Page 85 of Scandalous Contract

I stood just inside the door for a second, letting the silence wrap around me. I missed Indi’s chatter. Her loud music. Her dancing in the hallway like the world was her stage. I missed her yelling from the other room for me to “Come look at this” every ten minutes.

More tears slid down my cheeks. I didn’t even wipe them away this time. I let them fall. I guess today was just going to be a teary day for me. Like rain, tears could be cleansing. I hoped that after a good cry, I would feel rejuvenated and ready to take on the world.

Right now, I was barely ready to take on bathing myself. Moving like a zombie, I walked to the kitchen, dropped the mail on the counter, and tossed my purse beside it, not caring if it fell over. I peeled off my jacket, stepped out of my heels, and unzipped my pants as I headed to my bedroom.

I didn’t stop moving. I couldn’t. If I stopped, I might break again. By the time I made it to the bathroom, I was already undressed. I stayed in the shower for a long time, letting the water run hotter than I usually did. Yes, my skin stung, but it felt good.

I scrubbed my body hard until I was almost red, like I was trying to scrub the memory of today off. When I got out, I took off my shower cap, dried off, slipped on panties and a satin gown, then found my slippers and slid them on before walking back into the kitchen.

It was too early to go to bed, but I didn’t care. I didn’t want to watch TV or read or talk to anyone. I just wanted to sleep. I wanted to turn off my mind and my emotions for a little while.

After getting my wine out of the refrigerator, I opened the cabinet, grabbed a wine glass, and filled it to the top. Glass in hand, I started going through the mail. It was the same old, same old. The water bill. Some junk mail. And... what was this?

There was a gold envelope mixed in with my other mail, but this one didn’t have a stamp or return address. The only name on the envelope was mine, written in handwriting I didn’t recognize.

To The One Who Makes Me Smile – Stefanie Adams.

I stared at it. Just stared. I should’ve tossed it. My day had already been weird enough. I wasn’t trying to open a mystery envelope and end up with a face full of powder or something I’d have to explain to emergency services.

But then, from the corner of my eye, I saw my flowers sitting on my table. Still fresh. Still beautiful. Still smelling sweet. I smiled.Julian. Could Julian have sent this? I set my wine glass on the counter and picked up the envelope.

My heart beat faster as I slid my finger under the flap, opened it, and pulled out a sheet of white paper. His handwriting was surprisingly neat for a man. I read the first line and felt my lips lift in a grin.

Sweet Stefanie, I saw your post on social media. I’m glad you loved the flowers. Did they make you smile when you saw them? I hope so because seeing that you liked them made me smile. It was a much-needed smile, too, because my morning had gotten off to a bad start. But you changed my day around. Thank you.

Just like that, my mood shifted. I’d gone from boohooing to cheesing with just a few words from Julian Cattaneo. I grabbed my glass of wine and headed to my bedroom, where I kicked my slippers off.

I placed my glass on my end table and then slid under my covers with Julian’s letter in hand. I took another sip of wine, adjusted the pillow behind me to get comfortable, and continued reading.

You didn’t give me your number, so I can’t call you. I guess I have no choice but to resort to writing you letters because there are so many things I want to say to you. So, expect more letters from me in the coming weeks.

“Oh, really?” I whispered, getting excited by the idea of more letters.

I couldn’t recall the last time I was written a letter. Oh, yeah, I could. But it wasn’t a letter. It was a ticket because I’d parked in a no-parking zone. Luckily, I made it to the car before he finished writing, and he let me off with a warning. I resumed reading.

Do you miss me as much as I miss you? I know we only spent a few days together, but I can’t stop thinking about them. Just yesterday, I made breakfast and found myself wishing you were next to me so I could make you breakfast, too.

Ahhh. How sweet! I reached for my glass and took another sip of wine, reading the next line as I moved to put my glass down. Not wanting to look away from the paper, I kept moving my hand around, searching for the flat surface.

Will I get that chance again, sweet Stefanie? I sure as hell hope so. And after you eat breakfast, I’m going to eat you for breakfast. I want to stick my tongue so deep in your pussy that I taste your soul because I desperately need to taste every part of you, Stefanie Adams.

I nearly dropped the glass.

“Damn it, Julian,” I muttered, squeezing my thighs together.

Did his written words have my hands shaking? My fingers trembled a little as I set the glass back on the nightstand. I bit my lip and kept reading.

If you feed me your soul, I’ll feed you mine. I want to give you every part of me, even the parts I’m not proud of.

I stopped breathing for a second. That last line... it stuck with me. He wanted to give me the good and the bad parts of him... all of him. Could he accept my bad parts, the parts I wasn’t proud of? If he knew the gory details of those parts, would he regret meeting me?

I’m not perfect, Stefanie. But I can promise you this, you’ll never have to fear me, and I’ll never hurt you. You don’t have to believe me just yet. I’m going to prove it to you. I want to prove it to you because you’re worth it.

You’re worth all the good this world has to offer. You’re worth it, and you deserve it. You’re worth me putting in my all. You’re worth the challenge. You’re worth the time. You’re worth the flowers, the letters, and more. So, get ready to receive my all, Stefanie Adams.

Patiently waiting for you,

J.C.