by Sj Hooks
“Ha-ha. You know I don’t. But this is your domain.”
I brought her back into my embrace. “It’s yours, too, now. I’m so proud of you, sweetheart.”
Julia had worked incredibly hard since we returned from London six years ago, flying through the studies for her master’s degree and already securing an assistant professor position while studying for her PhD. Next month, she would be turning in her dissertation, and would officially have a doctorate. She was a great teacher and the students she taught loved her. The boys loved her a little too much for my taste, but that couldn’t be helped. How could they not fall for the brilliant, gorgeous woman in my arms when even her shy, grumpy professor had been helpless to resist her allure?
“I got a letter today,” she whispered. “From England.”
My heart leapt. “And?”
“I kept in touch with my professors over there. They want me back. Teaching full time, next semester.”
She turned her face up, a determined look in her eyes. “I won’t go without you.”
I smiled, caressing her face. “I’d never let you go without me.”
“Do you think it’s possible?”
“Anything’s possible,” I assured her.
Truthfully, I had seen this coming. During the year we’d spent in London together, Julia had dazzled the faculty and I knew they’d been keeping tabs on her academic progress. I was only teaching part-time now, since launching my new career. I had started writing fiction while we were abroad, needing something to fill my time while my fiancée took her classes and studied like a madwoman. As it turned out, I was pretty good at writing when it wasn’t poetry, and had now published three reasonably successful novels, set in the 1950s, about the Beat generation. I wasn’t exactly wealthy, but between our salaries, her inheritance from her grandfather, and my book sales, Julia and I lived very comfortably.
“It’s just for six months,” she added. “I know your parents aren’t going to be thrilled that you’re leaving again.”
“That we’re leaving,” I corrected. “They won’t be happy to see either of us go. But they’ll have more than enough to focus on when they become grandparents.”
“You’re right. We’ll come back for a visit when Meg gives birth. I can’t believe those two are going to be parents.”
I laughed, shaking my head. My brother had come a long way and his lothario ways were far behind him. Now, he had a fiancée and a baby on the way, and he’d never been happier.
I grabbed my bag and took Julia’s hand in mine as we exited the classroom.
“Do you think that will be us someday?” she asked. “With a baby, I mean?”
“Yes,” I answered without hesitation. “We have time still. Don’t worry, sweetheart.”
I knew that Julia worried about that, mostly because of our age difference and the fact that she wanted to have a career. I was pushing forty now, but I’d honestly never felt better. We were healthy and active, and I didn’t see why we couldn’t wait another year. Julia wasn’t even thirty yet, after all. She stopped, tilting her head back to look at me.
“I’m ready now,” she said.
I gaped at her.
“Y-you are? Really?”
She nodded her head. “I could stop taking birth control when we get to London. Even if I got pregnant right away, it’s still enough time to finish the semester. What do you think?”
“I think…I think this is the best idea I’ve ever heard!” I exclaimed, lifting her off her feet to swing us around in a circle. “Oh, Julia!”
“Thank you,” she whispered, clinging to me.
I pulled back. “For what?”
“For not giving up on me,” she said softly. “For not letting me ruin this with my insecurity and cynicism when we first met. For putting up with all of my annoying habits and helping me study all those nights. For coming to London. For loving me.” She caressed my face with her fingers. “Thank you for all of it.”
I didn’t know what to say. I was the one who should be giving thanks to her. I didn’t even want to think about how things would have turned out for me if not for her. She was my whole world.
“I love you,” I said simply, leaning down to give her a gentle kiss. “Let’s go home, sweetheart.”
She smiled, taking my hand again.
“Let’s go home,” she agreed.
We strolled through the nearly deserted campus, bits and pieces of our conversation floating through the air.
“…hear that Sophia and Shawn are in Paraguay…”
“…buy a house when we get back…”
“…not naming our baby ‘Jack,’ Stephen!…”
This was my wife. This was my life. And it was absolutely wonderful.
Can’t get enough of Professor Stephen Worthington and student Julia Wilde? Make their love story a permanent part of your bookshelf with the Absolute Novels print edition!
This bind-up includes Absolute Beginners AND Absolute Lovers, as well as three bonus chapters from author SJ Hooks.
ON SALE AUGUST 2015!
Acknowledgments
A very heartfelt thank-you to the following list of people, who supported the publication of the Absolute Novels from the very beginning: Christie Lanza, Hilda Torres, K Scanlan, Guy Vincent, Helle Lolck, Anne Moerk, Lone Johannessen, Dooba Writes, Emilie Dyhr Thomasen, Jeannie Boom, Kerri Perrotti, Mira Borggreen, Mille Drejer, Meagan Gibson, Ducks, Joanne Griffiths, Judith Sokolowski, Rita Oliveira, C Mor, Emmanuelle Leroy, Lea Strickland, Meredith Cullen, Lisa Mikita, Veronica Roberson, Sara Hassan, Carey Williams, Mette Viby, Winter Horses, Melissa Benson, Dianne Mickey, Diane Tant, Donna Pennell, Rae Stanford, Maria-Elizabeth Granda, Azucena Sandoval, Melissa Robinson, Sally Hopkinson, Jane Arbogast, Shannon Lang, Tracy Kosednar, Trine Bernicken, Jenn Granat, Samantha Streger, Michelle H, Melinda McLeod, Elizabeth McKinney, Anne Gry Westlye, Pimm Cullen, Katie O’Dell, Victoria Temple, Nicole Brake, Nancy Girone, Teresa Bennett, Silvia Simoes, Hilda Torres, Elizabeth Pinera, Kumiko Yada, Ru, Allie Welch, Tori Brookes, Brenna Schunk, Jolynne Etherington, Lyubov Yaroshenko, Pamela Katch, Hiraina Hauata, Bethany Spencer, Emilie B. Desautels, Joyann Zurawski Francione, Jessi Roberts, Sarah Raines, Sabrina Hicks, Jessica Carolina Muñoz Lopez, Erin Conkright, Sheila Smith, Georgia Kefalopoulos, Jess Brown, Krysti Hamrick, Jasmine Holman, Brandy Durand, Helen Gibson, Dutchie Duroy de Cantel, Aurora Masen, and, with love and embarrassment, my mother, Ellis Justesen.
About the Author
Although she is a native of Denmark, SJ Hooks has always had a keen interest in the English language. She has a BA in English Literature and is close to finishing her MA in American Studies. As a student and a working mother of two special needs children, her days are busy.
At night when she isn’t passed out on the couch, she’s in front of her computer, writing stories of love, humor and passion—the best things in life. Her dream is to build a career as a full-time author and give her children the life they deserve.
Connect with SJ online:
Website: http://sjhooks.com/
Facebook: /pages/SJ-Hooks/847932788592247
Twitter: @she_viking
This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to persons living or dead is purely coincidental.
Full Fathom Five Digital is an imprint of Full Fathom Five
Absolute Lovers
Copyright © 2015 by Sille Justesen
All rights reserved.
No part of this text may be used or reproduced in any form, except for the inclusion of brief quotations in review, without written permission from the publisher.
For information visit Full Fathom Five Digital, a division of Full Fathom Five LLC, at
www.fullfathomfive.com
Cover design by Jada D’Lee
ISBN # 978-1-63370-059-8
First Edition
The author published an earlier, not-for-profit, serialized version of this story online.
Absolute Lovers (Absolute #2)
