When I got to bed later that night, I immediately called Julian. Damn. My feet are killing me from running around all day in heels.
“How’s Kristoff doing?” I ask, my gaze fixed on the ceiling.
“He’s already dozed off.” I hear a door closing in the background.
“Did you guys talk?”
“Yeah.”
“What did you say?”
“Everything. I told him everything from the start. It’s alright now. You have nothing else to be worried about.”
I exhaled a sharp sigh of relief. “We should’ve done this sooner. I’m sorry because Kristoff is a good person.”
“He is. He didn’t tell you even though he already knew. “Hey, don’t worry about it, and get some rest,” he says softly.
I chew my bottom lip. “Thank you for today. I was late, but you waited for me.”
“No. Either way, I’d still tell you about it. I should be thanking you for accepting me.”
Silence. I love hearing his voice. I could fall asleep all night listening to him speak. He makes me feel as if I’m lying on clouds.
“I love you so much, Julian.”
“I love you more.”
As soon as we hung up, Lora replied to my earlier message.
Lora: I’m so glad you got it figured out :) Tell me everything later. I love you, girl!
Me: Love wins! I can’t wait until tomorrow, so I’ll tell you right now. My dearest best friend, you will be my maid of honor. More details later. Love you, too!
***
I rush to turn off the lights in my apartment after lighting the candles. Julian could knock at any time, so I need to make sure everything is in order.
Candlelight dinner. Check.
Food. Check.
Music. Check.
Wine. Check.
Dessert. Check.
Yep, I’m ready!
I congratulate myself on my innovation. He has no idea what I’m up to tonight. Although it is no longer his birthday, I have considered surprising him.
My doorbell finally rings, and the pounding in my chest becomes unbearable. I rush to the door to greet him.
“You’re here! Finally.” I chuckle, playfully sinking my teeth into my bottom lip.
Julian raises an eyebrow as he notices the dimness of my apartment.
“What’s going on?”
“Please come in. It’s a surprise.”
“Mm. I can’t wait. For my beautiful fiancée. You are more beautiful than any flower, just so you know.” He presents me with a large bouquet of red roses and then kisses my lips.
I gasp in awe. I suppose things like these make my heart melt. “Thank you!” I wrap my arms around him. “Please, come in.” I open the door wider, allowing him to enter, and the lights in the living room immediately draw his attention. “Tada!”
“My, my. “You never cease to amaze me.”
“Girls, too, can do things like this—” He draws me to him, immediately crushing his mouth on my lips, claiming me, affectionately devouring me with a leisurely movement of his tongue. I take a few seconds to recover before kissing him back. The groans he makes between our mouths send shivers down my spine.
“I don’t know what to say. Did you do this for me?”
I encircle his neck with my arms. “I realized we hadn’t properly celebrated your birthday.”
He kisses me once more. “I love you.”
“I love you even more.” I purr. “Come. I prepared dinner.”
I take his hand and lead him to the living room. “Do you mind if we sit on the floor? I cleaned the carpets and—” Or forget it. He was already sitting there.
I get down on my knees on the carpet and arrange the food Lora helped prepare in the afternoon. A juicy steak! Thank goodness she knows where to find the best meat and how to cook it. She explained that it was customary in their family.
I fill our glasses with red wine. “Try on.”
He chuckles, raises his glass, and takes a sip. “Mm. Malbec?”
“Yes. Excellent for the steak. Cheers.” I also raise mine.
He then bites into a piece of steak. He carefully chews the food before nodding when his taste buds reach the flavor. “Impressive,” he says with a smile.
I should definitely thank my best friend for her extensive knowledge of romantic dinner dates. “Guys weren’t the only ones who could do it.”
“I’m sold. No one has ever done anything like this for me before. And to think you even said you didn’t give me anything,” he says solemnly.
“Oh. Just one more thing.” I show him the box I’ve been hiding on the center table. “This is the gift I mentioned. Please open it.”
“You’re spoiling me.”
“This is nothing compared to what you’ve given me.”
“There’s no competition here. This is more.” He takes my hand in his and brushes his thumb across my fingers.
I smile in appreciation. “I know.”
Julian removes the red ribbon from around it and opens the lid. “It’s a fountain pen.”
“Yes, turn it around.”
He sets the box down and removes the pen. He scans the body, turning it side to side until he finds it. His eyes sparkle. “A.S. love J.S.?” He flashes a boyish grin.
“I had it personalized.”
“You must’ve spent a small fortune on this. Fountain pens are expensive.”
“Not really,” I say timidly. But, yes, I have saved some for it.
“Come here.” I get up to approach him, and he lets me sit on his lap. “You’re incredible. It’s brilliant. I love this birthday gift. I suppose I’m the one who isn’t prepared right now.”
