Page 92 of Love & Notes

His thumb sweeps over me again in delicate circles, and a soft whimper escapes past my lips. My body instantly forgets the pain, craving him with a desperate intensity.

“Julian, I want you inside me.”

“Ellise, just let me feel you,” he growls against my mouth, his thumb increasing the pressure just a fraction.

“No, I want you,” I insist, pulling back to look at him dead in the eyes. “I want you inside me… gently, though.” I grin.

He stares at me for a second, his jaw tightening, before he reaches down and effortlessly lifts me up. My thighs automatically wrap around his waist, my back resting flush against the smooth, hot tiles of the shower wall. He takes his time, guiding himself to my entrance, the tip of his length brushing against me until I’m practically trembling in his arms.

When he finally slides inside me, my fingers bury into his wet hair as he fills me completely. He doesn’t thrust right away; he holds me pinned to the tile, letting us both feel the sheer weight of the connection, his chest rising and falling heavily against mine.

Then, he begins to move.

The movements are deep and thorough. He nuzzles the crook of my neck, his large hands gripping my hips to anchor me to him as he drives up into me again and again.

The pleasure builds, thick and heavy under the beating water. All I can focus on is him, the rhythmic slide of his body against mine, and the intense look in his eyes every time he pulls back to look at me.

“Julian, yes,” I sob, my grip tightening on his broad shoulders as the first ripples of my climax begin to tighten around him.

He doesn’t speed up. Instead, he presses deeper, holding himself flush against me.

“Go on,” he rasps against my ear. “I’ve got you.”

With one final movement, I completely fall apart around him. It’s effortless and exactly how it should be. I cling to his wet shoulders as he shudders against me a second later, a low growl tearing from his throat as he buries his face in my neck and pours himself into me.

Afterward, he doesn’t pull away immediately. He keeps me held tightly against his chest, the scalding water running over both of us as our breathing slowly returns to normal. I place my forehead against his chest, my hands resting over his shoulders, feeling completely safe in the middle of his world.

31

Julian

We’re both still damp from the shower—from the most intoxicating, utterly intimate sexual experience of my entire fucking life.

My head is completely blown. She is incredible.

I’m standing near the foot of the bed, pulling a pair of dark sweatpants up over my hips, but my eyes are completely locked on her where she sits wrapped in a towel.

God, I am so hopelessly hooked on this girl.

It’s terrifying.

She has dismantled every single wall I spent years building.

Then, Ellise’s stomach growls—loudly. A little chuckle escapes her as she buries her face in her hands, her already flushed cheeks turning a deeper shade of rose.

“I am starving.”

“What do you want?” I ask, my lips twitching with a genuine smile. “I’ll head down to the kitchen and grab us something.”

“Whatever, I won’t be picky. I just need food… now.”

“Be right back.”

I leave her half naked and glowing on my bed, her waves tumbling over her bare shoulders. It takes every ounce of self-control in my body to physically turn around and walk away from her.

Carmela is back in Manhattan, and technically, I should be too. But after the whirlwind of last night—after the way the gala turned into an absolute glorious chaos—there was no fucking chance in hell I was ending the night early to drive us back to NYC, so we stayed. I can sort us breakfast though. I’m not completely incapable.

Leaving Ellise in the soft morning light of my bedroom, I walk bare-chested down the grand staircase. Compared to last night, the house feels unnaturally still, even though the cavalry has arrived to clean up the main ballroom. It’s like a full-blown military operation.