I tugged impatiently at her jeans before removing her underwear - along with my own.
“What was it you had planned for me?” she breathed, her voice husky and masked with desire.
I grinned up at her through my lashes and raised a single brow as a wicked thought clouded my head. A wicked thought that involved a naked, desperate Emily tied to that steel headboard of hers, with... my tie. That would work. I reached across and retrieved my discarded tie from the bottom of the bed and dangled it over her as another wicked grin surfaced on my lips. “Do you trust me?” I whispered. The last thing I wanted to do was to make her feel threatened by restricting her. She nodded her head and so I hurriedly placed her wrists together and tied them securely but loosely together before attaching the free end of my tie around a bar on the headboard. She laid there, her hands bound above her head, her chest rising and falling frantically as she panted beneath me, and she looked incredible. So beautiful. She was completely exposed before me, completely vulnerable and giving herself entirely to me, and the fact that she trusted me enough to allow it – especially after her previous horrific sexual experiences – made my chest physically ache. I raised my eyes from her fine body to study her eyes – just to be sure that she was comfortable, that I wasn’t frightening her – and I saw nothing but adoration, and desire.
I supported my weight with my elbows and gently prodded myself against her as I kissed her mouth, my tongue massaging deeply each time it entered her sweet mouth. She thrust her hips up to greet me once more and I acknowledged the begging action as my invite. I slammed myself into her - probably harder than necessary, but I couldn’t control the urge I felt for this woman. I paused just long enough to appreciate the incredible feeling as Emily’s insides encased me, and then impatiently withdrew and slammed into her again.
Each time she moaned my thrusts grew more urgent as I pounded into her again and again. I could feel her insides tensing as her muscles clenched around me, as if she were unwilling to release me. I pressed into her fully and firmly and circled my hips, and when she cried out in response, I was confident that I had made contact with her delicious spot.
My chest heaved with every breath as I panted hard against her neck that somehow always smelled so sweet, even through the slick covering of sweat that now enveloped both of our bodies. My chest slipped easily against her naked breasts as I rolled my hips over and over. I felt her subtle shudder and I knew she was close, this almost sent me over the edge into my own ecstasy. She pressed her hands against the headboard, meeting my every thrust with force, pushing herself harder against me to deepen our contact. I clenched my teeth tightly together as I waited for the violent shudder that would prove her climax. And, as I rolled my hips slowly and powerfully once more, the violent shudder came, along with a loud cry as she gripped her legs tightly around my hips and pressed me further into her. I thrust myself into to her once more, twice, and then I was right there with her, floating in my own heaven that I shared only with this woman.
It would only ever be her. No one had ever completely unravelled me the way Emily always did. I could be myself with her, she had seen the worst side of me and yet she still loved me. She didn’t love the Julian Scott that everybody else saw, she loved the real me. I didn’t feel any need to pretend when I was with Emily, and that was exactly how it should be. Tomorrow, I would press the subject of the wedding; I wanted to be able to call her my wife. My wife - forever. My very own Mrs Scott.
Emily was standing on the empty street outside of my apartment block, unaware of any danger as she smiled lovingly at me. Completely unaware of the vicious evil that was rapidly approaching her from behind.
“Emily, move!” I roared as I ran towards her, my legs moving so quickly that it felt as if they may actually crumble beneath me. “Get out of the way!”
I screamed at her over and over but she just stood there. Smiling at me.
I was just out of arms reach when his sturdy arm wrapped around her middle and scooped her swiftly off her feet. I watched, hopeless, as her face contorted with panic and wonder, her desperate eyes questioning mine. But she wouldn’t find any answers there. They slowly closed as I blinked heavily but decided on never opening them again. I didn’t want to see. I didn’t want to watch as she was torn away from me by the one person I hated the most. I couldn’t.
As her shaking voice called my name over and over, each time her tone growing more urgent, I simply ignored it. I couldn’t help her now; it had gone way beyond that. I couldn’t save her.
My stomach twisted in agony as the realisation struck through me like an iron dagger to my gut. He had taken her, and I would never get her back. A menacing growl escaped me as I crumpled to the floor and held my knees tightly against my chest.
