Chapter 6

Julian

“You know no woman will be able to satisfy you as much as I do. Our sexual needs match perfectly with one another’s. Do you think that child you got engaged to is who will be able to keep up with your intensity?” Vivienne shook her head and ran her manicured fingertips down the side of my face in a teasing caress.

“That’s why I came here to console you with my body. Don’t take it for granted or you’ll end up regretting letting me go.”

I grabbed her hand before she could withdraw it, tightening my grip slightly around her wrist. “I don’t take kindly to threats.”

She gasped and pressed her free hand to her still exposed chest, her eyes twinkling with mischief. “Oh, I wouldn’t dare.”

“Get out of my office.” I released her hand and she stood back upright, not looking deterred by my tone in the slightest.

She fixed her dress, grabbed her designer handbag and purred, “Call me whenever you change your mind.”

Then she swung her hips all the way to the door and slipped out, shutting it with a quiet click.

I leaned back in my chair and let out a string of curse words, angry with myself for being blinded by pussy and letting things get this far.

My phone rang on my desk and I shot an irritated glance at the offending device.

Seeing it was my mother, I let out a sigh and picked it up, swiping the answer button.

“What is this I’m hearing, Julian?” Were her first words, harsh and loud in my ear. “Why haven’t you moved in with Jade? She’s been staying all alone in that house for a whole week! Why would you abandon her like that?!”

I’d finally been reported by my fiancée. I hadn’t expected it to take this long but at least it was nice while it lasted.

“We aren’t married.” I stated the useless argument. “I don’t see the need to live in the same house and act like we are.”

“Oh my God, Julian. What are you saying? Did you guys have a fight that Jade didn’t tell me about?”

Not wanting to stress her any further, I decided to assuage her worries for the moment. “Calm down, mom. Nothing serious happened. I’ve just been busy, having late nights at work. I promise I’ll go there tonight.”

“You aren’t just going to go there. You’re going to move your things there and begin living together like a proper engaged couple.”

“Okay, fine. I’ll do that. Just calm down. I don’t want you worrying.”

She took a deep breath and exhaled it slowly. “You shouldn’t make your job your whole life, Julian. You now have a fiancée who will soon become your wife. You need to create time to take care of her.”

“I understand.”

She said a few more things while I stayed quiet to allow her get her grievances off her chest. Finally, she said her goodbyes and ended the call and I stared at the blank screen in resignation, knowing I had no choice but to return to that house now.

Jade Starling. The little girl who I had known had harbored a crush on me for most of her life. She still hadn’t changed. She still was a spoiled little brat who cried at the slightest things. She still blurted the most stupidest stuff and giggled when she was nervous. She still looked at me with those baby blues of hers like I hung the stars in the sky.

She still was so fucking beautiful with the most flawless skin like a perfect porcelain doll.

Nothing had changed.

Well… nothing except her body. That was definitely different.

She had curves now that had made me stare for longer than appropriate. That dress had been tight on her, almost indecent as the material pressed against her breasts and exposed the creamy swell of her cleavage.

I hated how she tried so hard to be noticed by me. It was childish and pathetic. Immature.

She wasn’t fit for me in the slightest and I had no idea what my mother saw in her that made her think she was perfect for me.

But I wasn’t going to feed the delusions they had. I was just playing along for now. It was my mother’s wish after all and I wanted to make her happy.

So after work, instead of driving to my penthouse in the suburbs, I headed towards Beacon Hill, a gated community where the private townhouse I had purchased at my mom’s request as an engagement gift was located.

I parked in the front driveway when I got there and walked up the steps to the door where I inserted my key and unlocked it.

Then I turned the knob and opened the door to a smoke-filled house.