Page 36 of Their Diamond Ring Ruse

‘Do you know what you do to me?’ he almost yelled. ‘You make me want to lose control!’

Lily was stunned. The words sent sparks through her body. She’d thought she had done something wrong. Something to push him away. But she was wrong. He also felt whatever was building between them, and it wasn’t just attraction.

‘Then do it,’ she said evenly, standing her ground.

Julian stared at her, a scorching look in his eyes. ‘You don’t know what you’re saying,’ he said slowly.

Lily lifted her chin. Every bit the confident Shah she’d been raised to be. ‘Maybe I do.’

Julian stalked towards her, barely restrained, grabbing her arms in a vice-like grip. ‘You have no idea.’

Lily thought of everything she knew about him. How much he wouldn’t let out. Maybe he needed to. Maybe she could be the one he let go with.

She raised herself up on her toes and kissed him softly. An innocent touch before lightly licking his lip. ‘Show me.’

‘Lily...’ he groaned.

She could feel the tension in his muscles.

‘Julian...’ she whispered, and he seized her mouth.

Lifting her onto the counter, he stepped between her legs and she wrapped them around him. He held her face as his teeth tugged at her lip, making her gasp. Lily had thought their other kisses had set her aflame, but they were nothing on this. His control was in tatters. His need was speaking to hers, turning into an all-consuming storm with both of them in the centre of it.

There was nothing gentle about this kiss. Nothing gentle about the grip he had on her or her fingers pressing into his back under his jacket. There was no masking the sounds of want he made, in conversation with her own moans. But just as quickly as his lips were on her, he was yanking himself away, his chest rapidly rising and falling.

‘Not like this,’ he said. He moved back, pressing his forehead against hers. ‘Not like this.’

‘Julian, I want—’

‘Tomorrow I’m taking you on a date.’

Her heart fell. ‘Our third date...’

CHAPTER NINE

THAT EVENING LILY made sure she was home early. Having no idea where Julian was taking her, she paced back and forth in the walk-in closet. To be honest, she was rather unsettled by this date. After Julian’s admission, and that kiss that had felt so real, she’d thought they were making progress to something more. Something she’d realised in that moment she desperately wanted.

She had made the first move. Had felt liberated enough to decide for herself that she wanted Julian. Then he’d said he would be taking her on a date, and it had felt as if the rug had been pulled from under her.

Always their arrangement.

That was his shield, wasn’t it? Whenever he was pushed into real feelings, Julian put those walls back up. And while Lily had no illusions of what this was meant to be, no one could have predicted their intense chemistry.

Maybe she just had to be patient.

She pulled her satin robe tighter, taking another look through the racks.

‘Lily?’ Julian’s voice came through the door.

She pulled it open, revealing him in a black suit, his hair just slightly damp. The scent of leather and spice wove around her. She gestured him to enter the room, which was generously sized, but with him in it suddenly felt very confined. Especially with his eyes trailing over her robe and then moving back up to her face. The unmistakable flare of want was there.

‘Can you tell me where we’re going?’ she asked.

He cleared his throat. ‘That’s why I’m here.’ He reached into his jacket pocket, revealing two tickets that he handed to her. Her eyes widened when she read them.

‘How...?’ she breathed. ‘It’s been sold out for months.’

His fingers grazed over her cheek. ‘When are you going to learn? There’s nothing I can’t do.’

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