“How about you ask me to dance? I also prepared music,” I croon. “I remember it was the song we first danced to.”
He laughs with delight. “Are you really going to outdo me?”
“It’s my turn to give you something tonight.”
“Alright. Ms. Scott, may I have this dance?” He extends his hand.
I wholeheartedly accept it. “Yes, professor.”
We rise to our feet, clasp hands, and press our bodies together. His other hand strokes the small of my back, leaving a ticklish sensation down my spine. I close my eyes and rest my head on his chest, reliving the moment he led me to the dance floor.
“Anya.”
“Mm?”
“There would be more uncertainties that could stand in our way. But did you remember my promise?”
I do. He promised that we would face everything together and that I would no longer be alone because I had him. He’s shown me that as John Pitch and as the professor who loves me.
“You kept your promise when you put this ring on my finger.”
He tightens his grip on my body. “Well, this is only the beginning...”
***
“My darlings!” Rachel greets us at the door with affectionate hugs, just as I did when I first arrived at the Sebastian home. “Anya, my dear. I’m delighted to see you again.” She embraces me with the warmth of a mother’s love. Oh, how I yearned for this kind of feeling.
“Me, too. Rachel. I’m sorry I couldn’t greet you at the party,” I say as she lets me go.
“Understandable.” She cups my face and raises her gaze to his son. “Jules, honey, dinner is ready, and your father and brothers are already here, so come now and join us. Elsie will bring your belongings to your room.”
“Sure, mom.” He kisses her on the cheek. Then a housemaid, probably Elsie, carries our suitcase. A male attendant assists her.
The Sebastians are already sitting around the long table where a feast is being served. They seem to be discussing something amusing until Adam notices us.
“Jules!” he exclaims, and their attention shifts to us. “Oh, you came with our future sis-in-law.”
“Did you already tell them?” I ask.
Julian pinches the bridge of his nose. “Adam, you jackass. I just told you.”
“What?” Adam turns to face his brothers. “I’m sorry. I had no idea you didn’t... Wait, you haven’t told them yet?”
“Hence, we came today,” Julian says.
“Dude, we’re just pretending we didn’t know,” Carter jokes.
“Carter, take the iPad off the table!” Rachel chastises as she takes the seat next to her husband.
“Boys, boys!” Benjamin Sebastian calls out. “Be formal. Julian, you have yet to introduce her to me.”
“Oh, I’m sorry, sir,” I say quietly before approaching him. Julian’s father stands tall and proud.
“Dad. This is Anya Scott. My fiancée.”
“Fiancée. Yes, I just heard it from Adam,” Benjamin corrects him before turning to face me. “Anya. Thank you for visiting.” He extends his hand to me.
Oh my God. His presence alone makes me uneasy. He is the owner of Sebastian Entertainment Group. His facial features are similar to Julian’s, but he resembles his father’s first son, Rafael, more.
I shake his hand. His palm is firm with a slight roughness to it. “I’m Anya Scott, sir. It’s an honor to meet you.”
He smiles. “Please call me Benjamin. I’d heard a lot about you. Julian, help her sit.”
Julian pulls a chair for me next to Rafael. I perch down awkwardly. “Thank you.”
“I realize we haven’t really properly introduced ourselves, Ms. Scott,” Rafael says, a smile playing across his lips. “You left an impression.”
“I can say the same, Mr. Sebastian.” I’m not sure where my sudden bravery came from. Maybe he’s right. He told me I was brave back then.
He smirks and places both hands on the table. “I must have scared you. Don’t worry, Ms. Scott. I helped Julian in resolving the main issue. I also stopped those photos from circling. You can think of it as my, uh, peace offering.”
“Rafe,” Julian says firmly.
“What? I wasn’t trying to intimidate her. Actually, I’m going to congratulate you. Didn’t you know who advised Adam on the ring?”
Julian gives Adam a confused look. “What?”
“I asked Rafe where I could get it.” Adam shrugs.
Julian finally smiles as he looks at Rafael. “Since when did you know about engagement rings?”
“My negative perception of marriage does not make me oblivious, Jules,” Rafael presses. Is he saying he doesn’t intend on marrying?
“It’s custom,” Julian explains. “I designed it, and Matilda, the jeweler, made it exactly to my specifications.”
“And Matilda is a long-time friend of mine,” Rafael adds.
“I love it,” I exclaim, stroking the treble clef symbol with my finger. “Thank you very much.”
“Anytime.” Rafael winks at me and smiles genuinely.
I thank my beloved fiancée again, and we hold hands under the linen covers of their table.
“Congratulations, my darlings—” Rachel adds “—even though I was the last person to know.” She shoots an eyebrow raise to everyone.
“I didn’t realize it until yesterday!” says Benjamin.
