A look of relief washed away the concern on Tali's face. "Oh, I guess that's okay then. Wait. You work here?"
"Today's my first day."
"I told you not to worry about rent. You don't need to be here wasting your time when you could be studying or hanging out with me."
"I know, but I already told you I'm not taking advantage of your family. I can pay my own way which means having a job."
"I can't talk you out of working here, can I?" Tali folded her arms across her chest.
"Nope, afraid not." Julia held firm, hoping her well-meaning friend would drop the subject about the rent once and for all.
"Hey girls," Chase said, joining them back at the table. "How's it going?"
"It's good." Tali fluttered her long eyelashes in his direction. "How've you been?"
Did she just start flirting with him after warning me? A little spike of jealousy rippled through Julia at the thought of Tali and Chase together. She didn't think Tali was interested in dating guys like him. Tali usually went for guys in fast cars living off a trust fund, not responsible guys with respectable jobs. Maybe she'd finally figured out there was nothing wrong with dating a nice, normal guy for a change.
"I've been good, Tali, thanks for asking." He wrapped one arm casually around her shoulder, pulling her in for a quick hug before letting her go and seating himself at the table again. "Do you girls know each other?"
"Julia's my roommate."
Chase looked confused as he glanced back and forth between them. "But she lives in the Aston's guesthouse."
"No, she lives in my parents' guesthouse. We bought the Aston's property a couple of years ago. You must have still been away at school."
Now Tali was the one who looked confused, but only for a fraction of a second. Then realization set in and a huge smile spread across her face. "You were in Julia's apartment. You dog." Tali turned on Julia. "You have some explaining to do later."
That was a long conversation Julia wasn't looking forward to having any time soon.
"I think maybe we should leave them alone. They probably need to get back to work." The girl beside Tali nudged her gently in the direction of the door. A not-so-subtle hint to leave.
"Of course, we don't want to take you away from your work." Tali put her hand on Chase's shoulder and Julia could see her fingertips turn white as she squeezed tight. "You be on your best behavior with my friend. I don't want to hear you went and broke her heart."
"Tali. I told you we're working together, not dating." Julia spoke louder than she'd meant to. She took in a deep breath, feeling heat return to her cheeks.
"Yeah, now you're working, but that's not what you two were doing a few days ago, was it?"
Chase winked at her as his laughter drifted across the table. He was charming regardless of Tali's presumption of them and Julia's embarrassment. "I think what Julia meant to say was thanks for the advice. Now if you'll excuse us, we're going to get back to work. And don't worry, Tali. I have no plans of breaking this girl's heart."
Chapter Nine
Chase most certainly didn't plan on breaking Julia's heart. He wanted to take care of her, not hurt her. He'd never wanted to take care of anyone before, not even a pet goldfish. Yet here he was, concerned with the fragile heart of a woman he'd only known for a few days.
"So, where were we?"
She shook her head, staring off in the direction of the doors Tali had just walked through. "I have no idea. My mind is suddenly blank."
"I think," he said, reaching across the table to take her hand in his again, "you were about to tell me how you feel. Are you having as much trouble as I am pushing these feelings aside? Because if you are, I think we can find a way to make this work. And if you aren't, then I'll find a way to get over you."
She stared at his hands on hers for what felt like eternity before finally meeting his gaze. "I wish I could say I didn't feel anything for you, because that would make my life a lot less complicated, but I can't. I do feel something. I'm just not sure what yet."
"Then I'll give you more time to decide. I know what I want, but I can wait—a little longer at least."
If she decided she wanted to give things a try with him, date him, then she couldn't work at the bookstore anymore. Would she mind having to job hunt all over again when she'd only just gotten this job?
An idea sprouted in the back of his mind. Maybe he could help her. But only if she chose to leave on her own. He wouldn't ask her to do that.
Reluctantly pulling his hand back from hers, he tried to think of something safe to talk about. He wasn't ready to get back to work just yet. "Will you travel when you're finished school?"
"I'd love to travel, but I think I'll have to work for a while to save up the money first. Putting myself through college sort of used up my funds for a while."
"Where would you go if you could go anywhere?"
She studied her coffee cup. He believed the scope of a person's dreams were often similar to their desire to travel. Some people liked to keep close to home. Others wanted to travel the globe. His experience had always been that the people who yearned to see the world were also the ones with big aspirations in their everyday lives. Would she be the kind of person who longed to see Mount Rushmore or Vatican City? Did he care which one she turned out to be?
"If I could go anywhere," she said, her eyes glazing over as if she remembered a dream, "I would go to Paris. I've always wanted to walk through The Louvre and window shop along the Champs-Élysées."
"What about the Eiffel Tower? Would you go to the top?"
"Only if I had someone to hold my hand. I'm not the biggest fan of heights."
Her fear of heights must not be too bad if she was willing to go to the top with someone. What if that someone was him? He'd been to Paris many times before with his parents when he was still in school. He could only imagine how different the experience would be if he were with someone else. A woman. His lover. Her.
