Julian's POV
Our car pulled up to the Sterling estate. As the valet opened the door, shouting voices and blinding white light hit us. The flashbulbs were like a firing squad, and I had to blink back the spots in my vision.
"Smile, Julian," Richard's voice came from beside me. He hadn't turned his head; he was already projecting that practiced, statesmanlike beam toward the press. "You're a hero today. Act like it."
I felt his hand on the small of my back, a firm, subtle shove that propelled me toward the red carpet.
Catherine stepped out behind me, looking like a dream in a satin skimpy violet dress, this might actually be the first time I've seen her in that color. Richard reached out and grabbed my arm, his fingers digging into my muscle with a clear warning.
"Put your arm around her shoulders," he hissed under the cover of the clicking shutters. "Let them see you as her protective big brother, not a forbidden lover."
