Fire You Lit
Across from her, Julian adjusted his sleeve and leaned back slightly.
[That was dangerous.]
[She’s escalating.]
[Stay focused. Fifty billion first. Survive later.]
A flicker ran through the candles, their slender glow warping slightly where it t the rounded edge of the tank enclosing the room. Outside, shapes glided past in dark blue silence - fish moving without hurry, paying no attention. Light split as it touched Bianca De Dominicis’s hair, staining strands a shifting shade of molten tal, skimming along one high cheekbone.
She was watching him.
Not casually. Not politely.
Studying him.
Then she smiled again.
This ti, slower.
"Are you always this careful, Mr. Vale?" she asked lightly, tilting her head. "Or only when you’re cornered?"
Julian’s jaw tightened just a fraction. "I prefer the word disciplined."
"Disciplined." She tasted the word as if testing it. "That sounds exhausting."
Without breaking eye contact, she slipped off her other heel. The soft thud of it against the carpet was almost swallowed by the hum of filtered water surrounding them.
Both of her stocking-wrapped legs rose smoothly beneath the table.
Julian saw the movent.
He did not move.
He should have.
And then—
She placed them across his thighs.
Closer than before.
Closer than appropriate.
Her knees settled near the sensitive space between his legs, not pressing, not yet—but close enough that the warmth of her body seeped through fabric and into skin. A deliberate invasion.
Julian’s golden eyes widened for half a second.
That was all.
Half a second.
She noticed.
Of course she noticed.
Her lashes lowered just slightly, satisfaction flickering behind them.
"Careful," he said quietly. His voice was even, but lower now. "You’re crossing into negotiation hazards."
"Am I?" she murmured.
Her ankles shifted, adjusting for comfort—or control. The movent brushed closer, subtle and devastatingly intentional.
Julian’s fingers curled once against the armrest before relaxing again.
Bianca herself felt a spark of heat rise to her face. She wasn’t as fearless as she appeared. Her pulse was racing, thudding hard enough she wondered if he could hear it over the aquarium pumps. This was reckless. Intimate. Calculated.
And yet—
He hadn’t pushed her away.
He hadn’t removed her legs.
He hadn’t even broken eye contact.
"You said fifty billion," she continued softly, as if they were discussing wine pairings instead of corporate warfare. "That’s a very confident number."
"It’s a fair one."
"For you," she countered.
"For both of us."
Her toes flexed slightly against his thigh, testing him.
"You don’t look convinced," she said.
"I don’t let physical distractions influence valuation."
A faint laugh escaped her. Not loud. Not polite. Genuine.
"Physical distraction?" she echoed. "Is that what this is?"
Julian leaned forward just enough that the candlelight sharpened the angles of his face. His gaze dropped—briefly—to where her legs rested on him, then returned to her eyes.
"If you’re trying to unbalance ," he said calmly, "you’ll have to do better."
There it was.
The challenge.
The heat in her cheeks deepened.
She leaned forward too, elbows resting lightly on the table. The movent brought them closer, the air between them charged and thin.
"Julian," she said, his na softer now, stripped of title. "If I wanted to unbalance you... you’d know."
A beat of silence stretched between them.
The fish outside drifted past, silver scales flashing in the dim light.
His breathing remained steady. But slower.
More deliberate.
"And what do you want?" he asked.
Her smile returned.
Not playful.
Not innocent.
Dangerous.
"You to admit," she whispered, "that you’re not as untouchable as you pretend to be."
Her legs shifted again—barely. A whisper of movent.
Julian’s gaze sharpened.
"Bianca," he said quietly, warning woven into her na.
She felt it. That edge in his voice. That controlled restraint.
Her heart pounded harder.
This was madness.
This was strategy.
This was sothing else entirely.
"So tense," she murmured softly.
Julian inhaled slowly.
Control.
Control.
As his hand moved instinctively to remove her leg—
His fingers brushed against her thigh.
The mont he touched her, she shivered sharply as if struck by a pulse of electricity.
