Chapter 8 - The Choice
Julian’s eyes softened with a bittersweet emotion.
He stood up and walked to the window, looking out over the rain-washed estate.
“I offered you sanctuary, Harper,” Julian said softly, his back turned to her. “I wanted to save you from a monster. But I am not a saint. You know who I am. You know what I command. I will not trap you in another cage, even if it is built of gold.”
He turned back to face her, his hands tucked into his pockets.
“The townhouse is yours. The money is yours. You and Sadie can leave tomorrow, start fresh, and never look back. You will never have to see me again, and you will be completely safe for the rest of your life.”
Harper looked at Sadie. Her sister gave her a knowing, gentle smile, stepping out of the library and quietly closing the door behind her, giving them privacy.
Harper stood up from the sofa. She didn't use her cane. She took slow, deliberate steps toward Julian, her leg holding her weight, strong and healed.
She stopped right in front of him, looking up into his grey eyes.
“You think you’re a monster, don’t you?” Harper asked softly.
“I have done violent things to dangerous men,” Julian replied honestly. “My hands are not clean.”
“Your hands saved my life,” Harper countered, taking both of his large hands in hers. “When I was dying on that floor, typing numbers through my own blood, I didn't need a saint, Julian. I needed a guardian. I needed someone strong enough to fight the darkness that was swallowing me.”
She reached up, cupping his face in her hands, forcing him to look directly into her eyes.
“You gave me back my life,” she whispered. “Do you really think I want to live it without you?”
Julian’s breath hitched. For the first time since she had met him, the invincible, unflappable Julian Vance looked vulnerable.
“Harper...” he breathed. “If you stay with me, my world will always carry danger. There will always be enemies.”
“Then we will face them together,” she said fiercely. “I spent two years being afraid of a coward in a small apartment. I am not afraid of being loved by a king in a castle.”
Julian let out a ragged, breathless laugh.
He pulled her into his arms, dipping his head down and pressing his lips to hers.
The kiss was desperate, fiery, and filled with weeks of unspoken longing. Harper wrapped her arms around his neck, melting into his warmth, feeling the powerful beat of his heart against her chest.
May you like
When he finally pulled back, resting his forehead against hers, his grey eyes were bright with a passion she had never seen before.
“Then you stay,” Julian declared softly. “Not as my guest. Not as someone I saved. But as my equal. My heart.”
