Page 44 of Their Diamond Ring Ruse

Lily opened her mouth but no words came out. Not when his words had her growing moist.

‘My leaving that bed had nothing to do with how much last night meant, or how much I want you, and everything to do with who I am.’

‘What do you mean?’ Lily asked softly.

‘I’m awake before sunrise every day so I can do this.’ He gestured around the gym. ‘So that I can be at my best for every moment of my day. For IRES.’

‘You work every day?’ But Lily already knew the answer to that, even without his solemn nod. ‘Julian, that isn’t sustainable.’

‘It is for me. It’s what I do. No matter where I am.’

‘Why do you work so hard?’

‘IRES is all I have. For what was sacrificed...’ Julian shook his head ‘...it has to mean something. I need IRES to be a success. It makes me worth something.’

‘You already are.’ She cupped his cheek. ‘You can’t just work. You need to relax too. Do something you enjoy.’

‘I do.’

Lily didn’t believe him, but she asked anyway. ‘What’s that?’

‘Krav Maga.’

‘Krav...? Julian, that doesn’t count!’

She realised how lucky Lincoln had been to leave Crème unscathed.

‘Would it make you happy if did something different?’ he asked, and there was a spark of mischief in his eyes.

‘Maybe...’

He gave her a wicked grin and pushed her down onto the bench, bunching the T-shirt shirt at her waist and lowering his mouth to her sex.

Before all thought could be pushed out of her head she held on to the new goal she had. To help Julian really live his life.

* * *

They were well and truly late now, but Julian didn’t care. Not when his lips were sliding against Lily’s as steaming water rained down on them in his cavernous shower. Holding her back to his chest, he slid his fingers in and out of her, heard her moans echoing off the tiles until she loudly came apart for him.

Then he lathered and soaped her, bringing her to the edge and leaving her there.

‘A promise for later,’ he whispered in her ear.

Seeing her in his T-shirt had punched such a wave of possessiveness through him he’d very nearly told her that was all she must wear in his home. But somehow he had managed not to act like a neanderthal when she’d sought reassurance.

Julian couldn’t believe Lily had thought he hadn’t enjoyed himself. He was certain sex would never be the same for him again. It certainly wouldn’t be after she’d left his life—and she did have to leave. He still couldn’t give himself over to love, or whatever this was.

Stepping out of the shower, he wrapped a towel around his waist before picking up his razor in the routine he had performed every morning since leaving his stepfather’s house. Work out, shower, shave, work hard for as long as it took to achieve his day’s goal—and repeat it all the next day. It had served him well. But now he wanted more than that.

His gaze flicked to Lily in the mirror. He wasn’t worthy of her. He would lose her. It was inevitable. Everyone left. By choice or not—it was immaterial. His father had died before he’d had a chance to know him, his mother had lived a tortured life before she died, and Lily would leave because all she was looking for was her freedom.

So he was faced with his own choice: he could push her away or he could enjoy this while it lasted.

So, no choice at all then. Because he craved her like air.

‘Arum is hosting the Zenith dinner the day after tomorrow,’ Lily said while drying her hair.

Zenith was the exclusive network started by the old money families of San Francisco. Julian still hadn’t received his invitation, and this would be the first test to see if he was making any impression with this plan that they had embarked on.

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