20. April
My blood practically sizzled. You’d think it was because of Julian’s stupid comment about paying me to care about him, but it wasn’t. I was heated because of his proximity. He was bent slightly so that his face was close to mine―probably so I could get the full effect of his severe scowl. His breath fanned my face as he breathed deeply. I could see him trying to compose himself. I was full on aroused by an argument with Julian. Unbelievable.
He drew out a side of me that was buried deep—a crazy, passionate, wild side. The usual me wouldn’t get this upset over a silly comment. Why did the calm woman that I usually was disappear whenever I was near this man? I wanted to slap him for hurting my feelings, but I also wanted to kiss him because he apologized and I could see that he meant it. I saw the sincerity in his eyes. I also wanted to kiss him because he was staring at my mouth, and it was giving me ideas. Erotic ideas.
All the things he did to me that night three weeks ago came rushing back, and I wanted more of it… more of him. I tried so hard to fight the intense need but right now, I was on the verge of giving in.
I inched closer, eyes focused on his lips. God, those lips...They were magical. I wanted them on my body again. He inhaled deeply but didn’t pull away. Before I could press my lips to his, he cupped my nape and pulled me closer. “Are we done arguing?” His voice was deep and thick with need. I practically melted.
“Uh-huh.” As if my sex-muddled brain could form another coherent thought. It was impossible to find any more words to argue. Our mouths joined and there was that instant explosion of passion. If it was possible, my already overwhelming desire to get closer to him grew. It was a scary feeling, but my fears took a back seat when he deepened the kiss. I wound my arms around his neck to get as close to him as possible, then I matched his fervent energy.
We stumbled out of the foyer, and I only got glimpses of light brown walls, beige furniture, and polished hardwood floors. It was impossible to notice much else while being so caught up in him.
“I should at least give you a tour first,” he murmured, yet he was already unbuttoning my blouse with quick fingers.
“Later,” I whispered, undoing the button of his jeans.
We tore at each other’s clothes, still inching further into the room, heading towards a recessed living area. It was gorgeous, four steps deep, furnished with two massive semi-circle sectionals, and a round glass center table.
“I like what I see so far,” I gasped when he yanked my top off my shoulders. “This room is nice.”
“I’ll be nicer once I get you naked in here,” he drawled, eyes glued to my chest and gleaming with hunger as he stepped out of his pants.
I giggled but shivered with anticipation. His laser focus on me made me feel like the most desirable woman in the world. I’d never been that girl who commanded male attention, especially from a man like Julian. Having him look at me like this with open admiration was certainly a boost to my confidence. By the time we made it down the steps into the living area, he didn’t have a stitch on and I was only wearing my underwear.
He laid me on one of the sofas and hovered over me, his eyes blazing with so much carnal intensity I almost melted. Slowly, he removed my panties. Our gazes were locked, making the moment sizzle with eroticism. So much so, that I moaned and he hadn’t even touched me yet.
When he settled between my thighs, his erection pressing against my lower lips drove me wild. I lifted my hips as he dipped his head to flick his tongue over each nipple, taking more time to tease the one with the piercing. I couldn’t wait much longer. “Now, Julian.”
“I’m not finished tasting you yet,” he practically purred with my nipple in his mouth. He ground his hips against me and I gasped, loving his hardness sliding against my clit. I growled my frustration and tugged at his hair.
“You can’t get me this worked up and then take things slow,” I whined. I wrapped my legs around his waist in hope of getting him where I wanted him. His low chuckle was a giveaway that he was deliberately toying with me. I didn’t mind it much. If I was to be toyed with by anyone, I wanted it to be him. Right now, though, I was going crazy with need. About to burst into flames. I couldn’t wait.
And I didn’t have to for much longer. He grasped my wrists and pinned them above my head. His show of dominance only made me hotter. Usually, I made it a point of duty to knock his male arrogance down several notches. Right now, I was eager to submit to him. He made submitting feel good.
He surged forward and pressed his lips to mine, swallowing my delighted gasp. There was an explosion of pleasurable sensations that made my vision blur. Barely catching my breath, I blinked rapidly until he came back into focus, and I gaze at him with astonishment. I was a little shocked that I felt the same things I did the first time. The part of me that secretly longed for something special like this was thrilled. Although, a small part of me had hoped being with him again wouldn’t be this incredible. That way, I could distance myself from him without missing him too much.
Despite my pesky concerns and fears, I closed my eyes and relished in the pleasure he gave me. He moaned into my neck and murmured, “Still so good.” Maybe he’d thought the passion would fizzle out after the first time too. After satisfying our curiosity about what it would be like between us, the mutual need was far from satisfied it seemed.
My breaths came out in ragged puffs as my pleasure peaked. Lifting my hips, I called his name in a pleading tone. I was close to shattering. I could feel the tingle in my core, my legs, and my toes. My skin felt as if it was on fire. I had the contradictory feeling of wanting him to slow down so this could last forever, but wanting him to go faster to push me over the edge.
Opening my eyes, I panted, “Let me hold on to you.” I almost said, “I need to hold on to you,” but I couldn”t have Julian knowing I needed him for anything. Our eyes met and something passed between us that made me inhale sharply. It was hard to define exactly what but that something made my heart trip over itself and accelerate. He released my hands, and I wrapped them around him and buried my face in his shoulder. I was a little frightened by what I felt and I didn’t want him to see that.
A wave of ecstasy sent me flying. If I wasn’t holding on to him, maybe I would have drifted away. Splintering to tiny pieces in his arms, I felt...safe. But why? Being with Julian was far from safe. His large frame shuddered against me and he groaned my name along with, “I can’t get enough of you.”
His confession warmed me to the core. I didn’t respond, just kept my face buried between his neck and shoulder. Moments passed with just the sound of our breathing. Finally, he said, “I must be heavy.”
He was, but I didn’t mind. My arms and legs tightened around him, and he laughed softly. “April, I feel like I’m crushing you here.”
Sighing, I loosened my hold on him and he rolled away. He didn’t get up as I expected. The couch was wide enough so he lay beside me and gazed up at the ceiling. “So, it just hit me that we didn’t…” He turned to me and I was surprised by what I didn’t see. He didn’t appear to be the least bit panicked.
“Yeah…”
“I’m so sorry. I got carried away.”
“It’s okay. I mean, you can’t take the blame. I forgot too.” His eyes were on my face and I wanted to disappear. Having a conversation about our lack of condom usage while we still laid completely naked was so uncomfortable. I squirmed, wanting to get up and find my clothes. “Shouldn’t you be panicking by now?”
Julian blinked and then lifted a brow. “Huh. I should be, shouldn’t I? I mean, if I were lying beside anyone else, I suppose I would be worried.” His lips twisted with humor.
My eyes, glued to his face, felt as if they bulged out of their sockets. Was he trying to tell me something here? “Is it just me or is this conversation highly embarrassing?”
With a straight face, he said, “It’s just you.”
“Oh, my God.” I lifted my hands to cover my face and he chuckled.
Grabbing my wrists, he grinned. “We’re adults. We can talk about it. The thing is, I’ve never had this conversation with anyone. Never had the need. I’ve never slipped up like this,” he sighed. “You make me lose my head, April.”
“Is that a bad thing?”
“I don’t know.” With another sigh, he pushed an arm under my shoulders and pulled me to him. I felt tense at first, but my body calmed after a while. I should have been worried about the consequence of using no protection, but I wasn”t. I just felt comfortable in his arms. Weird... It was like my heart was ready to explore what I had going on with Julian, but my brain wasn’t on par. My logical side kept finding reasons why being together was a terrible idea.