Letters to Julian (A Cupid Inc Novella) Read Online Free

Bridget when she called his name, but he didn’t much feel like talking to anyone. In his hurry to get the hell out of the place and return to the peaceful solitude of his own house, he didn’t get a good grip on his book, sending it tumbling to the dark, hardwood floor.
    “Fish sticks.” Bending to retrieve it, he stopped with his hand hovering just above the cover when he noticed the light blue piece of paper poking out from between the pages. “Oh, Ridley.”
    Picking the book up, he sat it on the countertop and slid the note out with trembling fingers. He didn’t know what had happened or why Ridley had suddenly began acting so strangely, but he didn’t like the distance he could feel growing between them. Unfolding the square sheet of paper, he sighed happily when he recognized Ridley’s elegant handwriting, and the corners of his lips twitched as he read aloud.
    “Ask and it shall be yours. Always.”
    At least this hadn’t changed. Since that first book, Ridley always had a recommendation for him when he entered the store. Sure, he let Julian pretend to browse, but he always had a book waiting for him at the front desk with a special note tucked inside. Sometimes, the letter would be nothing more elaborate than congratulating him on a recent client or expressing the wish for Julian to have a good week, but the words never failed to put a smile on his face.
    In the beginning, he’d had the biggest crush on Ridley. Once he ’d gotten to know the man, those silly, shallow feelings had morphed into something deeper, but by then, he’d realized Ridley didn’t see him the same way. Julian hadn’t been overly disappointed, though. He enjoyed spending time with the guy, and if he could only be friends with Ridley, well, it was a pretty special friendship.
    Thinking back over the conversation from that morning, Julian closed his eyes and groaned. “You’re doing it again.” Gods, he didn’t mean to be so friendly or come on so strong. He just didn’t know how to be any other way. Kissing Ridley’s cheek had been as natural as breathing for him, but he understood most people wouldn’t see it that way.
    Maintaining a distance and respecting personal boundaries was a hard concept for him. If he liked someone, he enjoyed being close to them. On the other hand, he supposed he didn’t need to stand six inches away from his friends to talk to them. Yeah, he could see how that might make some people uncomfortable, but he didn’t always realize when he was doing it.
    In the almost hundred and fifty years he’d been alive, so many people had come and gone from his life. Friends, lovers, coworkers—no one stuck around for long. He’d hoped this time would be different because he really liked Ridley, but once again, he’d messed everything up by being too…something. Julian didn’t know exactly what it was about him that turned people off, but when it came right down to it, the only common denominator led back to him.
    The sky outside seemed to darken with his mood, and the clouds finally opened in a steady rainfall that drenched the sidewalks and pelted off the passing cars. “Great.” Flipping his hood up to cover his head, he tucked the note back into his book and mentally prepared himself to step out into the cold, winter rain.
    Before he could leave, though, the bell over the front door jingled, announcing Ridley’s arrival. Steam rose from his skin, and water droplets dripped from his mussed hair, but he didn’t appear to notice. Then again, the cold wouldn’t affect him like it did Julian. He’d even confessed that the summers were always hard for him, because his body didn’t adjust well to the heat. Being an ice dragon had its perks, but Julian could also see how it might be a pain in the backside.
    “I was just leaving,” he announced into the uneasy silence. “I forgot my book.” He held the hardback up unnecessarily while he floundered for something else to say. “I have it now.” Yes,