Julian stepped forward and leaned in Eva’s direction, but he left one hand casually behind him holding the lift door open. Eva hurried towards him, uncomfortably aware that he was waiting. Was he leaving the next move up to her? Did he want to see how she’d react under pressure? Eva rolled her shoulders; she was, as always, over analysing it. He was just holding the lift, it wasn’t a test. People held lifts all the time. But most people didn’t have a power over her like he had.
She stood in front of him with an awkward distance between them. Even in four inch wedges, the top of her head fell just shy of his chin. Julian remained painfully still but his eyes burned into hers. Eva had no doubt now, it was a test. He was challenging her to keep it together. She tried to think of some rivetingly exciting start to a conversation but she was coming up blank.
She finally managed a sheepish, ‘good morning.’
‘Good morning, Ms Andrews.’
‘Ms Andrews?’ Eva echoed. ‘We’re back to the formalities, then?’
Julian tilted his head slowly. ‘Professional as always.’
Professional? Fuck professional. He wasn’t professional when he moonlighted as a fake escort and was curling his fingers inside her. Or when he wrapped his lips around her pebbled nipples. Was it really that easy for him to switch back to little more than estranged colleagues?
‘Julian please, this isn’t how I want it to be.’
Julian’s eyes narrowed, he looked irritated, ‘On the contrary, Ms Andrews. This is very much how you do want it. You’re the decision maker now. You’re in control.’
Eva studied his magnificent brown eyes, it was hard not to get lost in his beauty, but she was looking for the emotion that he always tried so hard to hide. His eyes were his tell, she’d learned that. And his eyes were telling her he was hurt. She’d hurt him. She’d never intended to and he’d never admit it, she knew that. But she’d hurt him. But was it just his pride or had she affected something deeper. She wished she had the courage to ask.
‘Shall we?’ Julian said, stepping back into the lift.
‘We’re going down?’
Julian crocked an eyebrow, even now he couldn’t let an unintentional innuendo slip by unacknowledged.
‘Julian,’ Eva scolded, trying to hide a giggle. ‘I mean…are we not going back to your office?’
Julian smiled and shook his head.
Chapter 44
Julian and Eva wandered around the park for quite a while. Julian even stopped to feed the ducks. It was normal, comfortable, mundane even - and very not Julian. The conversation flowed effortlessly. Eva told Julian more about her life in New Jersey and he tolerated her questions about his childhood, although his yes/no answers left her with more questions than before she started.
Heavy rain erupted out of nowhere and Julian caught Eva’s hand and pulled her quickly under a nearby tree for cover. It was the first time they’d touched all day and Eva instantly wanted more. Julian pulled her close to him and kissed her forehead.
‘I can’t do this,’ Eva said, a huge lump forming in her throat.
‘I’ve heard that before.’ Julian kissed her forehead again.
‘That’s not helping.’
‘What, this?’ Julian kissed her a third time and slowly lowered his lips to brush her cheek and then lower still until his warm breath grazed her neck.
‘Em hm, that.’
Eva was melting. Fuck it; he was only kissing her neck and she was unravelling like a ball of wool rolling across the floor.
‘You’re looking for a fairy-tale, Evangeline. I’m not Prince Charming. I’ve told you that.’
Eva snorted. If there was one thing she knew for certain; it was that Julian was as far from Prince Charming as they came. She tried to smile but the pain in her heart made it hard.
‘I can’t be your booty call, Julian. It’s not who I am.’
‘Do you know who you are?’
Eva stepped back and pulled a face.
‘Of course I know who I am.’
‘I don’t believe you do. I’ve known you two weeks, and, already, I know you better than you know yourself.’
‘Jesus, Julian. Cocky much?’
‘It’s not cocky, Evangeline. Just an observation. Just because you don’t like it, doesn’t make me cocky. It does however make me right.’
‘Aren’t you always right?’
Julian raised his eyebrows and smirked. He wasn’t even going to try to deny it. Eva had to smile in spite of herself. She didn’t expect anything less from him.
Julian reached inside his suit jacket and pulled out a white envelope and handed it to her.
‘Don’t open it now,’ he said.
Eva ran her fingers along the side of the crisp white paper.
‘What is it?’
‘Just something to help you figure out some stuff you don’t know about yourself.’
‘I know all I need to,’ Eva said defensively.
‘When you look inside, you’ll feel differently.’
Eva’s fingers twitched and the envelope shook, she knew Julian could see her nerves.
‘You amaze the hell out of me, Evangeline. This was never about just fucking you; I can fuck any girl I like. But I didn’t want just any girl. Do you understand?’
Eva nodded as fat, salty tears ran down her face.
He made her feel special, so special, but she knew it was temporary. Julian Harte could never belong to anyone. He could never belong to her.
‘This is my contract, isn’t it?’ Eva said, wanting so badly to rip the envelope to pieces and rewind time. She’d rewind to the ball, she’d react differently, and she’d accept his offer and be the object of his desire. She’d worry about the rest at the end of the year. She’d worry about feeling exactly how she felt now at the end of the year. She’d worry about having her heart broken at the end of the year. At the end of the year…not now…not now.
‘No, Evangeline. It’s not. If you are leaving, it’s your decision. I’m not going to make it easier for you.’
Eva couldn’t control her sobs now. Her body shook and heaved as she cried.
‘Your decision, Evangeline. Your decision.’
Eva looked into his eyes; she could barely see him, her eyes were so clouded over by tears.
‘You want me to say it?’
Julian nodded.
‘Can’t you just fire me? Inappropriate conduct or something? I’ve been sleeping with the boss.’
Julian laughed. ‘If that was the case, Evangeline, I would have to let half the female staff in the office go.’
