“We are going to talk about Julie's manuscript. Please see to it that no one disturbs us—including you, Teta. Thank you.”
“Hmmppth. You talk to me as if I'm your nurse. Fine, but I'd better see an award winning script or you'll be out of the critique group.”
The sound of Teta's heavy feet smacking on the hardwood stairs joined Julie's laughter.
They reached her room in a hurry. Tristan closed the door none too gently.
Eyes wide and heady with what was to come, Julie leaned against the cool door and watched him as he removed his shirt. Muscles flexed, abdomen tightened, and his eyes hooded, heavy with passion, were too much to take all in. She couldn't breathe.
Tristan leaned his hands on both sides of her head then bent down to kiss her softly. Her toes practically curled from the sweetness of it.
His kisses covered her face while whispering senseless words when his lips weren't in contact with her skin. Maybe his words were senseless, but inside the bedroom, they were as erotic as they could get.
“Do you like what I am doing with you, love?” His voice was strained.
“Yes,” Julie answered, in her own mewling sound.
“Good. I want you to think only of me and no one else. And I will make sure you think of no other man but me. Only me.”
“Sooo selfish for a doctor.” Julie ran her toes all the way up to Tristan's thighs.
He grabbed them. “Better believe it, minx.”
“Well, better work harder if you don't want me to think about other men.” Julie bit his earlobe.
“Yes, ma'am. I'm on it.” He lifted her by the waist and threw her on the bed.
Bouncing on the bed, Julie screamed. “Ohh...the doctor's playing rough.”
“You want something good to write in your story, don't you? Well, you'll get one right now.”
Tristan pulled Julie's legs together. He lay down beside her with his hands running all over her.
“But we'll start with slow...sweet...passionate and unforgettable sex. How's that?”
His smile reached Julie's insides. Her stomach quivered when his fingers pulled on her waistband and lowered her pants, inch by achingly sweet inch.
“A good plan.” She smiled and closed her eyes when Tristan sucked on her nipple, and kissed his way down to her throbbing and still wet pussy.
Everything around the room disappeared, leaving only Tristan's kisses, touch and words of promises.
When he finally joined her, she opened her eyes and whispered, “I love you.”
[Back to Table of Contents]
* * *
Chapter Twelve
* * * *
Satiated and tangled in sheets, Tristan stared at the ceiling while Julie's warm body wrapped around him like a blanket.
I love you. Julie said those words. What made her say them? Was it passion or she really loved him? She said the words only one time. It must have been her emotions. Other women, including his ex-wife, had whispered I love you while in the throes of passion, but the three little words didn't mean a thing to them. They were hollow. Coming from Julie's sensual mouth, the words sounded meaningful, and she looked him in the eye with her eyes dark green, almost the color of a lagoon. He wondered if he would hear those words again. Damn, he wanted to hear her say them again.
If she did, then what
He'd been in a real marriage and it ended bitterly. This, whatever was between him and Julie, would end soon. This time, he even knew when. Theirs was an unconventional relationship. They didn't have a strong foundation to hold. No courtship, no dating, no falling in love. What they had right now was pure physical attraction so strong they made love on the kitchen floor and forgot about the eggs on the stove.
“What are you thinking about?” Julie asked, looking at him and using her elbow to lever herself
“You.”
“What about me?”
Tristan took a handful of hair and tugged so he could kiss her. Her taste stoked his cooling heat until it flared. He pulled Julie on top of him so her whole body was parallel with his. He lifted one knee to separate her legs.
“About how wonderful you are.” He watched Julie bite her lower lip, unspoken question in her eyes.
“That's it?”
“I'll think of something else later. Right now, I want to continue making sure you think only of me and no one else.” He reached down in between them and hardened at the feel of her slick opening.
Julie closed her eyes, her mouth slightly open. “Hmm...Ohh...I, I, and you're succeeding. Tristan, hmm...”