“Yesterday? You had every opportunity to tell me last night,” she chides.
“Mom, Adam just can’t stop talking. We were planning to tell everyone tonight,” Julian explains. “But it got spoiled.”
“Fine.” Rachel makes a cute pout. “I’ll handle the wedding. It will be perfect. Finally, I’m going to have a daughter!” She clasps her hands together.
“Oh, we don’t prefer it any other way,” Julian smiles.
Her expression brightens. “Really?”
“That’s right, Rachel. I really don’t know how...” I giggle. “Please, if you could help us.”
“Of course!” She croons. “This is the very first wedding in our family.”
We begin eating dinner while discussing future plans.
“When do you intend to have the wedding?” Carter inquires, chewing his food.
“After she graduates,” Julian says. “We don’t want to rush the process.”
“A year and a half is plenty of time to prepare,” Rachel states.
“Yeah, for people like us,” Adam adds. “I’ve seen weddings planned for three years.”
“Julian and I don’t think it has to be big,” I finally say.
“Mm-yeah.” Julian wipes his mouth with a napkin. “We’ll only invite a few guests. We’re not celebrities.”
“But are you certain you can hold out until then?” Benjamin wonders. “We can’t make this public while she’s a student.”
“We wouldn’t have to wait until then. I decided to attend Juilliard School,” Julian says, looking at me. “And Anya was already on board.”
We only recently discussed it. He chose Whitlock over Juilliard because of me. Accepting Juilliard’s offer now will allow everyone to keep moving forward until the wedding. In any case, the semester ends in two months.
“That was a wise decision. We wouldn’t have to worry about nonsense reporters fabricating stories about you,” Benjamin agrees, nodding as he chews his food.
Wow. I’m still surprised that they’re all cool about it. I consider myself fortunate to be a member of this wonderful family.
“Thank you,” I say abruptly. “Thank you for having me here.”
Adam leans his chin against his palm. “We’re aware.”
“Huh?”
“Regarding the scholarship. Whitlock. You. Everything. We know Julian’s been seeing someone since he came back,” he confirms.
“Of before,” Carter adds. “She’s not the same as Stella. She belongs here.”
My eyes well up with tears. They had no idea how badly I wanted to be a part of something, to be a part of a family, and to have a family again. Oh, how I miss my parents.
“What is it, darling?” Rachel asks tenderly.
“I’m sorry. I’m just so happy.” I laugh in between sobs. “I don’t know what else to say except thank you.”
Julian reaches for my hand. “She’s home. That’s why she’s happy.”
He’s right.
I was born to become his and be a part of his family.
***
My head falls back against the mount pillows Julian set up behind me. In his enormous bed, I’m half reclining, half sitting up. My legs are spread wide open, allowing him to kneel between my thighs and slide his greedy shaft in and out of my quivering opening with leisurely, measured precision.
“Oh, gosh,” I sob, my hips springing off the pillow as I silently beg him to hurry up. “Julian, I need you... Please...”
He thrust so hard at my command, closing his eyes as he worked his thick, hard erection in and out of me, inch by inch. He repeats the action more than I can count, and I feel helpless and ecstatic.
He then leans in and sucks a swollen nipple into his mouth. “You feel and taste amazing,” he says, quickening the pace of his pushes. “I can’t get enough of you.”
He lifts my shaky legs to wrap around his waist; his hands braced on either side of my hips. He seizes my lips in a searing, devouring kiss, his greedy tongue eating the inside of my mouth.
“And would never get enough,” he growls as he parts his lips from mine.
His words, God. His scorching, heart-stopping words. Julian makes me fall deeply and madly in love with him every time we make love.
My mouth opens in a silent scream as I cum while he’s still thrusting into me. He slants my pelvis up, gliding his hands beneath my buttocks to reach even deeper inside me, to fuck me harder.
I burst into another intense orgasm. Julian rolls me to take me from behind. He sucks the back of my neck as he plunges deeper into my sex, causing a loud slapping sound from our bodies and causing the bed to vibrate. He then arrives at his own climax.
“God, you’re incredible,” he says into my ear. “Can you picture this? Doing this forever?”
I curled into a ball on my back against his ripped, beautiful body. “Until we get old enough that I need a wheelchair?”
“Until we both stop breathing. Every time I claim you, you take my breath away.”
“You probably have no idea how you do the same to me.” I get to my feet and roll on top of him. I run my fingers down the defined lines of his delectable six-pack abs down to his muscular chest. I stare into his eyes as I glide down, pleading with him for more... I’d like to taste him there.
“Wait.” He takes my hand in his. “You didn’t answer my question. I must hear it.”
I giggle. “Yes, Julian. You are important to me as well—more than anything else. And I don’t really have to imagine forever. This is forever...”
-END-