The house is gorgeous, the architecture making me itch to learn more. With the white pillars that seem to hold up the second-floor balcony, it truly is one of those classic plantation homes.
The wrap-around porch is painted black, contrasting the white of the house perfectly. A porch swing hangs off to the right side of the house, and on the left is a bench. This one, a small wooden one, with cushions that look good enough to fall asleep on.
Potted plants of every color line the wall, showing off bright blues, pinks, and yellow. I wonder briefly what it would be like to grow up in a house like this. Running around as a kid, playing in the humungous garden. It must’ve been magical. I can’t help but smile, thinking about my mother.
I should do some research and find her childhood home. She never once gave me the address, but I’m sure if I headed into the town records, I’d be able to find it. Going back to where she grew up is a dream I’ve had for a long while. After my stint with rebelling—after her death—I’ve wanted nothing more than to connect with her on a deeper level. To learn about who she was before she met my dad and had me.
“You came back.” The deep drawl of Julian startles me out of my thoughts, and I look up to see he’s changed into a pair of jeans that only seem to show off his lean, muscled thighs. The dark-blue crewneck top he’s donned fits him like a glove, and my hungry gaze eats up every inch of the six-foot-five god.
This is ridiculous. How can he be that hot and so damn annoying?
“You said after lunch,” I tell him, not wanting to return to the argument we had earlier. I want to put it in the past. I always hated fighting, and this time it’s no different.
“I did.” He nods. Moving toward me, he settles on the bench, leaning his elbows on his knees, which puts him in my eye-line. “Like I said earlier, I’m sorry. And I am,” he tells me, honesty raw in his dark eyes.
“I just hope that it doesn’t happen again.”
“It won’t. I’ll stay out of your way, and you will learn to stay out of mine. My studio is off-limits to anyone,” he says. The way he’s regarding me tells me there’s more to that story than he’s offering up. But like I said earlier, I won’t snoop.
“Well, if you had told me before you went in there, I wouldn’t have ventured to it to see if you wanted something to eat.”
“There is food in the kitchen. In future, I’d prefer you onsite during lunch in the event I need you for something,” he tells me, ignoring my earlier comment.
“I will make a note,” I tell him. “I always enjoyed being outdoors. The fresh air will help me work through problems if they occur.” I don’t know why I’m telling him this. It has no bearing on our relationship, but he doesn’t respond, merely nods, rises, and makes his way inside.
He is a strange man.
And I can’t stop my curiosity from wanting to know more.
Chapter 9
Julian
I didn’t want to come inside and hide in my studio. The craving I had to sit and talk to her, to learn about her, gripped me far too much. I hear her tapping away in the office. With the vents that lead through each room, it’s easy to listen to her. She talks on the phone, and I notice how professional she sounds. Even at her age, nobody would realize she’s only in her early twenties. She speaks with maturity far beyond her years.
When we had our little spat in the garden earlier, all I wanted was to pull her into my arms and inhale her scent. To steal her lips and make her shut up and listen to me. My body felt the pull toward her, but I fought it. I made sure all I had was anger at the way she retorted.
The fire blazed in her eyes, making every inch of me stand at attention. I glance at the clock and note it’s almost five. Perhaps I should offer her a ride home before heading to Eli’s place.
Setting down my laptop, I shut it and head into the office where I find her still at the desk. Her bun has come loose, and there are dark tendrils that frame her heart-shaped face. She looks like one of those porcelain dolls with rosy cheeks and wide eyes.
“Did you want a ride home? I’m heading out tonight,” I speak, causing her to snap her gaze up in surprise. I can be nice when I want to be. I mean, I’m not a complete monster. But the way she’s looking at me right now, I realize if I had said that to her, she wouldn’t agree.
“Yes, thank you.” A smile lights her face, and I can’t stop my need for her from twisting in my gut. I really need to find someone to bring home tonight. Perhaps I can fuck away this frustration.
“I’ll be in the kitchen.” I turn and leave, needing to put more space between us. This was a bad idea. Having her in my car so close by is going to be difficult. Already my focus has been stolen by her. I completed another two paintings this afternoon. That’s how much she’s affected me.
When Nea arrives in the kitchen, she’s smiling at her cell phone, and for a moment, I wonder if she’s talking to a boyfriend. The thought hadn’t even occurred to me before. I know she was living in Italy for a year, but now that she’s back, has she reunited with someone?
“Thank you again for the offer. I would’ve called an Uber or something,” she tells me after slipping her phone into her purse.
“I’d prefer you not being out alone at night,” I inform her, unsure where my protectiveness is coming from. “If you do go out, then take your boyfriend or some friends.” I grab my keys and head for the door.
“I don’t have a boyfriend, or any friends here. I only just moved back to the States, and since I left my old life behind before my move to Italy, I’ve not had time to really get to know anyone yet,” she tells me in her melodic voice as we reach the car and I open the passenger door for her.
“So, you’re here all alone?” I ask the moment I slip into the driver’s seat. The engine purrs to life, and I pull out onto the driveway.
“Pretty much,” Nea says, shrugging it off as if it doesn’t bother her, but when I glance at her, I notice the schooled expression she’s trying to hold falters. For a moment, I wonder if she’d want to join me for dinner with Eli, but then I rethink it. If I did take her to my best friend’s house, I’d be questioned by him nonstop. And that’s not something I can handle because I have no answers for the questions he’d pose.
She’s an employee.
But even as I glance at her, I know that something is shifting between us. There’s tension hanging thickly there, and I can’t deny I think she’s captured my attention.
By the time I pull up outside her apartment building, I’m drunk on the scent of her perfume. She smiles over at me, her eyes shimmering in the early evening light.
“Thank you again,” she says before getting out of the car. The moment the door shuts, I lower the window.
“See you tomorrow.” The hope in my voice is apparent, but if she notices it, she doesn’t make it known. Instead, she offers me a wave and a nod before I watch her disappear into the building.
Sighing loudly, I shake my head and pull out onto the road and take the turn toward Eli and Kate’s place. With my mind on Nea, I realize there’s something about this girl that’s well and truly fucked me over. I don’t know if it’s the pain I see in her eyes or the fire that she exudes, but I know that being around her every day is going to be a challenge.