Julian's Pursuit

by Lovell, Haleigh

  JULIAN’S PURSUIT

  Copyright © 2015 Haleigh Lovell

  Verdant Press

  A Contemporary Romance with Heat and Heart

  Kindle Edition

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the author and copyright owner.

  This e-book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This e-book may not be re-sold or given away. If you would like to share this e-book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you are reading this e-book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  This novel is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.

  TABLE OF CONTENTS

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Chapter Thirty

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  Chapter Thirty-Seven

  Epilogue

  Also by Haleigh Lovell

  Excerpt from Vivian’s List

  Acknowledgments

  Chapter One

  The interview…

  Sadie Frost, the senior account executive at Hall and Heinrich, watched me, waiting for an answer. As was David Varner, the executive creative director, with long dreads and a three-inch beard.

  What was the question again?

  Leather creaked as Sadie reclined in her chair, fingers steepled at the tips. “Some people say creative directors are the new rock stars in advertising. What do you have to say to that?”

  “Rock stars? Nah.” I shook my head. “I’d compare a creative director to a conductor, or say a composer who writes the music, directs a performance, keeps time, and sets the tempo. Ultimately, the focus is on the unified and finished sound. Likewise, with an ad campaign, my job is to ensure that all the visuals, sound, and copy speak in one aesthetic voice.”

  Sadie’s eyes were fixed on mine, her brows drawn together in silent appraisal. “There’s this new trend… companies like Anheuser-Busch are tapping celebrities like Justin Timberlake to become creative directors for their brands. What are your thoughts on that?”

  “I think it’s a smart way to cut out a lot of red tape. Justin Timberlake has mass appeal, and if he can harness his creative talents to create good-branded content, I’m all for it.”

  In the next breath she said, “Would Justin Timberlake want to do your job?”

  “No,” I answered truthfully.

  “Why not?”

  “Most creative directors don’t live a rock star lifestyle. It’s not glamorous and it’s rarely a nine-to-five job. And the profession, at least for the first ten years, certainly can’t buy you a house on the Hills or a Ferrari. The creativity in most cases is reserved for award entries because the clients have their own parameters of creativity, and more often than not, they prefer effective ads.” I shrugged. “But I love what I do and I’m used to working after-hours, late nights, weekends, and holidays.”

  Stroking his red beard, David spoke in a considered way, softly and quietly. “Are you good at motivating people?”

  “I am.”

  “Do you think Gordon Ramsay is a good motivator of people?”

  “Onscreen, he’s cultivated this persona of being a bully, and it makes for good TV. But I don’t believe in getting people to work harder for me by berating and humiliating them. I think motivation comes from a place of trust and respect.”

  Long, dark lashes lowered, sweeping downward to cast shadows against her milky skin as Sadie glanced at my résumé. “I see here that you served in the military before you went into advertising. Tell me this—having been in the army, how has that helped you in the advertising world?”

  It took me several seconds, but it came to me sharp and clear. “I have a long track record of hard work and measured success. I’ve lived by a set of rules that have been ingrained in me from the day I stepped into service. I’ve worked under immense pressure and I have the kind of self-discipline most civilians don’t possess.” I paused. “I don’t slack. And I understand the constant struggle that’s prevalent in advertising. In the battle of creativity versus effectiveness, only the fittest and the shrewdest survive.”

  Sadie studied me, her blood-red lips pressed together in a thoughtful line.

  I studied her, too. She was both stunning and striking, even more so when she was concentrating.

  In the lingering silence, my gaze dropped to her sensuous mouth, taking in the curve of her bow-shaped lips—so full and moist I could taste them just by staring.

  “Thank you for your time,” she said at last. “We’ll be in touch.”

  Five days later, I got the call from HR. I got the job.

  Two weeks later…

  “Sadie Frost?” Tim stared at me as if I’d just sprouted a second head. “The Sadist Ice Queen?”

  I flinched at his words. I didn’t like that name. Not for her.

  “Why?” he asked, his voice more grating than normal.

  “She intrigues me,” I said simply. No woman had ever fascinated me as much as she did. She was aloof and mysterious. A gorgeous mix of beauty and brains, hardness and vulnerability.

  And she captivated me.

  Sadie Rose Frost.

  And like a rose, she was beautiful but prickly with thorns, and any attempt to touch her would draw a drop of blood.

  “Hell.” Tim scoffed. “She intrigues me, too. But I don’t want to date her.”

  “So?” I gave a short shrug. “I’m not you.”

  “Look,” he said. “I realize it’s only your first week here, but trust me, you don’t want to touch her with a ten-foot pole. That woman will crush your balls and eat them for breakfast.”

  Leaning against my desk, I crossed my arms and gave him a knowing smile. “So you asked her out and she said no?”

