by Sarah Bailey
“Julian,” I said in a warning tone. “You’re totally spoiling me. I’ll never be able to drink a regular bottle of wine again.”
Julian swept down toward me and brushed my lips with his. Then he pulled back slightly, the expression in his eyes intense and serious. “I love pampering you,” he said. “I want to give you everything you’ve ever desired. And I want to take care of you, Sarah.” He brushed his lips against mine again, then pulled my hair off my shoulder and kissed my bare neck. “Will you let me take care of you?” he asked, his eyes back on mine again.
I lowered my eyes, and let out a long sigh. A moment later I flicked my eyes back to his and looked at him pleadingly. “Julian, I need you to lean on me too. I can’t just let you take care of me and not give you the same in return.”
Julian crouched down beside me, and grabbed my hands, giving them a squeeze. “Remember how you told me you wanted me to be honest with you? Wanted me to open up to you?”
I nodded. His eyes suddenly became hard. “I told you before that my family went through some financial hardship when I was a kid. We got over it, but I’ll never forget how it made me feel. This was before my dad made it big as a producer. He was struggling, and in debt. He couldn’t give my mom the kind of life he wanted for her. In fact, she had to take a degrading retail job with a tyrant boss who harassed her all day.” Julian paused for a moment, and his face tensed up. “It’s not that she couldn’t handle it. She could. She was a strong woman. And she wasn’t against working hard. But she wanted to raise us. To take care of her family. That’s what she wanted for herself. I hated that her work took her away from us. I hated that she came home every day feeling dull and worn out. And it just killed my dad that he couldn’t provide for his family enough that his wife could stay at home and raise their children.”
Julian stood up, his face still strained, and poured himself a glass of wine. “I remember feeling helpless. I wanted to see both of my parents happy, but especially my mom. And I vowed to myself that if I ever made good money, I’d take care of the people I loved.” Julian took a step toward me and slowly ran his finger along my jaw line. “The truth is, Sarah, that the thing that I need, the thing that I crave, is for those I love to lean on me. To let me take care of them.”
I took a sip of my wine and let what he was saying to me sink in. I could feel him eyeing me closely, and I lifted my head to meet his gaze. “But who takes care of you, Julian?” I asked.
He let out a long sigh. “When you show me that you trust me enough to lean on me, you’re taking care of my needs. You wanted me to be honest and open up to you. Well this is me being honest. I need those I love to lean on me.”
My heart suddenly swelled when I realized what he was saying to me. “Are you tell me that you’re– ”
“In love with you,” he finished, his features darkening, and his eyes fervent. I started shaking. My eyes were glued to his, and understanding passed between us. I saw him swallow hard, and his usually impassive face contorted with strong emotion. He loved me. Julian McGregor was in love with me. I felt my throat constrict painfully, and then tears started welling up in my eyes.
Then the words came out of my mouth without any hesitation. “I love you, too Julian,” I choked out, my voice trembling. He let out a long, shuddering breath, then growled, and took a swift step toward me. Then he swooped me up into his arms. He clenched his fist in my hair and sealed my mouth with his. My lips trembled beneath him, and then my whole body shook in his arms.
“I’m taking you upstairs,” he said, his soft, warm breath gusting against my face.
“What about dinner?” I asked, gesturing toward the spread on the table.
“Dinner can wait,” he said. “This can’t.”
Julian carried me upstairs, and placed me gingerly on the bed. He stood over me, staring at me for a long moment, his eyes soft, and lingering over every inch of me. Then he started gently, reverently undressing me, taking off my lace dress, then my bra and panties. I kneeled up on the bed and hungrily reached with my lips for his mouth. We pressed our lips hard against each other, and then our tongues were entwined, thrusting into each other’s mouths first playfully, then with wanton abandon, both of us moaning and urgently pulling ourselves closer. My need to feel his hard, muscular chest against me was overwhelming.
