Hold On (26 page)

“It’s great to see you again, Alexa. Congratulations on the opening. Everything looks
great here.”

“Thank you Mr. Bauer. It does look great. They did a wonderful job on this building.”

I don’t say it’s nice to see him again, because it isn’t.

“Please call me Antonio, Alexa.”

I think about the other night when he didn’t seem to want me to call him by his first
name; was that really just ten days ago?

I smile as sincerely as I can and excuse myself under the guise I need to mingle.
Julian kisses me softly on the forehead and whispers in my ear, “Are you okay?”

I nod and smile and go to work.

I catch up with Julian every now and then but I spend the majority of the night talking
about the building with other real estate professionals and courting new clients.
We have a great product to sell and the vibe is very positive. Diego stays away from
me. Like away, away. I see him from across the room and watch him work. He’s very
engaging and really knows how to interact with people. I bet I could learn a lot from
him and hope we’ll be able to maintain a great working relationship. I don’t see why
we wouldn’t be able to, but who knows.

I also see Serena and Lauren networking and both of them look like they’re having
a great time. I’m walking toward Lauren when I see Danny come up from behind her and
whisper something into her ear. She smiles from ear to ear and I can only assume that
whatever he said has something to do with a having repeat of their night together.
I don’t have a chance to ask her because when I get to her, we’re joined by Andrea
and Mark, who are both thrilled with how well the party is turning out. We all worked
hard on making this a great night and I know I appreciate the thank you’s and compliments
they offer.

I glance around as they’re getting ready to walk away and I catch Julian standing
off to the side staring at me. He smiles at me and, even from a distance, I can see
the love and pride he feels. I walk toward him and take his hand.

“I think this party is almost over.” I glance at my watch and see it’s already close
to midnight.

He leans in and whispers in my ear, “I hope so, because I want to take you home and
make love to you until the sun comes up. Watching you work is such a turn on. This
is such a great fit for you.”

I get a little teary hearing his words. One, I take them as a compliment in a professional
way from someone in the industry, and two, I’m so happy Julian is getting to see all
of me. I’ve been so worried he only gets to see the scared, insecure me. Doing what
I do, workwise, is a great fit and I appreciate that he notices.

I whisper back, “Now that’s the best proposition I’ve had all night. By the way, did
I happen to mention I wasn’t wearing any panties tonight?”

I look up and watch as his eyes widen and turn dark with desire.

“Do you want to take a little walk with me, Alexa? You obviously want me to do something
with that tidbit of information. We can discuss you being naughty and not wearing
panties in private.”

I think about our conversation the other night about being a little risqué.

“You never wear underwear and I don’t think you’re naughty. But, yes, I’d like to
take a walk with you. I know the perfect place.”

My office is on the other side of the building and although people have to pass by
it on the way out, nobody is hanging out there. I take my key out from my clutch and
open the door. The second we’re in, Julian pins me against it. We keep the lights
off and the room is only dimly lit by the moonlight coming in through the windows.
His warm breath on my neck and his signature scent set my senses on high alert and
make me want him more. I take a deep breath and try to inhale his energy. He’s lifting
my dress when I hear laughter on the other side of the door. It sounds close so I
move his hands away and pull my dress back down. Nobody can see us, but I don’t feel
alone anymore. He chuckles and nips at my lower lip.

“I’m not sure you really want this to happen. Those people can’t see us. They might
hear you when I make you come, but they can’t see you.”

His words challenge me. Hell yes, I want this.

“Do you need proof?”

He nods his head and a sly, seductive smile flashes across his face. He’s tugging
my dress up again.

“Put your hand between my legs. You’ll see how wet I am. You won’t have any doubts
then.”

Without taking his eyes off of me, Julian hikes my dress up and slides his warm hand
between my naked legs. I feel the tip of his finger glide through my slickness and
dip gently inside of me. It makes my whole body ignite with passion. He continues
his delicate stroking for a few moments and I can’t help but close my eyes and enjoy
the sensations.

“Mírame, Lexie.”

As he says the words he pulls his hand away.

I slowly open my eyes and watch as Julian puts the tip of his finger, the one that
was just pleasuring me, in his mouth. He licks it slowly with this tongue. The visual
causes fiery shivers to course through my body.

“You weren’t lying, baby. You’re so wet. I love that about you.”

I watch as Julian unzips his pants and pulls them down. He picks me up and tells me
to wrap my legs around him. Julian slides in easily and fills me completely. I attempt
to stay silent as he enters me but the position we’re in allows him to penetrate me
deeply and the feeling is one of extreme pleasure mixed with a little discomfort.
I can’t help but moan. Julian holds me tightly around my waist as he plunges into
me and I have to lean my head forward onto him so it doesn’t knock against the door.

