Chapter 38 Boundaries And Heat
Morning sunlight came through the floor-to-ceiling windows, gilding the sheets in a soft, golden haze. Seraphina stirred as she woke, realizing it was morning already.
Her lashes fluttered as consciousness slowly returned. The faint manly scent of something luxury- Julian’s scent- consumed the air. When she sat up, realization struck her like a spark.
She was in his bed. She had forgotten in her sleep.
Her heart skipped as her eyes darted to her side. The space beside her was empty, the sheets already cooling. She must have fallen asleep last night after crying herself dry in his arms. Shame mingled with confusion as she pushed the memory away.
Then it hit her—Phoenix. Her son.
Seraphina bolted up, barefoot against the cold marble as she dashed down the corridor. She didn’t care about appearances or coming across maids; the only thing on her mind was her son.
She remembered that the room Julian kept him wasn’t far from Julian’s.
When she eased the door open, the sight stopped her cold.
Julian lay curled beside Phoenix on the wide bed, one arm draped protectively over the boy, his dark hair falling carelessly across his forehead. Phoenix was still soundly asleep, his small hand clutching the hem of Julian’s shirt.
Seraphina froze in the doorway, her throat tightening.
A man the world called ruthless… the one who could order a death with a flick of his fingers… lying here, tender as the morning light, next to a child he’d never known he fathered until a few days ago.
Warmth spread through her chest, painful and beautiful all at once. ‘I denied him this… for five whole years.’
She lingered for a long, quiet moment before silently stepping back and closing the door.
When she returned to her own room, she found the handle locked. She tried again. Nothing. A quiet sigh slipped from her lips. Of course he’d meant every word “You’ll live in my room now.” He had locked her own room.
Resigned, she went back to his suite. The bathroom smelled of his soap and musk; she took his towel, bathed, brushed her teeth with a spare brush she saw, and stood before the mirror in nothing but the rising steam.
The silence pressed around her, full of memories and reserved tension. Her thoughts wandered- to Maris, to the lies surrounding her existence, to the way her entire world had changed overnight. Damien had already broadcast to the world that she had a son. There was no undoing that. And she was confused on what to do moving forward.
Her gaze caught on a door slightly ajar as her eyes ran around the vast room for Julian’s closet. An inner room? She thought before stepping in, naked. Inside was a world of order: pressed shirts, rows of suits, folded towels arranged by color. The place was soaked in his scent—earthy, dark, and old luxury- if there was anything like that. It made her chest ache.
Without thinking, she grabbed a brown shirt and a pair of his shorts. She returned to the room and was just about putting on the wears when his door clicked open. Her senses lost all rationality. She was stark naked, and standing there was Julian.
For a heartbeat, neither of them moved. His eyes swept over her—bare shoulders, skin damp from her bath, the sunlight tracing her silhouette. Seraphina let out a soft, startled sound as she recovered from the shock of being caught offguard, and then darted behind the door, heat flooding her face.
“Could you…leave?” she stammered. “I’m not dressed.”
Julian’s jaw tightened. His throat worked, as though words had lodged somewhere far away from his mouth. Finally, he turned away.
“I’ll be outside.” Even hearing his voice after what just happened was almost traumatic for her.
When the door shut, Seraphina’s pulse was a wild rhythm in her ears. Julian had just walked in on her naked. She dressed quickly in his oversized shirt and shorts, inhaling the faint cologne clinging to the fabric without even meaning to.
Seraphina left for the The garden afterwards- her favorite place in the entirety of the penthouse. The garden’s quiet breeze cooled her flushed cheeks. Flowers swayed in the morning air, and for a moment, she tried to steady herself among them. She still had no idea how she would be able to face him after he saw her bare earlier.
“Miss Sera?”
She turned. Joye was standing behind her, a worried expression softening her young face.
“Joye…” Seraphina blinked, remembering how she’d manipulated the girl the previous night. Guilt pricked her chest.
“I was so worried, ma’am,” Joye said, wringing her hands. “When you disappeared last night, I thought something had happened. Please don’t ever do that again.”
Seraphina walked closer, resting a gentle hand on her shoulder. “I’m sorry, Joye. I didn’t mean to drag you into any mess. I was just… looking for a way out.”
Joye’s eyes widened, and she glanced nervously toward the hallway. “If you ever want something, it’s better to ask Master. He’ll find out anyway. He always does.”
A humorless smile curved Seraphina’s lips. “I know. I learned that the hard way.”
“I prepared breakfast,” Joye said softly.
“Could you bring it here?”
Joye hesitated but nodded. “Of course, Miss Sera.”
When she left, the garden fell quiet again. Seraphina closed her eyes, inhaling deeply. She wished everyday could be as peaceful it’s this without having to worry about big issues. Isuues she knew she had not even started diving in.
~
Inside, Julian leaned against the bathroom counter, palming his hard-as-rock manhood and rocking it back and fourth with his wet hand.
The image of Seraphina naked- bare skin, firm breasts, wet hair, sunlight kissing her shoulders, refused to leave his mind. Every controlled instinct in him strained. He’d faced down killers, betrayed allies, burned empires, none of it had undone him like the sight of her this morning.
He masturbated harder, groaning and breathing hard like she was actually under him. After a few seconds more, he came all over his hands heavily with a silent gasp of her name ‘Seraphina’. Then he hunched over the sink to steady his breathing. “Get it together,” he muttered to himself.
All the guards that he had kept up around her shattered at that point even though he was one that a woman’s nakedness never freaked. Her case was different.
He couldn’t remember the last time he came. Not when he fucked his whores, or when he fucked Joanne- his secretary.
He never came easily unless he thought about that night with Seraphina five years ago while with them.
After he cleaned and freshened up, he looked at himself in the mirror. Could he cope with being in her presence without wanting to tie her up and fuck all of her holes till she couldn’t breathe anymore?
He exhaled deeply. He shouldn’t be having these weakening thoughts while there were missions to do, and a child to protect. He was a mess.
But God help him- he didn’t think he could stop wanting her.