Page 64 of Cause and Effect

“I don’t know about you, but his glassy eyes and the stench of whiskey on his breath right now tell the story. The ball is in your court, Principal Wiley. Please let me know if I need to file a lawsuit. Come on, Julian. Let’s go.” I grabbed my purse and left the office.

When we climbed into the back of his Escalade, Julian grabbed my face and smashed his mouth against mine for a passionate kiss.

“What was that for?” I asked.

“It couldn’t be helped. You were incredibly sexy in there.” He grinned.

Sam pulled into my driveway. Julian and I climbed out and headed inside the house. All three girls ran up and threw their arms around me.

“We heard you got called into the principal’s office,” Stella said.

I knelt and gripped Sara’s arms. “You don’t have to worry about Justin Keeley bullying you anymore.” I hugged her.

“Thanks, Mom.” Her grip around me tightened.

“Well, how did it go?” my mom emerged from the kitchen, wiping her hands on a towel.

“Your daughter is quite a fighter,” Julian said.

“She always has been.” My mom smiled and went back into the kitchen.

Later that evening,after I tucked the girls into bed, my phone rang with an unknown number. I sent it to voicemail, but a few moments later, it rang again.

“Listen, motherfucker. You better stop calling me!” I spoke through gritted teeth and heard a click.

After cleansing my face, brushing my teeth, and changing into my nightshirt, I climbed into bed. My phone rang, and a sick feeling emerged. Grabbing it from the nightstand, I saw a Facetime call from Julian.

“Hi.” I smiled.

“Hi.” He smiled back, laying against his pillow with his arm behind his head.

Damn him.

I swallowed hard as I stared at his bare, muscular chest, thinking about how his lips were on mine earlier, leaving me craving more. I could still smell his scent inside the house—an intoxicating scent triggering the emotions I knew I should push aside. But I couldn’t.

“I just wanted to say good night,” he said. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine.” I smiled. “Want to come over and spend the night?”

“Are you toying with me?” His brow arched.

“No.” I laughed.

“What about the girls?”

“We’ll have to be up and dressed before they get up. We’ll tell them you came over early for breakfast.”

“I’m on my way.” He jumped out of bed, and I saw the beautiful bulge radiating from his boxer briefs.

“I’ll unlock the front door. Make sure to be quiet and lock it before coming upstairs.”

“I’ll be as quiet as a mouse.”

Thirty minutes later, I heard the front door open and soft footsteps coming up the stairs. I bit my bottom lip as I stared at the bedroom door. Julian walked in, looking sexy as hell in his sweatpants and T-shirt. He quickly stripped out of his clothes and climbed into bed, hovering over me and softly kissing my lips. He didn’t say a word, nor did I. We didn’t need to. Our bodies moved in perfect synchronization, our hands and lips exploring every inch of each other’s skin. We were both lost in the moment, enjoying the pleasure we gave each other. I felt safe with him—safer than I ever had.

Chapter Twenty-Five

Julian

---