The Allure of Julian Lefray (The Allure #1)(6)

“Mr. Lefray, do you have a moment to speak with me?” I asked, reaching up to tap his shoulder.

One of the men stepped forward, sloshing his drink over the brim of his glass.

“I’m available to speak sweetheart, if Julian here is too busy,” he said with a leering smile and a roaming gaze that never quite met my eyes.





Chapter Three


Julian





My eyes flicked from Patrick to the younger woman I’d met earlier in the night. She looked stunning in her red gown—a fact I knew the men nearby were all too quick to pick up on as well.

“That won’t be necessary, Patrick,” I replied.

She shot me a thankful smile.

I nodded and stepped away from the group, gripping her arm just above her elbow. Her arm was slim and toned, and I found it far too easy to lead her away from the group of investors. A moment alone with her would far outweigh another five minutes of suffering the company of old men with older money. I led Josephine toward a private corner of the ballroom, consumed by the subtle scent of gardenia that followed in her wake.

“This won’t take long,” she promised, her bright green stare meeting mine. A blind man wouldn’t have missed the hope poorly hidden behind her faltering smile. My alarm bells rang loud and clear, but I tried to quell them. Not every girl wants to fuck you, asshole.

“It’s fine. You saved me from another ten minutes of a boring pitch,” I replied, slipping my hands into my pockets and doing my best to stare anywhere but her chest. I’m no saint, and she had an unbelievable body. Nothing like the fashion girls I usually saw around Lorena’s office. Emaciated seemed to be the desired look as of late, but Josephine had curves.

“Oh crap. You were doing a pitch?” Her eyes widened and then she covered her mouth. “Ignore the fact that I just said crap.”

I smiled.

“Twice,” she said, uncovering her mouth and seeming to regroup. She rolled her shoulders back and stared up into my eyes. She looked so young, much too young for me.

I laughed. “It’s fine.”

“This whole event is making me a little nervous to be honest,” she offered, glancing up at me from beneath her long lashes. She blushed, a rosy tinge dotting her cheeks—the same blush I’d appreciated outside earlier.

“Is this your first big event?” I asked, tilting my head to the side with a curious smile.

“Is it obvious?” she asked, touching her curled hair self-consciously.

I shook my head. “No. The event coordinators tend to memorize faces after a while, so their guest lists are more of a formality.”

She laughed, interpreting my subtle reference to her delayed entrance earlier.

“Well, my face is far from being memorable.”

I resisted the urge to insist otherwise.

“Should I get us a drink?” I offered, trying to figure what her game was. Most women were a little more forward, but Josephine seemed to be working up the nerve to ask me something. I thought perhaps I could make it a little easier on her.

She held up her hands to stop me. “No thank you. No drink.”

Her gaze drifted to the party as she took a deep breath and then she met my eye with newfound conviction.

“I wanted to speak with you because I’d like a job at Lorena Lefray Designs. I actually submitted my application this afternoon—before I realized you’d be at this event—and I was hoping if I got a chance to speak with you, maybe you could put in a good word for me.”

Son of a bitch.

She wanted a job, not a night in my hotel room.

I narrowed my eyes and studied her: delicate features, bee-stung lips. She was practically lethal.

“What position did you apply for?”

Her back straightened as she replied, “Executive assistant. I think it would be for Lorena, but the job description didn’t specify.”

Of course.

I stared out at the party, trying to regroup for a moment before glancing back to her. This was dangerous territory. The feeling of being near her in public was tempting enough; would I really want her working alongside me every day?

When I glanced back, the glimmer of hope hadn’t faded from her eyes. God, she was so young. Couldn’t have been a day over twenty-five. Was I willing to dash her dreams just because I found her attractive?

I cleared my throat.

“Actually, the position isn’t with Lorena. It’s with me. Lorena is ill and I’m stepping in to help with the company for the time being. I’m hiring an assistant to help me for a few weeks.”

I was feeding her a lie, but the truth was too personal to explain at the moment. The paparazzi were already hounding Lorena’s every move and it was my job to protect her as much as possible.

Josephine’s red lips formed a small “o”.

“I’m sorry to hear that,” she said, nodding and brushing a strand of light brown hair away from her face.

Was she disappointed she wouldn’t be working with Lorena? I couldn’t tell.

“You can retract your application if you’ve changed your mind,” I offered with a quirked brow.

Her eyes widened and she reached out to touch my forearm. I ignored the desire to wrap my hand around hers.

“No! No. I would still like to be considered for the position,” she reiterated. She stared down at her hand on my forearm as if to nail the point home, then quickly pulled it away, clasping it with her other hand in front of her trim waist.