Chapter 5

What Nadia said left Philip stunned. After confirming it with her more than once, he laughed even more heartily than before.

"Good, good! What matters is that you're married. When are you bringing him home to have a meal with me?"

Nadia answered in her best behavior. "Once we're ready, Grandpa."

After she hung up, the bedroom door opened. Julian stepped inside and walked across the room toward her. His aura was as cool and dignified as ever, with his perfectly formed brows and starry eyes. He was almost unfairly good-looking.

Nadia gasped as she raised her head to look at him. "You're back!"

Julian made a hum of acknowledgment, his voice a little hoarse. "We just got married, so I came back to have dinner with you."

Warmth rippled through her heart. "Thank you."

Back when she was with Harry, he could leave her sitting alone in a restaurant for hours, even when they had made plans to have a meal together. It was only later that she would find out he had been called away by Sammy again.

If Sammy so much as sneezed, Harry would rush her to the hospital in a panic. Nadia was always the one he left behind. When she got mad about it, Harry would complain that she was being dramatic and petty.

Nadia gathered herself and stopped those thoughts.

She closed her laptop and set it in the bay window, then stood up and gave Julian a small smile. "You don't need to come back on purpose just to keep me company. It's alright."

This was a whirlwind marriage where each took what they needed, after all.

"It's only natural for me to keep you company." Julian looked at her as he gently added, "I told you, what I want is a marriage where we live together and share a bed."

Nadia felt a quiet warmth spread through her heart, but she did not read too much into it. She knew he was mature and told herself he did not mean anything more than what he said on the surface.

She nodded and said, "Alright. Let me wash my hands and eat with you downstairs."

She then headed toward the bathroom.

Julian watched her leave, his eyes darkening as he followed her figure.

-

In the dining room on the first floor, they sat facing each other across a square table, soft light showering over them. A handsome man, a beautiful woman. The scene was almost cozy.

Several dishes had been laid out on the table, all of them Nadia's favorites. She had not expected their tastes to be the same. She sat straight and proper, eating quietly.

Suddenly, Julian picked up a piece of crispy fried rib and dropped it onto her plate. "You like this. Eat more."

Nadia looked up in surprise. "How did you know I like it?"

"It was not hard to find out," Julian explained as he looked into her eyes deeply. His voice was low, almost matter-of-factly, as he said, "We're husband and wife. I'll make an effort to learn more about you."

The words were enough to make her nose sting. If someone really wanted to understand a person, there were plenty of ways to do it. To this day, Harry had never managed to remember what she liked to eat or drink.

She was allergic to mango, for example. But Harry had once ordered her a large mango smoothie.

That was Samantha's favorite drink.

"Julian..." Nadia’s voice turned a little hoarse.

Julian answered softly. "I'm here."

Nadia looked straight at him for a few seconds, then gathered her courage. "Didn't you hate me before this? Why are you suddenly so nice to me?"

Hate?

So that was what she thought…

The heaviness in Julian’s eyes slowly faded as he made a faint, unreadable smile. "Isn't it normal for a husband to be good to his wife?"

She had not gotten a real answer and was ready to drop it when she heard him add, with that usual sharp tongue of his, "Besides, you were just too stupid earlier. That was what made you unlikable."

Nadia fell silent.

She really should not have asked.

They finished the rest of the meal quietly, neither of them speaking again.

After dinner, Julian went back to his study.

Later that night, Nadia knocked on the door of the study with a mug of herbal tea Mrs. Smith had prepared. She wanted to talk to him about going home to see her grandfather.

"Come in." Julian’s low voice came from inside.

Nadia opened the door and walked to the desk, setting the mug of hot tea by his right side. "Have some tea."

"Sure," Julian said as he took a sip, then lifted his eyes, an amused glint flickering inside. "Damiana and lavender. Mrs. Jones… Are you trying to give me a hint?"

Redness rushed into Nadia’s cheeks. She suddenly remembered the talk that morning about whether he could get excited and hurried to explain. "No! Mrs. Smith made it!"

The second the words came out, she regretted them.

Did she sound a little too knowledgeable about this?

Julian watched the redness spread over her face. She really did look like someone who could not handle the slightest scare. It tugged at something in him, and he could not quite bring himself to keep teasing her.

He let the topic drop.

Then, he stood up. His tall frame blocked out the light as he moved in front of her and held out a black velvet box. "This is for you."

"What is it?" Nadia asked, puzzled, as she took the box and opened it.

When she saw the matching rings inside, she could not help her surprise.

Julian’s voice was low and magnetic. "We got our marriage registered in a rush yesterday. These are the engagement rings to make up for that. Do you like them?"

He asked again, his gaze fixed on her.

Nadia’s breathing became uneven. It might have been a whirlwind marriage, but she could not resist the feeling of being cared for like this. She nodded hard. "I do."

Julian took her hand and slid the woman's diamond ring onto her ring finger, his voice carrying a hint of dominance. "Wear it from now on."

He lowered his head; his features were even more defined and striking up close. Nadia held her breath without thinking, her heart pounding wildly again.

Julian waited a long moment, but no answer came. He took it for resistance, and his eyes dimmed. "You don't want to?"

Nadia shook her head at once. "No. I do!"

Only then did his expression ease. He held out his left hand and said, "Then may I trouble you to put mine on, Mrs. Jones?"

Nadia felt that was only right. She took the men’s ring and eased it onto his finger with a light, careful movement. Her fingers were soft and smooth. The brush of skin at her fingertips made the air between them turn intimate.

Julian suddenly extended his arm around her narrow waist and pulled her into his embrace, lowering his head to look at her. "Next, shouldn't we do what a husband and wife ought to do?"

Her heart pounded even faster at his words, and her mind went blank for a second. It was a long time before she managed to finally find her voice. "Wh…what?"

Julian raised his hand, his thumb stroking her soft cheek. His eyes burned hotter. "Mrs. Jones… Don't tell me you have never been with a man before."

He started to lower his head to kiss her, but she was too nervous. Her body flinched, and she tipped her face back on reflex. He felt her flinch and watched the heat in his own eyes slowly recede as he let her go. "It's alright. I'll give you time."

Nadia stared at him, momentarily stunned.

So… He wouldn't touch her unless she wanted him to.

She did not know why, but the Julian who had always seemed cold and hard to approach now felt quietly gentle in a way she couldn't describe.

She could not work out the reason. Feeling guilty about what had just happened, she lowered her eyes. "I'm sorry. I'm just not ready yet."

Julian smiled faintly, and he reached out to pat her head. "You apologize over something this small? I told you I would give you time. Just don't make me wait too long."

For a moment, Nadia felt like she was being spoiled. It was a feeling she had never had with Harry. After a long time, she finally nodded and said, "Alright."

Then she suddenly remembered what she had come for. "Oh, right. My grandpa wants to see you. Can you come back with me to meet him?"

"Sure, but..." Julian’s gaze darkened. He bent to her ear, his voice low and tempting. "Where's my kiss, Mrs. Jones?"