Arranged

Chapter 3 - Part 2

Julian's eyes narrowed as he watched Hayley stroll back to the party with the arm of Blondie draped over her shoulders. She'd walked away without a glance back at him, and now she was flirting with one of his employees.

"What do you think you're doing?" Colin slapped a hand against Julian's chest.

Julian looked down at Colin's hand, then glared at his best friend because he wasn't sure how else he should react. He didn't even know he was making his way over to Hayley.

For what? He wasn't sure and he didn't care.

There was only one thing he wanted an answer to right now. "Who's that?"

Colin dropped his hand. "Nigel Timms."

"And why does Nigel think it's okay for him to behave that way with Hayley?"

Colin laughed. "What? For friends to be casual around each other?" He grinned when Julian frowned. "They were friends in college."

"How do you know that?"

"I saw them talking at the wedding and I asked." Colin's eyes roamed his face. "What's wrong with you? You're not jealous, are you?"

He snorted, something he never did. "Hayley doesn't seem to understand what is appropriate and what isn't."

"She handled herself very well with Charlene."

Julian shot another glare at Colin. Though he'd decided he would charm Hayley into falling for him so he could turn the tables on her, he decided he wasn't going to start until enough time had passed after the Charlene-incident. He didn't want to start out on the losing end by letting Hayley think he was apologetic.

He wasn't, and he needed to hold all the power in this marriage.

He frowned when her lighthearted laughter drifted back to him. "She was getting all giddy because people told her she looked beautiful in her dress."

"She looks great. The dress really—" Colin gave Hayley a scan, his eyes drifting lower until he seemed to finally notice Julian's death glare.

Colin raised his hands in peace.

Hayley did look amazing, and Julian couldn't help but let his gaze linger on her.

He shifted uncomfortably as images of Hayley in her incredibly sexy lingerie once again plagued his mind. "They were just being polite. I can't believe she's so naive."

"Are you annoyed that people are telling her she's beautiful or that you're not the one telling her that?"

Julian forced himself to release his locked jaws. "Are you crazy? What's wrong with you?"

"Right back at you. Second thoughts on proving how wrong your parents were?"

"Don't be stupid. She isn't my type. She's so meek and submissive." Except when she wasn't. Julian had been stunned when she talked back to him. His brain was already all jumbled up from seeing her in lingerie, and it had taken everything in him to remain rooted in the doorway.

His mind had screamed at him to take her. She was already his wife anyway. He was still battling those asinine thoughts when she'd tried to storm past him and show herself to the rest of the staff in the penthouse.

He couldn't allow that. He didn't want anyone else seeing her in her lingerie.

He stretched his neck as his body once again reacted to the image of Hayley in her lingerie. Lust. That was the problem with him. He hadn't had sex since getting married. After Hayley had walked in on him and Charlene, he just couldn't bring himself to continue where they left off.