The steady rhythm of his hard shaft rubbing against my clit, coupled with the voices
on the other side of the door, bring me to the brink of an orgasm in no time. Julian
isn’t far behind and when he seals his mouth over mine and slides his soft tongue
inside to keep me from moaning out loud, I can’t hold back any longer. Julian’s grip
on me tightens through the last kick of his orgasm and only when he’s done do I feel
him relax his hold a little. We stay in this position for a few moments as we catch
our breath. With a soft kiss and a sweet smile, Julian sets me back on the floor and
pulls my dress back down. He runs his fingers through my hair to fix any wayward,
“I just got fucked” curls and gently rubs away any smeared lipstick with the pad of
this thumb. When I’m sure we both look dressed, I open the door. I stop short and
yank it back when I see Diego’s door opening at the same time across the hall. I watch
through the crack as he walks out with a beautiful Asian woman behind him. She’s adjusting
her skirt and has a guilty, yet satisfied, look on her face. I’m sure it matches my
expression. Holy shit. He was fucking her in his office. I’m about to judge him when
I feel Julian’s breath on my neck and remember I was doing the same thing minutes
ago. I laugh out loud as we walk out the door. What the hell kind of place am I working
at?

Chapter Twenty

It’s hard to believe, but Julian and I spend the next few weeks in a calm, drama-free
place. We do what young, in love couples do. We spend almost all of our free time
together. Despite my reservations, it really has been easier to stay at his place.
Work has picked up tremendously since the opening and I’ve been working more hours
than usual. Working with Diego hasn’t turned out to be an issue at all. Ever since
he found out Julian was my boyfriend he’s been completely professional. I’m enjoying
working with him and I’m learning a lot. I’m exhausted though because I haven’t been
getting home until almost seven or eight every night.

I love coming home to Julian. We have tons of great sex and have settled into a great
rhythm of making love, having sex, and fucking. As usual, Julian is great at reading
my moods and seems to know when I want what. He’s always ready to go and I can say
with every bit of confidence he’s being taken care of that way. I’ve even stopped
wearing panties on a regular basis which makes him very happy.

We’ve both been busy with work, but we make sure to have fun too. We go out to eat,
we’ve seen a movie, we run together, and we hang out with our friends. We have a fun-filled
July 4th at the hotel. All of our friends are there and Julian makes sure we have
a great time by setting us up with a Cabana and total VIP service. We spend the day
at the beach and the pool, dancing, drinking, and listening to great live music. I
don’t get to spend much time with Julian because he has to work, but when he comes
around it’s obvious he’s mine. He’s affectionate and flirty with me no matter who’s
around. He does end the night with me watching the fireworks. As I lean into his embrace,
while we sit on the beach, and watch the night sky light up, I can’t think of any
place in the world I’d rather be. Later that night, after Julian and I’ve made our
own fireworks, I once again lean into his embrace and acknowledge I’m exactly where
I’m supposed to be.

It’s all so normal, and for the first time in a very long time, I’m truly enjoying
the calmness that has settled around us. As the days go by, I fall more in love with
him and I become more secure in the idea that he’s my future. I stayed, I held on,
and I’m doing everything I can to trust what we have is enough for him. Julian has
stopped talking about marriage and babies and because I’m practically living with
him, he’s stopped pushing about that too. It isn’t official, but I have a set of keys
and more than a few pairs of shoes and outfits at his house. I feel comfortable there
now, and waking up each morning and staring at Julian and the ocean, is like a dream
come true.

It’s hard to believe we’ve only been together for a few months. So much has happened
in such a short amount of time that it feels like it’s been so much longer. I’ve managed,
with the help of Julian, Ellen and my friends, to become so much more like the old
Alexa again; the girl who had confidence and believed in love and in herself. Ellen
and I are working through some of my residual issues, like my less frequent, but still
happening nightmares, and I know talking about what happened has freed me in ways
I couldn’t have imagined. I also talk to Jill and Tracy regularly. Jill and Derek
are working on getting back on track and she calls me almost every day to ask my advice.
I’m not sure why she thinks I’m a good person to ask considering my shaky romantic
history, but I’m happy we’re so much closer.

