Chapter 26
Chapter Twenty-Six
M elanie had taken it upon herself to fix dinner before we arrived, and I was beyond grateful. She roasted a chicken with a pan of vegetables and made an excellent chopped salad that I could not stop gushing over.
“You’re amazing,” I praised, putting my napkin on the table.
She smiled, picking up a piece of chicken with her fork and putting it in her mouth.
“I love cooking,” she replied after chewing. “And it’s the least I can do with Bram letting me bunk here. But now that you two are back together, I will be moving out quickly.”
“You can stay as long as you want,” Bram and I said simultaneously.
Melanie laughed. “I don’t think anyone in their right mind wants to share a house with newlyweds. So excuse me if I make myself scarce. ”
I blushed and felt Bram’s hand slide over mine on the table.
Did our declaration of love make our marriage legitimate? Neither of us had said the words out loud.
“You should stay in Whit’s house,” I said, the thought popping up suddenly in my mind and out of my mouth just as fast. “It’s fully furnished, and it’s closer to work.”
Melanie startled. “I don’t want to put anyone out.”
“You won’t,” Bram assured her. “Julianna doesn’t need it now.”
“Is this your official offer for us to live together, Bram Winchester?” I feigned shock.
He frowned at my theatrics. “We’re fucking married.”
I put an arm around my stomach. “So presumptuous.”
He rolled his eyes, which made Melanie laugh.
“Yeah, be respectful, Dracula,” Melanie guffawed, her loose, long mane of straw colored hair swishing behind her.
“I don’t like all this teaming up against me. This needs to stop.”
His ire made Mel and me laugh even harder.
The conversation and alcohol flowed easily. Bram opted for beer while Mel and I tackled a bottle of wine. It was our little celebration of our new family coming together.
I appreciated the ease with which Melanie accepted me, especially when I was prone to being quieter and more self-protective.
Her confidence didn’t make me feel stifled, and she wasn’t pushy in her questions about my back or the story of Bram’s and my shared past. She listened well, and there were many moments in conversation when she reminded me so much of her brother.
Before I knew it, our bottle of wine was gone.
Melanie stood and gave a large stretch. “I’ll put my earbuds in, so I don’t have to listen to a symphony of copulating,” she said with an eyebrow wiggle to Bram, who threw a pillow on the couch at her .
“Are you sure you don’t want to listen?” I joked, taking her wineglass from her as she got to her feet.
“Now that you mention it?—”
“Stop!” Bram yelled, and Mel and I fell into exuberant fits of wine-tinged laughter.
“Goodnight!” She made her way up the stairs, Lakey on her heels.
“I think I lost my dog,” I whined, lifting my wineglass off the side table and taking it with Melanie’s into the kitchen. Bram came up behind me with his empty beer cans.
“She’ll come back around. Her three favorite people are all under one roof. She’s probably confused about where to land.” He chuckled, stretching after throwing the cans in the trash. “I’m so damn tired.” He yawned, full and deep, as I put the glasses into the dishwasher and closed the door.
“Oh, I forgot to tell you,” Bram said, leaning against the counter.
“I put in an offer on a few acres of land right outside the city limits. The realtor called this morning and said it’s been accepted.
We’ll break ground in a month for the community center.
Once I can get everything back into place. ”
“That’s great news!” I exclaimed, grabbing onto his arm. “I can’t wait to see it.”
“I’ll take you out there tomorrow,” he replied, and put his hand over mine.
I had Bram. He loved me. We were married, and I was home.
I turned around and let my hand fall as tears spilled onto my cheeks. His face fell when he saw them, and he rushed to pull me into his embrace.
“Hey. What’s wrong, sweets?”
“It’s the wine.” I sniffled into his solid shoulder, then pulled back to meet his eyes.
“It’s making me sentimental. I lost my job and don’t have another one yet.
I no longer have a car. My best friend is three hours away.
My back is still healing. All of that, yet I’m so happy that I could burst.” I pointed at my face. “And I guess I did.”
