunt Linda?” she smirked.

“You wouldn’t,” Eve huffed, “You know damn well I didn’t have anything to do with her death.”

“Yes, but you know that; I know that…and mom and dad think they know that, but I believe that I still have that evidence pointing to you…” she leaned back into the cushion on Eve’s couch and crossed her legs.

Eve then sat down slowly, knowing exactly what “evidence” her sister had. She held her face in her hands and swallowed, knowing that she was going to regret what she was about to do.

“God, how did you ever become so cruel?” she looked up and shook her head again, “ALRIGHT!” she said between gritted teeth, “I’LL DO IT!”

“Now, that wasn’t so hard to do, was it?”

“Please, just don’t…ugh, how long?” she closed her eyes, “How long do I have to stay? How long do I have to take your place?”

“Hmm, for just six weeks, two months the latest,” she shrugged as if it were nothing.

“Do I have a choice?”

“Well, you do, but I think you know what you have to do.”

Eve looked to her sister and simply nodded her head. Evelyn then began filling Eve in on all the things she’d need to know when she’d fly to Houston to take her place. She knew Julian would check up on here there by calling, so she had to have Eve there for a while and then fly her back home to Harmony to live her life.
---

Days later, Evelyn went her own way, and Eve arrived in Houston and checked into “her” hotel room.

“God, what am I going to do now,” she fell onto the bed and stared at the ceiling, “I don’t even know this damn city,” she blew air out through her mouth.

The phone then began to ring. Eve scurried off the bed to answer it in time before whoever it was hung up.

“Hello?”

“Evelyn, dear, how are you doing?”

“Oh, uh, I…I’m doing fine, Julian,” she stuttered, “Uh, how are you doing?”

Eve didn’t know what else to say.

“I’m doing fine,” he said, detecting something different in his wife, “Are you sure you’re alright, Eve? Did something happen?” he worried, “Oh God, did you get some bad news about the cancer?”

“No, no, honey, I’m fine…really,” Eve tried to sound convincing, “But I do have some good news,” she said, trying to come up with a good lie in a matter of minutes.

“You do, hey?” he smiled into the phone, “Well, what is it?”

She swallowed before she spoke. Could she do this? Could she really do this? Could she really pull off this switch…for six more weeks?

“I talked to my oncologist a few days ago about some tests I had taken right when I got here, and she gave me some good news,” she paused.

“Yes, yes…go on,” Julian was losing his patience.

“I’m free of cancer…I’m in remission.”

Eve being a doctor knew the medical terms to use and was bit familiar with oncology.

“Really?! Oh my God, that’s the best news I’ve gotten all week!” Julian screamed joyfully into the phone, “I can’t believe it; I just…can’t believe it! This is wonderful…this is…” he stopped talking all of a sudden, “But, Eve?”

“Mm-hmm?” she bit her bottom lip.

“When are you coming back home?”

“Um, I believe it will be a few more days until I can leave.”

“Great! I can’t wait to see you, my love; I already miss you,” he laughed, “I missed you the minute you left,” he paused, expecting her to reply back with her missing him also, but she didn’t, “Well, I guess I’ll let you go; you get some rest, okay?”

“Yes, I will; I promise,” the first thing she said sincerely.

In fact, she was not going to rest, she was going to go over all the notes that Evelyn had written down for her; especially if she didn’t want to accidentally slip up.

“Okay, that’s a good girl…I love you, Eve.”

“I love you too?” she said it more as a question than saying it genuinely.

Julian caught the uncertainty and hesitation in Eve’s last statement, but thought he was just misconstruing things, so he brushed it off.

“Bye, my love.”

“Bye…” she said and pushed the red button on her cell phone to end the call.
---

Two days later, Eve was sitting at the desk that was in her hotel room surfing the internet when someone knocked at the door.

“Hmm, I wonder who that is,” she extended the leg she was sitting on onto the floor and began walking to the door.

But once she opened the door, Eve got the surprise of a lifetime. It was Julian, “her” husband. He rushed in and took her in his arms and met her lips with his. Eve didn’t know what to do; one moment she was looking up things on the internet, the next, she was being slobbered on by someone she did not know.

And Eve’s lips were doing a great job at putting up a barrier to keep his wandering tongue out of her mouth, but when she felt his right hand creep up underneath her blouse and cup her left breast, she let out a gasp, causing her mouth to openly invite his tongue to intertwine with hers. Eve was now regretting on not wearing a bra that day for now she had felt Julian’s warm hands glide along the skin from her stomach to her breast, and what had caused her to gasp was not his cupping her breast, but feeling his thumb and index finger stroke her sensitive tip to arousal.

“Ugh, excuse you,” she pulled from him.

“Eve, darling, what is the matter?” Julian noticed the startled look in her eyes.

Eve’s eyes then widened. She recognized his voice. This was Julian, her sister’s husband!

She married a White guy?!

Eve had never been attracted to White men in her life, and didn’t know how she was going to pull off this act.

“Uh, nothing’s the matter; it was just that I didn’t expect you,” she smiled, “You surprised me, that’s all.”

