Page 121 of Alive At Night

I shook my head in disbelief before Julian once again added to the whirlwind.

“Cameron and I were going to grab a drink at the Bellflowerafter work, though,” he said. “If you want, I can cancel. Or I’d love it if you joined us before we head to my place.”

I twisted to face him. He was relaxed in his chair, one leg crossed over the other as he pretended that what he’d said was no big deal. But just like all the other “little” things he’d done today, it definitely wasn’t.

“I don’t want to intrude,” I said. I meant it, too. My intent had never been to burst my way into Cameron and Julian’s relationship. I was more than aware that I didn’t belong there, just like I didn’t belong between Noah and Julian. I liked Cameron and Noah a lot, but mostly, I’d wanted to annoy Julian. Maybe get his attention. Just maybe.

Either way, that was no longer necessary.

“You wouldn’t be.”

“But Cameron—”

“Already asked if you would be joining.”

“He did?”

Julian raised a brow as if to say,Are you really that surprised?But I was, I really was.

Julian didn’t say anything else. His gaze started to trail down, lingering on the bit of cleavage I’d decided to show off with this dress today. When I cleared my throat, his eyes snapped up to mine. If he was embarrassed or ashamed that he was caught, he didn’t show it.

No, he was too busy watching me hungrily. Barely concealed desire flashed behind his hazy gaze, and I tried not to let my thoughts get the best of me. I tried not to remember what he said last night or what we’d done in this office. Not right now, anyway.

“We’ll meet up with him after work,” he said, putting an end to the moment as he gave his attention back to his computer.

I put a hand to my chest, trying to suppress what was happening inside it. But it was no use.

The office was hot the rest of the afternoon, stiflingly so, and it was a relief to get outside at the end of the day. That silly little expression had returned to Julian’s face, and it stayed even as we walked into the Bellflower, grabbed drinks at the bar, and found Cameron sitting in the back.

We sat, and Julian’s hand slid onto my knee beneath the table. He squeezed it before running his fingers under the hem of my dress teasingly. His touch vanished a moment later, and my skin tingled.Itingled—everywhere.

“Well, would you look at that,” Cameron said, his cheeky grin wide. “He’s smiling.”

“He’s been doing it all day,” I laughed, trying to sound normal after what Julian just did beneath the table.

When I’d brought Cameron an apple turnover this morning and told him that Julian and I had picked them up that morningtogether, he hadn’t looked surprised. Well, maybe a little bit. But not nearly as much as I’d been expecting, considering how much of our arguing he’d listened to over the last few months.

Ignoring his friend, Julian sat back in his chair, his expression unwavering. I bit down on my lip while watching Julian take a sip of his cocktail. God, the relaxed confidence in every one of his movements made my insides scream. Julian had always been attractive, but this version of him was new. And Ilikedit.

His eyes flicked to mine, catching me staring. His lips curved even more.

“I wonder why,” Cameron muttered into his own drink, pulling me out of my Julian-daze. “A good night last night, huh?”

I’d picked that inopportune moment to take a drink of my Aperol Spritz, and I nearly choked on it.

But Julian popped the cherry from his drink into his mouth and smoothly answered, “You could say that. The part of it at Juni’s place, at least.”

Cameron’s eyes widened, and I smacked Julian in the chest for putting ideas in his friend’s head.

“Not like that,” I hurriedly added. “Not yet.”

When Cameron’s brows raised, I nearly bit my tongue off.Shit.

“Not yet?” Cameron repeated with a tilt to his lips. His reaction made it more than clear that he was enjoying this conversation a little too much. When I refused to open my mouth again, his attention shifted to Julian. And, of course, I took that as an opportunity to also look at Julian. I’d take any opportunity I could.

Julian smirked lazily back at Cameron as his tongue toyed with a cherry stem in the corner of his mouth. His eyes slid to me.

“Not yet.”

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