Chasing Julia (Rhode Island Romance #2)

by Sophia Renny

  “Too much champagne?” Julia said with a feeble attempt at humor. “Still feeling a little scared?”

  “Snap out of it!”

  Julia’s laughter carried an underlying tenor of dread. “He’s going to be so angry when he finds out that I’ve left.”

  “No doubt. He’s going to be kicking down your door as soon as he gets back in town.”

  Julia worried her lip. “I’ll call him from Los Angeles.”

  During their two hour layover at Los Angeles International Airport, Julia placed six calls to Tony’s cellphone. All of them went straight to voicemail. On the sixth call, she finally left a message. After taking a deep breath, she said, “I’m okay. I’m on my way back to Providence. Call me.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  There were no messages on her phone when the plane landed at T.F. Green the following morning. After Hannah dropped her off, Julia swung by the office before heading up to her apartment. Her two assistants were surprised to see her, not expecting her back until Tuesday. She asked them if there’d been any calls from Tony Rossetti, but the answer was no. Too anxious to sleep, she took a quick shower and donned a fresh outfit before returning to the office and diving into a stack of invoices in a vain attempt to get her mind off of Tony.

  The day dragged. She kept one eye on her phone, the other on the door, expecting to see him barrel in at any second.

  Five o’clock came and went. She sent her staff home. She called his cell again, but it was still going straight to voicemail. Finally, in desperation, she called Hannah.

  “He’s back,” Hannah told her calmly, cutting into Julia’s questions. “He called me around three o’clock. I thought he was going to call you.”

  Julia collapsed into her chair. “Why did he call you?”

  “To ask if we were back.”

  “He hasn’t called me. Why hasn’t he called me?”

  “I don’t know, hon.” Hannah’s tone was reassuring. “I’m sure you’ll see him real soon. I’m guessing he’d rather talk with you in person than over the phone, right?”

  “Maybe. Did he sound upset?”

  “No. It was strange. He sounded very calm.”

  Hearing this worried Julia even more. Calm was the total opposite of how she imagined Tony would be feeling. “Okay. Well, I’m glad he’s back safe and sound. I guess I’ll wait until he comes over.”

  “I’m sure he’ll be over soon.”

  But he didn’t show. Julia managed to keep awake until just after eleven o’clock when she’d finally succumbed to exhaustion and crashed on the couch.

  She awoke with a heavy heart and a sense of dread. The first thing she did was check her phone for messages. There were none.

  A busy workday loomed. She had three client meetings today and a venue inspection. She was swamped. She’d try reaching him again after work.

  At five o’clock, there was still no word.

  Julia sat at her desk and stared blankly into space.

  She had expected him to come after her. She’d expected him to come hammering on her door, demanding entrance and an explanation. A secret part of her had yearned for that, the heat of a confrontation, the agitation and excitement he aroused inside of her.

  But why should he come? Hadn’t he already proven himself to her?

  Was he simply giving her the time and space she’d asked for in the first place? Or, had he given up on her and was already starting the process for an annulment or divorce?

  The latter speculation wrenched her heart and filled her with panic.

  She was over the fact that he was Joe’s brother.

  She was over the fact that he was almost six years younger.

  He wasn’t a rebound guy.

  He was the real deal.

  She loved him. She loved him more than she’d loved anything or anyone in her life.

  She called his cell one last time. No answer. She tried Joe’s phone. No answer. She called their company’s answering service. The operator informed her that Tony was on a jobsite.

  “Do you know where?”

  “I don’t have an address. It’s in Cumberland.”

  Cumberland. Maybe he was working on his new house.

  Their new house.

  She was his wife.

  God, she was such an idiot. She’d been wasting so much time.

  She closed up the office and rushed upstairs to take a shower. She shaved her legs and powdered and moisturized her body. Lingerie went flying around the room as she searched for the sexy bra and matching panties she’d purchased on a whim a month before. Then she threw on a pair of jeans and the pink sweatshirt he liked, packed an overnight bag and headed out the door.

