I dart up and using the hem of my shirt, I wipe up the patch of drool on his skin before I take a moment to blink the sleep away.
A chuckle from Julian has my eyes snapping to his.
“Morning,” he whispers, his voice gravelly from just having woken.
“Morning.” Wow, I can’t remember when last I slept that well.
I’m not sure if I should leave, so I just stare at him, drinking in how good he looks with his hair tousled and a shadow of a beard forming on his jaw.
“So this is what you look like when you stay the night?” he teases, and it has me reaching up so I can pat my hair down.
Julian takes hold of my arm and pulls me back down. “Give me five more minutes, then you can run away.”
Wrapping an arm around his waist, I snuggle into his side.
“Are you always this quiet when you wake up?”
“Uh-huh.” I close my eyes and take a deep breath of his scent, the citrus now almost gone.
There’s a moment’s silence, then Julian says, “You know if you go back to the dorm, you’ll have to sleep alone.”
I push my upper body up on my arm and look down at him. “Oh, so this wasn’t a one-time offer?”
A smile tugs at the corners of his mouth, and his eyes are a softer shade of brown as he stares at me. “Of course, not.”
“Mmh… you could always stay at the dorm with me,” I tease, knowing he won't because the students will talk.
That’s if I’m not already the highlight of the gossip mill.
“I’ve done my time there,” he jokes.
Glancing at the alarm clock next to his bed, I say, “I have to get ready. Hayden and Max are arriving at nine.”
Julian’s arms come around me, and he pushes me back on the bed. Pressing a quick kiss to my mouth, he suddenly lets me go and climbs out of bed.
I first stare at the sweatpants hanging low on his hips, giving me a perfect view of his V before I scoot over to his side and stand up.
“See you at breakfast.”
I begin to walk toward the door, but Julian grabs hold of my hand and playfully yanks me back to him. He brings his other hand to the side of my neck and presses a harder kiss to my lips before letting me go.
I stare at him, loving how affectionate he is. “I could get used to this.”
My words make him grin. “That’s the idea.”
Chapter 23
Jamie
I stand next to Julian as a car pulls up the driveway of the mansion. Rhett arrived thirty minutes earlier, and I watch as he and Carter walk toward the vehicle.
When Hayden and Max climb out and shake hands with Carter and Rhett, I let out a deep breath of relief.
Just seeing the two hardened veterans makes me feel better.
Hayden hangs back to talk with Rhett while Max walks toward me. I notice how his eyes never stop scanning over the surrounding area. Reaching me, his eyes meet mine with an intense look.
The first time I met Max, I couldn’t hold eye contact with him, but now I force myself to not look away.
“Jamie, it’s good to see you again. Wish it was under better circumstances,” he says in a low growl, and it makes the tiny hairs on the back of my neck stand up.
I’d be stupid not to fear this man a little. The things he must’ve seen and experienced in his life makes my own problems pale in comparison.
For a moment, my eyes drift over the scars on his face. I heard he got them during his last mission.
“Hi, Max.” My voice sounds like I’m fourteen again, filled with the unknown fear of having to bury another loved one.
Even though Max’s posture is relaxed, his gaze keeps boring into mine. “We’ll catch the person.”
One sentence. That’s all it takes to make the tension snap inside of me.
Not caring that he’s a badass Navy Seal, I throw myself forward and wrap my arms around his neck. Max doesn’t even budge a muscle from the impact of my body hitting his. He wraps two strong arms around me, and I get the same feeling I had with Mr. Reyes – the safety only a father figure’s arms can provide.
“Julian, let me introduce you,” I hear Rhett say. “This is Hayden Cole and Max Perry.”
I pull away so Max can greet Julian.
“Nice to meet you,” Hayden says, shaking hands with Julian, then he turns to me and nods his head at me. “Jamie.”
When everyone begins to move inside the house, Hayden takes hold of my elbow and asks Carter and Rhett. “Can Max and I have a moment alone with Jamie?”
“Sure, we’ll be in the living room when you’re done,” Rhett answers his father-in-law.
I can see Julian’s not too happy with the idea, and then he says, “There’s a bench under the oak tree you can sit and talk.”
“Thanks.”
I smile at Julian before I lead the two men over the bench, and when I turn to sit down, I notice Julian’s still standing on the porch, his eyes never leaving me.
Hayden sits down next to me while Max remains standing, crossing his arms over his broad chest.
“Thanks for coming out here,” I say.
“No need to thank us,” Max grumbles.
“Is there anything you can tell us? It doesn’t matter how insignificant you think it might be,” Hayden asks.
I think back over the past couple of weeks. “He had to watch me, to learn that I drink a smoothie at night.”
“Did you lock your room whenever you left?” Hayden asks.
“The door automatically locks. I have a keycard to open it.”
Hayden looks up at Max. “The person knows how things work around the campus, in order to get into her room. It could be a student or an employee.”
“Why me, though?” I ask the million-dollar question.
“Because this person is sick in the head, that’s the only real reason,” Max answers.
Hearing him say the words offer me some comfort that it’s not because of something I did.
