Adored: Book 1 (The Beloved Series)

by MJ Masucci

  “I’ve done no such thing,” Julian said with a bit of ire in his tone.

  From the corner of his eye, he saw Lou take a few steps toward them.

  “I’m sorry. What I mean to say is that when we talked, I wasn’t sure what our relationship was. I do have an interest in your daughter. I like her. I would like to date her if I have your permission.”

  Julian looked up to see Nina smirking. That little brat is enjoying this.

  Vita leaned in close and Julian half expected him to hit him but instead, he lowered his voice and spoke, “Nina is very special to us. You will treat her like you would treat your mother or your sister.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “What’s your last name?”

  “Gennaro.”

  Julian watched as a glimmer of recognition at the name came across Vito’s face.

  “Your father was Robert Gennaro?”

  “Yes. He died a few years ago.”

  It looked like that fact made Vito uncomfortable and he shifted from foot to foot.

  “Remember what I said. You treat her like you would treat your mother.”

  “Uh, yes, sir.”

  “And since you’re dating her, I ain’t paying you for the painting lessons. Capiche?”

  “I understand.”

  Nina stepped out of the way as Vito prepared to get into the car. He kissed her and pointed at Julian as if to say he was watching him then slipped into the car. Lou kissed her cheek and closed the rear door once Vito was inside. He gave Julian a stern look before he got into the driver’s seat. Nina went to stand next to him as the car backed down the long driveway.

  “I guess when you said you would talk to your father, you really talked to him.”

  “I told him I needed to have my own life. I couldn’t be tailed and watched all the time. He said he would ease up then Frankie spilled the beans and I told him about you.”

  Julian almost could figure it out that she had a reason for telling her father about their burgeoning relationship. He couldn’t run from her because Vito would have Lou string him up by his balls. She was forcing him to open up to her. It was probably what he needed and what better woman to do it with than her. He didn’t need to be forced when it came to Nina.

  They went upstairs to the painting studio and sat on the couch.

  “I’m surprised your father left you up here with me.”

  “There is a method to his madness. He thinks I don’t know. If I don’t come home tonight, it means that you have less than honorable intentions toward me. If I get home at a reasonable hour, it means you respect him.”

  Julian snickered, “Nina, I can have less than honorable intentions in the few hours he gave us together if you have to home by ten, even nine, it’s only five fifteen.”

  She looked at him expectantly.

  “No. I don’t have those intentions. You’re inexperienced and I’m not going to take advantage of that.”

  “Why do you keep saying that? How do you know I’m inexperienced? You have no idea what I’ve done.”

  “Twice does not make someone experienced. I can imagine what Caden did with you during those two times. I bet he performed no foreplay and hurt you your first time and maybe even your second. Am I right?”

  Nina nodded. She didn’t want to tell him the scenario that had taken place with Caden. She was more than tipsy, plied with alcohol by him. Madison had gone to bed early with a headache, leaving her downstairs in the den alone. She had always liked Caden, but he never paid attention to her until then.

  He kissed her and she had responded. In a matter of minutes, she was half naked and he was on top of her. It hurt, but she ignored the pain. After it was over, he sat with her for a little while, pulling a blanket over them. He gave her more wine. She was on the edge of being really drunk when he went at her again. Caden just left her there after the second time and went upstairs. Nina ended up falling asleep on the couch. He used her. She was too embarrassed to say anything to anyone at the time.

  “Nina?”

  “He used me. Is that what you want to hear?” Angry tears dripped down her face. “It meant nothing to him and I couldn’t say anything to anyone. You’re the first person I’ve told. He told me how pretty I was. He never bothered with me before that or after.”

  Julian pulled her onto his lap, “He was a piece of shit to do that to you. If I ever see him, I’ll beat his ass. I never liked him in high school. Smug fuck.”

  “You would do that for me?”

  “I would unless you want me to get Lou or Frankie to do it. They could probably do a better job breaking his legs than I would.”

  “I could never tell them.”

  “I was kidding.”

  Julian wiped her tears with his fingers, “Don’t cry. One day I’ll show you what it’s like when someone who cares makes love to you.”

  Nina snuggled into her chest and nuzzled his jaw with her head.

  Did I really just promise to make love to her? I want to.

  Julian stroked her cheek with his fingertips. He leaned down and pulled her bottom lip between his teeth and gently tugged and teased. Her eyes closed at the sensation. The tip of his tongue ran across her lips and she opened her mouth to meet her tongue with his.

  He pulled her tighter against him so her chest was flush with his. Julian liked the feel of her next to him, her nipples straining the fabric of her shirt. Nina once again tugged at his shirt so she could slip her hands underneath it. This time, she traced the ridges of his stomach and moved up to meet one of his bead hard nipple, which she circled with her fingertip.

  Julian shuddered at the feel of her soft fingertips on his skin and he groaned into her mouth. His hands tangled in her hair massaging her scalp and trailing down to the back of her neck where he kneaded the muscles in her shoulders.

  There was a frenzy of lips, teeth and tongues between the two. He sucked at her neck and earlobes eliciting erotic moans from her. She felt her belly clench as he sucked and she wanted more, planting her knees on either side of his lap and grinding against him. Julian grunted.

