Chapter 461/Morning Lust

Chapter 461

Julie’s point of view

The mere thought of losing him was a thousand times more agonizing than the horrific truth I had learned today.

I dried my body mechanically, stepping up to the fogged vanity mirror. Wiping a clear circle through the condensation with my palm, I stared at my pale, hollow reflection. I took a deep, shuddering breath, slapped my own cheeks lightly, and violently shoved the weakness aside.

I slipped out of the bathroom quietly, my bare feet making no sound on the hardwood as I walked over to his grand oak wardrobe. Pulling the heavy doors open, I reached inside and grabbed one of his soft, black cotton shirts. I slunk into it, letting the oversized hem fall past the middle of my thighs. It smelled intensely of him a rich, intoxicating blend of dark mahogany, cedar, and expensive tobacco. The scent wrapped around my senses, anchoring me in a sudden, fierce sense of safety.

Gliding back to the bed, I lifted the edge of the heavy duvet with extreme caution and slid beneath the covers next to him. Gently lifting his heavy arm, I shifted closer and rested my head directly over his chest, inhaling the steady, radiating warmth of his body.

I pressed my palm over his heart, feeling the powerful, rhythmic thud vibrating against my ear.

"I finally got you back after all these years..." I whispered into the dark, my voice laced with steel and desperate devotion. "I am never going to risk losing you again, Robert."

I let my eyelids fall shut, anchoring myself to his steady breathing and dark scent until I finally drifted into a deep, dreamless sleep.

Morning broke with warm, tender touches. Soft, deliberate kisses trailed slowly along my jawline, dipping into the sensitive curve of my neck.

I opened my eyes lazily, my lashes fluttering against the soft light. Robert was hovering over me, his dark, intense gaze locked onto mine, a faint, rare curve resting on his lips.

I sat up slightly, resting my elbows against the pillows as a soft, sweet smile broke across my face. "Good morning, my drunkard."

Robert’s smile widened, a deep rumble vibrating in his chest. He leaned down, pressing a firm, lingering kiss against my lips that left me breathless before pulling back just an inch. "Good morning, sweet girl."

I reached up, my thumb gently tracing the shadow under his eyes, searching his quiet face to gauge his mental state. "Are you feeling okay today?"

His eyes swept over every detail of my face, his expression softening into a raw, unfiltered sincerity. "You’re right here next to me..." He slid his hand up my back, pressing me closer. "...Of course I’m okay."

I let out a slow, quiet breath of relief. Remembering last night, my smile softened into something more cautious. "I came to see you last night... and found you completely out of it."

Robert’s expression subtly shifted. The warmth in his eyes guarded over, a short, dry grunt escaping his throat. "Mmm..."

I caught the shift instantly. His jaw tightened just enough for me to know he was shutting the door on last night’s agony he wasn’t ready to pull those bleeding wounds back into the light. Sensing his boundary, I shifted my weight, letting my shirt slip slightly off one shoulder as I offered him a bright, playful smile.

"Are you hungry?"

Robert kept his dark eyes locked onto mine, the tension in his shoulders melting into something far more dangerous. His breath hitched slightly as he bit his lower lip, a raw, explicit hunger darkening his pupils.

"Starving..." he rasped, his voice dropping an octave into a low, rough growl.

His warm, heavy palm slid smoothly up my bare, exposed thigh beneath the hem of his oversized shirt. His long fingers trailed a path of pure fire against my sensitive skin, pressing firmly into my flesh and sending a violent shiver straight up my spine.

He pulled me flush against his chest, leaning down until his lips brushed the shell of my ear, his tone dark, thick, and completely ignited.

"I’m craving some sweet white meat this morning..."

My heart hammered against my ribs, a sharp wave of heat flushing right up into my cheeks. I placed both palms flat against his broad, muscular chest, pushing against him with a gentle nudge that melted into breathy laughter.

"Robert! Stop being so mischievous... don’t you ever get enough?"

He shifted his weight seamlessly over my body, trapping me beneath him before I could even dream of escaping. His long, thick fingers laced through mine, pinning my wrists flat against the pillow above my head. Leaning down, he locked his mouth over mine in a deep, punishing, searing kiss that completely obliterated every last shred of my resistance.

Pulling back just an inch, his heavy chest heaving against mine, his dark, sharp eyes bored into my soul. His voice dropped into a gravelly, possessively thick whisper right against my lips.

"I can get enough of anything in this world, Julie... except you."

His hand slid down between us, his thumb catching the top button of his oversized shirt that I was wearing, flicking it open. I watched his face his features carved with pure, unadulterated passion. In that single breath, every terrifying nightmare in my head evaporated. The crushing weight of our past and the horrific secrets of our bloody lineage vanished into thin air. There was no family tragedy, no hidden mothers, no mortal enemies. There was only Robert, anchored right above me, and the overwhelming heat of his breath wrapping around my senses like velvet armor.

I surrendered completely to his touch. Unlacing my wrists from his grip, I drove my fingers deep into his thick, dark hair, gripping his scalp and pulling his mouth back down to mine. Deep down, a fierce certainty took root in my chest: I was ready to face the entire damn world ready to confront the hideous truth of my bloodline as long as I was held right here between his hands, safe under his absolute protection.