He had probably imagined destitute situations for the lost Karen. Maybe a welfare recipient. Maybe a soup kitchen regular. But in no way could he have possibly imagined her real life—the daughter of a Mexican drug lord’s girlfriend, living in a shack in the middle of cartel territories, having once been as low as a beggar on the streets.
And now, instead of heartfelt reunion, all Cora had brought into Julian’s life was chaos and danger. God, he had almost been shot because of her!
But the absolute worst part was something even Cora did not want to admit to herself. But looking down at her hands as they gripped the hospital sheets, she knew she couldn’t deny the truth.
She no longer was Karen Denton.
She was Cora Rámon.
Maybe at some point, she had been Karen, the scared and scarred little girl.
But now she was Cora Rámon. She was the street urchin who had grown up around gangs and crooked cops and had saved enough pesos through blood, sweat, and tears to make a new life for herself in America. It was Cora Rámon who had made her way to New York and had gotten job after job till she rose incrementally up the working ladder.
And when Julian met her, it was Cora Rámon he had interviewed.
Not Karen Denton.
Cora sighed and leaned back against her pillow.
Who did Julian expect to pull out of this wreckage? Did he think that with the death of Carlos, Karen would magically reappear to replace Cora? When he flew back to New York, who did he think he would have with him?
Cora’s stomach twisted and sank a little.
She had a feeling it wasn’t her.
Seven
“Ah it’s Señor Benedict to see you!” the nurse said cheerily. It was clear all the nurses were quite smitten with this American businessman. Cora had caught a few of them tittering in wistful sighs as they saw how protectively Julian had watched over her.
Cora looked up and had her breath catch in her throat at the sight.
The nurse had suggested they walk about the small garden behind the hospital. After lying prone in a coma for several days, Cora’s muscles had badly atrophied. The nurses had taken turns in helping her walk to regain some muscle definition.
Today they had taken several slow turns around the modest garden before taking a much needed break on a bench.
Cora looked up from her rest at the mention of Julian’s name though.
And in front her, came strolling virile masculinity itself.
Tall, broad shouldered, and a face that spoke of a man who always made sure to get things the way he wanted when he wanted it—it made Cora’s heart jump in joy and ache in longing at the same time.
His presence felt so large and encompassing, he seemed to fill up the entire garden with his strength. Just seeing him, Cora felt stronger.
She gave him a small smile.
Julian grinned and gave her a roguish wink, making Cora’s heart leap like a jumping bean.
For days Julian had sported rough stubble that was crossing into beard territory as he stood over Cora’s hospital bed, murmuring words of love and encouragement for her to pull through.
Now he had cleaned up and put on a fitted suit. The man sliced through the humdrum Mexican town like a steel cut blade.
“How’s the patient doing?” Julian asked the nurse in perfect Spanish.
The nurse beamed, patting Cora’s arm. “Oh just fine! She’s walking with a lot more strength now.” The nurse paused and looked up and asked with hesitant foreboding, “Cora has been discharged. Will you be leaving with her soon?”
Julian nodded. “That’s why I’m here.”
The nurse’s face fell. This would be a huge blow to the hospital’s entire female staff.
Cora tried to smother her smile.
But not fast enough for Julian. Raising a brow in her direction, Julian then leaned down towards the small nurse and gave her a kiss on the cheek. “I can’t say how thankful I am for the care you and the entire staff have given my Cora,” he said, making sure to give the nurse the full benefit of his warm gaze. “I sincerely appreciate it,” he added huskily.
Cora had never seen a woman melt before but it was quite a sight.
The nurse quivered and a slow but bright blush crawled up her neck towards her cheeks. Uttering a high nervous tittering laugh, the nurse playfully slapped Julian’s arm.
Cora couldn’t hide her smile this time around.
She couldn’t blame the nurse. Who wouldn’t blush and melt when faced with the likes of Julian Benedict?
The nurse kissed Cora’s cheeks and wished her well on her return to America then returned back inside, leaving Cora and Julian alone in the garden.
After a beat of silence, Cora looked up. “Are we heading back?”
Julian sat down next to her on the bench. Easily taking her hand into his, he nodded. “I have a plane waiting to take us home.”
Cora bit her lip. Home. Was it really as simple as that?
Julian studied her. “Cora,” he said, “did you want to stay in Mexico a little longer?” His tone indicated that she would not be here alone if she said yes. It would be difficult but she was sure Julian would find a way to conduct his business from here.
Cora shook her head. No it wasn’t that….
Then suddenly it hit her. She suddenly realized what she wanted to do.
“Before we go home,” Cora said slowly, “I want to see that house….Our old house.”
Julian’s eyebrows rose at her request.
