21. This Isn’t a Relationship
IT”S BEEN A long fucking day of bullshit and dead ends, and I’m exhausted. Normally, I”d still be sitting in my office. Nursing a glass of whiskey, pretending everything is how I want it to be.
Today I don’t feel like pretending. Today I”m willing to admit I wanted to go the fuck home. Not because I’m more comfortable there, even though I am, but because that”s where she is.
And I hate not being where she is.
Pressing the button on the garage door opener, I grip the wheel, ready to finish these last few seconds before I can get my hands on Julieanne. I need to see that she”s happy. Warm. Fed. That, in spite of my inability to track down the source of the men who broke into her home, she’s still okay.
But I get my first glimpse of her sooner than I expect. She’s standing in the middle of my garage, wearing a pair of loose-fitting jeans with tears at the knees and sneakers. It”s the first clue I have that her belongings arrived. The second is the pile of shit taking up the spare bay. As the overhead door lifts higher, I finally get my eyes on all of her. The skin of her cheeks is flushed. Her dark hair’s pulled up, piled on top of her head in a messy wad. And a baggy college logoed sweatshirt is tucked into the front of her waistband.
She looks fucking delectable, but seeing her out of my clothes puts a frown on my face. Reminds me that she likely isn”t in as deep as I am.
And I’m so far down, I’m drowning.
As her eyes lift to mine, I discover I”m not the only one frowning. Julieanne”s full lips are pinched, tipped down at the edges as she watches me pull in. I”m used to people frowning at me, it”s not necessarily a new thing, but not her. Glare, yes. Scowl, that too.
But frown? No. I don”t fucking like it.
After parking I climb out, punching the button to close the door as I go. She”s not wearing a coat, and I don”t want to let in any more cold air than I have to. I gauge her expression as I round the front of my SUV, trying to figure out what’s upset her. ”Your things arrived.” The observation is obvious, but it”s the only place I know where to start.
Julieanne nods, her gaze moving over the furniture and boxes. ”Yup.”
The need to get my hands on her is strong, but until I know what has her so upset, my arms will stay at my sides. ”Was something broken?”
Her lips press tighter as she shakes her head. ”No. Seems like everything”s here.” Her eyes come back my way. ”Everything.”
I meet her gaze, but keep my mouth shut. I’m not sure what I was expecting when I had them send everything Julieanne owned here. I was secretly hoping she would just accept it. Realize this is the best place for her to be.
It doesn”t seem like that”s what”s going to happen.
Julieanne squints at me, like she”s trying to see more. ”Why is all my stuff here, Vincent?”
”I told you I was having your things shipped here.” It’s not the answer she wants, but I can’t give her that. I don’t know how.
She scoffs, throwing both hands out to gesture at the piles behind her. ”I thought you were going to send some of my clothes and my toothbrush.” She turns and looks at the stacks again, like they might be different than they were. ”This is everything from my condo. You literally packed up my whole life and sent it here.” Her eyes slide back to me, narrowing. ”Except for my fucking computers.”
I stand tall under her scrutiny. I”m not ashamed of what I did, and I sure as fuck won”t take it back. ”Your computers are in Alaska, they”re just not here.”
Her outstretched arms bend, bringing both hands to rest on her head. ”So, what? I”m just gonna sit here in your house?” She shakes her head. ”What about my job? What about my kids? What about my mortgage?”
”Your mortgage is paid.” I shrug. ”You spoke with your sons this morning. I assume they”re fine.” I unzip my coat, intending to go inside. ”And you don”t need your job anymore.”
She stares at me, mouth hanging open, eyes wide. ”I do need my job. I have two boys to help put through college. I have to work to do that, Vincent.” Her hands drop, the tip of her chin lifting. ”And since you won”t hire me at GHOST, I need to work somewhere, and I need my computer to do that.”
