“They worry about you more,” I said with a nod. “I get that.”
“You do?” Julie asked.
I nodded again. I understood more than she realized. We were almost to the diner and, as much as I didn’t want the conversation to end, I knew it had to. I pulled into the parking lot, and we made our way inside.
An older waitress seated us, and we ordered lunch, picking up a simpler conversation than before. We joked and flirted through lunch, Julie occasionally reaching across the table to take my hand. Every time we touched, I found it harder to focus.
By the time we were done eating, I was itching to get her alone. Julie’s eyes hadn’t left my face all through lunch. That same hungry look was staring back at me, making my stomach tighten and my palms sweat.
“Any plans for the rest of the day?” I asked as we climbed back into my car.
“Nope,” Julie said. “I’m all yours.”
I grinned and gunned the engine. The tension between us mounted on the drive home, but I did my best to keep talking. The closer we got to Julie’s house, the harder it became. I just wanted to be alone with her, to have an excuse to kiss her perfect lips again.
“Should I take you home?” I asked, hoping she would invite me inside.
“Well,” Julie said. “You’ve seen my place. It’s only fair that I see yours.”
“You’re right,” I said. I grinned at her and turned left at the next stop sign. “We’re not far.”
Julie gazed out the window as I drove down the back roads. My house was right outside of Ennis on ten acres of open land. When I turned the final corner and the house came into view, Julie gasped loudly and leaned forward.
“Holy shit,” she said softly. “This is where you live?”
“This is home,” I said.
Julie’s eyes flew wide as we pulled into the driveway. I was so used to the grandeur of my mansion that I almost forgot how huge it was. Looking at it through Julie’s eyes, I realized she’d probably never seen a house this big before.
“It’s practically a castle,” she said.
I laughed. “I wouldn’t go that far.”
“I would,” she insisted. “I half expected to see a moat surrounding the place.”
“That gets added next year.” I winked.
Julie rolled her eyes, but when we got out of the car, she begged for a tour. I happily obliged. My desire from earlier was muted as I watched Julie react to my home. Her face lit up with excitement as I showed her each new room. Her favorite, by far, was the library.
“It’s beautiful,” she said. Her tone was hushed, almost reverent.
“I thought you’d like this,” I said.
“You did?” She raised her eyebrows.
I shrugged. “You’re a writer.”
“Fair enough.”
She gazed around at the shelves of books, and I gazed at her. There, standing in the middle of my library, she’d never looked more alluring.
“So,” I said. “I was thinking…”
Julie turned to face me with a slight frown. I suddenly felt nervous, and I didn’t know why.
“Yeah?” she asked.
“My company is throwing a holiday party next weekend,” I said quickly. “On Saturday. I was thinking you might want to go with me?”