I sighed and rested my head back against my seat as I closed my eyes. As the events began to replay in my mind, I was starting to feel bad for what I said, but not bad enough to apologize. I wished that I had a normal family. Even if I had to be rich, I wish that my mother loved, understood, and supported me like I saw many other mothers do for their children.
Why couldn’t she be like my father and just accept that I wanted to do my own thing? Why couldn’t she be proud that I wanted to make my own way and not take the easy route?
I felt a warm sensation cascading down my cheek and was surprised to feel moisture on my fingertips. Julius glanced at me.
“Are you okay?” he asked gently.
I looked at him and saw that he looked a little broken as well, not that I really cared. It was nice that he was actually concerned about how I was feeling for once.
“I will be eventually,” I replied, turning my attention to the passing scenery as we left Westchester County and headed back to the city.
***
“Wake up, sleepy head,” I heard a deep voice coo in my ear.
I groaned and put my pillow over my head, trying my best to block out the sun. “Go to hell, Julius,” I mumbled, swatting him away.
When I got home last night, I immediately went to the kitchen and ended up drinking a whole bottle of wine. I don’t even remember how I got to bed. Julius tried to push his head underneath the pillow with me, trying to kiss my cheeks. Although it was a sweet gesture, it wasn’t something that I wanted when I had my brain pounding against my skull.
“Come on, I made you breakfast,” he said, gently pulling on my arm to help me sit up. I covered my face with my hands. What was the point of all this? Does having a bad night with my mother get me hot breakfast in bed now? Or was this a remedy to help with my severe hangover? I reluctantly sat up, almost unable to open my eyes due to the blinding sun pouring in from the windows. I was surprised to find a breakfast tray in front of me holding a plate of bacon strips, two bagel halves with strawberry cream cheese, scrambled eggs, and grapes along with a glass of orange juice to wash down two baby aspirins. Julius looked at me with hopeful eyes, seeking my approval. I forced a smile that made me feel as if my face would split.
“Thank you. This is very sweet,” I said, cautiously taking a bite of bacon. Eating the food before me was a little daunting. Julius couldn’t cook to save his life. He grinned sheepishly and shrugged.
“It’s edible. I had a little help,” he admitted, holding up a receipt. I nodded, hoping that he would leave. Having him watch me so intently made me uncomfortable.
“Don’t you have to be at the office?” I asked, popping the aspirin in my mouth and swallowing a gulp of orange juice. It was after ten in the morning, and he was still in his pajamas, which was very unusual for a weekday.
“I wanted to take the day off to spend some time with you,” he said, reaching to caress my cheek. I cringed as my forehead wrinkled with disdain.
“Why?” I asked. He seemed offended by my question and reaction to him, slowly moving his hand away.
“You had a rough night last night. I just wanted to make sure you were okay,” he said softly.
I turned back to my food without a word. I was glad that he was actually being nice to me for once, but I was so tired of his changing ways. One minute he’d appear bored, then he’d be overprotective and controlling, and now he wanted to act like a loving, concerned boyfriend. If I didn’t know any better, I would think the man was bipolar.
He stood up and walked toward the bathroom. “I’m serious about spending time with you. I hope you’ll consider it,” he stated and disappeared. Sighing, I leaned back against my pillows. If he was making an effort to do something with me, the least I could do was try.
Once I got my hangover under control, I quickly took a shower and joined Julius in the living room. He was stretched out on the couch eating a toasted turkey and cheese sandwich while watching an episode of American Horror Story on Netflix. When he saw me, he sat up and motioned for me to come over.
“Want to watch this with me?” he asked, gesturing to the television.
I just stared at him in amusement. Who was this man on my couch? I don’t know what my father said to him or what triggered this change, but I had to admit, it was quite pleasant. First, he made me breakfast, and now he was offering to sit down and watch my favorite show with me. I discreetly pinched my outer thigh and winced when I felt the slight sting. I definitely wasn’t dreaming.