I take a breath, knowing what I”m about to say isn”t going to go over well. ”You don”t work for them anymore. Your letter of resignation has already been sent.” I ignore the shrill screech of outrage she makes and continue. ”The mortgage on your condo has been paid off and it”s being put up for sale tomorrow morning. The rest of your sons’ tuition is paid for the year and next year will be paid as soon as they choose their courses.”
Julieanne gapes at me. ”You can”t just come into my life and make all those decisions for me.”
I nod. ”I can, and I did.” I step closer, falling back into my old ways even though I know they don”t work on her. ”You”ve made your choices, Julieanne. I tried to warn you, and you chose not to listen, so now you have to live with them.”
This is all her doing. If only she’d stayed in her lane, none of this would”ve happened. She would still be in her little condo, baking her little cookies, getting herself off with her little pink fucking vibrator.
Which reminds me.
I march over to the pile of furniture, shoving items aside so I can get to the one I want. After ripping the protective plastic away, I grab the drawer of her nightstand, yanking it all the way out before turning to go inside.
Julieanne follows behind me, slamming the door as she goes. ”Vincent.”
I ignore her. She can yell and scream all she wants, but what”s done is done.
And she”s not fucking leaving me. Not ever.
”Vincent.” Her voice gets louder, but I don”t slow down. I go straight into my bedroom—our bedroom—and dump the drawer out onto the bed. It”s the same drawer the prick I shot in the dick had open when I was at her condo, and it wasn”t hard to guess what was inside.
I”m still a little surprised at the variety in front of me.
”Vincent.” Julieanne is right behind me now, her voice sharp.
I slowly turn to face her, ignoring the growing throb in my cock as I stare her down.
She blows out a frustrated breath. ”This isn”t how shit works. You know that, right?”
I stay silent because this is how shit is going to work.
She comes closer, continuing to glare at me. ”What did you think was going to happen? Did you think you were just going to ship all my stuff here and I would just sweetly sit in your house for the rest of my life? Have you met me?” She continues closing the space between us, expression incredulous. ”I get you”ve been alone for a very long time, but this is not how you start a relationship.”
”This isn”t a relationship, Angel Face.” I finally give in, grabbing her and pulling her body against mine. I brace one hand around her throat, using it to tilt her head back so she continues meeting my gaze. ”You are mine. You belong to me. You belong with me.” It”s unhinged, even I know that, but it”s how it will always have to be. “I can”t be with someone halfway, Jules. I need all or nothing, and you had your chance to choose nothing.” Leaning closer, I bring my eyes level with hers. ”The second you spread those perfect fucking thighs so I could watch you push that pink vibrator into your pretty pink pussy, you made your choice.”
Julieanne’s lips part on a gasp and her eyelids drop in arousal. ”You can”t possess someone, Vincent.”
”Wrong.” She doesn”t understand. Hasn”t seen what it”s been like for me. ”I have been fucking possessed since the day you showed up on my computer screen. I didn”t admit it. Not to anyone. But that doesn’t make it any less true.” I stroke my thumb against the racing thrum of her pulse. ”I fought it. Did everything I could to distract myself.” I huff out a bitter laugh at my own stupidity. ”I fucking picked a fight with one of the few men I trust, hoping it would keep me from thinking about you. Keep me from hunting you down.” I shake my head. ”It didn”t work. Nothing worked.” Every day brought me closer and closer to the edge. An edge I couldn”t avoid, in spite of my best efforts. ”I changed my house for you, Jules. Put in a second sink. Added a fucking bathtub. And I made excuses for all of that too.” It was so easy at the time to explain it all away. To let myself think I hadn”t already gone over.
But I had. It was already too fucking late.
”And then, when I couldn”t fucking take it anymore, I went to find you. Thinking I could scare you off. Force myself to have to leave you alone.” I rock my jaw from side to side, my already hard dick is thickening almost to the point of pain. ”But then you left the fucking blinds open.” I’m so close now our noses barely touch. ”For me. Because you wanted me to see you.” My voice is rough, my breathing ragged. ”And I knew there was no way I could ever walk away from you.” The warmth of her breath puffs across my skin as she pants, her body sagging into mine. ”If that”s not possession, I don”t know what the fuck is.”
