Chapter 11 Julian #2
“I’m not even going to ask if you were the silent donor whose donation had that many zeros attached, as I already know the answer. But it is very kind of you.”
I shrug it off. “You didn’t ask, so I don’t have to answer.” She nods gently at my logic. “Can I ask you something?”
“Sure.”
“They really don’t interest you, people with money, do they?”
She grins at my directness. “No. Why should they? I would be working at the wrong place if they did. Plus, I would much rather have a good coffee or be at a festival in town. I’m not sure you would understand. We had different upbringings.”
Her answer has zero bullshit in it, and I’m not used to that when women are around me. “I guess I wouldn’t,” I reply softly with honesty I wish I didn’t need. The idea of growing up with a family that actually spent time with one another is a foreign concept to me.
She grabs her glass of water and takes a sip before setting it down. She’s about to say something, but an older woman in her black dress and a thick ruby necklace stops by beside me and smiles.
“I thought that was you,” her scratchy voice greets me.
Being polite, I stand. “It’s been a long time, Penelope.” She’s an old neighbor from when I was younger.
“It’s good to see you.” She glances down at Savannah who smiles, before Penelope returns her attention to me. “Lovely to see you in good spirits.”
I drag my thumb above my lip. “Yeah, well… I guess it’s been quite a few years. Everything good with Matt?” Her son was a few years older than me when I was at school.
She nods gleefully. “Very much. He’s down in Denver, and his wife is about to have baby number two.” It doesn’t surprise me that he has a young family, many men my age do. Me? It doesn’t cross my mind, probably because I haven’t had a situation where I need to think about it.
“Tell him I say hello.” It’s only to be polite, I don’t particularly care.
“Sure thing. How is the rest of the family? I ran into your sister about a year ago, and I haven’t seen your father in years.”
My entire body constricts, and that feeling of distaste quickly ignites.
“Excuse me. I believe I promised Savannah a dance.” I’m quick to offer her my hand, and she seems to understand the urgency and accepts it as she stands.
“Good to see you,” I tell Penelope and head straight to the dance floor as a slower tune begins.
I wind Savannah into me tightly until her middle meets mine, and she drapes her arms over my shoulders.
Instantly, the last minute disperses, and my body relaxes.
It’s all because of her. The woman in my arms whose rapid pulse I feel is due to me.
That’s not me being cocky, it’s the truth, because it mirrors mine.
My eyes meet hers, and she isn’t curious nor sympathetic, instead only peaceful.
“You’re not going to ask me about all of that?”
She presses her lips out and continues to sway as my hand slides down to her hip. “No. If there was something you wanted to share, you would. I’m not going to ask.” She answers so simply, and it blows my mind. People tend to want to dig into the issue.
“Well, I would rather not get into it on a dance floor with eyes all around.”
“Okay.” We continue to move, and our bodies so easily mold together.
Yet again, another problem about her, and my body doesn’t accept the warning.
In view over her shoulder, I notice Clark Gabes by the bar, and he catches my location.
It didn’t cross my mind that he would be here, though I’m not surprised.
“Savannah, you need to be a little closer.” I yank her slightly, nearly causing her to lose her step and crash into my chest, with a little yelp released from her lips.
I ensure that my hand is splayed perfectly on her back, the part that shows her bare shoulder blades, making a point to invite his irritation at the view he’s witnessing.
Her brows furrow at me for the sudden bolt of insistence that our embrace changes. “A little lighter on the moves, please, I’m in heels,” she complains.
“Sorry, I saw an opening to show you off, and I took it,” I admit.
“An opening to what?”
Laughing once, it’s sinister. “Clark Gabes is by the bar and holding his glass a little too hard with envy.”
Savannah instantly fumes, and her fingers dig into my chest as she begins to push me away, but I place my palms on top of them to stop her. “You’re using me? Is this why I’m here? So you can add me to your methods of having the upper hand with people?”
I squeeze her hands tightly against my chest to ease her. “Absolutely not. It’s by chance he’s here. I didn’t anticipate that.”
