Chapter Nine

T ogether they sat upstairs waiting to be announced by the grand duchess, who was so happy, Delilah worried she would float away in her powder-blue dress. Aunt Bibbie had been escorted by Julian's father himself, which might have seemed normal except the man kept giving her looks of pure adoration and kissing her hand. The gossip would thrill her godmother, Delilah knew that instantly. There was nothing more Aunt Bibbie loved than a bit of salacious news, especially if she was in the midst of it. Delilah had already changed into her wedding-day evening attire of a wine-colored satin dress, and she nervously tapped her foot.

Julian patted his lap. "Come here, beloved."

"That's very improper," she said in a prim and proper tone.

"Not for a man and his wife." He took her hand and cajoled her to perch on his knees.

"These damnable dresses," she muttered, trying to fix her skirts. "I cannot wait to be back home, where I can dress however I please."

"To take your hair down and lift your face to the sun," he murmured. "I think I would like to see that every day for the rest of my life."

"You say such sweet things to me. I don't know if it is to make me lose my defenses or senses," Delilah said huskily.

"Both."

She cupped his face in her hands and kissed him. "My instincts say to trust you, so I do. Please, I implore you, don't destroy my hope and trust."

"On my name and on my honor, I won't ever betray what you have given me," he swore and kissed her until Delilah's head swam. "Everything I promised and more will be yours."

"Sir, ma'am." Montgomery cleared his throat. "The grand duchess is ready to announce you."

"I've been announced one too many times here," Delilah murmured. "I haven't even got to buy any new books to take with me, or my writing supplies, and we sail in only a few days."

"You shall have all you desire," Julian promised with a boyish grin. "You can even pack up my library at home if you so choose."

"Don't tempt me, sir." Delilah smiled up at him as they moved to the top of the stairs. Her heart felt lighter. Knowing the wariness that she always carried when around strangers, Julian squeezed her hand gently to reassure her as her godmother lightly tapped a champagne flute.

"I present to you the newly wedded Duke and Duchess of Blackshire, Highmore and now Rothsey, as per the gift of Her Highness on their wedding day."

Everyone gasped in surprise before the applause began. Never before had Delilah heard of a duke having more lands than what was inherited by birthright.

"Did you know this would happen, the gift from Her Majesty?" she asked him in a low voice as they descended the stairs.

"Not in the slightest." He spoke around the wide smile on his face.

They were offered congratulations as they moved toward the main ballroom, where the marble floors reflected the lights from the chandelier. The quartet began to play, and Julian pulled her into his arms for their first dance as husband and wife. As they glided across the floor, the look on his face was pure adoration when he stared at her. The music ended with a flourish, and he placed yet another kiss on her lips in the center of the room.

"Marvelous! Marvelous!" The grand duchess was positively beaming as she joined them at the center of the dance floor. "Everyone, enjoy the reception, and please do give the newlyweds your personal congratulations." She turned to them both. "Let me lead you to our personal seating area."

Delilah shook her head when she saw the extravagant white velvet chairs with a bronze back and legs. They were a little smaller than thrones because her godmother had respect for the royal family. That didn't mean she hadn't added dyed feathers the color of her dress, sitting on pedestals in gold vases, to each side of their seats.

"Aunt Bibbie, no one reined you in, I see," Delilah said.

"On the happiest day of my life other than my own wedding?" Her godmother winked. "Not in the bloody least."

Juno came up and curtsied politely. Wearing a light mauve dress and her hair pinned up neatly, she didn't look like the girl from the island in a simple dress anymore. She was ravishing, and Cameron Herschel's eyes never strayed from looking at her for too long.

"You look so beautiful." Delilah cupped her friend's cheeks. "Mr. Herschel has committed you to memory by his eyes alone."

Juno looked away shyly. "Hush, he is just being polite."

"I've seen that look in a few men's eyes, and it's not just politeness," Julian said and kissed both her cheeks. "How could he look away? You are ravishing."