“Oh, well, I can understand that,” he pulled her to him once more, “I’m glad I surprised you, that’s what I intended to do,” he grinned just as his faced leaned in towards hers again, but this time, she turned her head so that his lips grazed her cheek.

Julian then frowned.

“Are you sure that was it, Eve?”

“Yes, I’m fine; I’m just kind of hungry. In fact, I was about to go out and get something to eat and bring it back here.”

“That sounds like a good idea,” Julian walked over to the window, “We can have a nice candle light dinner and enjoy the beautiful view of the city. What do you say?”

“Alright,” she nodded.

God, is he going to sleep here too? I am not prepared for this at all!

“Good, I’ll just run out and get us something and bring it back here. Care to join me?”

“I was thinking of taking a quick shower before dinner.”

“Okay, that’s fine. Well, I shouldn’t be long,” he kissed her cheek and made his way to the door.

Eve sighed and slumped down into the desk chair.

This was just her first meeting with Julian, and she was already exhausted from pretending to be someone she was not. How was she going to do it for the remainder of the time she was to stay at the Crane Mansion?

Eve finally got up out of the chair and walked to the bathroom, undressed, and stepped into the running water.

On the outside, Julian had called one of his men to pick up something from one of the finest restaurants, and deliver it to the room, while he set up the candles and flowers he had borrowed from the hotel’s restaurant on the first floor. He entered their room, and the first thing that he heard was the shower running. His eyes lit up. Maybe the décor could wait a minute, while he surprised Eve in the shower. Julian began undressing in the living area, and was down to his boxers as he stepped passed the bathroom door. He slipped them off and gently moved the shower curtain back to come to face with Eve’s back. Julian then ever so slightly stepped into the shower, trying his hardest not to make a sound…and actually succeeded. Eve was too busy thinking of ways to avoid Julian’s advances that she didn’t even notice or know that anyone was standing right behind her, until she felt his arms wrap around her from behind.

“What the…” she tried to pry his hands off of her.

“Eve, calm down, it’s just me,” he held her tighter.

Julian?!

“Relax, darling,” he said as he felt her still tense in his arms.

“But…”

“Shhh,” he shushed her as he placed soft sensuous kissed at the back of her neck.

Eve could feel his naked body up against her back. She could feel his hands caressing her stomach, but that wasn’t what was making her so anxious; it was the feeling of his hard manhood against her derrière. Eve tried to relax…

What do I do?! What do I do?! What do I do?!

Julian then grabbed the soap and started lathering it in his hands and then rubbed the soap over Eve’s back. He was about to move the bar of soap lower on her back, when it slipped out of his hand, so he bent down to pick it up, but noticed something to the right on Eve’s lower back that was missing.

“Eve, where’s your birthmark?” he traced the exact spot it would’ve been on his wife’s body with his finger.

DAMN!

“I, uh…it’s just that I’ve covered it up with make-up. I’ve never liked the appearance of it,” she lied once again.

The birthmark was the only way her parents could tell the two apart; that’s how identical they were.

This lying Eve started doing was just getting too easy!

“I just didn’t want it to be noticeable when I’d wear my bikini?”

“Oh, I see,” Julian covered the spot of the missing birthmark with his mouth and swirled his tongue over it, causing Eve’s hands to reach out to the wall in front of her for support.

She stayed still when Julian finally stood, sliding his hands up the front of her body over her breasts…kneading them. Her eyes grew bigger as his right hand began caressing her left breast from behind her, while his left hand traveled down passed Eve’s lower abdomen, passed the curly patch that began where her thighs met.

“Julian, no!” she gasped as she pulled back the curtain and jumped out of the shower and wrapped herself in a towel.

“Eve, what’s wrong?” he placed his hands on her shoulders, “I thought we could make love,” he wrapped his arms around her again and began nibbling on her ear.

She pushed on his chest and freed herself from his arms and walked out of the bathroom. Eve was next to the dresser getting a pair of underwear out of the drawer. And just as she was about to slip them on under her towel, Julian came up behind her and yanked the towel off her body. He then picked her up and laid her on the bed as he fell on top of her. Eve was shocked.

“Get off of me! GET OFF!” she screamed as she pounded on his chest.

Julian just stared down at her in confusion and rolled off of her as she shot up off the bed and grabbed the towel again to cover herself up.

“Eve, what is it?” he stood beside her as she was trying to catch her breath, “You’re acting as if I’m a total stranger; you’re acting as if you have no clue to who I am…why?”

“Ohh, honey, it’s not that,” she laughed as she tried to collect herself, “It’s just that…” she turned to face him, but she wasn’t staring back at his face.

Oh my God! Eve eyes came in contact with Julian’s manhood.

It seemed that he didn’t feel the need to put a towel on, so he was totally nude as he stood beside her.

“It’s just what, Eve?” he smiled as he raised her chin so that she was looking into his eyes instead of below his waist.

“I-uh, it’s not that I don’t know you, silly,” she swatted at him, “It’s just that I have some bad news,” she frowned.

“What?! What is it, dear?!” he caressed her cheek, “It’s not the cancer, is it?” Julian’s eyes began to water.

