59 — Daddy is back...?

When Julian guides me into his office and closes the door after I enter the room, I can already feel my heart beating desperately in my chest. I wait for him to close the curtains, but instead he just walks over to the desk and sits down.
And he's looking at me so intensely that the air is also taken out of my lungs.
“Why don't you sit down?” He asks with a serious tone that brings butterflies to my belly.
I swallow hard and comply, approaching him fearfully… And just as I'm ready to sit in the chair opposite him, he mumbles something and says, “Actually, I think you should come over here.”
Sighing deeply, I walk across the table, stopping right next to Julian… And lower my eyes to study the lazy way he's sitting, with his shoulders spread and his hands clumsily on his lap… his shapely thighs marked by his pants.
Suddenly, my mouth goes dry.
I press my knees together, trying to ease the sudden tickle that takes hold of my lower belly — and my discreet movement attracts Julian's attention. I notice how his eyes grow more intense, but no smile threatens to break across his lips.
And he just opens his computer and starts typing some things.
I look confused at his seriousness and let out a breath when he begins to speak… “Blossom Co. is pressuring us to deliver the project ahead of schedule. They have a competitor's proposal, so they believe this is a way to speed it up and get priority. It's a problem, but losing them isn't an option. We need to explore this market more, as our competitor has been there much longer than us.”
I blink a few times, surprised.
“I know it's too much to ask for you to rearrange your schedule, but it's inevitable. Like I said, losing them isn't an option.” Julian says, his eyes locked on his computer. “Sarah has already advanced the outline, so I need you to get the first pages of the project to me by the end of the day.”
“Are you serious?” I say with raised eyebrows. This isn't what I expected — not at all. Where did this super-focused Julian come from? Did he really call me into his office to give me something to work on? To *literally* work on?
“Why wouldn't I be?” Julian finally takes his eyes off the computer and rests them on me. His expression is serious, but not angry… and it gives me a bubbling anxiety.
Julian sighs, loosening his tie slightly.
“You don't think you can meet this deadline? I can ask someone else, but I figured that, since you're having spare time, to spend so close to another man on the terrace, I'd have no problem handing you such a big responsibility.”
I bite the inside of my cheek.
“Am I wrong?”
“I wasn't killing time with another man on the terrace.” I say impatiently, leaning against his table, almost sitting on it.
And pressing my thighs together slightly, I make the fabric of my pants ride up a little higher on my knees. Julian seems to really struggle not to look at them.
“I was just being petty.” I cluck my tongue, noticing that his expression is confused. “Getting my petty revenge.”
“Uh-uh, is that right?” He relaxes his back even more in the chair, moving it slightly so that we're facing each other.
“You know how Deborah has a crush on Ethan, don't you?”
“Everyone here knows, she's never made a point of hiding it.” Julian raises an eyebrow, “So what?”
“The other day, when I was in the company's bathroom, I heard them talking. Apparently, not only did Laura stab me in the back like that, but she has a thing for twisting things. Grace is a snake too — she had the nerve to say that *I called her* to come to the club, when it was clearly the other way around. I have the messages here, of course I could use them to clear my honor… but what good would that do? The people here don't like me, anyway.”
Julian's expression softens.
“Whatever. The thing is, they've shamed me. Of course, they don't know I've heard, and I'm sure much worse things have been said… But I've been so annoyed. They keep calling me a slut, saying I don't have shame at all… What have I done to deserve this?”
“I'll fire them.” Julian says firmly, causing me to widen my eyes slightly and waver the grip on my arms, which remain crossed and make my cleavage bounce slightly.
And with a smile finally breaking across his expression, he adds, “What? This is unacceptable behavior. And not because you're the boss's daughter.”
He really knows me, huh?
The ease with which he reads my mind makes my throat go dry.
“You don't have to get involved in this.” I say, breaking my confident stance… and pull my hair past my shoulders, making it fall down my back. “I'm already dealing with it.”
