Page 16 of Relentless Dominance

“What matters is we thought of it now.” Julian glanced at his watch. “I have to meet with a client down the street. I just wanted to run all this by you.”

“I’ll be in touch,” Blake said as Julian headed to the elevator. “Oh, and thanks for getting my mother on my case.”

“We have a ton of women in here for you to choose from. Match yourself up.”

“Goodbye.” Blake waved as the elevator doors closed.

His cousin didn’t know what he was missing. Once he found the right woman, all things were possible.

* * *

Kayla rushedup the steps of the subway and into the tiny cafe where she was meeting Julian. She dodged the raindrops as the wind blew them into her face. Her umbrella was useless.

Julian had been busy with clients the past two nights, and she had been helping Judge Cooper archive some of his older cases onto the computer. She hadn’t spent much time with Julian, so he suggested they meet for a quiet dinner.

“Hey.” She closed her umbrella and slipped off her raincoat when she entered the restaurant.

He was leaning against the hosting stand grinning at her. “Wet?” His lips curved into that crooked smile of his.

“A little.” She looked him over, standing there in his perfect, custom-fit suit. Not a crease out of place. His hair was just as he had styled it twelve hours earlier. The man was impeccable. “How do you manage not to look like a drowned rat in this monsoon?”

“I have a driver, remember?” He reached for her, tugging her to his chest. “I offered to send him for you, but you insisted you could get here on your own. I was not happy with that decision.”

“You’re not happy with my defiance, but the subway stops right on the corner. I couldn’t see bothering Francis. He’s only going to have to come back to take us to your place anyway.”

“Francis is paid an obscene amount of money to do what I tell him to do.”

“You like telling people what to do.” She stretched up on her toes, running her lips along his smooth jaw and to his mouth.

“I like telling you what to do, but you don’t always listen.” He traced his fingers over her lips before moving in for a fiery kiss. The kiss she’d thought about since he texted her that morning and asked her to meet him for dinner. “It’s very frustrating.”

“I like frustrating you almost as much as you like telling me what to do. It works out well.”

“Hmm.” He took her hand and led her to a private table in the back. “You’re lucky we’re in public or I’d smack that sexy ass of yours.”

“Maybe I’ll act out.”

“Don’t taunt me.” He pulled out her chair and took her coat and umbrella. He hung them over a vacant chair. “How was your day?”

“Good.” She nodded. “Judge Cooper is finally letting me bring him into the twenty-first century. He loves the internet.”

“I knew you’d be perfect for him.”

Julian had arranged for her to interview with the judge. It was a wonderful opportunity, and she was learning so much.

“How has your week been?” Kayla asked. “You sounded stressed last night when you called.”

“It’s a particularly difficult case, but I’ll figure it out.”

“Why didn’t you wake me when you got in?”

“I needed to answer emails and go over a few files. You had an early morning, so I wanted you to sleep.”

“I missed you this morning too.”

“I scheduled a training session with Charles. He kicked my ass into shape, and then I went for a run. I needed the stress reliever.”

“I can be a pretty good reliever of stress.” She slipped her shoe off and rubbed his calf with her toes.

---