As we were watching the TV, he moved closer to me and draped his arm around my shoulder. He kissed my cheek and pulled me closer to him before turning his attention back to the screen. So many thoughts were running around in my head, as curiosity started to get the best of me. I wanted to know why he thought I had such a horrible night. For all he knew, maybe I tried to drink myself into a coma because I didn’t want to live with the reality of having to be home with him.
I really wanted to know what he and my father talked about when they went off into the study. Whatever happened last night with my parents caused a complete change in him. Depending on how the rest of this day went, I may have to call my father to thank him for whatever he did to Julius.
“Are you comfortable?” he randomly asked. I raised my eyebrow and nodded slowly. He had been asking me questions every 15 minutes or so, checking to see if I was hungry, thirsty, comfortable, too hot, too cold, just everything. After a while, I couldn’t take his weird behavior anymore.
“Did my dad say something to you?” I finally asked. He slowly brought his gaze away from the television and to my eyes.
“What do you mean?” he asked coolly. I sat up, pulling myself away from him so that I could turn to face him on the couch.
“Did something happen last night with my dad to make you act this way?” I asked again. The expression on his face showed that he was put off by my question.
“No, nothing happened, at least not with me and your dad.”
“Then why are you being so nice all of a sudden?” I questioned, folding my arms across my chest.
It was pretty pathetic that I felt he had an ulterior motive for being nice today. Whatever it was, I wanted to know what price I would have to pay afterward. He exhaled deeply and took my hands into his and kissed them gently.
“When we went into the study, your dad pressed the intercom button to say something to your mother, and we heard your conversation,” he said softly.
My eyes widened as my cheeks flushed with embarrassment. Knowing that my father heard me disrespecting my mother sent anxiety through me. My father was very adamant about respecting elders and to hear that I had disrespected my mother, his wife, I knew he wasn’t pleased.
“Oh,” I croaked, letting my hands fall to my lap. Julius leaned in closer to me and lifted my chin to look me in the eyes.
“When we heard you speaking to her, I honestly thought your father was going to get upset. But the only thing he said was that he was proud that you found your voice,” he explained.
I blinked back tears that were threatening to form. “Really?”
“Yes, really. Right before you came in, he mentioned that your mother has been like this to you for years. After hearing your mom say that shit to you and seeing you come home and nearly drink yourself to death, I knew that it truly bothered you. It doesn’t help that our life isn’t perfect, which is my fault. I think if we plan on making this work, I need to be a better partner,” he said, caressing my cheek.
Hearing his words sent a sense of dread through me. I knew something like this was going to happen. As soon as I attempt to get something started with Zane, Julius would want to be some kind of dating unit, and at this point, I wasn’t really interested.
He has heard my mom disrespect me ever since we’ve been together, but the minute I stand up for myself is the moment he wanted to change? What was it with him getting aroused or excited with me being hateful? When I was hateful to him earlier in the week, it turned
him on. When I was hateful to my mother last night, he all of a sudden wants to change and be a better man for me. Why must I be the bad guy in order for this man to want me?
I shook my head and turned back toward the television. If I didn’t give him a chance, I’d be accused of not trying instead of simply being a woman who was fed up. If I gave him a chance, I had this gut feeling that this phase would probably last for about a week or two before he drifted back into his old ways. He cupped my chin in his hand and turned my head to face him once more.
“I’m serious, Arianna. I really want to make this work with you. I know I’m bad at showing it, but I do love you,” he said, his brown eyes boring into my own.
I scoffed at his words. “How can I believe you if your actions prove nothing, Julius? I appreciate you making me breakfast and wanting to spend the day with me watching movies and such, but how long is this going to last before you revert back to your old ways? How long will I be able to enjoy my time with you and not have to walk on eggshells to prevent upsetting you? How long will I have before you become bored with me again?” I asked, my voice cracking as tears welled up in my eyes. Julius kissed my face tenderly before pulling me into a hug.
