I lost myself in his smile before letting my eyes fall to his perfectly trimmed facial hair. That damn beard really might kill me.

“What are you looking at?” he asked, a cocky lilt in his voice.

“Your face.”

“Oh. Well, keep admiring then.”

I rolled my eyes as I reached for my water and took a sip, hoping to quench my desire. “I’m done.”

“My turn then,” he said before locking on to my eyes and licking his lips.

My body quivered before begging me to crawl across the table and right into his lap.

Stupid, stupid body, my mind scolded.

Being here with him like this was almost too much for me to rationalize. My body was determined to win this war.

“We’re definitely getting caught,” I said a little more nervously than I had intended.

The weight of my decision to be here with him suddenly started to bear down on me. I was out in public, with James, and was currently biting down on my bottom lip to stop myself from fantasizing about him.

“Of course we’re gonna get caught. It’s a small town, Julia. Everybody finds out everything.”

I sucked in a quick breath, wondering which part of this he didn’t seem to understand. How could he say those words like they were no big deal; like there weren’t consequences?

“We’re not supposed to be together, and I’m definitely not supposed to be anywhere with you.”

How had I ever agreed to this?

My parents were going to find out, and my dad would probably fire me the second he stepped foot on California soil, if he didn’t send someone to kill James first.

“Why are you so worried?” He reached his hands across the table for mine, but I moved them on top of my lap instead. He looked defeated as he leaned back and tilted his head, his blue eyes boring into mine. “Honestly, Julia, what’s the worst thing that could happen? Our parents get pissed at us and what, tell us we can’t be together? We’re not kids anymore.”

I practically choked on the air around me at his simplicity. “Well, for starters, my dad will not only fire me, but he’ll kick me out of my house and disown me as well.”

“He wouldn’t,” James said in disbelief until he saw how serious I was. “Your dad would really do all that?”

“Wouldn’t yours?” I asked as my eyes started to mist over.

“I don’t think so,” he said incredulously.

“Well, my dad’s serious when it comes to this.”

“When it comes to what exactly? Keeping us apart?” He looked downright shocked, and I wondered if we were existing in the same universe at all anymore.

“Are you really this surprised?”

He reached for his glass of water and downed the entire thing before wiping his lips with his thumb. “Honestly, I am.”