Page 3 of Scandalous Contract
He chuckled, a low sound that made me want to move closer to him. Seriously, what the hell was wrong with me?
"Sure, you’re not lost. That’s why you’ve been walking in circles for the last five minutes."
My gaze narrowed. "Have you been watching me?"
He shrugged, stepping closer, and I caught the scent of his cologne. He smelled good. I held my breath.
"Yes, I was watching," he admitted shamelessly. "I tried to look away. I really did. But, I couldn’t.”
Wait. What? I exhaled slowly.
“Since I couldn’t look away,” he continued. “I decided to quit staring and come be a gentleman before you collapsed from frustration or had a heat stroke."
I scoffed, heat prickling at my neck, more from his words than the sun. "I’m perfectly capable of finding my way. I just got a little... turned around."
"Uh-huh," he muttered, clearly not convinced.
"I’m serious.”
“It’s okay to ask for help when you need it. Just tell me you need me, and I’ll take you where you need to go.”
He said that with a straight face. So why the hell was I blushing with my mouth hanging open? His gaze dropped to my lips. I quickly closed my mouth. But it was too late, I was already imagining things I shouldn’t be imagining. Things I was pretty sure I was going to hell for.
I wanted to storm off and leave him standing there, staring in my wake. But I knew he would stand there, in my wake, watching me while I pretended I knew where I was going. He was right. There was nothing wrong with asking for help.
That’s why I turned to a guy walking by and said, “Excuse me, can you tell me where...”
Before I could finish the sentence, Julian was in front of me. I hadn’t even heard him move.
“Keep walking,” he called over his shoulder to the guy who was staring from me to Julian. “I’ll help her find her way.”
“Are you sure?” the guy started.
Julian turned to face the guy. With his back to me, I couldn’t see his expression, but it sent the stranger damn near sprinting away.
“O-oh. Okay,” the stranger stammered before rushing off.
Julian faced me with a smile, a smile that made him appear even more handsome, which should be impossible.
“Now,thatwas rude,” I told him.
“No.Thatwas necessary. Tell me where you need to go, Stefanie.”
I cocked my head to the side. “How do you know my name?”
“You just told me your name.”
“No, I didn’t.”
His gaze narrowed, eyes squinted and even that looked sexy on him.
“Has the heat really gotten to you so badly that you can’t remember parts of our conversation?”
Yes, the heat was getting to me. But I still hadn’t told him my name. I was sure of it.
“Did you know who I was when you approached me?” I asked, growing suspicious.
“How would I? Are you a celebrity or something?”
