Anne's heart was still racing from meeting Julian's mother, but the glimpse in return she received of the photo caused a mix of emotions in her. She couldn't help but feel the way she felt towards Julian, but seeing his ex-wife's fantasy introduced a dash of reality.
Likewise, Julian seemed to be battling his emotions. His jaw was clenched, with a flash of regret in his eyes. "I'm sorry," he whispered once more, his voice hardly perceptible.
Anne took a deep breath, trying to calm down. "It's alright," she tried to sound relaxed. "I just wasn't in a mindset to see it."
He nodded, not removing his gaze from her. "I know," he said, apologizing.
The air around them seemed to hum with unexpressed words. Anne was getting lost in those eyes of Julian's and could not avert her eyes. She was well aware that she should be careful, though. She could not let her feelings get the better of her.
His phone rang once more, dispelling the magic. He groaned, picked up the phone, heard for a moment, said, "I'll be right there," and hung up.
"What's wrong?" Anne inquired, attempting a show of concern.
Nothing, I'll be back in a minute. It's from the office.
Anne nodded, a wave of relief washing over her. She needed a moment or two to get herself together, and Julian's departure provided her with the opportunity.
As Julian left, Anne breathed in deeply, trying to calm down. She stepped across the room, looking out of the window into the garden below. The sun was setting, warming the scene with a gentle glow.
There, lost in thought, was a moment when she realized she needed, for her own good, to be careful. She couldn't let her emotions get in the way. She reecall that they were pretending, and she was performing.
Then, stepping away from the window, Anne caught a glimpse of her reflection in the mirror. Her cheeks were rosy, her eyes sparkled, and she was smiling. She was quite sure it was due to Julian.
She was standing there, realizing she needed to watch her step. She couldn't let emotion get the best of her. She couldn't help but be curious, though, around Julian.
Finally, after a seemingly endless wait, Julian made his way into the room, his eyes needing a while to get used to the dimly lit room. He was a bit late, but he was grateful he was there. On arrival, he could see Anne lying in bed with her eyes closed. He assumed she was asleep.
He crept up to the bed, not wanting to disturb her. He gazed at Anne and was not able to help but see how lovely she was. Her face was serene, her breathing calm and gentle. He felt himself relaxing as he gazed at her. Julian crawled into bed next to Anne silently, not wanting to wake her. Once he was comfortable, he slowly laid his hand across her waist. The warmth from her body transferred through her clothes, and he relaxed.
As he wrapped his arms around her, he was inches from her face, he couldn't stop himself from inhaling her fragrance. His heart was pumping excitedly, his thoughts filled with visions of where things would lead from there.
Anne pretended sleep as she felt the heat of Julian's breath across the nape of her neck, a chill running across her skin. She felt his heaving chest against her back, his racing heartbeat keeping time with her own.
As they lay together, tension between them became denser, a palpable mist. Julian's arm around Anne's waist appeared to sear a trail across her garments, with sparks left in its path.
Mindlessly, Julian leaned forward, his lips brushing against the ear of Anne. He whispered a gentle, sweet line, his voice causing a shiver in Anne's spine.
Anne's eyelashes grew heavy, her heart racing in anticipation. She was dissolving into the feel of Julian's hand, as if dissolving into a union with him.
As his lips brushed along the side of her ear, a spark of electricity coursed through her entire body. She couldn't help but wonder how it would feel if she were to turn around, face Julian, and kiss him.
There was tension in the air, the silence a palpable, living entity. Julian's arm around her waist seemed to pull her close, drawing her into his orbit.
And then, suddenly, he stopped. Julian paused, his lips still touching Anne's ear. He held his breath in anticipation of what would occur. Anne, pretending to sleep, felt Julian's uncertainty. She didn't want him to stop, she needed to let him see she felt as he did. For the moment, though, she was merely lying there, suspended in a state of suspended animation, holding her breath to find out what Julian would do next.
The anticipation was palpable, a dare in the air for her to take even more. Julian's heart beat in his ribcage as he stood frozen, holding his breath in anticipation of her response, his mouth unmoving against her ear.
Then, in a movement hardly perceptible, Anne readjusted her weight, her body moving back into Julian. It was clear she was inviting him in and Julian's heart jumped as he could feel his own excitement rising.
Without a thought, he wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her close, burying his face in her hair. Her shampoo filled his nostrils, and he could feel his senses kick in.
They just lay there, in his arms, in her arms, the air filled with the sound of the rise and fall of their breathing. It was a moment of total intimacy, a moment that would not, could not ever end. Julian's lips began to move, tracing a gentle path along the curve of Anne's neck. He touched her gently, tentatively, the skin of her body prickling at his hand's contact.
The tension between the two was most palpable, and the heat from Julian's body radiated towards her. She was quite clear in the fact that she was inviting trouble by not moving from this position, but she could not get up.
Julian's lips meandered across her throat, leaving her in a shiver. The way he touched her was gentle, but sexually possessive, too, as if he was laying his claim upon her.
Anne was overwhelmed by a tide of craving, a feeling she was not in control of. She was falling in love with Julian, but she wasn't sure if she could stop it. Then, abruptly, Julian's mouth ceased its motion. He took a step backward, his eyes meeting Anne's, and a spark of electricity coursed through her body. She stood there, staring at him for a moment, the tension between them growing more intense. She could feel Julian's hunger, his hunger for her, and she was conscious of her own. Slowly, Julian bent his body forward, his lips covering her mouth in a kiss, passionate but possessive.