Julian
“We’ll take over guarding Jamie,” Hayden says, his tone offering no option to discuss the matter.
“What about the ranch?” Rhett asks.
“We have people caring for it,” Max answers from where he’s standing with his back to a wall in the living room, facing all of us.
“And the current guards?” I ask. “Do we keep them to relieve you when you’re sleeping?”
Hayden nods before he answers, “We only need four hours sleep.”
“Where will you stay?” Jamie asks. Trust her to think about the men while we’re discussing her safety.
“I’ll have a suite set up for them on the floor beneath yours,” I reply.
“Looks like we’re going back to school,” Max murmurs, which draws a chuckle from Hayden.
Hayden looks at Jamie. “What time are we leaving?”
“After dinner. I already packed everything.” Jamie gets up from the sofa then looks at her sister. “Let’s go for a walk.”
I watch the two women leave, then my eyes go back to Hayden and Max. At first glance, they scared the living shit out of me, but once I spoke with them, the apprehension quickly turned to a sense of comfort.
I’m still not at ease with the idea of Jamie going back to Trinity, though, and I keep watching the two men who will be responsible for her safety.
Hayden must pick up on my unease because he walks toward me. “Is there a room we can talk in private?”
“Sure.” I get up and head toward the library.
When Hayden follows me inside, he shuts the door behind us, then bluntly asks, “Are you close with Jamie?”
I meet his unyielding gaze with one of my own. “Yes.”
When I don’t offer more information, he takes a step closer. “To what degree?”
Feeling that he doesn’t need to know every detail about our relationship, I reply, “I care for her.”
“We all care for her.” He takes another step forward, and it makes the corner of my mouth lif
t.
“Are you trying to intimidate me right now?”
The harsh lines around his mouth ease away as he smiles. “I need to know whether you’ll fight for her or run away if the time comes.”
I know he’s only doing his job, and I shouldn’t take his comment personally, but it still grinds against my gut. “I’ll fight for her.”
Our eyes remain locked for a moment, then he asks, “Have you ever handled a weapon?”
“I’ve been hunting with my father since I was thirteen.”
“I’m only asking so I know for future reference.” He lets out a breath, then walks over to the wall lined with books. Scanning over the novels, he asks, “Do you have any idea who this person might be?”
“No. I’ve had all the personnel files checked. No one stands out.”
“And the students?”
Walking over to him, I glance at my father’s collections. “They all come from the wealthiest families in America.”
Hayden turns to me. “Even the wealthy can be unstable.”
“True.” I know most of the families. “I can’t imagine it being one of the students.”
“We’ll find out soon enough,” he murmurs.
With surprise, I look at him. “You think the person will try something with you here?”
“I know.” Hayden crosses his arms. “I think this person has killed before. They’re patient enough to not make a mistake. It takes more than one kill to learn that kind of patience.” Bringing his eyes to mine, he continues, “You don’t stop hunting, especially if you’ve wounded your prey. Us being here will only make him more determined to get to Jamie. She was his prey first, and he won’t like sharing.”
Fuck. It’s hard to hear the facts.
“While we wait, Jamie should return to her normal routine. It will draw the perpetrator out into the open.”
With everything Hayden just told me, it escalated my worry. I’ll have to talk with Mason to take over some of my work for the time being, because I’ll be spending every night with Jamie.
Chapter 24
Hello, beautiful.
Jamie
When I walk into the suite with Julian, Hayden, and Max, Kingsley stops chewing on a string of Twizzlers, and her mouth drops open. The piece of candy falls onto her lap as she stares wide-eyed at the two Navy Seals.
Swallowing hard, she then tilts her head. “You looked so badass coming in with an entourage.”
“And here I was hoping no one would notice,” I joke, knowing every student on campus probably knows I’m back and being guarded.
“Hayden and Max are family friends.” I gesture to the couch. “Kingsley is one of my roommates and Mason’s girlfriend.”
They greet each other while I take a moment to drop my bag on my bed.
When I walk back into the living room, Julian takes hold of my hand, which has Kingsley’s eyebrows popping up. “Oooh… I missed something good.”
“Let’s show Hayden and Max to their suite,” Julian cuts in before I have to try and explain our relationship to Kingsley.
Before I shut the door behind us, I wink at Kingsley. “We’ll talk before bed.”
“We better!” she calls after me.
Walking toward the elevator, Hayden asks, “Can we take the stairs down.”
“Sure.”
We pause on the first step when Hayden checks the door and glances over the ceiling. “There’s only the one camera?”
“There’s one on every floor and in the hallways,” Julian offers the information.
“None in the rooms, right?” Max asks.
“None. Privacy laws and all.” Julian leads the way to the suite, which is opposite Preston’s.
As Julian swipes the card, Preston’s door opens, and he freezes the moment he sees us.
“Eve… evening, Sir… Sirs… Jamie,” he stammers, his eyes wide on Hayden and Max.
“Preston,” Julian greets with a nod, then glancing at Hayden, he explains, “Preston is my brother’s assistant. He found the cameras.”
