1Love Redesigned (Lakefront Billionaires, #1)(28)

Lily grabs my hand and pulls me toward the dance floor packed with people. After a few line-dancing songs, my worries fade away as I let loose and have fun.

I always loved dancing, all because of my parents and their habit of turning our living room into a dance floor whenever their favorite songs popped up. As a kid, it was embarrassing at family parties, but now I yearn for that kind of relationship.

As Lily spins me around with a laugh, the back of my neck prickles. I turn on the heels of my boots to find Julian staring at me.

No. Not staring.

Devouring.

Goose bumps spread across my arms as his dark eyes drag from my body to my face. I raise a brow when his burning gaze connects with mine, and he looks away with a clenched jaw and a tight fist pressing against his thigh.

I take advantage of his shyness and check him out. From the tasteful amount of exposed forearm to the pair of jeans showcasing his muscular legs, Julian is one hundred percent my type.

Hell, he single-handedly redefined my type in college, and I did everything humanly possible to avoid the truth.

Julian is hot. Like really freaking hot in a look-but-don’ttouch kind of way.

My fingers tingle at the idea, and I clasp them together and squeeze until they go numb.

You need an emergency therapy session.

I turn to get Lily’s attention, hoping she can save me from my thoughts, but I find her busy dancing with a guy wearing one of those creepy light-up masks.

Great.

I drain the rest of my drink and head to the bar, picking a spot out of Julian’s direct line of sight. Before I have a chance to raise my hand for a bartender, someone taps on my shoulder.

“Dahlia? Is that you?” A deep voice has me spinning in my heels.

“Evan!” I grin at the former high school prom king, beloved swim team captain, and the first person I kissed. Nothing happened after our game of spin the bottle at a lakeside bonfire, but I distinctly remember being on cloud nine for a few weeks after.

“Surprised you still remember me.”

“It would be impossible not to after you sweet-talked your way into borrowing my chemistry homework throughout sophomore year.” Evan was one of the best-looking guys in our grade, and everyone, including me, was obsessed with him and his whole boy-next-door personality when he transferred to Wisteria High.

Yet fast-forward ten years later, and I don’t feel the slightest buzz.

I fight my disappointment as I ask, “How are you?”

“Much better now that I found you.”

The strange sensation of being watched has me glancing over my shoulder. I expected to find Julian glaring at me, but instead, he is shooting daggers at the man standing in front of me.

“So, how have you been?” Evan’s question snatches my attention back.

“Good now that I’m back home.”

His green eyes trace the shape of my face, making me feel absolutely nothing. “Did you like San Francisco?”

“Yeah, although it’s a lot different than here.”

“I bet. There aren’t many places like Lake Wisteria.”

“And how have you been?”

He leans against the bar top. “Never been better. Took over my parents’ general store, which has a shelving unit dedicated to your décor line, by the way. We can’t keep it stocked for longer than a week.”

Blood rushes to my cheeks. “Really?”

He nods. “Locals and tourists love the idea of purchasing your goods from your hometown, so keep them coming.” He winks.

I feel nothing but dread and that same choking feeling when I’m reminded of my responsibilities. “Yup. Will do.”

Evan’s eyes blaze a trail down my body, but my heart doesn’t miss a beat, which tells me all I need to know.

“Listen—” I’m cut off as something firm and warm presses against my back. I turn to find Julian looming behind me with flared nostrils that look two seconds away from spouting smoke.

“Evan.” Julian’s deep, raspy voice sends a shiver down my spine.

“Julian.” Evan tips his chin.

“How are you doing?” The vein above Julian’s right eye pulses.

Evan’s eyes lock on to mine. “Better now that I found out Dahlia is here.”

“Why?” Julian’s brittle voice makes me wince.

Why? I stomp on the tip of Julian’s shoe with the sharp point of my heel. The asshole doesn’t flinch, most likely because he is made of ice.

Evan’s eyes glimmer. “Because I always thought she was cute.”

Ugh. Cute?

Julian scoffs. “Right.”

Evan’s pinched expression probably matches mine.

“How’s your brother doing, by the way?” Julian’s question comes out of nowhere.

Evan’s head tilts. “He’s good.”

They share a look I can’t decipher.

“What happened to your brother?” I interject.

Evan checks our surroundings. “He was hanging around the wrong crowd while he lived in New York, but he’s back on track and getting the help he needs.”

I press my hand over my heart. “That’s good to hear.”

Julian pauses his death-stare contest to spare me an unreadable look, only to break eye contact first. “Is he adjusting to his new job all right?”