Page 24 of Scandalous Contract

“Why?”

What did he meanwhy? “Because that’s what friends do. They worry about each other.”

Julian didn’t reply right away. He just stared at me, his jaw tightening for a split second. Something flickered in his eyes. It was quick, but I caught it. A hint of annoyance mixed with a tinge of jealousy. Julian was jealous of Ronnie.

He truly had nothing to worry about in that department. Ronnie was like a brother to me, and we both liked cock. Still, jealousy looked cute on Julian. And for some reason, seeing him in jealous mode made me want to fuck his brains out even more.

His lips parted like he was going to say something else. But he didn’t. Without another word, he reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. He held it for a moment, thumb hovering over the screen before finally passing it to me.

“The code is 0122.”

“Are you really trusting me with your passcode?” I asked, half-joking, half-curious.

He shrugged. “I don’t have anything to hide.”

Hmmm. I didn’t really know how to take that, so I just ignored it. I tapped the code into the phone, then I froze before pressingOKAY. My eyes widened.0122. That was my birthday. What the actual fuck?

I stared at the numbers on the screen, my heart rate kicking up a notch. The date of my birth was his security code. That had to be a coincidence, right? It had to be. Slowly, I glanced up at Julian.

He was already watching me, his head tilted slightly. The phone screen glowed between us, waiting for me to unlock it and send the damn text. My fingers didn’t move. This had to be a coincidence, right?

“Stefanie!” a deep voice called out, pulling me from my haze of confusion.

I turned toward the club entrance and spotted Ronnie strolling my way, cheesing from ear to ear.

"Does your friend always look that happy to see you?" Julian asked, sounding annoyed.

"Yes. He’s been my best friend since I was a child." That admission only seemed to make him more annoyed as I handed him back his phone.

Ronnie stopped in front of us, beaming down at me. "Bestie! You forgot your phoneandyour keys." He handed them over, then leaned in, his voice dropping to a whisper. “Heffa, I know your crazy ass wasn’t about to run off with a stranger while having no phone and no keys. Are you writing your own True Crimes episode?”

“I was just about to call you and tell you to bring them to me,” I whispered back. “By the way, his name is Julian Cattaneo, and his sister is India’s roommate. Keep that bit of info in mind in case I really do go missing.”

“Biiitch,” Ronnie drawled. “Tomorrow, I am coming to your house so you can spill all the tea. And don’t you dare act like you don’t have any tea because I can hear the kettle whistling. Now, take this handsome Cattaneo back to your rental, where there are cameras outside. If anything happens, the police can use the footage to see what time he came and left. I’ll also be tracking your location in case he tries to kidnap you."

"Aren’t you going to try to stop me from running off with a stranger?"

“You just told me his name and the name of his closest relative. He’s not a stranger. He’s a snack. Go gobble him up.”

“But...”

“Why are you still talking to me? Run off. Ride off. Fly off. Just be off, boo." He paused and looked left. "Oh, I think that’s his car. Nice. Be safe. Don’t overthink things. And call me as soon as he leaves in the morning. Bye.”

I exhaled, watching him step back.

“Take care of my bestie,” Ronnie told Julian while staring the younger man up and down. “I may look like a R&B boy band member, but I fight like Tyson. Okay, Mr. Cattaneo?”

"Stefanie is safe with me. Always," Julian replied as the valet handed him his keys.

“Good,” Ronnie strode off toward the club’s entrance.

Julian approached the car and opened the passenger door for me. I smoothed down the back of my dress and slid into the vehicle as demurely as I could to keep my dress from riding up and revealing my butt cheeks. He closed the door behind me.

As he circled the car, I caught Ronnie’s eye. He grinned, then made an exaggerated thrusting motion with his hips. I let out a short laugh, shaking my head, but the humor faded as soon as Julian slipped into the driver’s seat.

Suddenly, the car felt too cramped despite its sleek design and spaciousness. Julian’s presence seemed to fill his seat in a way that my thick thighs couldn’t. He looked like a king on a throne as he pulled his door shut.

Not wanting to be caught staring, I reached for my seatbelt. Julian beat me to it. I quickly lowered my hand as the space between us vanished. He leaned in, his chest inches from mine, and grabbed the seat belt.