Rules of Harte (Harte Series #1) (19 page)

Julian stepped even closer to her and kissed her forehead. ‘I can.’

A tiny tingle ran down Eva’s spine. Shit who was this guy, really? She didn’t understand. No matter how highbrow an escort he was, he couldn’t have a lifestyle like this. This kind of thing was reserved for celebrities and royalty. It didn’t happen in real life, to real people. But Julian was real, and right now, his beautiful chocolate eyes were burning into her.

             
‘So it’s that simple, then?’ Eva said, spinning around to take in the sudden enormity of the store without anyone else there.

‘What is?’

‘This. All this.’ Eva spun around again. ‘So you have enough money to buy whatever you want?

Julian eyes darted to the floor and Eva sensed that she had said something to upset him. She just wasn’t sure what.

‘No, not quite, Evangeline.’ Julian sounded strange. A husky, almost breaking tone clung to his words. ‘Some things aren’t for sale.’

‘Money can’t buy happiness, I suppose
-,’ Eva said in a hasty effort to dismiss the topic, almost cringing as she heard herself say the pathetic cliché.

‘Exactly. But it can get you fucking close.
And right now, I’d like to buy you the most beautiful dress here.’ His eyes narrowed and he lowered his head towards the back of the nearest isle where beautiful, coloured evening dresses awaited.

             
Eva’s eyes danced as she was entranced by the rainbow of silky material. No one had ever offered to buy her anything more than a coffee before. She practically skipped towards a long, emerald green dress, spinning around to check Julian was following.

             
‘Very nice,’ Julian said approvingly. He lifted the hanger from the rack and the silky material cascaded to the ground. Eva bent forward and scooped it into her hands.

‘It’s so soft,’ she explained, almost dizzy with excitement.

‘Try it on,’ Julian suggested, pointing to nearby changing rooms.

Eva cradled the dress in her arms, almost hugging it. She raced to where Julian had point
ed, doubling back to kiss him. ‘Thank you. Thank you,’ she said and hurried on her way.

****

It was just two simple words. Julian had heard them before from lots of different women. But there was something different about this time. He couldn’t quite put his finger on it. This wasn’t the first time he’d bought a beautiful women a beautiful dress. Of course, every woman was excited when he took them shopping. Their faces usually lit up when they saw the price tag, and they could barely contain their excitement when Julian took out his credit card. Eva hadn’t even checked how much the dress was. Julian knew it wasn’t the price that mattered, just the gift itself. It was refreshing and it made Julian more curious than ever about this amazing woman.

             
‘Do you like it?’ Eva said, stepping out from behind a curtain. She caught the side of the flowing skirt and swished it from side to side as she spun around. Julian could see a sparkle in her eyes that wasn’t there before. He would buy her every dress in the shop if it would keep that sparkle there.

‘Beautiful,’ he said. ‘But your body is way too delicious to hide.’

Eva look worried.

‘Here, try this one.’ Julian had spotted a little violet number early that afternoon. Eva in that dress was the first thought that came into his head. Or, ripping that dress off Eva, to be truthful.
Either way he wanted to buy it for her.

‘It’s a little more…’

‘…revealing,’ Eva interrupted, taking the dress from him.

‘I was going to say flattering. Just try it on, please?’

Eva nodded and skipped back to the changing room.

             
This time she emerged silent and obviously nervous.

Julian exhaled sharply. His cock bulged in his trousers. ‘Fuck. You look amazing.’

Eva lowered her head and fixed a strand of stray hair back behind her ear with shaking fingers. Julian knew she had no idea how stunning she was. He was going to change that.

‘I can’t reach…’ Eva spun around to show Julian the open zip that exposed her whole spin
e.

Julian sighed hard. It took all his self-control not to rip the dress from her body and fuck her there on the shop floor.

‘Come here, beautiful.’

Julian finished zipping up Eva’s dress and placed his palm flat on her bare back and spun her around to look in the mirror. He remained directly behind her, almost a head and shoulder
s taller.

‘I’m rarely without words, Evangeline…’ he said
, stopping to moisten his top lip with his tongue. Eva believed him. Julian was a man that always knew exactly what to say, and how to say it. ‘…But you in that dress…I’m speechless.’

             
Eva smiled as she stared at herself. She was almost unrecognisable. The halter neck nestled firmly between her collar bones, and its elegantly scooped out shoulders revealed her slender arms. The soft, purple satin fell to the floor in one clean swoop, hugging every curve as it passed. The only tiny detail was the tight, high slit that exposed Eva’s left leg if she dared to move. A tingle ran down her spine when Julian’s hand began to tickle her back in the space of the large open V that ran lower than she was comfortable with.

             
‘I love it, Julian. But I can’t accept it. It’s too much.’

Julian spun her around and locked eyes with her. ‘Too much? It’s just a dress. And it looks amazing on you.’

‘I’m serious. Have you seen the price of this thing?’ Eva turned the tag to face him but Julian shrugged his shoulders and didn’t look.

‘The price doesn’t matter.’

Eva knew he was serious. It was easy for him to say stuff like that with his endless supply of cash. It was a bit different for Eva and, well, every other human being she knew.

‘It matters to me…It’s twenty-five-thousand euro for fucks sake. That’s insane.’

‘Okay.’

‘Okay?’ Eva repeated.

‘If you don’t want it…’

‘…I don’t
.’

Eva fully expected Julian to argue with her but he didn’t. Fuck
, she couldn’t read this guy. He was way too good at hiding his emotions.

‘Can I at least enjoy you in it now?’ Julian asked
, his hand edging toward the slit.

Eva pouted, agreeably.

