Absolute Lovers (Absolute #2) (23 page)

But when we spoke two nights ago using the webcam, I
couldn't keep up the charade any longer. He’d comforted me, lifted my spirits,
and when I woke up this morning, it was with newfound strength. I realized that
I wasn’t weak for missing him. I had finally allowed myself to feel, to love
with my entire being, and without Stephen, I didn’t feel whole. We belonged
together, and I would tell him that tonight on our second webcam date. I
couldn’t wait. I would at least be able to see his face and hear his voice,
even though my entire body ached to be in his arms again.

I believed him when he had said that we were together even
though we were thousands of miles apart. Stephen wasn't Derek. Stephen wouldn't
cheat just because he could get away with it. Stephen would never, ever hurt
me. We were going to make it. Stephen and I were forever. He was my everything.
With every step I took his name echoed in my mind.

Stephen. Stephen. Stephen.

"Stephen?"

I stopped dead in my tracks, my eyes fixed on the pacing
figure outside the front of my building. I felt weightless, suspended above the
Earth in sheer and utter shock. He couldn't be real. He couldn't be here. We
were meeting online in just a few hours. It didn't make any sense. I closed my
eyes and opened them again, expecting to see the empty sidewalk outside my
apartment, ready to blame the apparition on lack of sleep and too much
caffeine. But there he was; tall, fidgety, and hot as fuck as he glanced at his
watch and scratched his neck in that nervous manner I knew so well by now. He
was really here, within reach.

"Stephen!"

His name came out in a strangled cry that made the other pedestrians
turn and stare, but I couldn't have cared less about them. All I could see was
him. Before another thought entered my mind I was running—running toward
my future. I knew now that I never wanted to be apart from him again. Wherever
he went, I would follow.

The look on his face when he saw me was devastatingly
beautiful. It was as though he was lit up from the inside, and all because he
was looking at me, because he had longed for me just as much as I had for him.
I ran faster. Thirty feet. Twenty. Ten. Then I was in his waiting arms, his
warmth and his love wrapped all around me.

"Julia, oh God. Finally," he whispered into my
hair.

"Stephen," I cried. "Are you really here? I
don't…I don't understand."

"I couldn't stay away any longer," he choked out,
his voice hoarse with unshed tears. "You were so sad. I couldn't stay
away. I had to come."

"Stephen, I'm so sorry. I never should have left you.
I've missed you. I've missed you so much," I blubbered as my own tears
spilled out.

"Oh no, don't cry, sweetheart. I'm here now. I'm
here."

He was. But for how long? The weekend? Until Monday? It
wasn't enough. It would never be enough. The thought of him leaving in just a
few days nauseated me. There was no way I could be away from him again.

"I'm coming with you when you leave," I hiccupped.
"I don't want us to be apart anymore, not ever. Nothing is worth that. I'm
coming home with you."

I'm only home when I'm with you.

"That's good, because my mom and Rich are expecting us
for Christmas," he chuckled above me.

I blinked. "What? Christmas?"

Christmas was almost two months away. I looked up at him and
saw that he was smiling even though his eyes were wet.

"Baby, I don't…I…what?" I stuttered.

Stephen smiled wider and motioned to the ground. I looked,
and only then did I notice the three brand-new matching suitcases on the
sidewalk. It was too much luggage for a quick weekend visit unless Stephen had
brought all of his favorite books, and while the man loved to read, I doubted
that he would have gone that far. My heart started to race from both excitement
and fear. It couldn't mean what I thought it meant. I had never been so scared
to be right about something before.

What about his job?

"I'm not leaving on Sunday," he said softly.
"And I'm not leaving on Monday, either. I'm staying until your semester is
over and then I'm taking you home to spend Christmas with my family."

Holy fuck!

It was a strange feeling, being so ecstatically happy and so
completely miserable at the same time. It was not something I had ever expected
to feel, but there it was. Stephen had left everything behind to be with me.

"No, no, no. Oh, fuck. Stephen, you can't quit your job
for me. You love it, you love teaching. I'm so sorry, I shouldn't have cried
the other night. I'll be all right, I swear I will. Please! You can't quit
because of me. I'll be OK, I promise, I'll be strong! I'll be better, I'll be—"

Stephen's lips cut me off and he kissed me until I shut the
hell up. Before I could start up my rant again, he covered my mouth with his
hand.

"
I
won't be all right without you.
I
won't be OK," he said firmly. "Sweetheart, I love you more than my
job. I love you more than anything."

He smiled softly. "But you don't have to worry. I didn't
quit my job, I swear. I worked something out."

