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All the air went out of the room.
Her heartbeat pounded. Her lungs seized. Her body trembled in fear . . . and tentative joy.
A man with chocolate brown hair sat with his back to Skylar. The host placed the binder on the table and then pulled out the chair next to Hardy for her. Slowly, she moved to position herself in front of the chair. She greeted Hardy. Then as calmly and regally as she could, she turned her head to face the man seated beside her.
“Julian.” She couldn’t help his name slipping from her lips.
Why was he at Hardy Priese’s table?
Then it dawned on her.
He’d lost their wager and was supposed to do a full story onEmpowered in Financewithout her direct involvement, not chase the story about Hardy’s wrongdoing. But clearly, he’d changed his mind. She was already feeling so sad that the betrayal didn’t really register.
Who cared? she thought, suddenly feeling utterly defeated.
Who was she kidding?
She was already living an unsatisfying life.
Why did she think achieving her dreams at Embrette would make a difference?
More importantly, who was she to put her career first when Julian thought Hardy Priese was guilty of wrongdoing?
Julian cleared his throat and stood. “Hello, darling. I didn’t realize you’d be joining us for dinner.” He put his arm around her stiffened shoulders, kissed her cheek, then looked at Hardy. “You sly dog, Hardy. Inviting me for dinner and then arranging for my favorite person to join us. You really were impressed with the article I did, weren’t you? But like I said, I just don’t have the time to squeeze in an interview with you, not enough to do you justice.”
Skylar couldn’t seem to form words as Julian guided her away from the chair next to Hardy to the one next to his and eased her down before scooting her in. Finally, she managed to stutter, “What— I mean— How—”
“You didn’t tell me your boyfriend was a reporter with the Times, Skylar,” Hardy said, nodding over at Julian with what she surmised was a smile. Not that she’d ever seen her dour boss smile before.
She glanced over at Julian in desperate confusion, still startled to see him there smiling back at her. “Um . . . well . . . I thought we were keeping that private for now . . . ” she managed to choke out, giving Julian some serious side-eye.
“Ah, don’t look at me like that, princess. Hardy called me yesterday all on his own, not because he suspected we were dating, but because he read the piece I did on you andEmpowered in Finance, and he was interested in both my journalism experience and, well, how should I put it, my . . . financial interests.”
Skylar’s eyebrows shot up, and she turned to glare at Hardy. “You’re asking him for money?”
Hardy scowled. “I’m offering him the benefit of my extensive experience investing for others.”
Skylar took a breath, not believing the man’s gall. “But Julian already has his own finance team, don’t you, darling?” she said, looking at Julian.
Julian smirked and nodded. “As I told Hardy. But he doesn’t give up easily. Which is why I told him that since you were my girlfriend, it didn’t seem prudent to muddy the waters. After all, if I was going to do business with Embrette, I’d just as soon have you handle my finances, given no one can come close to touching your brilliance.”
The subtle dig that Julian would trust Skylar with his money more than Hardy was not lost on Skylar or Hardy; he glared at her before smiling and turning to Julian again.
“Well, think about the opportunities we talked about, and if you change your mind, please feel free to reach out. Who knows? Perhaps one day Skylar won’t be such an integral part of Embrette Investments, so any potential conflict of interest would be mute.”
The smile Julian shot Hardy was steely and pointed; she swore the room chilled by twenty degrees, and she could see the warning in his eyes. “Since Skylar’s intention is to one day run Embrette, and since she is exceedingly qualified for that position and has my full support, I assure you that if for some reason she is no longer an integral part of Embrette, it will be her choice. Otherwise, I will be extremely displeased and will have to use my considerable finances and connections appropriately. But we don’t have to worry about that so long as you’re around, do we, Hardy?”
27
At Julian’s less-than-subtle threat, Hardy turned red and picked up a napkin to swipe at his mouth. “Of course, of course, Julian.”
“Good. I’m glad we’re in agreement,” Julian said before turning to Skylar and taking her hand. “So, darling, as glad as I am to have met such a brilliant, accomplished man as Hardy”—Skylar could tell Julian was practically choking on his words even as Hardy chuckled at Julian’s obvious flattery—“I’m even happier to see you.”
Butterflies took flight in her stomach when he said that, staring at her and blessing her with a soft smile, his thumb caressing her knuckles.
In her desperation to accept they were over, even if she had checked her phone for messages from him over the past three days, she’d already started to harden her defenses against him. As if his smile were the sun and her heart the snow, she felt herself begin to thaw. Melt. Evaporate to become one with the sun that was Julian. She could catch his scent, and now that thaw was melting away, the barriers she’d placed over her desire. Her want. Her need. Her pussy quivered at his soft, warm touch.
“I’m happy to see you, too, Julian,” she said, meaning every word of it. “We need to make time in our busy schedules for one another.”
