V

bo /bWillow’s surprise, Julian stopped.

As he looked down at her, his Adam’s apple bobbed, showing how hard he was suppressing his bdesires/b.

After a long pause, he moved off her.

“Go wash up,” bhe /bsaid.

When Willow got up, her legs trembled. After stumbling into the bathroomb, /bshe caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror and was startled by her own disheveled

bstate/bb. /b

bIn /bthe bedroom, Julian turned over onto his side.

After a few moments of steadying his breath, he reached for the nightstand drawer and pulled out a pack of cigarettesb. /bHe ced one between his lips. In the end/ he walked over to the floor–to–ceiling window in the loungeb, /bcracked it open slightlyb, /band bslowly /bsmoked there.

The soft glow of themp bcast /ba mix of light and shadow across his bface/b. Hisshes formed delicate shadows under his beyes/bb, /bmaking his chiseled features even more striking.

His fingers trembled slightly as he flicked the ash. The faint blue–gray smoke curled upward before the night breeze carried it awayb, /bblurring the sharp lines of his

bface/bb. /b

He gazed out into the thick darkness, his thoughts bin /bturmoil.

Jeffrey was the one with the one–sided infatuation. Willow felt nothing for himb. /bbSo/b, why bwas /bJulian losing control? He behaved like ba /bjealous husband, desperate bto /bkeep his wife locked away, never to bsee /banother man.

Julian knew perfectly well that he didn’t love Willowb. /bbIt /bprobably was just possessiveness.

He simply couldn’t stand the thought of another man coveting Willow. Maybe there was some guilt mixed in toob, /bbut that was it.

Willow wasn’t that important.

The moment he sorted out his emotions, the weight on his chest lifted. He stubbed out his cigarette and strode back into the bedroom.

The sound of running water came from the bathroom.

Willow bwas /bshowering.

Amid the steam, she stood beneath the showerhead, letting the warm water bcascade /bdown her body. Clear droplets slid through her hairb, /btracing along her delicate red mole before disappearing into the curves below.

In the showerb, /bshe was unadomed, byet /bcaptivating.

Julian pulled open the ss door. Hearing the sound, Willow turned to look at him.

His gaze was dark and intenseb, /bburning with unmistakable desire. A shiver ran through her.

A moment bter/bb, /bhe unfastened his shirt buttons and bstepped /btoward her.

One hand cradled her faceb, /bthe other wrapped around her bwaist/b. He lowered his head and kissed her.

The bathroom brimmed bwith /bba /bbsultry /bwarmth. A night bof /bpassionsted until dawn.

The next bmorning/bb, /bthe first rays bof /bsunlight filtered into the bedroom.

Even bthrough /bthe curtains, bWillow /bfound the light harsh. She instinctively buried her bface /bbin /bthe bpillow/bb, /bbut the bslightest /bmovement bsent /bba /bdull ache bthrough /bbher /b

bodyb. /b

“Morningb./bb” /b

bJulian’s /bbvoice /bcame from beside herb, /bfollowed by the bsensation /bof being pulled into a warm embrace.

Through the thin fabric of his robeb, /bWillow rested her face against Julian’s bchest/bb, /bbreathing in his crisp bscent/b.

His heartbeat was steady and strongb. /b

For a long moment, bWillow /bbdidn’t /bknow bwhat /bbto /bbsay/b.

After four years of marriageb, /bintimacy between them was nothing bnew/bb. /bbKeeping /bher expression bcalm/bb, /bbshe /bbhummed /bbsoftly /band moved bto /bbget /bup.

Julian, bhowever/bb, /bbtightened /bhis bgrip/bb. /bLooking down at herb, /bhe asked in a slightly husky bvoice/bb, /bb“/bDid byou /benjoyst night?”

Willow kept her tone bneutral/b. b“/bbIt /bwas fine.b” /b

The truth was, Julian had taken bher /bfour timesb. /bAnd byes/bb, /bshe had enjoyed bit/b. But she wasn’t about to admit bthat /bso bluntly. She had her pride.

b+25 /bbBonus /b

Her detached response didn’t seem to bother Julian. He chuckled while brushing his nose against hers. “Well, it was great bfor /bme.”

Their noses brushed, the subtle friction between them carrying an unmistakable tension.

Willow had never seen Julian so aroused. He had always been traditional in bed, restrained even. Butst night, he had been different, like a man who had thrown all caution to the wind.

His fingers traced lightly over her lower abdomen, lost in thought.

Willow could guess that he was thinking about a child again. But that was impossible.

Her mood dimmed. She lifted the covers and got out of bed. Momentster, her voice drifted out from the bathroom. “I’m not ovting right now. I won’t get pregnant.”