Chapter 165

Julian gave her a long look. Something primal kicked in, and Anna instinctively wanted to take a few steps back—but she was just a second too slow. Before she could even move, he caught her wrist and gently tugged her into his arms. Without warning, he kissed her. It was intense. Fast. Overwhelming. Anna was completely thrown off guard. His heated breath brushed against her cheek, laced with that familiar minty scent. Her body was burning up, locked tightly in his arms like she'd snap in half if he held on any tighter. "You—" For a second, her brain cleared. She tried to talk some sense into him. Weren't they just talking about hospital bills? How did it suddenly turn into this? Shouldn't there be some logic, some process? That thought didn't get far. Right as she opened her mouth, he took the chance to kiss her deeper. He was like sugar-coated poison—pulling her in and dragging her down, yet she didn't want to pull away. Couldn't. Her whole body trembled. Those glassy almond eyes of h