“Babe, I’m going to change, I swear. I’ll prove it to you, no matter how long it takes,” he promised, kissing my lips again. A single tear slipped down my cheek as we gazed into each other’s eyes. I could see the sincerity in his face, but I was so afraid to allow myself to be vulnerable to him again. There were so many thoughts in my mind that it was becoming overwhelming.
“I need to be alone for a few minutes. I’ll be back,” I whispered as I stood to my feet.
“Arianna … ” he trailed, but I was already leaving. I needed to get away from him fast in order to process everything that was going on in my heart and mind. I did love Julius, but his previous actions made me feel as if he didn’t love me. He made me feel as if I wasn’t good enough, just like my mother. Her comment last night about my weight being the issue in my relationship put the nail in the coffin for me.
Once I got to the bedroom and closed the door, a loud, uncontrollable sob escaped my mouth as anxiety took over. I don’t know why I was freaking out over this. Was it really because I was afraid of being hurt by Julius? After everything that has happened between us, could we possibly make amends and make things work? I moved over to the bed and fell facedown into my pillows with a groan. If I wanted to be honest with myself, I was more concerned about hurting Zane in the long run than I was about Julius hurting me.
I froze when I heard the door open. I could pretend to be asleep, but I was sure he’d bother me anyway. I heard him take the few steps from the door to the bed until I felt his presence next to me.
“What’s wrong?” he asked. I sat up with a reluctant sigh and shrugged.
“To be honest, I really don’t know. I’m just so confused with everything that’s happened over the last 24 hours, and I just needed some time to myself,” I admitted, fiddling with my fingers. Julius pulled me to my feet.
“Come take a shower with me,” he coaxed, gently planting kisses on my neck. Surprisingly, my body was responding to him. I could feel a tingle starting at the crown of my head and nestling right between my thighs, begging to be touched in my most sensitive area.
“Okay,” I whispered, gazing up into his lustful eyes. He led me to the bathroom, turned on the shower, and began removing his clothes. When he stepped into the shower and allowed the water to roll off of his chest and abs, my own muscles clenched with need as I quickly removed my own clothing. He watched me as I undressed and licked his lips, something that immediately caused me to think of Zane.
Don’t ruin this moment, I scolded myself, stepping into the shower with him. Julius pulled me closer to him and devoured my mouth as the showerhead soaked us both. He left a hot trail of kisses from my neck to my chest, as his fingers gently caressed my clit, causing me to tremble. His arm was tightly wound around my waist as his fingers assaulted my sensitive nub, leaving me panting and throbbing. His tongue filled my mouth just as he plunged two fingers inside of me, muffling my cry of pleasure.
“You’re so fucking wet, baby,” he growled in my ear as his fingers pumped in and out of me as my legs began to tremble. I held on to him tightly as he stimulated my G-spot, afraid that I would collapse when I finally went over the edge.
“Oh Julius,” I moaned as I began bucking on his fingers, feeling my climax on the horizon. He applied more pressure on my G-spot as he tenderly kissed my neck.
“Come for me, baby,” he whispered against my skin, pumping his fingers rapidly. I was holding my breath as I felt myself coming apart, unable to stop the tsunami ready to erupt inside of me.
“Julius!” I screamed as I climaxed, feeling myself squirting all over his hand as he continued to move his fingers in and out of me. My legs immediately turned into jelly as my orgasmic wave flowed through me. I found myself clinging onto Julius for dear life to keep myself from slipping and falling in the shower. He firmly wrapped his arm around me, turning the water off.
“We need to shower. I’m all dirty,” I said breathlessly. He kissed my lips and helped me out off of the slippery wet tiles, passing me a towel for my hair.
“I’m not done with you yet,” he said, a wicked, lustful gleam in his eyes. He helped me to bed and laid me down, staring at my body as I lay beneath him. I purred softly when his thumb began massaging my clit once more.
“I need you inside of me,” I moaned as I massaged my breast. He licked his lips and shook his head.
