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Chapter Seven

My Tuesday and Wednesday are pretty status quo. Work is a little slow these days as we wind down the project. I’ve been so busy the last eight months that this is a welcome change. I’m starting to get anxious about where I’ll end up next. I’m hoping to move to the new project in South Beach. It would mean a longer commute for me but would be a good change of
pace.

Exercise has been a big help in keeping me balanced, so Marissa and I catch a yoga class on Monday night, and I get up early and run a few miles before work on Tuesday. Luke stops by on Tuesday night, and we go out and grab dinner. I’m feeling pretty good when I get to Ellen’s office Wednesday after work. Aside from the not-so-pleasant visit with my parents, I’ve been having a good
week.

“How’s everything going with you, L
exie?”

“Pretty good. As I was driving over here, I was thinking I might not have much to talk about tonight. I’m pretty drama-free at the mo
ment.”

“That’s good to hear, but you do know that you don’t need to be in the middle of a crisis for us to be able to do some good
work.”

Work. Exactly. This is
work.

“I do know that. I’m just usually falling apart for some reason or ano
ther.”

“Lexie, you need to give yourself some more credit. You’re not even the same woman I met eight months ago. You’re so much stronger now. You need to believe
that.”

I know I’m not the same as I was eight months ago, and for that I’m really thankful. But I’m not as strong as Ellen thinks. I’m just a pretty good actor. I know I need to give her something to talk about with me or else we’re going to end up talking about Brady, and I really would rather we didn’t to
night.

“I went to my parents’ house for dinner Monday night.” Ellen knows all about my family dynamics and knows these visits are often upsetting f
or me.

“How did tha
t go?”

“Same as usual. My mom is still stressed I don’t have a man in my life. Hell, my dad even tried to set me up with someone who works for him. They don’t say it, but they think I’m pathetic in the love depart
ment.”

I tell her about my conversation with them. “Although I don’t necessarily agree with their methods, Lexie, it really is normal for your parents to want you to have a special person in your life. They really just want you to be h
appy.”

I ponder that for a minute, and Ellen changes the subject. “How was your night out Saturday? When I saw you last week, you were anxious abou
t it.”

I smile at the memories of Saturday. “I had a great time. It felt so good to be out, and it surprised me I had so much fun.” I laugh aloud, and Ellen asks what I’m smiling and laughing
about.

“I ran into—and I mean literally ran into—the hottest guy I’ve ever seen, and we flirted all night long. I’m not making a big deal about it because I’m sure nothing will come out of it, but it was just like riding a bike. I was good a
t it.”

I tell her the story about meeting Julian and some of the things we talked about. She’s smiling back at me the whole time I’m ta
lking.

“What’s with the huge smile, E
llen?”

“I’ve never seen you this animated when telling me a story. You’re glowing, and it’s awesome to see. By the way, I do know who Julian Bauer is, and I understand the attrac
tion.”

Of course she does. I forget he’s someone people know. We talk about the night a little more before time is up. As I get ready to leave, Ellen has one final thing t
o say.

“You need to keep doing whatever you’re doing, Lexie. It’s working for
you.”

Okay
, I think to myself. I would love to keep “doing” Julian Bauer. I’m just not sure he really has any interest in doi
ng me.

Chapter Eight

The rest of my week is uneventful and pretty much routine. I go to work, work out, hang out with my friends, and see a movie on Friday night. I also think about Julian all the time. By the time Saturday rolls around, I’m excited about going out, and I really hope I se
e him.

I take a long time getting ready. I picked out what I was going to wear earlier in the week, so that part was easy, but I want to look as perfect as I can in case I run into Julian again. I spend an hour on my hair. I’m wearing it loose and wavy. I do my makeup a little different and create a more dramatic look with black eyeliner and metallic eye shadow. I’m wearing a sleeveless, jersey, black dress with a plunging neckline and a revealing cutout back that hits mid-thigh. It’s simple, form fitting, and sexy. I put on big silver hoops and several silver bangles. I slide my feet into Rachel Roy strappy, black leather sandals with silver spikes and double-buckle ankle straps. They have sky-high heels, and I know they won’t be easy to wear all night, but they look
great.

Marissa and Jenna Stewart, another college friend, are waiting in the living room for me. We valet when we get to the hotel. I had texted Luke that we were coming, and he put us on the VIP list again. We get in quickly and head up to Orion. It’s not very crowded yet, so we grab stools at the bar and order drinks from Luke. Jenna, who just got her light brown hair cut into a cute bob, and is dressed to impress in a red mini-dress, says she wants to go look for Bryan, the guy she’s been texting with since they met here a few weeks ago. I want to stay at the bar because this is the last place I saw Julian. I give Marissa a look, and she understands I want to stay
here.

Luke brings our drinks and heads off to take another order, and the girls get up and leave. I’m sitting on the same stool in the corner of the bar I was at last week when I first really talked to Julian. I find myself thinking about our conversations, and I’m really hoping he shows up tonight. After an hour I conclude it’s not looking very promising. Luke did tell me Julian doesn’t come into the bar every night, so maybe I won’t get to see him. I push away the feelings of disappointment and remind myself I hardly know thi
s guy.

