CHAPTER FOURTEEN
J ULIAN
A few days later...
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I WAS SUPPOSED TO BE going over the latest budget reports, reviewing pending contracts, and signing off on site evaluations. I had a mountain of paperwork my project manager had sent me to review and sign before the week's end.
Not only did I have to sign the actual papers, but I also had to e-sign the digital copies. We kept two copies of all our documents. It was a system my father put in place years ago. And I’d kept it going once I stepped into this role.
I had a ton of work to catch up on now that I was home from my vacation. Yet, instead of working, I was seated behind my desk, scrolling through Stefanie Adams' social media like some obsessed teenager.
My thumb hovered over her most recent photo. It was a picture of her standing in front of her news station’s weather map, dressed in a fitted black business suit with a pale grey blouse underneath.
The attire accentuated her curves, curves I’d run my tongue all over and hoped to do so again. Soon . Curves I’d dreamed about, dreams that caused me to wake up with a hard-on every morning. In the photo, she looked confident. In control. Professional as hell. But it was the caption that got me.
Had a much-needed vacation. Now I’m rested and rejuvenated. Time to get back to work. These forecasts won’t cast themselves. Good morning, Biloxi. Tune in this morning to see what there’s a chance of today.
Rested and rejuvenated? Hell yeah, she was. The world could thank me for the glow she had now. But of course, her ungrateful ass didn’t mention that part. She didn’t tag me. Didn’t hint that she’d just spent the best fucking week of her life with someone who catered to her every need. She’d returned to her world and left me behind.
“How the hell is she smiling and cheerful while I’m over here, seconds away from showing up at her job just to see her face again?”
I zoomed in on her smile. Beautiful . She still had that little curve in the corner like she was suppressing a real laugh. I’d seen it up close. Felt it against my lips. On my skin. Around my cock. Fuck!
I closed the app. I had to stop this before I really did go looking for her. I’d told myself I’d give her some space to realize she missed me, to realize she’d enjoyed being in my company and wanted to give me a chance.
Did she miss me? It sure as hell didn’t feel like it. I was missing her ass like crazy. Yet, she was smiling in photos and posting to social media. I’d expected her to at least follow me on social media. That would’ve proved she was curious about me.
I’d created those damn profiles after seeing her for the first time last year. But she hadn’t followed me on anything. She hadn’t liked any of my pictures, left no comments, nothing. Did she truly think we were done?
I stared down at my phone. Shit . I opened the app again and then went back to her page. Like some addict who couldn’t help himself, I scrolled down to one of her older posts and stared. I’d seen these photos before. All of them.
I’d stared at them at least a hundred times. Yet, I was scrolling through them like this was my very first time. To say I was obsessed with this woman would be putting it lightly. I watched her broadcast, A Chance For , every morning now.
Never missed it. If she said to bring an umbrella, I packed an umbrella. Well, I’d gone out to buy one because I hadn’t owned a damn umbrella until she said I needed one. If she said to wear a coat, I wore one.
If she said the pollen count was low, and it was perfect jogging weather, I went for a run at the same boardwalk along the beach that she jogged at. I even followed her weather explainer clips online, loving her videos where she explained certain weather phenomena.
I used to think the weather was boring. Now, I looked forward to listening to her go on and on about cloud formations and air pressure breakdowns. I visited the restaurants she posted about online.
I shopped at the stores that she said had the best deals. Tried the recipes she shared online. My life had begun to revolve around Stefanie Adams long before she laid eyes on me, long before my sister and her daughter became roommates this past fall.
Was it love at first sight? I don’t know. Probably. Since that day in that hospital waiting room, I hadn’t been able to get her out of my mind. Now that I’ve touched her, tasted her, fucked her, held her, talked with her for hours, I knew I wouldn’t be able to let her go.
I had to have Stefanie Adams. The end. There was no way around it. She had to be mine. Hell, she was already mine. She just hadn’t accepted it yet. My phone buzzed on the desk. I glanced down. Aubrey .
“What’s up, brat?” I answered, expecting my little sister to ask for some money or ask where Mom was because she couldn’t reach her. That was usually what she called me about these days.
“Is Tatianna back in town?” Aubrey asked.
My brows furrowed. “Tatianna?”
“Bryce’s girlfriend!”
“Don’t let him hear you call her that,” I told her. “And yeah, I think she’s back.”
“Yay! I can’t wait to see her.”
“You don’t even know her. You were like... what, thirteen when she ghosted Bryce?”
“I remember her! She and Bryce used to take me to the fair all the time. And she made me cute little cakes for my birthday. I even stayed at her place for a couple of weekends. And her mom taught me how to punch and where to aim when I fight after she overheard me say there was a kid at school that kept pulling my hair.”
