by Rosie Praks
Julian nuzzled my nape, then took out something from his pocket. I gaped, seeing the gold necklace with a rose pendent at its center.
“Then if you accept me and the start of our new relationship, could you wear this?”
“Julian, it’s beautiful.” I marveled at the stone. Despite hardly having any light to illuminate the stone, it still shone brightly, reflecting off the many streetlights around us.
“It will be more beautiful on you, my Kimberly.” Julian fastened the necklace around my neck.
I lay back to rest against his steel chest and played with the pendant. Julian’s baritone voice hit deep into my heart when he whispered into my ear, “No matter what happens in the future, just remember I will always love you.”
I tilted up my head and kissed him on the lips. “No matter what happens in the future, this Kimberly will always belong to you.”
Julian kissed me. His kiss was intoxicating, poisoning my system and making me weak with want. I needed him. I wanted him. But just when I was about to give myself to him, the sky opened up and rain poured on us.
We both ran, squealing and giggling until we got back to the apartment. We were both wet to the bones. That night, we took turns taking off our clothes and made sweet love under the stars until I was so exhausted I fell asleep in Julian’s arms.
Chapter 15
“You’re sick,” Julian declared the next morning when I didn’t wake up to get ready to go back to the hotel.
I didn’t even know I was sick. I was just tired. Maybe I overslept, but when I woke, Julian was sitting at the edge of the bed, a cool cloth over my forehead.
“And who is to blame but you, Julian? You took me out to dinner and made me walk back in the rain.” I removed the cloth from my forehead and snuggled under the blanket a bit more, not wanting to let go of this warmth. I didn’t want to go back to the hotel yet. It was so lonely there.
“Would you like to rest here today?”
How did he read my mind? That was exactly what I wanted to do. Rest in his bed all day.
I nodded my head and gave him a pout. “If you don’t mind.”
Julian cradled my cheek and kissed my pout, resting his forehead on mine. “Of course I don’t mind. I’m just happy being with you, Kimberly.”
“That’s because you’ve fallen in love with me,” I smartly replied, looking into his steel-grey eyes.
Julian shook his head, but a hint of a ghost smile played at his lips. He snuggled his head at the curve of my neck and shoulder and rested there, taking deep breaths as if he were calming himself down.
“Julian, what are you doing?” I asked, curious.
“Smelling you.”
I blinked, not understanding what he meant by this. “I haven’t had a shower yet. What is there to smell?”
“Your morning scent.”
“Don’t tell me you’ve never brought a girl home before. We all smell the same.”
“You’re the first one.”
I was the first one. I couldn’t say anything more. My heart was overwhelmed. I was Julian’s first woman brought to his home. And he’d confessed last night that he wanted to be in a serious relationship with me too. What more could I ask for in a boyfriend?
Julian’s face was still snuggled in my shoulder. I captured his head and brought his lips to mine.
“And this is what a woman kisses like early in the morning,” I said before giving him a kiss so passionate and sensual it made even my toes curl.
Julian was caught up in this sensual passion just like I was. We both kissed for the longest of time before we parted ways.
“You should rest. I have to go into work now. I should finish before three so I’ll come back here. I’ll take you out to dinner this evening.”
“That sounds nice.” I smiled.
“Breakfast is in the kitchen. Just heat it up in the microwave. Make yourself at home.” Julian gave me a kiss on the lips again and then left.
I breathed a sigh. Seven days to go before I had to head home. Right now, all I wanted to do was stay beside Julian.
My business trip here in Miami hadn’t produced much results in terms of Papa’s expectations, but my love life sure bloomed nicely. Thinking I might as well get some work done since I was to be holed up in Julian’s apartment for the duration of the day, I got out my tablet and started on that report again. I finished it sooner than I expected. Having nothing else to do, I explored his apartment.
Julian’s apartment was on the top floor of K apartment, one of the top luxurious apartments in the Miami. Which reminded me. How did he ever bring me here naked without having the security guard questioning his intentions? I shook my head and explored farther.
I found myself in Julian’s office. It was an immaculate space, a deep-grey tone throughout the interior. If I didn’t know Julian’s personality, I would have assumed whoever occupied this room would exude elegance and authority. Although Julian did showcase this personality, it was only during our sexual escapades. On a normal daily basis, Julian was usually his humble self, a complete contrast to the tone of this room. Maybe the interior designer got the wrong design.
I sat on the giant black swivel chair, overlooking the pristine golden beach of Mermaid Bay, the beach where we sat and talked about our future last night. I wondered how the future would pan out for us.
I sat on that chair for so long that by the time I got up to leave, my leg gave out. I collapsed onto the floor, taking along with me a pile of letters on Julian’s desk.
“Ahhh… sore,” I muttered before straightening my back. I leaned down to pick up the letters when a few caught my eyes.
These weren’t normal letters. These were bank account statements. Piles upon piles of bank account statements of money being transferred to a different offshore account. All under Josh’s name.
My hands shook. I was staring at evidence of money embezzlement from Devereux Enterprise.
