Rules of Harte (Harte Series #1) (24 page)

‘Drink?’ he asked after she sat on the edge of the cream sofa in the opposite corner.
She simply nodded. He ignored the nervous twitch in her knees and busied himself behind the bar.

             
Julian placed a porcelain cup and saucer in front of her. Her eyebrows pinched as she looked at the liquid inside.

‘Were you expecting something different?’ he said, amused.

Eva kept her head down but her eyes looked up to meet his.

‘It’s coffee, Evangeline. You look like you need it.’

Eva raised the cup and held it close to her face. She took a deep breath, inhaling plenty of the steam. The corners of her rosy lips curled and her face brightened.

Her smile pleased him. He knew how much she liked good coffee
, so he considered having the finest Arabica beans flown over just for her was less of a luxury and more just good hospitality.

‘
Thank you,’ she whispered before closing her eyes and taking a delicate sip.

             
Julian sat beside her and placed his untouched coffee on the table. ‘Now. Are you going to tell me what this stupid shit about not seeing me anymore is?’

Eva kept the cup against her lips and stared at him over the rim.

He waited out her stare and they sat in silence for a moment before he grew impatient. ‘Evangeline?’

‘I’m sorry,’ she finally said
, placing her cup down next to his. ‘This is stupid.’

‘What is?’

‘This. All this. Me here on your fancy boat trying to pretend I’m not scared shitless of the sea. And you.’ Eva paused and closed her eyes. 'You trying to pretend you like me when you just want to be paid. It’s stupid. I’m stupid.’

Julian stroked her cheek with the back of his fingers and turned her face to look at his.

‘You’re a lot of things, Ms Andrews. Stupid is not one of them.’

‘I shouldn’t be here.’ Eva looked around skittishly.

‘Why the hell not?’

‘It’s not fair to him.’

‘Fair to who?’

‘Nathan.’

Julian snorted loudly. ‘Nathan?’ He blurted his name like it was dirt that needed scrapping off his shoe. ‘What does
he
have to do with anything?’

‘He’s a good guy, Julian. He doesn’t deserve these kind
s of games.’

‘I wasn’t aware he was playing
,’ Julian demurred.

‘No
, I don’t mean it like that. I just mean…well, I like him. He’s my friend and I don’t want him to get hurt.’

‘And what? This friend has to approve your whereabouts at all times?’

Eva shook her head. ‘That’s not what I’m saying.’

Julian knew what she meant. But this Nathan guy was becoming a thorn in his side, he wanted her to elaborate on their friendship.

‘I just don’t like messing people about. I don’t want him to know I’m here tonight, but I don’t want to lie to him either. I hate liars.’

The lines beside Julian’s eyes pinched sharply. For someone who didn’t like lying,
she lied to herself all the time. But Julian wouldn’t bring that up. Not now. Not when she was already so upset.

             
‘Friends?’ The word stuck in Julian’s throat like a prickly thorn. ‘Just friends?’

Eva nodded but Julian wasn’t entirely convinced. Even if Eva’s intentions were platonic Julian was overly aware
this Nathan guy’s were most likely not. That was really proving rather irritating.

             
‘Julian. I’m serious. We need to go back. Please, turn back.’

Eva stood up and Julian noticed the innocent sparkle missing from her eyes. His back molars crunched as he clenched his jaw. He hated to see her like this. He slide to the corner of the couch and edged as close to her as he could without revealing his growing frustration.

              ‘Eva, what’s going on with this guy? Why do you care so much?’

‘I told you. He’s my friend.’

‘If he’s really your friend then wouldn’t he just be happy for you?’

‘Happy for me to do what?’

‘Whatever the fuck you want, Evangeline. You make your own decisions. Don’t let anyone boss you around.’

‘I let
you
boss me around.’ Eva’s voice raised a shaky octave.

             
Julian’s pulse bubbled in his wrist as his fingers dug into the palm of his hands. His knuckles whitened with the tension in this clenched first. He punched a lonely cushion on the couch sending feathers dancing into the air. Instantly pulling himself together and furious that he’d let his emotions control his actions, even if just for the briefest of moments. He never lost it - never. Fuck, how could she bring out this kind of weakness in him?

             
Eva scampered back until the base of her spine connected with the edge of a bar stool with a rough smack. Julian was beside her in an instant. He pulled the stool away and reached to help her. She backed away, keeping an object distance between. She ducked behind the next stool and clambered behind the bar. He didn’t follow. Her unspoken words begged him to keep a distance. There was a new look in her eyes. One he hadn’t seen before. One he didn’t want to see again. She was still beautiful but a horrible fear dominated her whole appearance. Her body was a shell and the girl he’d come to admire was hiding so deep inside, he couldn’t find her.

             
Julian waited a painfully long time before edging forward. Eva’s heart was pounding so fast, he could hear it though her clothes as he rounded the bar to stand in front of her. He placed his hands on her shoulders cementing her to the spot.

             
‘Evangeline, if that’s what you really think, if you think I’m some sort of controlling monster because I’ve brought you here, then this is all fucked up and clearly, I’m wasting my time. We need to stop playing.’

Eva’s forlorn eyes m
et his. She looked so lost.

‘That wasn’t what I meant. It was just a stupid thing to say. Can we just forget it?’

Julian admired her attempt to disguise her desolate emotion with a level, even tone.

             
He watched her chew subconsciously on her bottom lip while waiting for his answer.

‘No
, we can’t forget it. You worry about upsetting your friends and change your plans to suit them, but I burst a pillow and you react like I am about ready to kill you. What the fuck, Evangeline?’

