CHAPTER 12

Michael

Julie wore a short, tight black dress. She came to the door with her hair curled and her eyes alive with excitement. I tried my best to keep my eyes on her face, but it was impossible. That dress hugged every single curve, and my willpower just wasn’t strong enough. I looked her up and down, my eyes lingering on her bare legs and black high heels.

“Like what you see?” she asked, her voice low and suggestive.

I looked back up at her face. Her eyes were dark and full of that same, familiar hunger. I grinned and stepped forward. My hand slid around her waist, and I pulled her in for a kiss.

I groaned against her soft lips. When we pulled apart, I sighed deeply. “You look incredible.”

“Thank you.” Julie smiled and dipped her hips to the side, showing off her dress even more.

I laughed and held out my arm for her. She took it, and we hurried toward my car. Once inside, I cranked the engine and pointed us out of town.

“Where are we going?” Julie asked.

“Into the city,” I said. “This is a celebration, after all. A fancy restaurant is in order.”

“I don’t need fancy,” Julie said, laughing gently.

“Which is exactly why you deserve it,” I said.

Julie smiled as if she were surprised. From the look on her face, she wasn’t used to being spoiled. I wasn’t normally the type to go over the top for a woman but, with Julie, I couldn’t help myself.

We arrived at the restaurant, and I had the valet park the car. I picked a French bistro for dinner. It was a place I’d been to often, and I knew Julie would love it.

“You really didn’t have to do all this,” Julie said after I ordered us a bottle of champagne. “It’s just a job.”

“I wanted to.” I shrugged, and Julie frowned. I searched her face. She was obviously upset. I wondered if I’d made a mistake. “Did I do something wrong?”

“What?” Julie’s eyes snapped up to meet mine. She softened immediately. “No, no. Not at all.”

“Then, what is it?” I reached across the table to take her hand.

“It’s nothing,” she said. “I just… I know you’re used to this. Going to dinner at fancy restaurants. Spending your money without much thought.”

I laughed. “Ouch.”

“I’m sorry,” she said quickly. “I don’t mean that as an insult. But I’m not used to things like this. My family is much simpler. I just don’t want you to feel like you have to treat me this way. I’m fine with diners and cafes. I don’t need a lot.”

“I don’t feel like I have to,” I said. “I just want to.”

Julie considered me for a few seconds. I knew she was trying to determine whether I was serious or not.

“Look,” I said. “I know we joke around a lot. Banter and flirting are great, but we’ve never had a really serious conversation before.”

“No.” Julie shook her head. “I guess we haven’t.”

“So,” I said, leaning back in my chair and spreading my arms wide. “Ask me anything.”

“What?” Julie laughed nervously.

“Anything you want to know,” I said. “I’m serious.”

Julie hesitated for barely a second, then a wicked smile crossed her face as she leaned forward. I knew she was going to have fun with this.

“How many women have you slept with?” she asked boldly.

“I don’t keep a running tally.” I laughed. “Same question.”

She blinked. “What?”

“Oh, come on,” I said, laughing again. “You didn’t think this was a one-way street, did you?”

“I haven’t slept with any women,” she said playfully.

I rolled my eyes. “You know what I mean.”

“Three,” she said simply. “Including you.”

I nodded and gestured for her to continue with her questions.

“When was your last serious relationship?” she asked.

I sighed. I knew this question was coming, but that didn’t mean I was ready for it. My last relationship wasn’t something I enjoyed talking about. Still, I promised Julie she could ask whatever she wanted.

“Four years ago,” I said. “Her name was Amy.”

“What happened?” Julie asked.

“Well…” I sighed. “It’s a long story.”

“Good thing we have four courses to get through,” Julie said with a grin.

I shook my head and chuckled. Julie kept me on my toes more than anyone ever had. Just a simple conversation felt like I was being challenged in the best way.

“We dated for a long time,” I said. “On and off for three years. But about four years ago now, we ended things for good after I found out she was cheating on me.”

“Oh.” Julie’s eyes widened. “Wow. I’m sorry.”

“I’m over it.” I shrugged. “At the time, it was devastating, to say the least. I really loved her, but when I saw that she was using my credit card to buy things for her boy toy, I knew it was time to cut bait and run.”

“She used your card?” Julie asked, shock filling her voice.

I nodded. “Classy, huh?”

“What a bitch.” Julie shook her head.

I laughed and nodded in agreement. “I didn’t realize it at the time,” I said. “But she was always wrong for me.”

“I can understand that,” Julie said. A dark look crossed her face.

“Your ex?” I asked.

“Yeah.” Julie nodded and grabbed her champagne glass. She took a long sip and looked away. As much as I wanted to hear her story, I didn’t want to force anything.

“You don’t have to talk about it,” I said. “It’s okay.”

“Fair is fair, right?” she asked lightly.

I smiled. “I guess so.”

“We were together for two years,” she said simply. “Two years, and I thought I was in love. Really, truly, deeply in love. The kind of love that actually means something.”

“I know the feeling,” I said kindly.

“But,” she said. “He finished medical school and started his residency. Apparently, I didn’t fit into his plan after that. He dumped me because he was too busy for a relationship.”

“He’s an idiot,” I said simply.

Julie nodded. “I realized that afterward,” she said. “It just sucked because I put so much into our relationship. I sacrificed my time and my energy. God, I even helped him track down his long-lost brother.”

“Long-lost brother?” I asked, frowning slightly.

“Yeah,” Julie said. “His mom had a kid just a few years after he was born. She couldn’t keep the baby, so she gave him up for adoption. My ex, he always knew about the baby, but he never met him. He wanted to, though. So, I helped him figure out which adoption agency his mom used and stuff.”

“But you never wanted to meet him yourself?” I asked.

“No.” She shook her head. “He didn’t want that. He said it was too new, too fresh. He didn’t want anything to complicate their relationship. Which, at the time, made total sense to me.”

I laughed. “Not really. If you went through the trouble of helping, you should’ve met his brother. I mean, at the very least.”

Julie shrugged. “I just chalked it up to confusing family dynamics,” she said. “I didn’t want to step on any toes, so I took a backseat.”

“Confusing family dynamics are a bitch,” I said knowingly.

“Yours?” Julie asked, raising her eyebrows.

“I’m adopted, too,” I said. “My parents adopted me when I was a baby.”

“Really?” Julie asked. “Wow, that’s crazy.”

I laughed. “Not really. Honestly, I never thought about it much until I became an adult. My mom told me when I was five, so it was just this thing I always knew. My friends came from their parents, but I didn’t. My parents chose me. In a way, it made me feel special.”

“That’s a really nice way to look at it,” Julie said with a soft smile.

“I think that’s why my parents are so hard on me,” I said. “They tried for years to have a baby of their own, but they couldn’t. So, when they got me, everything changed for them. They worry about me. They agonize over my decisions. They hover.”

Julie snorted. “Sounds like my parents.”

“Tell me more about them,” I said. I leaned forward and took a sip of my champagne.

Julie launched into stories from her childhood while I listened. We ate dinner slowly, neither of us in a rush to get home.

That night, for the first time, Julie and I grew closer. We’d been connected from the moment we met. Our physical attraction was undeniable. We could flirt and banter better than any couple. But after that night, things changed between us. Our connection deepened.

We talked about our families, our exes, our dreams. Anything and everything we could think of.

When I dropped her off that night and kissed her goodnight, it was different. That deep-seated longing was still there—my body ignited when she touched me, just like always—but there was something more beneath the kiss. Something deeper. Something meaningful.