She had no way of knowing if the house was still there. Probably not. And she wasn’t sure if Julian would want to go back to a place of such negative memories. Cora bit her lip harder as she waited for Julian’s response.
But she didn’t have to wait long. Gently grabbing her chin, Julian swiped his thumb against her lower lip, pulling it free from her teeth.
“Okay,” he said. “Let’s go.”
Eight
Julian had parked down the street. “Do you think you can walk the rest of the way there?”
Cora looked out the window. None of it looked familiar. Of course her memories of that previous life were quite shaky so she couldn’t say for sure. But nothing brought up even an inkling of familiarity.
Turning around, she nodded with a small smile. “Sure.”
So together, they walked side by side down a wide gravel path. Cora was positive this used to be a paved road. Could her memories be this bad? It wouldn’t be surprising since she had been trying to erase her childhood from a young age. But why would a residential area have a gravel road rather than paved?
Large trees lined either side of the road. This was a little more familiar. Upstate New York offered more sprawling nature than the city.
Cora was sure Julian had been puzzled by her request to visit the old house. But she was touched by how he had immediately agreed without questioning her motives.
The road turned and immediately opened up into a small clearing. What had once been a modest cul de sac now was a gravel clearing surrounded by large trees.
In the middle of the clearing stood only one house.
Their house.
“It’s still here,” Cora breathed in surprise.
Julian nodded. “It is.”
“Where are the other houses?” Cora looked around. It was odd to see the lone house standing by itself. It was as if the house stood in a bubble, enclosed by the trees.
Julian kicked at some of the gravel, hands in his pockets. He seemed a little reluctant to speak. “This area has been dead for awhile. Most of the homes had stood empty for years as bank-owned properties. A few years back, a property company wanted to buy out this tract of houses and tear them down to build some condos.” Julian shrugged. “As soon as I heard about the deal, I bought the land before they could.”
Cora looked puzzled. Julian was an impeccable businessman. Having worked as his personal assistant, she knew exactly how shrewd and tactical his business sense was. Why would he buy this huge
plot of land and do nothing with it?
“Then why is this the only hou—?”
“Because,” Julian interrupted, looking up at the house with an indecipherable expression, “it was the only link I had with you. The house was all I had of you, Cora.”
Cora’s throat immediately clenched. Cora remembered the pain, the violence Gloria had inflicted in that house. And then the neglect and self-indulgence Julian’s father must have wallowed in after Gloria’s disappearance….And yet Julian had kept the house despite all the pain because of her. Because of Cora.
No. Because of Karen.
“Julian,” Cora started, her throat thick with emotion, “I don’t know the pain you must’ve been through to find me.” How much had she ached to have a knight in shining armor to come rescue her? But she would not be so selfish to bring down her knight into the same quagmire she had been stuck in for years. “And I wish I could give you the girl you were looking for. I wish I could give you Karen. But I can’t.”
Cora’s voice broke. She looked down at her shoes. “I’ve lived a whole life as Cora that Karen never could’ve survived. And that’s good. Cora is not clean. She’s not good. And the last thing I’d want to do is ruin the memory you have of Karen.” A hot tear threatened to spill down her cheek. She hastily swiped at her eye, refusing to cry. “I’m not—”
Julian lifted her cheek. Cora tried to resist but his hand gently but firmly lifted her face to his. She looked up to see his shocked expression.
“Cora, you—” He stopped, unsure as to how to express himself.
Abruptly, he took her hand and led her around the clearing towards the back of the house. Behind the house stood a huge field that was forested with tall, slender young trees. They had been planted awhile back and were quietly growing into maturity. Soon, they’d be big and strong, covering the green field with dappled shade.
It was beautiful.
“This was never here,” Cora whispered, overcome by awe at the peaceful little forest.
Julian pulled her into the field, standing amidst the trees.
“That’s right,” he said. “It wasn’t.”
Taking both her hands, he looked up at the slim branches reaching out towards the sky, the light green leaves winking in the sunlight.
“Cora,” he said, turning his heartstopping gaze back towards her, “I never thought about Karen Denton for the past decade.” He pushed back a stray lock behind her ear. “I thought about the little girl who was stronger and braver than any ten year old needed to be. I thought about the young woman she had probably grown into. I thought about how unfair life had been to saddle her with so much baggage before she was strong enough to carry them. In other words,” he said, pinning her with eyes that only spoke the truth, “I thought about you. Not Karen. Not Cora. You.”
It felt as if her heart was being awashed by the warmest waters. Shivers of hopeful pleasure rippled down her spine.
“But you don’t want to deal with—”
“With what?” Julian asked. “With Gloria? With Carlos? With your past in Mexico? Cora, I’ve worked hard to make sure there’s nothing more in Mexico that can harm you. And what you lived through while there, that’s nothing to be ashamed about. I’m amazed by you. And now that I’ve found you, I hope I can give you a life deserving of a woman as strong as you.”
