by R. Scarlett
“I half hoped I’d get tired of you,” he stated coolly, but his bright, heated eyes drilled me to the spot. “After years of wanting you, I thought if I had you, I could move on.” He licked his bottom lip and I watched him visibly swallow. “But it was the opposite. The complete opposite.”
My heart clenched tight at his words.
When his fingers wiped away a few more tears on my cheek, he moved closer, his hands cradling my back. “I love you, Juliette. And I choose you. I’ll always choose you,” he said, for once—his voice not calm, but filled with so much emotion, I almost drowned.
I shook my head, blinking through the tears. “But your inheritance…everything.”
His lips quirked and his fingers smoothed across my bottom lip. “Do you have such little faith in me? We’ve debated against one another for years, Juliette. I only needed to negotiate with my mother. She was manipulating you when she said she’d take everything away, she would never do that. Her greatest wish is for me to take over the estate business. She only wanted to scare you off. So I made a deal with her; I get to have you and I’ll run the country club after graduation.”
I stared at him in complete shock and wonder. “Nathaniel—” I could only say his name, over and over, a song to my heart and mind and body. I was in shock. I couldn’t think or talk properly but stared back at the man who could shake my world.
“If I want to be your husband one day, I know I’ll have to negotiate every single day to keep you happy,” he said, smiling one of those rare smiles I adored.
I laughed bluntly, giddy and shook my head. “You’re not even my boyfriend.”
He pressed his forehead to mine. “I’m a greedy, overachieving bastard, Juliette. I examined the risks and you’re worth the fall.”
“You know, this, us—our summer affair—it was never about getting rid of distractions for me.”
I frowned at that, confused. “You said—”
“I lied,” he said with an apologizing tilt of his mouth. “It was always just a reason to get closer to you. I’ve had my eyes set on you since the beginning, Juliette. But it was never the right moment to approach you. Until—there you were, cleaning up my room at the estate—away from school, away from the expectations and the curious eyes. There was an opportunity, and I took it, hoping you’d end up wanting me for more than just sex.”
“You lying bastard,” I said, with a smile. He shrugged and I hit his chest playfully. Tears spilled from my eyes and I took his mouth into a brutal, bruising kiss. All of my trapped emotions, all of my hopes and dreams, I felt them when I was with him. “I love you too, Nathaniel.”
His smile at that was the biggest I’d ever seen him wear, his hand cradling the back of my head. “Say it again.”
I laughed, rolling my eyes. “I love you.”
“Again,” he said right away, eyes shining with wonder and amazement.
I cocked a brow. “Don’t get a big head now, Nathaniel Radcliffe.”
His lips tilted up at one side. Then, he kissed my forehead tenderly. “You’re my future, Juliette.”
I kissed him again, but paused, glancing at the room. “Why are we here anyway? It’s empty.”
“Because,” he said, gripping my hand and dragging me through the living room. “We’re going to fill it.”
My eyes shot to his. “What?”
“I bought this for us. That’s only if you’re ready to make that step,” he said, squeezing my hand. “Like I said, I’m a greedy bastard.”
I stared at the floorboards and the white walls and then turned to look back at him. I didn’t need a house, but I did need him.
He was my home.
I wrapped my arms around his middle and nuzzled his nose. “More like a filthy god.”
My heart had two settings: nothing at all or too much. Nothing in-between and the day I saw Juliette Monroe, her glare like that of a Roman army and her mind sharper than their blades, I knew I wanted all of her or nothing at all.
From a young age, my mother always praised my decisiveness. I never dabbled in things. I took everything in my hands—and either destroyed it into worthless pieces or conquered it until I won.
Being an only child, I spent most of my time with adults and learned the way people warred within their conversations. Delicate, sharpened words. So much unsaid below the surface. And once I decided I wanted her, there was no going back.
Her sable hair had been tied back into a loose ponytail, the strands thick and shiny. Hair I wanted to wrap around my fingers and see how hard I could tug.
She’d rolled her luscious lips between her teeth and bit down, the blood rushing to the surface making them turn a darker, sensual color.
She bent low in front of the bookshelves, her black skirt billowing around her thighs, flashing the delicate curve of her inner thighs—soft and strong all at once.
A thigh I wanted to kiss and suck and bite.
My cock had hardened at the sight of her, her fingers skimming the edge of the worn book binds, her other hand touching her bottom lip as she scanned the titles.
When her mouth mouthed each title, I fisted my hands beside me.
On my second day at Yale, I had found a beauty hidden between the aisles of its sacred books.
And then she stood, yanking a book out of the shelf and turned, her skirt dancing around those creamy thighs.
When I attended the first UN model debate on campus the next night, I was shocked to see the brunette standing right in front of me.
The way she spoke—lecturing me, challenging me—made my cock harden to an unbearable degree. I gripped the stand, my knuckles turning white, holding myself back from grabbing her.
Each time she spoke—I fought back and the spark in her eyes was a high that I became addicted to.
