Now, whenever Aurora returned, she habitually glanced at the villa next door, finding warmth in her heart at the sight of its illuminated windows.
Just as she was about to enter her home, Julian’s butler from next door came out. “Miss Montgomery, I’ve made some late-night snacks. Would you like to try some?”
Recalling the romantic evening she had the night before, Aurora wondered if this was yet another of Julian’s traps. “Thank you, but I’m not hungry. I’m going to sleep,” she declined.
The butler returned inside and saw his young master stretching his neck to look behind him. “Master, stop looking. Miss Montgomery didn’t come.”
Julian had waited all day for her, eagerly hoping to see her upon her return.
Hearing that she hadn’t come, disappointment washed over his face. The butler, seeing his dejected expression, tried to soften the blow, “Miss Montgomery is quite tired. She probably wants to sleep early.”
“Okay.” Julian didn’t say much, but his desire to see her hadn’t diminished at all.
After finishing her nightly routine, Aurora was ready to sleep when she suddenly heard faint footsteps on the balcony. Her expression cooled.
Could it be that Ivy knew she was back and had swiftly sent an assassin? With a dark look, Aurora rolled off the bed and grabbed a vase, cautiously positioning herself by the balcony door. As the footsteps drew nearer, her heartbeat quickened, and she lifted the vase high.
The door opened, and Aurora swung the vase at the figure’s head, but luckily, Julian dodged it in time.
“Is this how you greet your guests?” Julian eyed the large vase in her hands. Had it made contact, it could have been fatal.
Aurora, slightly shaken, set the vase down. “What are you doing here?”
“I haven’t seen you all day, and I just wanted to check on you,” Julian said plainly, but his words sounded deeply affectionate.
“It’s only been since morning, hardly a day,” Aurora retorted as she placed the vase back in its spot.
“That’s enough to miss you,” Julian embraced her from behind, teasing, “What a heartless woman. Don’t you miss me?”
His embrace was warm and comforting, coaxing a slight smile from Aurora.
“I missed you a little.”
Julian spun her around to face him, their eyes meeting. “Tell me. How much is ‘a little’?”
“Just a little,” Aurora teased, holding up her pinky.
“So little? You’re heartless indeed. I missed you this much,” Julian replied, his eyes softening as he saw the mischief in hers. She was gradually returning to her old self.
“Childish. I’m not competing with you,” Aurora turned her head away, but her heart felt warm.
Julian whispered into her neck, “Did you just take a shower? You smell wonderful.”
“Yes. Alright, since you’ve hugged and seen enough, you should go back now.” Aurora tried to push him away.
But Julian clearly didn’t want to leave.
“There’s one more important thing I haven’t done,” he said earnestly.
“What’s that?” Aurora asked, alarmed by his serious tone.
“To sleep with you,” Julian smirked, playfully pinning her to the bed, intending simply to fall asleep inhaling her scent.
Pressed beneath him, Aurora frowned. “You promised to give me time.”
“Right, but I’m just sleeping, nothing more. Just plain sleeping, and I’ll keep my word,” Julian assured her, loosening his hold.
Aurora knew his temperament well. He was a man of his word. After securely closing the door, he climbed into bed to sleep, and she already had an answer in her heart.
The two had shared a bed before. Slowly, Aurora rested her head on his chest and fell asleep.
Seeing her gentle sleeping face, Julian smiled softly and drifted off to sleep. In the years without her, despite his lofty status, he felt an emptiness that was hard to articulate.
It was only after Aurora appeared that he felt some satisfaction, a feeling irreplaceable by anyone else.
He enjoyed watching her sleep and waking up. Thus, every time Aurora awoke, she found him already gazing at her with a smile.
“Morning.” Neither of them had the habit of sleeping in. He just happened to wake up a bit earlier than her.
Aurora yawned. “Morning.” Today was the weekend. She did not have to go to school, and all the company paperwork was already handled. Now, all she needed to do was hire staff. She wasn’t too busy at the moment.
“Did you sleep well last night?” Julian asked.
“Yes, very well. I didn’t have any nightmares.” It seemed her nightmares were becoming less frequent.
“That’s because you have me,” Julian said straightforwardly, earning himself a playful punch from Aurora as she got out of bed.
She sat up and stretched, bathed in the morning sunlight that also highlighted the tiny dust particles dancing around her.
The sunlight coated her in a soft golden hue, and she looked like a lazy kitten, prompting Julian to wrap his arms around her from behind.
Startled, Aurora quickly reached back, his hands resting on her waist as his head leaned on her shoulder. “Aurora, you are so beautiful!”
“Sweet talker.” Aurora’s heart blossomed with joy. She was naturally beautiful and had been praised throughout her life.
But she never took others’ compliments to heart, only his tender words warmed her deeply.
It was as if, in a garden, his words made all the flowers bloom at once, filling her entire heart.
“Okay, enough sweet talk. I’m getting hungry,” she said, feeling secure in his embrace but not wanting to linger too long.
“Really? Then shall I take care of feeding you?” His hands slowly moved, only to be sharply slapped by Aurora.
“Can’t you be serious?” she wriggled out of his embrace.
Julian looked aggrieved, complaining, “With such beauty in my arms every night, no men could endure it. It’s too painful to see but not touch every day.”
Aurora turned to face him, a smile playing on her lips, “Great responsibilities are bestowed on those who are capable, and they must endure toil and…”
He quickly pulled her back into his embrace. “I don’t want any great responsibilities. I just want you, my little princess.”
After another deep kiss, leaving her breathless, he finally let her go. This kiss ended with his hands exploring her entire body.
“Stop it. I’m going to wash up.” Aurora quickly left the room filled with a floating ambiance of flirtation.
Julian, with his arms behind his head, smirked to himself. “Such a shy darling.”