“Julian,” I heard her voice call once more. “Julian.” This time I felt her touch, I felt the warmth beneath her hand as it rested lightly against my cold chest. How? How was she here?
“Julian?”
I slowly peeled my eyes open and startled when I saw her face hovering just inches above mine.
“Julian, it’s okay. I’m here,” she soothed.
I bolted upright and my panicked eyes frantically searched my surroundings. I hadn’t been here before. I was sitting on a small bed, a plum coloured duvet tangled tightly around my heavy legs. There was a small oak dresser to the left of the bed and on that dresser stood a mirror and a collection of bottles and various items. My head snapped to my right and my gaze lingered on the squared chipboard that held what looked like photographs. I narrowed my eyes as I studied the four different female faces that I could just about pick out. One was Emily, there was no doubt about that as her brilliantly glowing blue eyes stared straight back at me, and in her arms was a small child, a baby whose eyes were familiar somehow, they were exactly like Emily’s, only marginally larger in her smaller face. The third face held the same child in her arms whilst her other arm circled Emily’s shoulder. And, the fourth face I hadn’t seen before. This one was a stranger to me, although her delicate features looked familiar.
“Julian, are you awake?” Emily whispered in a strangled voice.
I gasped aloud as I fully awoke and saw Emily’s beautiful face blanketed by a heavy sheet of concern, her brows deepened by her frown.
Emily’s bedroom, I concluded. I rubbed at my eyes with my trembling fingertips and slapped at my cheeks - just to be sure that I was actually awake.
“Julian?”
“Yeah, I’m awake.” My voice sounded husky, thick with sleep.
“Are you okay?” She stroked a gentle hand across my forehead, removing my moistened locks and pushing them back to join the rest of my hair in their correct position.
“I am now, come here.” I wrapped my arm tightly around her waist and hauled her body up and onto my lap. Then I held her there, feeling her warm breath breeze across my naked chest as her shoulders rose and fell. I had never been more grateful for that simple pleasure. She was here, and she was safe in my arms. At least for now.
“Julian. Have you got to work?”
I opened my eyes slowly only to quickly squeeze them closed again as the bright mornings light seeped in through the thin material of the curtains. “What time is it?” I mumbled.
“Eight thirty. I wasn’t sure whether to wake you.”
I suppose my answer to her question should have been yes, I had to work, but I didn’t want to leave her. I didn’t want to separate myself from her ever again, in fact. I was growing far too dependent on Emily. The mere thought of her not being at my side made my chest tighten, and it scared the life out of me. But at the same time, I relished in it. I thought about it for a few seconds and then decided no, I didn’t have to work. Ryan knew well enough by now that if I wasn’t in the head office by 9a.m, then I wasn’t going to be at any other point during that day. He would automatically re-schedule any meetings where my presence was a must, and anything else, he would stand in on my behalf. I was sure he would soon tire of the extra pressure my obsession with Emily was putting on his work day, but until then, I would take full advantage of his loyalty.
“No, I don’t need to work.”
I squinted almost painfully as I glanced across to where Emily sat, in front of the small wooden framed mirror. Her lips pouted dramatically as she struggled to tie a band around her hair that she was holding high at the back of her head. She always pouted whenever she concentrated on anything, it really was very cute. She finally managed to snap the band into place and then twisted around in her chair to look at me. I loved her hair like that, all scraped back off her face and piled into a messy heap, it exaggerated her beauty and she had nothing to hide behind when I penetrated her with my heated glare.
“You look ravishing, as ever, Miss Braxton.” I watched her mouth morph into a slow, shy smile as her cheeks blushed, and I hardened in response.
“Come here,” I ordered, my tone as masterful and demanding as I could manage when speaking to Emily.
She perched herself on the bed beside me and rested her hand lightly on my naked chest. I inhaled deeply, I wanted her. I grasped her waist with two firm hands and flipped her onto her back beside me before quickly rolling myself on top of her, squeezing my hips between her thighs. She giggled loudly and pushed hard against my shoulders. But my shoulders were too strong for her feeble arms and I didn’t budge. Instead, I nipped gently at her neck with my teeth as she thrashed and squirmed beneath me. I loved that sound. Her totally carefree laughter that I didn’t hear even nearly often enough. I would be sure to do something about that.