Tucked away in our dorm’s library, the secret society I joined along with James, Gabe, and Arsen, ruled the campus. The power shifted as we were let inside the society. How the three boys who already held so much wealth and political power from their boarding school days and being in the public eye thrust them beyond the upper years.
Soon, the four of us were the ones who led the lions.
As a pastime, the boys liked claiming the girls they were interested in.
I didn’t waste a moment. I claimed Juliette as my territory and I knew if she ever discovered that I had, she’d cut my balls off and mail them to me with a quote from one of her history books. The boys backed off after my claim and I continued to fight her through every single class, every single debate.
I wanted her anger, I wanted her frustration and respect.
And I had it.
All of it.
I loosened my tie as the driver pulled up to our townhouse. I had been overseas for the last five days on a business trip. I had offered for Juliette to come, but she wanted to focus on finishing her graduate program in Law.
My nails dug into my thighs at the thought of her, only talking over the phone since I had been gone. I needed her now. I needed to kiss her, worship her, and hold her. Five years had passed, we both had graduated from Yale and I had been managing my mother’s hotel business as well as talking to Gabe about running for mayor of Boston. Gabe, the man was always planning, always reaching farther out to secure all his players where he wanted them. The man who had asked me to be his future running mate when one day he would run for presidency.
“Have a good night, sir,” the driver said as he parked the car.
I nodded, grabbing my suitcase from the trunk and walking up the stone steps to our townhouse.
When I entered the front entrance, silence greeted me and the house was dark.
“Juliette?” I called, placing my suitcase down by the front door.
I shrugged out of my trench coat and laid it on the back of the white couch.
A sniffle filled the living room and I glanced to see Juliette standing in front of our granite countertop in the kitchen, a glass of red wine in front of her.
I did
n’t speak as I approached her, taking her in.
She didn’t look up at me, her fingers smoothing along the shiny glass. The diamond ring on her left hand glimmered in the low lighting.
I pressed my hands onto the counter and stared at her, giving her the time to speak, the time she needed to open up to me.
She sniffled again. “We’re going to have to change everything.”
I cocked a brow. “Everything for what?”
Her eyes lifted to me—bloodshot and lashes laced with droplets. “The wedding.”
My chest tightened and I straightened, trying to understand what was going on. “We can postpone—if you’re not ready.”
I swallowed my pride, I swallowed my pain. If she needed more time, I would wait.
I would always wait for her.
I knew it had been tense between my mother and her as they talked about the wedding, but they were civil. Juliette still held anger toward my mother for lying and telling me Juliette took the money and I didn’t blame her. I doubted they would ever be close and I was completely fine with that.
Instead of relief washing over Juliette’s face, she burst into tears, a cry escaping her trembling lips.
I walked around the counter and pulled her into my arms, brushing her hair down her back. “Juliette, what’s wrong?”
She hiccupped, rubbing her face into my shirt, causing the fabric to dampen.
“I’m pregnant,” she whispered and she gripped my sleeves.
My heart halted in my chest and I looked down at her. Pregnant?
“But you were on the pill,” I said back to her.
Her eyes sharpened. “Well, I guess it failed.” She shouldered her way out of my embrace and gripped the wine glass.
I glanced at her then at the glass of wine on the counter.
She glared. “I’m not drinking it. I’m just mourning.”
I smirked.
She pressed her hand to her forehead and shook her head. “I can’t be pregnant. Not now. We both have our careers and there are so many goals we have yet to achieve. We weren’t supposed to even start trying for a child for another seven years.”
“Seven years?” I asked, incredulous. “When did we discuss waiting that long?”
She threw up her hands and paced the length of the kitchen while I leaned against the counter, watching her quietly. “And the wedding—it’s in six months! I won’t be able to fit in my wedding dress. I’ll be massive and swollen and hormonal.”
“I’ll gladly carry you down the aisle if I have to,” I told her, not hiding my smile.
She paused, shooting me a glare of fury. “You’re not allowed to touch me for another seven months. You got me pregnant! On purpose!”
I laughed. “Well, I did always say I wanted to see you pregnant and barefoot in our kitchen.”
She slapped my arm. “That’s not funny!”
I caught her wrist before she went back to pacing and pulled her into my frame, wrapping my hands around her lower back.
Her hands automatically went to my chest, gripping my dress shirt in fistfuls.
My fingers trailed along the bottom of her spine and upward and she leaned into my touch, moaning.
“This is why I didn’t want you to touch me,” she gasped when my fingers reached the back of her neck, bending it so my mouth met hers. “I’m horny—because of you.”
“I’m a bastard, I know, sweetheart,” I whispered and kissed her softly, my fingers massaging her scalp delicately.
I stroked her tear-stained cheek chasing the touch with another kiss. “Don’t worry about the wedding. Don’t worry about whatever we had planned, Juliette.” My hand fell to her chest, palming just above her breast. “You’re my future. The only one that matters. You know that. And now this one,” I said, hand flat on her stomach. “Is part of that beautiful future, too and I couldn’t be happier.”
