Julian strolled over to Arthur, who was seated at the bar with a half-empty beer bottle in front of him.

It was clear Arthur had not waited for him to start drinking. That was nothing new; Arthur had always acted on impulse and worried about the fallout afterward.

"Good to see you," Arthur said, his usual relaxed manner returning once he realized Julian was no longer upset with him. Still, a trace of wariness remained in his eyes as he glanced at Julian’s hands, as if expecting some concealed object.

Julian’s thoughts drifted far from the conversation. The sensation of Sophia’s smooth thighs wrapped around him, the elegant way her...