Tiffany gave a detached smile . " See , Mr. Hutton , we were never from the same world . You know it , and so do I- " 1 " Give me some time , " Raymond's voice cut in , low and steady . Tiffany narrowed her eyes , trying to clear the feverish haze clouding her mind . " What did you just say ? " Inside the apartment , Sydney slipped off her shoes at the door and glanced at the man across the room . " Thank you for helping with Tiffany . " Relief softened her voice . Julian's mouth curved , barely a smile . " Thank me ? Wasn't that what you earned ?
" Heat crept up Sydney's neck , and she lowered her gaze . She understood perfectly . He meant her body had paid the price . Before embarrassment could take hold , Julian placed a document on the dining table . " Sign this . " She stepped closer and glanced down . Bold black letters spelled : Contract of Servitude . Her head snapped up to meet his steady eyes . " I have to protect my interests somehow , don't I ? " he said flatly . " Fine . " Sydney reminded herself that Julian was a businessman , first and foremost .
His gaze pressed on her as she skimmed the contract line by line , then quickly scrawled her name . He set a stamp pad beside her . " Handprint . " ' Meticulous , as always , ' she thought . Pressing her fingertip into the ink , she muttered under her breath , " I'm not going anywhere anyway . " Julian's lips curved with meaning . " And if one day you decide you've gotten over your tantrum and are ready to dive back into your love - brained devotion , could I possibly stop you ? " He was pointing straight at three years ago , when she had insisted on marrying Caleb .
Sydney knew there was no way to explain . To him , trading marriage for a sliver of freedom would always look like blind infatuation . " Not anymore . " She pushed the contract back across the table . " Signed and stamped . That's enough , right ? " She hadn't read the fine print , but she noticed it was light on restrictions . There were no clauses about tracking her whereabouts or rules about keeping their affair secret . Perhaps those were simply assumed . The basic etiquette of being a mistress was too obvious to write down . 1/2 As she stood , Julian's brows lifted faintly .
" Leaving already ? " Her nerves jumped , mind spinning where it shouldn't . Last night , her focus had been all on saving Tiffany , so she hadn't been flustered . Now , her earlobes burned red . " Tiffany's waiting for me ... " " What's the rush ? " He rose and closed the distance with swift strides . The faint scent of sandalwood surrounded her . Sydney stumbled back , nearly falling onto the sofa , as his arm swept around her . His hand clamped firmly at her waist , just like that night in the car . The only difference was the thin layer of fabric between them .
Still , the air felt no less charged . Julian's grip on her waist tightened as he leaned closer . Sydney's heart slammed against her ribs , her voice trembling . " I'm still on my period . " He smirked faintly . " I don't forget things . " Lowering his gaze , he studied her small face - the nervous flutter of her lashes , the delicate slope of her nose, the soft curve of her mouth , pink and full , begging to be kissed . The skin under his palm was just as soft . He kneaded lightly , and his voice dropped to a coaxing murmur . " Kiss me . "