The chiming she heard was familiar, and Fleur mustered enough energy to take a peek. They were in one of Paradijs' elevators again, and she couldn't help but smile up at Julian despite the pain currently eviscerating her belly.
"Déjà vu," she whispered teasingly, to which he only grunted in response. "Aren't you feeling the slightest bit panicky?"
"No. I don't." He held her gaze, knowing what she was driving at. "And I can promise you I won't feel anything like it again."
Fleur didn't answer this time, but since her eyes had also closed, Julian wasn't sure if it was because of exhaustion or distrust.
Either way, he was determined to prove to her that he was not the type to repeat any of his mistakes. But for now, her health was his priority, and Julian took every care not to make any jarring movement as he stepped out of the elevator.
Careful, Alexeyev...Careful...fuck!
He had to shift his hold of her just a bit as he made a turn at the end of the hallway, but that bit was still enough to make Fleur whimper, and Julian swiftly apologized while mentally cursing himself.
He had just Googled this, dammit.
Women were extra sensitive during this time, and he could end up sending Fleur straight to the E.R. if he treated her no better as some farmer would with a sack of potatoes to transport.
Fleur immediately curled her body into a ball as soon as Julian laid her down on what she could only presume to be a bed. Her eyes were still squeezed shut, and she was in so much pain that she was reduced to fighting back tears.
She hated crying about period cramps even though each time she had it, she always felt as if her entire world was crashing. Crying over menstrual pain made her feel like such a baby, and....ooooooh.
The bed dipped under Julian's weight as he sat next to Fleur's curled body and carefully inserted his hand between her legs. Her breath whooshed out of her as he began kneading her belly with gentle firmness, and bit by bit Fleur could feel the pain fading, just bit by bit by bit until she was slowly able to straighten her body, and she started to feel like she was floating.
Heaven.
She knew this was likely just heightened dopamine levels at work, but she didn't give a damn. Anything that could make the pain go away was heaven at this point, and oh...my...gosh, yeeeeees.
Julian's other hand had joined in, and he was now rubbing her clit with the same gentle but firm pressure that he continued to apply to her belly.
Having twin points of relief and pleasure was the most incredible thing, and before Fleur could even draw her next breath, her body was already slowly arching up, and oh God...
Her lips parted as she came with a silent cry, the orgasm consuming her so thoroughly that she didn't even know at what point she had drifted into sleep.
A dreamy sense of euphoria still clung to her bones even when Fleur woke with renewed energy...and a nose that couldn't stop sniffing because...was that hot chocolate she was smelling? And peppermint? And cream of mushroom and steak and—-
Oops.
She had been so busy sniffing her way to the source that Fleur hadn't even realized she had already sat up, and it was only when her gaze clashed with Julian's amused gaze that she realized he had been watching her the entire time.
He was standing next to a beautifully set up table for two, and he seemed to have ordered the most expensive Christmas dinner set on the room service menu. Crystal goblets and a decanter of wine, porcelain plates and gold cutlery, and even a lovely arrangement of holiday blooms: bright red poinsettias, pale pink roses, and dainty white azaleas.
"What's this all about?"
"An apology," Julian said quietly, "for fucking up."
"Apology accepted." The speed of her reply visibly caught Julian off guard, and she wrinkled her nose at him. "I'm not the type to hold grudges."
"But you have a right to in this case," he said broodingly.
"I have three brothers, plus one brother-in-law," she told him wryly, "and as unfortunate as this sounds, I pretty much had a front-row seat to how all four of them had fucked up just like you did."
Julian knew Fleur's candidness was something he did not deserve, and for several long moments, all he could do was stare at her. No woman could be this perfect. She had to have at least one fatal flaw, but what?
Fleur caught Julian staring at her, and she reluctantly lowered her fork-stabbed piece of steak. Oh no. She looked at him uncertainly. "Does it bother you?"
Julian was disconcerted. "What do you mean?" Surely she could not have guessed that he was hoping to find out one wrong thing about her?