by Hilary Wynne
My arm has fallen asleep so I need to move it. I pull away from Julian and he doesn’t stir. I get out of bed as gently as possible and get dressed. I turn off the lights, get back into the bed, snuggle up next to him and pull the covers over us. Julian’s breathing is heavy, indicating he’s fallen into a deep sleep. Even so, he reaches for me and pulls me close. I hope my nearness brings him the same comfort in his sleep that his does for me. I close my eyes and join him.
The scratchy feeling of Julian’s beard on my stomach wakes me up from a deep, dreamless sleep. I feel his warm breath on my belly right before he kisses it just south of my belly button. The next kiss I feel is on my breast right before he takes my nipple in his mouth and suckles it. I arch my back and raise my body to meet his mouth, immediately wanting more. A relaxed moan escapes as I’m brought out of my sleep by his tantalizing touch. Mmm. The things he’s doing with his mouth are waking up each inch of my body. I lay still as Julian gently slips my clothes off. It’s very dark in my room and I can only see his silhouette illuminated by the moonlight peeking in through my blinds. I’m grateful for this. I don’t know if I want to see his face, his eyes. I didn’t like the way they were looking at me earlier and I just want to get lost in the sensation of his touch. I just want to feel him.
Julian’s kisses don’t stop at my breasts and he starts a journey upward, kissing every part of my chest and neck that’s available to him. His breath is warm and his lips and tongue are soft and moist. By the time his mouth finally reaches mine, I’m so aroused I grab his face and deepen the kiss. I want to breathe in this moment because right now he’s my Julian. He kisses me back for a moment and then pulls away. He places his mouth next to my ear. His voice is tender and apologetic.
“I’m so, so sorry about earlier, baby. I’ll never, ever make you feel like that again. You’re so precious to me, Lexie. So precious. I want to make love to you. Is that okay with you? Can I make love to you?”
His words melt my heart along with any reservations I have about moving forward. He has forgiven me for everything I’ve done and I have no problem with forgiving him this. I turn my head so his lips brush up against mine and I breathe the word into his mouth, “Yes.”
His lips slide over mine and he dips his tongue in for a moment before he leaves me breathless. While his mouth moves across the top half of my body, his hands move between my legs. Julian spreads them open as he positions himself next to me. When his long fingers feel the slickness he has brought about with his touch, he groans erotically.
“Mmm. You’re so wet. God I missed touching you.”
He finds a rhythm that soon has me squirming beneath his touch as he slides his finger over my sensitive clit and into my sex. With one hand I grip the rumpled sheet next to me and with the other I grab the back of Julian’s head and pull his mouth down to mine. Our mouths greedily move against each other and when I feel the climax that has been building start to race through my body, I can’t help but bite down on Julian’s lower lip. He pulls back slightly and I see a flash of his white teeth and sexy smile break across his face. His voice is raspy and seductive when he speaks.
“Not so hard, Corazón, my mouth isn’t done with you yet.”
I giggle a little. “I’m sorry. I can’t be held accountable for my actions when you’re making me come.”
“It’s okay. I love watching you and feeling you come. It’s the fucking sexiest thing I’ve ever seen. I want you to let go, Lexie. I want you to enjoy every second of me loving you.”
“I’m enjoying every second of having you next to me again. I love you, Julian. But, I’m not going to let go. I’m going to hold on this time. Trust me, I’m never going to let go again.”
I know that isn’t what he meant when he told me to let go, but it felt right to tell him what I did. I’m not letting go of him, of this, ever again and I want and need him to believe that.
Julian rolls over so he’s half way on me, presses his forehead to mine, and whispers, “Those are beautiful words, baby. Trust me, you’re going to need to hold on because I’m just getting started here.”
I giggle again. “Those are beautiful words.”
As Julian makes his way down my body, I literally shudder in anticipation of what’s to come.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Have you ever woken up one day and said, “Today’s the day I’m going to do (insert thing here)?” Well, I did, and the result is my first novel, Stay. I always thought of myself as a decent writer, and then a trip down memory lane through my ninth grade book of poetry confirmed it. I realize that I have always had a romantic side and a way with words. With support from my husband and kids (and an unspoken agreement to leave me alone for a few hours every night), I embarked on this incredible writing journey.
I’m originally from sunny Southern California and spent my summers in South Florida. I attended college at FSU and received my Masters in New Mexico. I finally settled in the Washington, DC area. My happy place has always been anywhere near the water.
When I’m not writing, I help run a business with my husband, watch an inordinate amount of sports (my kids play something 365 days a year), indulge my competitive spirit on the tennis court, and spend time with my awesome family and friends.
I feel so blessed that my love of books inspired me to finally do something that I forgot I had always dreamed about doing.
My someday has arrived!
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
It’s hard to believe that I’m writing another acknowledgment page so soon but as I do I can clearly see everything that has changed and everything that has stayed the same since I began this incredible journey.
To my family – are you sick of me telling you how awesome I think you are for getting behind this and supporting me yet? It’s true…every word. I have the best husband, kids, sisters, brothers, aunts, cousins, and parents a girl could ask for. Thank you!
To my original beta readers – Michele, Lisa & Heather – thank you for being as excited as me as I continue to travel down this path. Knowing I have you by my side is priceless. Thanks for making the reading of Hold On a priority in your busy lives and for always giving me your honest opinions and helpful feedback. Because you’ve been with me from the beginning you’ve had the extra burden of seeing me through all the highs and lows. It isn’t always pretty and I appreciate that you are there when I need you.
To my newer beta readers – Laura - Kelly & Bonita – I did good when I asked you to read Hold On! Your insights helped me make the book the best it could be. I can’t tell you how much I’ve enjoyed our passionate discussions about Julian, Lexie and Luke. Some of them got pretty intense. :-)
To Polly – You jumped in again to give it a last set of eyes. It’s so important…thank you!
To Bronwyn & Alex at Standoutbooks – Thank you so much for your support, advice, friendship and belief in my writing. I really wouldn’t be where I am in this process without your help. I’m so glad to have you on my team.
To Tyrone Wells and Ross Copperman – Thank you for allowing me to use your lyrics in Hold On. Music is so important to me and to this book, and I can’t tell you how much I appreciate you letting me share yours. I love it and know my readers will too!
To all the bloggers out there who have helped introduce me and my work to the romance community – you guys are awesome. Your passion for reading and your general love of books makes things so much better for authors. I appreciate every opportunity you’ve given me on your sites.
Finally – to all the readers who read Stay and fell in love with Julian and Alexa’s story – there are no words to describe how amazing it feels to hear your comments, read your reviews and see how excited you were for Hold On to come out. You make this all worth it and this one is for you!
FURTHER INFORMATION
If you enjoyed Hold On please consider leaving a review at the store at which you purchased it. This is the best way for you to show your support for the author and is the best way to hel
p new readers discover Hilary’s books.
Hold On is the second book in the Alexa Reed Series, if you would like to be the first to know when the next book in the series is published then sign up to Hilary’s email alert here:
http://www.hilarywynne.com/email-signup
Other books in the Alexa Reed Series:
#1 Stay
#2 Hold On
You can connect with Hilary here:
http://www.hilarywynne.com
https://www.facebook.com/HilaryWynneAuthor
http://www.pinterest.com/hilarywynne/
https://twitter.com/hilarywynne
https://plus.google.com/+Hilarywynne
Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chapter Thirty