Acting on my needy impulse, I ripped open his linen shirt, sending the buttons flying. Julian chuckled slightly, then help me slide him out of his shirt. I rubbed my hands ravenously up and down his ripped chest, then pressed my lips to it, creating a long, slow trail of my mouth from his stomach down to his crotch. As I started unbuttoning his khakis, I could see his cock was already hard and straining against the material of his shorts. With a few gruff movements, I slid down his shorts, letting them pool at his feet, and then his magnificent cock was in my hand.
I fisted him at the root, and started working my hand up and down his shaft. He made a moaning noise, and his face tensed up with ferocious lust. I stared up at him as I vigorously worked his cock, watching his eyes close, listening to his breathing become labored and rapid, and reveling in the power I had to please him. As he writhed with pleasure in my hands, I slid from the bed to the floor, and started flicking my tongue against the crown of his length. He tasted salty and hot, and I was impatient for more of him. When I took him into my mouth, my jaw eagerly opened wide to receive him. He let out a low growl, and started thrusting into me. Still fisting him at the root, I took him to the back of my throat, delighting in every plunge of his cock into my hot and quivering mouth. When I felt the first squirt of precum, I quickly licked it up and moaned against him, sending a vibration through his cock that made him gasp. He reached down for my breasts and started tugging and rolling my nipples, sending heavenly jolts of ecstasy coursing through my body.
“I’m going come. Into your hot little mouth,” Julian grunted. I started working my jaw harder, sliding my mouth furiously up and down his shaft. Julian kept thrusting, faster and faster, until he finally exploded into my mouth, his hot, salty cum splattering in the back of my throat. I reveled in the taste of him, reveled in the fact that I could do this to him. Make him cum this long and hard. When I’d finally sucked him clean, he lifted me up from my knees and pressed me against his chest. His whole body was trembling, and he squeezed me tightly to him. “God, Sarah,” he said. “You’re fucking incredible. An absolute dream come true.”
I moaned against him and whispered, “You are too, Julian. You’re just too good to be real.”
Julian pulled back to look at my face, and his eyes were tender and reverent, sending warmth flooding through me. “This is real, Sarah,” he said. “And I’m not going anywhere. I love you, and I’m going to take good care of you.”
I felt my lower lip start to tremble. When Julian saw my reaction, his eyes filled with heat, and he leaned into me, and gently took my lip between his teeth. I whimpered slightly as he parted my lips with his tongue, then dipped it in my mouth, taking long savoring licks. I laced my fingers through his hair, urging him closer. Julian slid his hands down along my waist, then cupped my buttocks, pressing my sex against his. I started rubbing myself shamelessly against him.
He groaned, and I felt his cock get hard again. “I can’t get enough of you,” he whispered into my ear, then lay me down on the bed, taking a nipple into his mouth. It instantly became hard again as he expertly circled the peak with his tongue, sending thrills through my body and making me ache for more. As I moaned and writhed beneath his touch, he plunged his finger inside me, gently thrusting in and out. “You’re so aroused,” he said, his eyes darkening. With one swift movement, he slid down off the bed so that his head was between my legs. He spread me wide open, and I heard his breath quicken. “I love looking at your hot little cunt,” he said, stroking my folds with his finger, running it up and down my clit, making me shiver with delight.
“Please, Julian,” I said, rolling my hips in response to his touch. He chuckled slightly, t
hen kissed my mound, gently but possessively.
“I’m going to take care of your beautiful cunt,” he said. “I’m going to pleasure it and savoring it.” Then he flicked his tongue hard against my clit, sending a sharp jolt of delight pulsing through me. I spread my legs wider, eager for him to take me. He chuckled triumphantly, then stroked my clit with long, sultry licks. I heard my breathing become ragged as he licked me harder, more insistently, bringing me close to the brink. He must have known when I was about to come, because each time I reached the threshold, he brought me back down again, showing me that he was in charge of my pleasure. In those moments, he owned my pussy, owned me, owned my desire, and he knew it and wanted to make sure I knew it too.