Her breath hitched.
The reaction startled him just as much.
His own hand trembled slightly.
She bit her lip, lowering her lashes.
"Why are you touching my foot? You’re such a pervert."
Her voice ca out shy, almost breathless.
"..."
Julian stared at her in disbelief.
Wasn’t she the one who put it there?
But then his thoughts shifted.
[Yeah, I’m too passive.]
[Always trying to avoid her, she thinks I’m easy to bully and wants to tease .]
[If I take the initiative, can her face be thicker than mine?]
[I’m the most shaless in the village. Even the dogs riding each other would look at . Why should I be afraid of her?]
He straightened slightly.
His expression tried to mimic a certain soone.
"Are you sure you want to rub your leg?"
He attempted a wicked smile.
Unfortunately, he wasn’t Evan.
Evan could lift the corners of his mouth to a precise ninety degrees.
Julian managed perhaps thirty.
"Go ahead," Bianca said.
Her face flushed faintly, but inside she was thrilled.
Hmph. Let’s see how thick your skin is today.
Under the dim candlelight, their movents beneath the table were hidden from the outside world.
Julian took a steady breath.
Then he gently squeezed her leg.
Even through the stockings, her skin felt soft and smooth, firm yet yielding beneath his palm.
[Wow, her skin is really well-maintained.]
Bianca shivered again, her fingers tightening around the edge of the tablecloth.
Her head lowered.
She said nothing.
Julian felt a surge of satisfaction.
He knew it.
This woman was all talk.
When it ca to real action, she couldn’t handle it.
[Heh, now you know how to be shy?]
[Trying to tease ? This is your punishnt.]
[Woman, you started this fire. You put it out.]
He continued slowly, deliberately—not crude, but confident.
But ten minutes later—
Sothing felt off.
Bianca was still lowering her head shyly.
Still silent.
[Damn it, why aren’t you reacting?]
[If this were fire-starting, it would’ve worked by now, right?]
[Where’s your sense of sha? Why are you still holding out against ?]
[Co on. Drop your last bit of stubbornness. Surrender to now.]
[Say it loud. I’m sorry, Brother Julian.]
His internal rant was practically screaming.
What was this woman doing?
Did she have no sense of embarrassnt?
Or was he overestimating himself?
Just as the tension reached a breaking point—
A knock.
The waiter entered.
"Here is your couple’s set al."
The timing was heavenly.
She smiled politely, placing the dishes on the table before opening a bottle of red wine with a quiet pop.
"Thank you. Here’s your tip."
Julian had never felt so grateful in his life.
He imdiately removed Bianca’s legs from his thighs and pulled out a thick wad of cash from his wallet, handing it to the waiter.
If this continued, he really might commit a sin.
"Thank you, Young Master Julian."
The waiter accepted the money gratefully.
Handso and generous. As expected.
Julian stood quickly.
"I’m going to wash my hands. You start eating."
"Okay."
Bianca looked up at him with a mischievous smile, barely holding back laughter.
This man had been rubbing her leg for ten whole minutes, ntally complaining the entire ti about why she wouldn’t give up.
Hilarious.
She would never lose.
[Damn it. I underestimated her.]
[This woman has thick skin.]
Seeing her smile, Julian knew he’d been toyed with.
Face dark, he walked to the washroom.
When he returned, Bianca had already poured red wine into his glass and neatly cut his steak into small, even pieces.
She looked like the most gentle and considerate girlfriend in the world.
As he sat down, she winked at him.
"Eat. Eat. You’ve worked hard today."
"Thanks."
His tone remained cold, but hunger was winning.
He picked up his fork.
For once, Bianca didn’t continue teasing him.
She focused quietly on her own plate.
The private room fell into a calm silence.
Candlelight flickered softly.
Blue aquarium light washed over them in shifting waves.
A man looks best under a lamp.
A beauty under the moon.
Under the trembling glow of the candles, Bianca suddenly stopped moving.
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