We leaned against the concrete barrier, watching the rain create rivers in the road, the city visible in the distance through the gray curtain of weather. There was something intimate about being trapped together in this small dry space, cut off from the world by the storm.
"I love this," I said, gesturing at the scene around us. "The rain, the quiet, being hidden away from everything."
"Even when we're stuck under a highway overpass?" Julian asked, amused.
"Especially then," I said. "It's like we're in our own little world."
I moved closer to Julian, drawn by the warmth radiating from his body and the way he was looking at me—like I was something precious he couldn't quite believe he'd found. When I reached up to brush a drop of rain from his cheek, Julian caught my hand, bringing it to his lips to press a soft kiss to my palm.
The simple gesture sent heat spiraling through my body, and I found myself stepping even closer, until we were barely inches apart. Julian's eyes darkened as he read my intention, his free hand finding my waist.
"Vivienne," his voice carried a warning.
Instead of heeding it, I let my hand slide down from his face to his chest, feeling his heart racing beneath my palm. When I moved lower, tracing the line of his ribs through his jacket, Julian's breathing became labored.
"We can't," he said, even as his body responded to my touch. "Not here."
But I was feeling bold, emboldened by the privacy of our shelter and the intimacy of the moment. I let my hand drift lower, finding the growing evidence of his arousal through his jeans.
Julian's sharp intake of breath was audible even over the sound of rain. "Vivienne."
"No one can see us," I said softly, my fingers tracing the length of him through the denim. "We're completely hidden."
Julian's control held for about ten seconds before his hand shot out to capture my wrist, stopping my exploration with gentle but firm pressure.
"Stop," he said, his voice rough with desire and command. "Not here, not like this."
The authority in his tone, the way he took control even while clearly wanting what I was offering, sent a different kind of heat through my body. I'd never been particularly attracted to dominant men, but something about Julian's careful control, his ability to say no even when he wanted to say yes, was incredibly appealing.
"Sorry," I said, though I wasn't really sorry at all. "I got carried away."
"Don't apologize," Julian said, releasing my wrist but keeping his eyes fixed on my face. "Just... when we do this, I want to do it properly. Somewhere I can take my time with you."
The promise in his voice made my knees weak. "Is that a guarantee?"
"That's a promise," Julian said, his smile becoming predatory. "But right now, we're going to stand here and talk about completely unsexy things until this rain stops and I can think clearly again."
I laughed, charmed by his honesty and his self-control. "What kind of unsexy things?"
"Tell me about your hometown," Julian said, clearly grasping for a safe topic. "What's it like where you grew up?"
So I did, describing the small Kentucky town where everyone knew everyone, where Friday night high school football was the biggest entertainment, where my parents still lived in the same house they'd bought as newlyweds. I told him about summer fireflies and winter snow days, about church potlucks and county fairs, about the community that wrapped around you like a warm blanket but could also feel suffocating if you wanted something different.
"It sounds wonderful," Julian said, and he seemed to mean it. "Peaceful."
"It is," I agreed. "But it's also very small. Everyone knows your business, everyone has opinions about your choices. When I moved to the city for college, it felt like I could finally breathe."
"Do you miss it?"
I considered the question. "I miss the people. I miss the simplicity. But I don't miss feeling like I had to fit into a predetermined mold." I glanced at Julian. "You're going to be quite the shock to their systems."
"Because I'm from the city?"
"Because you're you," I said simply. "Sophisticated, successful, clearly wealthy. They're going to think I've either won the lottery or gotten myself into trouble with someone out of my league."
Julian was quiet for a moment, and I worried I'd said too much, revealed too much about my own insecurities.
"Are you having second thoughts about bringing me?" he asked finally.
