Chapter 324
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Chapter 325
Throwing my head back against the pillow, I clawed at his back.
He kept a quick, relentless rhythm, allowing his body to deliver a message of love with each punishing thrust.
You are mine.
I’ll protect you.
I love you.
I love you.
I love you.
“Julian!” I cried out, clinging to him in my pleasure.
He drove into me a few times more, before grunting my name, “Amber,” and finding his own release.
Later, after we had cleaned ourselves with a damp towel from the bathroom, we huddled together. Julian was on his back, with his shoulders and head up against the headboard. I rested on his chest, listening to his heartbeat beneath my ear.
As I counted the beats, Julian idly combed his fingers through my hair.
We didn’t say much in this moment, just reveled in each other and in our afterglow.
My eyes started to feel heavy, yet before I could fall asleep, Julian spoke, “Would it be alright if we slept in the same room from now on p>
I blinked the sleep from my eyes and looked up at him.
His face appeared almost shy, as he mostly avoided my gaze. Had he been embarrassed to ask this? After all we had done, he was scared to ask to stay in my bed?
“I sleep better with you beside me,” he said. “The nights without you… they’re cold. Sometimes I reach for you and… ” He didn’t say the rest, but I knew what he meant.
I’d had nights like that too, where I would reach for Julian almost instinctively, and would be disappointed to find his half of the bed empty.
“You can stay,” I told him. I didn’t let on if that was just for tonight or forever.
I knew that was something I needed to think about when my mind wasn’t in this blissed out state. This was a big step for our relationship and I didn’t want to make it while addled as I was.
But, in my heart, I already knew what the answer was going to be.
Yes.
Undoubtedly yes.
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Julian smiled at me. That smile was always so breathtaking, all I could do in this moment was lift my head and kiss him. It was just a soft kiss, our passion mostly spent.
After this soft press of lips, I lowered my head back down to his chest and in no time at all, feeling so safe and warm and happy, I drifted off to sleep.
When I awoke in the morning, I was still warm. We’d shifted slightly in our sleep, but Julian remained wrapped around me, his arm draped over my waist. We were facing each other, so as I awoke, I glanced up to see him waking up at the same time.
“G’morning…” he said groggily.
“Good morning,” I told him and kissed him lightly.
He smiled. “I could get used to this p>
Me too, I thought but didn’t say it aloud.
He lifted his head to check the clock. It was later than I usually got up, but still fairly early at quarter to 8.
“How about I make some breakfast?” he asked.
That surprised me. “You know how to cook breakfast p>
“I can make eggs,” he said, light offense in his voice. The smile let me know it wasn’t serious. “Come on, I’ll prove it p>
Right as we started to get up, Julian’s phone rang from his pants‘ pocket. He scurried to retrieve it and then answered it.
“It’s Aunt Kathy,” he said as he accepted the call. Into the phone, he said, “Hello?” A pause. “Aunt Kathy, calm down. Tell me what’s going on p>
His voice turned serious suddenly, and I immediately sat upright, Healer mode clicking on. I moved closer to him, trying to hear.
Julian could see what I was doing. His eyes wide, he told me, “My mom is in critical condition p>
Chapter
Florence
Florence is a passionate reader who finds joy in long drives on rainy days. She’s also a fan of Italian makeup tutorials, blending beauty and elegance into her everyday life.