“And I was thinking about this.” He lifted her hips and then slowly lowered her again, plunging himself deep in her womb. He repeated the action over again mumbling, “And this, and this...”
“More.” Julie pressed her palms against his chest, eyes closed, and mouth slightly parted. Tristan reveled at the sight.
How he loved looking at her.
The first time they made love, protecting her against pregnancy didn't cross his mind. The second time, he thought about it. This time though, he purposely ignored the package of condoms still unopened in his bag. He was one fucking nut to have sex unprotected. But with Julie, he didn't care.
Julie moved in synchrony with him. He let her ride on her own tempo. And when he couldn't hold himself anymore, he laid her down on her back and fucked her missionary style. His body grew hotter as he made love with her. He brought her to her pinnacle and then he let himself go.
“You're insatiable,” she whispered.
Tristan turned to look at her. Hair plastered on her cheeks and neck, she was breathing hard. She got a good workout, like last time.
“You're an aphrodisiac. I know what else I want to say about you.”
“Uhm, what else?” Julie asked. She looked tired and happy.
“I was thinking how lucky I am to be your first, and my sister to be your best friend. Not only that, you're beautiful on the outside, you're also good inside. You have such a good heart.” He placed a hand on her chest and felt her heart. The rhythm flowed through his hand, all the way to his own.
He had heard many heartbeats. Through the mother's womb and through infancy to adulthood. Each time he listened through his stethoscope, there was an inexplicable feeling of happiness that overcame him. A heart beating was a wonder to him and right now, he wondered if Julie's heart was truly beating for him.
“I do?”
“Uh-huh. Only a good person would see a woman as big as a Cadillac, who talks like a machine gun firing, wears make-up as if she's an old porn star, befriend and trust her to clean your house, for what she truly is. Just as you don't know my sister, but you helped her and stayed with her in the hospital like some relative. And, only a good-hearted person would cry over a silly boy's story about getting hurt in the woods because he wasn't looking where he was going.”
“Are you trying to make me cry, or you're just preparing for another round?”
“No. I'm telling you the truth, but another round sounds good. Just give me a moment.”
Julie smacked his arm. “Well, I think we should try getting some breakfast first. I can't believe you've been here short of two days and we've spent most of those times exploring each other's body. You made me forget about Marla and her spies. I should worry. Been doing it for years, but with you...don't know. My life, Mom's life's work, is at stake and I let my guards down.”
“Do you regret sharing your bed with me?”
“No. I finally learned how to live, Tristan. Thanks to you. I don't regret spending my days with you.”
“Glad to hear that. About Marla, please trust me when I say everything will be all right.”
“I trust you.”
Tristan gave her a loud openmouthed kiss. “We don't have to stay cocooned here, you know. We could spend time in Edmonds Marina for a short walk, exercise a bit, eat and then we can come back here for another exercise.”
“Do you think I'm some kind of a sex machine?”
“More than that, love.” Tristan pressed his hardening penis on her thigh and laughed at the reaction Julie gave him.
Julie groaned then laughed. Her laughter, so pure, so unadulterated, touched his heart. He would definitely miss having her beside him. Naked or not. He hoped they'd remain friends after this.
“If my mom was still alive she would probably die from a heart attack if someone told her in less than an hour of being with a man I had my morning orgasm, after lunch another orgasm, followed by more spectacular sex. Not to mention that I gave up my virginity the first opportunity I got alone with you.”
“Your mom would probably say, Good girl, Julie. Smart of you to pick Tristan, a pediatrician with a breast fetish and so addicted to your scent he walked around your house with his heart throbbing just for you, whether you're near or far, with his mind covered in cobwebs, unclear because of you.”
“And something else throbbed, too.” Julie sighed and closed her eyes.
Tristan felt a prick somewhere. It could be in his heart, but wherever it was, it hurt like hell. He practically told her he loved her and her response was a sigh.
“Do you wish you hadn't given up your virginity to me?”