He made a sweeping gesture towards the trees. “You’re like these trees, Cora. Trees are strong. They can’t be moved. They can’t be broken.”
Cora’s heart skipped a beat.
A memory streaked through her mind.
She remembered a bruised cheek. A cool roof. And the strong, secure arms of the only person who seemed to care about her.
“What did you do at school today? Anything fun?” he had asked, to take her mind off the pain and drama of the house.
“I drew a tree,” she had whispered.
“A tree? What kind of tree?”
“A big one. Big ones can’t be moved.”
“Why did you draw a big tree?” he had asked, puzzled.
“I want to be a big tree,” she had whispered, hugging her knobby knees. “If I was a big tree, I couldn’t be moved. I’d get to stay where I wanted and would be too big for someone to push me.” She had squeezed her eyes shut. “I want to be a big tree.”
Cora felt a breeze rustle through the forest, gently shaking the leaves making them rustle and whisper above her.
So many years had passed.
So much pain had been endured.
So many tears had been shed.
And yet, Julian had planted his hopes in the only place holding memories of her.
Letting the hot tears streak down her cheeks, she fell into his arms. “I love you, Julian.”
Nine
Cora had lifted her lips, needing for his touch.
Julian captured her mouth, aching with the same need. He kissed her roughly, nearly bruising her lips. She could feel his love searing across his body like a live wire. And for the first time in Cora’s life, she let herself melt into love’s warm embrace.
As soon as he felt her submit to his aching demand, his body ignited. He pulled away and took off his shirt, laying it on the soft grass. Lowering her onto the shirt, Julian took her lips again, plunging his tongue deep into her, capturing her every breath.
Cora ran her hand across his hard body, feeling the tight muscles shift and move as he held her. She could feel passion and love melt into one burning desire that made her whole body feel as if it was on fire.
Julian pulled up her skirt, allowing his hand free access to her growing wetness. His hand cupped her pussy, letting his heat only further her arousal. Slipping a finger beneath the thin panties, he stroked a finger hard against her swollen pussy.
Cora arched her back, moaning loudly. The trees rustled around her. She felt completely surrounded by his love. She felt held and pillowed by his strength, his power, his heart.
Julian gently bit her lower lip as he stroked her pussy. Cora could feel her skin tingling as pleasure rushed across her. Her body quickly rose to the wave Julian was creating within her.
Forking his fingers, he captured her swollen clit and pinched.
Cora threw her back and cried out in release as a quick and fast orgasm caught her body completely by surprise. But even as her nerves fired pleasure shots across her skin, her body’s appetite only seemed to grow in need.
She threw an arm around Julian’s neck. “I need to feel you inside me,” she whispered thickly. “I need you with me.”
Julian growled hearing her words. His only passion ignited beyond bearable, he immediately grabbed her flimsy panties and ripped them away. After so many years of searching, he had never thought to find more than a girl that would need his protection. But instead he had found a tenacious little pixie with the heart of a lion. In Cora, he had found his forever.
In one hard thrust, Julian sheathed himself to the root inside Cora’s warmth. Together, they groaned at the satisfaction they felt in joining. Slowly, Julian pulled out, letting every inch of his cock slide against Cora’s tightness.
He plunged back in, making Cora moan against his ear.
He looked down at the pixie who had stolen his heart. She looked into his eyes, tears wetting her lashes. “I love you, Cora,” he said, his voice harsh with emotion.
Cora nodded, tears falling down her cheeks.
Julian thrust in again, knowing their pleasure was just around the corner. He thrust again, loving the way Cora arched beneath him.
He captured her lips again, tasting her sweetness.
“Marry me,” he whispered against her lips.
The trees rustled loudly around them. The breeze blew warmly over their joined bodies. Cora never felt so right, so settled. So home.
“Yes,” she said, unable to stop tearily grinning. “Yes!”
Julian had never kissed someone while smiling but he couldn’t stop. He let their bodies ride their natural wave, letting each plunge bring
them closer to each other.
Finally Julian gave one hard final thrust, making both of them cry out in release as they felt their bodies spill into each other, making the other more complete than they had ever felt.
Foreheads resting against each other, they quietly breathed as they tried to regain their center.
Holding Cora tightly, Julian rolled onto his side, taking her with him. He kissed the space behind her ear and smiled as he felt her shiver in response. They laid together as the trees covered them in their dappled shade. No more words were necessary.
The whisper of the trees said it all.
I love you.
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The Billionaire's Step - Complete Series (Forbidden Billionaire Stepbrother Romance) Page 11