“No, no; like I said, I’m now in remission, but I did receive some instructions from Dr. Wade.” Eve slipped on her underwear as she informed Julian.

“Instructions? What kind of instructions?” Julian sat at the edge of the bed and grabbed Eve’s hands as she faced him.

“She said that we couldn’t…” Eve gave him a certain look, “…I think you know.”

“Oh, that’s nonsense,” he laughed and pulled Eve into his lap and began kissing her neck.

Eve felt that he wanted her; she felt his need for her between her thighs and realized that if she didn’t think fast that Julian would rip off the thin material prohibiting them from becoming one. Julian’s fingers slipped inside her underwear and felt her soft skin as they ran along the curve of her bottom. Eve jumped up at how her own sister’s husband was becoming more intimate with her.

God, is he always so touchy feely? Tc is never like this; not even before we make love.

“Ohh, do you know how difficult you’re making it for me to not take you right here, right now?” Julian moaned into her neck, as Eve’s sudden movement aroused him.

“We can’t, Julian! We just can’t!” she pleaded, “If we do…it could harm my remission,” she finally said, sighing with relief at the lie she came up with.

“No…” he shook his head, “It can’t be true,” Julian looked into her eyes with sadness in his, “For how long?”

“She said for…” Eve paused and then swallowed, “Two months?”

“Two months? How am I going to go for two months without laying a hand on you,” his hands squeezed her bottom, and then ran up her back, “How can I go two months without being deep inside you, darling…without enjoying the feel of your skin against mine?”

Us being one; our skin against one another? Never!

“I’m sorry, Julian,” she whispered and looked down, feeling slightly bad for this poor stranger in front of her.

“No, don’t be,” he lifted her chin and placed a kiss on her lips, “I wouldn’t want to do anything to jeopardize your recovery. Don’t blame yourself, okay dear?” Julian embraced her, “We’ll catch up on the things we’ve missed when the time is right.”

“Thank you, Julian.”

Eve pulled back and looked into Julian’s caring eyes and felt she needed to do something. Something to reward him for being so understanding, so she leaned forward and kissed Julian…and it was Eve’s tongue that delved into Julian’s mouth to investigate, to explore, to…

Eve suddenly felt Julian growing once again between her thighs, and that’s when she broke off the kiss.

“I think it would be wise if we’d stop now,” she smiled and ran a hand down his chest.

Eve then got off of Julian and walked to the drawer again to pull out her gown, and once she was about to walk into the bathroom to pull it on, Julian stopped her.

“I just wanted to say that I love you, darling,” he raised her hand to his lips and kissed it.

“I love you too…Julian,” she smiled and walked passed him and entered the bathroom; closing the door behind her as her back rested against it.
---

Two days later, Eve and Julian were in the Crane jet taking off for Harmony. He was sitting just a bit to close to her, so Eve scooted away. Julian cleared his throat.

“Is something bothering you today, Evelyn?”

She turned her head from the window to look at him.

“No, why do you ask?”

“Why do I ask?! Well, maybe because you haven’t let me come near you; you haven’t let me touch you once…”

“But Julian, remember…”

“Yes, yes, I remember, but you said we couldn’t make love, you never said one word about not touching. You never said I couldn’t hold you,” he sat next to her and pulled her close to him, “You never said I couldn’t kiss you,” Julian began kissing her neck.

He then raised his head from her neck and looked into her eyes and then inched his face closer until their lips met. Julian’s lips moved over hers, but stopped when he didn’t feel her respond to him.

“Am I doing something wrong?!” he stared back at her.

Eve looked to him and then stared at the floor. She didn’t know what to say; she didn’t know what excuse she could come up with so he wouldn’t be angry with her.

He finally stood and paced, and then came to a halt.

“Please tell me you’re not f***ing someone behind my back, Eve.”

Eve looked up then and was taken aback by his suggestion to why she was rejecting him.

“No, Julian…never,” she confessed.

“Then why do you flinch when I touch you? It’s almost as if you’re scared of me.”

“I’m not scared of you, honey,” she gave him a weak smile.

“So, when I do this,” he touched her cheek with his knuckles as his thumb caressed it, “Does that scare you?” and she shook her head, “And if I do this,” Julian kissed her chin and then kissed her bottom lip, “How do you feel when I’m this close?” he whispered just as his lips were hovering over hers.

She could feel the warmth of his breath on her lips as he spoke. She felt for this man, and was going to try her hardest to respond to him the way Evelyn would. It wasn’t so bad when he kissed her for the second time that day, but when his wandering hand made a grab for her chest, Eve jumped up and turned her back to him as she stood some distance from him.

“See, that’s what I’m talking about! I can’t even touch you the way I used to because you jump! What the hell is going on here, Eve?!”

“Nothing,” she whispered over her shoulder as she crossed her arms.

“Don’t give me that bull, there is something going on here, and you better figure it out fast before we get off this jet,” he turned on his heel and left the cabin, slamming the door behind him.

“I’m so sorry; I’m just so sorry,” she whispered as a tear fell from her eye.
---

Julian came back into the cabin an hour later, feeling like a big jerk. He didn’t know how he could be insensitive to his wife’s feelings and objections, but if Julian only knew. If he only knew that the woman he was traveling with wasn’t his wife.

