Page 31 of Heartless Pucker in Love

“Shut up,” I muttered but smiled back. “What? Did you expect me to wear come fuck me heels?” My mouth snapped shut. I just said that out loud, didn’t I? I’d gotten so comfortable with our banter that I totally said that out loud.

Julian raised a brow and studied my feet as if he was picturing me in a pair of sexy heels.

He opened his mouth and I quickly said, “Not a word.” Julian closed his mouth but wore a wicked smirk. I knew he was going to say something completely inappropriate, then I’d tell him he was being immature, and we’d start to bicker. I couldn’t have that because I was hungry and the aroma wafting from the dining area made my mouth water. I glanced at the table and was surprised by the sight. It was a replica of any five-star restaurant setup. A white tablecloth covered the table. There was a beautiful floral centerpiece that made me smile. All of my favorite flowers were included. Surrounding the centerpiece were various dishes with metal covers. Two bottles of red wine were present. There were even napkins with fancy scribbles on them. It was probably the name of the restaurant he mentioned.

“The restaurant delivers?” I asked him over my shoulder.

“Nope. They don’t offer take-out.”

“Yet you got the tablecloth, the dish covers, and the napkins from said restaurant.”

“A very hefty tip can get you favors.” He gestured to a chair then hurried to pull it back for me.

My lips parted. It seemed as if he’d gone through a lot of trouble. I sat and watched him warily as he took the seat beside me. “Julian.”

He looked at me with a smile.

“I thought you said this was no big deal.”

He froze. “It isn’t…” Settling, he turned to me. “Relax, I just thought this would be a nice gesture. A thank-you dinner.”

“To thank me for what?”

“Being my patient, long-suffering nurse.”

My eyes widened. “The insane amount of money you’re paying me isn’t thanks enough?”

His lips quired at the corners. “No amount of money is worth listening to me bitch and moan about the handicap of wearing this thing.” He lifted his left hand with the cast and grinned. “Or me whining about not being able to have alcohol because I’m on meds.”

“Or being a big baby when I’m dressing you boo-boos?” I gave him a huge toothy grin.

He gave me a mock scowl but amusement shone in his gorgeous blues. “She always has jokes but, sure, that too.”

My giggles floated around the room. I giggled in his presence. Oh, God. I let out a breath and rubbed my palms together. “Well, if this is an appreciation dinner, then you’re welcome. Let’s dig in, Grayson. I’m starving.”

15

JULIAN

My smile refused to go away. It had been plastered there since April stepped into my suite. It grew with everything she said and did. My boner, hidden by the tablecloth, grew along with my smile, but I tried not to think about it. When she took a bite of Lasagne alla Bolognese, closed her eyes with a look of sheer pleasure, and moaned, I almost moaned right along with her.

“Oh, my God, Julian, this is delicious.”

My smile slipped a little as I reached for my glass of wine and took a huge gulp. Did she have to make those sounds? Did she have to call my name like that? Now all I could imagine was April moaning, “Oh, my God, Julian,” in that same breathy tone. Only, it wouldn’t be because of food. It would be because I was in between her legs, driving her to ecstasy.

I blew out a breath and told myself that April and I were friends now, and that was all we’d ever be. There would be no more putting my paws on her, even if I wanted to. I didn’t know what it was like to be just friends with a female. All of the women who I tried to date, turned out to be meaningless flings. I didn’t want that with April. She was so real. She was wearing silly slippers in my presence. It may not be a big deal to other people but to me, it was refreshing. She didn’t try hard to be sexy, she just naturally was. She didn’t try hard to impress me so she could get into my bed either. Yet, all I could think about was getting her there.

Not going to happen. Not with this one.

I would not ruin things with April. We’d developed a very precarious friendship...of sorts. I mean, we still argued about the stupidest things and she still called me out on my shit, but it was good. Whenever my dick got involved, relationships went downhill. I’d preserve whatever April and I had going on here. It was nice to have someone around who knew me before the fame and money. She kept me grounded. I liked her for her, not just because she had a vagina, and that was a rare phenomenon for me.

“I’m glad you’re enjoying dinner,” I said to get my mind off of April’s vagina.

She turned to me with a grin. “I am. How did you guess that I love lasagna?”

“I didn’t…” I gave her a wry smile, “have to guess that is. I heard you telling Tessa how much you missed her delicious lasagna. You said it was better than sex.” That told me that April hadn’t had the right man in her bed yet. One night with me, and I bet she’d be singing a different tune.

Her eyes bulged and her face turned crimson. I swallowed my smile. “You eavesdropped on my private conversation with my sister?”

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