“You're a silly goat. Of course, I don't regret it. Tristan, I am glad you're the one who took it. I couldn't imagine anyone else touching me the way you did.”
“So you're saying, you have no plans of finding another man?”
“For now, yes.” Julie looked him in the eye. Her eyes danced from laughter.
She was kidding. Tristan breathed again. “I think I should just tie you in bed while I eat all of your Oreos, pour milk on your breasts, lick them off, and suck hard the way you like it. That way you won't be looking for another man.”
“Sadist. What about you?”
“What about me?”
“You lost your first love, Carly. It seems you lost your heart, too.”
Tristan stared at the white ceiling. Since his breakup with Carly, he never opened up with anyone, not even with his family. For months, he buried himself with work and went home tired, mentally and physically. There wasn't even room in his mind to think of anything else. Slowly, he began to accept what happened to his marriage, how the woman he thought he'd spend his life with showed her true colors—a bitch, shopaholic and an obsessive dreamer. So obsessive she had to sleep with his manager to get a longer time on the runway.
“I loved Carly. The first time I saw her in the cafeteria, across the room from me, I fell for her. One of the smartest, and definitely the most beautiful, woman in the room. Maybe on the campus. When she smiled at me, I knew right then, I wanted her to be my wife, mother of our future kids. After we graduated, I proposed to her. She said yes, crying. During our first six months, things were great. I was totally and hopelessly in love. Then I noticed she was getting restless. She didn't like this place. I understood. She's a city girl, after all. We moved to LA and things were great there. I thought we could start a family. She said yes, but I later learned she was taking birth control pills. I talked to her about it. That was when she told me kids were not part of her plan. She wouldn't put her figure at risk, and pregnancy would definitely ruin her. I thought it through, about what she said, about her dream of making it big in the modeling business, instead of working in a clinic. In the end, I went with her plan. I loved her enough to support her, make her dream come true.
“Six months after that, though, I saw her less and less. She said she was busy with her modeling lessons. I was so fucking blind not to notice the signs. We made love only two or three times in the course of five months. One day, I had a cancellation at the clinic. I decided to visit her to ask her to have lunch with me. That was when I learned she was cheating on me.”
Julie sat up and looked down at him. “Tristan, I'm so sorry.”
“Me, too. Like I said, I was foolishly in love with her to even give our relationship a chance.”
“You mean you took her back even after you learned the truth.”
“Yes. I wanted our marriage to work. In the end, Carly left, but she left a wreck behind her.”
“Your heart.”
“Yes. And a ridiculous demand. She wanted money. She knew about my stocks with Microsoft and Starbucks, and the money from the computer chip patent Dad gave to all of us. I refused to give her what she wanted. We fought. I got tired of talking to her, seeing her. So I gave in. At the time, I wanted to do anything just to get rid of her.”
“I'm sorry. You deserve someone better. Someone who would walk with you through thick or thin, someone who would help achieve both your goals. Someone who'd love you forever.”
“My family didn't waste time finding that special someone.”
“Well, maybe if you help by telling them what you are looking for, then maybe your success of finding her will be easier.”
I think I already found her. “You're right.”
“I cannot imagine loving someone and losing him the way you lost Carly. No wonder you didn't want a serious relationship, more so a marriage. Thank you, Tristan.”
“For what?” He pulled a lock of her hair and twisted the silky strands around his fingers.
“For taking the task of marrying me. It must have been hard. What with your experience with Carly. I'm sure you didn't want to go through this again.”
No. It wasn't hard. When Kirsten had told him her plan, he accepted it as if it was the natural thing to do. “I don't mind marrying you.”
“Really?”
“Not at all. If I didn't, I wouldn't be lying here with you right now. And I'd never know how to make love with a virgin.”
“Ah, free sex. Okay. Well, Doctor Knight, remember the deal. After the wedding, we'll be over. So this,” she pointed her finger back and forth between them, “is going to end also.”
