Chapter 24 #2
“Like getting a running narrative?” he speculated.
That sounded right. Petula nodded.
“I can do that.” He actually seemed intrigued. “It’ll be kind of like verbal foreplay. I think it could be fun.”
Petula instantly felt better. Leave it to Julian to put a positive spin on things, but she still felt like he needed a warning.
“I hate that it will take away any spontaneity, but because—”
“—things were done to you without your consent, you like to know what’s coming,” Julian finished for her, his demeanor turning serious. “I completely get it, Petula. There’s no need to say more. There’ll be no unscripted surprises from me. I promise.”
Wow. Hurdle one was out of the way, at least until it had to be put to the test. But with his agreement, a huge part of Petula’s worries were swept away, and eased the tightness in her gut.
Petula hoped Julian felt the same about her next requirement.
He must have noted her hesitation, because he smiled at her encouragingly. “Nothing you can say will be a game-changer, Petula. Feel free to tell me anything.”
She blurted it out before she could second guess herself.
“I can only do it in the dark.”
Oh, God. She wanted to cover her face and hide. That sounded so…cowardly.
Julian tipped his head and regarded her carefully.
“In the dark,” he repeated. “As in, pitch black? No lights at all?”
“Uh, huh.” Petula tried not to dig her nails into her palms, waiting for his verdict.
Julian shrugged and glanced out the windows. “Huh. I guess that means we have time to eat supper then, because the sun hasn’t gone down yet.”
Wha…? Just like that?
Julian slapped the arms of his chair and stood up, all smiles. “Unless there’s more?” he asked, poised.
A weight Petula had been carrying slipped almost entirely from her shoulders as she shook her head.
Julian hadn’t made a big deal over her fears. He hadn’t questioned them at all. Was he…?
“Are you for real?” popped out of her mouth.
Julian smirked, then purposely pinched himself. “I think so,” he quipped. “Why?”
“Because… I know this is a lot to ask,” Petula returned.
Julian plunked back down in his chair and leaned forward, knees on elbows as he regarded her earnestly.
“Telling me that you don’t want sex at all would have been a big deal.
Telling me what you just shared? Not a deal-breaker or a turn-off.
Those things? We can work on them, slowly, over time,” he assured her.
“And if they never change? It’s small beans in the larger scheme of things. ”
A corner of his mouth then twitched upward. “What will change, however, is something you told me before.”
Oh, shit. Here it comes. Something that might—
“You said you don’t like sex,” he clarified. “And let me just say that I plan on doing everything I can to convince you otherwise. Sex is awesome. So buckle up, baby,” he said with swagger and an exaggerated wink.
Petula snickered, which is what Julian had probably been angling for.
“Does anyone say ‘buckle up, baby’ anymore?” she asked with a grin.
“I don’t know,” he answered, returning her smile. “But, remember me? The Sothard who’s never been cool? If you decide to hang with me, you better get used to lame, outdated little chestnuts like that coming out of my mouth.”
“Chestnuts, huh?”
“You see?” Julian huffed, mocking himself. “There’s another one. I’m so not cool like my brothers, and they’ll be the first to tell you that.”
Petula was in safe territory now. She knew how to stroke an ego.
“You might not be considered cool by them. By them,” she reiterated.
“But that’s because they’re jealous you’re smarter and way more handsome,” she lauded.
“I’m actually a very lucky girl that you stayed in the Air Force as long as you did.
If you hadn’t, one of your brothers’ wives would have scooped you up instead of turning to your lesser siblings. ”
Julian’s chest puffed out while he laughed and shook his head.
“As if,” he countered diffidently. “But even if that were true, there isn’t a chance I would have chosen any one of them over you. It seems like I’ve been waiting forever for a sassy, redheaded UPS driver to come my way and sweep me off my feet.”
Petula returned his laugh. “Then we’d better eat fast, because the sun is going down, and I want to do some extensive sweeping.”
Julian grinned, stood again, and this time held out his hand.
Petula got to her feet, reaching out to twine her fingers into his, giving him a tug forward until their bodies collided.
“First, however,” she rasped huskily, “I need some kisses before we get to food and…other things.”
“I can oblige you with that,” Julian told her, then hesitated. “Wait. Can I…? Would it be okay if I pick you up?”
“Pick me…?”
Wow. Julian was already taking her concerns seriously about giving her fair warning about his actions, although spontaneous-scooping wasn’t even a blip on her “bad stuff” radar.
“Julian, you can pick me up whenever you want,” she assured him, then squealed when his arms dropped to her knees and he lifted her straight up in the air so her breasts were directly at mouth-height.
“Is this okay?” he asked humorously into her cleavage. He breathed deeply, and groaned. “You smell so good.”
Petula laughed, threading her fingers through his thick, dark hair. “This is not what I thought you were going to do, but it works for me.”
“That’s good,” he mumbled delightedly into the front of her shirt. “Because it sure as shit works for me.”