Eve had fallen asleep on the little couch soon after Julian had left to the other room. Julian crouched next to her and stared down into her tear stained face.

“Eve, I’m sorry, darling,” he smoothed his hand over her hair, “I shouldn’t have acted that way; I should’ve been more receptive to your feelings, I just love you so,” he whispered and planted a kiss on her temple.

Eve stirred and stared up into his face.

“Julian?” she sat up, “I’m sorry,” Eve hugged him, “I should have considered what this is doing to you.”

Eve could’ve strangled her sister for getting her into this jam. Both she and Julian were suffering at the hands of her evil twin. Julian just wanted to have his wife, and Eve just wanted to go back to her simple life in California. She had had to take off from the hospital for two months; she didn’t know how she convinced them to still let her have her job once she’d return, but she did and she was happy and couldn’t wait to get back to her patients and one other person…Tc Russell, her fiancé. Tc was the sweetest man Eve had ever met in her life. She had met him during her residency at Los Angeles Medical Hospital. Eve hated lying to him, but that was the only way she was going to be able to leave him for that short time she’d be taking her sister’s place in Harmony. She and Tc had made love before she left, and she was craving his touch the minute she arrived in Houston. She didn’t even want to know how Tc would’ve reacted if he had found her in the uncompromising situations she was in with Julian. He would’ve killed Julian or any other man for that matter if they’d lay a finger on Eve! But as Eve’s mind played back to her intimate life with Tc and then to her recent time with Julian, she noticed how Tc didn’t touch her as much as Julian did…

“Eve, no darling, you don’t have anything to apologize for,” he clasped her hands, “Nothing to be sorry…”

“But I do,” she placed a finger over his lips, “I shouldn’t push you away, it’s just that…” Eve looked down, until he lifted her chin, “It’s just that I don’t want us to get carried away so we won’t put my recovery at risk; I want to be here forever and ever,” she hugged Julian close to her, “I want to stay in your arms forever, and grow old together with you. I don’t want something we could’ve prevented to stop us from being with each other,” she cried on cue as Julian hugged her even tighter.

“Oh, Eve you are something, you know? And that’s why I love you…I love you so much,” Julian kissed her shoulder and continued to hold her in his arms.
---

Eve and Julian were now on their way to the mansion in their limo.

“J.J. and Todd miss you and can’t wait to see you,” Julian gave his wife’s hand a squeeze.

“J.J.?” Eve asked.

I know there’s a Todd, but J.J.? I thought his name was also Julian.

“Julian Jr., darling, you remember? Are you sure everything’s okay? You seem a bit more nervous now that we’ve landed here in Harmony.”

“Oh, no, no; I don’t know what I was thinking. I guess I’m just a bit tired from the trip. I’m fine, I promise and I can’t wait to see Todd and A.J., J.J.,” Eve corrected herself in time.

Julian gave her a strange look and then smiled as he pulled her close.

“I think you’ve been gone for far too long,” he kissed the side of her head.

You have no idea…

Eve was busy looking out of the window as they continued to drive, when she failed to notice Julian slipping his hand under her skirt.

“You know,” he whispered as his hand squeezed the inside of her thigh, “I cannot wait until those two months are up,” his hand inched higher, as Eve began to sweat.

She didn’t know how much longer she could take him touching her, and it was as his finger extended and touched the silky material of her underwear between her thighs that Eve instinctively closed her legs to try and get him to pull his hand out from under there, but instead, trapped his warm, soft, strong hand where she desperately wished it wasn’t.

“Ohh, I see,” Julian slid his hand out and placed it on her shoulder, “You can’t wait either,” his hand then made it’s way down into the top of her shirt as his eyes were watching hers.

Eve was trying her hardest not to object to him, but as the limo came to a stop and as two young boys pounded on the tinted windows of the limo, did Julian bring his hand back to himself.

“Mom!” J.J. screamed.

“Mommy, mommy!” Todd yelled with a smile on his face.

Eve opened the door from the inside and stepped out, only to be attacked by a seven and six year old.

“Hi, boys! I missed you two!” she hugged both of them to her.

Oh my God, which one is which?

Julian stood back and admired his wife with their children.

“Well, Todd, aren’t you going to come and tell me hello?” Julian opened his arms wide.

And that’s when the light brown haired boy pulled from Eve and ran to Julian.

Okay! That’s Todd!

“J.J. honey, why don’t you go over and greet your father too,” she smiled down into his little face.

J.J. did as he was told and ran into Julian’s arms. And it was as Julian was visiting with his boys that the maid walked out and walked passed Eve.

“Uh, hello,” Eve smiled, but when Pilar just kept walking, Eve wondered if she had not spoken up and Pilar just didn’t hear her or she just chose to ignore her.

Pilar had grabbed the bags and was about to enter the house when Julian stopped her.

“Pilar, aren’t you going to greet Mrs. Crane?” he gave her a look.

She stared back at him and understood what that look meant, and then she turned to Eve…

“Señora,” she nodded then turned and entered the house.

