Chapter Forty
Josephine
door to Julian’s hotel opened wide and I was met with a bright smile and white-blonde hair twisted into a polished bun.
Julian’s sister was standing on the other side of the door and my heart was no longer in danger of pounding out of my chest. Jeez, my organs couldn’t take much more excitement this early in the morning.
“Cinderella!” She beamed, stepping forward to boop me on the nose with an imaginary wand.
“Lorena, it’s so good to see you,” I said as I hugged her before scanning down to get a good look at her outfit. I was used to seeing her in casual clothes, but now that she was out of rehab and back in the real world, she looked far more glamorous with a slight bohemian edge. Her arms were covered in bangles and she had a gold tribal-inspired statement necklace laying against her simple white dress. Her Valentino heels were so beautiful that I had to clasp my hands together to stop myself from bending down and stealing them right off her feet.
“It’s good to see you too. Did Julian tell you I’d be working with you guys starting today?”
I shook my head. “He didn’t, but I should have realized you would be.”
Speak of the devil…
Julian stepped out of his bedroom freshly-shaven with wet hair and a devilish smile. He was putting the finishing touches on his red tie and conjuring up memories that I wished I wasn’t thinking about right in front of his sister.
“Morning Jo,” he said, coming closer and bending to kiss my cheek.
I inhaled his cologne before he stepped away and pushed aside the wave of desire that came with it.
“Ah, are you a cheek kisser now, Julian? When did you become such a European dandy?” Lorena asked, glancing back and forth between us.
“Jo has a way of bringing out the gentleman in me,” he said with a wide smile.
I grunted. “Do not believe that, Lorena. Just last week we went out for lunch and he almost let the restaurant’s door slam shut on me.”
Julian held up his hands. “No! I thought you’d stopped to look at magazines a ways back, so I didn’t hold it open. Not to mention, the door was really heavy.”
I laughed and shook my head.
“Is this what it’s going to be like to work with you two? How do you even manage to get anything done?” she questioned.
“Usually we institute quiet time,” I offered. “We aren’t allowed to talk until we’ve checked off at least three items on our to-do lists.”
It sounded like a joke, but it was true. If Julian and I had it our way, we’d distract each other with photos of dogs and YouTube videos all day. Obviously things would change now that Lorena was back. We’d have to adjust to a third person and something told me Lorena wouldn’t care for dancing cat videos as much as Julian and I did.
When I strolled farther into his hotel room, I saw that Lorena had already set up shop at my normal spot on the big couch. Julian’s laptop was across from her, which meant I was left with the hotel desk. This wasn’t a bad thing—in fact most normal people work from desks—it was just that I knew I wouldn’t get away with sneaking my normal glances at Julian all day. Things were already changing.
Lorena took her seat at the couch and jumped right into work. Her enthusiasm was infectious and I knew she’d been waiting months to finally get back to her company. We had a final meeting with a design team in the afternoon and I needed to finish a few things before then.
I opened my laptop and laid out my pen, phone, and notepad in a neat row. The setup wasn’t as comfortable as the couch, but it would do. I had a view of Central Park right out the window. Sure, I’d have preferred my standard view of Julian, but maybe the new setup would help my productivity.
My computer was still booting up when Julian held a warm cup of coffee out in front of me. I hadn’t even heard him approach; I’d been too lost in the craziness of the morning. I reached out to take it from him and then he squeezed my shoulder, a small gesture of reassurance.
“Thank you,” I said over my shoulder.
He gave me a knowing smile and then headed back to his spot on the couch. If Lorena noticed the exchange, she didn’t say anything about it.
“Jo! You have to give me all the details about Saturday night. I’ve seen your photo everywhere this morning! You’re seriously famous now,” Lorena said, clapping her hands in excitement.
I glanced over to Julian and he smiled.
“By all means, tell her about the fashion show or we’ll never get any work done today.” I laughed and proceeded to give her every juicy detail of the show. After all, I could tell her the insanity of the first half of my night without including the details of what happened after. With her brother. In this very hotel room.
She’d pestered me with questions, but I didn’t mind. It was mid-morning by the time Julian heavily suggested we actually start to work, but even then, I had to promise to tell her more during lunch.
By the time we’d all settled down to work, I had too many conflicting thoughts swirling around my head to actually focus. I couldn’t even decide what should take top priority: the fact that Vogue had emailed me about a job or the fact that I wanted to jump Julian’s bones at that very moment.
I glanced over my shoulder and snuck a peek at Julian. He was firing away on his keyboard with his brows subtly tugged together, a sign of concentration. I loved watching him while he worked. He hit enter on whatever he was typing, leaned back on the couch, and caught my stare.
An earthquake would have taken a backseat to that stare. My heart leapt in my chest as a slow, seductive smile spread across his lips. The breath of my lungs, the beat of my heart, the basic ability to pull my gaze away from him—they were all under his control. The connection between us was stronger than any willpower I could have mustered.
“Julian, what’s the website for the architecture firm we’re meeting with this afternoon?” Lorena asked, interrupting our moment.
Oh right, maybe stop eye-fucking Julian while his sister is around.
I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and turned back to good ol’ Central Park.
Concentrate. Open your email. Pretend to type something. It can be gibberish, just stop sitting there like you’re frozen.
I’d managed to get through half an email when Lorena stood to use the restroom a few minutes later. My fingers froze over my computer keys as I processed that she’d be gone for a few minutes. There was absolutely no way I would let the opportunity slip by me. The second the door to the bathroom locked into place, I pushed off my chair and ran to Julian as quietly as possible. He shoved his laptop aside, stood, and reached for my face. He cupped my cheeks in his palms as our lips met.
That kiss.
That kiss was a sucker punch to my gut. That kiss was Julian laying claim to my soul. I was on the fringe of insanity, swept up in the feel of him. I was wholeheartedly convinced that we could have a quickie while Lorena was in the bathroom, and then I heard the toilet flush.
Julian and I flew apart like we’d just been caught red-handed. My heart hammered in my chest as I glanced to the bathroom and then back to Julian. His devilish smile didn’t help matters. I laughed and shook my head, giving myself another foot of distance between us.
Damn. Would it kill Lorena to take her time? Get comfortable in there. Read a book!
“I’m going to ask her to grab us lunch,” Julian said, running his hand down the length of my arm before tucking it away in his pocket.
I tilted my head. “Why?”
“Because I want fifteen minutes alone with you before the meeting with the architecture firm this afternoon,” he said, bending to steal one last kiss before the bathroom door opened.
Alrighty then.
“Are you guys okay?” Lorena asked with a skeptical tone. When she’d gone into the bathroom, we’d been sitting down and working quietly. Now, we were standing together in the center of the room, panting as if we’d just finished a triathlon.
“Yeah,” I nodded. “Julian and I are doing our work yoga.”
What?
She arched a brow. “What’s that?”
I laughed as if she was crazy, my brain working overtime to come up with an answer. “Oh. Uh, you just pause every hour on the hour and do five minutes of stretching.” I turned to Julian. “Go ahead, Julian. Show her your downward dog.”