I flipped through the statement quickly. They all stated the same thing, money being transferred from the Devereux business account to Josh’s private account. But then to compensate for that loss, funds from Julian’s private bank account were transferred to the Devereux’s account. On the last statement, a letter from someone named Barry Turnbull was attached. I read the letter with shaky hands.
Dear Mr. Julian Devereux,
As per your instruction, I have deposited a further $100,000 into the Devereux Company’s bank account. All matters regarding money being transferred out of your own account into the company account have been kept anonymous. If you would like me to make any further transactions on your behalf, please email me again.
Warm regards,
Berry Turnbull
Solicitor
I clamped the letter in my hand, heart in my throat.
Julian. What are you up to?
Chapter 16
As soon as Julian walked through the door, I shoved the solicitor’s letter right in his face. “What is the meaning of this?”
“You’ve been going through my stuff?” Julian snatched the letter from my hand and turned away.
“No, I have not been going through your stuff. But this… I found this by accident, and you better tell me what the hell is going on here.”
Muttering under his breath that he should have kept those documents in a more secured place, Julian turned away from me again.
Oh no. You are not getting away from me this time, Julian.
I dragged him to face me again.
“I heard that. And even if you hide them, I can still find them. Now tell me why you are hiding these documents.”
“I don’t want to talk about this.” Julian turned again.
“Not again, Julian. Stop acting like a jerk. This is serious business. If you want to have a relationship with me, you better speak up. I can’t tolerate you acting like this any longer.”
“You’re digging into secrets, Kimberly. And I would prefer it if you don’t. You’ll only get hurt.”
“Tell me what secret it is that would hurt me so deeply. Because right now, the only secret that will hurt me is if you betray me and sleep with another woman. And if it’s not that, then nothing will hurt me.”
Julian didn’t speak. Instead, he continued to stare out to the sea. After a minute of silence, I grew angrier.
“Ahhh, Julian, you frustrate me,” I shouted, marching to his alcohol cabinet and dumping a glassful of Pinot Noir, choking the whole thing down in one gulp. Then I poured another and gulped that one too. And then another and—
Julian took my glass away. I snarled at him.
“You don’t want to talk about whatever it is in that letter, and now you’re depriving me of alcohol too. How sweet, Julian. How sweet,” I sarcastically lashed out.
Somehow I found I wanted to hurt him too for the way he was always hiding things from me. Did he even care about me? What about last night? All those words about wanting to have a real relationship with me? Were they all lies?
“I can’t let you drink alcohol without food.”
“Oh, so you do care about me, then. Then why don’t you care to explain what the fuck is with that letter, then?”
“If I explain it, it will only hurt you. I don’t want to hurt you.”
“Stop saying the same things. The only thing hurting me is you. You’re hurting me right now, Julian. By not explaining what the hell is going on. You’ve been transferring your own money into the Devereux’s company account. Why? And why is Josh withdrawing money for his personal usage without consent?”
“What’s the point? Even if I explained it, nothing’s going to change.” He spat through gritted teeth.
“What’s the point?” I asked, my temper in the red. I couldn’t believe this. What a stupid question. I picked up my wine glass and stalked towards him. I just wanted to strangle his neck right there. I shouted back at him, frustrated, “The point is, Julian, that I am interested in where this money has disappeared to and whose bank account it disappeared into. We’re be joint partners in this new project and whatever is going on, my father will need to know. If Josh continues to withdraw money without consent, there’s no point in us forming a contract. And you have all the evidence. And from what I can see, you’re hiding it from the shareholders. So tell me why you’re doing this.”
“Because Josh is my brother.”
“For goodness sake, Julian. We’ve had this conversation already. I don’t care if he’s your brother. What I want to know is why you’re hiding it from the shareholders. If they find out you’re protecting Josh, you’ll be in big trouble. You are more than capable of handling this business. Why are you so adamant to put yourself down and let Josh gain all the recognition when in fact he’s the fraud? Just tell me that much.”
“Because there’s no point,” Julian said in exasperation, as if he’d already given up on this conversation, clamming himself shut from me. But I wasn’t going to let him off that easily.
I pushed him on. “There’s always a point to everything, Julian. Tell me.”
“For this particular point, it’s not worth discussing.”
“Julian!” God he frustrated me. I gripped my wine glasses until my knuckles turned white. I was so frustrated with him I ended up pacing back and forth around the room just to calm myself.
“You tell me right now or our relationship will end right here. Because from what I can see, this so-called secret of yours, which you implied will hurt me, has already hurt me because you bloody clammed your mouth shut. So just say the word.”
“Kimberly, you can’t be serious.”
“Oh, I’m serious all right, Julian. Whatever secret you’re hiding, it’s putting a wedge in our relationship. And unless it’s out in the open, our relationship can’t move on.” I didn’t want to threaten him, but in a relationship a couple needed to trust each other, and Julian, right now, was hiding something from me. And because he didn’t trust me, he wouldn’t tell me.
“Kimberly, don’t you get it? No matter what I do, I will not be recognized for my true worth. Even if I tell them, who would believe me?”
I gritted my teeth and shouted at him. “That’s because you don’t show them. This bloody evidence and your true worth.”
“No, it’s because I’m a bloody bastard, that’s why.”