“With petty revenge?”
“With petty revenge.” I give a smile. “I've hinted that Deborah has been going around saying they have something, that he's a womanizer with no regard for women… From the expression on his face, I think he's furious with Deborah.”
He returns the equally mischievous but discreet smile… “She'll be so sad.”
“Are you concerned for the well-being of another woman, Mr. Adams?”
Julian moistens his lips, his smile widening. “I'm a gentleman, after all.”
*Haha.* I couldn't help but laugh, causing him to put on a fake hurt expression on his face.
“I'm not sure if I like the way you're laughing.” He says, pretending to be offended.
“And what would you do about it?” I lean in slightly, not moving my butt off the table… “Huh, Mr. Adams?”
Julian's smile slowly fades, turning into something completely different — his lips curve discreetly, yet wickedly. And when he places his hand on my knee, sliding his fingers down the inside of my leg, I can't help but hold my breath.
“I think I'm starting to like you calling me like that.” Entwining his fingers behind my knees, Julian pulls them apart slightly, causing me to open a discreet gap between my legs. “But maybe I'll like it even more if you call me sir.”
I bite my lip, with anticipation burning inside me-
“But all right, if you wish to handle it that way…” He says, shrugging, moving his hand away from my leg… “If things get out of hand, you can file a complaint with HR. Anonymously. No one will know it was you.”
I frown… *Wait, what?*
Why is Julian acting like this…?
I notice how he straightens his tie and turns his eyes back to his computer, as if my presence doesn't affect him in the slightest. But when I run my eyes down to his lap, and notice the erection marked on his pants, I know that's not the case, so why….
Oh.
“You're punishing me.” I say out loud, with realization hitting me.
And the way he casts me a glance, with a smile threatening to take over his lips, makes a shiver runs through every inch of my body.
He’s really punishing me.
“Punishing you?” His eyes sparkle with amusement. “Yes, you're right… I guess I was too lenient with you after all.”
His firm, serious tone brings butterflies to my stomach… butterflies that flap their wings and bring a breeze that cools my chest.
Then he turns his eyes back to the computer, once again pretending he's not affected by me, by my closeness… it makes me really frustrated.
That's why I lean in slightly, resting my hand on his chair, and draw his gaze to my face, to my lips… We're really close, with our breaths mingling, but I don't kiss him — I just bring my hand to his thigh, squeezing slightly over his pants, close to the huge hard-on… feeling the stiffness of the muscles that make me want to lick it… Damn, yes… I would certainly lick every inch of Julian's body if he asked me to.
And with that, he looks down at my lips and starts to lean in-
But suddenly, the door opens sharply, making me step away so fast that I spin my body and stumble, twisting on my heel, swallowing a grunt. So I lean over the table in a desperate way, almost falling over the screen awkwardly, pretending to pay attention to something Julian is showing….
“S- So this is how it has to be done…? Oh, yes… I get it now...” I say out loud, my voice shaky, embarrassed... my face burning so badly that I'm sure to have a pinkish hue all over it....
I'm practically losing the strength in the legs, that are weakening and threatening to bring me to my knees. I'm shaking with embarrassment, fear, and adrenaline....
But Julian, however, looks furious while turns his head and says loudly, “Who allowed-”
Suddenly, he stops talking.
His body freezes completely.
The words fade, die.
... That's why I take my eyes off the screen and look at the door... And feel like disappearing instantly too.
Ah, damn it.
*Damn it, damn it, damn it.*
It can't be-
“Oh, you two are here... I was worried, since you weren't answering your phones.”
That familiar face, that short hair and unshaven beard... those brown eyes, that quiet countenance and piercing gaze... I know them well — that's my father, after all.
“I missed you both.” He says with a bright smile, so radiant that I feel guilty for being one step away from collapse.
“Mike...?” Julian swallows dryly, “You... You're back.”
I blink a few times...
*Yes… Daddy is back.*