Page 41 of Scandalous Contract

It was his serious expression that got to me. He wasn’t joking. This was treading into territory I wanted to avoid. I started to move my hand, but he covered it with his, keeping it pressed against his face.

“Stop running from me,” he said softly.

“I’m not running,” I lied.

“You know what I mean.”

No. I didn’t. Not really. And I didn’t want to dig into it. This was supposed to be sex. Just sex. A release. A hot, filthy, unforgettable night with a man I barely knew. Not whatever this was starting to feel like.

I didn’t move. Neither did he. We just stared at each other in the dark, breathing the same air, caught in that space between wanting more and pretending we didn’t. Well, he wasn’t pretending.

He was showing me exactly what he wanted, and it went beyond this moment, beyond tonight. I’d have to be blind not to see it. I was the one pretending. I was the one hiding the desire to see where this could go.

I hated how much I wanted this man. I wasn’t free to want him like this. Not a man who was so much younger than me. What would people say? What would my family think? How would my daughter react? This would embarrass her. This would embarrass me.

I’d been embarrassed enough to last a lifetime. That, too, was because of a man. Never again. I was strict with who I let into my life, into India’s life. I would remain strict. Tonight was all Julian Cattaneo would get from me.

“Come closer,” I whispered.

He hesitated, a flicker of restraint crossing his features. “If I come closer, I’m going to fuck you again,” he told me.

“I know.”

He inched my way. I turned onto my back as he got closer. He followed me, climbing on top of me. Our eyes locked, and I parted my legs, welcoming him into my space once more. He sank between my thighs, cock resting against me.

His thumb traced a gentle line along my cheek, his touch tender as his gaze held me captive.This man and his stares!I swear he was trying to see into my soul, the one place I didn’t need him looking.

To distract myself from the vulnerability creeping in, I rolled my hips slightly, signaling my desire. His eyes fluttered shut, a low groan escaping his lips as I felt him harden against my thigh.

Opening his eyes, he lowered his lips to mine, claiming them in a kiss that was sweet and tender. Our tongues met, exploring each other with a slow rhythm that spoke of a deeper connection.

“You’re a beautiful woman, Stefanie,” he whispered against my lips before kissing me in that slow, sensual way again. “I just want to be a part of your world,” he told me before his tongue caressed mine once more.

His hand moved between us, fingers grazing my sensitive nub, eliciting a shiver that coursed through my entire body. Then, I felt the tip of his arousal pressing against my entrance, gliding between my folds with a teasing patience that left me breathless.

He entered me slowly, inch by inch, filling me completely, sending pleasure spreading across me. I gasped into his kiss once he was fully seated inside of me, igniting every nerve ending in my body.

“You’re not ready for what I want,” he whispered, breath caressing my mouth, cock buried deep within me. “Don’t worry. I won’t rush you. I’ll take my time with you.” He eased out and then slid into me again. “I’ll be a patient man for you, Stefanie,” he groaned against my lips, easing out, then into me again.

"Julian," I moaned, the only word I could muster amidst the whirlwind of sensations.

He remained silent, letting his actions convey what words could not. He made love to me slowly with an intensity that was both gentle and consuming, bringing me to the edge only to pull me back, drawing out the pleasure until it was almost unbearable.

He drove me to the point of no return, then eased me away from it, torturing me in the sweetest way possible. This felt like a sweet revenge, like he was trying to teach me a lesson, show me that he could make me feel things no other man could.

Closing my eyes, I surrendered completely, allowing him to guide me through waves of ecstasy. I let him do whatever he wanted to me. I let him tease me, seduce me, caress me, kiss me, lick me, take me to heights I’d only read about in smut books.

And then he thrust deeply, sending me spiraling from those heights and crashing into an orgasm that made me shudder, pussy convulsing around his cock. A lone tear trailed from the corner of my eye as his orgasm followed, spilling into me as he groaned my name.

I hadn’t meant to cry. I didn’t even know why I was. But the way he was loving me... it broke something open. A yearning I kept locked away. The key had been lost years ago. The door couldn’t be opened again.

That didn’t stop me from craving more of what Julian was giving me. Afterward, he held me close, my head resting on his chest, his fingers tracing soothing patterns along my back as he pressed gentle kisses to my forehead.

If we could stay in this moment longer, that would be great, that would be perfect. But perfection didn’t exist. Morning and reality returned far too quickly. But that was the story of my life.

Just when things got good, just when I felt desired, cherished, and happy, something happened to remind me that those things were forever out of my reach. That something just so happened to be my daughter showing up at the rental home with her friends while Julian was still there with me.

And this was why I tried my best to avoid situations like these!