“No,” she whispered. She lifted her eyes to the man lightly caressing her mouth with his thumb. “I’d like to stay.”
Something intense and consuming sparked behind his eyes. It reflected in the tightening of his fingers and in the slight flare of his nostrils. Whatever it meant was left a mystery as he released her and stepped back. But not far.
“I have lunch waiting on the terrace,” he said, then offered her his arm, which had never happened to her before. The sight of it brought a grin to her face.
“How Jane Austin of you,” she teased, slipping her hand into the crook of his elbow.
Killian made a quiet, humming sound of agreement as he led her deeper into the place.
“I could amaze you by how gallant I can be.” He peered down at her, his eyes dancing with silent laughter. “I might even toss my coat over a puddle for you.”
Against her will, Juliette burst out laughing. The sound followed them all the way through an extravagant dining area full of men and women enjoying fancy bowls of lettuce and soups. A few heads lifted and turned in their direction. The unwanted attention had her lifting a hand to her mouth to stifle the sound.
“Don’t,” Killian said, and her hand obeyed; it dropped down to her side.
He hadn’t been joking about lunch on the terrace. He led her through the dining area and out through a set of magnificent French doors. The navy carpet halted and cobblestone took over, leading the way across a wide platform ringed by marble columns and overlooking a sprawling garden. They made their way along the side to a single table dwelling, tucked beneath a beautiful canopy of gauze. The circular table was draped in soft, white linen and topped by a plate of glass. A bowl of floating tea candles sat in the center, unlit. Two wrought iron chairs sat tucked into place on either side. Killian took her to one and drew it out for her.
“Thank you,” she said, easing into it.
He tucked her in before claiming his own seat.
“I took the liberty of ordering,” he told her. “I didn’t want to waste time since you have to leave soon.”
Juliette nodded and stuffed her purse beneath her chair. “That’s fine.”
As though on cue, their meal and drinks were brought out by two girls in tight, white t-shirts and white tennis skirts. Everything was set down perfectly before the pair left without saying a word.
The plates consisted of steak burgers and fries with a side order of salad. Everything smelled incredible and it was the remaining shred of her dignity that kept her from lunging ravenously on the table.
Instead, she chuckled and gave her head a slight shake of amusement.
“Don’t like my choice?” Killian asked.
She shook her head again. “I actually really like steak burgers. I’m just surprised you ordered it.”
He met her gaze. “It’s my favorite,” he said. “I always get it when I’m here.”
“Are you here often?” she wondered.
“No.” He grabbed the bottle of ketchup and doused his fries. “I normally don’t have time.”
He set the ketchup bottle down and reached for his fork. Juliette didn’t bother with a fork as she reached for a fry.
“I honestly don’t think I could come here every day like some people,” she admitted. “I had a friend whose mom practically lived at their country club and she brought me along once. It was awful.”
He speared a blade of lettuce from his salad bowl, but didn’t bring it to his mouth. “Why?”
“Just being under that kind of attention all the time.” She shrugged. “She always had to be so careful about what she said and what she wore and who she talked to. It just seemed like so much unnecessary work.”
Neither said anything for a moment while they ate. Juliette fought hard not to stuff it all into her mouth like some starved maniac. She couldn’t even remember the last time she’d had a full meal that didn’t consist of Mrs. Tompkins’ss casserole. It had been ages since she’d had real meat. It was a little disturbing just how much she wanted to cuddle her plate and weep.
“Did you bring the agreement?” Killian asked, cutting into her thoughts.
She nodded. “Yes.”
Reluctantly setting her fork down, she reached beneath her seat and fished out the envelope. She set it on the table.
Killian barely spared it a glance. “We’ll go over it after we eat.”
Lowering her gaze, Juliette poked at the blade of lettuce peeking out from beneath her bun. “It was very well thought out,” she mused, tearing a piece of the green and popping it into her mouth. “Do you write contracts like that often?”
He shook his head. “Not like that exactly, no. But the concept is usually the same.” He lifted his eyes to her face. “Did it all make sense?”
“Oh, yes, it was very … thorough. Thank you.” She lifted a fry and studied the long, golden strip. “There were a lot of rules.”
He wiped his fingers on his napkin. “I didn’t want to leave anything to chance. This way, we both know what to expect.” He met her gaze. “If you have any stipulations you want to add or—”
She shook her head. “No, what you have is fine. Actually.” A thought occurred to her and she leaned forward. “There is something.”
He stopped eating and waited.
“It might have already been implied, but I would rather get it out in the open just in case.”
“All right?”
She took a deep breath. “If this is only about sex, then you can have no say in what I do when I’m not with you.”
His eyes narrowed. “Clarify.”
“I want to keep working,” she stated simply. “Yes, I know you said you would provide an allowance, but at the end of the year, when we are over, I will be without a job and an income. While I’m fairly apt at budgeting, I don’t want to fall into a situation where my sister will suffer.”
Something on his face shifted. “I wouldn’t allow you to suffer, Juliette.”
“Well, you were very clear that we would not have any contact after the year was up.”
Killian sighed. “I wouldn’t simply leave you to fend for yourself.”
Annoyance prickled the length of her spine. “I feel wrong taking your money as it is. If anything, I should be paying you for saving my life.”
“Stop.” He rubbed a hand over his face. “Juliette…”
“It’s okay.” She offered him a small smile. “I read the agreement. I know what’s expected of me and I’m okay with the terms. I just want you to know that I am going to keep working. I will work time in for you whenever you want, but the jobs stay. Also, I don’t want you telling me what to wear or where I can go and what I can’t do. I have responsibilities outside of our agreement and I have to find a balance between the two.”
He said nothing for a long damn time. His dark eyes bore into her. She wondered if he would refuse her request. But he surprised her by giving a reluctant nod.
“Fair enough, but before you accept the terms…” He reached into the inside pocket of his blazer and drew out a thin envelope, the sort people used to send bills and letters. He set it down next to the hand she’d settled on the table. “I have a second agreement I think you should look over.”
Juliette blinked. “A second?”
He nodded, but said nothing as she lifted the envelope and tugged free the letter. He continued to watch her while she unfolded the paper and read.
It started off exactly like the first one.
This agreement is between Killian McClary (hereafter called The Primary) and
___________________________________________________ ,
(hereafter called The Secondary.) For a one year agreement: Hereafter referred to as The Agreement.