I’m getting off my bar stool when I hear Julian’s distinctive voice behind me. “Someone needs to stop putting baby in the corner,” Julian says play
fully.

I’m glad he can’t see the huge smile plastered on my face. He runs his hand gently down my arm as he walks past me on his way behind the bar. Goosebumps pop up all over my body. He looks down at my glass, sees it’s almost empty, and goes about making me another drink. I’m not sure how he knows what I’m drinking, but when I see him mixing a Vodka Cranberry with a splash of Sprite, I know he has been paying attention to what I
like.

I flash him a smile. “So now you’ve moved on to old movie quotes, Julian? Did you use up all of your good pickup lines earlier this
week?”

“Ouch, Alexa, that hurts. I only use that line on the special ladies. It’s a classic.” He’s smiling back at me, and I realize how happy I am to see him. I’m also flattered he remembers me. I hate that I’m feeling so insecure, but all of the Internet “research” I’ve done this week has only confirmed there is no shortage of women vying for his atte
ntion.

“Thank you,” I say as he slides the drink over
to me.

Julian leans down and places his forearms on the bar. All of the muscles in his chest and arms bulge out from under a tight khaki-colored T-shirt. He looks so hot, and something tells me he knows it. I’m taking it all in when I notice a small tattoo on his left wrist. It’s barely peeking out from under his watch, but I can see it’s in a script font and appears to be a name. I’d love to know what it says, or whose name it says, but I don’t feel comfortable asking. He sees me looking at it but doesn’t offer any explanation. I wonder if it’s the name of a former, or current,
love.

As I ponder this, Julian slowly reaches up with one hand and gently runs a finger through one of my curls. “Better,” he says quietly as he twirls it slowly. He doesn’t look away, and neither
do I.

“Better?” I pick up my drink and take a sip. I need something to cool me down. My whole body starts to overheat when he touch
es me.

“I prefer your hair this way.
Es muy
sexy.” He keeps twi
rling.

Um. Okay. This is seriously hot. I love when he speaks to me in Sp
anish.

“I’d rather take this woman to bed than the one with the ponytail. I can picture you straddling me, and I can see your beautiful hair floating across my chest as you make your way slowly down my naked
body.”

I’m in the middle of taking another sip of my drink when he says this to me, and his comment makes me choke. Holy shit! What a visual. And so quickly too. We’ve only been talking for a few minutes, and he’s already talking about getting naked? Apparently he thinks my ‘discomfort’ is funny and laughs out
loud.

“Something wrong with your drink?” he asks through a sly
smile.

I try to recover by putting my lips seductively on the straw and taking a slow sip. “Mmm, no, it’s per
fect.”

He arches his brow at me, intrigued by my not-so-subtle response. Hell, I can play this game too. This i
s fun.

“Good, because I always try to give it the way it’s wa
nted.”

“I bet you’re very giving, Ju
lian.”

He pauses, narrows his eyes, and looks serious for a moment. “You have no idea, Alexa.” I love the way my name rolls off of his tongue. He caresses it when he sa
ys it.

His eyes are locked on mine and the way he is looking at me is making me squirm in my chair. I think we are both imagining “giving” something to each other. I try and break the tension with some more te
asing.

“Do you give this hard of a sell to all the ladies, Ju
lian?”

Julian chuckles and shakes his head slightly. “Oh, Alexa, you’re the only lady I want to give anything hard to at the mo
ment.”

Well, he’s definitely not shy or sexually repr
essed.

We’re talking pretty quietly, but I still look around to see if anybody else heard him. This conversation has taken an X-rated turn. The couple sitting next to us at the bar are totally engrossed in the beginning stages of a hook-up and seem totally oblivious to anything around them. Nobody else is paying any attention to us either. I look down towards the other end of the bar and catch Luke staring intensely at me. He’s shaking his head. I’m not sure if Julian sees him do it, but I don’t want Luke to come down to where we are. His presence last time caused Julian to walk away, and I don’t want that happening again. I nod and smile at Luke and give him a little wave to say
I’ve got this
. He scowls at me but doesn’t come closer. I turn my focus back to Julian and take anothe
r sip.

“Okay, Julian, I’ll play this game with
you.”

“I assure you,
corazón
, this isn’t a
game.”

“Really? You’re not just trying to see how much you can shoc
k me?”

That makes him smile. “Well, unless you have a really good poker face, I haven’t shocked you very much
yet.”

The truth is I do have a pretty good poker face. I
am
a little shocked by how “descriptively” he talks to me. I’ve never met a man who is more overtly sexual. It just oozes through his pores. He’s incredibly sexy and confident without being creepy. No doubt he has been perfecting his craft over the
years.

I’m doing my best to play it cool because I like how he’s talking to me, and I don’t want him to stop. But I also don’t want him to think I’m “that girl”; the one who makes a habit of picking up men in bars. I don’t want him to think I’m a prude either. I tell myself to get a grip. I can’t believe I’m so concerned with what a guy I don’t even really know thinks about me. How did this happen? I try to play it all off and give him a fake, shy little
smile.