"I think that could be arranged." Screw the job. He wanted more than anything to whisk her off to Paris. To be the one she clung to at the top of the tower as they gazed out over the city at night. To kiss her, and run his fingers through her hair. To taste those supple pink lips as they pressed against his mouth, hot with desire.
"In a few years I'd love to, but I'm in no position to go off to Paris right now. It's a dream I'll have to keep dreaming for a little longer."
His mind began formulating a plan. Would she go for it?
He didn't want to pressure her, but he couldn't just let her go either. There was something between them, whether they wanted to accept it or not—something he'd waited his whole life to find in someone. And now he'd found Julia, he couldn't go on pretending he hadn't. He had to at least try to find a way to make things work with her or he'd never forgive himself.
He glanced up at her, suddenly nervous for what he had planned. "What if it didn't take as long as you think to get to Paris? You never know what will happen in the future."
She shrugged and giggled. "Well, I guess there's always a chance I could win the lottery or something. Of course winning would involve actually buying a lotto ticket one day."
The urge to be the one to make her dreams come true suddenly hit him square in the chest. He would make Paris a reality one way or the other. He had to. The time was right. He knew he shouldn't, but damn it, he wanted to anyway. She'd already confirmed more than once she had feelings for him too, so why wait any longer? Why prolong the inevitable?
"Come with me." He got up from the table. "There's something I want to show you."
"What?"
"Just come." He took her hand and pulled her to her feet. Her hand fit into his, soft and warm and just the right size. He shook his head, amazed at the feeling of calm washing over him. He knew in his heart he'd never let go of her hand again, not if she felt the same way he did.
She smiled at him despite her initial resistance, a smile that said she trusted him. He knew right then he was ma
king the right choice. He was ready, and so was she. Something inside him insisted he had to go through with this, so he would, against all logic. Bold and a little reckless, he would do it now.
He squeezed her hand tight, pulling her close beside him. The familiar heat of her body radiated against his and it was all he could do not to wrap his arms around her right then and there.
Pulling open the café door, he guided her through while placing his hand on the small of her back. What he wouldn't give to be able to leave his hand there, but the gesture wasn't appropriate at work.
Hopefully, if his plan worked out the way he thought it would, she wouldn't be his employee much longer. Then he'd be able to pull her into his arms as much as he wanted to, without restraint or worry.
"Where're we going?"
He could hear the excitement in her voice, and instantly he knew the surprise would be worth it. "There's another section of the store I don't think you've seen yet."
"Oh, mysterious."
He liked the sound of her laugh. He hoped she still laughed like that after she saw where he took her. He stopped at the doorway to the room and peeked inside to see it was empty as usual. "Close your eyes."
"I don't know if I like the sound of this. I don't really like surprises."
"Trust me. You'll like this one," he said, winking at her.
She stared back at him, her bright blue eyes almost glowing. "I do trust you." She whispered to him softly before closing her eyes.
He swallowed the lump suddenly filling his throat and took both of her hands in his. He walked backward into the room, carefully maneuvering around the shelves to take her to the exact spot he wanted. He stopped in the center of the space. This was the travel room of the bookstore, and each wall in the room had a large painting of the lower section of the Eiffel Tower covering the wall from floor to ceiling. The ceiling itself was painted in such a way that viewers got the distinct feeling they were actually standing beneath the tower looking up into its core. The painting wasn't Paris exactly, but it was as close as he could get on such short notice.
He pulled her close, only a fraction of a breath separating their bodies. He wanted to feel her pressed against him again, but that would have to wait. He had to take things slow, one step at a time. He wanted to do everything right with Julia.
"Okay. Open your eyes."
She did as he asked and blinked her eyes open, looking around the room. "Well, this isn't so scary."
"I knew you'd like it." He nodded up toward the ceiling and the painting of the Eiffel Tower above them, never taking his eyes from hers.
She grinned at him, looking pleasantly surprised.
"I know you said you wouldn't get to Paris for a while, and as much as I'd like to, I can't whisk you there right now either. But, I can bring you here and tell you about the trip I'd love to take you on someday."
"Stop, Chase. Don't be silly. You barely know me, and you're my boss."
"I know. I also know I should walk away from you right now, but I don't want to. I should push aside the feelings you've stirred in me, but I can't. I've tried, believe me."
She squeezed his hands in hers, sighing. "I know it's hard, but we have to. Chase, we can't be together if I work for you, we both know that. Don't make this any harder than it has to be."
"What if you didn't work for me anymore? Would you want to be with me then? Or would your answer still be the same?"
He'd made the decision not to ask her to quit her job for him, but damn it, he had to. Quitting was the only way they would ever have a chance to be together, and he couldn't pass up the opportunity to be with her. But now that he'd made the suggestion, what would she say?
Julia sighed and folded her arms across her chest. "I don't know if I can quit. A big part of me wants to, but I'm worried about what will happen after I do."
"What do you mean? What are you afraid of?"
"I've been down this path before. I've changed before. Hell, I even moved for my last boyfriend and all that effort got me was my ass sitting on the curb two weeks later."
