Total pages in book: 151
Estimated words: 139803 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 699(@200wpm)___ 559(@250wpm)___ 466(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 139803 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 699(@200wpm)___ 559(@250wpm)___ 466(@300wpm)
I gave him a tight smile. “I’ll be fine, Vince. I just need a shower,” I said, just wanting to move on from the topic.
He nodded. “Across the hall,” he informed me. “Julian and I share one, but I’ll let him know you’re here, so he doesn’t accidentally barge in.”
My heart dropped to my feet.
Julian.
Fuck.
“Cool,” I said, forcing my voice to come out normal. I waved him away. “Shoo,” I ordered. “I really do need a shower, Vince.”
He grinned. “I know. You stink.” I scowled at him. His grin only widened. “What do you want to eat?” he asked me as he began walking towards the door.
“Jimmy’s grilled chicken salad?” I asked him with a hopeful look in my eyes.
Vincent laughed softly. “You are a strange one, Meg. I don’t know anyone whose favorite food is a damn salad.”
I grabbed my sock I had just taken off and threw it at him, but he only laughed harder and ducked out of the room, shutting the door behind him.
I rolled my eyes as I turned my back so I could grab my clothes for my shower.
“Meghan Fallows,” Julian softly spoke up from the doorway.
I gasped in shock as I jerked up to a standing position, turning to face him.
Fuck me.
3
He was leaning against the doorjamb to the room I was staying in with his muscular, tatted arms crossed over his broad chest.
And he wasn’t wearing a shirt.
Jesus, my poor ovaries.
Every toned, defined, muscular, and tatted bit of him was open for me to feast upon, and I found it extremely hard to rip my eyes from the temptation that was Julian Markos.
His lips twitched with a smirk as he reached up and pushed his hand through his inky-black curls. I watched the muscles in his arm flex with the movement as I subconsciously licked my lips. His eyes focused on the movement, those blue eyes of his darkening.
I took a step back from him, ripping my gaze from him as I drew in a deep breath, willing my hormones to calm down.
This wasn’t normal.
“How do you know my last name?” I asked him as I looked back at him, suddenly remembering he had called me Meghan Fallows and not just Meghan.
He shrugged. “I asked around on campus, and finally, one of your dance partners from last night told me.” He cocked his head slightly to the side, those beautiful, intense blue eyes staring me down. I swallowed nervously. “I tried asking Vincent, but he threated to beat my ass if I came near you.” He smirked. “Why is it that he’s so protective of you, Meghan?”
I shrugged. “Vince has always been like that,” I told him. It was the truth.
In fact, Vincent and I hadn’t even known each other until he found me beaten, bloody, and naked in a spare room at the very first party I had ever gone to in college. He hadn’t left my side since.
My blood chilled in my veins at the memory of the pain as I begged him not to touch me. Vincent had actually cried as he tried to assure me that I was safe with him, that he would never let anyone else hurt me ever again.
I swallowed thickly, ripping my mind from those dark memories. “I beg to differ,” Julian said. “Vincent is one of the most laid-back guys I know. He’s not near as protective of Desiree as he is of you.”
I shrugged carelessly and turned away from him, knowing Julian would never find out the real reason. “Are you two secretly seeing each other behind Desiree’s back?” he suddenly asked me, his voice suddenly steely with rage.
I jerked around to face him again as he fully stepped into my room, shutting the door behind him. Panic gripped my chest as Julian narrowed his eyes at me. “Is that it?” he demanded. “Makes sense. In fact, it’s the only thing that makes sense.”
He stepped toward me again, and I shook my head at him, taking another step back from him. “Vincent and I are strictly friends,” I told him honestly. I narrowed my eyes at him. “Not that I see how it’s any of your fucking business,” I retorted, still alarmed that he was so angry about the idea.
Julian didn’t stop moving toward me until he was right in front of me with my back plastered against the wall, his chest pressing against mine. My breath left me on a shudder as my nipples hardened, and my stomach clenched in desire. Fear turned to need.
“So, if I kiss you right now, he has no right to be angry, right?” he asked me softly, his eyes running over me sensually.
I barely resisted the urge to whimper as he reached up and slid his fingers into my hair. He gripped a handful of my dark strands and yanked my head back. He groaned softly. “Just as I imagined,” he whispered.