As soon as she’d met Julian, she understood why. There was something about him that couldn’t be replicated. He had just the right amount of self-confidence without being arrogant and the perfect touch of charm without coming across as smarmy. It was no surprise women coveted him. That would also explain her unusual interest in him as of late.
That was it. She had to be going through a phase because of the lack of suitable prospects in her life. Perhaps if she gave into her whim she could get over it and move on. The question was how. Was it possible for her to approach him and not have him think any less of her?
While she didn’t let the opinions of others dictate her life, she did care what people thought of her. When a person lived in a town the size of Wayne, one would have to be crazy not to. Word got around fast. The last thing she needed was something unsavory getting back to her parents. Not to mention her very public job.
Nope, that would be unacceptable. She had to figure out a way to get what she wanted without coming across as a desperate slut. That wasn’t who she was and she had a feeling that wasn’t what he wanted. She tried to recall the last woman he’d been involved with and the more she thought about it, the more she realized it’d been a while or he’d hidden it very well.
She exhaled heavily. Julian was a mysterious man. There was much more to him than she expected and that left her puzzled. He left her with mixed feelings and that concerned her.
She had to come up with a solid plan and make sure he didn’t deviate from her. That would be the only way to ensure she’d get what she wanted without giving Julian more than she should. What she couldn’t figure out was why something that should be so simple wasn’t.
Chapter Three
Ottavia stood outside the bank Julian managed and took a deep breath to settle her nerves. It was the only way she could go inside and not flub things up. She went over the game plan again in her head, making sure she had everything worked out. As long as he didn’t throw her any major curves she’d be all right.
Therein lay the problem. Julian was sure to say something she didn’t expect and she had to be prepared. Well, as much as she could be.
Feeling the chill beginning to seep through her jacket, and knowing she was on her lunch break, spurred her into action. She didn’t have much time to get the answer she sought.
Stepping inside the bank, she smiled at the sight before her. The staff greeted her kindly. Everything screamed Christmas holiday and she loved it. The warm and festive atmosphere helped her relax a little more.
The feeling didn’t last long as the reason she’d come to the back in the first place chose that moment to step into view. She had the chance to observe him for his attention was on a piece of paper he held in his hand.
All of a sudden, he stopped and looked up, as if he’d sensed someone watching him. Their gazes locked and a feeling of warmth surged through her. Her immediate instinct was to take off her winter gear because of the heat racing through her.
What was wrong with her? She’d never reacted this way to a man. Maybe that was the problem. She’d never considered anyone as potent as Julian. Yet, when one corner of his mouth curved upward in the most wicked grin she’d ever seen she couldn’t help but berate herself for never doing so.
He started her way and her heart beat triple time. She couldn’t bring herself to move. Perhaps this was how prey felt when they were trapped by a predator.
Just as she released as a steadying breath, he stopped in front of her.
“Hi, Ottavia. I didn’t expect to see you today.”
“That makes two of us. Is there a private place we can talk?”
He studied her silently for a few moments, as if he were trying to figure out what she wanted. She bit back a chuckle. He probably wasn’t going to believe her even when she told him.
“Sure. We can talk in my office. Would you like anything to drink? We have coffee, hot cocoa and hot apple cider.”
She smiled. “Wow. Plenty of choices. You all are in the holiday spirit around here, aren’t you?”
“Well, word around town is we’d better be or we have to answer to the town’s holiday committee.”
She laughed. “You do realize I’m a part of that committee, don’t you?”
“Of course. It’s one of the things I find attractive about you.”
“You’re attracted to me?”
Julian glanced around before his gaze settled back on her. “I think this is a conversation better had behind closed doors.”
He placed a hand at the small of her back and gestured for her to move forward. When she did, she was on autopilot. The instant he touched her, her brain shut down. That wasn’t good. Not good at all.
The moment they reached his office his hand fell away and she had to fight back a sigh of disappointment.
“Please have a seat. Are you sure you don’t want anything to drink?”
She shook her head. “Thanks for offering, but I won’t be here long.”
Not to mention she didn’t trust herself to hold a scalding hot beverage and not burn herself. She clasped her hands together in front of her to keep from fidgeting.
Julian closed the door then motioned for her to have a seat. He waited until she was seated before sitting down across from her, behind his desk.
Man, was he gorgeous.
“So what do you need to speak with me about?”
“Well, this may sound like a weird question. But how do you feel about Christmas gifts?”
His eyebrows furrowed together. “Not a strange question, but also not the one I expected as well. I enjoy Christmas presents as much as the next person.”
“Giving or receiving?”
“Both.”
“Great.” She took a deep breath. “I have proposition for you,” she continued. “A few months ago, I started doing a little bit of a make-over—”
“I’ve noticed.”
She blinked. “You have?”
“How could I not?”
