Chapter 30
Chapter Thirty
Hours later, Julian made sweet love to her in his bed, and for the first time since she lost her parents so suddenly, she felt like she’d truly come home again.
Denny had done what he could as a grief-stricken twenty-year-old to finish raising her, and Gabriel had given her a temporary respite that hadn’t lasted.
And then there was Julian.
When the last thing she’d been looking for was what she now had with him, there he’d been, so handsome, calm, competent and gentle with her and her kids at the tender moment in which she’d concluded she had to leave Gabriel once and for all.
“I had no idea what I’ve been missing my whole life,” Julian whispered as he pushed deep into her and held still, driving her wild as only he could.
“Without the condom?” After she mentioned that she was on long-term birth control, he’d told her he’d never once had sex without a condom, and that this might be quick. Fifteen minutes later, there’d been nothing quick about it other than the two orgasms she’d already had.
“That’s incredible, but so are you. You’re what I’ve been missing.”
She curled her arms around his neck, lost in a kiss full of all the things she hadn’t known she was missing until he came along to show her.
“I love you, Isla. I’ve only said that one other time, but even that… That was nothing like this.”
“I’ve only said it to one other person, too, but this…”
“This is everything.”
On a day when she might’ve been dwelling in the pain of the past, he’d shown her a future bright with love and commitment and the promise of a happily ever after that they’d write for themselves, with their own rules.
“Come with me, love.”
“I don’t know if I can again.”
“That sounds like a challenge.”
Within minutes, he proved her wrong with deep thrusts and fingers that knew just where to touch her and kisses that made her head spin.
After, they held on tight to each other, breathing hard and coming down from the highest of highs.
Eventually, he moved to his side, bringing her with him, wrapping her up in his love and warmth. “Are you okay?”
“You really have to ask?”
“Today’s been a lot. Soaring highs, crushing lows—and I’m sorry both those things ended up happening today.”
“Don’t apologize for one of the sweetest moments of my entire life. I’ll never forget our first trip to the beach.”
“Okay, I won’t apologize,” he said, smiling. “How’re you feeling?”
“I feel good, all things considered. I’ll always be sad for Gabriel and the kids, but I’m thankful for you and for this and for a second chance at love. Not everyone gets that.”
“No, they don’t.”
“How’re you feeling?”
“Lucky, blessed, cautiously optimistic, a little nervous about suddenly having two little kids in my life who’ve just lost their dad.”
“You’re great with them.”
“I’m okay with them for an afternoon, but how will I be on a daily basis?”
“I guess we’ll see how that goes, right? We can ease you in.”
“I don’t want to be eased in. I want to go all in. Right now.”
“Julian…”
“I want to show you something.”
“Now?”
“Right now.”
He got out of bed and extended a hand to help her up, steadying her when her legs wobbled under her.
“You’ve turned my muscles to jelly.”
His smug, satisfied grin made her laugh. “That wasn’t a compliment.”
“Wasn’t it?”
“I can’t believe you expect me to walk around your house naked.”
“Why not? There’s no one else here.” Taking her hand, he led her out of his room, down the hallway, past another bathroom, to show her three more bedrooms. “One for Theo, one for Mila and a third for guests or an office for you or whatever you want to do with it. I have an office downstairs that I rarely use that could be turned into a playroom for the kids. Do you want to see it?”
Deeply touched by the message he was sending, she said, “I’ll look the next time I’m down there.”
“There’s plenty of room for you guys, or we could get another place that you help to choose if that’s what you want.”
“I love this house and that you have a little yard and the street isn’t as busy as some of the others around here.”
“There’s an awesome elementary school in this neighborhood, too.”
“I know. Denny’s Realtor friend told me when we rented the house.”
“How long is that rental?”
“Until the end of the month, with an option to renew beyond that if I want to.”
He drew her naked body against his, kissed her neck and then nibbled her ear, making her shiver.