“Julian, not now!” she squealed through her childish giggles. “I’ve got to take Maia to nursery!”
Oh? Fuck, there goes that one then. I’d have to endure the displeasure of aching balls until she got home.
“Shall I wait here for you then?” I whispered before tugging gently on her ear lobe with my teeth. She frowned slightly through her wide grin and I pressed my erection firmly between her thighs as an explanation to my latest question.
“You can wait here if you want. I might be a while though.” She flashed that sexy smile of hers, purposely teasing me as she knew I couldn’t do anything about it.
I groaned loudly. “Don’t look at me like that!” I warned.
“Why? What are you going to do about it?” She flashed me
that
smile once more as her eyes took on a wicked gleam. Ah God, what was she trying to do to me?
“I’ll fuck you right now if you carry on,” I mused as I returned her wicked grin.
“I don’t have time.”
“I can be surprisingly fast.”
“Wait here, I’ll be as quick as I can.”
“Okay, I can wait,” I lied. The truth was that it was actually taking an enormous amount of concentration on my self control to stop myself from tearing her clothes off her right now. I reluctantly released my grasp on her wrists and rolled to the side, freeing her to move off the bed before I did indeed act on my impulse. That probably wouldn’t go down too well.
“You can’t lay here for that long! I bet you’re not still there when I get back.” She was challenging me now. She was right, I would find it a tough ordeal to lay here for that long, but now I’d have to do it, wouldn’t I?
“I’ll bet you I am!”
I heard the front door snap closed and felt instantly restless. I wondered how long it would take for her to return. Twenty minutes? Maybe thirty, I guessed. She was right; I couldn’t lay here for that long. But she had made it a challenge, and I didn’t easily give up on a challenge.
I reached for my phone and illuminated the black screen. 8.54 a.m. Maia started nursery at 9a.m so she would soon be there, I’d guess. I would call Natalie. That should pass a considerable amount of time as I had had six missed calls off her during the night. No doubt she would be more than pissed at me for attacking Ryan. Could my head really cope with that right now? Probably not, but it was either that, or get up. And given the fact I would only be straight back in bed as soon as Emily returned; there didn’t seem much point in losing our bet. With a deep, deflating sigh, I pressed call.
“Julian!” Natalie’s shrilling tone pierced through my ear as she picked up her phone. I moved the phone away from my ear, hovering it at a safe distance. Just close enough for me to hear my sister, but not so close that it physically hurt my ear each time she spoke.
“Hi, you called?”
“Yes! About five times, do you not answer your phone anymore?” she ranted.
“I was otherwise engaged.” I grinned at the mental image of Emily tied to her headboard and glanced up to see the tie still attached in its place. My grin widened as a filthy thought crossed my mind - when it clearly shouldn’t whilst talking to my sister. “What’s up?”
“What’s up? Well, firstly you’ve got some explaining to do! What the fuck were you playing at yesterday?”
“Don’t use that language towards me, Natalie. What was I playing at?”
“Don’t act stupid, you know what I’m talking about. You’re going to screw up your entire happiness if you carry on like you are, Julian. You’re pushing everyone away.” God, had her voice always been that high-pitched?
“Yeah, yeah. Thanks, I heard all this from your boyfriend yesterday.”
“Well, maybe it’s about time you fucking listened!”
“Stop swearing at me or I’ll hang up.”
She let out a long audible breath and paused briefly. “Mum’s had another turn. She wants to see you.”
Was she fucking serious? My mother’s funny turns were precisely the reason I didn’t see her. I couldn’t deal with it. One minute she loves you and your the most special person in the world, and the next, she’s screaming obscenities at you and trying to rip your fucking head off. It wasn’t her fault, I knew that, but it wasn’t mine either.
“So? Tell her I’m not around.”
“She’s not fucking stupid, Julian.”
“Isn’t she?” A quiet snigger escaped before I had the chance to stop it. Fuck!
“It isn’t funny, Julian. Just think for one second how she must be feeling when her one and only son refuses to even acknowledge her existence.”