His statement rendered her speechless for a few moments and she struggled to remember what she meant to say.
“Um…well…I wanted to make a few changes in my appearance, just to do something different for me.”
“Are you happy with the changes?”
“Yes,” she answered without hesitation.
“Then that’s what matters. Now tell me what you want from me.”
Her mouth fell open, but she quickly snapped it shut. “You’re making this very difficult.”
A brown brow rose high on his forehead. “I am?”
“Yes. You keep distracting me.”
“That’s not my intention in the least.”
She frowned. “As I was saying, I have proposal for you. The other night, Yves and Trinity asked me what I wanted for Christmas and I couldn’t answer them. I couldn’t think of anything I didn’t already have.” She paused. “It wasn’t until our run in at the library yesterday I realized there is one thing I want for Christmas, but my friends can’t give it to me. Only you can.”
He leaned forward, clasping his hands together. “What exactly are you asking of me?”
“I want one night with you, Julian. Let me have one night where I can give into my every whim and experience pure pleasure on a level I never have before.”
“Why?”
“Because the second you touched me, you woke something. I don’t know what it is because, honestly, I’ve never felt it before, which tells me I’ve been missing out on something. I’m the sort of person who likes to explore things to the fullest, but it’s usually on an intellectual level. You’ve tempted me on a physical level and I want to explore that. For one night I want to discover exactly what that is.”
Julian sat back in his chair, the expression on his face blank. “Wow. I can’t say that’s something I ever expected to hear coming from you.”
“Now that you have, what do you think?”
“I need a minute to process this.”
She sat there for
a few moments, waiting for him to speak. When he didn’t her nerves took over. “Julian, I don’t want you to think any differently of me for asking this of you.”
One corner of his mouth tilted upward. “Ottavia, you can parade around my office in the nude and I wouldn’t think any different of you. You are a respectable woman. Nothing will ever change that. What you do behind closed doors with your lover is nobody’s business but the two of yours.”
He pushed his chair back from the desk and stood. He moved around the desk, his movements fluid and confident. When he extended a hand to her, she took it, allowing him to assist her in standing. The moment she felt the touch of his palm against hers she had to stifle a sigh. She closed her eyes and reveled in the feel.
“Ottavia?”
Her eyes jerked opened and she realized he’d been speaking. Embarrassment raced through her and she saw the corners of his mouth twitching.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t hear what you said.”
“I said I have to decline your offer. While the gift you propose is the most tempting thing I’ve ever faced, I can’t do it.”
Her mouth fell open. She was being rejected by him. For the life of her she couldn’t figure out why. She was certain he’d say yes. How could he say no to a willing woman if he found her suggestion appealing?
“What? Why?”
“You’re not being completely honest with yourself.”
“What do you mean? I just came in here and put it all on the line. It took a lot for me to say what I just did to your face.”
He pulled her close, his hand coming up to grip the back of her neck again in that seductive hold. Her thoughts scattered and her tongue swelled in her mouth. His thumb began a sensual stroke at the top of her nape and it took everything she had to remain upright.
“I know it did. I won’t dispute that. However, you’re not willing to talk about what you need from me outside of the bedroom.”
She leaned back into his touch, struggling to find the words to respond. “What do you mean?”
“Give me some credit, Ottavia. I’m a very observant man. I’ve noticed you even when you thought I didn’t. The slight changes you’ve made to your wardrobe are nice. I think it suits you, but it doesn’t change the woman you are. I’ve kept my distance from you because you aren’t the sort of woman who goes for casual relationships. We both know that’s what I excel at.”
His other hand came up and grasped her hip, pulling her closer to him. The hem of her skirt rose and he situated his firm thigh in between her legs. If he kept this up, she would soon be a puddle on the floor.
“But you make me want to try for more because you deserve nothing less. While it scares me in one aspect, it intrigues me in another. What I can’t do in good conscious is allow you to do something you aren’t ready for.”
“How do you know I’m not ready?” she asked.
“Believe me, I trust my instincts on this. You aren’t being completely truthful. Until you are, we can’t go any further.”
The fog in her brain began to clear a little when she realized what he was saying.
“Are you calling me a liar, Julian?”
“In not so many words, yes.”
She was pretty sure a smart-ass comment was materializing in her subconscious, working its way to the surface, but then he kissed her, and there were no more thoughts, sarcastic or otherwise.
Only his lips, firm and hot, better than she’d imagined, and his tongue, tickling her mouth, coaxing it open, then stroking her from the inside. Crazy, whirling sensations formed in her belly and traveled to the aching spot between her legs where her womanly parts met Julian’s hard thigh.
Ottavia breathed him in, tasted him, and when he let go of her arms, she laced them around his waist, holding on for dear life to all his hardness and strength, feeling a little as though she was clinging to the back of a charging stallion. She had no control over where he went or what he did. She could only hang on for the ride.