I have bad days, well, more like bad hours, but overall I’m feeling more like myself
than I have in years. I feel strong and it feels good. Julian has really opened up
to me. We’ve spent hours talking about his family, his dad in particular, and what
that relationship has done to shape who he is. We even talk about Alejandra and what
that relationship was like. I listen more than I share, but Julian seems to accept
that about me. I don’t like to talk about Brady and he understands why. We don’t talk
about Luke either. His name never comes up and when I tell a story he was part of,
I watch my words. It’s the one thing I don’t think we’ll ever be able to have a rational
discussion about. Even though we don’t talk about Luke, and I haven’t spoken to him
since that day at Brady’s parents, he’s never very far from my thoughts. My life would
be perfect if he were in it as my friend. It makes me sad to think about it, so I
try not to, but the fact is, I miss Luke Miller.

I have a hard time getting out of bed the Monday after the extended Fourth of July
weekend. I’m exhausted. I partied and stayed out late from Thursday through Sunday.
I also worked a ton of hours. It was a great weekend spent with our families and friends,
but now I’m drained. As I lie there and think about the weekend we had, it’s no wonder
I’m wiped. My parents joined us for dinner at Ursa’s on Friday night. They stayed
and had a drink with us after at Orion, and we stayed long after they left. Julian
was pretty much working so I hung out nearby and kept him company. I was at the bar
with my girlfriends on Saturday too. Jenna met up with Marco again and Lauren and
Danny hooked up again too. It’s not serious and she knows it, but she’s having fun.

And then there was last night. I agreed to go with Julian to his parent’s house for
a family dinner. He made a big deal out of it so I went, even though I really didn’t
want to. I hadn’t seen his mom since the night out at dinner and barely talked to
his dad that night at our opening. Julian told me his extended family was going to
be there and that he knew things would be okay. I hadn’t been to their house yet,
and when we pulled up, it was hard not to be impressed.

Julian’s parents’ home is an old-world Mediterranean style home that’s tucked away
back off of the road. I instantly fell in love with the architecture. The lush landscaping
around it made me feel like I was in a secluded island paradise and it brought a sense
of peace to me. The house is on the water and the view of Biscayne Bay and the Miami
skyline were breathtaking. I could see why Julian’s mom wanted to live here and raise
her family. I found myself picturing Julian as a little boy growing up here and it
made me consider what it would be like to raise my own family in a home like this.
I continued to daydream all the way through the door.

When we walked in I immediately got swept up in a hug from Marisol. She introduced
me to Julian’s Aunt Elena, and I got a hug from her and his Uncle Juan as well. Julian’s
dad just shook my hand again, and kept his distance. It was so awkward and I really
found myself wishing nothing weird had ever happened that night. I wanted to feel
comfortable there, with his family. He chatted with me throughout the night but it
was very impersonal and I know he did that for my benefit. Julian watched me like
a hawk every time his dad was near me. I wanted to tell him not to worry, and did
with my eyes every time he looked at me. Danny was there and so were Yvette and her
fiancé Carlos. Yvette was a different person when she wasn’t with her friends and
I enjoyed talking to her. She’s smart and ambitious and it was obvious she loves her
cousins. I think by the end of the night I’d won her over.

The food was fantastic, the mood was light and I really enjoyed getting to see Julian
with his family. They might have some issues, but last night they were all smiles,
laughter, and love. It was great to see. I hope to be part of his family one day.
Despite that I worked all day and have to work Monday, we stayed until almost midnight.
I had a few glasses of wine with dinner and found myself falling asleep on the way
home. Julian had the top down and the smell of the ocean and the wind on my face relaxed
me even further. I sensed we were close and when I opened my eyes and saw Julian staring
at me, I was overwhelmed by the love I saw in his eyes.

It was a great night, but now I’m going to feel like shit the whole day. Ugh. I get
out of bed and get in the shower. Julian is up and in the kitchen when I walk in for
my coffee. He fixes me a cup and sets it down on the island. I sit down and paste
a fake smile on my face.

“Buenos Días Senorita Cranky.”

He’s become familiar with all of my moods.

“Yep. This weekend kicked my ass. I need a vacation.”

He turns to face me. “Really? Because I’ve wanted to take you away for the weekend
and this one would be perfect. I’d like you to see the property we’re buying and I
could take care of some loose ends in person while we’re there.” He pauses and then
keeps selling, “There are a few beachfront cottages that have the most incredible
views. We could stay there for a few nights.”

I was kind of kidding. I can’t go anywhere. I’m slammed at work. His gesture is nice
so I don’t shoot it down rudely.

“This place has the most incredible views. I’m not sure how we can top them.”

“It’s just different. Can you get away from work? We can leave Friday morning and
come back Sunday night.”