Eve found that very peculiar, and wondered what that was all about, but Julian brought her out of her thoughts as he placed his hand on her back and escorted her inside the mansion. She was taken aback by what she saw; she had never seen a house so big and so elegant. Eve was looking up as she followed the staircase and was trying to recall which room was hers, when a cocker spaniel ran up to her ankles and started jumping up for Eve to pet her. She bent down and picked up the little dog and began petting it. Eve had loved dogs, but when she was young her parents never allowed them to have one.

“That’s strange,” Julian started, “Cookie never comes near you, and I thought you were allergic to dogs?” he stared back confused.

That was the reason they could never have dogs when she was younger. Eve was never allergic to dogs and cats, but her sister had always been; something to do with their fur.

This is getting too crazy; how did she not think to tell me about the boys or the pets they had…God, what else am I in for?

“I-uh, I know it’s odd, but I don’t feel strange being around Cookie,” she looked to the dog, “Why would it be weird, huh?” she talked sweetly to the dog, “Aww, you’re too cute,” Eve laughed as Cookie began licking her face.

“Can I take over Cookie’s job?” Julian whispered seductively into Eve’s ear.

Eve was about to answer when the boys came back into the room with a gift for their mother.

“Oh, what’s this?!” Eve said excitedly as she set Cookie down.

“We got you a present because we missed you,” J.J. answered.

“That’s so sweet!” she began unwrapping the gift.

It was a picture of the boys and Julian.

“It’s a picture of us with dad,” Todd added, “So, you can take us along on your trips,” he smiled.

“Aw, boys, come here,” she bent down to Todd and J.J., “Thank you; I love it!”

The phone then rang and Pilar informed Julian that it was for him, so he took it.

“Darling, I have a gift for you too, but I want to give it to you in private,” he said as he covered the mouth piece of the receiver, “Why don’t you wait for me in the library,” he pointed towards the opposite direction Eve was facing.

She was grateful that he had done that, because she had no idea where anything was.

Eve nodded and began walking towards the library and entered. She noticed the family pictures on Julian’s desk and picked one up. She set that one down and picked up another. In all the pictures, Evelyn never seemed to smile; she always had on a serious face. Eve wondered why.

Julian was still talking on the phone with one of his associates when Pilar opened the door to his best friend of eighteen years. Julian smiled and waved for his friend to come in.

“Guess who’s home?” Julian whispered.

David shrugged.

“Eve, go in and say ‘hello,’ I’ll be there in a minute,” Julian nodded his head towards the library.

When David entered Eve was looking at the books Julian had, and didn’t bother turning around since she had assumed it was him. She felt someone close to her from behind. David then kissed the back of her neck…

“So, where’s that gift you were talking about, Julian?” she smiled.

“I don’t know what gift Julian was going to give you, but I can give you mine right here…right now,” he whispered into her ear and then nipped at it.

“Oh my God, who are you?!” Eve gasped and pulled away from him.

“Who am I?” he scoffed, “Who am I? Oh, Baby, that’s a funny game you’re playing,” he laughed and then pulled Eve to him, “Come on, we can have a quickie before Julian makes it in here,” he grinned.

Eve then shoved him away from her in disgust.

“Listen, I don’t know what kind of game ‘we’ were playing before my trip, but get this straight…‘we’re’ through!”

David began laughing and stepped closer to Eve.

“Through? Ha! Baby, you can’t get enough of me,” his arms snaked around her.

Eve wasn’t having it this time so she kicked him in the shin with the pointed toe of her high heel.

“God, what is your problem?!” he screamed as he hopped on one leg holding his shin.

“I warned you, and believe me next time it won’t be in the shin where I kick you!” she threatened, “You won’t even be able to function once I get through with you, you son of a b*tch!” Eve walked around him and was about to exit the library to go to her room and wait for Julian there instead, but just as she was leaving, Julian walked in and saw his friend in pain.

“What’s going on here? David, what happened?”

“Oh nothing, nothing. I just bumped my leg into that table over there,” he laughed as his eyes met Eve’s angry ones.

“Julian, honey,” Eve walked up to him, “I think I’m going to go up and take a nap; I’m a bit jet-lagged,” she kissed his lips, parting them with her tongue, and finally pulled from him when hers made contact with his, “I’ll see you later,” she kissed his cheek, turned, and left.

Julian was a bit surprised by Eve’s forwardness, but he didn’t hate it; it actually turned him on…there was something different about her kisses. Maybe it was that she had been away from him for just too long.
---

Eve made her way to their room and investigated a bit before she fell asleep upon the bed. Two and a half hours later, Eve was woken by tiny little fingers prying open her eyelids.

“Hmm, what?” she stirred.

“Mom, are you awake?” Todd knelt over her and stared down into Eve’s brown blinking eyes.

“Well, now I am,” she laughed, “What are you two doing?”

“What are you two doing in here?” Julian demanded from the doorway, “You know you’re not allowed in this bedroom,” he raised a brow.

“We just wanted to visit with mommy,” Todd said as his lips quivered.