He kissed my forehead and gently rubbed my back, his strong arms holding me tightly and expertly.
“Have I told you how happy I am? How much I love you?” His words were low and quiet, meant only for me. I pulled back to look up into his eyes.
“I still can’t believe we’re married,” I said. “I’m a little nervous about this whole thing. I know it’s for the insurance and your inheritance, but I…”
“I want it to be real,” he said, pressing his forehead to mine, his hands dropping to grip my hips. His lips lined up with mine, and he spoke sensually against them, “Say it’s real, Julianna.”
“This is real,” I whispered, letting the tears fall from my eyes without wiping them. “But my life isn’t easy. I don’t know what the future looks like yet. And with my back, I don’t know what it means for kids, for my abilities…”
“It means we’ll have each other and weather every problem and decision together. I can live without many things, but I will never trade you for anything.” He ran his hand lovingly through my loose hair.
“I feel the same.” I sniffled.
He kissed me, slow and deep, so sensually that I felt the tingling of want in every nerve of my body. Finally, he stepped back and took my hand.
“Come on. Let me show you how a husband makes love to his wife.”
We walked up the stairs, and instead of leaving the door open as he had every other time, he shut it.
I was surprised to find myself nervous as we faced each other in the dimly lit room.
Although I was comfortable with Bram and his space, I hadn’t fully been integrated into his bedroom yet.
It still felt like his , but I was sure that would change with time .
“What’s going on in that head of yours?” Bram asked. He read me so easily.
“I was thinking that it still feels like I’m sleeping over at a boyfriend’s house.” I giggled but sobered before speaking again. “Are you sure you want me moving into your space, Bram? I?—”
“I bought this house because of you.”
I froze and stared blankly at him.
“What?”
“Whit told me you loved it, so I bought it. I didn’t care if the house was falling apart or if I had to fly out of state to get the papers signed. I wanted it, and fell for it, because you loved it.”
“That’s crazy,” I said, trying to be practical, but my heart raced. He’d bought all this and fixed up this whole place because of me?
He shrugged, rubbing the back of his neck nervously.
“In my mind, I couldn’t be with you, so I got closer to you in any way I could.
It was half-grown up with weeds and seed trees, but I kept every notch of character I could.
Every paint color, the floor stain, the restored interior doors, that vintage woodwork on the banister of the stairs…
all of it was for you. It kept me going.
It kept you close. Knowing I was bringing something you cherished to life.
I didn’t know if you’d ever see it, but I hoped.
Somewhere deep down inside me, I always hoped. ”
He took two steps toward me.
“I know it’s a little weird, but I held onto the memory of you so tight. I vowed to move on so many times. I dated, I tried, but every time, I came home at night alone. I realized I could never have another woman in this house. She would be taking your place, and that would be wrong.”
He looked around the room. “I thought I might sell it after a year or two of living here. I don’t know. Maybe I would have. Maybe if I’d found out you’d moved on. But here we are now. This is your home, as much as it ever was mine. ”
Our lips met again, and the spark between us ignited into an inferno. Clothes were shed, and I lost my ability to think when he had me lie down on the bed. Bram used his tongue and lips to devour every inch of my skin until I was a blazing fury. He looked up from his ministrations.
“Please, Bram,” I gasped as he kissed so close to my center. I thought I might die if he didn’t touch where I needed him to.
“Wait,” he breathed, and jumped up. My mouth was agape as I watched him pick up his work trousers from the floor, which he’d worn all night. He dug around in the pocket and pulled out my wedding band. He held it up so I could see what he had.
“I’ve had this in my pocket every day since you left,” he said.
He leaned over my body and took my hand in his. He slipped the ring back onto the proper finger, then he intertwined my hand with his own. The moment was so emotionally charged that I could feel the tears forming again in my eyes.
“Worship me,” I whispered boldly.
He grinned. “Yes, ma’am,” he replied, leaning down between my legs where he’d been.