  Although it was just after six o’clock when she reached Cumberland, it was already dark out and there was a crisp chill in the air; autumn had officially arrived in New England. As she made her way up the drive, her car headlights swept across Tony’s truck parked in front of the garage. The front porch light was on, casting a welcoming glow.

  Her heart leapt out of her chest when the door suddenly opened and Tony stepped onto the porch. He hesitated for a moment before striding down the front path towards her car. He opened her door.

  “Julia.”

  “Hello.”

  “What are you doing here?”

  She swallowed a couple of times, heart in her throat. She looked up at his stern, forbidding face. Her smile wobbled. “Is that any way to greet your wife?”

  He leaned in to push the release on her seatbelt. Then he hauled her out of the car. He latched his hands on her shoulders and held her away from him as he searched her face with narrowed eyes. “Do you want to be my wife?”

  She lifted her chin. Her smile widened with confidence. “Yes. Always.”

  “Good.” His tone was curt. He removed his hands from her shoulders and jerked his chin towards the front door. “Now get in the house. And get in our bed.”

  She released a shaky laugh. “Not a man of many words tonight, are you.”

  He took her arm and spun her around to face the house. He smacked her bottom. Hard. “Go. I’ll be right behind you.”

  In a heady daze, she walked towards the front door. Halfway up the path, she came to an abrupt halt. She pivoted around, finding him inches away. His body heat radiated from him in waves. A muscle ticked in his jaw as he scowled down at her. “Aren’t you going to carry me over the threshold?” she asked.

  The cold, severe edges of his expression melted away. A warm, fiercely tender light entered his eyes. He slowly shook his head. “Goddammit, Julia Rossetti. You make it impossible for me to stay angry with you.”

  Without another second of hesitation, he swept her up into his solid arms and strode into the house. He kicked the door shut behind them and then proceeded up the stairs, two steps at a time.

  Julia looped her arms around his neck. Possessiveness, hot and sharp, blazed inside of her as her gaze traveled across his features. This man was her husband. “When did you move in?” she asked, her voice trembling with excitement.

  “Escrow closed today,” he said, not one bit out of breath as he reached the upper landing. “My crew helped me move everything in. In fact, I was just putting the bottom sheet on our bed when I heard you drive up.”

  She tweaked the comma of soft hair at his nape. “Perfect timing.”

  He pushed open the door to the master bedroom.

  A king-size mahogany sleigh bed stood in the corner.

  “Nice bed,” Julia said breathlessly.

  “Thought you might like it.”

  He strode towards the bed and tossed her into the center of it. Her body gave a little bounce on landing.

  “Ooh, nice mattress. Firm but not too firm. I like it.”

  “Take off your clothes.”

  She held his gaze, her blood sizzling at the promise that burned in eyes, the promise of every deliciously wild and wicked thing she ached for. She shivered. “It’s a little chilly in here,” she said in a sult
ry, teasing voice. She eyed the fireplace where a pile of fresh kindling was waiting to be ignited. “Did the previous owners do that?” She nodded at the pre-made fire.

  “I did.” A corner of his mouth twitched. “Stalling?”

  “Not at all. I just remember you saying how much you’d enjoy snuggling with your wife in this room while a fire crackled in the background.”

  “So I did.”

  He opened the glass doors to the fireplace, struck a match and set the kindling alight. He waited a few moments until the flames grew stronger. Then he closed the doors and stood up.

  He tossed a down comforter on the foot of the bed. “For later,” he murmured.

  He kicked off his shoes. Then he began to unbutton his shirt. “Hurry up,” he ordered. “Get naked.”

  She tugged off her sweatshirt and tossed it in the corner. “I love it when you get all bossy like that.”

  One dark eyebrow arched. “Do you? I thought you didn’t like it when I get all—what did you call it?—he-man bully.”

  She toed off her sneakers and rolled off her socks. They followed the same trajectory as the sweatshirt. “I was lying to myself.”

