Chapter 199 Julian's hand slipped lower on her waist, brushing against damp heat. Sydney's eyes snapped open, and she shoved him away in panic. "No!" Even though she had long anticipated the possibility of them going all the way someday, she could not accept it right here. Deep down, she was still, perhaps, a traditional woman. Even as someone's lover, she had hoped her first time would be private, safe. Not here, where anyone could push the door open at any second. Her voice trembled. Julian drew his hand back, his voice rough, as if scraped over gravel.
"Not here?" "Mm." She nodded, gripped the cold marble doorknob, and added quickly, "I'm going back to the room." Without waiting for him, she slipped out, rushed to the bathroom to fix her smudged lipstick, and hurried back to the private room. Her heartbeat had not settled even as she pushed the door open. If she had known Julian craved risk, the thrill of doing reckless things in public, she might have thought twice back then. She would have even searched for another way to save Tiffany. She had pictured something simpler. When Julian needed her, she would warm his bed.
He was attractive, and she was not exactly losing out. However, reality was far different. It was not just sex. It was him kissing her without warning, in broad daylight, in front of people. His hands were never content to stay still. Every time, he left her on edge, her heart in her throat. Julian stared at the door Sydney had just closed, his gaze pitch-black. He slowly rubbed his fingertips together and wore a faint, crooked smile. He knew she feared Caleb would notice, so he waited a moment before leaving the room. He had barely taken a few steps when Charlotte called out.
"You..." Her fingers dug deeply into her palms. Words came slowly. She had just seen Sydney rush from that very room, lipstick smeared, lips red and swollen from kissing. At first, she had assumed that the quiet, docile Sydney harbored some wild side. She never expected the "wild man" to be Julian. Julian carried none of the guilt of a man caught with another's woman. His expression remained cold, detached as he glanced at her. "What about me?" "You... You and Sydney." Charlotte drew a deep breath, her eyes reddening.
"What exactly is going on between you two?" She could not believe what she had seen. This was Julian. He could have any woman he wanted. She had chased him for years, only to meet indifference. As his secretary, she had witnessed countless women throw themselves at him, or business partners send women to his bed. He had rejected them all. The more he rejected them, the more Charlotte craved him. The higher he climbed in her heart, the more she wanted to pull him from the pedestal he stood on.
She had spent sleepless nights wondering, "If he ever truly loves someone, how terrifyingly devoted will he be?" She longed to be that woman. As such, she never imagined he would fall for Sydney. The way he had kissed her-leaving her lips swollen and red-proved he had lost control in that room. Julian did not lift his eyelids. "Give me one good reason to explain anything to you." His voice was flat, careless, as if none of this mattered, as if what he had with Sydney could not shake the ground beneath them.
And yet, it was exactly this recklessness and untouchable arrogance that Charlotte adored. Her lips trembled as she softened her tone. "She's still the girl you raised as your sister. If this gets out, it'll ruin your reputation."