He’s serious and now he looks excited. “I’m not sure. We’re slammed.” He looks so
disappointed at my lack of enthusiasm I feel bad. “I guess I can try and switch weekends.”

“Don’t sound so excited.”

“Julian, I am excited to go away with you. It’s the first time we have. But you just
sprung it on me. I don’t know if I can make it happen. Plus, we’re going to Sanibel,
not Paris.”

My snarkiness isn’t deterring him from his quest to get me to agree to go away.

“Would you prefer Paris? I’ll take you there instead.”

I have to smile. “I thought we were going because of work. Do you have work in Paris
I’m not aware of?”

Julian laughs. “No, no work in Paris, mi amor. I just want to make you happy. Sanibel
doesn’t seem like it excites you.”

“I’m sorry. That was rude. I’m happy to go anywhere with you. But why does it have
to be this weekend?”

Julian turns my stool and stands in between my legs. He wraps his arms around my waist
and looks down at me.

“We’ve had a lot going on the past month. We’ve been spending time with each other’s
families and friends and working a ton. I want you to myself for a few days. I want
a room with a different view. I want to make love to you all weekend long. I want
to sleep in and stay naked. I want to be with you … just you.”

When a man makes a proposition like that, it’s hard to refuse. So, I call in a favor
and get Lauren to agree to work for me this weekend. Diego signs off on it too and
I spend all day, every day, for the rest of the week working my ass off so I can go
without a guilty conscience. When Friday morning rolls around, I really do need a
vacation.

Julian and I take our time getting up in the morning and leave after nine. We stop
and have lunch once we get to the west coast and make it to Sanibel a little before
one. I haven’t been here before and immediately fall in love with the beauty of the
island. Julian made arrangements before we left, and when we get to the property,
the cottage he reserved is waiting for us. On the drive over, Julian filled me in
on what to expect. The property they’re buying, which will be called The Bonitavista,
is on the smaller side, with only thirty-eight guest rooms and three detached cottages.
It’s a quaint older property and Bywater has major plans to renovate it and make it
into a luxury, boutique hotel similar, yet smaller, to Hotel Del Marco. I can tell
by the tone of his voice how excited Julian is about this project. This is his forte
and what he loves to do. As we walk to our cottage, Julian talks non-stop and points
out things he wants to change or enhance. This is truly a diamond in the rough and
I can see all of the potential.

As I walk up the steps to the white clapboard cottage, I can’t help but be mesmerized
by the view in front of me. I can stand on the wraparound deck and see nothing but
blue skies, white sand and calm sea for miles. There are two hammocks on the porch
and I already know I’ll become very familiar with one before the weekend is over.
The inside is as cozy as the rest of the property. It looks like it’s been recently
updated. As I walk around and take everything in, I comment that they should think
about retaining some of the original charm of this place when they renovate. Luxury
is great, but quaintness and personality are what’s most attractive about this place.
The décor is beachy with lots of blue and yellow tones and the furniture is mostly
rattan. The walls are a whitewashed wood paneling. There’s a small seating area with
a TV tucked into a corner curio cabinet and a small modern kitchen nook with a table
for two.

I follow Julian into the bedroom and smile when I see the king-size four poster bed
with fluffy white linens that faces the ocean. I yank open the gauzy curtains and
take in the view.

“This is so perfect. I want to move in.”

He comes up behind me and wraps his arms around me. “I told you the view is special.”

We stand there for a few moments and admire the view. We live, well he does, at the
beach, but this seems different. It does seem special and I imagine it’s because for
the first time in our short, yet very intense, relationship, it really feels like
it’s all about us. We spend the next hour unpacking and exploring the cottage and
beachfront. Julian asks for my opinion on things to do to the property and it sounds
like he’s taking my suggestions to heart. I make a comment about what a good team
we make and by the look on his face, and the love I see in his eyes, he couldn’t agree
more.

We spend the rest of the afternoon biking around the island and ducking into art galleries
and boutiques on Periwinkle Way. We have a yummy, early dinner of oysters, shrimp,
mussels, and beer and finish the evening listening to music on our private deck as
we watch the sun go down. It’s truly a perfect day.

The next day doesn’t start out as well as the night finished, especially when I realize
Julian lied to me. When I roll over and reach for him, he isn’t in bed, naked, like
he said he would be. If I know him like I think I do, he’s out for a run. Without
spending too much time thinking about it, I decide I don’t care and roll over and
go back to sleep. I’m going to stay naked and stay in bed. It was an exhausting week.