             
‘You’re so fucking beautiful, Evangeline.’

‘Thank you,’ Eva all but whispered as tears glistened in her eyes. For the first time in her life
, she really believed a man when he complimented her. Julian didn’t say it because he wanted something in return. She knew he said it because he wanted her to believe it, to feel it. And she did. And she adored him for it in that moment.

Julian ran his finger softly under Eva’s eyes and caught her tiny teardrop.

‘So. Fucking. Beautiful.’

             
His deep tone teased Eva’s senses. She wanted him to kiss her, fuck her, anything. She just wanted him.

‘Please tell me you believe that, Evangeline?’

‘Believe what?’

‘That you’re beautiful.’

‘Stop it, Julian.’ Eva blushed and turned around to slap Julian playfully on the arm.

‘No.’ Julian shook his head. ‘You’re stunning, Evangeline Andrews and you’re driving my cock crazy.’

              Julian placed both his hands on Eva’s shoulders and pulled her so close to him the air between their bodies was banished. His lips were against hers in an instant, and all her sense stood alert. She opened her mouth instinctively and moaned softly at the feel of his warm tongue against hers. His erection throbbed against her belly as his exploring tongue revealed his urgency. He stopped every so often to nibble her bottom lip before diving in to taste her mouth all over again. His hand moved from her shoulder to cradle her neck, and his other hand blindly found the zip. And in one swift movement, Julian had the dress open and released his grip of her to watch it fall to the floor. Eva gasped as the material abandoned her body, leaving her standing in just a simple, black, lacy thong.

‘Fucks sake, Julian
,’ Eva shrieked, quickly folding her arms across her naked breasts.

             
Julian laughed.

He caught her hands and forced them down by her sides. ‘Don’t hide these,’ he insisted, bending forward to place a tiny, soft kiss on each of Eva’s nipples. They pebbled in response to his moist lips and Eva’s body ached for more. Her head
, on the other hand, was screaming at her to have more sense.

‘Jesus, we’re in the middle of a fucking shop and I’m naked.’

‘Yes you are.’

‘That’s it? That’s all you’re going to do? Just agree with me
?’

Julian smirked, shrugged his shoulders and made a pathetic job of disguising a laugh.

‘You’re no bloody help. Give me my dress.’

‘I thought you said you didn’t want it?’

‘I changed my mind,’ Eva sniped, reaching for the silk.

Julian moved a matter of inches to place his foot on the material and shook his head. ‘Let’s have a little fun first.’

Eva closed her eyes, trying to push panic aside.

‘
Relax, Evangeline. No one is going to see us. Not unless you want them to, that is.’

Eve bit her bottom lip and tried to pretend to be disgusted
, but she suspected her rosy cheeks were a saucy tell of her true reaction.

             
Julian didn’t bother trying to hold his laugh anymore. ‘We have the place to ourselves, remember? What’s the point of being rich if I can’t have sex where ever the hell I feel like?’

For a moment
, Eva wanted to ask Julian about all the places he’d had sex but the thought of him ever touching another woman made her wild with jealously, so she decided not to pry and distracted herself by tugging his trousers open instead.

             
His cock sprung from his pants like a trophy for her effort. She dropped to her knees in front of him and moaned loudly as she took him in her mouth. He pushed his fingers through her hair and pulled her head closer to him until he was deep against her throat. His knees buckled just a little and his hips rocked in response to her sucks. Her lips wrapped tight around his base as she tasted his excitement build. His deep grunts told her how he liked it. Hard and slow. She was in control and that power felt wonderful.

             
Eva released him for a moment and threw her head back to watch him. His eyes were closed and his bliss was scribbled in the lines of his face.

‘Don’t stop,
’ he pleaded, opening his eyes to meet her stare.

Christ he was beautiful. Even more so when he allowed himself to be vulnerable.

His fingers guided her head back towards his throbbing cock. She licked a salty glisten from his tip and opened her mouth wide to let him inside. He was close, she could tell. Eva caught his ass in her hands and felt his muscles clench as he pumped his pelvis against her face.

              ‘So. Fucking. Beautiful,’ he repeated over and over.

He gave her no warning or even a hint
, and she gasped as the warm rush filled her mouth. She drank him effortlessly and stood up to meet his stare. She had just swallowed Julian Harte. If there was an award for sexiest effort of the year, she damn well wanted it. She felt invincible.

             
‘We won’t be needing this,’ Julian said, catching his breath as he kicked the beautiful dress to the side.

Eva smiled, suddenly the last thing she wanted was any clothes anywhere near them.

              ‘You’re turn, baby.’

Julian eased Eva back against the nearby, abandoned cash desk.

‘I…I…I.’

Eva didn’t have time to protest. Julian had her knickers around her ankles and his face buried between her legs all in one action. His warm tongue stretch flat against her clit and all her whole body surrendered to his skill. His fingers traced a line from her opening down her inner calf and stopped at her knees to push them wide apart. Eva arched her back in resp
onse and felt the timber desk met her spine.

             
‘Perfect,’ Julian said between soft kisses up and down her neck.

Julian praising her effort drove her wild. She could feel her wet trickle out and d
ribble down her legs. She was so ready for him.

‘Fuck; you’re soaking.’ He turned his attention to her glistening opening. His tongue darted in and out and Eva struggled to stay standing. His fingers hovered over her clit, teasing her. She rocked her pelvis back and forth, massaging herself against his ready and waiting hand. Her orgasm was building
, but he was making her work for it. His other hand made its way up to her breast, cupping it in his hand and squeezing gently.

‘Tell me when you’re ready, baby.’