‘I know, I’m sorry. It’s just…’

Julian nodded encouraging her to continue.

‘It’s just…it’s nothing, never mind.’

Julian threw his hands in the air and turned his back sharply. ‘Fuck this shit.’

He walked towards the steps.

‘Where are you going?’

‘Game over.’

‘Please, Julian.’ Eva’s voice was a dry hum.

‘I’m telling the C
aptain to turn around. It’s what you want.’

Eva shook her head. ‘I don’t know what I want.

‘I know what I want,’ Julian said, turning around. ‘I want you. But I’m not going to compete with a bunch of inner bull shit that you let some asshole fill you with.’

There were no tears but Julian knew just looking at her that she was crying on the inside. Christ
, he would crush this Nathan twat if he got his hands on him.

‘Why do you let people tie you up in chains of guilt? Why can’t you just let go, just be free. You’re so beautiful when allow yourself to be uninhibited.’ Julian’s voice remained steady, calm; totally contradictory t
o the burning lava of temper flooding his veins.

‘I can’t.’ Eva mouthed, the words barely escaping.

A vein in Julian’s neck bulged and he counted back from ten.

             
‘I can’t do this anymore,’ Eva said suddenly.

She was fidgeting nervously as Julian walked back towards her
, suspecting there was more to this than the worry of ruffling her friend’s feathers. Doubling back was a first for him but, then, Eva was a first; he’d never met anyone like her before. He placed his hand over her shaking fingers and cupped her cheek with his other hand. She dropped her face against his palm and snuggled against his touch.

             
‘Tell me what the fuck is going on.’ Julian was conscious of his tone. He kept his words short and his voice shallow. He paced his breathing and pushed his temper down into the pit of his stomach. He couldn’t lose it now, not in front of Eva. Protecting her didn’t involve scaring the shit out of her, he warned himself. And hoped-to-fuck his hot-headedness obeyed his command, for a change. Julian sat, loosened the collar of his shirt around his neck and waited for Eva to follow.
              ‘They’ll find out about us,’ Eva said, looking everywhere but into Julian’s eyes. ‘It’s only a matter of time.’

‘Us?’ Julian’s eyebrow twitched.

‘Yes, us; you and me. They’ll figure it out what you are. It’ll be obvious at the ball. Someone like you would never see anything in someone like me. I could lose my job, Julian. Don’t you see how serious this is?’

             
Julian threw his head back and his lips pressed into a slender line as he stared at the ceiling.

‘All I see is you over-
thinking this. Fuck everyone. It’s none of their goddamn business.’

‘That won’t matter when they fi
nd out. Jesus, what was I thinking?’

‘Let me take care of this,’ he said
, without lifting his head. ‘Give me names, Eva. I doubt they’ll fuck with me.’ His voice was firm and a seriousness resonated in his every word.

‘No.’ she shook her head so hard
, she wobbled slightly. ‘That’s not the answer. That’ll only make it worse.’

‘It’s a pretty fucking good answer in my book.’

‘I have to sort this myself. I
will
deal with this.’

             
Julian grinned, bemused. Despite her shaking body there was a steady determination written across her face. Step one towards reigniting her fire. This was going to be one hell of a ride. He was proud of her, and someday he would tell her. But not now. Right now, her pouting bottom lip and timid rounded shoulders gave her a sweet innocence that was utterly fuckable. He had to have her.

             
‘This is all so messed up. I just want to be normal,’ Eva said.

‘Are you telling me you’re not normal?’

‘I’m not normal. And neither are you. It’s not normal to find a guy on the internet, a guy I’m paying to be my escort for a ball - a stupid ball. Then fuck his brains out and then spend every waking minute thinking about him.’ Eva’s sentences rushed together to form one massive word that left no time for breathing.

‘And you’d rather find a date in a b
ar over spilt beer and bad chat-up lines. Who the fuck gives a shit about normal?

             
Julian tried not to smirk as she worked herself into frenzy. She was adorable when she panicked and he had to actively remove his stare from her perky breasts that heaved as she spoke.

Eva shrugged her shoulders and wrinkled her nose.

That was it, Julian’s cock throbbed and he couldn’t hold back any longer. He grabbed her hand and pushed it against his bulging pants.

‘Fuck normal, Evangeline. Crap sex is normal. What I’m about to do to you kicks normal
’s balls.’

A tiny shiver ran down Eva’s spine as Julian caught her hand and pulled her back to face him. Her body collided with his, and his lips rested just inches away from hers. She closed her eyes and waited for him to kiss her. He didn’t move. She waited more. His warm breath danced across her lips. She wanted to taste him, to drink him in but he was, as always, taking control. It frustrated the hell out of her but it was so fucking sexy, her knickers were saturated just thinking about what he could do to her.

             
His deep steady breaths were a flattering contrast to her excited pants. Even his breathing turned her on. She rocked her hips, pushing herself just a fraction closer. His erection pulsed hard against her and it took all her self-control not to say his name and beg him to touch her. Eva savoured the closeness of his body. His smell of rich, citrus aftershave invited her to kiss his neck. His crisp, rugged stubble grazed her lips as she ran soft kisses along his jawline. She was just about to open the buttons of his shirt when his hands suddenly tightened on her hips, startling her. She couldn’t tell his next move. She loved that everything he did caught her by surprise.

             
He lifted her effortlessly. She bit her bottom lip and yelped excitedly as he placed her gently on the bar counter. The icy black granite pinched through her flimsy knickers. Julian caught her bottom lip between his teeth and nibbled gently as he flicked her legs apart with his hip. She watched his chest heave as his hands explored her body over her clothes.