“Move in here when the rental ends. Sleep with me every night. Let me take care of you and your kids and give you a soft place to land after what you’ve been through.
I swear on my life and the lives of everyone I love that you’ll always be safe with me. ”
“Jules! Are you up there?”
Isla gasped as Julian hustled her back into his room.
“Who’s that?” she whispered.
“My brother Griffin.”
“What’s he doing here?”
Julian pulled on a pair of joggers. “I don’t know, but I’ll get rid of him.”
Isla got back in bed and pulled the covers up to her chin, embarrassed to have nearly been caught naked by one of his many brothers while still processing Julian’s offer for her to move into his house with the kids.
God, she wanted to. She wanted to spend every possible minute with him and to help him form a bond with the kids, but she was worried that she couldn’t trust her own judgment anymore, that what felt so good today might not feel as good in a month or two or six or a year.
What if she went all in with him, and it didn’t work out?
She’d be right back to picking up the pieces again, not to mention she would’ve allowed her kids to fall in love with a man who didn’t do forever.
At least he never had before.
She believed him when he said everything was different with her, but she was still hesitant to move in with him only a few weeks after they first met.
From downstairs, she could hear him talking to his brother but couldn’t make out what they were saying.
Her phone vibrated with a text that she checked since Mrs. V was with the kids and had reported they were both asleep when Isla had asked her friend if she minded her being gone for a while longer.
Take your time, Mrs. V had replied. We’re fine. I’m going to bed myself soon.
The new text was from Tenley Black, a Hollywood stylist Isla had actually heard of.
Hi, Isla, this is Tenley Black. Julian asked me to reach out to help get you ready for the premiere next Saturday night.
We’re running tight for time, but if you’re available tomorrow, I could come by and show you some options.
I can also recommend hair and makeup if you’re interested. Julian said to give you the works!
Isla had responded to the surreal message, telling Tenley she was available tomorrow, when Julian came back into the room. “I just got a text from Tenley Black, the stylist to the biggest stars in the world, who wants to help get me ready for next Saturday night. How do you even know her?”
Julian, who’d looked a bit annoyed when he returned, smiled at her question.
“Well, a funny thing happened a couple of years ago when Los Angeles Magazine did a feature on the city’s most eligible professionals and named me LA’s most eligible attorney in this silly article that went a little viral.
” He stretched out on the bed next to her.
“It had me fending off marriage proposals while I dealt with my brothers, who thought the whole thing was hilarious.”
Her lips quivered from the effort not to laugh at his pained expression.
“Don’t you dare laugh. It’s not funny.”
“It’s a little funny. I had no idea I was sleeping with LA’s most eligible attorney.”
He rolled his eyes. “Anyway, the article raised my profile in every possible way and led to invitations to things I was ill-prepared to handle on my own. So Flynn set me up with Tenley, and now I’ve set you up with her.”
“Flynn, as in Flynn Godfrey?”
“Yes,” he said, laughing. “I told you I’ve known him all my life.
We went to high school together, and our parents are friends.
That’s why we’re invited to the premiere in the first place.
” He linked his fingers with hers. “I should probably mention that the only other woman I’ve ever dated seriously was his sister Aimee, from the time I was eighteen until about twenty-one. ”
“Did you love her?”
“I thought I did at the time, and I was crushed that it didn’t work out. Since I met you, I’m not as sure that I was in love with her the way you need to be with someone you want to go the distance with.”
“What happened?”
“She wanted marriage and kids and the whole nine yards, and I was in no way prepared for anything like that, so we broke up, and it was devastating. I’ve never had an actual girlfriend again until now.”
“But you dated a lot, I’m sure.”
“Some. Ever since I joined the firm, I’ve been too busy for anything other than casual hookups every now and then.”
“None of them got serious?”
“Not for me.”
“But for them?”
“A few thought they’d be the one to change my mind about happily ever after and forever, but it turns out that you’re the only one who’s been able to do that.”
“Why me?”