He pulled his mouth away and said, “This time I’m going to let you come, Sarah. You’re going to come just for me.” His licks at first were long and lingering. He teased me with his tongue, making my need tighten. Soon I was writhing, aching for release. Every stroke of his tongue was a delicious thrill that brought me maddeningly close to orgasm. When I was coiled as tight as I could get, he started flicking his tongue furiously, giving me the release I was ready to beg for. He finally sent me over the edge, and I pumped my hips against him as ecstasy roared through my veins.
When the last tremor passed through me, Julian slid up to me and started savoring my neck, waiting for my breathing to become more even. When I finally settled down, he pulled my back up against his warm chest, and started stroking my hair. I snuggled into him, reveling in the feel of his strong arms enveloping me, caging me in, holding me close. “I want to spend every night like this,” he whispered in my ear. I twisted around in his arms and smiled up at him.
“I’m addicted to you,” I said. “And there’s no way I’m going to be able to quit.”
Julian’s eyes sparkled with delight, and he started stroking my hair. “Good. Because I can’t quit you either. I don’t want to.” His expression became serious all at once. “There’s something I’ve been meaning to give you,” he said, gently pulling himself out of my arms and to his feet. He walked over to his antique dresser, pulled open a drawer, and started rummaging inside. A moment later he returned to the bed, and opened his fist. A key. My breath instantly caught in my throat. “This is for my place,” he said.
I had a vision of Megan coming over to return the key, and I instantly felt a flash of jealousy and apprehension. “Is that the one Megan returned?” I asked.
Julian shook his head. “No,” he said. “I had a new one cut. I’m superstitious that way. I don’t want anything that was Megan’s have a place in our relationship.”
I relaxed for a moment, but then suddenly the uncomfortable knot I’d felt in my belly while talking to Megan at the premiere returned. “Are you giving me this key as a substitute for you revealing yourself to me?” Julian gave me a peculiar look. “If that’s what this is, I don’t want it. I want you, Julian. And I want to know everything about you. I don’t want access to your house. I want access to your thoughts and feelings.”
Julian’s eyes lit up with understanding, and he sat down on the bed and started massaging slow circles in my bare back. “This isn’t a substitute, Sarah. Think of it more as a symbol. This key is symbolic of me wanting to share my life with you.”
My heart swelled at his words, and I felt a strong pressure in my throat. This wasn’t actually happening. It couldn’t be. This was exactly what I had craved. True intimacy. Julian wanted to share all of himself with me. His free hand was resting on the bedspread, open, the key lying in its palm. I tentatively reached for the key, then grabbed it decisively. Julian grinned, and his eyes flashed with joy. He pulled me into his lap and pressed his lips to mine, drawing me into a long, urgent kiss.
He pulled back, and, cupping my cheeks in his hands, he tilted my face up toward him. His eyes were dark and earnest. “I want you to move in,” he said. I felt a twinge of apprehension, and lowered my eyes. I loved that Julian wanted me to come and go freely, but I wasn’t sure if I was ready to live with him full time. He tilted my chin up toward him again so that our eyes met. “I can see you’re not ready yet,” he said, his voice full of disappointment, “but I’m willing to wait, Sarah. Take as much time as you need to think this over. If you only want to come over for a few nights a week at first, or just drop by on a random afternoon, I’m okay with that.” He looked at me tenderly, and brushed his lips against mine. “I just want you to know that I am ready. I’m ready to take the next step with you.”
Again warmth flooded through me, followed by another twinge of doubt and jealousy. “Did you want Megan to live with you, too? Or did you just give her the key for convenience?” As soon as the words were out of my mouth, I instantly regretted them. I just proved to myself that I was the one with the problem. I wasn’t ready to let go of the betrayal by a man in my past. I was still making Julian pay for Rob’s mistakes. But Julian didn’t get angry. I saw patience and understanding register on his face, and then his eyes coaxed mine to meet his. When our eyes locked, he peered deep into mine, his gaze full of honesty and earnestness.