  Tim muttered something unintelligible, choking on his words as they tumbled out.

  “Maybe it’s not her.” I cocked an eyebrow. “Maybe it’s you.”

  Tim Pulaski was short and stocky and had the appearance of a college football player who was no longer getting enough exercise. He spoke often and too much, saying little of consequence. I imagined he was the sort of man who conned his way through the advertising world on a smile, a shoeshine, and a few buzzwords.

  “Pssh!” Tim made a dismissive gesture. “I may be five-four
, but I’m seven fucking feet tall when I’m standing on my wallet. And that’s what the chicks dig.”

  I couldn’t resist taking a dig at him. “Not Sadie Frost,” I remarked casually.

  His mouth set in a grim line and a muscle twitched in his jaw. “That’s because she won’t go out with anyone in this office. I’m telling you, you’re wasting your time, son. You’re barking up a tree that’s already been cut down.”

  Tim continued talking, but everything became background noise as Sadie strode into the office, her wintery expression dropping the temperature two degrees or so.

  “Forget about that sadist.” Tim’s voice pitched higher. “What about Riley Jones?”

  “Who?” I said distractedly. As Sadie crossed the floor, her head canted slightly, as though she’d heard Tim calling her a sadist, but she didn’t miss a step and strode on as though his words had no effect on her.

  “Riley Jones,” Tim repeated. “Can’t you see it?” He elbowed me in the ribs as Riley sashayed past us and flashed me a coy smile. “That woman is all riled up for you.”

  For the next five minutes, Tim just wouldn’t shut up about Riley Jones.

  And he wouldn’t stop talking shit about Sadie Frost, which was starting to sound like a convenient cover-up for his bruised ego.

  “Tim,” I finally said. “You need to focus.”

  “Focus?” He squinted, confused. “On what?”

  “Focus more on getting what you want and less on getting something off your chest. If you want Riley, go after her.”

  I, on the other hand, knew exactly what I wanted.

  I wanted Sadie Frost.

  “And,” I added, “quit talking smack about Sadie. I don’t want to hear it. If you ran as much as your mouth did, you’d be in better shape.”

  “Fuck you.” Tim laughed. “You’d be in better shape if you forgot all about that Ice Queen.”

  “We’ll see about that,” I said and strode toward her office.

  “You’re making a mistake, man!” Tim called after my retreating back. “Your ass is grass! And she’s the lawnmower.”

  When I reached Sadie’s office, her door was open, and I leaned against the doorframe. “Good morning, Miss Frost.”

  She spoke without bothering to glance up from her computer. “I’m not your high school English teacher and we’re all adults here. Sadie will do,” she said shortly.

  For a moment, I stood transfixed, watching her as she worked in silence, her soft lips parted in concentration.

  Her clear blue eyes, slightly accentuated with kohl, glimmered like topaz as she stared intently at her computer screen. And her dark hair was pulled back in a severe ponytail. It emphasized her beautiful face and high cheekbones.

  Severe. That was Sadie.

  Even the way she dressed was severe. Pencil skirts and crisp white blouses, she always looked impeccable. Not a crease in sight or a hair out of place.

  But I had a feeling about Sadie Frost.

  Hers was a face of passion and sensuality. And the absence of any visible lines under her tightly fitted skirts indicated she wore thongs or nothing at all.

  A few days ago, when I sat in her office discussing a mutual client of ours, I caught a glimpse of her tightly beaded nipples straining against the crisp white material of her blouse.

  If she did wear a bra, the fabric was thin and almost sheer.

  Beneath that reserved and icy exterior, Sadie was a hot, sexy little kitten just waiting to purr. And I couldn’t wait to stroke her.

  “What do you want, Julian?” she asked impatiently, as if I were some bothersome gnat. “I’m very busy and can’t waste time with idle chatter.”

  The sound of loud snorting wafted over from Tim’s desk.

  “I was just wondering…” I cleared my throat twice. “If you’d like to go out for lunch today?”

  She looked at me, her eyes slightly widening in surprise before she resumed her cool, disdainful expression. “No,” she said in clear dismissal.

  Nothing ventured, nothing gained. So I ventured. “How about coffee later on?”

  “I’m busy.”

  With the determination akin to a mating salmon, I hardened my resolve and said, “Do you mind if I ask you something?”

  “I would mind that very much.” An edge of rancor slipped into her voice.

  “It was just one question.”

  “Well, I have about two hundred, but they’ll have to wait.”

  The icy mockery in her voice was enough to strip the flesh from my bones.

  Enough. But not nearly enough.

  “Look,” I said. “Can I be perfectly honest with you?”

  Her mouth pinched in annoyance. “Is it necessary to begin your conversation with, ‘can I be perfectly honest’? Does that mean everything else you say is a lie? Or a half truth, since you are just now being perfectly honest?”

