Page 30 of Heartless Pucker in Love

I had no idea why that simple message made me smile. He’d been away on yet another business meeting. Something about coming to a final agreement for some advertising deal. He had a manager, but he insisted on taking part in almost everything behind the scenes. That was smart of him. I bet he couldn’t trust too many people to do right by him when so much money was involved. I walked to the door of my suite to open it.

“Hey, my favorite hippie.”

I smiled again. Learning that the nicknames Julian had ever given me were never meant as an insult made me accept them warmly. Maybe a little too warmly... “I’m the only one you know.” Instead of glaring or biting his head off as usual, I actually joined in on his foolishness. We kept flirting with each other, and I knew I should have been worried. He was dangerously close to charming my panties off. I kept having these moments of intense desire around him where I wanted him to just grab me and kiss me again like that time in my room. The fantasies didn’t stop at kissing. We went further. Way further, like mind-blowing orgasms further. I really needed to stop thinking about him in that way.

Grinning, he gave me a once-over in my embroidered maxi skirt. The look was smoldering enough to make me combust. Oh, my God. What was happening here? Sometimes the flirting was so subtle, I barely caught it. But other times, like now, it was so in my face, my heart did somersaults.

“True,” he agreed, “but you're still my favorite.”

Feeling heat spread into my face, I shifted under his hot gaze. “What’s up? Do you need something?” His wounds were healing nicely. I didn’t even have to clean and bandage them anymore. In fact, I barely did anything but provide company.

His gaze dropped once again to my feet, hidden by my skirt and back up. “What I need is…”

I gulped because the way he was looking at me, I was convinced he’d say, “you.”

“For you to come over to my room tonight.”

“Huh?” My eyes widened and my lips parted. Okay, that was bold.

“For dinner.”

Oh. My face burned hotter. I felt so stupid. Why on Earth would Julian blatantly invite me to his room for sex? And why was I so disappointed that he didn’t? Groaning inwardly, I met his gaze. “Um...why?”

He huffed. “Do I need a reason other than to make sure you have a nice meal?”

“I have great meals alone in my suite. Room service is the shit.”

He chuckled. “True, but I brought you something special.”

My brows popped up. “Oh?”

“I wanted to take you to my favorite restaurant in the city. The food there is incredible. But, I didn’t want to ask you out because I knew you’d say no.” He shrugged. “Plus, on the off chance you said yes, the night would have been ruined because someone would start snapping pictures and you’d be pissed so I decided to bring the restaurant to you.”

I gawked at him for a moment. Did he say ask me out? Surely, he meant as friends or whatever we were. “You wanted to go on a date?” I mentally facepalmed myself. Why would I ask him that?

He rocked back on his heels. “I mean, I guess it would be a date but not like...you know...a date-date.”

My brows dipped.

He looked skyward and sighed. “Jesus, April, I wanted to have dinner with you. What’s the big deal? We both have to eat.”

I nodded. Essentially, it wouldn’t have been a date among two people who were attracted to each other. Just a we’ve- known-each-other-forever-let's-grab-a-bite-to-eat kind of thing. Understood. “Yeah, okay. I’ll be there. Give me twenty minutes?”

“Perfect.” He smiled and turned to walk to his room.

Blowing out a breath, I closed my eyes. Why did I have to make everything so awkward?

* * *

I knocked softly on Julian’s door. He opened it, and I was hit with his smile. The one that I was sure melted many panties. Mine were certainly threatening to go up in flames. I swallowed, wishing I could make this severe case of growing attraction go away. Julian and I were just a bad idea. He wasn’t for me. I wasn’t for him...no matter how well we’d started getting along.

“Hey.” I smiled.

“Come in.” He stepped aside.

I smoothed a hand over my loose wavy hair and mentally scolded myself. It didn’t matter how I looked. This wasn’t a date. We were just in his hotel suite for goodness’s sake. I hardly needed to look glamorous. That’s why I opted to throw on a casual dress and my silly house slippers that had a bunch of flowers on the front.

“Nice footwear.” Julian grinned.

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