LOGINA physical wave of nausea washed over Julian, hitting him with a force that sent him stumbling backward against the wall.He wasn’t sure he had heard correctly. The world tilted. He hunched over, bracing his palms against his trembling knees to keep himself upright. His breathing came in sharp, ragged heaves as the room spun around him. The floor felt too close yet miles away, rotating until a bitter taste rose in the back of his throat.He swallowed hard, panting, staring at a fixed point on the rug.In that suffocating silence, a realization settled into his bones: he had been a complete fool. He had been so hopelessly blinded by his desperate desire to win Lena back that he had ignored what was staring him directly in the face.He remembered the similarities he shared with Junior—similarities that could only be explained by genetics. Yet, he had waved them aside every single time. He had ignored his own eyes and instincts because he had blindly trusted Lena’s words. Even when Le
“It seems Junior has been taken.”Everything in Lena’s body slowed to a horrifying stop. The room tilted. She felt a sudden, suffocating vacuum in her chest, as though an invisible pair of hands had wrapped around her lungs and were squeezing the last remaining pocket of air out of them.She blinked. A single tear tracked a hot path down her pale cheek. Another followed. And then another, blurring her vision until the tears were falling faster than she could blink them away, entirely out of her control.“W-what are you talking about?” she whispered, her voice sounding thin. She violently ripped her hands out of Julian’s tight grip.He didn't answer. He simply reached back out, his large palms lifting toward her face in an attempt to brush the wetness from her cheeks.Lena jerked her head away from his touch, completely rejecting the comfort. “Julian…” she pleaded, her voice cracking, frustration and terror bleeding into her tone.“It’s under control, baby,” he breathed, though his ow
Julian woke to heat. Lena’s body was molded into his, her hair cascading over his chest. Warmth filled his chest, making him smile as he began kissing the back of her head and her shoulders.The bite marks and fingerprints he had left on her skin during their activities the day before were still prominent.He winced at the sight and reminded himself not to get carried away again. Then he pulled her even closer, afraid that any distance between them might cause him to lose her again.Now that Julian had Lena again, the last thing he wanted was to—An aching tightness and delectable warmth sent a zap down Julian’s spine, pulling a moan from deep within his throat. He looked down, trying to shift back when realization hit. There was no space between them. His dick was still inside her.Julian slapped a hand over his mouth, his skin flushing crimson at the realization. He vividly recalled pulling out last night, cleaning both of them up before they finally slept… So how did he end up shov
If Julian could disappear into Lena’s body, he would.If he could swallow her whole at this moment, he would.His kisses were desperate and raw, his tongue gliding across her skin and moans rumbling in his throat like a starved man.Perhaps he was starved,Perhaps a part of him still couldn’t believe that he had Lena naked beneath him, crying out his name and begging him for more.Her skin was marked red in places he had bitten and sucked too hard.She twirled her waist, rocking against his bulge. Her wetness coated Julian’s crown making the friction easier.No matter how hard she’d tried to contain noises eliciting in her throat, she couldn’t. It was too much, and yet not nearly enough.Lena cupped Julian’s face and pushed his head back. Her chest was still heaving erratically, her hair an inky pool around her head, some strands glued to her face.“Enough with the kisses.” She breathed. “Let’s just…”She bit her lip, unable to complete the statement.Julian understood anyway. A mischi
“This is so refreshing.”Lena groaned in relief as she raised her head and settled her chin against the back of her palms.“You’re enjoying this?” Julian asked from behind her, his hands still moving with efficiency as he massaged her back.Lena looked back at him, offering him a smile before her eyes returned forward, staring at the waves.The last three days could only be described by a single word: bliss.Julian has brought her to a private beach house at a remote location, away from the world. And ever since, he has taken care of her with such tenderness that she couldn’t help but be sated.Her problems were nonexistent.The thing that happened with Jack was nonexistent.She tuned out the world and allowed herself, for the first time in a long while, the freedom to exist just for herself—even if for a few days.“By the way, I hear my brother has returned back home and Leo went with him,” Julian informed.“What? Really?” Lena spun around so that she was lying on her back.Heat imme
“Morning!” Julian beamed.Lena blinked up at him, her vision still slightly blurred and disheveled by sleep. She rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand, trying to collect her scattered thoughts.Meanwhile, Julian was already fully awake, moving with an effortless, agile energy. He stood from the chair he had been occupying and poured steaming hot water into a mug. As the steam curled lazily into the morning air, it carried the sharp, spicy scent of ginger and a hint of mint. Lena wasn’t exactly sure what she was perceiving through her groggy senses, but the aroma was undeniably soothing.“Before you say a single word, you have to drink this,” Julian said, walking over and gently handing the warm mug to her. “It’ll help with your throat in case there’s any soreness left from yesterday.”Lena didn’t even attempt to speak. She was gripped by fear—she was terrified that if she tried to voice a response and her throat ached, the physical pain would trigger the memory of everything tha
Lena woke up with tears and a splitting headache.For hours, she’d cried and cried and cried until she decided that crying would not save her marriage. So she decided that perhaps having a conversation with Julian would change his mind. Perhaps if she begged enough, perhaps if she offered him more
Years ago, before the marriage, before the arrangement, before she tucked herself into Julian’s quiet house and learned to want less, Lena used to party.It was how she processed things: a loud room, a dark dance floor, a glass in her hand. It wasn’t elegant and she knew it. But it worked. Tonight
“Hello, this is the assistant of Pedro King. I saw that you had put up an article stating that Mr. Julian Black was out with his wife. As his associates, we are unaware of any such information. Might I know if you have any other details about the woman in question?”“Pedro King?” The reporter asked
Tick.Tick.Tick.The clock continued to tick. Seconds turned into minutes and minutes into hours. And yet Lena’s husband was not home.Three years.That was how long Lena had been married.Three years of convenience. Three years of an arrangement that had never pretended to be more than what it wa