Julieanne”s eyes move over my face. ”I wasn”t trying to—”
”That’s the thing, Jules. You don”t have to fucking try. If you tried, it would make it all easier. It wouldn”t be as real. But it is real. Every fucking bit of it. And I want it all. I need to own you the same way you own me.” I lean into her ear, lowering my voice. ”Tell me you’re mine.”
Julieanne sways in my grip, forcing me to hold more of her weight as she grabs at the front of my shirt.
I slide the hand at her throat to the back of her head, gripping her up-swept hair in my fist, pulling tight. ”Tell me, Jules. You know it”s fucking true.”
I want to say I wouldn”t have done all I did if Julieanne didn”t want me the way I want her, but I don”t think I can make that guarantee. Doesn”t matter anyway. She’s as unhinged about me as I am about her. The woman tracked my phone, for God’s sake. She hacked into my system again and again, and then broke into my apartment. I”m not the only one with an obsession here, and it”s time for her to fucking admit it.
”I”m yours.”
A smile of victory curves my lips. ”Good girl.” I shift the arm across her back, sliding my palm to grip one cheek of her ass, pulling her tighter against me so I can rock my aching dick into the softness of her belly. ”Tell me you”re not leaving.”
She gasps when I tip my head to drag my mouth up the side of her neck. ”I”m not leaving.”
”That”s right,” I growl against her skin. “You”re staying with me because you’re mine.”
This time she nods, leaning into me a little more. ”I”m yours.”
The soft breathiness of her agreement fans the possessive flames licking through my soul. I”ve waited six long months to have her, but I waited even longer to find her. Didn”t believe she existed. Never thought I would find someone who would make me willing to go against everything within me.
”Say you belong to me, Jules.” I grip the hem of her sweatshirt, dragging it up the soft curve of her body, unable to wait any longer. I peel it over her head, tossing it to the floor before unhooking her bra and sending it falling.
Julieanne seems unfocused, skin flushed, eyes glassed over with lust. But I need to hear it. I need her to give me what I want.
I slap one of her tits, making contact with the nipple, the impact making her gasp, but not in pain. ”Say it.”
”I belong to you.” The words rush out as her pupils dilate.
”That”s right. You fucking belong to me.” I cradle the weight of her tit, ducking my head as I pull it to my mouth, sucking the nipple I just slapped between my lips. It”s already hard, and she moans as I flick it with my tongue, her head tipping back as one hand digs into my hair. I drag my mouth over her soft skin, tongue out to lick over her collarbone and up the side of her neck before claiming her lips. She whimpers, arms linking around my shoulders as her tongue slicks against mine.
I didn’t plan to come home and fuck her right out of the gate. I wanted to have a more domestic sort of evening. Something that felt like the normal most people expect. Dinner. Television. A night like I never thought I’d have again.
But tonight won’t be that kind of night. And I’m not even a little mad about it.
I break our kiss and step back. “You have to the count of ten to get naked and get on that fucking bed.”
Julieanne blinks at me and for a second I think she didn’t hear my demand. But then she whispers, “You’re really big on countdowns, aren’t you?”
“Eight.” I peel my shirt off, adding it to the stack of her clothes on the floor. “Six.”
Julieanne’s eyes widen. “You skipped seven.”
“Just because you didn’t hear me say it, doesn’t mean I skipped it, Angel Face.” I unhook my belt and drag it from the loops, using my other hand to snap it free. “Four.”
Her breath is coming faster now, but she still hasn’t moved. “What happens if I’m late?”
“Seems like you’re about to find out.” I flip open my pants and shove them, underwear and all, to the floor. “Two.”
She barely backs up as I advance on her, but it’s not fear I see in her eyes. The flare of heat and desire is unmistakable.
I take another long step, the head of my bobbing cock dragging against the bare skin of her belly as I smile. “You like living on the edge, don’t you, Jules?”