Page 162 of Fame & Obsession

With one fluid motion, he puts on his suit jacket, adjusting the sleeves of his shirt underneath. He’s the only man I’ve ever seen who looks just as disgustingly beautiful in a T-shirt and jeans as he does a three-piece suit.

And the bastard knows it.

I give my hair one last fluff and blow it out of my face.

“If I’d given you a choice, would you have gone along with it?” I ask.

“Yes.”

“Liar.”

“Well, you have to admit, your sister isn’t one of my biggest fans, princess.” He gives me a knowing look. “I kind of knocked up her baby sister and moved her to Jersey. And just in case I forget to say it later, you owe me.”

Sauntering over to him, I adjust his collar. “Owe you? For what, might I ask?”

He peers down at me with a heavy-lidded gaze and crooks his index finger to motion me closer. I can’t stop the involuntary shiver that snakes down my spine as he presses his lips against my ear. “For making me play nice with Chloe. Trust me, I plan to collect.”

I take a step back. It’s my turn to arch an eyebrow. “Oh, you do, do you? Didn’t your mother ever teach you not to make threats, Julian?”

He runs his thumb across my bottom lip, tracing the outline before dropping his hand back by his side. “My mother taught me lots of things, Phoebe. One of which is to never make a scene in public. I wonder if your sister holds herself to the same standards.”

My shoulders slump and I groan.

Damn, here it comes.

I’ve been living with Julian over a week and put off telling him about Chloe coming to visit until the last possible moment. He’s right, Chloe blames him for everything that happened, no matter what I said to the contrary.

I know he wasn’t happy when I’d told him about the dinner invitation. Chloe had called, informing me that their flight had gotten in earlier than expected and she wanted to take “that man” and me to dinner. Her voice had been strained as if she tried to corral every ounce of strength she had to not say something derogatory about Julian.

“Play nice, and I’ll play nice…Jagger.” I grin as he swats my ass.

With time to spare, we decide to clean up the mess Zane and Ty left in the kitchen earlier. Just as I spray down the counter with cleaner, my phone rings. Glancing at the caller ID, I blow out a breath and balance the phone between my chin and my shoulder.

“We’re not late, Chloe.”

Her overly dramatic sigh echoes in my ear, and I can’t help but shake my head a little as Julian enters, carrying a stack of plates from the living room. Placing them on the counter, he makes the sign for a phone with his finger in his ear and his pinkie next to his mouth and silently mouthed the words, “Who is it?”

After I mouth “Chloe,” back to him, he rolls his eyes and transfers his two fingers on top of his head with both index fingers pointing up and sticks out his tongue.

A devil? Really?

Still, I have to cover the mouthpiece to prevent the snicker from reaching her ears.

“Phoebe, did you hear me?”

Turning my attention back to the phone, I clear my throat and point an accusatory finger at Julian as I chuckle. “Sure, yeah…”

“Damn it, Pheebs, you haven’t heard a word I’ve said, have you?”

“Why do you say that?” I ask, the tone in her voice giving me pause. “Chloe?” I run a shaking hand down my face when she doesn’t answer. “Chloe?” I say more forcefully.

“Predator Confidentialcalled again,” she says finally.

“I’ve told you before, I don’t have anything to say to them.”

“Then just listen. They ran that generic story on Dad again after all that sensationalized press with your boyfriend and his stalker.”

“So? They run it all the time,” I remind her. “It says nothing about me except for common facts of the crime.”