L.A. Fire (42 page)

 
“Well don’t you look hot,” Ziggy said, getting up to give Angela a kiss, and
then groping her ass. He ignored me, as he had every time I ran into him at the
apartment since I ditched Rob at the café on Venice Beach. When he did look at
me, it was with utter disgust. I could already tell it was going to be a long
night. Ziggy pulled Angela onto his lap, and she giggled, then wrapped her arms
around his neck. I settled onto the opposite end of the couch they were sitting
on, and contemplated how long I’d have to sit there before it was polite to
leave.

 
When the waitress returned, she was carrying a bottle of Cristal and three
champagne glasses. I held my hand up, and shook my head. “No, you must have the
wrong table. We ordered two margaritas.”

 
She smiled at me patiently. “Yes, I remember your order, but this was sent over
by the gentleman at the bar.” She pointed in the direction of the main bar, and
I instantly spotted Julian. My pulse leaped at the sight of him, and I inhaled
sharply. I felt like I was dreaming. There was no one in the world that I would
have rather seen. The sight of him was too good to be true.

 
“We only need two glasses then,” I said pointing to Angela and Ziggy.

 
Angela pried her lips away from Ziggy, and gave me a questioning look. “It’s
from Julian,” I said. “For the two of you to enjoy.”

 
Angela looked thrilled, and Ziggy shrugged his shoulders. “If money bags wants
to splurge on us, it’s fine with me,” he said, rubbing Angela’s back.

 
I frowned at him and said, “Actually, the champagne is not for you, Zigs. It’s to
celebrate Ange’s movie role. Or don’t you remember?”

 
He gave me a lazy, angry look, and then shrugged again. I turned away in
disgust. Angela was a big girl. She had to make her own decisions. If she
thought this asshole was good for her, then that was her choice. Everyone had
to make their own choices. All you could hope was that in the end the people
you cared about would learn from experience and eventually find themselves on
the right path.  

 
Right now the man of my dreams was waiting for me at the bar, and I wasn’t
going to stand by watching while someone else tried to snatch him up. I grabbed
my purse, and quickly made my way over to him.

 
As I approached Julian, his eyes were riveted to me; it was like there was no one
else in the bar. His gaze was hungry, and ferociously possessive, and it turned
me on big time. I was no longer afraid of losing myself in him or being treated
as a possession, so I no longer needed to put up some kind of shield between
us. I could revel in the fact that he was ready to devour me, and accept that
being consumed by my passion for him didn’t mean I had to give up my power. If
anything, our passion for each other had made me stronger.

 
As I got closer to him, I quickened my pace. He stood up, his eyes searching my
face. I froze for a moment, taking in his chiseled face, his broad, powerful
shoulders, and then I ran up to him and threw my arms around his waist. I felt
his whole body shudder with relief as he drew me into a tight embrace. “I
missed you,” I said, peering up into his beautiful eyes.

 
“Are you back?” he asked, stroking my hair.

 
“Yes,” I said.

 
“For good?” He stared at me long and hard as he stroked his finger along my jaw
line.

 
“Yes,” I said without the slightest hesitation.

 
I felt his body shudder slightly against me as he pulled me closer. “I’m sorry
about interfering with your career. I should have told you Paul called. It
wasn’t my decision to make. I realize now just how important your work is to
you, and I’ll never interfere with your career again.”

 
I nodded, and felt relief flood through me. “Thank you for singing my praises
to Sylvia Laurence. For giving up such an important client.”

 
Julian shook his head and pressed his finger against my lips. “You won Sylvia
over with your own hard work. I simply helped you seal the deal by advertising
your talents.”

 
I frowned slightly, and he caressed away the creases in my forehead. “Sarah,”
he said, now tracing my lips with his finger, “I’ll always be overprotective.
Possessive. It’s in my nature. But I also promise that I’ll always listen to
your needs.”

 
I smiled up at him as I rubbed his back with my hands. “I know,” I said. “I
know that now.” Grinning crookedly, I added, “And I kind of like your possessiveness.
It’s a huge turn on.”

 
Julian growled, then hoisted me up into his arms. I started laughing, and threw
my hands around his neck. “What are you doing?” I asked.

