Her eyes moved over me as she walked away, her hips swaying aggressively. She was clearly reading more into my being there than what was actually happening.
Julian opened his door further and stepped back into his apartment. “I’m assuming you’re here for this.”
I followed after him, accept the black bag from his hands. “Yeah, thanks.”
When I didn’t leave right away, Julian turned to me, pushing his glasses up his nose before tucking his hands into his pockets.
“Did you need something else?”
Why did he seemed so pissed off? He’s the one who started a fight with Tate again. I was the one who should be mad at him. Plus, there was the red head. Looping the bag over my shoulder, I stared him down.
“Guess what you said about focusing on the mission only applied to me, huh?”
Julian placed a hand on the island and leaned toward me taking a big whiff. “And you’re clearly not following it. So why should I?”
My back stiffened at his implication. I figured he’d be able to smell Tate on me, but didn’t think it’d be such a big deal. It wasn’t unusual.
“So, you’re going out with her then?” I continued, not letting him back out of this one. If he was going to stick his nose into my love life, then that meant I had every right to do the same.
Julian shrugged. “I don’t see it as a date. She could have valuable information we need for the mission. Plus, it helps keep my cover. You coming to my apartment all the time does not.”
“Well, next time, leave my bag where it was,” I quipped. “I had to beat up a wolf just to get back out of that gym.”
“Are you alright?” His brows furrowed, eyes skimming over me.
I shrugged back. “I’m fine. Just a bunch of dickheads running their mouths. I took care of it.”
Julian nodded, quiet for a moment before calmly asking, “Are you two back together?”
“Do you even care?” I tilted my head to the side. “You’ve got miss professor waiting for you.”
He took a step toward me, and his hand out reached before dropping. “I care if he’s going to hurt you again.”
I huffed a laugh. “Out of the three men who I’ve been involved with, he is the only one who hasn’t hurt me.” My hand tightened on my bag as I dipped my head to him. “Have fun at your lunch, professor.”
Turning my back on him, I didn’t wait to see his reaction to my words. Julian had made it clear last year that we couldn’t be together. Why would I think that now as any different? It wasn’t like he was jealous of Tate. He probably only cared about the effect it’d have on our mission.
Sighing once outside of his apartment, I pulled my phone out of my pocket and shot a text off to the family group chat.
Me: Knock it off with the crows, dad.
Chapter 15
Kyren
I kept staring at the numbers on the page, but I couldn’t get my mind to make sense of them. Working on the household accounts wasn’t something I usually did. I had people for that.
Except I couldn’t focus on anything other than seeing Jack last night.
She’d been magnificent.
Obviously out of her element being center of attention, but a queen in her own right. The way her face flushed whenever someone complimented her. The way she talked about her family. It made my emotions war inside of me.
My loyalty to my sire, Kleon, fought with the part of me that loved her and wanted her to be happy. It was becoming more and more of a struggle to remind myself of all the reasons why I couldn’t be with her.
I’d been harder than a rock as I watched her with all her admirers and then putting those two males in their place. I had to get out of there before anyone caught a whiff, or worse, I gave in and kidnapped her.
Now, I sat at my desk, trying to keep my mind on something, anything, but her and failing.
