“Oh, that must be Ceaser.” Selene said.
Ceaser?!
No one mentioned anything about Ceaser being here. Jules thought.
“Honey, Ceaser’s around.” Jules heard Eric shout from the living room.
“Okay.” Selene shouted back as she went back into the kitchen.
Ceaser gave his dad a hug when he walked in as he placed a kiss on Ivy’s head and he got rewarded with a big smile.
“Where’s…?”
“She’s helping your mum set the table.” Eric answered before Ceaser could completed his question which made him sigh.
His father knew him well.
Ceaser made his way towards the kitchen passing the hallway and stopping when he saw her in a yellow sundress that made him clench his jaw and his fists.
Oh, he wanted to wrap his arms around that tiny waist of hers and pull down that tiny strap.
She looked so beautiful out of her work clothes even though her work clothes made her look hot, this made her look hotter and he was sure what was underneath would beat both occasions.
Jules’ nerves became unsettled for no reason but she ignored it and got back to setting the table when Ceaser walked into the dining room with his gorgeous self, holding a bouquet of red roses. Jules swallowed as her throat went dry as she looked at him from head to toe. He looked hot in a suit but he wasn’t wearing one. He wore a normal jeans and t-shirt which made him look yummy.
Get your mind off of him!
Jules mentally scolded herself and looked away as she tried her best not to make it obvious that his presence affected her in so many ways. Starting with her heart racing and ending with getting her panties in a twist. Or rather a damp twist.
“Hey.” Ceaser said with his gaze locked on her which made her want to squirm.
“You said you weren’t coming here.” Jules said.
“No, I didn’t.” Ceaser said “I said I don’t live here.”
“You’re so good at forgetting to mention important details.” Jules said still not looking at him.
Ceaser looked away and sighed
“If I had told you I was going to be here, would you have come?” He asked.
Jules stopped what she was doing and looked at him then looked away.
“So, you can see why I didn’t tell you. You wouldn’t have bothered to show up… and we really need to talk.” Ceaser said.
“This isn’t the right time or place to…”
“So, you do agree that we need to talk.” He interrupted her.
“I didn’t say…”
“Seeing all you do is avoid me and where this might lead.”
Jules placed her palm on forehead, she was starting to have a headache.
He caught her. She was avoiding whatever he had to say because she was scared.
She was scared about what he wanted to discuss with her. She was scared that she might not like what he had to tell her and that it would hurt like hell and she was also scared that she was going to like what he was going to say because then they could move past everything that had happened. But somewhere deep inside her, she knew she was going to get hurt in the long run.
Either way, getting hurt was inevitable, that’s why she’d been avoiding the ‘talk’ with him.
“I…”
“Ceaser, it’s nice to see that for once you can be early for a family lunch.” Selene felt the tension the second she walked into the room.
Wait… family lunch?
When Selene had extended the invitation to her, she had specifically said a simple ‘lunch’, there was no ‘family’ included.
Besides, since when did Ivy and her qualify as ‘family’?
“Hello to you to mum.” Ceaser went to kiss Selene’s cheek. “These are for you.” He handed over the bouquet to her.
“Thank you honey.” She smiled taking the flowers from him. “I’ll go put it in some water.” She said before she yelled “Thomas get in here!” and went back to the kitchen.
Ceaser returned his gaze to Jules and locked it with hers as they just stood and looked at each other with the tension in the room increasing.
“Whoa!” Eric said when he stepped into the dining room making Ceaser and Jules snap out of the trance “Is it hot in here or is it just the food.” He smiled with Ivy in his arms knowing exactly what is was.
Selene entered the dining room too.
“Let’s have lunch. I’m starving.”
They all sat down, said a short simple prayer and began having lunch. Selene insisted on feeding Ivy which left her with nothing to keep her distracted from the man who sat opposite her next to his father who had given up the head of the table to Ivy who was being fed by Selene who sat next to her. She couldn’t concentrate much on the delicious food because a specific person’s gaze was drilling holes in her and it took everything in her not to glare at him.
It hadn’t been easy getting through lunch but Jules was glad it was finally over. She wanted to take Ivy and speed off but it would be rude to leave immediately after so she held onto the last of her calm as they all moved to the pool outside. Jules had thought she had seen the best of the house but when she stepped outside into the blue sky and open air, she inhaled, held and released all her emotion in a single breath. The view was even more spectacular from outside.
She was beyond speechless.
“You want to take a dive in?” Eric asked.
“No.” She said after he snapped her out of her thoughts “I’m okay.”
Ceaser joined them with Ivy in his arms asleep and he looked at her which made her look away.
Selene joined them a few moments later and picked a sleeping Ivy from Ceaser.
“Eric?” She called her husband “I need your help with something.”
“Excuse me.” Eric said and joined his wife who was leaving the pool area.
Jules stared at the view in front of her. Everything was so peaceful from there, no noisy street or sirens. She closed her eyes as the wind picked up which made her wrap her arms around herself as her sundress danced around her. Jules felt him get nearer before he spoke.
“Cold?” He asked, his breath fanning her nape.
She dared not look back.
Jules shook her head because she didn’t trust herself with words in that moment. Jules held her breath when she felt his hands on either side of her arm. She stood frozen in her spot as he rubbed her arms pulling her back into him with her back resting on his rock-hard front.
She closed her eyes as the scene in her office that day played out in her head.
“Relax Jules. I’m not going to bite.” Ceaser said when he felt her go rigid.
How could she?
Jules released the breath she was holding and tried to adjust to how close he was to her. She wanted to push away from him yet she wanted him to pull her closer.
Something was really wrong with her.
Jules felt herself relax and lean into him when she cleared her thoughts. She wanted to just be without anything stopping her from what she wanted to do.
Somehow, she felt content. It felt like home.