 
“I’m taking you home,” he said, “so I can reclaim what’s mine.”

***

 
After Julian had parked his car at the back of his beach house, he came over to
my side of the car, opened the door, and lifted me into his arms again. When we
reached the front door, he put me down, and tilted my chin up so my eyes met
his. “Do you still have your key?” he asked.

 
I nodded. It was on my keychain, in my purse.

 
“This is your home too, now, baby. Show me it’s yours by using your key.”

 
My breath caught in my throat. Julian was asking me to prove my commitment. And
though I hadn’t been ready when he originally gave me the key, I was now.
Overcome with strong emotion, I reached into my purse with a shaky hand, fished
out the key, then put it in the lock. Right before I turned the key, I looked
at Julian. His eyes were intense, and watching my every move. With one quick
jerk to the right, I had the door unlocked, and then pushed the door open.

 
Julian growled again, swept me up into his arms, and carried me over the
threshold. “I’m taking you upstairs,” he said, shutting the door. When we got
to his bedroom, he pushed me up against the wall and pulled my legs around his
waist. His eyes flared with ravenous desire, and he sealed my lips with his.
Then his tongue slipped between my lips, claiming my mouth. He licked me with
long strokes, and I licked him back, delirious in my passion for him.

 
“I missed you,” I said, pulling back. “I missed you so much I couldn’t even
stand it.”

 
He stroked back my hair, and ran his lips along my neck, each kiss he planted
making me whimper and shiver. “We belong together, baby,” he whispered. “You’re
mine. And I’m never letting you go.”

 
I found his lips, and then kissed him deeply. “I’m not going anywhere,” I said.
“I love you.”

 
He growled again, and I felt his cock go hard through his pants. “I love you,
too,” he said. Then he slid his hand up my dress, slipped his hand under my
panties, and plunged his finger inside my sex. “I’m going to fuck this hot
little cunt. My hot little cunt.”

 
“All yours,” I murmured, throwing my head back against the wall. When his
fingers found my clit, every stroke sent waves of ecstasy coursing through me.
I started panting hard, squirming in his hands. I distantly registered Julian
unzipping his pants, then ripping off my panties. Then tension and anticipation
was pure, delicious agony. I couldn’t wait for him to take me. To reclaim me.
To show me I was his.

 
“Julian,” I whispered, my voice hoarse with lust.

 
“I know, baby,” he said, kissing my neck tenderly, then grabbing my hips with
both hands, his fingers sinking into the flesh. He pressed his cock against my
sex, and his eyes filled with a desperate urgency I’d never seen before. His
look screamed, ‘I have to have you right now, or I’ll go insane.’ And I felt
the exact same way. He must have seen it in my eyes as well, because the next
moment he plunged into me hard, and a long, delicious cry rose from my throat
as a powerful, rippling pleasure coursed through my body.

 
Neither of us had any patience or control tonight. He began thrusting hard and
fast, and I grabbed a hold of his hips too, pulling him deeper into me. I felt
his stomach muscles quiver against me, and I dug my nails into his ass. He
grunted at the sensation, and quickened his pace. I flung my arms around his neck,
then bit his earlobe. He snarled, then started pumping harder. His face was
contorted with lust, and it was the sexiest thing I had ever seen. That look
sent me over the edge. I climaxed hard, pumping my hips and crying out, and
Julian was right there with me. Panting, and his body quivering, he emptied
himself into me. We collapsed against each other, breathing heavily, still
needy for the feel of each other’s flesh. Finally Julian pulled out of me and
carried me over to the bed.

 
We lay there together, letting the sexual fever cool off. Then Julian pulled me
up against his heated chest, and I curled into him. Lying there with him, it
suddenly struck me how right this felt. We belong together. I’d never have to
be someone else with Julian. And I’d never have to live in his shadow. He was a
powerful man, but he would never crush me with that power. He would use it to
hold me up. As I started drifting off into sleep, I heard Julian whisper,
“Welcome home, baby.” I snuggled into him, and realized that his words felt
right. For better or for worse, Julian now was my home. My comfort. My passion.
My love. And he was here to stay.