“You are so damn sexy,” he whispered, reaching for my other breast and pinching my nipple slightly. The sensation was going straight to my core, sending my senses into a frenzy.
“Please, Julius. I need you … inside of me,” I begged. His stimulating torture was driving me crazy, and the throbbing that he was causing at my core was bound to put me on the brink of insanity. He reached into the nightstand drawer and took out a condom. Ripping the foil with his teeth, he quickly removed the package and slid the condom on with ease.
“You don’t know how long I’ve waited to fill this sweet pussy,” he whispered against my lips, slowly sliding inside of me. I gasped at the initial penetration and slowly started to relax as he thrust inside of me. It had been so long since I had been intimate with Julius, and hearing him say that he’d wanted me made me even more aroused.
Those tender moments of sweet lovemaking were enough to bring me to the brink of tears. This was the Julius that I wanted, the Julius that I craved. As I held him tightly, he pumped inside of me, while I tried my hardest not to go over the edge, just yet.
“I’ve missed having your cock deep inside of me,” I moaned, trying my hand at dirty talk. He sat up and pushed my legs back a bit further.
“Oh yeah? I’ll give you what you’ve been missing, baby,” he promised, speeding up his strokes and going a bit deeper. I cried out as I felt myself on the verge of another orgasm. I could slightly feel the pressure of his strokes in my stomach, and from his groans, I knew he was close to an orgasm.
“Julius, baby, I’m gonna come again,” I gasped as I felt another climax on the verge of tearing me apart. He quickly pulled out, putting his face between my legs as soon as I came, causing me to, well, climax all over him. Gasping in shock, embarrassment flooded through me.
“Oh God, I’m sorry,” I sputtered, quickly closing my legs. Julius grinned and pried my legs back open.
“Don’t be. I love when you come for me,” he said and began to gently suck on my clit.
I definitely had to be dreaming. Julius NEVER went down on me. For him to be eagerly lapping up my juices and focusing on pleasing me instead of reaching his own orgasm, well, maybe he really was trying to make this work. I nearly levitated off the bed as his tongue teased my clit. If he really was trying to change, shit was bound to get real.
WHATEVER YOU DO, DO NOT GET EMOTIONALLY INVOLVED.
I SUNK DEEPER into the couch cushions as
Julius put on another episode of House. As much as I loved the show, we’d watched almost every season over the last couple of days, so much so that I was on the verge of committing myself into a mental hospital.
Julius had been nice for the past week, which was actually starting to irritate the piss out of me. It was great that he was trying to change, but he was coming on entirely too strong. I’m sure if we took the proper steps to rebuild this relationship, I’d be more open to the idea. He was acting as if he were changing due to guilt of some sort. Either way, our new relationship was awkward, uncomfortable, and forced.
Halfway through the show, there was a knock on the door. Julius started to get up, but I quickly pushed him back and jumped to my feet. “I’ll get it, babe. Just relax,” I said with a small smile before scurrying to the door.
I let out a long breath, glad to be able to inhale clean air instead of Julius’ stale cologne that he obviously thought was sexy. He practically drowned his pores with it; you could even smell it when he hadn’t put any on.
I smirked when I saw Gia’s silhouette outside the stained glass of the window next to the front door. She usually texted or called before she showed up to avoid running into Julius, so she was definitely up to something.
When I cracked the door open, her appearance was shocking. Her normal, tight, bright-colored attire was put aside for the day to sport a depressingly dark look. Her long, loose-fitting black dress was paired with her dark sunglasses and a wide-brimmed floppy hat. Her black lace gloves covered her delicate hands, and black stiletto pumps donned her feet. If I knew any better, I’d say she had just left a funeral.
“Is Dickface here?” she mumbled as she pulled down her sunglasses and tried to peek through the door. I nervously looked behind me to make sure Julius wasn’t approaching before quickly stepping out onto the stoop with Gia.
The Daring Assignment Page 8