"Oh stop." Juno fanned her face and giggled like a schoolgirl.

"Juno is sitting with me at the chairs, beside you, as one of our family," Aunt Bibbie said. "I shall miss her just as much as you when you all leave."

"That's because she fawns over you, and you give her sips of champagne," Delilah laughed.

Gwen came into her line of view, and seeing her nod, Delilah knew it was time to talk to her self-proclaimed nemesis.

"Aunt Bibbie, might I use your office for a short while? I have something to discuss with a guest."

Her godmother frowned. "To leave your own wedding party, sweet girl, is very impolite."

Julian cut in gently. "It's just for a few minutes. Then we are yours until this party ends."

"Very well then."

In his usual gentlemanly fashion, Julian helped her stand from her seat and escorted her to the far door. It led to the inner hallway that would take her to her godmother's private office. She made sure she was already seated as Emma arrived, and the young woman swept into the room with a cold flick of her gaze in Delilah's direction. It didn't faze her in the least.

"Is this a meeting for you to gloat about your marriage?" Emma asked stiffly. "You won. Let's leave it at that."

Delilah gave her a small nod. "There was no game to be won. You never had his heart, and you know it. This is about the carriage you had a certain young man send careening my way, by stabbing the hindquarters of a horse, mind you."

She watched Emma's face pale.

"H-How did you find out?" Emma asked and sat down slowly.

Delilah gave her a direct stare. "Julian found out, and I assured him I would take care of it in my way, lest he has Oliver hanged and you imprisoned. That would be a huge stain on your family name."

"What will you have me do then?" Emma's hands shook as she spoke, and she clasped them tightly in her lap.

"First you should thank me for saving you from imprisonment. Julian would've insisted," Delilah said firmly.

"I truly thank you," Emma said through stiff lips. "Where will you be sending me?"

A light knock brought Delilah's attention to the door. "There is my solution now."

One of the staff opened the door, and Oliver stepped inside. A strapping man with arms that bulked under his white shirt, he was handsome, and from his look toward Emma, he adored the ground she walked on. His naivety to her manipulations was evident even without words.

"Why is he here?" Emma demanded to know.

Delilah gave her a cold gaze. "He was the one that would hang for your evil designs. He deserves to be here."

"Hang?" Oliver exclaimed in horror. "I-I..."

"Don't panic. I've saved you from the noose with a solution that the duke and I agreed upon."

"And that is?" Emma asked.

"Marriage. You and Oliver will be wed and move to the countryside of your choosing," Delilah replied.

"Yes!" Oliver said in pure happiness.

"No." Emma's voice held dismay. "I am to marry into society, not out of it. Moving to the countryside will ruin all I have built and maintained in high society."

"Exactly, you need a firm hand and common sense away from this place," Delilah added. "Oliver is good enough to bed; he is good enough to marry, and you will be his wife."

"I will be a doting and good husband to you." Oliver nodded and took her hand only for Emma to snatch it away.

"Not too doting, that's what got you both in trouble in the first place," Delilah pointed out. "You have to be her moral compass as well as a good husband."

"I won't accept this." Emma shook her head. "My father won't accept this."

"Julian has already spoken to your father, and he is an agreement that this is what's best for you." Delilah met her gaze and held it. "The choice is this or imprisonment."

"This is its own prison," Emma muttered.

"Marriage is no prison as long as it's done right, and Oliver will do right by you." Delilah gentled her voice. "In the towers, there are no pretty dresses or delicate pins for your hair. There is pain and suffering, with little to no food, and only the strong survive it. I'm sure your father will set you up in a lovely house, and then you can take over society there if you must. What is your choice?"

Emma hesitated, and then her shoulders slumped in defeat. "Marriage."

"Splendid, you can announce it tomorrow and send out invitations," Delilah said with a smile.

Emma looked aghast. "I thought it could be done in secret."