“And who made up that dumb rule?” Eve pulled Todd into her lap and put an arm around Julian Jr.

“Why you made up that ‘dumb’ rule, dear.”

“I did? Oh, I did, well, we can just throw that rule out; from now on, you two can come in here anytime you want, is that understood?” she kissed her boys on their cheeks.

“Well, not anytime,” Julian grinned as his eyes stayed on Eve’s.

Eve ignored Julian and stood up and began walking to the door to go downstairs, but Julian stopped her.

“Boys, why don’t you go and wash up for dinner and we’ll meet you downstairs for dinner.”

“Okay,” they answered simultaneously.

“Julian, why don’t you want me to go down just yet?”

“Because my love, I want you to open my present in private,” he walked over to the closet and retrieved the beautifully wrapped box.

“Ooh, what can it be,” Eve shook the box.

“Just open the darn thing,” Julian laughed.

Eve did as Julian said and pulled out a sky blue lace chiffon babydoll. She held it up by the spaghetti straps and noticed how sheer it was, but not only was it practically see-through, but it split down the middle where it tied between her breasts. Eve then looked down when she saw that there was still something else in the box and pulled out a pair of string bikini matching underwear.

“Thank you? But what am I supposed to do with this?” she asked, still looking at the sleepwear in her hands; her face reddening by the second.

“Darling, you know what it’s for,” he pulled her to him.

“But Julian, you remember…” Eve gulped.

“Yes, I remember everything, and that’s why I had this purchased for you,” he held her tighter, “Just because we can’t make love, doesn’t mean I can’t desire you, right?” he nibbled at her neck.

“But…”

“No ‘buts’ about it,” Julian whispered before he captured Eve’s lips with his.

Eve tried to pull away, but found herself trapped in Julian’s arms. His hands pushed her lower half into him to mold them better, and it was as Julian’s hands slid down to her backside that Eve wrapped her arms around his neck.

“I’ll let you wash up before dinner,” he said as he pulled from her, “I’ll see downstairs, darling,” Julian pressed another kiss to her lips and left.

Eve sat at the edge of the bed and shook her head.

“Ohh, Tc, please forgive me; this is all just an act I have to put on for another two months, and then we can get married,” she sighed to herself, “He does kiss pretty well,” Eve admitted to herself aloud, “No, no, God, what am I thinking? Tc is the only one I should be thinking about kissing; he’s my fiancé. Julian is just a nice man…yeah, that’s it, that’s all it is…” she convinced herself.
---

Dinner had gone pretty good, except for the whole “Pilar being rude,” but everything else seemed nice. And now it was time for bed, and Eve was nervous as could be.

“I’ll be up in a minute,” Julian pulled out the chair for Eve.

“Okay,” she simply said and stood.

Eve walked up the stairs behind the boys and followed them into their joining bedroom.

“Mom, what are you doing in here?” J.J. asked curiously.

“I’m here to tuck you guys in,” she shooed him to his bed.

“But, you never do that…Pilar does.”

“Well, from now on I am,” she ruffled his hair.

“YAY!” the boys cheered, just as Pilar walked through the door.

“Now what is this noise all abo…” Pilar halted as she came face to face with Eve, “Uh, Señora, that won’t be necessary; I’ll tuck the boys in,” she stepped towards J.J.’s bed, but stopped when Eve spoke.

“No, no, that’s fine; from now on, I will be the one who the boys see last for the night. Thank you, Pilar, you’ve been most helpful,” she turned back to J.J. and Todd.

“But, Señor Crane always…”

“THANK YOU, PILAR!” Eve hollered over her shoulder.

Pilar got the picture and left them alone in the room. Never had Señora Evelyn taken the time out to spend it with the boys. There was something strange about the missus; it was almost as if she were a different person…
---

Eve now found herself alone in her bedroom. She looked to the bed and saw the “gift” Julian had bought her. Did he really expect her to put it on? No, she wasn’t going to put it on; she would just go in the closet and find something more suitable, something more appropriate for bed. But as Eve began walking to her closet, Julian came in and smiled at her.

“Darling, where are you going?” Julian eyed the sleepwear he had purchased that was still on the bed.

“Oh, I’m just going to look for something to wear.”

“But you already have something to wear,” Julian walked over to the garment that was still in the box, “Do you not like it,” he asked as he picked it up.

Eve then walked over to him and took it out of his hands.

“Yes, it’s very beautiful…”

“Put it on.”

“Al—right,” she said slowly as she turned to walk to the bathroom, but Julian caught her arm.

“No,” he whispered into her ear, “Put it on out here, where I can see you,” Julian kissed her face as his hands ran up and down her arms.

“Right here?”

Julian nodded.

“Please, Eve…please,” he kissed her hand.

The nights that they were in Houston, Julian had noticed how Eve never changed in front of him. She’d always go to the bathroom to put on her clothes, and he missed her. He missed how she looked, how she felt, how she tasted…

“Okay,” Eve said as she began unbuttoning her blouse.

She then turned around so that Julian wouldn’t be able to see her front side, but Julian wasn’t having that either. Julian turned her back around to him.

