Page 36 of Julian's Curse

Now, here and now, it felt different. I was prepared to face anything—anything at all—to help Julian through this. Maybe it was a bit of a toxic thought, but I never subscribed to the idea that love was just a choice, something you could fight off with enough willpower. Love, for me, had always been somethingdeeper, something you couldn’t just turn on or off. And right now, I was ready to fight for it.

He exhaled with relief. “You’re my everything,” he murmured, a hint of melancholy in his voice.

I knew it was risky to take him back so quickly. In fact, it was a disaster for my mental health. But deep down, I knew I wouldn’t regret it. I felt the weight of his gaze on me, and now I also turned self-absorbed, consumed with my own desires. I too needed him to put me out of my misery.

“I believe you can do this,” I whispered against his mouth. “There’s so much you have going for you.”

“Lucie, I often don’t feel that way.” Julian’s beautiful face hovered just an inch from mine. “I know that’s true that I have successful businesses,” he said softly, “but if it weren’t for you, I probably wouldn’t be going to rehab right now. I have money and fame... and sometimes, not even that can ease the weight of my depression. The meds don’t always help me forget about my mom.” His eyes glistened, while he tried to hide it.

It could have upset me, but I wasn’t. After all, I knew that most addicts not only had a genetic predisposition but also carried deep trauma that shaped their struggles. His mother dying from an overdose on his birthday was one of them. I furrowed my brow but stayed quiet. This was the time to listen, like really listen.

“I’ve always carried this darkness, and when I’m on it, the world just seems a little softer, easier to endure. I can finally let my guard down.”

I squeezed his hand gently. “Let’s talk more about it, okay? But inside?” A wave of unease washed over me, a strange feeling that Will had overheard part of our conversation, even though he wasn’t anywhere in sight.

Julian followed me silently, his steps heavy. But we barely made it a few feet before he sank down onto the bottom stepsof our staircase, his body folding in on itself as his expression shattered. I shut the door with a thud.

“Everything you’ve told me makes sense. But drugs aren’t a way to make anything right. They’re just a temporary escape and you don’t need one right now. Niccolo’s nightmare is over.” I reminded him.

“I didn’t start using until my late 20s,” he said, his voice heavy with emotion. “But the simple act of it made me feel close to her—Lucie. And that scares me.”

I realized he was still talking about his mom.

“She passed away, Julian,” I said, my voice as soft as I could make it. “Because of her addiction. You’ve got too much to live for, and you will heal. You don’t want to end up the same way, do you?”

He shook his head, as if trying to shake off the weight of it all, then gave me a faint but certain smile—a quiet acknowledgment that, despite everything, there was still something between us that held him together. “No, not when I look at you.” Without another word, he pulled me closer, settling me in his lap. His fingers brushed the skin on my thigh, and even just that was enough to get me reeling. For a suspended moment, neither one of us moved. The stillness hung in the air, but the rhythm of our breaths grew uneven, breaking into something more jagged.

It had been over a week since I’d been with him, and his presence only exacerbated the physical longing inside me. A sudden, wild temptation sank deep into my bones, stirring a desire within me I hadn’t expected. I suddenly didn’t care that he was probably still high, or that this might not be the healthiest choice for me. I just wanted to prove to him that we were worth fighting for—and selfishly, I also needed him to put out the lust building within me.

He kissed me gently at first, but when he sensed the heat already building between us, he took my lips with a fierceintensity. We slowly backed into the bedroom, then frantically pushed each other’s clothing off. His jacket. Then his tie. My pants. His shirt. Soon, I was down just to my tank top and my poor excuse for panties.

“Do you want me to fuck you?” Julian leaned down on me. In a matter of seconds, he’d gained all his confidence back.

“Yes,” I breathed out. I grabbed his hand and brought it in between my legs. He didn’t bother to slide my V string off, just pushed its silk to the side, then guided his fingers into me. “God, you’re so wet,” he hissed. “You needed this, didn’t you? You needed me…”

The tender tissues grasped at plunging fingers. I writhed and bucked, as he pushed my legs more apart like a man starved.

“Baby, you like when I do this to you? Because you’re drenching the sheets,” he circled my clit with satisfaction.

“More,” I moaned while I felt his erection pulsate again my groin. I arched my back, lost in the heavenly sensations he was giving me. “Julian,” I cried out.

He tore his fingers out of me just when I was nearing a rapid orgasm. “Tell me you need me to be inside you,” he half pleaded, half demanded.

“Yes, please,” he received only a whimper of a response.

“Lucie,” he groaned my name, as he grabbed my hips with both hands, pulling me back. “God, you’re so beautiful.”

Julian stirred emotions within me emotions that I’d never had before—an intoxicating blend of vulnerability and desire. Paired with the raw intensity of his touch, it was a volatile mix, one that pulled me deeper than I ever expected to go.

As if I needed more arousal, he bit down my nipples through my thin tank top, then boldly took the glass of water on the nightstand and dripped it on me as an unexpected surprise. “Oh fuck,” I exclaimed as the coolness of it felt stimulating. His pointer finger pulsed over my areola, the heat now spreadingthrough my entire body. With one swift move, he lifted the tank top entirely, his palms now massaging my breasts up and down.

“Damn,” I reached for his heavy engorged cock to return the favor. I planned to go down on him with stamina. But Julian, even if for just a moment stopped me.

What could he possibly want to say now? Blood pounded in my ears because I was so ready for him to take me.

“Are you sure this is the right move for you?” His eyes now searched mine with tenderness. He found more self-control in the end than I’d had. “I’m already grateful you let me come home, to be with you,” he murmured, gently tucking a tendril of hair behind my ear. “I want to make sure you don’t have any regrets.”

Maybe it would have been the wise choice to step back, give myself some space, and process everything. But my mind was fixated on just one thing. “Julian, I’ve never been surer.”

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