  He removed his shirt and dropped it to the floor. His eyes lingered on her purple satin and lace bra. “That’s a very pretty bra.”

  She trailed her fingers along the left shoulder strap and down to the demi cup. She touched the place where her nipple was poking against the satin. “Isn’t it? I was thinking of you when I put it on.”

  “Take it off.”

  “Yes, sir.” She reached behind her to undo the fastenings. Slowly, very slowly, she let the bra fall away from her breasts.

  He reached for the buttons of his jeans. “I’m only this way with you, Julia. I can’t help myself. I want to claim you, put my mark on you. You make me wild.”

  He brushed the knuckles of one hand along the rigid outline of his erection as if to emphasize his declaration.

  She followed the motion of his hand with avid interest. Her mouth parted on a breath of anticipation. “You make me wild, too. I’ve never felt this way before.” She lifted her eyes back to his face.

  He stepped closer to the bed, the intensity of his gaze making her body sing. “You’ve always been the good girl, the perfect friend, the perfect daughter. But I’ve sensed for a long time that there were darker passions burning inside of you.”

  She threw her bra aside and rose up on her knees. Her gaze returned to his fingers. He’d undone the top two buttons of his jeans. She licked her lower lip. “Come closer. Let me do that.”

  He moved to the side of the bed until his thighs brushed the edge. He swallowed visibly, and his eyes went half-hooded as she inched closer to him and cupped his crotch.

  “Oh, my,” she murmured.

  His startled laugh sank into a groan of pleasure as her knuckles brushed along his naked groin. Julia kept her eyes on his as her fingers undid the rest of the buttons. She watched his eyes widen and the pupils dilate as she tucked her hand inside his briefs and wrapped her palm around the base of his penis.

  “Baby,” he breathed. “You sure?”

  “Very sure.” She slid her hand slowly, teasingly along his length before bringing both hands to the waistband of his jeans and briefs and tugging them down with unveiled impatience.

  He helped her shove his clothing down to his knees. His penis arched up towards his flat stomach, fully aroused, the purplish head glossy.

  This was hers, Julia thought. All hers. She was going to enjoy playing with it, loving it. A sense of daring and adventure filled her as she thought of all the pleasure she could give him as she mapped the intriguing topography of his body. She slid her hands slowly up his lean torso, fingers sifting through the light matt of hair on his chest. She lowered her head and took him into her mouth.

  “Holy…Sweet…Jesus,” Tony hissed between his teeth as she tasted and nibbled and sucked.

  For a while, there wasn’t any sound in the room other than his harsh, staccato breaths and gasps of pleasure.

  When she cupped his testicles, he brought his hand to her head, fingers tugging at her hair, pulling her away. “As good as this feels, baby, that’s all I can take right now. I want to be inside of you when I come.”

  Julia sat back on her haunches. She wiped her hand across her mouth as she watched him kick off his jeans and remove his socks. When he bent over, the bulbous head of his penis grazed his concave bellybutton.

  Feeling desperate to have him inside of her, she hurriedly unzipped her jeans and flopped onto her back so she could remove them. She felt his hands cover hers as he took over the task. The jeans went flying. Tony dragged her forward to the edge of the bed and placed his hot palm on the crotch of her panties.

  “They match your bra,” he murmured with appreciation.

  She wiggled her hips. “Take them off.”

  “Oh, I plan to. And I plan to buy you lots of matching bra and panty sets. A different color for every night of the week.”

  “You mean you don’t want me waiting at the door for you each night stark naked? I thought that might be more your style.”

  His eyes glowed with laughter and desire. “Where’s the thrill in that? Undressing you will be half the pleasure.”

  He trailed a finger slowly along her crotch, outlining her mound, and then pressed down along the center crease. “Feels a little damp under there,” he teased.

  She arched her hips off the bed. “Take them off and find out just how wet I am for you.”

  He quickly complied.