"What?" I asked, the word muffled behind his large
hand.

"Brian helped me out. He and a few of our colleagues
are covering my classes for the rest of the semester."

I took his hand away. "Just like that?"

He grinned. "Well, not
just
like that. I had to
call in a lot of favors. But I managed to make it work. And I’ve already put in
a request for a sabbatical next semester."

"You're…staying? Really?" It seemed too good to be
true. Much too good.

"If you'll have me."

"Are you fucking crazy?" I shrieked and
practically climbed him in order to kiss him.

"Does that mean yes, then?" he laughed in between
kisses.

"Yes! Yes!" All signs of fatigue had left my body
the second he touched me and now I was a livewire of energy. "You're
really staying here with me. In London!" I laughed.

"I know!" he said excitedly, looking around us.
"I feel so…alive! I've never been anywhere and now I get to experience all
of this…with you."

When he smiled like this, it was difficult to believe that
he was ten years my senior. He looked so young and vibrant with his messy hair
and bright eyes.

"What do you want to see first?" I asked eagerly.

His excitement was definitely rubbing off on me. I hadn't
done many touristy things while I had been here. I had been busy studying, and
truthfully, I hadn't felt up to it.

"You," he murmured and drew me closer.
"Naked."

He didn't even blush or stutter. My formerly shy professor
had come a long way and I realized that I had as well. Giving my heart away no
longer scared me, and committing fully to Stephen was the one thing I wanted
most in the world. I wanted us to be together forever.

It really was that simple.

"Marry me?"

"Marry me?"

At Julia’s words, my heart jolted into overdrive.

I looked at her face and especially her beautiful blue eyes,
searching for panic, the kind that had hit immediately after she blurted out
that she loved me that day in the shower. But it wasn't there. I was met with
nothing but certainty and love.

She meant it. She wanted this. She wanted
me
.

Oh, dear God. Is this really happening?

The girl who was once so terrified of getting close to me,
of letting herself feel for me, of committing, just offered me the greatest
gift on Earth: her. To have and to hold, in sickness and in health, 'til death
do us part…

Stop reciting vows in your head and answer her, you
idiot!

"Yes!"

Her lopsided grin appeared. God, I had missed it so much.

"Really?" she whispered.

"Yes! Yes, I'll marry you!" I almost yelled,
cradling her face between my hands. "Yes, of course I will."

"Then kiss me.”

She didn't have to tell me twice. I pressed my lips against
hers, softly at first, but Julia wasn't having any of that and deepened the
kiss while clinging to me. I groaned and put my hands on her waist to hold her
closer, wishing that she wasn't wearing her heavy coat, which hid her beautiful
curves.

"Let's go up to your apartment," I panted against
her lips.

She nodded and we quickly got my suitcases together,
scrambling up the stairs.

"I love your place," I told her, honestly, when we
stepped inside.

It was bigger than her apartment back home but very
reminiscent of it, both quaint and disorganized. It felt like Julia. It felt
like home.

I was
finally
home.

"It's
our
place now, Professor
Worthington," she said and put the bag she had helped me carry on the
floor. "Or should I start calling you Professor Wilde-Worthington?"

"You want me to hyphenate?"

Julia shrugged off her coat and, in true form, ignored the
hanger by the door and threw it over a chair. It made my heart swell with
happiness to see that she hadn't changed since I’d seen her last. I, of course,
hung mine up.

"Well, I’m the last Wilde and there's no one left to
carry on the family name except me," she said, with hesitation. "I
know men don't change their names often, but…"

"No, of course we should do that," I said
immediately. "I wasn't thinking. I wouldn't want you to give up your name
after we get married."

After we get married. There's going to be a wedding.
Our
wedding. And then Julia will be my wife! I'll have a wife!

I looked at Julia, standing there in her combat boots, torn
jeans, and long-sleeved band T-shirt with her hair pulled back and her smudged
makeup in place. She looked so young.

"Oh my God," I said, feeling a little lightheaded.
"You really asked me to marry you."

"I did." She walked over to hold me around my
waist. "Are you OK?"

"Well, yes. But are you sure you want to get married,
sweetheart? There's no rush, really, and you're so young, and still in
school," I babbled. "I guess I just never saw you as someone who
would even want to get married. And I'm so much older than you are, and I'm
kind of boring and I like being at home most nights. Are you sure you want to
get married so soon and to someone like me—someone so set in his ways
already?"

She looked thoughtful, mulling over what I had said, and I
started to get nervous. What if I had just talked her out of it and she
retracted her offer because I couldn't keep my mouth shut? I would kick my own
ass!