“I never asked Megan to live with me,” he said, stroking my cheek. “In fact, I’ve never asked any woman to live with me before. This is a first for me, Sarah. It just feels right.”
My throat tightened again, and this time I couldn’t keep the tears from welling up. Julian saw them, and his eyes filled with tenderness. He kissed me gently and wiped the tears from the corners of my eyes. I tried to speak, to tell Julian how much he meant to me, but my throat closed up, and the tears started spilling freely. Julian continued to wipe away the tears, and kiss me fervently. My whole body started trembling, and he pulled me tightly to him, caressing my back. His touch was so soothing, and after a while I regained control over myself. I pulled away slightly, feeling embarrassed. The moment was too much, too overwhelming, and I needed a break from all of the intensity. I sat there for a moment just looking at Julian, taking in his perfectly sculpted face and fiercely intelligent eyes, when I heard my stomach grumble. Loudly. Julian chuckled and rubbed his hand over my stomach. “Someone’s hungry,” he said. “Let’s get dressed and go eat.”
Julian found me a pair of boxers and a t-shirt, and we made our way downstairs to the kitchen. As we passed by the breakfast table on the way out to the courtyard, I heard a phone ringing. It was coming from my bag. Without thinking, I rummaged in my purse and pulled it out. Julian snapped it right out of my hand. “No. We said no cell phones this weekend.” He looked at the call display and frowned. Then he powered off my phone and placed it on the kitchen counter.
I bit my lip and shifted from foot to foot. “What if it’s important?” I said.
Julian’s eyes became intense. “Nothing’s more important than the two of us spending time together.”
A moment later, there was more ringing. This time it was Julian’s phone. He picked it up and looked furious when he saw the call display. “I’m sorry, Sarah. I have to take this one. And then I promise I’ll turn my phone off as well.”
Julian answered his phone impatiently, and then walked into the courtyard. I heard him listening for a long beat. When he finally spoke, his tone was icy. “No,” he said. “Absolutely not. Everyone deserves a break. And this is ridiculous. It’s nine-thirty on a Friday night. I’m sure it can wait til Monday.”
There was another beat of silence, and then Julian said, “I said no, and I meant it. You can deal with it yourself.” When he returned into the kitchen, he looked angry and irritated. He powered off his phone, then grabbed both of our cells and put them into a cabinet. “There,” he said, his voice decisive. “That takes care of that.” Then his expression softened, and he moved toward me, pulling me into an embrace. “Now where were we?” he asked, his voice taking on the husky tone that always gave me shivers.
“Who was that?” I asked. Irritation briefly registered on his face, and then he waved whatever it was away with his hand.
“Just business,” he said, sl
iding his hands to my waist. “Nothing that can’t wait ‘til Monday.”
I nodded, satisfied with his answer. Then my stomach rumbled again.
“The girl is hungry,” he said, squeezing my waist. “It’s time she got fed.”
The rest of the weekend turned out to be exactly what both of us needed. The next day we got up late, had a fantastic waffle brunch on Ocean Front Walk, and then went surfing. I taught Julian a few of my moves on the board, and he quickly caught on. He was too tall and muscular to get any air off the waves, but what he lacked in acrobatics, he certainly made up for in sheer power. He effortlessly weaved across the waves, taking their curls at difficult, dangerous angles.
Saturday night, Julian took me out on his yacht. We drove to Marina del Rey, and walked down to his boat. It was big, sleek, and white on the outside, with a beautiful marble floored living space below deck that featured a black leather couch and an antique breakfast table. The bedroom contained birds-eye maple cabinets, and a large eighteenth-century Portuguese bed. We spent most of the night in that bed, making passionate love to each other. By now, we’d gotten to know each other’s body’s well. We knew each other’s arousal triggers, we knew exactly how close the other was to getting off. But we’d also gotten to know each other’s emotional triggers.