"My almost injuries were there for the public to see, so will your nuptials." Delilah stood. "Now, if you excuse me, I need to go back to my own wedding reception. You both can have a minute to finalize any plans. Then you'll be escorted back into the main ballroom."

Delilah didn't look back, instead moving briskly to the doorway where Julian waited patiently for her.

"Is all well?" he asked as he took her hand to lead her back to their seats.

"It is. I need you to speak to Emma's father about her upcoming wedding to Oliver," she replied. "Help him see this is what she needs, and it would be a wonderful gift to buy a lovely house in the countryside for the newlyweds."

Julian's laughter was loud and rich, drawing attention to them as they walked by. "Woman, you are brilliant. I will speak to him in a few minutes to ensure Oliver gets his new bride."

"Thank you," Delilah said as he swept her up into his arms for another dance.

"Now it's time to focus on us, my lovely wife."

"I am all yours."

"Truly?" he asked with happiness in his eyes. "In every sense of the word?"

"Yes." She nodded.

"Then that is the only wedding gift I'll ever need." He touched his lips to hers for a gentle kiss.

Later that night, as they stood on the balcony watching fireworks bursting in the sky in honor of their wedding, Delilah moved closer to his side. Julian slipped his hand around her waist, and she felt her heart race in anxious excitement for what their wedding night would bring. She would take down her walls for him in hopes of experiencing the passion that Aunt Bibbie had described.

It was time for her to stop running away in fear, time to hold on to something— someone—good. If Julian was willing to leave his home and life to start anew with her in Barbados, then he was one of the good ones Aunt Bibbie spoke about. That night, she would know what it truly meant to be a wife to Julian Blackshire.

DELILAH PACED THE ROOM of his master suite, nervous about what the night would bring. Julian said he would hold her that night, nothing more—but was that what she truly wanted? The tastes of pleasure she had sampled at his touch made her wonder about the true heights of passion. Aunt Bibbie's words came to mind, how perfect it could be with someone you truly loved. She had found a new lease on life with Julian's father and didn't seem to fear the unknown.

And why should I? Delilah wondered—no, demanded to know. Julian had proven more than any other he was unlike Lord Gibson and Ian Saur. She refused to let two horrible men ruin the possibility of her future. Delilah would not fear his arms any longer. Tonight, she would understand what it meant to be a woman, wife, and lover.

The door opened from his chamber where Julian took his toilette and baths, and as he walked in, she could tell his hair was still damp from the sheen on the dark waves pushed back from his face.

"Your hair is loose. Shall I help you plait it for the night?" he asked politely.

Delilah gave a soft laugh. "My hair is much thicker. I will take care of it tomorrow when Juno comes. It is a tedious process at times."

"You'll have to teach me so I know how to help care for my wife's beautiful crown." Julian stepped closer. "I think I was enamored with you the night you took your pins from your hair after interrupting the meeting."

"And now?" It was her turn to move closer, and she could feel the heat radiating off his skin through the housecoat she wore.

"I loved you just as quickly," he said with certainty in his voice. "I now wait for you to love me the same."

"I care for you." She licked her lips. "I will say the words when the time is right."

"That will be the day I shout it to the world that I have your love," he promised.

Delilah gave a soft laugh. "It seems difficult to do from an island."

"I'll make it work," he teased, holding her loosely, his hands on the dip in her back. "You looked beautiful today—my beloved wife."

She sighed and laid her head on his chest. "You say such wonderful words."

"My sweet love," he said huskily, "that is what you mean to me."

"Will you show me?" she asked. "How to please you, to love you as a wife should in the marriage bed?"

Julian caressed from her temple to her lips. "I can be patient. I won't have you fearing my touch because I was too hasty."

Delilah lifted the hem of the simple cotton tunic she wore to bed. "I want to feel and give pleasure. Will you deny me that?"

"Never, beloved." His voice grated with desire. "There's much more I will show you as the night progresses."