  “Sweet pea, stop.”

  “I want more.”

  “It’s too soon. We barely know each other.”

  “I feel like I’ve known you my entire life.”

  “I don’t want to be that kind of guy. Let’s take it slow.”

  He lifted her off his lap and cuddled her to his side. Nina fanned her face.

  “Do you want to go to the creek?”

  “Yes. I wore my bathing suit under this. I was hoping you would take me down there again.”

  The prospect of seeing her in a bathing suit was intriguing to Julian. He knew she had sexy legs, but the rest of her was hidden by clothing. This would be his first time seeing her in anything but shorts with tank tops or t-shirts.

  “Let me change into my swim trunks.”

  When he was changed, they walked down to the creek. The water had receded some since it hadn’t rained in a few days. Julian pulled off his shirt and was greeted by a smoldering stare down from Nina. He watched as she undressed. His eyes traveled over her body as she discarded her clothing on the ground. She had a tight little body, ample breasts and beautiful olive skin offset by the light blue bikini she wore.

  “Stop staring at me. You’re making me uncomfortable.”

  “I’m making YOU uncomfortable? You can’t stop looking at my body.”

  “You’re beautiful, Julian. Like one of those Greek statues.”

  “Thanks, but that’s what you are. We would make lovely babies together.”

  Why do I keep slipping and saying things like that? We barely know each other and marriage and babies is way off.

  He looked up and she was blushing.

  “I’m sorry. I don’t know why I said that.”

  “Because it’s true. We would make lovely babies.”

  Julian changed the subject, asking her if Nina wanted to sit on the waterfall. The stream had become slower since a few
days ago. The next rain would pick it up again. They sat and let the lazy moving water flow over them. Nina lay back against the flat rocks and closed her eyes. He couldn’t help gazing at her perfect body. He wasn’t paying attention and she opened her eyes, catching him.

  After an hour, the sun started to grow dim in the sky. Julian asked if she wanted to go back to the house and have some dinner.

  “You cook?”

  “Of course I cook. I need to eat, don’t I?”

  “Okay, take me back to the house and feed me.”

  At the house, Julian gave Nina a towel to dry herself. She had no underwear and came out of the bathroom wrapped in the towel. He felt himself twitch at the knowledge that she was naked underneath. He busied himself heating up some lasagna that he had made earlier that day.

  “Do you want some wine?”

  “Are you having any?”

  “No. I have to drive you home later.”

  “I’ll take water.”

  He opened up the refrigerator and handed her a bottle of Perrier.

  “You got me sparkling water?”

  “You said you liked it.”

  “Thank you.” She came to him and kissed his cheek.

  “Anything for you. Dinner’s ready. Sit down.”

  He placed plates of lasagna on either side of the table and sat down across from her. Nina took a small forkful and put it in her mouth, chewing slowly. He waited for her to say something.

  “This is so good. Where did you learn to cook?”

  “My mom taught me when I was a kid. She used to help my father before his business took off. Since I was the oldest, I used to cook and get my brother and sister into bed before my parents came home.”

  “I’m sorry about your family. I can tell you miss them.”

  “I do, very much.”

  “If you ever want to talk about them, I’ll listen. You never told me about what happened the day they crashed.”

  “Maybe I will someday, but not now.”

  They grew quiet and the only sound in the cabin was that of forks touching the plates each time they took a bite of food. It became an awkward silence until Nina stood up to bring her dish to the sink. Her towel had unraveled and slipped, exposing her right breast.

  Julian caught a glimpse and felt himself growing aroused. He turned away so as not to cause her embarrassment.

  “It’s okay; I’m not shy. You can look at my body if you want.”

  “Nina, I’m not strong enough to resist you right now. Go get dressed.”

  She came to him and sat in his lap, taking his hand and placing it on her breast which was now under the re-secured towel.

  “If you ask me, I’ll show you.”

  “No. It’s getting late and I want to get you home. I want to spend more time with you but I’m sure that Frankie will be reporting to your father when you walk in the door. If you show me, you won’t be going home tonight.”

  She got off his lap, placed a chaste kiss on his cheek and went to the bedroom to dress. Julian cleaned the table and washed the dishes. When Nina came back out, he was finished.

  “I’m leaving my bikini here. I’m sure we’ll swim again.”

  “I’m counting on it. Let’s get you home.”

  They walked out to the garage and he held the truck’s door open for her. He navigated the winding road carefully. It was one thing when he drove it alone but quite another when he had Nina with him.

  “Why are you driving so slowly? You didn’t drive that slow the other day when I followed you.”

  “That was because it was only me in this truck. Now it’s you and I need to be careful. I don’t want anything to happen to you.”

  She reached out and put her hand on his arm, stroking it. He sighed deeply.

  “Just what I need, someone else protecting me.”

  “Nina, if we’re going to date then I need…no, I want to protect you. It’s what you do when you care for someone.”

  “You care about me?”

  “I thought it was apparent. Of course, I care about you. Would you think I would risk my life by getting a beating from Lou and Frankie if I didn’t?”

