Dating Games(72)

“Are you sure? You seem…off.” He shifts into third as he continues up First toward the interstate.

“I’m fine. Everything’s fine.”

“Fine?”

“Yes. Fine.”

“Hmm.”

“What?” I tilt my head.

“During his lifetime, Mr. Price offered a great deal of advice, most of it regarding operating and building a successful business. But he also gave me real-world advice.” Licking his lips, he glances at me, our eyes locking before he returns his attention to the road. “One of the things he told me was if a woman ever says she’s fine, I should run for cover.”

I laugh softly as I gaze at him, a nostalgic twinkle in his eyes.

“You’re not fine, Guinevere. Remember what I said at the beginning. No lies. It’s the only way this will work. Tell me what’s bothering you.” His voice is soft and comforting as he grasps my hand in his.

“I thought we weren’t going to do the whole sharing of our sob stories?”

“Is it a sob story?” he asks hesitantly.

“No. Just some trouble at work.” I grit out a smile. I’ve tried to keep my troubles to myself, considering Julian has his own problems with getting his project up and running. “Nothing to concern yourself with. Don’t worry. I’ll be my usual charming self this weekend. I need to figure out my next step. That’s all.”

He abruptly pulls the car to the side of the road, putting on his hazards. In typical New York fashion, horns blare and drivers shout expletives as they pass, flipping him off. It doesn’t deter him.

“What are you doing?”

Once he shifts into neutral and engages the parking brake, he faces me, his eyes hardened. “I never intended this arrangement to cause you problems at work. You don’t have to come with me this weekend.”

“It’s not,” I insist. “This is a me issue. It has nothing to do with our arrangement. I guess I didn’t realize how difficult…” I trail off.

“How difficult what?”

“Don’t worry about it.”

He brings his hand to my cheek and I melt into him. He tenderly grazes his thumb over my bottom lip. It’s a subtle, gentle touch, one most may not react to. But that’s all it takes to ignite the spark, the unquenchable thirst building inside me. Now that I know exactly how it feels to have Julian’s hands on the most intimate parts of my body, that thirst has only increased. There have been so many instances I’ve been on the brink of initiating something more.

Like when he took me to a pottery class. I thought it would be fun to recreate the scene from Ghost, complete with appropriate background music, which I sang myself. The way he stared at me, his eyes dancing with amusement as he tried not to laugh at the spectacle I made, only increased the connection I felt to him. Trevor would have tried to hide out of embarrassment. Not Julian.

Like when he surprised me with a trip to one of the most beautiful bookstores I’d ever seen. He barely took his eyes off me as I roamed the aisles in wonder of all the stories filling the gorgeous space. I’d asked Trevor to take me there dozens of times. I never even had to ask Julian. He did it because he knew I’d enjoy it.

Like when he realized I started waking up early to watch the sunrise over the ocean. He began getting up, too. Now, whenever I open the French doors and step onto the balcony of his exquisite home, he’s waiting for me, holding a cup of coffee prepared the way I like it. Trevor never made coffee for me.

Regardless of how close we’ve become, the ball’s remained firmly in my court. There have been countless opportunities for me to toss it back to him. But I haven’t, scared it will ruin what we’ve built.

“I told you. I’ll always worry about you. If you’d rather stay in the city to focus on work, I understand.”

“Thank you.” I sigh, finding comfort in his words. There are so many sides to Julian, I can’t decide which I like best. One minute, he can be mysterious and aloof. The next, sweet and compassionate. And still the next, tortured and defeated. All parts that make up this man who’s unwittingly found his way under my skin where he’s burrowed so deeply I’m unsure whether I’ll be able to let go. But, in less than a month, I have to do just that.

Swallowing hard, I pull back, forcing him to drop his hold on me. “Maybe a weekend away to clear my head is what I need. Sometimes the best medicine is a little sun and sand.” I turn my lips into a small smile.

“Are you sure? I really don’t mind—”

“It’s fine,” I interrupt, crossing my arms in front of my chest as I tap my foot, feigning annoyance. “And if you don’t take me, I’ll hop on a train and show up at your house, so you may as well enjoy my company for another two hours.” I pass him a playful look, winking. “Plus, as if the hair weren’t a dead giveaway, I’m Irish, and I have the stubbornness to prove it. You’re not going to win this battle with me, Mr. Gage.”

Pinching his lips together, he studies me for a moment, then pushes out a breath. “Fine. We’ll compromise.”

“Compromise?”

“Precisely.” Disengaging the parking brake, he presses his foot on the clutch before shifting into first and pulling back into traffic without signaling. Horns honk all around us, but Julian ignores them.