"I've never really had a normal life," she said,
her voice soft. "I know that even though Pop did his best, my childhood
was anything but ordinary. Now that I'm grown up I would really love some
normalcy, you know? I realize that I'm young and I still have years of school
ahead of me, especially if I'm going to apply for a PhD program. And I'm messy
and impulsive, and that probably won't ever change. But I think that we belong
together, Stephen. No—I know we do."

She drew a deep breath. "I know that from the outside,
you and I don't look like the perfect couple, and that we're different in a lot
of ways, but I know who I am and I know you, baby, and I think it's our
differences that make us perfect for each other. You love and support me no matter
what and I will do the same for you. I don't expect you to become really
outgoing all of a sudden and I know you love your quiet nights just as much as
I love being out with the girls making noise. We can have separate interests
and still be together. I think that our differences make us stronger and we
don't have to try to change each other. We love each other just the way we are
now. No matter what I'm doing or where life takes me, I know that I want you to
be my husband. I want you to be my home. Please, say you will be."

"Wow," I croaked, clearing my throat. "You've
really thought a lot about this."

"No, I didn't have to," she murmured. "It's a
no-brainer. I've never been happier than I am with you and I want to spend the
rest of my life with you. It's simple. I love you. I want to marry you."

"Before I met you I never thought this was going to
happen," I admitted. "I never thought anyone would even want me, let
alone want me forever."

I drew her into my arms. "I love you. So much, Julia.
So much. And marrying you is a dream come true, so you'll get no more
objections from me. I swear I'll be the best husband in the world."

"I know you will," she whispered. "Now, will
you please just rip my clothes off already?"

"You say the sweetest things. You're such a
romantic," I said, chuckling as I leaned down to kiss her.

"Well, I did just ask you to marry me, didn't I?"

"You sure did.”

"Hey, wait," she said when I started to pull up
her shirt. "You're not disappointed that you weren't the one to pop the
question, are you? I know that it's traditionally something that the man
does."

I laughed and shook my head. "When have we ever done
things the traditional way? Besides, my proposal would probably have involved a
lot of stuttering, and I wouldn't have gotten up the courage to do it for a
long time. This is better. This is perfect."

"
You're
perfect," she whispered. "I
can't believe you're really here with me, that you came just for me."

"Of course I did," I said with a smile. "I
couldn't stay away. Julia, being with you is everything. I know I need to be
where you are. I want you to be my wife and…and I want us to have kids, to be a
family."

I held my breath. I’d never broached the subject of having
children with Julia and I was anxious for her response. I knew that I wanted a
family and I hoped she did, too. If that wasn't something she wanted, I would
make my peace with it, but I knew that it would feel as though something was
missing in my life if I never became a father. The way that Julia was staring
at me with wide eyes made my palms sweaty and tied my stomach in a knot.

"Kids?" she whispered.

"Don't you want any?"

"I—I do, I'd love to have kids some day,
but…Stephen, I'm only twenty-three."

The relief was instantaneous.

"I don't mean right now," I said, smiling.
"You have to finish school, of course, and like you said, you're
only…"

Twenty-two. No, she said twenty-three!

"When's your birthday?" I gasped.

"September 10," she replied quietly.

"Oh God!" I lamented. "I missed your birthday
and I didn't even realize it! Sweetheart, I'm so sorry!"

I hadn't paid attention to Julia's date of birth when I
looked over her profile on Facebook months ago. I had focused mostly on the
year she was born to find out just exactly how much younger than me she was.
She had never talked about an upcoming birthday before she left in August and I
hadn't thought to check for myself. I wasn't used to having someone in my life
to celebrate about except my parents and Matt, and missing her birthday made me
feel like a lousy fiancé.

"It's OK." She shrugged. "It's no big deal,
honestly."

"But why didn't you tell me?" I asked, a little
baffled by her nonchalance.

"Pop couldn't remember stuff like that and eventually I
just stopped celebrating. It doesn't matter. It's just a day like any
other."

"Unacceptable!" I said firmly. "We are
celebrating right now. You deserve to get everything you want for your birthday."

As I walked over to the door to put my jacket back on, I
started planning what we could do. Dinner was a definite and then maybe a show
of some kind, but where should we eat and what would Julia like to see? I also
wanted to buy her a birthday gift, a really good one, something that would make
her happy.

"Stephen? I know what I want for my birthday."

"Hmm?" I murmured distractedly as I turned around
to face her.

Oh my God!

"You're naked!" I gasped, even though that was
obvious.

