6 He Who Longs to Hear Her Voice

One week.

One week had passed since a man named Duncan McLaren invaded her thoughts and her subconsciousness.

Julie should be happy that he hasn't shown himself since then, but no. The man had to make sure she never forget him.

Jane dropped by the following morning with a basket full of baked goodies.

"Duncan sent them, dear," she had said while putting all the yummy cookies away. "Nikky and Cloud must have said something to my nephew. He is in Dublin right now though."

Julie could only nod because her two rascals shouted glee when they saw the chocolate cake that Jane had unpacked.

Then there were the small gifts that were delivered to them.

Her kids got crayons, colored pencils, and several drawing notebooks ~ she was horrified at how much the brands cost when she looked them up online. Those were delivered the second day he was not around.

Then the toys.

Three boxes of Lego tech for Claude with a note, "When I get back, let's build it together." Three more plushies for Nicole. With the number of stuffed toys she has, they may need another bed for them.

And her?

A new Kindle, with a paid KU subscription, and books. Not just any books, it was a collection of books from her favorite author, signed with dedication.

Irritating? Not really. But it did bother her. After all, the one meal they had shared in her home could not be called a date, right? Like, how can that be a date when they just meet that same day?

Julie was not sure what Duncan wanted from her.

Sex? Maybe.

But sex with her? Not likely.

Julie was what one would call a BBW, Big Beautiful Woman, it was a euphemism for an overweight woman. Which she was. Although, she had controlled her food intake because of health reasons. She was still big.

So what was his game?

Julie could not help but remember the ex.

Yes, he was not going to be HER ex, but THE ex. Just like what Duncan had been doing, he showered her kids with gifts whenever he was around, giving false promises.

Promises, that eventually were broken. Leaving her to answer why their father did not fulfill his words.

No, not all men were like THE ex. Generalizing will not be good for her. She was never the kind to lump a group of people together based on how they treated her. She was not about to start now.

Still.

He was rich. He was stunning.

He was THE Duncan McLaren.

The most well-known hotelier and businessman in the whole world. He was the CEO of the most famous chain of hotels in Europe. He was also a silent partner in several restaurants that were scattered throughout the globe.

So why the interest in her?

Julie bumped her head on her work table several times, before looking up at the night sky. For once, it was not cloudy, and from her view, she could see the stars shining like diamonds in the sky. Even without her glasses, they looked beautiful.

She had never seen so many stars before. So, when they arrived at The Belle, the first thing the three of them did was look at the night sky.

It was humbling. It was the most beautiful thing they had seen.

Her phone rang, and she answered right away, not wanting to wake her children up.

There was only one person who would be calling her this time of the night though, so Julie did not bother to check the number.

"You are supposed to be preparing your kids' food, tol. What's up?"

There was silence at the other end of the line,

"Tol?"

"I'm' no' sure if I should be jealous or laugh that you did no' bother to look at who was calling you."

Hearing the man's voice made her sat up and look at her phone. "Duncan?"

"Ah, so you remembered my name," there was that brogue again. It made her insides all mushy and tingly.

"Who are you again?" Julie asked, a small smile on her lips when the man let out a heartfelt laugh.

"Lass, calling you was the best decision I have made."

"Why? Made a lot of bad decisions lately?" Julie asked.

"More likely, pissed off some people who no' using their brains," he replied. The irritation could be heard in his voice.

"Hmmm," was Julie's only reply, as she stood up and lay on her bed to get comfortable.

"I'm I disturbing you?" He asked.

"No, I was just making myself comfortable," was her reply reaching for one of her pillows.

Julie heard him groan, "Lass, don't make me imagine things."

She laughed and replied, "It's not my fault that you are imagining them."

"I'm a man, lass. Not some boy who would only use your voice for the sheer pleasure of it."

Julie's face heated. Damn this man. How can his voice send shivers down her spine? And this was the first time they talked over the phone.

"Seriously, Duncan?"

"What?" He replied,

"I can imagine the smile you have on right now," Julie replied dryly.

"You canno' blame me, lass. You are a beautiful woman."

"Man, Dunc, you are laying it on thick," Julie said trying not to laugh out loud.

"You are thick in some places, lass. I would love to explore those, so I think, the thicker the better."

She couldn't help it she laughed, and the man on the other end of the line smiled.

Julie could not remember the last time she laugh with such a sound. Oh, the implication of their words was not funny, but she was used to people hitting on her that laughing it off was second nature.

"Hmmm," Duncan began, "even your laugh sounds sexy."

"Good grief, Duncan. You can stop now. Flattery will not get you anywhere near my bed," Julie replied.

"Your bed? Why would I want to be in your bed when mine is bigger and more comfortable?"

"More room to roll around?"

He groaned again, "Lass."

Both of them were silent for a while, then:

"What do you want, Duncan?" Julie quietly asked.

There was silence at the other end of the line.

Julie was nerve for the one when it came to games. For her, emotional games were fools that were not sure of what they wanted. She was too old to be in the dating and flirting game.

"You."

Direct and straightforward. She was expecting something sexy, but not the blunt truth.

"Do you think that gifts will gain you points?" Julie asked.

"Point? I am no' here to play games, Julie," irritation was in his words. "They are given in hopes of making you and the kids smile."

Julie winced, trust her to make a big deal of something small. But, can he blame her?

"I'm..."

"No', lass. You have nothing to apologize for," he cut in.

Julie heard him sigh deeply. She could only imagine what he looked like. His tall frame must be on a sofa with his head resting on the back of it.

"Gifts are okay, Duncan. But it sends mixed signals to the kids," she softly said. "I do not know you well enough. I am not even sure if they will see you again."

"I do not break promises, lass. I fully intend to honor them."

"I know you will, but you have to be in their shoes, Duncan. They are kids, my kids. They had their hearts broken so many times, and empty promises like yours..."

"I was fulfilling my word, lass."

Silence, then, "Heh?"

"I gave them my word, lass. I am simply honoring them."

"What exactly happened?"

Silence.

"Duncan..."

"Promise me not to ground them then I will tell you how we met," was his reply.

"I'm not going to like this, am I?"

"No..."

She never should have asked.