  He dropped to his knees on the floor, set his hands under her bare bottom and tugged her forward until her bottom rested on the very edge of the bed with her legs dangling. “Spread your legs.”

  She did.

  He tugged gently at the patch of downy blond hair between her legs. “You’re so pretty.”

  She giggled at the masculine appreciation and wonder in his voice. “Thank you.”

  And then she closed her eyes, her neck arching as he put his mouth on her. His questing tongue laved her soft folds, delved inside her channel, licked its way to her swollen clit. He sucked that tiny bundle of nerves into his mouth at the same time that his hands found and squeezed her breasts.

  Julia cried out, canting her hips off the bed as she surrendered to an orgasm that engulfed all of her senses.

  When the room stopped spinning, she found herself fully on the bed and Tony above her, his legs between hers, pushing her thighs further apart. He braced his upper body on his hands as he bent his head to take her mouth. It was a soft kiss at first, a kiss of gratitude and promise. Then the kiss caught on fire and burned fierce and hot.

  She was out of breath and hungry when he pulled back. He wrapped his big hand over the top of her head, compelling her to meet his piercing eyes. “I want you looking at me when I come into you,” he whispered with burning urgency. “I want you saying my name.”

  She could only nod, too overcome to speak. She brought her hands to his lower back, slid her fingers down to grasp his taut buttocks. She felt the head of his penis touching the crease of her inner thigh. She arched into that hard, hot pressure, sharp currents of need racing up her spine.

  “Julia,” he breathed as he slowly entered her.

  She drew a breath, her mouth agape as he pushed deeper. “Tony,” she whispered.

  “Louder,” he urged. “Say it louder.”

  “Tony.”

  His jaw scraped against her cheek. His mouth brushed her ear. “Who am I?”

  “My husband.” She undulated her hips, lifting, circling, luring him in deeper and deeper until he was completely inside of her, stretching her, filling her. “Tony.”

  “Julia,” he panted. “My wife.”

  She slid her arms up his smooth back and clutched his shoulders, pulling herself against him, rubbing her tender breasts against his chest. He lowered himself to his elbows, the tempo of his thrusts increasing. And then he rested his body fully on hers as he slid
his hands down to cup her bottom and lift her into his grinding hips.

  She loved the sounds he made as he plunged into her—low, soft grunts that were interspersed with shaky sighs that sounded almost like laughter resonating from deep in his chest.

  He buried his face against her neck, his breath coming in hot, rapid pants against her skin. He enveloped her completely, filled her completely.

  If she could crawl inside of him, she would. She’d never felt this closeness, this total unity. “Tony,” she said again as she brought her hands to the back of his head.

  She felt the pressure building deep inside of her, her body quickening in preparation for release. She wanted him with her when she reached her peak. “I’m close,” she breathed in his ear.

  He reared his head back, his eyes seeking hers. At the same time, he snaked his hand between their bodies, his thumb landing unerringly on her swollen clit. He rubbed. “Come with me, baby,” he murmured.

  Her fingers fisted in the short strands of his hair. Her mouth fell open on a silent gasp as she convulsed against him and around him. A groan came from low in his chest as he thrust deeply, once, twice and then held still as he released his hot seed deep inside of her. She wrapped her legs around his hips, milking him dry as he bucked through the aftershocks and panted hot gasps against her face.

  He brought his arms around her head, cradling her as he collapsed fully against her, his chest rising and falling with the force of his breathing, his sweat-slick skin glued to hers. She was breathing just as hard. She smoothed her hands up and down his back.

  A shudder rippled through him and he twitched inside of her. “Julia,” he groaned, replete.

  “Tony.”

  She closed her eyes.

  He was still inside of her as they both sank into a sated sleep.

  Chapter Fifteen

  She awoke to feel him flexing slowly inside of her, his penis fully engorged. She opened her eyes to find him braced above her, his hips between her thighs, one hand fisted in the bed sheet, the other lazily playing with her breasts.