Love Redesigned (Lakefront Billionaires #1) by Lauren Asher

“Why?”

He takes so long to answer, I almost give up waiting for one.

“Because I want to give you a hundred different reasons to stay.”

Wait. What?

“Julian,” I plead.

He holds my chin in a firm grip, cutting me off. “I need to get this out.” Instead of five deep breaths, he takes one long inhale.

Progress.

“Tonight, when you told Lily we weren’t together, I wasn’t angry…”

My lungs stop working.

His arresting stare holds me hostage. “I was disappointed because of how much I wanted us to be.”

“I never meant to hurt your feelings,” I rush to get out.

He presses his forehead against mine. “I know that. We had our rules, and I went ahead and broke them.”

“What do you mean?” My voice cracks toward the end of the question as I pull back.

“I’m falling in love with you, Dahlia. I don’t expect you to say it back after everything you’ve been through this year, but I didn’t want to go another night without you knowing how I feel. Just like I can’t go another day with you thinking I’m okay with us keeping things casual.”

Por Dios.

His eyes shimmer from the moon peeking through the clouds. “I missed out on a chance to make you mine before, but I don’t plan on making the same mistake again. We’re the real deal, sweetheart, and I’m done letting you believe anything else.”

My heart soars like a bird released from a ten-year cage of wishful thinking and haunted what-ifs.

Julian doesn’t wait for a reply before he bends down and captures my mouth with his. I bask in the afterglow of his admission as he kisses me, making me feel the truth behind his words.

Every kiss feels like a promise. Every touch an oath. A vow that Julian will love me, cherish me, and protect me—no matter if I choose to believe it or not.

There is a fundamental shift happening inside of me, and I’m overwhelmed that it all has to do with Julian.

You’re falling in love with him too.

The thought is scary, but then again, the truth typically is.

As if he senses my wandering thoughts, Julian tugs me back into the moment by biting down on my bottom lip. He draws blood before licking the evidence away with the tip of his tongue.

I return the favor, earning a sharp hiss I feel straight to my clit. He grabs my ass and lifts me, and I wrap my legs around him before he presses my back against the wall, trapping me as he ravages my mouth.

I swivel my hips, and Julian moans. His nails stab into my flesh as I rub against his cock.

I’m not sure how long we tease one another, but he only breaks away from kissing me to focus his attention on my neck.

“I can’t get enough of you.” The adoration in his voice has something in my chest twisting. He sucks on my neck hard enough to bruise, no doubt marking the skin.

“We weren’t supposed to fall in love.” I pull him away by the roots of his hair.

Shit!

Before I have a chance to panic about what I said, Julian distracts me by kissing the spot beneath my ear that makes me tremble.

“What are you going to do about it?”

“I’m not sure yet. Ask me again after you make me come.”

He smiles against my skin. “Sounds like a plan.”





CHAPTER FORTY


Julian


Telling Dahlia that I’m falling in love with her wasn’t part of tonight’s plan, but neither was reacting the way I did to her conversation with Lily. When she said we weren’t together, it felt like taking a missile to the chest, and nothing could ease the ache but admitting how I feel.

I don’t want casual, and I’m done pretending otherwise.

While I’m afraid Dahlia might not reciprocate, I’m more afraid of the regret I’m guaranteed to feel if I allow my fear of losing her to rule over my actions.

There is no place for pride or denial when it comes to falling in love with Dahlia. I got my second shot at winning her over, and I refuse to squander it because of my ego or stubbornness.

I carry her over to the living room, only breaking our kiss to place her back on her feet. She sways a little before reaching out for the back of the couch.

Now that’s an idea.

I spin her around. “Bend over.” My hand pushes on the small of her back, and she curls over the cushion.

I lift the hem of her dress, exposing her ass.

She squirms with every pass of my palm over the smooth flesh. “Did you plan for all this to happen?”

“I hoped.” I push her feet apart with the toe of my shoe. “Get yourself ready.”

Her hand trembles as she slips it inside the elastic band of her underwear to reach her pussy. To stop myself from touching her, I focus on grabbing the condom from my wallet and undoing my belt.

The jangle of the buckle stops her.

I slap her ass hard enough to leave a mark. “Stop touching yourself again, and I’ll take you here instead.” I drag a finger along the crease, and she responds with the sweetest shiver.

She pushes her underwear all the way down. The lace stretches around her ankles, trapping her in place like a pair of leg restraints.

I don’t take my eyes off her as I undo the button of my jeans and slide them down my legs, freeing my aching cock in the process. The tip glistens from precum, and a single pump draws more out.