“You did?” Max asks, taking a step closer to Preston.
When Preston’s face pales, I walk to his side and hook an arm through his because I know how intimidating Max can be.
“I did… Sir.”
Max lifts a finger to the jagged scar across his temple and rubs over it as if he’s deep in thought. “How did you know to look for cameras?”
Preston swallows so hard I can hear it, then he adjusts his glasses. “I saw a YouTube video about hidden cameras, and since then, I always check.”
“Smart.” I feel Preston relax a little from the compliment.
“Let’s head in, Max,” Hayden says.
Yeah, I think Preston might pass out if we don’t save him from Max soon.
I let the guys walk into the suite first, then give Preston’s arm a hug. “You made a good impression on Max.”
He shoves his hands in his pockets. “How do you know?”
I let out a burst of laughter. “Trust me, you’ll know if he doesn’t like you.”
“Right.” Preston begins to head toward the elevator while letting out a deep breath of air.
I walk into the suite and shut the door behind myself then go sit on the couch while Hayden and Max inspect their five-star lodgings.
“While you get settled, I’m going to take Jamie for a piano lesson,” Julian says.
Hayden instantly frowns, which has me adding, “And we’ll take the two guards downstairs along with us.”
“Make sure they’re always with you, and one always checks inside the building before you enter,” Max rambles off orders.
“And when I have a class?” I ask for interest's sake.
Hayden smiles at me. “Then, Max and I will be sitting in the lecture hall with you.”
“Oh, that’s going to be so much fun for you,” I joke. Getting serious again, I say, “Does that mean the guards have to be in the studio with us while I practice piano?”
Hayden immediately gets why I’m asking. “Have them stationed at the entrance and emergency exit.” His eyes go to Julian. “Never leave her alone.”
“Of course.”
I get up and walk to the door with Max, mumbling, “Enjoy the date, lovebirds.”
Julian
We wait with a guard outside the music building while the other checks inside.
With the all-clear, we head into the building, and the guards take their stations, one at the entrance and one at the back entrance, like Hayden instructed.
“Instead of a lesson, can you just play something?” Jamie asks as we sit down.
“Sure.”
I begin to roll up the sleeves of my dress shirt when Jamie lets out a soft moan. “I love it when you do that.”
“Yeah?” Lifting an eyebrow, I grin at her.
“Don’t let it go to your head.”
I place my hands on the keys, and ask, “Anything specific I should play?”
She doesn’t even think before answering, “The piece you played in the restaurant.”
A smile settles on my face when I begin to play. As my fingers glide to the right, my arm presses against Jamie’s, and I feel the anticipation start to build.
Glancing at her, I watch as her eyes follow my hands until I play the last note.
Before I grab her and fuck her on the piano, I get up and walk over to the cello. “Would you like to hear something else?” My voice is low from the desire building inside me.
“Please,” she whispers and turns on the piano bench to watch as I position the cello between my legs. “I might not hear a thing, though.”
I let out a chuckle as I draw the bow across the strings. Midway into the piece, Jamie gets up from the chair and comes to kneel in front of me, her face showing every emotion I’m feeling.
Are we going to do this?
I see the answer in her eyes, Yes.
While the strings cry during a high note, I say, “There will be no turning back once we co
mmit to a relationship.”
Her eyes lock on mine. “I know.”
Shifting forward on her knees, she takes the bow from my hand and sets it down on the floor. I move the cello to the side, and hardly have time to let it lean against the stand before Jamie moves closer. She places her hands on my thighs, and then her mouth is on mine.
Bringing my hands to her face, I cup her cheeks as my tongue slides inside her mouth. The kiss is slow and deep, then fast and filled with fire.
When Jamie slides her hands up my thighs, I break the kiss and press my forehead against hers. “Not here.”
Her breaths burst against my lips, and it takes all my strength to not give in. Pulling back, I meet her eyes, dark with desire.
“My room?” she asks.
“Then the whole dorm will know what we’re doing,” I tease her to lighten the blow of rejection. Not that I’m rejecting her. “When we have sex again, I want to know I can take my time and enjoy you for an entire night without guards standing nearby.”
My words bring a smile to her face, then she closes the distance between us. “So we can kiss?”
Letting out a chuckle, I press my mouth to hers.
Chapter 25
She’s mine.
Jamie
Walking across campus, I feel every pair of eyes on me with Hayden and Max right behind me.
I try to block out the curious stares and think of the night before. Watching Julian play the cello reminded me of his hands on my body.
It’s actually funny. Julian’s one of the most powerful men I know, but he doesn’t scare me. Not when there’s a faceless man out there intent on killing me.
Maybe it’s also because I got used to being around Carter and his friends.
“Is it true?” A random girl suddenly falls in next to me.
I glance over my shoulder at Hayden and Max before I frown at her. “What?”
“Is there a murderer on campus?” She glances around, looking at everyone with suspicion.
Not wanting to start a wildfire of rumors, I lie, “No, there’s no murderer.”
Julian (Trinity Academy Book 4) Page 12