Chapter 150 Sydney's mind went blank. They were both adults. Even without firsthand experience, she instantly understood what she had touched. Now she was trapped on Julian's lap, unable to move. Even through the fabric between them, it felt far too intimate-almost like skin against skin. She looked up at him, panic brimming in her eyes, and tears threatened to spill. "Julian, I didn't mean to..." Julian's large hand pressed against the back of her head, his thumb brushing over her lips. His deep, husky voice came low and steady. "What did you just call me?" Sydney froze, afraid to move.
She quickly corrected herself. "Mr. Sterling." His sharp, commanding gaze lingered. It was the look of someone born to be obeyed. "Wrong answer." Heat swept through her, her whole body burning as she fought the urge to escape. At last, she gave in. "What do you want me to call you?" "What did you used to call me?" Julian's deliberate tone coaxed her now. 'Jules...' Of course she remembered. But the word felt impossibly hard to say. "L-Let me down first," Sydney pleaded, shifting against his grip. His arm stayed locked around her waist. Julian's dominance was absolute.
"Say it first." Her eyes welled, shame heating her cheeks. She blinked and stammered, "J-Jules." "When did you start stuttering?" Julian demanded, unsatisfied. "Jules!" The word burst from her lips, sharp with frustration. The tone-half defiant, half conceding-sounded exactly like it once had. Julian's hold loosened. Sydney scrambled back into her seat, rolling down the window as if cold air could sweep away the suffocating tension and the frantic pounding of her heart. It felt too strange. Julian had always teased her, driving her to stomp her feet in anger.
But just now, this was the first time he had gone that far. Maybe he was annoyed that she hadn't called him "Jules" once since their reunion. As the Sterling heir, he had never tolerated defiance. His pride would not allow it. He had won again. Julian's gaze darkened as he watched Sydney cling to the window, too shaken to look at him. His palm still held the phantom softness of her waist. That night, Julian dreamed of gripping her there, pulling her flushed face against him. He jolted awake, breathing hard. 1/2 Frustrated, he pressed his fingers to his brow, then stalked into the shower.
The cold water did nothing Sleep abandoned him, so he moved into the living room and picked up the suit jacket Sydney had worn earlier. Her scent lingered, a faint trace of jasmine. His gaze darkened further, desire threading through him as his long fingers crushed wrinkles into the fabric. Across the hall, Sydney couldn't sleep either. Hugging her pillow, she went to Tiffany. Tiffany was buried in case files, barely looking up. "Why aren't you asleep yet?" Sydney's heart ached at the sight of her friend working so late.
"Why are you still up?" "I'm about to get promoted." Tiffany lifted a folder with a grin, eyes bright. "If I win this case, I'll make partner. My salary will jump like crazy. If I keep pushing, take on more cases-give it two years tops-we'll finally be able to leave this city," She hadn't forgotten. She had promised she would leave Jouleston with Sydney. Warmth swelled in Sydney's chest. She poured Tiffany a glass of milk. "Really? Our Tiffany is amazing." "Not bad, huh?" Tiffany arched a brow proudly and downed a gulp of milk. She glanced at Sydney. "What about you?
Another bout of insomnia?" "A little," Sydney admitted, though she didn't want to distract her. "I'll drink some milk and try again. You focus. The sooner you finish, the sooner you can rest."