Chapter 28

True to his word, Julian meticulously honored Evelyn's preferences at dinner. When her salad arrived dotted with blue cheese—an ingredient she detested—he caught the server's eye before Evelyn could speak. "Could we get hers without the cheese? She's allergic." The lie slipped out smoothly, sparing her the awkwardness of explaining her aversion. As Evelyn reached for a crusty bread roll, Julian's hand brushed hers, gently taking the bread basket. He selected the softest roll, split it, and spread a thin layer of butter exactly to the edges—the way she'd mentioned liking it months ago. When her lobster linguine arrived, he didn't hesitate. Deftly using the shell cracker and pick, he extracted every morsel of meat onto her plate, piling the empty shells onto his own bread plate. "Let me handle the messy part," he murmured, wiping lemon butter from his fingers with a napkin. Twice, Evelyn touched his wrist. "You really don't have to—" "I want to," he interrupted softly, his focus never le