Chapter 31: Uncle

"What"

Julian brushed his uncle's grip off his collar and rolled back over, dragging the blanket up over his head, fully intending to sleep off the hangover.

He'd had way too much the night before, and right now every part of him wanted nothing more than a few more hours of unconsciousness.

Marcus stood beside the bed, staring down at the shapeless lump of blankets that had, allegedly, just referenced a wife.

A wife?

His nephew was many things reckless, indulgent, allergic to responsibility but he'd never once mentioned an actual relationship, let alone a wife.

Is he seeing someone?

Before Marcus could reach down and yank the blankets off again, the bedroom door slammed open.

This time, it wasn't just Julian who froze.

Julian bolted upright, staring at the doorway in shock.

Claire stood frozen in the entrance, clutching her bag defensively against her chest, staring back at the cold, striking man standing beside the bed with equal surprise.

The second she registered how good-looking he was, her face flushed instantly. She tightened her grip on her bag and stood there, completely unsure what to do with herself.

She'd come here fully intending to give Julian a piece of her mind for the theatrics that morning. She had not accounted for company.

And this man looked disturbingly similar to Julian sharper, colder, but cut from the same devastating mold.

His expression was stern, his brows set in a hard line, his eyes carrying a chill that immediately put her on edge.

Tall. Broad-shouldered. Built like someone who took discipline seriously in every part of his life.

Marcus, meanwhile, was studying her just as carefully.

This must be the "wife," then.

His gaze swept over her, lingering pointedly on the bag she was clutching defensively to her chest, brow furrowing slightly at the sight.

Then his eyes lifted to meet hers directly.

Under that kind of scrutiny, Claire found herself shifting awkwardly in place, painfully aware of exactly how she was dressed.

This is possibly the worst first impression I've ever made on anyone, she thought.

She hadn't expected anyone else to be in the apartment. She'd barged in expecting nothing but Julian and a lecture waiting to happen.

This man is clearly family. And I've just walked in dressed like this.

Her stomach sank further with every passing second. She glanced over at Julian, who'd already crossed the room toward her, then back at the stranger by the bed, silently begging for some kind of intervention.

The whole scene was, undeniably, deeply awkward.

Julian frowned at her, taking in the bag pressed to her chest. "Why are you hiding behind your bag?"

"And what exactly are you wearing?"

Without waiting for an answer, he reached out and plucked the bag straight out of her hands.

Marcus took a step closer at the same moment.

Claire's face went scarlet, and she crossed her arms over her chest on instinct.

For one excruciating beat, both men's eyes landed exactly where she least wanted them to.

Marcus went momentarily still, something flickering behind his usually unreadable expression, his pulse ticking up in a way that clearly irritated him.

Julian caught the direction of his uncle's gaze immediately. He tossed the bag aside, pulled Claire fully into his arms, and turned to Marcus with open annoyance.

"Uncle. My girlfriend's here. Probably not the best time for you to stick around."

"Go ahead without me. I'll catch up."

Girlfriend?

Claire pressed herself into Julian's chest, wrapping her arms around him, playing along without much other choice.

If his uncle hadn't shown up out of nowhere, she thought, I wouldn't be putting on this performance right now.

Also this "uncle" looks suspiciously young for the title.

"Catch up later?" Marcus's brow arched slightly, his expression giving away nothing. "You mean after the ceremony's already over?"

Claire noted, with some surprise, just how deferential Julian's tone had gone. He was clearly, genuinely wary of this man.

Guess the reputation's earned, then.

She tightened her grip around Julian's waist, filing that observation away.

Marcus's gaze drifted over Claire once more, something coolly dismissive flickering behind his eyes.

Beautiful, undeniably.

But whatever she is, she's not the kind of woman anyone brings home to meet the family.

He had no intention of letting some random attachment complicate his nephew's life.

His narrow, sharp eyes lingered on her back for a moment too long, something unreadable passing behind them.

Claire felt the weight of that stare and swallowed hard.

Why, she thought, a little bewildered at herself, does that feel more interesting than uncomfortable?

I wonder what it would take to actually get a reaction out of a man like that.

He was, if anything, even more physically imposing than Julian broader through the shoulders, harder in that unreadable, disciplined way.

Being held by someone like that, she thought, would probably feel unreasonably safe.

Objectively striking. Coldly composed. Carrying an air of quiet authority that made her genuinely curious what it would take to crack.

Now that, she thought, filing the idea away with real interest, would be an interesting catch.

While Claire indulged that particular train of thought, Marcus was busy forming plans of his own.

Julian's clearly taken with her.

But a woman who dresses like this, showing up unannounced she's probably after nothing more than his money and his name.

He had no intention of letting some opportunist take advantage of his nephew's impulsiveness.

Julian, noticing exactly where his uncle's attention kept drifting, lost what little patience he had left.

"I said I'd catch up. Are you leaving or not?"

Marcus, familiar with his nephew's temper, decided not to push it further.

He gave Claire's retreating back one last long look before turning to go.

"Don't keep Grandfather waiting too long."

Once Marcus had gone, Julian's expression darkened as he turned back to Claire.

"Dressed like that you came straight from Lucas's place, didn't you?"

His voice was tight, accusatory.

Claire had come here fully prepared to lecture him for the dramatic phone call that morning. But after that whole ordeal with his uncle, she'd lost most of her fight.

She melted against him instead, voice turning soft and sweet.

"No, I just figured you'd like this look, so I wore it for you."

"How was I supposed to know your uncle would be here? That was mortifying."

"You're impossible, setting me up like that."

"I hate you. I'm never speaking to you again."

She gave his chest a light shove for emphasis and turned to storm off dramatically.

Julian, thoroughly charmed despite himself, wasn't about to let her get far.

He caught her wrist, pulled her back against him, wrapped an arm around her waist, and grinning leaned down to kiss her properly.