Chasing Him - Kat T. Masen Page 0,10

response.

Me: You’d be surprised with how educated I am in boat trivia. Did you know Dionne Warwick sung the theme song to Love Boat for the final season?

He reads the text, and I see his shoulders move up and down as he quietly laughs to himself.

Julian: Now that you’ve mentioned it, it’s stuck in my head. If I sing it out loud at the party, I think they’ll ship me back to the States. I guess it’ll distract me from this extremely uncomfortable suit I’m wearing.

It’s now or never, no turning back, especially when I flew fourteen hours to get here. I have to grow some lady balls, that’s all there is to it.

Me: Stop complaining like a girl, you look very handsome if I say so myself.

As he reads the text, his body stiffens, and even from behind, I can see his chest rising and falling. He tilts his head slightly, allowing me to catch a glimpse of his profile. His eyes are closed, and with bated breath, I wait anxiously for him to notice I’m standing right behind him.

Like a flick of a switch, his eyes open, and his body turns to face me.

My heart is now in overdrive, beating wildly as the smile widens across his perfectly chiseled jaw.

“Adriana,” he says, barely a whisper.

My body moves toward him, my knees threatening to buckle. Only an arm’s reach apart, I stop before him.

“You said you needed a plus one. It was either Penny or me, and trust me, it wasn’t that easy to convince Penny to stay home.”

He places his hands in his pockets almost like he is trying to stop himself from physically reaching out to me. It’s the small gestures like this making me want him even more. He understands me, has seen me at my worst, accepts me for who I am, and who I’ll forever be bonded to.

Julian walks over to the table by the window and pulls a flower out of the large vase. Walking back toward me, he grabs my wrist and ties the stem into a knot, making a corsage.

“Thank you, plus one.”

It could’ve been my heart thumping so loud or the blood pumping in my veins making me want to do the unexpected. The one thing I knew would change everything about who I was and what we were—I jump on my tiptoes placing my arms around his neck, embracing him tightly.

At first, he is still, then his body relaxes, and he moves his arms around my back and squeezes me tight.

Everything about this feels right, yet everything about it is so wrong.

How can I fall in love with a man who once hated my brother and loved my best friend?

Worse yet, how could I fall in love again?

And just like that, the pang of guilt hits me as the tears I try to hold in fall freely onto Julian’s shoulder. Struggling to remain quiet, he’s quick to sense my change in mood and pulls away. I hear the lift of his arm as he cups my chin and raises my face to meet his. The stare in his eyes eases my fear, the deep brown eyes watching me.

“We can take this as slow as you feel comfortable,” he murmurs, never leaving my gaze. “Don’t be scared.”

“I’m… scared,” I stammer, bowing my head while trying to piece my thoughts together. “I flew across the world to see you. Doesn’t that count for something?”

“Yes. It means you’re a supportive friend, Adriana. Don’t put more pressure on yourself than you need to.”

How does he always know what to say to ease my fears?

He raises his arm to check his watch. “It’s time.”

Holding out his arm out in a friendly gesture, I link my arm into his.

“Julian?”

He stops and focuses his attention back on me.

“So, the paparazzi at this event…” I hold back, my paranoia on overdrive. The last thing I want is the tabloids to get wind of this and Lex finding out through some greedy photographer wanting a quick buck.

“Yes, if you’re asking if the media will be at this event. It will go online and make it to the States, or shall I say to your brother’s email? There’s a possibility.”

I pull my arm away not realizing I had done so until I see the look of disappointment in his eyes.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean—”

He cuts me off, placing his finger on my lips, gentle, yet my body begins to feel things, a warm sensation spreading like wildfire.

“Let’s just enjoy