Page 62 of The Charmer

"That's not what I meant."

"Julian, why are you insisting on this?"

He sighed. "I don't know. I can't help myself."

It sounded more like a confession that it was completely out of his control.

"I’m really grateful that you’re keeping an eye out for me, but I'm good. I can take care of myself."

"Doesn't sound like it."

He could be so infuriating. "Are you always this insistent?"

"No. I make an exception for you because you're special."

"How so?"

"That's something else I can't explain."

Yep, I was getting lightheaded again. Maybe it wasn't the lilac. Maybe it was Julian. Or a combination of the two.

"For the party," I said, deciding to change topics, "should we figure out more details? In case anyone gets nosy about us?"

"Don’t worry about it. No one will care enough to ask questions."

"Okay."

"But you do know more about me than I know about you," he said.

"That's not true. You've told me a lot about your family," I teased, "but not yourself. What do you like? What do you hate? Why did you even decide to take over the bar business? Why do you keep expanding it when you've got so many already? Sounds like a ton of work."

"I'm an ambitious person. I want to make my mark on the Orleans Conglomerate, which is not as easy as you’d think. My grandparents and sometimes even my dad put up a fight every time I want to open something new."

"Why?"

"They’re afraid we might overwork ourselves. Besides, my brothers and I are pushing to expand past Louisiana into other hotspots like New York, London, and so on."

"That makes a lot of sense."

"Next time you see my grandmothers, tell them that."

"Ah, so, first Beckett and now me to do your dirty work. Is it my imagination, or can you not handle your grandmothers?"

Julian laughed. "No one can handle them, trust me. But over the years, I've learned that the secret to making headway with the grandmothers is by taking baby steps.”

"Right..." I paused a moment, thinking. "Sorry to sound like a broken record, but are you sure we shouldn’t have a story or something? Or just generally know more details about each other?”

“I can’t imagine anyone being intrusive enough to ask if you know those things about me.”

He'd caught me there. I wanted to know, but I couldn't admit that to him. It would basically mean admitting that I'd been enjoying our pretend kisses and dancing too much.

"I’m not sure, Julian. People can be nosy.”

“I’m very good at telling them to mind their own business.”

Damn. I had to get creative if I wanted to know more about him.

“I'll think about some more questions for the party, then."

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