My glass dropped. Red wine seeped into the grey carpeting like blood. Tension hung thick in the air. I looked up at Julian and blinked. “A bastard?”
Julian gritted his teeth, his eyes betraying the hurt he tried to hide. He suddenly lacked the energy to fight me. He slumped into his chair, shoving his fingers through his hair. “Yes, a bastard. The son of a mistress. The son who’s been kicked to the curb. This is the secret I’m trying to keep.”
“Julian.” I couldn’t make sense of this. “Julian,” I said again.
“You don’t have to look at me like that,” he said, his jaws clenching, fire piercing me through his stare.
What did I look like? What kind of expression did I show on my face? Pity? Like those shareholders who looked at Julian like he wasn’t capable of doing anything even though he was the elder brother?
“Julian, I don’t know what to say.” I was at a loss. I didn’t expect him to tell me he’s the bastard son of Beau. God, I didn’t even know Beau had a mistress.
“You don’t have to say anything, Kimberly.” Walking towards the door, Julian opened it. “If you want to leave, you can. Now that you know the truth.”
“Are you asking me to go?” I stormed towards him, my fury back in action.
“It’s up to you. You’re the one who said this secret of mine is putting a wedge in our relationship. And if you think my love for you isn’t strong enough, then you can leave. I can’t control you.”
I was simmering inside. How dare he ask me such a stupid question? My eyes bore into him, fire blazing from within.
“If you think I would leave you because of that one lousy reason, then I should definitely leave you because you’re a stupid fucking idiot. I let you have sex with me. I let you into my heart like no other man, and this is how you treat me. If I cared about where you come from, then I wouldn’t be here in the first place. Listen, Julian. I’m the kind of woman who loves a man for what he is, not his birthright. But it looks like you’re like all the other men. Thinking I’m just one of those rich bitchy heiresses who only want a rich guy for a hubby. Well, fuck you. I’m not. My love is stronger than that. Good-bye, Mr. Fucking Jul—”
I was dragged from the doorframe and pinned to the wall. Julian crowded my space, his nose just inches from mine. With haggard breath, he panted to me, “I’m not a fucking idiot. I want you. Goddamn, I want you more than my last fucking breath. I want to fuck you and take your heart out so it will only belong to me.”
“Then what are you waiting for? I’ve been yours from the beginning anyway,” I screamed back, bringing all my pent-up energy to the surface, my hurt and frustration.
There was silence between us then, like the silence before a storm. And then—
Julian ripped my dress, exposing my breasts. And before I knew it, we were both tearing at each other’s clothes as fast as we could manage. It was a primal need. Each of us needed to be near each other, touch each other, to make sure we could survive this secret together. I wasn’t afraid to show him my imperfection. I wasn’t afraid to show him my secrets. He was all mine and I was all his. There was nothing to hide between us anymore.
Once we were both naked, we stumbled and fell into a heap on the bed, arms and legs entwined. I opened my legs wide, allowing him to enter me. He thrust into me just as ferocious. I panted, he panted, and together we came, Julian’s essence exploding into me.
I hoped what I’d given him would be enough for him to not feel ashamed about exposing his dark secret to me, because to me, Julian would always be my dark knight in shining armor, not the bastard he claimed to be.
Chapter 17
I woke in the same position as I drifted off
to sleep last night, with Julian still inside me. I smiled, loving this feeling. But my body ached. I adjusted myself, his cock slipping out of me. Once comfortable, I lay back, my cheek pressed against his naked chest.
Outside, Miami was still asleep, as were the rest of the building’s residents. Dawn had not yet arrived. I glanced at Julian. He was still asleep. His long black lashes were beautiful. They would make any girl jealous. I was pleased, though, because this man belonged to me. I drew lazy circles on his skin, then found his nipples before giving them a pinch too.
“Kimberly, you should stop. You’re making me hard again.”
I lifted my head to see Julian staring at me with his lusty gaze.
“So you are awake. Here I thought I would have to do something drastic.” I continued to draw lazy circles around his nipple, ignoring his warning. Julian gripped my hand, stopping me.
“Please stop. You’re seriously making me hard.”
“But that’s good. I want to make you hard so we can make love again.” I gave him little kisses on his chest to show I wanted him.
“Not yet, Kimberly.”
I reluctantly nodded, but in turn settled myself on his chest, relishing the feel of his hard muscles protecting me. Julian played with my hair as I listened to him breathing. Right then, everything felt so blissful. I wished time would just stop, just for me to enjoy this moment longer.
“Call me Kimmy, Julian,” I said randomly.
“Why?”
I looked up to see him giving me a quizzical gaze.
“Because you’re my boyfriend now.” I tweaked his nose, like that wasn’t obvious enough. “My close friends call me Kimmy. Papa calls me Kimmy-berry. Everyone else uses Kimberly.”
“I like your three-syllable name. So I’ll continue to call you Kimberly.”
My heart swelled with happiness. I lifted myself off his chest and gave him another mouthwatering kiss. “Only you know how to make a girl happy.” Then I resumed my attention to his chest and drew lazy circles again. “Now talk.”