Free Freed by You by Danielle Fox

as I saw Ryan and Julian, standing at the top of the black iron steps.
    “You okay?” Adrian asked, placing a gentle hand on the small of my back.
    “Yep, all good. You can go now, I’m fine. That’s the owner of the club and the manager,” I whispered as I pointed towards the two men with my eyes. As I did this, I noticed a shift in Julian’s position. I think he had turned in my direction. “Look after my girls,” I said as I gently punched his shoulder.
    “I sure will, baby. I won’t pretend to understand the sudden urgency but, if you want to inform me sometime, I’ll be listening. I won’t let anyone hurt either of you, Emily. Not as long as I can help it.” He pulled me into a hug and squeezed me hard as he kissed my cheek. “Have a good night, I’ll see you later,” he said as he released me and began to back away.
    “See you later, don’t wait up!” I added with a cheeky wink.
    I turned towards where the two men had stood and noticed that there was now only one man. Julian. He was watching me intently, his elbows resting on the railings beside the door, as I made my way towards the steps. His green eyes were narrowed and intense as he followed me with his glare.
    “Good evening, Emily,” he greeted me through a strained jaw.
    “Good evening, Mr Scott.”
    “Julian,” he replied. “Call me Julian.”
    “Good evening, Julian . And how are you today?” I asked, my voice thick with sarcasm.
    “Was that your boyfriend?” His eyes burned into mine as a furrow appeared between his fine brows.
    “I’m sorry? What business is that of yours?”
    “Is he your boyfriend, or not?” His voice sounded urgent now, desperate somehow. And I couldn’t help but be honest with this man.
    “No, Julian, he’s not my boyfriend. Why?”
    “Do you have a boyfriend?”
    “No.”
    “Good, just so I know I won’t be stepping on anyone’s toes.” He flashed his dazzling, full smile at me and I had to remind myself to breathe.
    “Why would you be stepping on anyone’s toes exactly? We’re just talking, Julian.”
    “That’s not exactly all I have in mind.” One side of his mouth turned up into a deliberate, seductive smile as he held the door open for me and gestured me inside.
    What the hell was that supposed to mean? This man was so aggravating! Couldn’t he just deliver a normal sentence without all the riddles?
    “What exactly did you have in mind?” I asked as I noticed a gleam in his eyes, his mouth grinning wickedly at some unspoken thought.
    “I’m afraid I called you here on false pretences, Emily. For that, I apologise, but I didn’t know of any other way to get you alone for the evening. Well, almost alone.” He smiled tightly. “Of course, you’re welcome to work your shift if you’d prefer, but I was hoping you’d join me for a drink, my way of apologising for my behaviour the last time we met, you know.” He spoke quickly, never allowing a break to enable me to interrupt him. “Understandably, you may wish to decline my offer but I’m very much hoping that you won’t.”
    There was the vulnerability again, comparing to that of a frightened child. And that, I couldn't resist.
    “I would much rather you had just asked me outright, Julian, instead of feeling the need to deceive me. Do you know how difficult it was for me to drop everything and come here tonight?”
    “So, there was something to drop then? I thought I wasn’t stepping on anyone’s toes?”
    “You’re not. Well, not in the sense that you’re referring to anyway.”
    “Well, what sense then, Emily?” He paused by the door whilst awaiting my answer.
    “I’ll explain later,” I said as I reached for the door. A wide smile spread across Julian’s perfect mouth as he took the handle from my grasp.
    Julian led me up a spiralling staircase to The Attic , as he conveniently called it. I had never been up here before. This area was kept free for the most important of guests. In order to guarantee privacy,