Chapter 05

Silas's POV 

“Someone help! He has been shot!” 

I yelled as I carried Julian in my arms, the nurses gasped when they saw Julian unconscious in my arms as they rushed towards me with a stretcher.

They wheeled him away while I followed helplessly.  I stayed at the reception area for four hours before a doctor finally arrived.

“He lost a lot of blood…but we managed to stabilize him and he can be discharged tomorrow. He is resting now”

I went to his room to see him…he looked really fragile…and I blamed myself for not noticing he was in pain earlier. What would I have done if anything had happened to him?

The next day, his mom was safely moved to a private facility and he was already discharged.

 We were lodged in one of my hotels around the area. I convinced him to step outside with me. We ended up at a small ice-cream shop down the road.

Julian sat across from me…one arm bandaged…a chocolate cone in the other hand. 

“You scared the hell out of me” I said finally, my voice rough. “Why didn't you tell me you were shot…you could have died”

He looked down, licking the melting ice-cream before answering softly. “Because I didn't want you to see me as weak”

I clenched my fist. “Julian…I'm not joking”

He sighed and rolled his eyes. “Fine! Some bad guys tried to steal from me yesterday morning and I fought back…they shot me and they ran away.. well, I guess I was too stubborn to admit that I needed help”

“Why are you so stubborn…do you know what I'd have felt if you had died”

“Well…I didn't die. But…I don't know how to say thank you. What you did for my mom…no one has ever done anything like that for me before”

I wanted to reach across the table and pull him into my arms…but I knew we had to maintain boundaries because we were in public, but what's people's business anyways?

“There are better ways to thank me,” I said, surprising myself with the boldness.

I reached across the table and took his hand bringing his index finger to my mouth. I sucked it slowly…deliberately swirling around the tip while maintaining eye contact.

He moaned and I smiled…and a few heads turned in our direction. I released his finger with a soft pop and leaned back, grinning at his surprised expression.

“You see…you're not the only bad boy”

Julian blinked and threw back his head and laughed. “Silas…in less than two days I'm already rubbing off on you”

“Maybe…I've had it in me all along” I admitted. “I was just too shy to express myself. My late husband was very…reserved. He didn't like public displays of affection. Sometimes, he said I was too much in the bedroom and I needed to tone things down”

Julian frowned, leaning forward. “That's weird. You shouldn't have to change who you are for anyone. The right person should make you feel like more of yourself, not less”

He paused, then said quietly. “Did…you love him?”

“Yes,” I answered without hesitation. “I loved him very much…he was perfect in every sense”

Julian's expression shifted, he squinted at me then smirked. “Did he have a big dick, because…I noticed you like it big”

I nearly choked on my ice-cream. “Julian! Shut up!”

But before I could help myself, I was already laughing in a way I haven't laughed in years. “How do you manage to crack me up even in moments like this?”

“You were getting too emotional,” he said with a shrug. “I didn't like it. I guess…it made me jealous. Which is stupid, I know”

“It's not stupid. It's the Silas effect”

He rolled his eyes but I could see he was blushing.

We sat in silence for a while before I asked. “So tell me about your paintings. What are your real plans? Do you plan to keep hawking them until people decide to pay you?”

“Of course not. But…I actually have big plans but dreams cost money and I don't have enough to finance them”

“Tell me…I want to hear everything”

For the next twenty minutes Julian told me everything. From his paintings…to how he gets his inspiration…to how he plans on building an art gallery that'd showcase emerging artists and bridge the gap between high art and street culture.

“You have big dreams” I said, when he finally paused for breath. “They are terrifying…which means they are the right kind”

He bent his head, suddenly shy. “You're the first person who has actually listened to me talk about my dreams and not asked me to shut up”

“What if I told you I could give you the capital to start your art gallery…what would you say?”

“I'd be the happiest person in the world” but he quickly caught himself. “But I don't want any more favours from you Silas…you've already done enough”

“But what if I told you I had something better, would you reject it?”

“What?” He asked with eyebrows raised.

I took a deep breath. “Marry me”

Julian's mouthful of ice-cream went flying across the table. “Excuse me, WHAT?”

“You heard me Julian. I like you and you like me…we could get married”

For a moment, he just stared at me and then he spoke. “Are you being serious right now? You want to marry me after one night? Wait, is this some kind of game?”

“Why would you say that? This isn't a game…I like you and you know it.. we are both adults…I know I'm older, but that doesn't mean we can't work something out”

“Are you trying to use me to get over your late husband?”

“I'm trying to help Julian. I'm lonely. You need the money and I need the company. Be my husband for one year. At the end, you walk away with two hundred million cash…more than enough to build your gallery. And in the meantime…”

My lips curved faintly. “Twelve months of back to back sex, what do you say?”