“Oh, Isla… How much time do you have? Every single thing about you does it for me. From the way you smile to how soft your hair is, to your sweetness and the way you are with your kids, to your fortitude in dealing with such a difficult end to your marriage. All of it. You touch my soul in a way that no one else ever has. And there’s just this magical aura to you… There’s no other way to explain it.”
She shifted so she could snuggle up to him. “That’s a lovely thing for you to say.”
“I mean it. Every word.”
“I know you do.” She believed that this man, who’d never felt this way about anyone else, loved her like he said he did. If she was wrong about him… Well, she didn’t want to entertain that possibility. “Is everything okay with your brother?”
“It will be. He recently learned he has a daughter, and he’s trying to adjust to his new reality.”
Julian put his arm around her and made her comfortable with her head on his chest.
“Is he upset about the baby?”
“Quite the opposite. He’s already crazy about her, and he can’t figure out how that’s possible when he expected to never have kids.”
“Life happens.”
“That it does. We should know, right?”
She gave a little nod. “While you were downstairs, I was thinking about what you said about wanting us to move in.”
“I’d love nothing more than to have you guys here with me.”
“You say that now, but you have no idea what you’d be signing on for with two very young kids.”
“I was the oldest of nine and was thirteen when the youngest was born. I’m not new to kids.”
“It’s different when they’re leaving sticky fingerprints on your pristine walls or spilling something on your ten-thousand-dollar leather sofa.”
“That sofa didn’t cost ten grand.”
“Okay, seven grand, then. You get my point.”
“I understand what you’re concerned about, but those things don’t matter to me. Fingerprints can be wiped off of walls, and leather is bulletproof. My mother always had leather sofas for that very reason. She’s the one who said they were bulletproof and last forever.”
“What I’d like to do is renew my rental for a couple of months so you can spend more time with the kids and make sure this is what you really want.”
“It is what I really want. I don’t need more time.”
“I think I might.” She rested her hand on his face. “You’re the sweetest to want to take care of me and us, and I truly love you for that and many other reasons. But I need to be sure I’m making the right decisions for me and the kids. I’m not ready to make that one yet.”
“We’ll play this however you want. I’m not going anywhere, and the offer stands. Whenever you’re ready, my home is your home.”
“One other thing…”
“What’s that?”
“I’m going to work my three shifts at the Whisky this weekend because my friend is counting on me. I’ll see how that goes before I decide whether I’m going to continue or not. It’s a great way for me to work while my kids are sleeping and make a lot of money.”
She could tell he didn’t like that, but thankfully, he only nodded and said, “Whatever you want to do is fine with me. The good news is the band is playing there this weekend, so I’ll be around if anyone gives you a hard time.”
“You’ll let me handle it myself, or we’re going to have a problem. You got me?”
“I’ve got you, sweetheart, and as long as you want me around, I’m never letting you go.”
“That guitar in the corner over there. I assume you play that?”
“I do.”
“Will you play for me?”
“I’d love to.”
He got up and turned on the gas fireplace since it had gotten chilly after sunset. After fetching the guitar, he returned to the bed and sat against a pile of pillows to tune the guitar.
Bathed in the glow of the firelight, he was the most beautiful man she’d ever seen.
And then he began to play and sing “Our House” to her, and it was all she could do not to weep from the sweet message he was sending with the song.
With him, she could be perfectly content staring into the fire for hours and hours while he sang love songs to her.
Listening to him, watching his fingers move over the strings, a feeling of absolute rightness came over her.
They would live here in this lovely home with him, eventually, and they’d be happy together. He was someone she could count on to be there for the long haul, to have her back, to help her raise her children and to love her through all of life’s ups and downs.
Someday, when they were much older, she’d tell the kids the story of how she’d gone to meet with a divorce attorney and found true love in the last place she ever would’ve expected to find it.
She’d tell them how one of the best men she’d ever known had shown up when she was at her lowest point and changed everything for the better.