Eva wrinkled her nose, disapprovingly.
‘You’re on your own with this one, Evangeline. Come on, you’re stronger than you think. It’s two words. You can say them.’
Eva shook her head. She didn’t want to.
‘Evangeline, say them.’
‘I’ve changed my mind.’ Eva sobbed.
‘No you haven’t. The one thing you do know about yourself is that’s not who you are. I know that about you too. Now say them.’
Eva was crying so hard, she was almost doubled over. Julian ran his hand down her tear stained cheek and flicked his finger under her chin so she could meet his stare. ‘Evangeline?’
Eva exhaled slowly. ‘I quit.’ Her body felt one hundred times heavier than before.
Julian smiled. ‘Good girl.’
He stepped back. She was hoping for one last kiss but there was a distance between them now. He was business as usual. The moment was over.
Julian tilted his head towards the park gate and looked at the small, expensive coffee shop on the corner. Eva was distracted for a moment, wondering if it was his favourite too.
‘Shelly and fresh coffee are waiting for you inside.’
Butterflies fluttered around Eva’s tummy. How did he know? Just when she thought she didn’t know what to do, he had suggested the one thing that could make her feel better, coffee in her favourite brassiere with her best friend. And he had ju
st proven that, yes, he did know her better than she knew herself.
Eva turned around to look through shop window. Shelly was sitting inside flicking through the pages of a magazine. She turned back to thank Julian but he was already walking away. He didn’t look back.
Eva wanted to shout after him but she bit her lip and distracted herself by opening the white envelope she’d been gripping so tightly her fingers hurt.
There was a hand written note inside.
Evangeline,
You surprise the hell out of me, now go surprise yourself.
Love,
J xx
Chapter 45
Shelly stood up and hugged Eva as she reached her table.
‘You okay?’ Shelly asked softly, sliding a large, skinny Cappuccino across the table to Eva.
Eva shook her head. ‘But I’m so glad you’re here.’
‘It was the first email in my priority inbox this morning. Instructions from Mr Doe. I wasn’t allowed to tell you but I had to come here and have coffee waiting for you at eleven. Oh, and randomly to make sure my passport was in date. Weird.’
‘And is it?’
‘Weird? Yeah it totally is. I never get personal emails from him, really.’
Eva laughed. ‘No, silly. I mean is your passport okay.’
Shelly narrowed her eyes. ‘Well yeah, I think so, but why?’
‘This is why.’ Eva took two rectangular tickets out of the white envelope and placed them on the table in front of Shelly.
Shelly leaned forward and read the printed information in front of her.
‘J…F…K,’ She shrieked. ‘Oh my God, we’re going to New York.’
Shelly picked up the two plane tickets off the table and waved them over her head like a flag.
‘Fuck yeah. NYC here we come.’
‘And first class,’ Eva added quietly.
Shelly shrieked even louder. ‘First fucking class. Holy shit, Eva.’
Eva smiled. ‘He wants me to go home, Shell. He’s found my mum and he wants me to go back.’
Shelly instantly calmed. ‘Eva that’s huge. Are you okay?’
‘It’s what he wants. He thinks I’m broken and I need to face my demons. Mortifying, huh?’
Shelly’s body language changed so much she was almost a different person. ‘And you think?’
‘I think he knows me so well it scares the shit out of me.’
‘Sooo?’
A huge smile burst across Eva’s face. ‘Sooo….pack your bags. We’re going to New York.’
Shelly scrunched her shoulders tight and punched the air. ‘Woo-hoo. It’s going to be amazing.’
Eva closed her eyes and sighed. ‘It’s going to be amazing,’ she repeated.
And she really hoped it was.
***
Julian had stayed out of the office the rest of the week. He couldn’t stand the girl that was subbing for Shelly. He’d spent the last few days in the country, riding and making some minor repairs to the paddock and stables. Of course he had staff for that kind of thing, but he never expected them to do anything he wasn’t prepared to do himself. And besides, he was glad of the distraction. But Monday had come around again too fast for his liking, and he couldn’t let things at work slide any further.
He looked at his watch, it was just past ten and he sat nursing cold coffee and stared out the window. Bright, daylight filled his office. Evangeline Andrews filled his head. A pile of unsigned, important documents were scattered to toppling point on the desk behind him and unread emails clogged his inbox. Julian was a workaholic, he knew it and embraced it. It shaped who he was and made him very wealthy and powerful. But there was something different today, his work ethic was dented. Eva’s flight was due to land shortly. She was home. For the last two weeks, setting Eva free from herself had been his job. As with all aspects of his life, Julian had applied himself one hundred percent to the task and had, as always, achieved phenomenal results. He taught Eva how to be a strong, independent woman with the power to make tough decisions and see them through. He knew her decision to walk away from him was her toughest yet and he was proud of her. But he wondered when she would realise that.
Julian tapped his pen against his lip and a defiant grin swept across his face.
‘Round one to you, Evangeline. Round two…game on.’
Thank you to my lovely vanitycase.co.uk ladies. I heart you. Cheers *hic*
My great kids, thanks for only demanding almost all my attention. I love you. You are, and always will be, my greatest achievement.
My Mom for always believing. Thanks for nagging, or I mightn’t have gotten here.
Thank you to my amazing husband for sharing me with Julian. You’re still my number one.
Finally, and so importantly, thank you, the reader…Julian and Eva’s story is made so much more special by sharing it with you. Thank you, thank you!
If you’d like to get in touch you can find me procrastinating on Twitter (a lot) @brookeharris69 or on Facebook. Or stop by and visit my blog http://brookeharrisauthor.blogspot.ie/
Hope to see you again for Harte #2
Love,
Brooke Xx
Rules of Harte (Harte Series #1) Page 27