Redness filled her eyes and she broke out in a sob, kissing my face madly over and over and over and I smiled at her affection.
“I love you, I love you, I love you—you bastard,” she whispered between kisses.
“Then marry me tonight,” I muttered into her lips.
Her eyes widened and her mouth opened, but I pressed a hand over.
“Listen, please.” Her mouth relaxed under my touch and I breathed out deeply. “We don’t need a big wedding, not what my mother and her socialite friends have been planning for us. We just need us. You and me.” My hand slid between us and stroked her flat stomach. “I love you now. I love you always. Marry me tonight. I’ll make an honest woman out of you before we scandalize my mother any more than we already have. Calling you Mrs. Radcliffe will make me one happy bastard.”
She laughed into my palm, tears rolling freely down her cheeks until they hit my hand.
When I let it fall, she jumped onto her tiptoes and kissed me, letting her actions speak the words between us.
Tonight, she’d become Juliette Radcliffe.
And no family name, political agenda or amount of money was worth being able to love Juliette every single day—until the day I died.
First off, I would like to thank every single reader who takes a chance on me and reads my books. Each and every one of you helped make my dream possible of becoming a published author.
I would love to thank my parents who this book is dedicated to. For always supporting me and filling my life with so much love and hope and dreams and helping me reach for the stars and moon and everything in the universe. I love you both so much and could never ask for better parents.
I would love to thank Marjorie, my editor and friend who supports me and cheers me on through everything in my life. I have said this a thousand times to her, but she is the best editor I’ve ever had and a good friend. We drive each other mad because we’re both Taurus, but we’re fierce and loyal and stubborn and I love that!
Stephanie and Gabby, you girls, along with M, are my rocks. When the river gets rough and stormy, I can always depend on you guys to catch me and help me in any form. I know that’s cheesy, but it’s the truth. You girls heard my doubts and my worries and lift me up. I can’t express how important you guys are to me and that I love you both so much.
OH MICHELLE. I LOVE YOU. So much. You took a chance on my books and then made it your mission to help me. Your support and encouragement mean the world to me. I’m left speechless at all your kind acts and messages and I’m still in shock (LOL!).
And SERENA! I can’t thank you enough for beta reading this book and loving Nathaniel as much as I do! Your support is so amazing. Even before you read any of my books, you reached out and went beyond my wildest dreams of getting more people to take a chance on me and I can never thank you enough. Both you and Michelle amaze me with how you give and give to so many authors out of the kindness of your hearts and the love of reading and that is truly a gift to us authors. Thank you both for having such beautiful souls!
Thank you to Breanne, Megan, and Caley for always supporting me and listening to me talk about books and characters nonstop. You guys are the best friends a girl could ask for and I love you all so much.
Giana, my soulmate friend, I don’t think I’ve ever had such a connection to another author like I do you. You’re the sweetest, most genuine person I’ve ever met (and we haven’t even met in person LOL) and your support from sending me hot Italian men since I can’t be in Rome with you to listening to my fears of jumping into Contemporary Romance is so precious to me. One day soon we will meet and bake pies and search for hot men and I promise we’ll attend a signing together so we both don’t freak out! I love you!
To all the amazing beta readers, Sarah, Annette, Allie, Paige, Kelly, Julia, Ann, Jodi and Elizarey, thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule to read and give me feedback on a brand new series and a new genre I had never published before. Just having your thoughts and notes helped me so much. You guys are the best!
To Ellie, for always fitting me in and making my words shine and c
atching any last minute typos and errors, thank you girl!
To Regina, for listening to me change every single detail of the cover a hundred times and giving me suggestions to make it beautiful and amazing! ALSO huge thank you for the amazing photo-shoot. Seriously, wait until you see the rest of the series’ covers. You’re all going to die!
Thank you to all the awesome fellow authors that support me. Sarah Green, for being an amazing friend and always listening to my random talks! Lylah, my gorgeous Canadian friend, thank you for always making me laugh and cheering me up and sending me hot pictures of shirtless men. Love you! Charleigh Rose, for always listening to my worries and concerns and making me laugh. Ella Fox, for always reading my books and giving me amazing feedback! Autumn Grey, for always being so positive and kind and true, I love you girl! Lucia Franco, for being maybe more excited for the American Gods series than I am and for listening to my questions and giving me feedback AND SAVING MY LIFE! K Webster, for always cheering me on and being so sweet and helpful all the time! Ella Fields, for always making my day and talking about hot Fae men! All of you have helped me and supported me and I can’t express how grateful I am for having you in my life.
To my family, thank you for supporting me and cheering me on and just being so amazing and loving.
To the bloggers and readers that always share or go beyond what’s required of them, thank you so much! You help me so much by just sharing that one post and I truly cherish that.
And again to any readers who took a chance on a new author, I thank you for the bottom of my heart!
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