Page 41 of Indescribable Love

“Yeah, but what a way to go, right?” she teased.

“Absolutely.” Then he was kissing her again and she tightened her legs around his waist, keeping him close—not that she suspected that he was going to try to get away.

One kiss blended perfectly into the next until she could barely breathe. Tearing her mouth away, she panted, “I need you, Simon. Please.”

After that, his hands snaked under her dress as he pushed it up and off her body. His t-shirt was next and then his jeans. He stood briefly and all she could think was that he was pure male perfection. Italian artists would want to carve him out of marble. The stark black ink on his chest was a surprise. The lion looked so lifelike—for a moment it felt like it was breathing and staring directly at her. Glancing up, she met his heated gaze and let out a shaky breath. She’d never seen a more perfect body. And when he peeled off his briefs, she almost forgot how to breathe.

This time when she said his name, it was a breathless plea. He was back on the bed, covering her again, and it was the skin on skin that kicked everything up a notch.

He kissed her lips, her cheek, her jaw. “You’re so beautiful.” Moving lower, he spent a lot of time kissing and teasing her nipples. “So sexy.” And then lower still.

Juliette’s hands raked through his hair before clenching it and arching against him. And then time ceased to exist.

It was after two in the morning and Simon was the most relaxed he’d been in years. Juliette was naked and breathless in his arms. She had seriously rocked his world—multiple times—and he was already thinking about the next time.

That first time had been slow and languid and full of exploration on both their parts. It was a complete sensory experience learning what she liked, how she wanted to be touched, and what made her cry out his name. Afterwards, they’d taken a shower together in his luxurious bathroom before lazily waiting for their dinner to arrive. She’d put on his t-shirt—the one he’d taken off when they first came into his bedroom—and then put his robe on over it. She looked so good in his things that he wanted to keep her in them for as long as he possibly could.

Which was until they had to leave this house.

Still, what fascinated him more than anything was how he always loved having Nikki and her family around and never gave their conversations as a group a second thought, but now that he and Juliette were alone, it felt like they were both talking on a deeper level. He was really enjoying peeling back these layers to who she was and discovering new things.

For example, she was a rabid sports fan and loved all New York teams. Hockey was her absolute favorite one to watch though. She only occasionally watched football and wasn’t ashamed to admit that while Jax was an excellent player, she would always root for the Jets. He kind of appreciated how she wasn’t suddenly going to gush over his brother just for his sake.

Besides the sports, she admitted that while she’d been eating healthy since arriving here in the mountains, her favorite things to eat other than pasta were deli sandwiches. And not the sandwiches they’d been making themselves, but the kind you’d find in a New York delicatessen.

He had to agree with her on that one. No place in the world made better sandwiches.

Her bucket list included going to the top of the Eiffel Tower, seeing the Northern Lights, and visiting an actual castle in Scottland. There were more things, but those top three she seemed the most passionate about. There was a whimsical side to her that he’d never seen before and he hoped to see more of.

They talked food, music, movies…her favorite snack? Peanut butter cups. Her favorite movies were everything by Mel Brooks and the first two Godfather movies. The topic of music was almost comical because she admitted to not being familiar with a lot of his stuff, and preferring bands who were a little heavier rock than his. That didn’t offend him because he knew he was more of a contemporary pop star and that he wasn’t everyone’s cup of tea.

The soft kiss on his chest broke him out of his reverie.

“What are you thinking right now?” she whispered.

Smiling, he placed a kiss on her brow. “I was thinking of all the amazing things I learned about you tonight,” he said softly. “You’re a fascinating woman, Juliette. What do your parents think of this crazy career of yours? Have they ever met any of your clients?”

She didn’t answer, but Simon could feel that she had tensed up. He was about to change the subject—or at the very least apologize if he said something to offend her—but he felt her let out a shuddery breath and knew she had something to say.

“My parents died when I was eight,” she said, her voice almost void of emotion. “My grandparents—my mother’s parents—raised me.” She paused. “Well, they were the ones I lived with, but both sets of grandparents were heavily involved in my life.”

His heart broke for her. Kissing the top of her head, Simon held her a little closer. “Juliette, I’m so sorry.”

“I don’t…I don’t talk about it a lot because it’s something I don’t like to think about.”

“I can’t even imagine.” And now he felt awful for making her think about it. They’d had the most perfect evening and he’d gone and ruined it.

Curling a little more into him, she let out a soft sigh. “They were a volatile pair. I remember the fighting. It was like that was all they did was fight. But it was more than just arguments. Dishes got thrown, glasses smashed, and there were more than a few holes in the walls of our apartment. You have no idea how many times my grandparents—and sometimes our neighbors—would come and get me just to get me out of that hostile environment.”

Memories of his own childhood flashed through his mind. He understood this far more than she knew.

“I used to dream of running away,” she went on. “I used to imagine it would take them days or weeks to even realize I was gone. Then, one night, they decided to go out on a date night. I still remember how eerily peaceful that entire day was and praying that their date would magically change everything.”

“Juliette, you don’t have to…”

Tilting her head back, she looked up at him. The only light in the room was moonlight, but he could see her eyes shining with unshed tears. “I want you to know this, so you really know me, Simon.”

Sadly, all he could do was nod.