spoke in hushed, reverent tones about "investment pieces." Julian had watched from a careful distance as p

t overlooking the city, Elena understoo

rply as Elena's fingers hovered ove

hand back. "Sor

carried an edge she hadn't heard bef

degree. Books arranged by height and color, magazines fanned in perfect arcs, not a single item out of

refully. "Should I

-the exact center cushion. "We need to go over

mous painters, but her attention kept drifting to Julian's behavior. The way he counted under his breath when he thought she wasn't listening.

g. "You studied it in Professor Morrison's

immediately tracked to where her movement had displac

ct-" Julian stopped mid-sentence as Elena absent

TOUCH

hat Elena jumped, dropping the pen. It clattere

na's heart hammered against

pen goes in the third slot from the left. Everything has a system. Everything h

hment she'd maintained during their business arrangement cracked slightly. This wasn't just som

said softly. "

er eyes. "The pen

nder the desk and held it out

from the l

atching Julian's shoulders drop slightly with re

ly. "I can't... I'm not good at teaching peop

ld settle in her stomac

u." Julian pulled out his phone with mechanical

ho

understands

e she'd stepped out of a magazine-perfectly styled blonde hair, tailore

xtending a hand. "I run a finishing

maintaining careful distance by

smoothly. "I help people navigate situations where t

na. This woman taught people how t

nued. "Seven days to convince his family you belong

u can d

school and spent summers in the Hamptons. Whether you can convince Julian's mot

tion by the window. "Vivian has worked

Vivian agreed. "Now, let's

izing up prey, taking in everything

sharp. I have a studio downtown." Vivian handed Elena an embossed card. "Com

n?" Elena asked,

ian said before Julian could answer. "He's done his part by

ite the obvious difficulty he had with her presence, Julian was the only co

though he still wouldn't meet her eyes. "Vi

usiness. "Don't worry, Dr. Knight. I'

t Julian's arm. He tensed immediately

out this?" she a

slipped, and she saw the man underneath

he said quietl

g that everything was back in its proper place. The pen in its slot. The p

e told himself it was relief-relief that he wouldn't have to manage Elena's

mself in surgery schedules and patient charts. But his t

mas Eve. Seven days

e a very good