  “Wait—what?”

  “And I’m sorry.” Her voice was drier than leftover biscotti. “What was it about me sitting in my office, ignoring you, that signaled you to come over and speak to me?”

  Unblinking, I stared at her. Hard. “I think I’m hearing you say that you wish to be left alone.”

  Narrowing her gaze, she stared back even harder.

  I stared back. Extra hard.

  She stared back. Extra, extra hard.

  What the fuck is this, a staring contest?

  Sadie continued to stare, holding my eyes firmly until I gave way and blinked. “That is precisely what I’m saying, yes.”

  “Okay.” I gave a curt nod, then walked away, leaving what was left of my scrotum on the floor.

  Nevertheless, I grew a brand new pair the next day and tried again.

  And I tried the next day. And the one after that.

  And day after day, she sent me a searing glare that would have shriveled a lesser man.

  On day seven, I asked, “How about drinks after work?”

  “No, thanks,” she said. “I like to go straight home after work.”

  Not to be deterred, I said, “Instead of lunch, how about we get some fro-yo?”

  “Fro-yo?” Her eyes flickered toward me for a brief moment. Then she resumed working on her computer in silence as if I weren’t even there.

  “Yeah.” I rubbed the back of my neck. “Fro-yo, you know… frozen yogurt.”

  “I know what fro-yo is,” she said brusquely. Under her breath, she seemed to mutter to herself, “Fro-yo. Yolo.”

  “What’d you just say?”

  “No-nothing.” She paused a moment, then shook her head. “That’s just something my son always says.”

  I stared at her in surprise. No one at the office had ever mentioned anything about Sadie having a kid.

  In the ensuing silence, I caught her staring at the stacks of Rainbow Loom bracelets on my left wrist.

  “Shelby, my niece, she made these for me because she loves me,” I explained. “So now I wear something hideously ugly to proclaim I am loved.”

  Her delicate brows arched in a question. “And you don’t think you’re too cool for Rainbow Looms?”

  I shrugged. “I don’t have a style worth worrying about losing, so the rubber bracelets are probably an improvement.”

  The briefest smile strained the corners of her lips and she held up her left hand.

  Multiple Rainbow Looms adorned her slender wrist. “I can relate,” she said.

  But she still hadn’t answered my question.

  “So…” I persisted. “Would you like to go? For some fro-yo?”

  “You sound like Dr. Seuss,” she pointed out.

  I gave a half laugh. “And you’re deflecting my question.”

  “Well…” she trailed off.

  As her hesitation stretched, I added, “We can discuss the Aleshead Pilsner account.”

  Her answering sigh was a slow, tired rasp. “Sure,” she said at last. “Why not?”

  “TCBY down the street. My treat. I’ll meet you in the lobby at noon. I’v
e got back-to-back meetings with my team, but I’ll be there at twelve on the dot for our lunch date.”

  “It’s not a date,” she corrected.

  “Right.” I nodded. “See you at noon.”

  She didn’t answer. Instead, she directed her gaze to her computer screen, my sign that I was dismissed.

  Chapter Two

  “So…” I gave Sadie a lazy grin. “Do you think I’ll get arrested if I hold my head under the spout and let the yogurt gush into my mouth like a river?”

  She just shook her head slightly as if to say, Stop being an idiot.

  “Hey.” I shrugged. “It’s not my fault they give me full control of the levers.”

  Pointedly ignoring me, Sadie adjusted the bag on her shoulder and said decisively, “Well, I’ve been here for thirty seconds. I say it’s time for some free samples.”

  “Free samples!” I exclaimed. “You may have just uttered my two favorite words.”

  Looking around and noticing the absence of any sample cups, Sadie frowned. “I guess we’ve gotta go up to the counter and ask for sample cups.”

  “What!” I feigned outrage. “No sample cups laid out for the customers? Rude. And c’mon, do we really have to ask for them?” I gestured toward the man-boy behind the counter. “Now, you know that he knows we want some free samples, so why make us go through this whole charade?”

  Sadie managed a micro-smile and even nodded a little.

  “Hi,” I greeted the young man behind the counter. He was sixteen at the most, but he looked like he could bench-press five times his bodyweight. “Could we have some sample cups?”

  The meathead handed me three measly cups. Three.

  Fucking fro-yo Nazi.

  “Could we have a couple more sample cups?” Sadie asked politely. “Please.”

  The kid just stared at her with a sort of dazed expression on his face, like he was all scrambled inside his head.

  Must be the protein shakes, I surmised.

  Meanwhile, Sadie saw an opening and acted on it. Stepping up to the counter, she swiped a mountain of cups out of his hand and smiled her thanks.

  When we were out of earshot, I said, “That kid has a crush on you. His heart was going a hundred miles per hour when you were next to him.”