“Stop undressing me with your eyes,” she snapped, apparently just noticing where my attention was focused.
“Why?” I asked with a smirk. “I’ll be doing it with my hands next.”
“I don’t think so.” Her tone was firm and lacked any hint of humor. My head whipped up, and I narrowed my eyes when I saw the determined expression on her face.
“Then think again,” I growled.
Anna’s eyes flared with heat. She could deny it all she wanted, but it turned her on when I took charge. I might have tried to control my caveman tendencies when it came to her if I didn’t know she got off on it.
I sighed when she snuffed out the spark and gave me a bored, disinterested look. “I shouldn’t have let this happen. It was a mistake.” That set me off, and I shot to my feet. Stalking forward, I forced her back until she was flush against a wall.
“Don’t ever call what happens between us a mistake, Anna,” I snarled as I slammed my hands onto the wall on both sides of her head. “Or my handprint will magically appear on your ass.”
Her mouth formed a little O, and I had to hold back a groan when her emerald eyes darkened with desire. Well, fuck. My hands started tingling, aching to go through with my threat.
Shaking her head, she cleared her throat and placed her palms on my chest, trying to push me away. I didn’t budge. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean…Look, it doesn’t matter. The point is, this won’t happen again.”
I decided to humor her for the moment and drawled, “And why is that?” She glanced everywhere but at my face, so I grabbed her chin and forced her to meet my eyes.
“I don’t date men like you.”
A single brow arched over my eye. “Like me?”
She shrugged. “Celebrities. Rich, sexy, and with a belief that rules don’t apply to them.” There was a sadness in her eyes that made me ache for her, but at the same time, I was glad to see that we were finally getting to the root of her fear, the reason she was fighting what was between us.
6
Anna
As soon as I spotted the predatory gleam in Julian’s eyes, I realized what I’d just given away. Crap. The situation I now found myself in was a big part of the reason I’d done my best to stay away from the sexy magician. Deep down in my gut, I’d known I wouldn’t be able to push him away without explaining the source of my fear of getting involved with a man who lived his life in the limelight. Since it was the last thing I wanted to talk about, I pressed my lips together as I stared up at him, hoping that a miracle would happen and he’d let the subject drop. Even though we weren’t all that familiar with each other, I knew better, and Julian was quick to prove me right.
“As happy as I am to have you confirm that you’ve noticed my sexiness, I don’t consider myself to be truly famous. It’s not as though I’m recognized everywhere I go,” he pointed out as he ran his hand down my spine in a soothing gesture I also found incredibly arousing. His lips curved up in a slight grin of male satisfaction, and I knew the sexy jerk hadn’t missed my reaction to his touch.
I narrowed my eyes at him and argued, “There’s a giant neon billboard with your picture on it hanging smack dab on the Strip. You’re famous enough for it to count.”
“I couldn’t care less what the world thinks about me,” he growled before brushing his mouth over mine. It didn’t matter that the kiss was quick, the impact on my senses was instantaneous. It felt as though every nerve ending in my body was begging for more. “Your opinion is the only one that matters.”
My fingers trembled as I reached up to touch my lips. “Why?”
“Don’t pretend you don’t know why, Anna.” He cupped my chin with his palm, stroking my cheek with his thumb. “Not when you’ve already admitted to feeling this thing, the same as me. We’re moving forward. Together. Not backward.”
It felt as though butterflies took flight in my belly upon hearing the steely determination in his tone. As much as I tried to convince myself that a relationship with him was impossible, I still wanted it with every fiber of my being. I gave him the barest nod of my head, and he continued, “I took my dad’s advice on investments when I started earning decent money, and I’ve amassed quite the nest egg over the years. I’m not as rich as some, but I’m willing to concede the fact that I have money. Not as much as Drew, but it doesn’t seem as though you hold his wealth against him from what I’ve seen this past month.”