AN INTIMATE ATTEMPT

Julian was back home earlier than she expected.

She had been hoping to use the time he was away to find something incriminating about him, but she always knew that Vincent had been keeping an eye on her since finding her in the library. She wondered if Julian was also behind that.

“Why have you returned so early?” she snapped.

Julian threw himself on the couch, spreading out his right arm along the backrest and crossing his right leg over the left. It was the first time she had noticed just how long his legs were. She stole a glance at his face before diverting her gaze to a table in a corner.

“I just decided to come back early to see my wife. Is there any harm in that?” His voice was calm, deep, and almost annoyingly smooth. She found herself almost distracted by it. No, she told herself. This man in front of me is responsible for her brother’s death.

“We are at home now. You don’t have to pretend that we’re happy.” She rolled her eyes.

His piercing blue eyes scanned her from top to bottom and up again as if he was preparing to feast. She frowned. “Would you stop staring, you creep, or are you planning to kill me too?” She sounded pissed. His unwavering gaze was unsettling to her, but she had to maintain her cool. He arched his brow, the corner of his lips curving up to a smirk.

“Kill you? Why would I bother doing that?” he joked.

Her hands twitched in anger. “Because you did the same to my brother. Who knows, you could see me as an obstacle and decide to take me out.” Her voice tried to stay calm.

He stood up and moved toward her. She instinctively moved back, but Julian kept moving towards her until her back met the wall. His hand slowly picked a strand of her blonde hair, moving it closer to his lips and kissing it. Her heart skipped a bit from the proximity.

Is my heart beating this fast because of him? No. It can’t be. I’m just scared.

Her hands moved to his chest, attempting to push him away. He caught her hands, pinning them above her head. Julian leaned in closer until there was barely an inch left between them. Her eyes traveled down his dark hazel eyes, to his straight nose, then lingered on his lips.

His jawline was sharp and his dark raven hair looked unexpectedly soft. Julian was far more distracting than she wanted to admit. His face leaned even closer and her heart hammered against her chest.

Is he going to kiss me? Why? No. I should push him away. He’s not just anybody, he’s Julian Hayes, and he’s responsible for my brother’s death. She kept reminding herself.

Even after her internal resolution she still found herself closing her eyes and waiting for what came next.

She waited.

But nothing came.

Her eyes flickered open to see Julian giving her an expression she had never seen before. There was a look of pain in his eyes, mixed with regret and something that looked close to self-loathing.

He gave her a strained smile.

“Don’t worry, my dear wife. I’ll only do that when I’ve gained your trust.”

Then he pulled away.

Adele just stood there, lost in the moment for a while.

What just happened? She was certain he was going to kiss her. Her fingers subconsciously touched her lips.

Adele’s stomach twisted at the realization that she even prepared for him to kiss her, only for him to suddenly say he wanted to gain her trust first. That sly man.

What kind of sick game was he playing now? She was usually unable to read his expressions, but the look he had given her made her doubt for a second that Julian was the man she had believed him to be.

But then, liars were able to conceal their true face and trick them into believing what they wanted you to believe…at least that was what Adele thought.

She immediately pulled herself from the ground, straightening her clothes. And there she made a quiet resolution not to let Julian’s actions get to her.

A day hadn’t fully passed after her resolution before Adele had seen herself in another similar situation.

Julian’s hand tightened around her waist, looking down at her with a stern expression. She gulped down her saliva, glancing away from him before quickly steadying herself. “Umm, I didn’t mean for that to happen.” She awkwardly tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear.

Wait. Why was she explaining herself to him? It’s not like she had done anything wrong that needed an explanation.

“What are you doing here, Mr Hayes?” she asked once she regained her composure. Her arms folded across her chest and her gaze was more guarded.

His lips pressed into a thin line, a flicker of concern flashing across his face, which did not go unnoticed by her. “Do you plan to kill yourself before our six-month agreement is over?” His statement threw her off guard. She wasn’t sure whether to be surprised or annoyed; she just averted her gaze from his, trying to look anywhere else but at him.

“A little fall won’t kill me, Mr Hayes.” Her lips pressed into a faint pout.

She had only wanted to get the book on top of the cabinet, climbed on a stool and almost fell. Luckily, Julian had been nearby; otherwise, she would have been rubbing bodies with the ground by now.

“It’s Julian to you,” he corrected. “We can’t have you referring to me so formally in public.” He stretched his hand and picked the book from on top of the cabinet, handing it to her before exiting the room.

Hah! What an unbelievable man, she thought.