Page 12 of Accidental Fiancé

“No. But it was a reminder of how helpless I was at the time. For a while there I sunk into a bit of a depression. But by senior year, I decided that I was not going to let myself fall into my father's footsteps. He had dragged our family down, and I was determined to be the one to pick us up. So I did.”

“Your mother must be proud.”

He chuckled. “Oh, she is. Especially after I bought her the Country Club that we were kicked out of. Now she gets to make the rules, and one of the first things she did was kick out all of the people who laughed at her when we couldn’t afford the dues.”

“Turnabout is fair play.”

He spun me, then dipped me, making me lightheaded for a breath before he stood me back up. “Turnabout.”

I laughed. “How was that turnabout or fair play?”

“We're engaged?”

My cheeks heated. “I'm sorry for putting you on the spot. I just didn't know what to say and I panicked. You were so sweet in high school, and I guess I just… again, thank you for helping me with that.”

“I'll be honest, it took the wind out of me for a second. But there are worse things to be called than Maggie Bryant's fiancé.”

“You're not mad?”

“How could I be? I was able to be a part of upsetting Chloe and Harmony. I got to make Emma do that little aw thing that she did. That was adorable. I'm not sure how to feel about that since I always thought she was one of the bad ones, and now I'm dancing with you. This is nothing but winning for me.”

I didn't know what to say but I couldn’t stop smiling at him. It made no sense for him to be so cooperative. Last month, the man was seen smoking cigars on some celebrity’s yacht. Now, he was doing this huge favor for me. It didn’t add up. “You are a really good sport.”

“I hope you are too.”

“What do you mean?”

I hadn't noticed that the DJ started to play a slow song until he said something. Julian’s hands slid from the middle of my back to just above my ass as he pulled me closer. Being pressed up against him was not something I had expected, but it wasn't exactly unwelcome, either.

Julian Black had grown into a very handsome man.

His dark hair was casually styled. It glinted in the swirling lights, offsetting his tan skin and emerald-green eyes. In the middle of his left eyebrow, a faint, jagged scar bolted through, ending just above his eyelid. It had happened during our senior year, right after his father had died. He refused to tell me what caused it, but later I found out he had picked a fight with Grant Worthington and put him in the hospital with a broken arm.

Grant and Chloe had been dating at the time, so it wasn’t hard to put the pieces of the fight together. I imagined she said something rude, and he responded in front of Grant. Teenage boys weren’t that hard to set off, and since it had not yet been a week since Julian’s father had died, he had an understandable hair trigger. But when I asked him about it after the dust settled, he refused to talk about it so I let it go.

Tonight, I didn’t want to let anything go. I was too busy drinking in the sight of him. His suit was dark, and at first I thought it matched his black hair, but when the lights hit it, a navy blue color came through. It was hard not to stare at his full, sensuous lips, so I cast my gaze downward.

His white button-down had been left unbuttoned at his throat, exposing a thick column of muscle that spoke to his diligent work ethic. No one had a body like that without working hard for it. Despite the muscles, he was light on his feet and a far better dancer than me.

I didn’t mind when his fingertips began to draw circles on the top of my ass. I laced my fingers at the back of his neck to bring him closer. His cologne made me think of fresh spring rain. Clean and crisp. New, but somehow familiar.

I didn’t know how far he would take this, but I was game for anything. He seemed set on selling the charade, and I didn’t mind.

It had been a long time since anyone held me like that. We were strangers now, but that didn't matter. It felt right, my body being close to his. Or maybe that was just a symptom of loneliness. Who could say? The song selection turned sentimental, and somehow, I felt closer to him dancing to it in his arms. Nostalgia was a funny thing.

“Maggie?” His deep voice rumbled through me to my core.

“Yes?”

His large hand cupped my ass, and his warmth penetrated me there. “I hope this isn't too forward.”

My brain stuttered. Thoughts evaporated like steam. “We’re selling a story, right?”

“Mm-hmm.”

“It’s fine. It’s good. Good salesmanship. Believable.”Stop talking, oh my God, stop talking.

His jaw grazed my temple as he whispered, “We can’t leave any room for doubt with those three. Their eyes are on us, so I’ll do my best to sell this. But you have more sales experience than I do. What should we do next to drive this home?” He gave my ass a squeeze when he said drive, and I thought I might melt.

---