  “They wouldn’t hurt you. They know I like you.”

  “I wonder what they would do if you didn't.”

  “You don’t have to worry about that.”

  They were silent for the rest of the way into town, but Nina kept her hand on his.

  “Where do you live?”

  She told him how to get to her home and he pulled into her driveway a few minutes later. He waited for her to get out but Nina made no move.

  “Kiss me, Julian.”

  “Here?”

  “Would you kiss any other woman in their driveway when you brought them home?”

  “I would.”

  “Then kiss me.”

  He shut the truck off and turned out the headlights then pulled her into his arms. In the moonlight, he was able to look into her eyes. Julian stroked her hair and ran his fingers over her lips before pressing his own against them. Nina speared her tongue into his mouth and he sucked on it. They were locked in a passionate kiss when a knock at the window ended their union.

  “Time to go in,” Frankie said.

  “Go away. My father said we could date. This is part of dating.”

  “He didn’t say you could sit in the driveway putting on a show for everyone.”

  “You better go. The last thing I want is big boy to take me out of the car and throttle me.”

  Nina laughed, “He wouldn’t do that. I’m going to have a hard time sleeping tonight, but I’ll see you tomorrow in class.”

  “I’m counting on it. Please be on time.”

  Julian popped open his door intending to go around and open hers, but she climbed over his lap to get out of the truck. On the way home, he breathed deeply. The truck cab still had the lingering scent of Nina’s perfume and though it was warm, he kept the windows closed so it would last. As he pulled into his driveway, his phone chimed and he stopped halfway to the garage to check it. Julian was expecting to see a text from Nina, but instead he found a curious email, one that frightened him.

  You should think twice about what you’re doing. It’s not a good idea.

  What the fuck was that supposed to mean? He typed a response to the email address but got an undeliverable response. Whoever had sent the email had already deleted the account. What should he think twice about? Nina? Who was out there that wanted to scare him away from her?

  He decided to ignore it, parked his truck and went inside. It wasn’t so late that he couldn’t enjoy his usual glass of wine while he sat on the porch. There wouldn’t be many more evenings of this as the summer was waning away. It would soon grow cooler and he would prefer to stay inside and have a glass by the roaring fire. Maybe Nina would join him.

  He went to bed thinking of her and how she looked in her bikini. It was drying on the towel bar in the bathroom. He had picked up the top to put it to his nose, hoping it would smell like her but it only faintly smelled of her perfume.

  The next morning, Julian checked his email hoping to find another like the one from the night before, but there was none. He put it out of his mind and finished the final details of a graphics project he was completing.

  In the afternoon, he went to retrieve his mail. As he walked down the long dirt driveway, he thought of the day Nina came to see him. It made him smile. He paged through the mail and found a white envelope with no return address. His name was printed in block lettering. He narrowed his eyes as he opened it. Inside was a letter and a folded piece of paper. The letter read:

  You should think twice about what you’re doing. It’s not a good idea.

  The very same line from the email. He unfolded the paper and dropped it on the ground as his hands shook. It was a picture of his family. Julian felt queasy and his legs felt like rubber. He stooped down and swiped the picture off the ground before the gentle breeze blew it away, causing it to crumple in his hand.r />
  His eyes were full of tears as he made his way back to his porch. He sat on the bottom stair trying to regain his composure. What sick fuck would send him something like this? What were they trying to tell him? Did Nina know something about his family?

  He sat there for a long time until nausea caused him to vomit up his lunch. His heart was pounding in his chest and his mouth felt like a ball of cotton. He struggled up the stairs and stumbled to the sink, leaning under the faucet to wash his face and suck water into his mouth.

  Dizziness hit him and he sat down on the futon hard, his body lacking the ability to control his muscles. After an hour he still felt dizzy and he decided he couldn’t teach his class this evening. He called the manager at the Annex to report that he was ill and was canceling for the night.

  Moving to his bedroom, he pulled the covers back, kicked off his sneakers and slipped into bed. He felt miserable. Sleep claimed him and he had vivid dreams of his family after the accident. It made him cry out in his sleep. When he woke up, a cool cloth was on his head and the small bedside light was lit.

  How did the light get turned on? He didn’t remember doing it. From within the room, he heard movement and opened his eyes wide to Nina’s worried face.

  “How did you get in here?” he croaked.

  “They told me you canceled class because you were sick. I was worried and lucky I came up to check on you. Your door was wide open and you left the water running in the kitchen sink. You’re burning up.”

  “I feel dizzy.”

  “Your fever is over one hundred. Were you feeling sick yesterday?”

  “No, I was fine. I felt sick this afternoon. How did you take my temperature?”

  “When I found you sick, I had Frankie bring some supplies. I used an ear thermometer. You’re burning up.”

  Julian didn’t tell her his sickness was a reaction to what he had gotten in the mail. But since he had a fever maybe seeing the photo had just added to his oncoming illness. What he didn’t know is that Nina had found the crumpled image on the floor along with the letter. It wasn’t like her to snoop, but her concern pushed her to look. She felt her heart tug when she saw what it was; she knew what had happened to his family. Who would send this cruel reminder?