Total pages in book: 43
Estimated words: 40972 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 205(@200wpm)___ 164(@250wpm)___ 137(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 40972 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 205(@200wpm)___ 164(@250wpm)___ 137(@300wpm)
Julien needed him.
And he was showing that to Emory. Sharing this part of himself. Emory felt humbled all of a sudden. He’d somehow earned the love of this reserved man who normally hid his emotions. Kept them private. This wonderful man who had made Emory realize he did want a forever love.
“Julien,” he said quietly. “I’ve been alone a long time, and I thought I liked it that way. What you make me feel changed that.” He shook his head. “No, that’s not exactly right. What you make me feel made me understand that I did want more. Fuck, I’m actually giddy with the knowledge that I get to spend my life with you because I want you. With everything I am. I want those quiet nights and those times of passion. I want the days we’ll argue about where the candlesticks go. I want it all, and I want it just with you.”
A dazzling smile settled onto Julien’s face. One that completely transformed him. One that Emory knew he was going to want to see as often as possible over the many years he was committed to spending with Julien.
“So, you’re definitely moving in right away, then?”
“Yes,” Emory said as he leaned in and kissed the corner of that smile. “I’m moving in and we’re going to have a long lifetime together. You and me. A lifetime of disagreements and spectacular making up moments.”
“I’m really looking forward to those,” Julien murmured.
Emory framed Julien’s face with his hands. “It’s you and me, Julien. Soulmates for life. And I have no doubt that that life will be filled with love.”
“It’s hard to believe this is real. That I got so lucky when I’ve never believed in luck.”
“I’m pretty sure I’m the lucky one.” Emory kissed him, then chuckled. “But this isn’t luck, it’s fate. Fate brought us together, and I couldn’t be more happy about it.”
Julien gave him another one of those brilliant smiles. And Emory knew that fate had chosen right for him. His entire life had changed, and he welcomed that change wholeheartedly. Julien made him feel complete. And he was going to spend the rest of his life making sure he made Julien feel the same way.
Epilogue
Emory
“This couch is all wrong,” Julien muttered as he frowned down at the white, modern sectional. The salesman who was helping them stood back, having lost all semblance of patience at this point.
Emory, who was testing out the couch’s plush cushions, looked up at him. “Because of the color? It comes in others. This is just the floor model, but it’s seriously comfortable and there’s plenty of room in your living room for the extended foot rests.”
“It’s our living room and that’s not it.” Julien waved his hand over the top of it. “Not this one. It’s all wrong, I said.”
Emory briefly shut his eyes before focusing them back on Julien. “Why don’t you sit in it and see for yourself?”
“I don’t need to. This isn’t the one.”
Emory really liked this couch, though he was thinking of getting it in a darker color. There was already enough white in the house, and knowing him, he’d stain the thing the very first day. He could even go with brown since that was the color Julien had before. “I like this one.”
Julien’s lips tightened, but he didn’t repeat himself.
“How do you know it’s all wrong if you won’t try it out?” Emory asked.
He stared down at Emory for several moments before his shoulders loosened and he sighed, the frown still on his lips. “It’s designed for two people to stretch out, but at opposite ends of the damn thing. There would be an entire cushion between us.”
“Oh,” Emory said softly, unable to stop the upward curve of his lips. “You’re talking cuddling.”
“I would like us to recline closer, yes.”
He stared up at his soulmate, all disgruntled and serious, and this time, he laughed. “When I met you, I never would have thought you could be cute.”
That frown deepened. “I am certainly not cute.”
“You are right now.” Emory got off the couch and threaded his fingers with Julien’s. “Come on, we’ll keep looking.” He walked them toward a set that had recliners closer together.
It had been three weeks without any attacks on Julien, so Emory had deemed it safe enough to move him back home.
It was now their home because he’d already moved in. He’d also already moved out the ridiculously uncomfortable brown couch Julien had there. Along with the two hard chairs. This was their third furniture store in four hours of searching and he would normally be on his last nerve.
It was just this side of Julien amused him to no end.
He’d never wanted a soulmate, and wow, had he been delusional. There was absolutely nothing like the intense connection he felt with Julien. They couldn’t keep their hands off each other, the passion so explosive Emory was constantly in awe of it. He held absolutely no desire to touch anyone else. Ever. Julien had burrowed into his heart so deeply, they felt like two parts of a whole.