His eyes tracked the movement of the fabric, lingering on the exposed skin of my thighs. "Is that so?"
"Mmhmm." I moved toward his desk, deliberately slow, enjoying the way his focus narrowed to nothing but me. "But ownership goes both ways, doesn't it?"
Julian's hands gripped the armrests of his wheelchair as I approached, his knuckles whitening slightly. "Does it?"
I circled the desk, coming to stand beside him. "I think it does."
In one fluid motion, Julian reached out, his hand closing around my wrist to pull me onto his lap. I went willingly, settlingagainst him with my legs dangling over the armrest of his wheelchair.
"You're playing a dangerous game," he murmured, his breath warm against my neck.
"Good thing I like danger," I replied, feeling the solid warmth of him beneath me, the unmistakable evidence of his arousal pressing against my thigh.
Science miracle number two, ladies and gentlemen.
His hand slid under the shirt, fingers tracing patterns on my bare thigh that made my breath catch. "Connor..."
The phone on his desk rang, the sound jarring in the charged atmosphere of the study. Julian growled—actually growled—in frustration, but reached for it anyway.
"This had better be important," he snapped.
I could hear the tinny sound of Michael's voice on the other end, though not the specific words. Whatever he said made Julian's entire body tense beneath me. The hand on my thigh stilled, his fingers pressing slightly harder into my skin.
"How certain are you?" Julian demanded, his voice cool but with an undercurrent of something that raised the hairs on my arms.
More murmuring from Michael.
I shifted slightly on Julian's lap, but he held me firmly in place with the arm that had encircled my waist.
"Keep surveillance at a distance. Do not engage." Julian's tone had shifted to something I hadn't heard before—commanding, yes, but with an edge of controlled fury that was somehow more frightening than outright anger. "I'll call Jake. We need to accelerate our timeline."
He ended the call with a sharp jab at the screen, his jaw clenched tight enough that I could see a muscle jumping in his cheek.
"What's wrong?" I asked, but Julian shook his head slightly, his expression shuttered.
"Just a business matter," he said, though we both knew it was a lie.
I slid off his lap, moving to the stack of contract papers on the corner of his desk that I'd noticed earlier. "Let me help you organize these, at least. Your filing system is giving me hives."
Julian watched me for a long moment, something unreadable in his dark eyes. "He's found you," he said finally, his voice so quiet I almost didn't hear it.
I looked up from the papers, confused. "Who's found me?"
But Julian had already turned away, reaching for his phone again, his shoulders set in a rigid line that spoke of determination and something else—something fiercely protective that made my heart beat faster.
As I continued sorting the papers, arranging them by date as Julian liked, I realized how quickly everything had changed. Just days ago, I'd been alone, struggling to make ends meet. Now I had someone who looked at me like I was worth protecting, worth fighting for.
The shadow Julian was worried about seemed distant compared to the solid reality of him across from me, already moving mountains I couldn't see to keep me safe.
I'd only just found him too. And I wasn't about to let anyone take him away from me either.
Chapter Seven
~ Julian ~
I rolled the length of my home office, each thrust of the wheels betraying the tension I couldn't quite suppress. The Italian marble beneath my wheels felt too smooth, too perfect, while my mind churned with scenarios that grew darker with every passing second.
Michael stood at attention near my desk, his imposing figure barely contained by the expensive suit he wore, his eyes tracking me as if expecting an explosion.
