Panting, he broke contact long enough for him to twist and turn off the stove.
“We can’t have sex here,” she said breathlessly.
Julian faced her and tilted his head, confused. “We can’t?”
She shook her head. “For several reasons.”
“Like?”
“Well, for one, Noel and Clara had sex on this bench. Two, I’m not a big fan of cold surfaces. And three, you’re making dinner.”
Julian hummed as he settled his hands on her knees and spread her legs a fraction wider. Then he let his fingers trail up her thighs. His groan of approval met her shiver.
“I’m going to counter your arguments with my own. One, I don’t give a shit where Noel and Clara have sex. My thoughts are always about you. Just you. Two, we’re doing this in your bed. Three, I’m a shit cook. I was winging it. So, we should probably order takeout. And four…”
“Four?” she squeaked when he gripped her waist and slammed her body against his.
“We’re not having sex, Blondie. Not even gonna fuck,” he groaned.
Stevie bit her lip before she released it and breathed, “Oh?”
“I’m going to make love to you.”
She scrunched her nose at him then she burst out laughing.
“What?”
“Nothing.” She pressed her lips together, but she couldn’t help another belt of laughter that escaped.
“Seriously? What?” he asked in a panic.
Stevie looped her arms around his neck and kissed him full on the lips. When she broke the slow, intimate kiss, she reached up and brushed his hair back. “I love you, but for some reason, the way you just said we’d make love really didn’t hit the mark. It reminded me of Boyz II Men’s ‘I’ll Make Love To You.’”
“Jesus Christ.” Julian pursed his lips and glanced up at the ceiling. Moments later, his eyes met hers. “Do-over?”
She nodded.
He exhaled. “Stephanie Appleton, tonight I’m going to find out what makes you feel pleasure. I also want tonight to cement that spot in your heart forever. I want to not only please you and your body, but I’d like to make your heart mine. I want to be intimate with you because being inside you makes me forget about all the years I’ve spent away from you. Being with you, whether inside you or having your lips on mine, makes me feel like I’ve finally found my home.”
Stevie silently gasped.
“Am I wooing you, yet?” he asked in a low voice. It instantly brought her back to Thailand and the night they gazed at the stars. The way he had described the water was beautiful. At that moment, she had promised herself that Julian would be her first.
“Kiss me and we’ll see,” she said, quoting herself from four years ago.
The smile on Julian’s face told her that he remembered, too. He inched his lips closer and was just a fraction from touching hers when he whispered, “Now I get to make memories where you love me. And I can honestly say, Stephanie, that I look forward to the best memories of my life. I love you. I loved you under those billion stars I kissed you under.”
She tightened her arms around his neck and said in a soft voice, “I love you, too, whether under a billion stars or the brightness of the sun, I love you, Julian Moors.”
No truer words had ever left her lips than at that moment.
“Blondie, wake up for a second,” Julian whispered in her ear.
Stephanie groaned and shrugged away from his touch. “Could you maybe put your erection away?”
He peeked over to see her eyes still closed and her cheek rested on the back of her hand. Julian shook her once again. “You’re naked. Are you always this distracting in the morning? I’d like to wake up just once without a hard-on.”
“Julian, I’m going to give you something for your ego.” She pulled the blanket higher, covering her perfect breasts.
Her breasts are magic.
Perfect rack.
Ducking down, he pressed his lips against the smoothness of her neck. “My ego is ready.”
“I bet it is.” Stephanie took a deep breath. “You are annoyingly good at sex. Go to work and let me somehow deal with the fact that I like having sex with you. Okay?”
Julian had smiled against her skin before he quickly sat up. “Blondie, Blondie, Blondie!” he honeyed while he shook her with more force.
Stephanie groaned before she finally sat up and rubbed her eyes. Pissed off Stephanie Appleton was a sight. So was just woken and admitted he was a satisfying lover Stephanie Appleton. She was an all-round vision. “WHAT?”
Julian formed a