Page 123 of Shadows of the Past
Her hair is fisted in my hand, and when I look down at her, I nearly lose it because nothing, nothing, has ever looked sexier than this.
I know I’m close, so I gently lift her head and kiss her. She tastes like honey and something salty, something that’s mine,and for a moment I wonder if I could devour her, consume her, just to keep her with me forever.
She looks up at me, cheeks flushed, the very picture of innocence, even though we both know she’s got me wrapped around her little finger.
“Tell me you liked it,” she whispers, and I catch the hint of uncertainty in her voice.
I line myself up with her, my hand brushing her thighs, slick and trembling with how turned on she is.
“Did you really like doing that?” I rasp, my voice thick.
She just nods, and that’s all the invitation I need. I slide into her in one deep thrust, burying my face in the curve of her neck.
“I’ll let you decide how much I liked it. Tell me, Juls. Does it feel like I liked it?”
I’m painfully hard inside her, and even though I want to take it slow, to savor every second, there have been too many weeks of holding back, of just holding her close while her body pressed against mine in the dark.
“Max…”
There’s no logic left, no thought, only her. In this moment, my entire existence narrows to the woman beneath me: her nails raking down my back, her thighs clinging tightly, her mouth begging for another kiss.
So I kiss her, over and over, praying this isn’t a dream and hoping I haven’t conjured her up just to escape the hell I’ve lived in since I was five. But every sound she makes, every time our tongues meet, reminds me she’s real.
“You want to come, baby?” I ask her while kissing her neck.
“Please.”
And when I swallow her moan and feel her tighten around me, I finally let go. I don’t know how long we stay like that, tangled in a kiss, but I could live in this moment forever.
And maybe, just maybe, I’ll get to.
Epilogue
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Julia
I’m ushered onto the private jet with no clue where we’re headed, just a promise that it’s a surprise. Today’s my birthday, and Maksim insisted we spend it together. After so many years of doing nothing special, I would’ve been happy with a coffee date in the park.
I lose track of time in the air, drifting off to sleep somewhere above the clouds. When I wake, Max is brushing a stray lock of hair from my forehead, telling me it’s time to get off the plane.
Before I can even stand, he’s tying a black scarf over my eyes. I almost laugh becauseay Diosito, what has this man planned?
I brace myself, half expecting to trip down the steps, but Max is right there, his arm steady around me, guiding me so I don’t fall.
The air is warm for this time of year, sunlight pressing against my skin.
“You know, we could’ve just taken your motorcycle, gone for a ride on the highway, stopped for coffee and that would’ve been perfect,” I tease, genuinely confused about all this effort.
He mutters something under his breath, but I can’t make it out. I’m bundled into a car, and we drive for another half hour. When we finally stop, I want to shout “Hallelujah!” but I bitemy tongue. I don’t want to ruin his mood even if I can’t imagine what kind of surprise could possibly be worth all this.
His hand finds mine, fingers lacing tightly as he leads me forward. The sun disappears, replaced by cool shade, and after what feels like ten minutes of walking, we come to a stop.
I hear rustling, whispers, the faint sound of laughter, but nothing makes sense until he finally pulls the scarf away.
My brain takes a few seconds to catch up. We’re standing in the middle of a monarch butterfly sanctuary, the same one I visited with my parents when I was little. And then, as my eyes adjust, I see them: the twins, Roman and Luna, Niko, Akim and Andrea, Victoria, and Anuska. Every person who matters most to me, all gathered in my favorite place on earth.
I want to hold it together, but tears spill over before I can stop them. I’d forgotten what it felt like to have people care about my birthday. Akim and Max tried every year to make it special, but something was always missing.