“Ju-l-ian,” she whispered as she began shaking her head.

“Shh,” he slipped her blouse off of her shoulders, “I want to see you,” he stared seductively into her eyes.

Julian then sat at the edge of the bed and watched as Eve reached in the back for the zipper on her skirt. Eve’s breathing became erratic as her eyes never left Julian’s and as her clothes fell to the ground; one piece after another. She then reached for the clasp at the back of her bra and unhooked it. It too slipped right off her arms and onto the floor. Eve reached over for the top she was to wear, but Julian once again stopped her.

“Wait,” he said breathlessly, “I want to see you; I want to feel you,” Julian pulled her closer to him as he stayed seated.

Eve stood there right in front of Julian as his left arm snaked around her, while his right hand smoothed its way up the middle of her abdomen to the middle of her breasts. His hand found her breast and cupped it, and it was when Julian began kneading it that Eve closed her eyes as she leaned into him. Julian’s mouth then covered Eve’s aroused nipple and began suckling it…and that’s when Eve placed a knee at either side of Julian’s hips and knelt in front of Julian on the bed to give him better access to her. Eve didn’t know what made her lose control, but as soon as Julian began kissing her breasts, Eve just had to have him closer to her; near her bare skin. Eve’s hands didn’t know where to stay; at one moment they were gripping his shoulders and the next they were pulling handfuls of Julian’s hair. Julian’s fingers were scraping down Eve’s back…

“Eve…God, Eve, I’ve missed you so,” Julian moaned as he hugged her to him, “I want you so much, oh, I need you, but I know we better stop,” he said just as he placed a kiss on her bellybutton.

Eve snapped out of her little trance and found herself in Julian’s lap with just her underwear on. God, how did she get into these odd positions with him? She quickly jumped off of him and threw on her outfit Julian bought, but even with that on, Eve felt as if she were still without clothes. She ignored Julian’s stares and walked over to their bed and pulled the covers back, and got in, pulling the covers over her up to her chin. Julian simply laughed, and then started disrobing. He first kicked off his shoes, and then he undid his tie and hung it over the back of the chair; he then unbuttoned his shirt and slipped it off, placing it with his tie. Eve then heard his zipper being unzipped. She picked up her head and looked to him. Julian was staring right at her as he pulled down his pants to his ankles and stepped out of them. Now he was just left wearing his boxers; Eve’s gaze never left his body. And Julian pulled them down and stepped out of them also when Eve suddenly objected…

“Julian, what are you doing?!” she sat up in bed; never taking her eyes off of Julian.

“Darling, you know I always sleep in the nude when we are here at home,” he grinned and slipped in beside her.

“Yes, yes; it must’ve slipped my mind,” she rolled to her side so that her back was to him.

Suddenly she felt him up against her…

“Since we can’t make love, you don’t mind that I hold you during the night, do you?” he kissed the back of her neck as his arms went around her.

“No,” Eve whispered and closed her eyes.

“Good…well, goodnight my love,” Julian turned out the lights and pulled her closer to him.

“Goodnight.”

A million things were going through Eve’s mind at that moment. Why had she let Julian do whatever he wanted to her? And how was it that she was getting swept up in these strange feelings for him? She hardly even knew the man, but only for about a week; not even a week. She had to stop! Julian isn’t anything that belongs to her. He is her sister’s husband…where was her sister by the way? She never mentioned to Eve just where she was going.

Eve’s fingers raked through the hairs on Julian’s arms; they tickled her stomach, but at the same time, they made her feel hot. Everything about Julian was making Eve feel tingly all over…especially the throbbing member tucked against her backside.

“I love you,” he breathed into her neck.

“I love you too,” she said and smiled without even thinking.

‘I love you too?’ Oh my God, what am I thinking? I cannot love him, it’s impossible!

Both Eve and Julian drifted off to sleep, wrapped up in each other’s arms.
---

The next morning Eve woke up and looked over to Julian. He was on his back and still sleeping. She then quietly and gently picked up her hand and placed it on his chest. Julian stirred and moved around a bit, but fell back to sleep, so Eve continued to touch and explore Julian’s upper body. Her hand had ran down just below his bellybutton and stopped just above the cover. She glanced back at Julian to see if he had woken up, but when she saw that he was still asleep, she decided to go for it, so she ever so lightly slipped the covers down, and inched them lower to Julian’s thighs…

“Find anything of interest to you down there, Eve?” he smiled as he folded the pillow behind his head.

“Huh? What?” Eve yelped as she covered Julian back up, “I was just…I was just looking for the remote,” she said, remembering her room in her house back in Los Angeles.

“The remote? The remote to what?” he looked around the room.

And that’s when Eve realized that there was no TV in the room.

“You know, I was thinking that we were still in the hotel room,” she blushed, knowing that she got caught, “Well, I’m going to go shower,” she swung her legs over to the side of the bed and stood.

“You know what I think?” Julian said and waited for Eve to turn around, “I was thinking…God, you look so good, Eve,” he shook himself out of his sinful thoughts and continued, “I think you desire me,” he knelt on the bed and crawled to her, “I think you want my body,” he said with a sexy voice, “And that’s why you were touching me and looking…”

“Get over yourself,” Eve laughed and pushed him back on the bed.

