Page 75 of Scrubbing In
“I’m truly sorry, baby. I let my frustrations over Devin build up instead of immediately reporting her, and I exploded at the thought of working with her again. It just didn’t feel right to get into all that then. It would have been like I was using it as justification for overstepping a boundary you had clearly set. And there is no justification for that.”
Her hand closes over mine, but she leaves it there instead of pushing me away. “Julian,ugh. There is so much more going on in this situation than you blowing up on Joanne and using what’s between us to get what you wanted, and those things are not only your fault.”
Heaving a deep breath, her lashes sweep down, hiding her beautiful green eyes. Not that they are giving much away right now but their familiarity comforts me.
“I’ve obviously been in my head for a while.” At my panicked look she rushes out, “Not about us! Well, not directly. It’s just . . . I’ve been in my head and worrying over something. It has to do with Quinn, something I’m not sure I was supposed to find out about, and I’m not sure how or if I should even tell you.”
“That’s why you’ve been so closed off?”
Her head bobs up and down.
My head is spinning, not at all expecting where this conversation has turned.My sister?She’s the reason Leena has been withdrawn and distant? All at once, relief floods through me that it wasn’t because of us, but worry over my sister.
“First off, is Quinn okay?” I question.
“Yes, I think so.”
“She’s not in any trouble or danger?”
Leena shakes her head. “No.”
Finding it easier to breathe, I say, “Okay. Well then, let’s come back to her in a while, okay?”
“Mm-hmm,” she replies, brows furrowed.
Sighing, I feel like a huge weight has been lifted off my chest knowing she hadn’t been pulling away from us. But, as for everything else, we need to clear the air.
Now holding my hand in both of hers, she rushes out a jumble of words so quickly it takes me a moment to process them. “I’m sorry I couldn’t just come right out and say something was bothering me. You were being so kind and patient with me, and I know you were getting frustrated when I wouldn’t open up.”
“No, Leena . . .” She shakes her head, and I stop speaking.
“I think we can both agree this was what was causing your frustration. Otherwise, you would have told me—not just me asyour girlfriend, but me as Devin’s supervisor—what happened this weekend.” I hate that her distress is so palpable. But she continues on, not letting me respond. “We would have already been handling that, and if she were still on the books come yesterday, there is no way she would have been put anywhere near your room. I’m sorry you had to deal with that, Julian. God, I’m so sorry.”
My heart constricts when her voice breaks on the last word. What she’s saying is true, but it feels a little wrong agreeing with her. Like, she is trying to take the blame for all that’s transpired, and that’s not right.I’mresponsible for my own actions and how I choose to respond.
I push a curl that has come loose from her bun behind her ear. “Leena, I still fucked up. I told you I understood your reservations about being public with our relationship. I agreed to keep it a secret. That should have never slipped my mind yesterday. I was careless. I could have jeopardized both our reputations, because we’ve talked about when we do come out, we want to do it correctly, paperwork and all.”
Smiling ruefully, she leans into my touch. “Yeah, that’s correct, but this isn’t a black-and-white situation. It would be wrong to pinpoint any one thing as being the biggest mistake. I think we need to accept what happened and try to move on with what we’ve learned.”
“Then, you do want to stay together?” I bring both of my hands up to cup her face as I ask.
Throwing herself into my arms, she crawls into my lap and straddles her thighs around me. She cries, “Oh, Julian! Yes! Baby, I love you. As painful as everything that happened was, I can only hope it makes us stronger. If anything, it proved how important communication is. Not just for us as a couple, but for us working together.”
Driving my fingers in her hair, I kiss her. Hard and hungry, devouring her mouth. My cock starts to thicken in my pants because of how eagerly she is kissing me back.
Groaning, my voice like gravel, I tell her, “We should probably go inside if you plan on keeping that up.”
“Take me inside, Julian,” she whispers hotly against my throat.
CHAPTER FIFTY-TWO
Julian
“You make me so hard,”I growl out.
Leaning back, she smirks and grinds her hips on my cock, only making me hotter and hungrier for her. Crashing through the house, we barely make it through her bedroom door before I slam her back against it, cradling her head with my palm. Her eyes are green flames blazing with lust.
Reaching down, she grabs the bottom of her hoodie and rips it over her head, throwing it behind me haphazardly. Her tits are pushed up in one of those cropped tops with a built-in bra, the ones she wears to exercise in. I lick up her cleavage before sinking my teeth into the upper swell of one breast.
