Chapter 3: The First Touch

"Tell me to stop, Lexi. Lie to me."

Lexi downed her third glass of champagne, the bubbles burning a path down her throat. The Metropolitan Museum's annual gala swirled around her in a blur of designer gowns and diamond-encrusted jewelry. She shouldn't be here—not when she had the Harrington contract waiting on her desk, demanding her attention.

A contract with Julian Styles' name on it.

"You might want to slow down," Ethan murmured, appearing at her elbow. "That's your third in thirty minutes."

She shouldn’t have brought him with her.

"I'm fine," Lexi snapped, immediately regretting her tone. "Sorry. It's just—"

Julian.

Lexi's eyes lingered on Julian's powerful frame, the way his custom tuxedo emphasized his broad shoulders.

Julian’s eyes found them instantly. The shift in his expression was dangerous.

Ethan squeezed Lexi’s hand. “You okay?”

Lexi nodded, but her breath hitched when Julian took a slow, deliberate sip of his drink, never breaking eye contact.

She knew that look. Knew he was about to do something reckless.

"I need some air," she muttered, thrusting her empty glass at Rachel and escaping into the museum's dim lighted corridors.

She found herself in the Greek and Roman wing, surrounded by marble statues of gods and emperors. The alcohol hummed in her veins, loosening the tight control she usually maintained. The contract had arrived as promised—with a note: Dinner is non-negotiable.

"Running away again, Ms. Thorn?"

Lexi froze, not needing to turn to know who stood behind her. Julian's voice slid over her skin like silk, raising goosebumps in its wake.

"I'm not running," she said, turning to face him. "I'm avoiding—"

His hand caught her wrist and yanked her into the shadows before she could say more.

“Julian.” She managed to whisper.

His grip was possessive, his eyes dark with something lethal.

“Since when do you let little boys touch what belongs to me?” His voice was silk-covered steel.

Lexi wrenched her wrist free. “I don’t belong to you.”

His body caged her against the wall, heat radiating from him. “Then why did you follow me?”

“I didn’t—”

Julian cupped her jaw, tilting her chin up. “He bores you, doesn’t he?”

Lexi hated the truth in his words. Hated how right he was.

Julian’s lips hovered inches from hers. “Say the word, Lexi. I’ll ruin him for you.”

Her breath hitched. “You’re insane.”

His fingers traced down her throat, a silent warning. “You like it.”

Then he brushed his lips against hers—so light it was torture.

"You're awfully confident for someone who's been refused twice now."

Julian circled her slowly, like a shark scenting blood. "Have I been refused? Your mouth says no, but your body..." He trailed off, his eyes traveling down her form in a way that made her feel naked despite her ruby-red gown.

"You think you can control me," she said, the words tumbling out before she could stop them. "Like you control everything else in your life."

In an instant, his demeanor changed. The playful predator vanished, replaced by something darker, more dangerous. He stepped forward, backing her against the wall between two marble busts.

"Yes," he said simply, his voice a low growl that vibrated through her. "I can."

Lexi's heart hammered against her ribs. She should push him away. Create distance. Instead, she heard herself say, "Prove it."

Julian's eyes darkened, pupils dilating. In one motion, he captured her wrists, pinning them against the wall above her head with one large hand. His other hand came to rest on her waist, fingers splayed possessively over her hip.

"Is this what you wanted?" he murmured, his face inches from hers. "To feel how easily I could take what I want?"

Lexi couldn't breathe, couldn't think. His body pressed against hers—not roughly, but with enough pressure to make escape impossible. She should be terrified. Instead, heat pooled low in her belly, a shameful want that made her press her thighs together.

"You're shaking, sweetheart," Julian observed, his voice a dark caress. "Do you want me to stop?"

Yes, her mind screamed. No, her body answered.

"I..." The word died in her throat as Julian's hand slid from her waist to the small of her back, pulling her even closer.

"Tell me to stop, Lexi," he whispered, his lips brushing the shell of her ear. "Lie to me." His hands trailed down her neck to her breasts.

Her eyes fluttered closed as his mouth traced a burning path down her neck. His teeth grazed her pulse point, sending a spark straight to her core. A small, desperate sound escaped her lips—half protest, half plea.

Julian's grip on her wrists tightened. His free hand found the slit in her gown, fingers tracing the bare skin of her thigh. Higher, higher, until his thumb brushed the lace edge of her underwear.

"Say it," he commanded, his voice rough with restraint. "Tell me to stop."

Lexi opened her mouth, but no words came out. Only a gasp as his fingers brushed against her through the thin fabric, finding her embarrassingly wet.

"That's what I thought," he murmured against her throat. "Your body knows what you want, even if your pride won't let you admit it."

His thumb made a slow circle, applying just enough pressure to make her hips buck involuntarily. Lexi bit her lip to keep from moaning, aware they were in a public place, separated from the gala by only a few turns of corridor.

Julian captured her mouth in a bruising kiss, swallowing her gasp. His tongue demanded entry into hers, and she surrendered, letting him taste her, claim her. Her hands strained against his grip, not to escape but to touch him, to feel the hard planes of his chest beneath the fine fabric of his tuxedo.

He broke the kiss just as abruptly as he'd initiated it, leaving her breathless and disoriented. His fingers withdrew from between her legs, and she nearly whimpered at the loss.

"Not here," he said, his voice strained. "Not like this."

Lexi stared up at him, dazed. "What?"

"When I have you—and I will have you, Lexi—it won't be against a wall in a public museum." He released her wrists, stepping back. "It will be somewhere I can take my time. Somewhere I can make you beg."

She sagged against the wall, her legs unsteady. "I told you, I don't beg."

Julian's laugh was dark chocolate and sin. "You will." He reached out, thumb brushing over her swollen lower lip. "Next time, you'll beg for it."

He turned and walked away, leaving her trembling against the wall, her body aching with unfulfilled desire. Lexi closed her eyes, trying to collect herself. She could still feel the ghost of his hands on her skin, the pressure of his body against hers. This was the second time his touch made her this wet.

Footsteps approached just seconds after.

Ethan smiled. “There you are, babe.”

Lexi didn’t miss the smirk Julian gave her at the end of the hallway before walking away like he hadn’t just undone her with a touch.