Julian heard the bathroom door close as he continued to lie there in bed. A thought came to him. He was going to join Eve in the shower; he just had to wait a few more minutes for her to undress, because he knew if he’d go in there before, she wouldn’t allow him in the shower with her.

But just as he was about to walk to the bathroom, Pilar knocked on the door and informed him that he was needed on the phone, so he slipped on his robe and answered it downstairs in the library.
---

Three weeks had gone by and Eve was getting used to her new life with Julian and the boys…and she loved it! She was now outside by the pool in her bikini, stretched out on a towel. Julian had just come home from the office when he noticed his beautiful wife lying out by the pool, so he decided to go out there. He stood above her, but she didn’t even notice for she had her sunglasses on and her eyes were closed. He smiled…this was too perfect.

On the inside, Pilar was dusting the wooded Venetian blinds, but at the same time she was watching both Eve and Julian.

Julian grabbed his briefcase by the handle and by the back and held it out flat in front of him, also a few feet to the side of Eve’s head, and dropped it causing a loud noise. Eve screamed and shot up so fast from fright when she heard that loud noise in her ear, and Julian just fell to the ground laughing uncontrollably.

“DAMNIT! Julian you scared me half to death!” she held her chest as she stared at him rolling around laughing, “Oh you think it’s funny, do you?” she jumped on him and began playfully hitting him.

Julian then grabbed her and pulled her on top of him.

“I’m sorry, darling,” he laughed, “But you should’ve seen your face.” He looked up to her as she sat on him, straddling his waist.

Pilar smiled from inside at the happiness she saw in Julian and his wife. It reminded her somewhat of his marriage to Ivy before she died, but Pilar didn’t know why. She also didn’t know why Evelyn didn’t seem the same from before the trip.

Pilar looked up again when she heard a splash outside. Apparently Julian had thrown Eve into the pool and was waiting for her to come back up…but, Eve wasn’t coming up to the surface.

“No, Julian don’t…I don’t know how to…” were Eve’s last words before she began to panic.

Eve waved her hands around and paddled her feet, but none of that was helping her make her way to the surface. Her eyes were closed the whole time, but she decided that she would have to open them even if she didn’t have goggles to protect them; her life was more important then eye sight, so she opened them. When she opened them, she saw the steps at the other end of the pool through hazy blue colored water. Maybe, just maybe she could make it over there and get out, but she had to do it fast because she was running out of air faster than she thought. Eve began moving her body, but she wasn’t moving. Having her eyes opened, the chlorine began stinging them, so she closed them and opened them again and saw an air bubble, which had escaped her nose, rise to the top. Eve needed to breathe, but she knew what would happen if she took a breath. She couldn’t do it; she wasn’t going to give up this fast, but it was getting too hard. With her mouth closed, Eve swallowed; she knew this was it…

God, please help me…Julian…

Eve couldn’t take it anymore, so she took a deep breath, and as she felt the water enter her lungs, she began choking, and her instincts took over and she began coughing, but that just made her take in more water. Although it hurt to let go; it also had felt good…she didn’t have to fight anymore…

“Eve, come on, stop playing around,” Julian laughed seconds later as he watched her beneath the water.

Eve’s body then started rising to the surface and she laid flat across the water facing downward.

“Okay, Eve, that’s enough; you got me back for scaring you…now stop playing around and come out,” he stared at Eve’s motionless body.

Julian then realized the Eve wasn’t playing.

“Sh*t!” he said as he threw aside his briefcase and dove in.

Pilar had seen the whole thing from inside and came running out to see Julian turn Eve up and carry her to the side of the pool.

“Pilar! Pilar, come here! Hold her, so I can get her,” Julian screamed.

Pilar did as she was told and held Eve’s lifeless body as Julian lifted himself out of the water. He then took over and pulled Eve’s body out and laid it flat on the concrete.

“Oh God, Eve, I thought you were joking,” he cried, “Eve, please wake up…please,” he begged.

“Señor, she’s not breathing; I have to do CPR on her. Go call the paramedics!” Pilar yelled, feeling weird about giving orders.

Julian listened and saw that his cell phone had fallen out of his pocket and picked it up and dialed 911 and watched as Pilar lifted Eve’s chin to clear out her airways. She then followed the outline of Eve’s ribcage to the middle of her chest where they met and with the palm of her hands she started doing the compressions.

“One, two, three,” Pilar said aloud as she pumped Eve’s chest.

Julian then got off the phone with the 911 operator and watched as Pilar worked on his wife.

When Eve didn’t respond, Pilar did it three more times, and finally Eve started coughing. Pilar then turned Eve on her side and Eve started coming to and began spitting out more water.

“Eve, Eve, darling, God, I’m so sorry,” he cried and wrapped her in a towel, “The ambulance is on its way…I’m so sorry.”

Eve looked into his eyes as she still coughed and saw how scared he was.

“Don’t let me go, Julian…just hold me,” she wrapped an arm around him, “I was so scared,” she cried as her body trembled in his arms.