Her eyes remain wide. “I’m not a pawn.”
My gaze snaps and pierces straight into her eyes. “You’re not, but a smart man takes opportunities to ensure victory.” It earns me her eyes sliding to the side with utter dismay. “Can you blame me for wanting to show you off?” I mean it sincerely.
“I’m not something to be shown off.” She isn’t thrilled, and I’ve clearly offended her, which is fair enough. I could have explained it with a bit more tact.
Rubbing circles with my thumb on top of her hands, I try to calm her. “Trust me, this is all by chance. Despite what you may think, you are a stunning woman, and every man in here is envious. I’m the one lucky that you’re here with me… and not about to knee me.”
She doesn’t respond, deliberating with herself whether now is the time to flee.
“Really.” I ensure I capture her sight to reassure her, and hopefully she can see my authenticity. “I want to dance with you, so please stay with me. I won’t pull any more bullshit.”
Her jaw juts out, and she considers for another beat. “Don’t make me regret this.”
“Promise.” I lead us right back into a swaying rhythm, and we stay that way for a little while.
“You’re a good dancer,” she admits.
I smirk to myself because I know she’s about to smile. “I took ballroom dancing lessons when I was younger, my grandmother insisted.”
She bursts out with a beaming look. “I didn’t see that coming, but the lessons paid off.”
“Thanks. Plus, it helps that I have a partner who knows how to move.”
Her entire appearance turns sultry, and I’m completely in trouble. “I do know how to move.”
“This is a classy event,” I chide.
“It’s okay. The dynamic with my boss has thawed.” Her voice is neutral.
“I would say so.” I tip her to the side without warning and pull her back to me tightly. A new spark forms between us, only proven by the way she wraps her arms loosely around my shoulders and begins to play with the hair on the back of my neck. “Can I ask you something?”
“That seems to be the theme of the night, so yes.”
“Why haven’t you brought up the kiss?”
She looks away, nearly bashful, before her gaze shifts back to me. “Well… no need to, right? We were angry, and it seemed to diffuse the situation.”
I repeat my earlier move and tip her to the side, this time even farther back, before bringing her up flush with my body, leaving her no choice but to tie our gazes together and hang on to me to keep her balance. “Very true. I was unreasonable pissed.”
She chuffs a laugh. “Unreasonable is an understatement.”
“Maybe it’s good you haven’t brought it up. We’ve been able to maintain a professional relationship.”
“Right,” she clearly lies. “We might want to improve on that. Everyone can see us right now and might get the wrong impression.”
“It doesn’t matter what people think when it is perfectly harmless for a successful man to dance with his assistant if they have nothing to hide.
We have company policies, after all. I’ve always followed them.
” We continue to move. “Except…” Her eyes grow as she waits.
“I’ve never been in a position to break them.
” I’m surprised I didn’t keep that thought locked away.
Her eyes change light, and I can’t make out what she’s thinking.
“Maybe our method of communicating is borderline unprofessional, or the fact you’re here in my arms after I’ve seen you naked and kissed you is questionable, too. ”
“Very,” she replies.
“Okay, we agree on that.” I want to be unprofessional, which makes me a horrible person because she deserves respect that comes with work experience, as she’ll be going places.
She’s smart. But I’m entirely selfish. I’m addicted to her, with every jab striking me even further into an abyss I can’t escape.
“Julian…” She doesn’t say my name often, but when she does, it clings to me.
“I don’t want to be one of those people who fall into an office judgment from people.
I want to be respected for my work. Also, well, your company is clearing me of any financial debt.
Adding this… hmmm, not sure what to call it—”
I interrupt with honesty that we need to admit out loud. “Chemistry.”
“Exactly. Adding it to the mix has made it harder. Yet, I can’t seem to gravitate away from things. Hence, why I’m here.”
“Interesting.” I continue to lead her in a dance that’s disappeared into standing in place with a gentle sway. “And I’m not someone who appreciates the cliché rendezvous with their assistant. Yet, my compass won’t change direction.”
