Chapter 5

Anna was trembling—literally shaking all over. Not from his touch, but from sheer fury. She had never met anyone so shameless in her life. This guy dressed like he stepped off a runway, but deep down? A total scumbag in a suit. And even though that's exactly what she thought, she wouldn't dare say it out loud. What if he really snapped and did something crazy? Nope, not taking that risk. Forcing herself to stay still despite how uncomfortable his touch made her, Anna finally squeezed out a warning after what felt like forever: "If you don't let go, I'm seriously gonna scream!" Julian actually laughed, loud and unapologetic, and gave her hand an extra squeeze like it was some kind of joke. "Go ahead," he said, voice dripping with amusement. "Let the whole building know we're hiding out here, just the two of us. Alone. In a dark corner, almost glued together... Anna, I didn't peg you for the flirty type." The last few words came out low and close to her ear, his breath brushing against her skin. His flawless face lit up with a sly smirk that somehow made him even more dangerously attractive. Maybe it was just the mix of elegance and menace—totally contradictory, yet weirdly magnetic. But right now, Anna wasn't in the mood to admire anyone. "Let's get back on track," she said, lifting her chin, trying not to sound as rattled as she looked. "If you asked me to get a marriage license with you just to get back at your cheating ex—sorry, I'm out. I'm not signing up for something this reckless. A dumb idea isn't a good enough reason to mess up my life or make a joke out of marriage." She stared at him, voice steady, eyes serious. Maybe Julian was hurt, maybe he wanted revenge. Whatever. That didn't mean she had to throw herself into his mess. Her ex cheated, not her. She wasn't about to ruin her life just to play along. "Oh? Having second thoughts already?" Julian was still holding her hand, fiddling with her fingers like he had all the time in the world. His smile was still there, but his eyes? Turned cold in a blink. Countless women would kill to marry a man like him. But here she was, acting like being Mrs. Blake was some kind of punishment. He'd never seen anything like it. A second ago she was all righteous indignation, now Anna's confidence started to crack under his amused, half-sarcastic stare.Yeah, to be fair, he did ask her first, and she said yes. And well, it's not like they were plotting a crime or something... She swallowed hard, gave him a sheepish grin, and offered, "So... yeah, I messed up by backing out. I'm really sorry, okay?" Julian looked at the girl who switched faces faster than flipping a switch. He didn't say a word, just gave her a flat glance. "Don't give me that look. Sure, I changed my mind, but it's not like you got robbed here. Hell, you're the one who stole a kiss from me! If we're keeping score, I'm the one who got shortchanged!" Anna's voice cracked with indignation, tears pooling in her eyes until their rims flushed pink, giving her the tragic look of a rabbit who'd just had its carrot snatched away. Julian's gaze dropped involuntarily to her mouth. That damn mouth. Pink as peach flesh, perfectly bowed, still slightly puffy and glistening from their collision earlier. Sweet too - cloyingly so. All that annoyance he'd felt earlier? Gone in a blink. Now, all he could feel was this strange, unexpected sense of... luck? Anna felt that intense gaze locked on her like a heat lamp, and her scalp tingled with nerves. She waited a beat, then another, but he still said nothing. She gave him a tiny push and asked, "So... can I go now?" "Yeah." Julian gave her one last look, then loosened his grip and stepped back. Now it was Anna's turn to look stunned. She blinked in disbelief, unsure what just happened. Wait... he's actually letting her go like that? "What? Can't bear to leave?" Julian leaned against the wall and flicked his wrist to check the time. "If you're having second thoughts, we can still walk into that courthouse and get it done. It's not too late." "Oh please—bye!" Hope I never see you again! Anna forced an awkward laugh and took a couple of steps back. "Hey, hold up!" Before she could even turn away, that deep, lazy voice of his came rolling again. Her whole body went stiff, eyes wide as saucers. She knew it—knew it wouldn't be that easy...