“I… ah… I never really thought about it,” sheadmitted.
“You should,” he said. “Now, let’s go meetyour friends.”
She didn’t know how he could make her likehim one second and dislike him so much in the next. She wanted anhour or two of relaxing with some food, a beer, and Cassidy’ssongs. Having to spend the rest of the night fending off Owen’sadvances was about as relaxing as having a tornado coming at her,but she didn’t have a choice.
She had to kiss his ass, because no matterwhat he said about Nicolette being scared she’d leave, if he pulledhis paintings out of here tomorrow, she’d find herself jobless. Nogallery was going to hire the girl who blew an Owen showing.
“I’m not staying out late,” she said.“Nicolette’s probably going to call me at six.”
“I have no doubt.”
Pulling her keys out of her purse, she sortedthrough them until she found the one for the main door. She startedtoward the door, but he stopped her by clasping her arm and pulledher toward him.
Shock immobilized her, and when she releaseda startled sound, he stuck his tongue in her mouth. Aida almostchomped down on it, but before she bit it off, she came back to hersenses enough to jerk away from him.
Don’t hit the talent.But she yearnedto punch him in his too smug, too handsome face. Howdarehe! She’d told him “no” more times than she could count,reiterating they were better as friends, and she’d never given himany reason to think anything was different. Yet, he’d stilltouchedher, and worse, hekissedher.
And that kiss had been so like the vampiresslithering over her. Their mouths had moved over her skin as theysought a place to bite her. They hadn’t raped her because she wasto be auctioned off at the end of the hunt, and whoever bought herwouldn’t pay as much if their friends sampled the goods first.
No, they hadn’t raped her, but those vampsviolated her in countless other ways. She’d never forget the feelof their hot mouths against her icy skin or the agony of theirunwelcome bite.
Aida rested her hand against her forehead asshe struggled to suppress her memories while her temper burned likethe sun. Lifting her head, she leveled Owen with a stare. Even ifshe lost her job, she refused to let this continue.
She opened her mouth, but no words came outas her gaze settled on the front windows. There, on the street,stood a man who looked eerily similar to Julian, but it couldn’tbe. She closed her eyes briefly before opening them again. She’dfully expected him to disappear, but he remained standing therewith his eyes locked on her and Owen.
He barely resembled the boy she recalledevery day, but she had no doubt the man before her was the one whowalked away years ago.
“Julian,” she breathed.
Without thinking, she tore her arm away fromOwen and raced for the door. She didn’t hear her purse hit thefloor, didn’t realize she’d dropped her coat as she fumbled for thehandle and threw open the door.
She plunged into the April night and gaspedwhen goose bumps broke out on her arms and legs. The black pantsand white blouse she wore were useless against the cold, but shedidn’t retreat inside as she frantically searched the streets forhim.
“Watch it,” someone muttered when she shovedpast them, but she didn’t pay them any attention.
Running in her boots wasn’t exactly easy, butshe weaved in and out of the crowd in search of the man who was atonce so familiar and a complete stranger. Then, she spotted himwith his hands in his pockets and shoulders hunched up as hestalked toward the bar where Cassidy and Kyle worked.
It was him, but it couldn’t be. He walkedaway years ago, why would he be back now?
She ignored the anger and catcalls as shebumped her way through more people. She imagined him, but shecouldn’t get herself tostopchasing this stranger. She hadno idea what she was going to do when she caught up to him. Andthen, he was at the steps leading down into the bar.
Before he could descend, she seized his wristand jerked him toward her. She’d been afraid she was chasing astranger who only resembled Julian. Someone who would think she wasa lunatic—and maybe she was—but her heart slammed against her ribswhen he turned toward her and his striking lapis-colored eyes methers.
She barely suppressed a strangled cry as herhand flew to her mouth. It had been years since she looked intothose striking eyes, but they’d haunted her dreams almost everynight he was gone.
He’d grown into everything she knew he would.He was still lean, but his shoulders had broadened and thickenedover the years. A neatly trimmed, black beard shadowed his squarejaw and emphasized his stiff upper lip and full bottom one.
Those lips brought back the heated memory ofhis kiss. Her experience with Julian was so different than whathappened with Owen tonight. He’d awakened her body and heart inways she’d never dreamed possible, and then he left without so muchas a goodbye, a call, or a text message to let her know he wasalive.
And he’d never bothered to respond to herwhen she tried to talk to him—a fact that still caused her cheeksto burn with anger and shame as she buried her urge to kick him,hit him, or scream. She was so lost back then, and he was the rockwho sat in the woods with her while she was losing her shit. Then,one day, her rock vanished.
When he first started joining her in thewoods, he would sit beside her with his hand resting near hers onthe leafy ground. He didn’t touch her because he knew the touch ofanother made her shudder.
Over time, his hand steadily crept closeruntil he could touch her without her recoiling. Then, one day, hishand had clasped hers, and eventually, she tolerated his arm aroundher shoulders while she leaned against him and cried.
And as time passed, she did less crying andmore leaning against him while they talked, laughed, and studiedthe stars. They didn’t know any of the constellations; they couldhave asked Mia to help them, but they far preferred to make uptheir own shapes and names for the stars.
He’d been her best friend, but his kissofficially kicked him out of the friend zone and made him somethingshe’d never figured out.
