Chapter 162
Nora's POV
He made a low sound in his throat, something between a groan and a growl, and his arms came around me. He lifted me off the chair like I weighed nothing, pulling me into his lap as his mouth opened under mine.
My fingers slid into his hair, gripping hard. His tongue swept past my lips, tasting, claiming. I gasped and he swallowed the sound, one hand fisting in the fabric at the small of my back, the other cradling my head.
When he finally pulled back, we were both breathing hard.
His pupils were blown wide, his eyes dark and burning. "Nora..."
I didn't let him finish. "I want you, Julian."
The words came out raw. Honest. Inevitable.
His jaw tightened. "You're sure?"
I nodded.
"Say it again," he said, voice rough.
"I want you. I want this. I'm sure."
He stood, still holding me, and carried me inside. Across the yard, through the back door, past Lily and Pepper—who watched us from the couch with twin expressions of feline and canine judgment.
He took the stairs two at a time. Kicked the bedroom door shut behind us. Set me down on the bed with a gentleness that didn't match the tension coiled through his frame.
He knelt between my legs, one hand braced on the mattress beside me. His eyes searched mine.
"Last chance," he said quietly. "Once we start, I don't know if I can stop."
I reached up and framed his face in my hands. "I'm awake this time. I know what I'm doing. I know what I want."
His gaze held mine. Looking for doubt. For fear.
He wouldn't find any.
"I want you," I said again. "As my man. As mine."
Something broke open in his expression—relief and hunger and something too big to name.
"Then you've got me," he said.
And he kissed me like he meant it.
His hands slid under the hem of my nightgown, fingertips skimming bare skin. I lifted my arms and he pulled the fabric over my head, tossing it aside.
I wasn't wearing a bra.
His breath caught. "Fuck, Nora. You're so damn beautiful."
I reached for his shirt, fumbling with the buttons. My hands were shaking. He covered them with his, stilling me.
"Let me."
He stripped off his shirt in one fluid motion. I ran my palms over his chest, tracing the hard lines of muscle, the faint scars from his time in the service.
He shuddered under my touch.
"You have no idea what you do to me," he muttered.
"Show me."
He laid me back against the pillows, his mouth trailing down my throat, across my collarbone. His hands skimmed over my ribs, thumbs brushing the undersides of my breasts.
"You smell so good," he murmured against my skin. "Like honey and rain."
I arched into him, fingers digging into his shoulders. "Julian, please..."
He lifted his head, eyes locked on mine. "Tell me what you want."
Heat flooded my face, but I didn't look away. "I want you inside me."
He kissed me again, hard and claiming. Then he pulled back just enough to strip off our remaining underwear.
When we were finally bare, skin to skin, he paused. His hand settled on my hip, fingers splayed wide.
"This might hurt," he said quietly. "If you need me to stop, tell me."
I shook my head, legs wrapping around his waist. "Don't stop. I trust you."
His cock entered my pussy slowly, watching my face. I bit down on my lip, nails digging into his back as my body adjusted to the stretch.
He froze. "Breathe, baby. Just breathe."
I did. The burn eased into something else—something deeper, hotter. The tension in my muscles loosened.
He began to move. Careful at first, controlled, giving me time. But when I gasped his name, when I pulled him deeper, his control started to slip.
"You feel so good," he groaned against my neck. "So tight... like you were made for me."
"Julian—oh god—don't stop—"
"I won't." His voice was ragged, strained. "I'll never stop. Baby."
The rhythm built. Slow and steady, then harder, faster. The bed frame creaked under us. My nails raked down his back, leaving red marks in their wake.
I felt it building—pressure coiling low in my belly, tighter and tighter until I couldn't breathe, couldn't think—
After half an hour, I finally couldn't hold back anymore and shattered.
I cried out, the sound muffled against his mouth as he kissed me through it. My body clenched around him and he followed a heartbeat later, burying his face in my shoulder as he came hard.
We stayed like that, tangled together, hearts pounding in sync.
---
He rolled onto his side, pulling me with him. I curled into his chest, spent.
His fingers combed through my hair. He pressed a kiss to my forehead. "You okay?"
"Perfect," I whispered.
He tilted my chin up, eyes serious. "I love you, baby."
My throat tightened. "I love you too."
He kissed me again. Soft this time. Reverent.
"Will you stay with me tonight?" he asked.
I nodded. Then I pulled back a little, biting my lip. "Then... I need some things."
He raised an eyebrow. "What things?"
"My toiletries. My pillow. My snacks. And my books. At least half my shelf."
He stared at me for a long moment. "This isn't a 'stay one night' list."
I met his gaze. Steady. "No. It's not."
His eyes widened. "So you're... moving in? For real?"
I crossed my arms, mock-stern. "You made me lose my company apartment. My commute's a nightmare now. I deserve compensation."
He laughed, low and rough, and pulled me back into his arms. "Deal. You can have the whole damn house if you want."
Then his expression softened. "But baby... this isn't just about convenience. I want you here because I want to wake up next to you every morning."
I kissed him, slow and deep. "Then I'll stay. For as long as you'll have me."
"Forever, " he said.
And I believed him.