Julia had quickly removed all of her clothes and now stood
completely bare in the middle of the apartment, beautiful and unashamed. She
was glorious. In a matter of seconds I rushed back to her, holding her warm
body against mine. How could I think about trivial things like eating when she
was here now, within reach, and I had longed to touch her for so many weeks?

"What exactly do you want?" I asked, doing my best
to conjure up a seductive voice.

"You. Just you," she whispered against my neck.
"Inside me."

I smiled in response and without warning I lifted her up
into my arms. "Bedroom?"

Julia nodded over my shoulder and I just about flew through
the apartment and placed her gently on the bed. I looked at her, stretched out
and waiting for me, for my touch. She was the loveliest girl in the whole world
and she was mine, all mine. There was so much I wanted to do to her, and with
her. I wanted to kiss and touch her all over, worship every gorgeous inch of
her. I wanted to make her come with my fingers and my mouth. I wanted to make
love to her, sweetly and gently. I wanted to fuck her, wildly and savagely. I
wanted to tie her up. I wanted her to tie me up. I wanted it all and I realized
that I didn't have to choose because I was never leaving her side again.

We had all night and the one after that, and the one after
that. Forever and ever and ever. And that was only the sexual part of our
relationship. We had started out with just that, but now it was so much more.
We had so much more. We had love and tenderness to share. We had fun and
exciting adventures to look forward to. We had marriage and children in our
future. We had it all.

"What are you waiting for?" Julia whispered.

"Nothing," I said with reverence. "I'm not
waiting for anything anymore. Because I already have everything I could
possibly want." I crawled onto the bed and lay down on my side next to
her, cupping her face in my hand.

"I love you, sweetheart," I whispered. I took her
hand and placed it on my chest, above my heart.

"So much," I continued. "It makes me hurt
right here when you're not with me. Please promise me that we'll stay together
forever, that we'll always make time for each other no matter how busy our
lives get. That we'll always love each other."

"I promise," she vowed. "Always."

"Always," I whispered back and leaned down to kiss
her gently. "Always, always, I love you."

"I love
you
.”

Pulling back, I wiped away the moisture underneath her eyes.
“No more crying, sweetheart. We’re together now.”

I kissed her again, parting my lips as she did and caressing
her tongue with mine. My hand moved down her body, getting reacquainted with
her beautiful curves; the swell of her breast, her slender waist, her softly
rounded hip. She had lost weight in the time we had spent apart and I vowed to
make sure that she ate healthily from now on. Now that I was here, I would cook
for her every day, and I couldn't wait to spend time taking care of her and
doing everything I could to make her happy, which in return made me happy. It
was perfect. We were perfect.

I kissed my way down her body, focusing on the places I knew
brought her the most pleasure. It had been a while, but it all came back to me
easily. I knew what she liked; I knew
her
. I knew that she moaned when I
kissed her neck, I knew that she was ticklish across her ribs, and I knew that
sucking her nipples made her deliciously wet.

"Mmm," I hummed, brushing my cheek over the soft
downy hair that now covered her pubic area. "This is new."

"I don’t have a waxer here. Does it bother you?"

She wasn't apologetic and, really, why should she be? This
was the way she was supposed to look.

"Not at all," I said, honestly. "You don't
have to keep doing it for my sake. Matt screamed when he got waxed and that was
just his eyebrows. I know it has to hurt."

I parted her legs, moving further down. “Let me show you how
much it doesn’t bother me.”

I moaned against her soft flesh when I tasted her on my
tongue. I worshipped her with kisses, teasing flicks of my tongue, and long
slow licks until she was panting above me, gripping my hair in her hands.

"Oh, fuck!" Julia gasped as I slid my fingers
inside her. She was so close already. It made me wonder.

"Haven't you…at all?” I asked, looking up at her.

She shook her head. "I couldn't. It made me miss you
too much. Every time I tried touching myself it just felt wrong."

"Oh, sweetheart," I said softly. "I'm here
now. And I'll take such good care of you."

"Yeah?" She grinned at me.

"Mmm." I used my fingers to caress her.
"You'll see."

Julia was a very sexual person and I loved that about her.
Being away from me had apparently put a damper on that, but now it was time to
resuscitate her passion and lust, just as she had done for me when we first
met. I so enjoyed doing this to her. Every time I made her come a small part of
the old me, the one who believed he would never satisfy a woman, disappeared
without a trace until there was nothing left of that insecure, lonely wretch.
The man I was today was completely different and I loved being him. He was
happy, confident, and fully capable of making his fiancée gasp out his name as
she came, thrashing and panting for breath.