Free Freed by You by Danielle Fox Page B

perfectly aligned teeth. “So, for what do I owe this pleasure, Mr Scott?”
    “Oh, so my invitation has pleased you? And please, call me Julian.”
    “I’m just wondering why you’ve brought me up here,” I stated as I took a large mouthful of champagne.
    “I told you, I wanted to apologise for my previous behaviour.”
    “Surely you could have said sorry last night when you called and saved yourself this inconvenience.” I held my breath as I waited for his answer.
    “It’s no inconvenience, Emily, believe me. And, apologising over the phone would not even nearly make up for my actions.”
    “But buying me a drink in your own bar would?” I smirked, feeling somewhat confident all of a sudden.
    “I take it by your tone that I’m not forgiven.” He actually looked gutted as he spoke; his eyes held their contact with mine but it looked as though this was a struggle. Maybe I was having an effect on him after all, although I wouldn’t count on it.
    “I don’t need to forgive you for anything, Julian. It wasn’t me who you attacked. And besides, I told you I was grateful for you taking a stand for me.”
    “I wasn’t so much referring to that incident, Emily, more to the encounter in the street. We shared … something, and then I clammed up and acted like a petulant teenager. I’m sorry.”
    Oh! This was news. I hadn’t even realised he thought of the moment as something, I would never have guessed that it would be troubling him now. I looked down at the floor, my mind trying to form some words to pass on to my mouth.
    “Say something,” he pressed.
    “What do you want me to say, Julian? I honestly haven’t given it much thought.” Of course, that was a lie; it was the single thought that had been dominating my mind for the past two days.
    “I don’t believe you, Emily,” he breathed. “You see, I felt something between us in that very moment, as brief as it was, and I’m certain that you felt it too.”
    “And what makes you think that?”
    “I heard your breathing alter, I felt your heart quicken, and I happened to notice that you stopped breathing altogether when I whispered close to your ear.”
    Oh god , I wasn’t expecting that. How could someone who barely knew me read me the way he obviously did. Was I an open book to him? I felt the warmth spread as my cheeks glowed with humiliation.
    “And you’re also blushing again, Miss Braxton. You do that a lot when I’m close to you.” He leaned in towards me, his face so close to mine that I could feel the heat radiating from his skin to mine. “And I’m sure as I lean in closer I’ll notice those very same reactions now.”
    He was right about my body’s reaction to his presence but I had no idea how. I resisted the overwhelming urge to pull away from the intensity of his heated gaze.
    “You’re very sure of yourself, Julian,” I whispered, trying to hide the fact that his assumptions were correct and my heart felt like it was actually in my mouth.
    “That’s where you’re wrong, very wrong. I’m not sure of myself, but I am certain of how your body reacts to me. I can see the effect I have on you, I can feel it.”
    I froze. I had absolutely no clue of what I could possibly say to this man in reply. And I was sure that even if I did have the words, my brain wouldn’t actually function long enough for me to speak them aloud with his face so close to mine. The electricity pulsating between us was incredible. Every part of him was drawing me closer. The depth of his eyes as they narrowed slightly whilst staring deeply into mine seemed to hold me in place, while his dark caramel hair that swept lightly across his head made me want to reach up and pull my fingers through it. His scent was delicious; I longed to press my nose against his chest, to bury it in the crook of his neck.
    My eyes lowered to the beauty of his mouth. His lips perfectly defined and perfectly tinted in a gentle rose pink. Then his lips parted slightly as he