Page 53 of Sutton and the CEO Forever

Julio’s handsome face lit from within as a smile broke across it. He was devastatingly handsome. The familiar flutters that had caused her to marry the man in the first place flapped around in her belly. She could remember so many little things.

He used to hold her in the night when he thought she was sleeping and whisper things in her ear about how much she meant to him. Or when he first awakened and how his face would light up when he saw her.

She remembered that he loved to swim, but he didn’t care for the ocean. The way he always made sure his socks were pulled to the same height on each foot. It reminded her of when he was dressing and would catch her looking at his hard body.

And then they would be ripping each other's clothes off once again, and all thoughts of dressing were out of their minds.

She closed her eyes and prayed. Natalie wasn’t a religious woman, but she did believe there was more out there than what she saw at hand. She prayed that she wasn’t making a mistake by giving him another chance, and she prayed her heart could withstand another breaking if she was wrong.

Natalie had been quiet most of the flight.

Julio worried that he had made a mistake by asking her to come along with him. But another, larger part of him knew she needed to get the whole scope of who he truly was. They landed in the UK and took a car into a seedy area of Gravesend in Kent.

Natalie’s brow was furrowed, but she followed Julio as he opened the door and led her to a building that had been recently renovated. He went to the door and pressed the button.

“Bugger off,” an elderly woman’s voice came across the speaker.

Julio smiled, “Nan? Would you let us up?”

“Julio?”

The light beeped, and the door opened, allowing them entrance.

There was a younger couple of humble origins coming down the stairs, and they moved out of the way for Julio and Natalie to pass them.

“Isn’t there an elevator?” Natalie asked as they approached the third floor, huffing more than she would like to admit.

Julio grinned, “No, Nan wouldn’t allow it. Although I did try to get her to accept it.”

He opened the door to the third floor at the landing and then escorted Natalie to flat number 304. Before he could knock, the door was flung open.

“Where have you been? I expected you weeks ago!”

The woman was tiny, bent, and wrinkled with age, but the love and happiness in her eyes belayed the starchiness of her voice. She threw her arms around Julio, and he returned her embrace.

“Nan, I want you to meet someone. Natalie, this is Olivia Rochester, but I have always known her as Nan. She is the woman who raised me.”

Natalie had to fight to keep her mouth from dropping open.

“It’s lovely to meet you,” she stumbled over the words as she reached out a hand.

Nan pushed her hand away and hugged her.

Natalie was again astounded at the strength behind the elderly woman’s hug.

“We can’t sit here all night in this cold air. Come inside.”

It wasn’t the least bit cold, but they followed Nan into her flat. On the walls were pictures of Julio as a little boy. Nan had photographs of him all through his school days. There was one thing that was obvious in all of the pictures.

They had not lived an affluent life. Often the jeans of his pants were torn and the clothes ill-fitting. The backdrop painted a much different and far more humbling picture than Natalie could have ever expected.

“He is a handsome lad, isn’t he?” Nan moved near where Natalie stood. “I can still remember his determination to make a better home for us.”

Julio coughed, “We always had enough, Nan. You made sure of that.”

The older woman cackled, “We had jack shit and were lucky to survive. I have often wondered if you sold your soul to that devil to save me.”

“No!” Julio’s tone was forceful. “Don’t even think that. My mistakes are my own.”

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