“Oh, I’m a little shocked … and kind of scandal
ized.”

“Only a little?” Julian shakes his head. “I guess I need to up my
game.”

His comment makes me laugh nervously. If he ups his game I’m in serious tr
ouble.

I look down at my drink for a moment and swirl my straw. When I look up, Julian is staring so intently at me it sends shivers through my
body.

“I thought this wasn’t a
game.”

Julian has been leaning up against the bar the whole time we’ve been talking. He straightens up and takes a step backward. I can feel my eyes widen. Wow. It is impossible to miss the erection straining through his jeans, and I can’t help but stare. I bring my straw up to my lips to take a sip. I’m suddenly feeling very hot all over
again.

With a tone that is serious rather than cocky he asks, “Still look like I’m playing?” Oh my God, he is sham
eless.

I continue to look at his crotch and shake my head. “Nope, looks like the real deal t
o me.”

“Oh, Alexa, it’s very real. Let me know if you need any more p
roof.”

I’m seriously so flustered right now I don’t know what to say. So, I do the only thing a respectable girl can do in a situation like this. I thank him for my drink, get off the barstool, and turn to walk away. I can feel his eyes on my body, and I hear the laughter under his breath. Damn. Round two definitely goes to Julian in a kno
ckout.

This night is playing out similar to last Saturday night. Julian is flirting with me and Julian is turning me on in a major way. I’m running away in a weak attempt to stop myself from doing something stupid. I wonder if he’ll come find me or just watch me from afar like he did last weekend. Something tells me we’ve crossed that imaginary line already and that it’s only a matter of time before something more than dirty talk happens between us. I keep telling myself I don’t want this and that this is a bad, bad idea for me. Oh, who am I kidding? If he keeps pursuing me, I’m going to let him catch me. I’m so completely drawn to this man I need a whole nightclub and a few hundred people between us to keep me safe. I find my girlfriends downstairs at Stellar. I put my drink on a table and join them on the dance
floor.

I’m seriously wound up. Horny would be another appropriate adjective for how I’m feeling. I try to relax and start dancing. The DJ spins Taio Cruz’s “Higher,”
and I put my arms up in the air and let myse
lf go.

I can’t get enough, I can’t get e
nough.

This is taking m
e now.

It’s taking me higher, h
igher,

Higher off the g
round.

The dance floor is crowded, and we’re surrounded by guys and girls enjoying the music. A good-looking blond makes his way over and begins to dance with me. He’s attractive in a beach bum kind of way and has a really nice smile. He keeps getting closer and closer, and pretty soon he has his hands on my waist as he sways his hips behind me. I let him for a minute, close my eyes, and pretend it’s Julian touchi
ng me.

“She’s with me.” Julian’s tone is very matter of fact, and his statement doesn’t get questioned. The guy who was dancing with me turns and makes his way anywhere that is away fr
om me.

Julian is standing behind me in the middle of the dance floor, and he just laid claim to me. The imaginary line definitely has been crossed. Julian’s energy is pulsating off of him, and I feel a jolt of sexual energy run the length of my body. He hasn’t even touched me yet, and I feel him all over. He leans down, nips the top of my ear, and whispers my name seductively. I turn around to respond, and I’m rendered speechless. Julian is looking at me in a way no man has ever looked at me before. There is no doubt in my mind this gorgeous man wants me. His next words confirm my tho
ughts.

“There is not a chance in hell that guy is getting the benefits of me turning you on ear
lier.”

He’s right. I am turned on. Very. And I have been since he told me he was hard because of me. Seeing the proof through his pants just intensified my longing. Never before has a man been able to turn me on so much by just talking to me and being near me. I know at this moment I’m not going to be able to stay away fro
m him.

Julian grabs my hand in a possessive yet gentle way and leads me off the dance floor without saying another word. I walk quickly behind him, allowing him to guide me through the throngs of people on the floor. Although Julian walks slowly, there’s nothing causal about his demeanor or gait. He’s a man on a mission. A mission I’m sure is designed to get me alone. The music is blasting, and there are lights and sounds all around me, yet the only thing I’m aware of is Julian’s hand gripping mine. It’s the first time he’s really touched me for an extended period of time, and the feeling is so erotic it’s almost painful. I’m not sure where he’s taking me, but I’m sure I need some more time to try and calm my overstimulated senses. I feel completely out of control around this man, and my body seems to be moving without my conscious participation. Julian’s energy just draws me toward him like a magnetic
field.

A body slams into me as a tipsy girl swings her hands up in the air and twirls around.
Bam
. It’s just what I need to snap my brain back into focus. I need to slow him down. Slow me down, slow
this
down. Whatever
this
is. We don’t even know each
other.

I attempt to yank my hand away, causing Julian to turn around and scowl at me. He doesn’t let go. He takes a step closer to me so we’re just a few inches apart. We’re standing in the middle of the dance floor as bodies gyrate all around us, but Julian looks at me as if we’re completely alone. He seems confused and a little annoyed by my attempt to deviate from his
plan.