Can’t Win Me Back

"Why? Do you finally notice me beside you?" teased Julien while he admired Jonah's perfect side profile.

He grumbled, "You've been ignoring me for a good half an hour. I was thinking of ignoring you forever if you kept giving me the cold shoulder."

Despite being fatally attracted to Julien's childlike behavior, Jonah hid his feelings and asked calmly,

"Do you often join Mandy and the others for tea?"

"Yeah."

"You're a young man. Don't you feel bored when you hang out with a bunch of middle-aged ladies?"

Jonah scrutinized Julien. "You led a carefree life in Mosgravia. There's no need to suppress your wants. Just do anything you feel like doing."

"What if you can't handle me if I let go of myself?" Julien drawled and cast an irresistibly flirtatious look at Jonah.

distant as ever. "That's

president. You won't have time to worry about me," replied Julien with a

his

case

in the air. He purred, "Anyway, we're kind of like family because my

a hint of emotion in his eyes. He casually remarked, "Lyla said you love nuts." Staring ahead, he tensed up

that stuff since I was a kid. Hazelnuts, pistachio nuts, roasted chestnuts—you name it. I can't stop once I start eating them." Although Julien was a man, he looked like a young woman when he was excited. "Aunt Mandy always peeled the nuts for me when I was a

at Julien and rasped, "I'll do that

placed a finger under Jonah's chin and breathed at Jonah's lips. "Sure. I'd

moment he read Julien's mind—he noticed

when she reached home. On their way back, she had complained

same time, she was hinting at Jasper

in his arms and brought her into the house. Her legs dangled, and