Chapter 3

He had the fresh-faced look of a recent college grad, probably no more than twenty-three.

But more importantly, he looked familiar.

The moment he saw me step inside, his eyes lit up.

"Liz?"

That was when it clicked.

He was the son of my mom’s close friend, Cathy Mills.

Back when I was in college, he even stayed at my house for a few days.

I remembered it was during summer break.

An eighteen-year-old boy, dumped at our place by his own mother because of his terrible grades.

According to my mom, his name was Julian Walker—the youngest in the Walker family and a total troublemaker.

The first time I saw him, he had a black stud in his ear, a rebellious streak written all over his face, and a whole crew trailing behind him.

When someone joked about him getting kicked out of his house, he simply raised an eyebrow and said, "Get lost."

At the time, I was twenty, still in college, and standing on the second-floor balcony when I saw him.

I took one look and decided to stay far away.

But with a face like that, he wasn’t exactly easy to forget.

Now, though, he seemed completely different from the reckless kid I remembered.

"Julian Walker?"

He blinked, as if surprised I still remembered his name. His eyes brightened.

"Yeah, it’s me, Liz."

I stared at him.

My mom had a knack for playing matchmaker within her own social circle.

And the real issue?

He was two years younger than me.

How did she even come up with the idea of setting us up?

As soon as we sat down, the waiter started bringing out the dishes, and soon, the table was filled with dishes I liked.

Originally, I planned to turn him down right away, but with everything laid out so thoughtfully, rejecting him outright felt a little harsh.

After a long pause, I finally looked at him, feeling a bit awkward.

"You're too young. Isn’t it a bit soon for you to be going on blind dates?"

His sharp eyes locked onto mine.

"Liz, I was the one who asked my mom to set this up with your mom.

"And I’m not too young."

His features were striking—defined jawline, high cheekbones, and deep-set eyes. Even in a loose sweatshirt, the lean muscle beneath was noticeable.

His hawkish features—the prominent nose, those narrow lips—were all the more striking as his intense gaze locked onto mine.

His meaning was crystal clear.

I turned my face away and told him about my recent breakup with Ryan.

For a second, it looked like he clenched his jaw, but he still lifted his gaze to meet mine.

"That’s just your past, Liz. It doesn’t matter. You’re single now, aren’t you?"

Then, with unwavering certainty, he added, "I’ve liked you for a long time."

I was caught off guard.

But I didn’t have the nerve to ask anything further.

Throughout the meal, Julian barely ate.

Instead, he was too busy peeling shrimp and cracking crab shells for me.

Feeling guilty, I whispered, "You don’t have to. It’s too much trouble for you."

He glanced at me, something like grievance and disappointment flickering in his eyes.

"It’s fine. Even if you don’t like me, I like you."

I had no idea how to respond, so I just awkwardly lowered my head.

As we were about to leave, Julian suddenly pinned me against the door.

His half-lidded eyes locked onto mine, and after a brief pause, he let out a low chuckle.

"What’s wrong?"

He reached out and brushed his thumb over my lips.

"Nothing. There’s a smudge."

He was tall, and I had to tilt my head up to look at him—just in time to catch the movement of his Adam’s apple.

Luckily, he let go quickly and offered to drive me home.

Before I could refuse, he had already ushered me into the car.

…

Julian drove a black Jeep.

After pulling up outside my building, he got out first and opened the passenger door for me.

I fumbled with my seatbelt, but for some reason, it wouldn’t budge.

Seeing my struggle, Julian frowned slightly before leaning in to help.

The scent of amber and musk surrounded me, wrapping me in his warmth.

With a soft click, the seatbelt came undone.

I instinctively moved to get out, but in my rush, I accidentally slammed my chest into his face.

…

Panic flooded me. My face went hot as I quickly pushed him away, scrambling to jump out of the car.

But in my haste, I lost my balance and the next thing I knew, I was falling straight out of the car.

Julian reached out to catch me, but instead, I ended up landing directly on top of him.

Gasps erupted around us.

I turned my head without thinking, and suddenly my lips were against Julian's.

More gasps erupted around us.

When I jerked away, I found my mother standing there with a distinguished-looking woman, both of them staring.

"This is moving fast, isn’t it?"

"Ah, young people these days."

"I have to admit, they do make a cute pair."

"You hit the jackpot with this one, Lizzie."

…

Flustered, I scrambled to my feet, my face burning.

Julian wasn’t any better—his ears were bright red.

Then, he glanced at the woman beside my mom and called out, "Mom."