His pulse picked up its pace in his veins at her words. How could someone treat her so poorly, throwing her out on the street like yesterday's garbage? "I'm sorry. I didn't realize."
He touched her cheek, forcing her to look him in the eye. "I can't promise you the future yet. I wish I could. I can promise you the only way we have any chance at a future is if I'm not your boss. I can't sell my store, Julia, so that leaves us one other option."
"I know. This is awful."
"I can't promise you the future, but I can assure you I have never wanted to be with someone as much as I want to be with you. I want a chance to date you, to learn everything I can about you. I know you need this job, but I was thinking about this earlier and I may have a solution to our employment problem."
"Well tell me already." Her eyes pleaded with him—begged him for a real solution.
"I have buddies who own businesses all over the Meadow. I'll get you a new job, one you like even better than here. I'll make a couple of calls and tomorrow you'll have a new job somewhere else, without the hassle of a job hunt and you won't even miss any pay."
She narrowed her eyes at him. "I'm not asking for your charity. I found this job on my own, I'm sure I'm capable of finding another."
He smiled at her feistiness, the fire inside her just another thing he really liked about her. "There's not a doubt in my mind you'd be able to find another job. I just want to make the process easy for you. I don't want you to have to suffer so we can have a chance together."
He laughed despite the seriousness of their conversation. "But I also really want you to quit."
She laughed too, finally smiling back at him. "You make a tempting offer."
He waited, barely breathing while she made her decision. He'd said everything he could. Now she just had to decide what she wanted. "I promise I won't kick your ass to the curb in two weeks."
"That would be tricky since I have my own place." She laughed again. "Okay."
"Okay what?"
"Okay, you can call your buddies. I quit."
Chase wanted to jump up and down like a kid on Christmas morning, but instead he scooped her into his arms and held her tight. Her body molded to his as she wrapped her arms around his waist. She felt so right with him, and he knew they'd made the right decision.
"When you started talking about Paris," he said, "I couldn't help but imagine being there with you. Riding to the top of the tower, looking out over the city as lights twinkle in the distance around us, holding you close so you're not afraid. Kissing you with the whole world disappearing below us."
He leaned down, his mouth hovering above hers, so close he could smell the chocolate chip cookie still lingering on her breath. "I know we haven't known each other long, but there's something indescribable between us. Do you feel it, too?"
"I—I do. Feel it, I mean."
"I haven't been able to stop thinking about you since the moment I first saw you standing at the bar that night in the club and I'd like nothing more than to kiss you right now, as if we were really in Paris instead of only standing next to a silly painting."
He waited a moment after speaking to see if she would protest. When she licked her lips, he took the gesture as an invitation and brought his lips down onto hers, gentle at first, then more eagerly. Her lips parted, her tongue softly caressed his.
A groan escaped his mouth as his lips opened to let her in. His hand slid into her hair, tangling the silky strands around his fingers as he pulled her closer. Her breasts heaved against his chest as her breathing grew ragged. There was a longing deep inside to let his hands explore the rest of her body, but he resisted the urge. There would be time for exploration later when they were alone and uninhibited.
Her hands began exploring instead. They moved down his back to the waistband of his jeans and tugged on the belt loops, pulling him closer. His hips ground against hers in a way that made him want to wrap her legs a
round his waist and take her to bed.
A loud gasp from the doorway and the distinct sound of books falling to the floor pulled him out of the moment. Reluctantly he broke away from Julia's mouth only to find Rebecca staring at him. Her mouth hung open as tears streaked down her cheeks.
Chapter Ten
He took a step toward Rebecca, but she shook her head. "How could you, Chase? How could you do this to me?" She turned and fled down the stairs leading to the lower floors.
"I have to go after her." He gave Julia another quick peck on the lips. "Can we continue this later?"
"What did she mean, Chase?" Suspicion rose in her throat like bile.
"I can't explain right now. I need to go talk to her." He held Julia's face in his hands, his expression pleading with her. "I'll find you later. I have a feeling you and I have a little talking to do, too."
He walked out of the room leaving her standing alone without giving her the chance to respond. What was going on? Was he so concerned about Rebecca's feelings he was willing to leave her after such an amazing kiss? Does Rebecca mean more to him than kissing me?
She wanted to trust Rebecca was simply overreacting to seeing the boss kissing an employee, but the twisting in the pit of her stomach told her there was more to Rebecca's reaction.
Julia wandered down the stairs slowly, unsure of whether or not she wanted to find out what waited for her down below. She scanned the second floor but didn't see or hear Chase anywhere. They must be on the first floor somewhere. Why was this store so big?
She ran down the stairs, suddenly anxious to find them, knowing she wouldn't be able to think of anything else until she knew exactly what was going on between them. The first floor was more congested with small rooms than the two floors above her, so she couldn't see all the different areas from the stairs. She walked from room to room, ignoring customers along the way.
"Can you believe Chase?" Julia heard a voice say from the next aisle over. She slowed her pace.
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