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In a stupid move, brought on by sheer desperation, Julien turned and was about to book it out of the alley. But before he even got two feet away, a firm hand clamped around his arm.
“Where do you think you’re going?”
“Look, monsieur. You don’t understand.”
“I said”—the owner of the vehicle spun Julien around and muscled him back against the side of it—“stay. Put.”
Baise-moi, Julien thought, as the panic in his brain suddenly vanished, and he found himself staring into the most arresting and determined set of eyes he’d ever seen. Grey, like the ominous clouds of a thunderstorm. They were turbulent, intense, and vibrating with energy, and Julien felt his traitorous body respond. The man was as commanding as a god right then, and frighteningly attractive in his poise.
“What’s your name?” the man asked, and though Julien wasn’t the type to obey orders from anyone, he heard himself say, “Julien Thornton.”
They stood there for a second—no, a minute—hell, it could’ve been an hour for all Julien knew with the way his brain was spinning.
“Do you make it a habit to run up side streets half-dressed, stealing cars?”
Finally regaining his wits, Julien shook his head. “Non, but you don’t understand. There’s this—”
“I don’t care one way or another,” the man interrupted. “But there’s no way I’m going to let some thief run off so he can hotwire some other unsuspecting bystander’s car.”
Okay, attractive or not, this guy needed to get out of the way or they were both going to be in a lot of trouble. “Let me go,” Julien said, knowing that any minute now, Lorenzo could come running around that corner with a bat in hand.
“Not going to happen.”
Julien cursed under his breath, and then tugged on his arm, trying to pull free. “Laisse-moi partir espèce de crétin, ou ta bagnole et moi, on va se faire tabasser."
“French, yes?”
“Oui.”
“I imagine nothing you said just then was very nice.”
“Look, I promise not to steal anyone else’s car if you let me go.”
“No.”
Julien glared at him and tried to straighten off the car, and when his thigh brushed up against the man’s front and he felt what he knew was a solid erection, Julien’s eyes shifted down to the man’s dress slacks and he felt his breath catch.
So, he hadn’t imagined the electricity between them seconds ago.
“Let me go,” Julien said, and noticed the man’s lips tilt slightly at the side.
“No. I told you, I’m calling the police.”
Julien bit back his growl of frustration at the obstinate ass and decided to just go with the fucking truth. “There’s a guy chasing me and he could come around that corner at any minute. You don’t want that.”
“Chasing you?” the man said, and lowered his eyes down Julien’s front. “Are you hurt?”
“Non, non. I’m not hurt, but if he finds me, I will be.”
The man looked over his shoulder as if trying to decide whether Julien was lying. “Why is he chasing you? Did he attack you? You can tell me. I’m a lawyer. I can take you somewhere safe. Somewhere you can get help.”
Oh shit. A lawyer? That’s why he has a fancy car and briefcase. Of course I had to pick a lawyer’s car. That’s almost as bad as picking a cop’s car.
“Non. Nothing like that. He’s, uh…he’s angry at me.”
“Why?”
“None of your business,” Julien said before he thought better of it. Habit, he supposed, from all his father’s interrogations.
“Since it’s my car you were trying to steal to make your grand getaway, I beg to differ.”
Julien went to pull his arm free, and the man’s lips curved as his eyes did another once-over.
“How about I guess, then? Your pants are halfway falling off, your shirt is undone, you have no shoes, and there’s a bruise on your neck the size of a quarter. So unless you were ravaged by a vampire and are fleeing for your life…my guess is you were caught having some torrid affair on this fine afternoon.”
Julien’s nostrils flared, and heat infused his cheeks. Who the fuck is this guy? “Look, I’m just trying to save your car. If he finds me, he’s going to smash this thing to shit, and probably me soon after that.”
“So you wanting me to let you go is actually a gallant move? I don’t think so.”
“I’m not lying.” Again Julien’s eyes darted over the man’s shoulder. “But if it makes you feel better, why don’t you just drive me to the police station? That way you kill two birds with one stone.” The man’s eyebrow arched, and Julien’s pulse thumped at the arrogant expression. “Just get us the fuck out of here.”
“Very well,” the man said, and with a rough pull on Julien’s arm, he led him around the front of his car to the passenger door. He opened it and said, “After you.”