“I know. Believe me that fact's been in my head since we signed the wedding license. I forgot to tell you last night I got an email from Dad.”
“Yeah?”
“We can get married today. The clerk at the city hall recognized me. Dad prosecuted and put a street drug dealer who killed the clerk's brother. So she called Dad and told him about the license. Gawain and Bors are flying in today.”
“Okay.”
“Okay? Too soon?”
“No. It's just—I'm surprised.”
“Getting cold feet? Or you wish you were having a grand wedding with five bridesmaids?”
“No on both. We are only doing this because of Marla, not because we planned this or anything. Good. If we can wed today, you can go back to work right after and I can begin living again. Let's just hope Marla won't show up today. She knows my out and might suspect something. She might grill us.”
“I'm ready. I know enough about you to pass as a real fiance. Right now I'll show you everything about me is real.”
“Oh, I could believe that.”
They were both still panting from the aftermath of another round when rapid knocks on the bedroom door sounded.
“Hey, Doctor! This is Teta aka your Nurse Betty. The bitch and the asshole are at the door. The bitch is the woman who looks like a million dollars in her suit and the asshole is the man with an inner tube around his middle.”
Like a Jack-in-a-box, Julie bolted off the bed. “Marla and Sebastian! Omigod! They're here?” She grabbed a pair of jeans in her closet, and a green and brown striped blouse. She then tied her hair in a bun. “Damn it! We're not married yet. Damn, damn.”
Tristan watched her from the bed, wondering if she owned other clothes that weren't green or without a tint of it.
“What are you doing? Get up! Use that door, you'll find yourself in a different room. And... Where the heck are your clothes?”
“Stop, Julie. Breathe. Take a deep breath. There's nothing to worry about. Didn't you say you trust me?” He languidly got off the bed and pulled Julie in for a hug, but she shrugged him off.
“Yes, I trust you—and no. You don't know how vile Marla can be. We're not marrie
d yet. She'll use you against me, and she'll get this house and everything else my mother worked hard for.”
Another knock came and Teta aked, “Should I let them in?”
“Yes. Tell them I'm coming down, Teta. Please, Tristan, get dressed and hide in there. Let me handle this and then we'll think of something later. There is so much at stake here and I can't afford to lose everything. Go, now. Please.”
“Look at me, Julie. Haven't you heard anything I've said in the past day and half? When I said I'll help you, I meant every single word. Trust me on this. We'll go down there together and face Marla. We'll achieve your goal together. Together, you hear me?”
“I know, but I don't want to take a chance. Mother's memories are all I have left, Tristan. And these people will take them away from me the moment you give them an inch.” Julie tapped her arm rapidly.
She was nervous, Tristan thought. It made him mad to see her this way. She didn't deserve to be treated as if she was still a teenager.
“Tell me what Sebastian has done to you. Kirsten told me he's an asshole and has never treated you like a stepsister.”
“Whenever they stayed here with Dad, he would come up with something—to come near me. Like sneak behind me to grab my butt, jump in front of me so we would collide on purpose and he would grab my breasts or my thighs, anywhere. Marla always pretended not to notice.”
If he gritted his teeth more, Tristan thought he would crack them. Damn. He'd better hold his temper, otherwise Julie would definitely lose everything if he blackened Sebastian's eyes. “All I ask is you trust me. Can you do that, Julie Knight?”
“I'm not a Knight yet.”
“For me you are already.”
Julie nodded. A sigh of relief came from the pit of his stomach. In truth, he didn't know the people waiting downstairs, but whatever they were, Julie would not be facing them alone.
Teta knocked on the door for the third time.
“Let them in, Teta.”
[Back to Table of Contents]
* * *
Chapter Thirteen
* * * *
Not a smoker himself, Tristan knew if someone had been smoking. And he found out the culprit who desecrated the clean air in the house. Julie's nemesis.
Wicked Knight Page 15