Page 120 of The Charmer

He was getting red in the face. Kyle loved appearances more than anything else. And this made him look really bad.

Movement out of the corner of my eye caught my attention. Julian was walking up to us.

"Problem?" he asked.

"You two are fucking unbelievable!" Kyle exclaimed. I thought he might push more, but apparently the public humiliation was enough for him, as he turned on his heel and left.

Julian looked down at me, concern etched on his features. "Babe, are you okay? Sorry, I didn't even realize he'd come up to you.”

"I'm perfect, actually. It feels so good to get things off my chest."

His face transformed into a smile. "You were spectacular."

I gasped. "You heard me?"

"The entire party heard you, but that's okay. That jackass fully deserves it. I think people are starting to get the picture of what Kyle and Beau Deveraux are all about."

"I think so too. And you know what? His presence didn't bother me one bit."

"You mean that?" Julian asked, caressing my jaw.

"I nodded. "Yeah, I truly do. And I have you to thank for that."

"No, babe. You're always strong. He just made you forget that."

"Anyway, I want to repay you."

"How?"

"With some dancing and then later... oh. Nothing later, because I need to get to bed early tonight. I've got an early morning tomorrow. I'm getting a delivery."

"We'll negotiate later," Julian said, taking my hand and leading me over to where the band had set up.

He hadn't exaggerated. The music was truly exquisite at the Landry party. They played jazz, but also a lot of other genres. It was always rhythmic, always perfect for dancing, and I congratulated myself for wearing flat shoes.

By the time Julian drove me home, it was truly late in the evening. I was almost asleep when we arrived at my house.

"Are you sure you don't want me to stay?" he asked.

"No, because I've got a super early morning, and you tend to keep me up all night."

He grinned. "I can be on my best behavior."

I narrowed my eyes at him playfully. "Nah, I don't trust you to keep that promise."

He shrugged. "Just as well. I don't really trust myself either, to be honest." He interlaced our fingers and kissed the back of my hand. "I had fun today."

"Yeah, me too. I have to say, you were really good with that whole 'big house, white picket fence' description." I felt my heart grow just remembering it.

Julian barked out a laugh. "I can't even believe that myself. I managed to make that up on the spot."

My heart shrank instantly.

"It was bizarre," he continued. "I never think about the future in the first place.”

Crap, why had I thought he'd meant it? And why was I feeling so disappointed that it had all been make-believe?

Probably because I'd loved what he’d described. I could see myself at his side forever.

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