Chapter 16: Misunderstanding
I snatched up the bag and pushed myself away from the bed, making a run for the closet. Unfortunately, Julian was faster than me. His arm snaked around my waist and knocked me back onto the bed. He took the bag from my grasp and opened it, dumping the contents onto the bedding.
My entire body stiffened. On the bed were various scented lotions and perfumes, but worst of all was a single laced matching set. The top couldn't pass for a bra even with the most generous definition and the bottom was made up of so little fabric, it left nothing to the imagination. Julian stood frozen at the edge of the bed, staring at the pieces of lace. I seized the underwear and threw it off across the room as hard as I could.
Julian's hair had fallen into his eyes, so I wasn't able to read his expression. He stood there in silence as my heart raced. I didn't dare try to escape again, but I didn't want to stay on this bed. Before I could make a decision, Julian was there pushing me down. I saw his face. His eyes were burning with anger.
"After telling you to live your own life, this is what you thought I meant?" His voice came out sounding more like a growl than anything else.
"W-What do you mean?" I struggled to keep a shake out of my voice. My heart was beating wildly.
"I don't care what you do in your spare time, as long as you don't bring me any shame."
My eyes went wide. Julian had misunderstood. Those things weren't for Sam, they were from Sam's mother! I immediately began to shake my head.
"That's not it."
"Oh, it's not?" Julian kept his hands pressed against my arms to hold me in place. I relaxed under him to show I wasn't try to escape. There had already been enough misunderstandings between us over many lifetimes. Ignoring the blush that was spreading across my cheeks, I closed my eyes to avoid his anger.
Before I could give any further explanation, I felt Julian's lips come crashing down against mine. My eyes flew open in surprise. He was kissing me with such force, I knew my lips would be swollen. I didn't know whether to remain frozen or respond. Eventually I did the only thing that seemed natural: to kiss him back.
My mind was full of nothing but Julian. His lips, his hands, his broad shoulders. I felt myself burning under him. He was only holding my arms and kissing me, but I wanted more. It was the sweetest sensation. I felt as though I was drowning.
Julian pulled his lips away from mine to press them against my ear. "Breathe."
I realized while we had been kissing I had forgotten to breathe through my nose. I took in a large gasp of air, too mortified to respond. I hadn't been drowning, I had been suffocating! I covered my face with my hands as I heard Julian's laughter against my neck.
"Judging by that response, I believe you."
Julian's weight left me and the bed. I uncovered my face to watch him walk towards the bedroom doors.
"I'll see you tonight, Alice."
He closed the doors behind him and he was gone. I sat on the bed, too numb with shock to move. I pressed my fingers against my lips. They were swollen, just as I knew they'd be. So Julian really did kiss me...
Of course this wasn't our first kiss, even in this life. We kissed on our wedding day. But Julian had never kissed me like he did just then. Whenever we had shared a kiss, it was also polite and devoid of any emotion. Just then was... something else.
After the windows outside no longer let in any light, I managed to pull myself from my stupor. Around me were still the perfumes and lotions. Across the room outside the closet door lay the laced horror that was the cause for this entire predicament. I gathered up the bottles on the bed and hid them away in the back of a cupboard in the bathroom. I stood over the pile of lace, unsure of what to do with it.
I decided to keep it. I hid it in the back of one of my drawers, far away from any wandering eyes. I didn't dare let Ileana see it while she was putting the laundry away, so my only choice was to keep it far out of sight. If she ever were to ask me about it, I would die of embarrassment.
I was already dying of embarrassment.
Julian was back, which meant he was going to make me fulfill my bed warming duty. After kissing me like that, I didn't think I could honestly face him until morning. Despite having lived through multiple lives, I was a (mostly) innocent woman.
I slapped my cheeks. I had to keep it together. If I couldn't even handle a single kiss, how was I going to survive the night?
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