His strength.
Oh, God, his loyalty.
Tears well in my eyes as emotion fills my chest.
I love him. Not because he killed for me. I love him because he never left my side.
By the time he stops playing, it’s safe to say I’ve just fallen for him all over again.
My eyes follow Julian as he crosses the floor to the table. When he reaches me, he leans down and presses a soft kiss to my mouth before he takes a seat next to me.
“I thought we could give our first night together another try,” he says.
A waiter comes to take our orders, and once he leaves, Julian reaches for my hand and wraps his fingers over mine.
“Tell me about yourself.”
Not knowing where to start, I ask, “What would you like to know?”
“Anything. Where you went to school. About your life in Saluda.”
I relax back in the chair. “Saluda.” A nostalgic smile settles on my face. “It’s a small town, but I loved it there. People greeted each other in passing. It’s something that’s lost in the bigger cities.”
Moving our joined hands to his thigh, Julian turns his body toward me, and leaning his elbow on the table, he rests his chin on his thumb.
Having his complete attention, I continue, “I didn’t know my dad, but everyone in town spoke of him with fondness. My mom…” I try to remember her and frown. “She worked a lot, and after her passing, we lived with Sue, who owned the diner my mother worked at.” My smile widens even though there’s a pang of sadness in my chest. “Sue never took anyone’s crap.” I let out a chuckle, but then my smile fades. “I miss her the most.” I let out a breath then ask, “What about you?”
There’s a soft smile playing around Julian’s mouth that never fades even though he seems to be deep in thought.
“My life,” he pauses, then shakes his head, “You know my mother has been charged with the attempted murder of Layla. The trial should come to a close in the next couple of weeks.”
I give his hand a squeeze. “That must be very difficult for you to deal with.”
He nods. “The media frenzy is the worst.” He tilts his head. “Come to think of it, that’s maybe why we managed to keep our relationship under wraps. The media is too focused on Clare’s trial to notice anything else… for now.”
“At least something good came from it. If the media had gotten wind of Little…” I shake my head as I take a deep breath, “That would’ve been catastrophic.”
“They’re bound to find out about our relationship soon,” Julian warns. “Especially if they see me with a woman. Are you ready for that?”
I think about his question, then say, “I don’t follow the news, but surely you’ve been seen with other women?”
Julian slowly shakes his head. “I’ve been too focused on CRC.”
Frowning, I stare at him. “So, you haven’t dated?”
He shakes his head again. “Not since Jennifer passed away.”
“You were engaged to her, right?” I ask, hoping he’ll talk about her. She had to be an amazing woman for Julian to want to marry her.
“Yes, she passed a couple of weeks before our wedding.” He shifts in the chair, and his smile fades a little. “I’ll always treasure the memories I have of her.”
I hold his hand tighter.
He lets out a deep breath, then asks again, “Getting back to the topic of the media. I’m a very private person, but they’re bound to find out. Are you ready for that?”
I hate being in the spotlight.
My eyes drift over Julian’s face. Having gotten to know him over the last couple of weeks, I learned he’s as strong as he looks. His brown eyes change shades depending on his mood. Darker for angry and looking like melted chocolate when he’s relaxed. His arms have become my shelter against the world.
Realizing just how much I love him, I say, “I’ll face all the press in the world for you.”
My words make his face light up as his smile stretches wide.Chapter 36JulianWhile enjoying our dinner, we begin to talk about random things again, and it lightens the weight of the past month.
“Do you love the mountains or the ocean more?” I ask.
Jamie let’s out a chuckle. “Before all this happened, I would’ve said the mountains, but now it’s definitely the ocean, frizzy hair and all.”
She draws a burst of laughter from me.
“And you?”
Setting my utensils down, I move the plate to the side and first take a sip of whiskey before I answer, “Wherever you are.”
She blinks at me a couple of times, then teases, “Wow, I forgot what a charmer you can be.”
When she pushes her own plate aside, I wait for the waiter to clear the table, then I reach for her hand again. I bring it to my knee and glancing down, I lightly trace over her fingers with my other hand.