She’d reached the place where she didn’t have to make decisions, where her great instincts didn’t matter anymore. The always-rational voice in her head was drowned out by the hum of desperate desire that coursed through her now. All she could hear was the sound of wanting more.
Then he pulled back and looked at her with half-lidded eyes. His breath tickled her upper lip. “You want me, too, don’t you? This is more than about us just getting into bed together.”
Well, duh. But she wasn’t just going to give him the answer he wanted that easily.
“No, Julian. We are complete opposites. I think we’re both smart enough to know that anything between us outside of the bedroom is doomed to fail. I just want you to seduce me inside the bedroom, one time. Then I’ll walk away.”
“Are you sure you’ll be able to? Are you positive that’s all you want?”
Ottavia squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head as he struck at the heart of the internal battle she’d been having ever since she’d come up with this crazy idea.
“I can’t afford to give you more, Julian.”
“Then it seems that we are at a crossroads, Ottavia, because I can’t give you any less.”
Chapter Four
Two days dragged by and Ottavia still couldn’t get her mind off of what had occurred in Julian’s office at the bank. After his proclamation she’d raced away from his embrace and back to work. Luckily, she’d still had twenty minutes left for her lunch hour, so she’d barricaded herself into the break room and ate her salad while trying to get her heart rate back to normal.
But here she was, and it still hadn’t slowed. It was all Julian’s fault. The jerk had started trying to romance her. He’d sent her flowers yesterday. They’d been intercepted by her nosey assistant, but fortunately he’d only signed the card with the letter J. Thankfully there were a lot of guys in town whose name started with a J. Still, it hadn’t stopped her assistant from hounding her all day in an attempt to figure out whom they were from.
Today she’d received a variety of chocolate covered strawberries. She didn’t want to guess what she’d receive if he kept this up. It was time she put a stop to it. Otherwise tongues would start to wag.
One thing was for certain: she didn’t need this to get back to her parents. Being an only child, they’d been after her the past few years to get married and produce at least one grandchild for them to spoil.
Emitting a soft groan, she rose to her feet. This wasn’t good. She couldn’t encourage him in any shape, form or fashion. What she had to do was figure out a way to discourage him.
She had to come up with a way to restrain herself.
Looking down at the list in her hand, she glanced over the list of books requested to be put on hold by a couple of library patrons. It was slow today so she had time to pull them. But first she had to ready the periodical room for one of the local journalists coming by for some research. The only thing she had to really do was turn on the microfiche reader. It could be a little testy when not warmed up properly.
She entered the small room and made sure all the equipment was set up. The older records would be on the microfiche, but the recent records could be found on the relatively new desktop computer sitting next to it.
“Hello, beautiful.”
Ottavia stiffened at the sound of Julian’s voice. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath before turning to face him.
“Hi, Julian. What are you doing here?”
“I’m on my lunch break and thought I would stop by to see how your day is going.”
“I’m not sure if you’ve heard of it or not, but there is this neat little invention called a phone.”
“If I thought you would have taken my call, I’d have used it.”
The cocky smile on his face made her want to scream. Instead she settled for rolling her eyes. “Stop it, Julian. Really, you can cut it out now. This is going to get out of hand and blow up in both of our faces.”
He leaned against the doorjamb, folding his
arms across his chest. “Why do you think that will happen? Have we done something wrong?”
“No, and I’m trying to keep it that way. Now, if you’ll let me by, I have work to do.”
He stepped to the side and gallantly swept an arm out. “By all means, don’t let me keep you from it.”
She turned to the side to slide by him, relieved to have escaped the small room. Julian’s presence was commanding enough without being in a tight space. Unfortunately, her relief was short lived as he followed her toward the back of the library.
She stopped and spun around. “Look, Julian, I want—”
“I want, too,” he whispered as he continued to stride toward her. He reached out to grab her, his hands sliding up her arms. She stifled a moan as he leaned in to graze his jaw along hers. “I want pretty much all the time, and it’s been driving me nuts. You have no idea all the things that I want to do to you because I get a feeling no guy has ever gotten you to really let go.” His lips were warm against her skin, running over her throat, across her cheek. “So I’m going to find a place and a time with just you and me and no distractions and no worries and we’ll just see what happens then, because I promise I’m going to make you scream.”
His mouth covered hers.
The first time they’d kissed, he’d coaxed her. This time he hadn’t invited her, he just dragged her into hot, dark wanting. His mouth was a demand. His hands were firm, running roughly over her body, molding the contours of her, sliding up into her hair to press her to him. When he stroked her tongue with his, she felt the answering tug between her thighs.
And the want billowed up. She drew him closer, maddened by the barrier of their clothing. She wanted to be naked, skin-to-skin. She wanted to feel the length of him, all the textures.
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