I leaned back in my chair. “I guess you do remember her.” That kid had been her cousin. She’d conveniently left that part out.
“How can I get her number?”
“Ask Bryce if he even wants you to call her first.”
“Bryce doesn’t control who I talk to.”
“Okay, badass. Do what you want. But don’t be surprised if Bryce stops sending you money.”
“Even if he does stop, I’ve still got you.”
I chuckled. “Yeah. Yeah.”
“What’cha doing?” she asked. “Stalking Ms. Stefanie?”
I straightened in my seat. “I hope you’re not saying that in front of your roommate.”
“Relax. India’s at the library working on a group project.”
Good . I sat back again.
“Aren’t you proud of me for not telling Indi it was your rental car in front of her mom’s Airbnb?” she added.
“You should’ve talked her out of coming in the first place. And if you’re trying to blackmail me, it’s not gonna work.”
“I’m just saying... I could’ve snitched.”
“The only person you would’ve hurt is her mom, and I know you don’t want to do that.”
“No. I like Ms. Stefanie. Which is why I hope you don’t hurt her.”
“Have you ever seen me mistreat a woman?” I asked.
“No. But I’ve also never met any of your girlfriends. Have you ever had a girlfriend?”
Not really. I’d dated. But none of them had mattered enough to meet my family or be labeled as a girlfriend. It was easy to get women. I was a Cattaneo. Most women adored the name more than they adored me.
Plus, the men in my family weren’t that lucky in the love department. I’d been against relationships until the day I laid eyes on Stefanie Adams.
“I don’t think you’ve ever had a real girlfriend,” Aubrey continued. “Until I found out you were stalking Ms. Stefanie, I kind of thought you were gay or maybe a playboy who dated so many women you couldn’t bring any of them home because they may find out they weren’t your one and only. Just so you know, if you do like men, I won’t judge you. Love is love.”
I sighed. “You read too many drama-filled books. I’m not gay, brat. I just don’t have time to date.”
“But you have time to stalk Ms. Stefanie?”
Yeah . “I’m not stalking her.”
“If you look up the definition of a stalker, you’ll find your picture.”
True. “Mind your business.”
“Can I give you some dating advice?”
“I’m not taking dating advice from an eighteen-year-old.”
“I’m serious, Julian.”
“What, brat?”
“You should tell Ms. Stefanie the truth. If she finds out what you’ve done to get close to her...”
“She won’t find out,” I insisted, a sense of dread creeping over me at that thought.
“Like Mom says, what’s done in the dark always comes to the light. One day, she may find out everything you’ve done. And if she does, she may think you’re some kind of pervy stalker. I guess that kind of makes me a stalker, too, because you’ve had me spying on her through India ever since we became roommates. You’ve turned me into your partner in crime.”
I rubbed my hand down my face. I wasn’t entirely proud of the things I’d done to ensure that I crossed paths with Stefanie. The way I’d positioned myself in her life hadn’t exactly been coincidental.
And yes, I forced my sister to be my partner in crime. It was Aubrey who let me know that Stefanie was coming to get India for Spring Break. She’d also let me know that Stefanie was looking for a house in the area to rent for the week.
I’d known this was my chance to finally approach the woman I hadn’t been able to get out of my head for months. So, I marked the property I owned down to half price, a Spring Break sale. Then I had Aubrey show it to India, who couldn’t wait to show it to her Mom.
Of course, to spend time with Stefanie, I’d needed my sister to ask India to go home with her for Spring Break. Fortunately, before that happened, another student asked them both to stay with her for Spring Break.
It had seemed fate was on my side. Everything had fallen into place smoothly, except for our initial meeting. Apparently, my charm and looks hadn’t been enough to get her attention. Though things got off to a rocky start, I’d been determined.
A determined Cattaneo never gave up. I went as far as putting audio recording equipment in the rental property before she arrived so I could know her plans for the week. That’s how we both ended up at the club.
The dance sealed the deal. I finally had Stefanie in my arms after making sure every man and one woman who approached her got turned away real quick. She was mine. And I didn’t share, neither did I play nice with others.
I wasn’t proud of the way I’d orchestrated our meeting. I wished it could’ve happened naturally. But I didn’t regret it because it brought me to her. To my sweet, guarded Stefanie Adams.
My short time with her was even more amazing than I’d imagined it would be. I loved watching her smile. I loved how excited she got and the way her eyes lit up when she discussed things she was passionate about.
