Julian's Pursuit by Haleigh Lovell Read Free Book Online Page A

party?”
    “No.”
    He pulled me out of the dip. “I’ll bring all the Legos.”
    “Hmm.” I tilted my head to the side, considering. “Were you the kind of kid who built things according to the instructions?”
    “Of course not.” He scoffed. “I built whatever the hell I wanted.”
    “Wrong answer.”
    “Aw, c’mon. I would’ve helped you clean up all the Lego bricks after the party. Now you’re gonna regret it when you step on a piece of Lego. Barefoot.”
    “I’ll be wearing shoes,” I informed him. Then another laugh escaped me as he spun me out and then in again.
    The conversations flowed smoothly and effortlessly, and the more we talked, the more I found myself enjoying my time with him.
    Julian was an exceptional partner. Sexy. Certain of himself. Confident.
    He knew how to lead, yet he allowed me to move freely.
    Our arms were joined, forearm to elbow, resembling the bow of a ship.
    And he was my anchor.
    There’s a metaphor for life in there somewhere , I thought and allowed myself a tiny smile.
    “Where’d you learn to dance?” I asked as we circled the dance floor.
    “I’ve gone to many balls.”
    I blinked at him, thinking he was joking, but he looked completely serious. “Balls? Like Cinderella balls?”
    Julian drew me tight against his chest, and when he spoke again, his warm breath tickled my ear. “ROTC. Military.”
    “Ah,” I murmured softly. “I see.” I tried to imagine Julian dressed in formal military attire, dancing the waltz with his sweetheart, and for some reason, that image didn’t sit too well with me.
    “What was it like?” I asked. “Being in the army?”
    His grip tightened around my waist and a new silence coalesced around us as we circled the floor. In time, he said, “It changed me.” His fingers pressed into my spine. “I used to be cold. Hardened by what I saw…”
    “And now?”
    “Now I don’t want to be the kind of person who’s so concerned about being unaffected…” He paused, as if searching for the right word. “Unmoved by life.”
    I realized with a jolt that he could also be talking about me.
    “Life is moving, don’t you think?” He took a slow breath before continuing. “A moving thing to experience.”
    His words surprised me in both substance and delivery. It was earnest. Heartfelt.
    Before I could dwell on it any further, the song ended and we coasted reluctantly to a standstill.
    A beat passed. Then another.
    Julian remained perfectly content to silently stare at me.
    For a moment, neither of us breathed as his gaze lingered on my lips.
    It was pulsing between us, the sexual energy reaching for each other, seeking to entwine. Rivers of heat spread through my breasts, and I felt that pull, that deep desire, that almost palpable hunger behind his stare, but I wasn’t willing to look away.
    Then Julian drew in an unsettled breath, as if I’d caught him off guard.
    In the next moment, the DJ announced it was time for the dreaded and awkward Secret Santa gift exchange. All the colorfully wrapped presents were sitting under the tree, and people were starting to converge around it to retrieve their gifts.
    I inhaled sharply, almost dizzily, as Julian’s gaze burned into me. “So…” I forced myself to smile. “I guess I’ll see you later.” Abruptly, I turned from him and strode away, putting some needed distance between us.
    Even walking away from him, I could feel the weight of his gaze on my back.
    Shit , I thought. There’s no question in my mind that he knows… He knows how I feel about him and what he does to me.
    It took me a couple of minutes, but I eventually found my gift, which was haphazardly wrapped in newspaper with my name scribbled on the front in red marker.
    By the time I joined Rochelle at her table, she’d already had her gift unwrapped.
    As I pulled out a chair and sat down, Rochelle held up her gift and rolled her eyes at me. “Ho! Ho! No, they didn’t! Someone thought it’d be funny to get me