Ryan didn't give her time to process the utter defeat. He stepped forward, his hands gripping her waist, and pulled her flush against him. He captured her lips in a hard, intense kiss that demanded absolute submission.
When he pulled back, he brushed his thumb over her trembling lower lip.
"I love you, Emily," he murmured, his eyes dark and victorious. "Don't ever forget it."
Chapter Ten
Sarah
The view from the floor-to-ceiling windows of Bennett & Mendoza Consulting was different than the one Sarah had known at her old firm. There, the glass had felt like a cage, a transparent barrier to a world she was only allowed to design, never inhabit. Here, overlooking the bustling, kinetic corner of Michigan Avenue, it felt like a vantage point.
"The new signed contracts just hit the inbox," Lily called out from her office, her voice ringing with a triumphant, melodic edge. "And Sebastian just referred us to three of his private investors for the South Side revitalization project. Sarah, we’re officially overbooked for the next six months."
Sarah leaned back in her ergonomic chair, a slow, steady smile spreading across her face. It had been nearly four months since she had wagered everything on a blueprint and the equity of a house that had once been her only sanctuary. The gamble had paid off. They weren’t just a boutique firm anymore; they were becoming the new standard for architectural integrity in the city.
"Don't sound too surprised, Lily," Sarah teased, walking into her partner’s office. Lily looked up from her screen, a shadow still flickered in her eyes when she thought no one was looking. "Your branding made us look like we’ve been the industry leaders for a decade."
"I just put the paint on the walls, Sarah," Lily smiled, leaning back. "You’re the one who made sure the building wouldn't fall down. Speaking of foundations... how is Julian? Still the patron saint of patience?"
Sarah felt a familiar, warm heat rise to her cheeks. "He is. It’s... it’s maddeningly sweet."
Julian had been her rock, but he was a rock with very specific, old-fashioned ideas. Since the night they had shared that first, soul-searing kiss in her kitchen, he had treated their relationship with a level of reverence that bordered on the sacred. He took her to formal dinners, sent flowers to the office just because the sun was out, and always left her at her door with a kiss that promised a lifetime but delivered only a lingering, respectful warmth.
He wanted a courtship. He wanted to prove that she was worth the wait, worth the effort, and worth more than just a fleeting distraction. But after months of hard work, Sarah was tired of being handled with gloves.
"I'm taking him away this weekend," Sarah announced.
Lily’s eyebrows shot up. "The 'Ms. Bennett' approach. I like it. Where to?"
"A private cabin in the Northwoods. I need to get him away. I need him alone."
***
The cabin was a masterpiece of mid-century modern design, cantilevered over a private lake that looked like a sheet of black glass under the darkening Wisconsin sky. The air was crisp, smelling of pine needles and the incoming autumn chill.
As the sun began to dip below the treeline, Sarah and Julian stood on the expansive timber deck. The silence of the forest was absolute, broken only by the occasional cry of a loon.Julian stood behind her, a solid, protective weight, his arms wrapped securely around her waist.
"Sarah," he whispered into her hair, his voice low and vibrating with a sudden, heavy gravity. "I hope you know... these last few months... I haven't been waiting because I didn't want you. I've been waiting because I wanted you to know that you're the first thing in my life I haven't treated like a transaction."
He felt her heart skip a beat against his arm. Slowly, Julian stepped back and gently turned her around to face him.
The man who stood before her was an industry titan, a man who commanded billion-dollar projects with a single word. But as he looked at her now, his hazel eyes were raw and vulnerable.
Julian slowly lowered himself, one knee hitting the wooden planks of the deck. Sarah’s breath hitched, her hand flying to her mouth.
"I don't want to just be the man who stands beside you at galas, Sarah," Julian said, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a small velvet box. He flipped it open to reveal a ring that wasn't just a diamond; it was a stunning, architectural piece of art—an emerald set in a custom-engineered platinum band. "I want to be the man who helps you build the rest of your life. Sarah Bennett, will you marry me?"
"Yes," she whispered, the word breaking through a sob of pure, unadulterated joy. "Yes, Julian!"
He slid the ring onto her finger, the metal cool against her skin, before standing and pulling her into a kiss that tasted of promises and forever.
He swept her up into his arms, his strides purposeful as he carried her inside. The cabin was warm, the fireplace crackling and casting long, flickering shadows against the cedarwalls. He laid her back against the cool, high-thread-count linens of the bed, his eyes never leaving hers.
As he moved over her, the innate gentleness was still there, but it was joined by a new, possessive edge that made Sarah’s blood hum. His hands, firm and steady, mapped the landscape of her body with a slow precision. He worshipped her with his mouth, trailing hot, damp kisses from the hollow of her throat down to the swell of her breasts.
Sarah let out a soft, shattered moan as he took the hard, sensitive peak of her breast into his mouth, the heat of his tongue sending a jolt of electricity straight to her core. For the first time in her life, she wasn't performing a role. She wasn't the "perfect" wife or the "talented" architect. She was just a woman, seen and wanted for exactly who she was.
Julian’s mouth moved lower, his breath hot against her skin as he explored the sensitive curve of her inner thigh. Sarah arched off the bed, her fingers tangling in his dark hair, her breath coming in short, rhythmic gasps. When his mouth finally found her, she unraveled completely, the sheer, building intensity of his touch pushing every ghost and every betrayal out of her mind until there was nothing left but the two of them.
