“Aren’t you going to arrange a car like a gentleman?”
His lips purse out as he opens the bottle of whiskey, and his eyes remain set on pouring drinks. “Nope.”The P pops, and a sound of liquid pouring accompanies it. “Not yet. Might as well enjoy your glass of whiskey, since it cost a couple grand. Otherwise, it would be a crime to waste it.”
He hands me a glass with his eyes arrowing straight into me. “Here.”
Our fingers briefly touch when I wrap my hand around the tumbler, and they linger for a second longer than they should. Bringing the drink to my nose, I smell a sharp odor. I decide to go for it and take a sip, instantly feeling the sting on my throat.
“You are quite a rule-breaker. Not even toasting.”
I give him an "oh, really" look. “What are we toasting? Indifference?” I suggest.
He looks away and fails terribly at hiding his tiny smile because he found it funny. “Fine.”He swings his gaze back and taps my glass with his, indicating with his head to follow him. I do, but only because it’s clear that it’s straight to his couch.
The quiet in the room is unnerving. It has everything to do with our dynamic; professional yet crossing borders of professionalism in terms of jabs thrown and his commanding lips. I decide to break the tension.
“I noticed the card collection.”
He smoothly drinks his own whiskey. “Mmm.” He finishes his sip. “I collect playing cards. Some are from the 1920s, and others are special editions.”
“Really?”
“You sound surprised.”
I smile genuinely. “I am. Are you a poker player then?”
He licks his lips, and his cheeks tighten. It’s sexy and strikes curiosity, especially when his smile is sincere. “You’ll like this. No. I only play Go Fish.”
“Funny.” He shakes his head gingerly side to side. “You’re serious?” He nods, and my entire face stretches in surprise with a wide grin. “No way! That is… hysterical and total blackmail material.”
“I thought you would enjoy that.”
We both continue to nurse our drinks. “Why Go Fish?”
He lifts a shoulder. “I don’t know. It’s easy. Doesn’t require much brain power. It isn’t poker, which I fucking hate. My da—” Julian stops himself from finishing the sentence, clearly poking a sensitive thought. I want to press him on why, but I sense that it isn’t a good idea.
Instead, I ask, “Go Fish involves at least two people. Doyou play a lot?”That was not subtle, and I could facepalm myself if I weren’t holding a drink.
Julian shifts and positions his body to face me as we both lean against the back of the couch with one arm, as though we’ve been talking for hours. It’s crazy, but a man holding a glass of whiskey with a watch like his yet wearing jeans is a turn-on for me. It’s sophistication.
“Not here. No.”His voice is unyielding, and his eyes pin me in place.
Part of me wants to say to hell with it, toss the expensive glass to the floor, and move to straddle him. The other part is much wiser.
“Right.” I swallow.
“Don’t have any antique stores near Purplehope, do you?”
The corner of my mouth snags. “You mean Everhope, and actually, there are a few in the county. I’m sure you can send someone to check them out. I’m not sure they’ll take your gold card, though. They’re simple people and enjoy staying behind in the times.”
“Charming.Going all in on the theme of antiques, it seems.”
I laugh. “Wow, you made a cheesy joke.”
Julian takes a final swig of his drink. “I am capable. Plus, I have a pain-in-the-ass assistant whom I could send to look for me. Are you heading to Purpletop soon?” He mistakes the name purely for enjoyment.
“Hopefully. It’s an easy drive for the weekend, but I want to go when I have a few extra days. I really want to see my aunt.”
“You’ve mentioned her a few times now.”