I loved the way she blushed when I talked dirty to her. And her pussy, well, I’ve never experienced anything like it. Men who said all pussy was the same had never gotten a whiff of that life-changing pussy, the kind that hooked you after one sniff, one taste, one touch. I was hooked. And I wasn’t ashamed to say I needed this woman.
“Did you hear me, Julian?”
I blinked, dragging myself back into the conversation. “What?”
“Don’t let Stefanie know I was a part of this,” Aubrey repeated, her tone more serious now. “I don’t want to lose my friendship with India. And even though she wants her mom to start dating again, I’m not sure she’d be okay with her dating you .”
“What is that supposed to mean?” I snapped, jaw tight. “What exactly is so wrong with me that she’d be against it?”
Aubrey groaned. “All the girls in our dorm have a crush on you. They talk about you all the time. It’s driving me crazy.”
Fuck. “Please don’t tell me India...”
“No! She doesn’t,” she answered quickly. “There’s a guy in her class she likes. But she’s not allowed to date until she’s eighteen. My smarty-pants roommate is the baby of our group. Anyway...” she trailed off, sounding unsure.
I knew that tone. “Just say it.”
“She made a comment the other day,” Aubrey started. “After seeing you in the lobby with her mom.”
I sat up straighter. “What kind of comment?”
“You sure you want to know?” she asked.
“Yeah. Tell me.”
She sighed, and I braced myself. This wouldn’t be good.
“India is eager for her mom to date. She even wants her to get married again. She hates her mom being alone. And India has plans to travel the world when she graduates. So, she’s sort of on a mission to have her mom married before then.”
“Okay. I’m serious about her mom. Marriage is in the plans. I’m not playing around with Stefanie.”
“I know you’re serious. But you’re not quite who India has in mind.”
“Who the hell does she have in mind?” And where is he so I can kill the motherfucker!
“You won’t kill him, will you?”
“Who is it?” I demanded, avoiding her question because I didn’t want to lie to her.
“You can’t kill a man just because he likes the same woman you like, Julian. Got that?”
“Got it. Who is he?”
“I don’t know his name. But India said she was hoping her mom would date some guy who’s her colleague. She said her mom went out with the guy a few times, and India had known him since she was young. He didn’t have any children and had been divorced once. To her, he’d make a great husband for her mom.”
Hold the fuck up! There was a guy at Stefanie’s job who liked her? Who the fuck was he, and when had they dated? It couldn’t have been within the past year because I’ve been monitoring her like fucking crazy.
No one got near her without me knowing. The idea that some bitch ass little work-husband wannabe thought he had a chance with her made my blood boil. Was he the reason she’d turned me down? This fucker had to die. I didn’t see any other way around it.
“She said he was nice, and she liked the way he smiled at her mom.”
That was only because she hadn’t seen the way I smiled at her mom.
“She also said it would be awkward for her if her mom got with someone all her friends were crushing on. Someone like you.”
What the hell? It wasn’t my fault Aubrey’s friends had crushes on me. I avoided her friends as much as possible whenever I picked her up or dropped her off at college. I didn’t even joke with them because some would consider that flirting.
I never wanted to give her friends the wrong idea or make them misunderstand me in any way. Plus, they were babies in my eyes. I looked at them the same way I looked at my sister. Their having a crush on me had nothing to do with Stefanie and me.
Still, if India had a problem with her mom dating someone her friends liked, then Stefanie wouldn’t pursue anything with me. Spring Break revealed to me how much her daughter’s opinion and perception of her mattered to her.
“So, to be with Stefanie, I first have to convince India that I’m the right man for her mom?” I asked aloud, more to myself.
“Pretty much,” Aubrey confirmed. “Oh, wait,” she whispered. “I think Indi’s back. I have to go.”
“Alright, love you, brat.”
“Love you more. Bye.”
I ended the call and dropped the phone on my desk. Leaning back, I closed my eyes. Keeping this woman by my side was going to be even more complicated than I’d expected. But she was worth fighting for, killing for.
First, I’d figure out who the fuck this co-worker was and make sure he backed off quietly, permanently, if needed. Then I’d figure out how to show India that her mother deserved to be treated like a queen and that I was the man to do it. The only man to do it.
However, I couldn’t do that without Stefanie’s permission. Approaching her daughter behind her back, even in an innocent way, was a line I wouldn’t cross. That was probably the only line I wouldn’t cross when it came to Stefanie Adams.
It would be easier to deal with the co-worker first. Killing came easier to me than trying to convince someone that I was a good guy. And I was a good guy. It’s just that I had a bad side. When unleashed, it was hard to lock back down.
That was a side of me I never wanted Stefanie to see.