It’s a long few beats of stalemate at our joint realization. It’s a beast inside trying to rip open our barriers. She blows out a breath and averts her gaze. “Anyhow, I should probably go soon.”
“Makes sense. I’ll take you home.”
“Okay.”
The worst idea ever.
Savannah didn’t blink twice when a driver picked us up from valet. Being down to earth makes her even more attractive. The drive through the city is pure luck, with no traffic, and our conversation was like Lake Michigan on a still summer night, calm and quiet except for the occasional wave.
Truthfully, the most calming aspect of the night is sitting in the back and allowing my eyes to drift every so often to my side to see Savannah with my suit coat draped over her shoulders and her face eased, with a tiny, closed smile etched on her lips as she watches the city outside the window.
We don’t need to say much because we’re both soaking in the calm air between us.
The driver finds a free spot outside her place in the East Lincoln Park neighborhood. “Nice place.” We pay well, but this well for an assistant role? It surprises me.
She skates her gaze between me and the house with what appears to be two apartments, one on top of the other. “I got lucky. A friend from college was sent on a company assignment to Brazil, so her company pays half the lease, and I pay the other while I stay there.”
“In this city, yeah, that’s fortunate.”
She seems humored by me. “I doubt you can understand with your bank account.”
“I’m not ignorant, you should know that by now.” I unbuckle my seatbelt.
“Whoa there, mister. Where are you going?”
Immediately, I’m not impressed. “It’s night in Chicago. I don’t care if you have to walk three feet, I’m walking you to your door because I’m a fucking gentleman.”
She scoffs. “Really? Going into the broody demanding mode, right now?” She opens her door and gets out, only to turn back. “Fine… you might have a point.”
I’m quick to hop out, close the door, and circle the car to her. We leisurely walk up the steps, probably to stretch time. “Thanks for coming tonight.”
“No problem.” She shakes off my tux jacket that was around her shoulders to keep her warm. “This is yours. I assume I’ll be picking it up from the dry cleaner sometime soon.”
I titter a laugh at her reference and accept the jacket. “Tempting. But I might actually change your job profile and take that item off the list.”
“Oh gee, how thankful I shall be,” she deadpans.
We reach the final step and her door. “I’m still a little pissed, though.”
“Oh God, what now?” Her aggravation is beginning, and it’s that turn-on that I hate.
“The dress. Really unfair to me.” I’m dead serious.
She throws her arms up in exasperation. “You have to be fucking kidding me. You don’t get to decide how I dress, and if you can’t keep it together, that’s your problem.” She’s offended, as she should be.
“Hey, tone down your snark for a second.”
She swats my shoulder. “I’m not snarky, I’m standing up for my dress collection and all the hard work I’ve done on my legs in Pilates class,” she justifies.
“And nothing in that sentence helps the situation.” My voice rises.
“I don’t care. Nothing about you in a suit and your cocky attitude is fair, yet the world keeps turning.”
Everything inside of me that was building in that second bursts. “What about me without a suit? Does your world keep turning then?” I counter, and she pauses with her lips parted slightly open.
I step closer to her, and the way her chest moves up and down only heightens the tension around us because it’s clearly visible even under the dim streetlight that she’s worked up. I’m well aware that subconsciously, I’m leading us down a dangerous path, and that is my full intention.
She glances up to the sky and drops her gaze back to me. “Are we bickering about clothes? You, grrr, gosh, you are…” She lets out a slew of words that make zero sense, and she shakes her hands as her face contorts in different positions.
The moment stops, and she gives in by stepping forward and moving to frame my face with her hands, but I’m quick, and I grab her wrists to meet her halfway when our mouths meet in a fervent kiss.
I make an indication behind my back to the waiting driver to leave before I snatch the keys from her hand and walk her back to her door.
It’s impossible to say how I managed to get the door open because neither one of us was focusing on the logistics, instead stuck in our determination for more.
When the door opens, she fists my shirt and yanks me in.
And I kick the door closed behind me.