Julian covered her lips with his own, and this time his kiss wasn't sweet or tame. His kisses always surprised Delilah. They weren't cruel or hard, instead, just the right pressure to make her legs warm and weak. The tingly sensation on her lips slowly worked its way to her scalp as he buried his fingers into her hair, and then that warmth went down her body, making her nipples tighten and ache. The warmth spread between her legs, and as Delilah opened her mouth to gasp, Julian speared his tongue between her soft lips, and a low groan escaped him.

Her small whimper followed the low sound of desire he made. The heat he created felt like it was turning her bones to jelly, and Delilah was sure she wouldn't be able to stand much longer. Julian sat on the bed and pulled her between his legs. Slowly he opened the laces of her nightgown, and the soft fabric fell from her shoulders to a puddle on the floor. The heat of his gaze swept from the top of her head to her feet and then back to her face.

Delilah licked her lips nervously. "Does my body please you?"

He was silent for a moment.

"Julian?" her voice was soft.

"I am trying to find the words to say how exquisite you are, but all seem trivial to compare to your beauty," he answered huskily. "It is obvious that God created you for one person to treasure for a lifetime. I am humbled that it's me."

He ran his finger around the areola of her nipple and watched as it puckered from his touch. Julian pulled her closer to taste her nipples with his lips, wringing a soft cry from Delilah while the sensation ran from her torso to the feminine secret between her legs. He pulled her naked body to his lap and feasted on her mouth with delectable kisses.

Julian tasted her deep, leaving no part untamed by his lips. In between, he intermittently nipped at the fullness of her bottom lip or took a trail of kisses down to her neck. Delilah moved her hand to the front of his trousers and felt the hard length being trapped by the buttons. His erection intrigued her, and she ran her fingers over the hardness until he groaned against her mouth.

"You should stop. I find that I take leave of my senses when you touch me." Julian's words sounded almost pained.

"Does it hurt to be that hard?" Delilah asked innocently. Nothing she read could have prepared her for the experience she would have that night.

He gave a soft laugh. "Not in the way you expect, a sweeter pain."

"Ah, not in books," she murmured to herself, and a whimper escaped as he teased her nipples. "Your touch, it makes me feel like something inside me is tightening right in my stomach, and it's like you said, a sweet pain."

"That admission, beloved, makes me desire you even more." He kissed her lovingly.

"Show me your body," Delilah demanded softly.

Julian sat her on the bed and stood before her, removing his trousers, the last barrier of clothing between him and her. She took in his hard, sculpted frame, the flat tone of his torso and corded thigh muscles that seemed to tense under her gaze. Her gaze settled on the turgid length between his legs. It seemed to throb on its own, and it seemed heavy in between his legs.

"Will that be able to fit?" Delilah asked dubiously and chewed the corner of her nail bed.

"We were made to fit." Julian climbed onto the bed to cover her as she moved up on the mattress. "Like our maker built us to be, perfect puzzle pieces."

Before she could speak, he took her lips in a devastating kiss, and Delilah moaned and ran her hands down the smooth, warm skin of his back. He was so big. The way his body covered hers didn't scare her, but rather made her feel secure, protected in his arms. When Julian held Delilah's hand, his always swallowed hers up. Now those large hands felt as if they were touching her everywhere at once.

The overwhelming thought wasn't fear like she'd assumed, but need to be consumed and to please him in return. Heat coursed its way over her body, and she raised her legs to run her toes along the back of his calf. Julian groaned in response as they were pressed more intimately together. She could feel the length of him pressed against her sex. Passion, she didn't know it could feel like this, like he was a tuning fork, and her body was the instrument, attuned to his touch.

"Shall I shower your body with kisses, wife?" Julian's voice rasped with desire as he peppered kisses down her neck to the valley between her breasts.

"Please," she gasped and arched into his touch as he cupped her breast.

"It will be my pleasure."

He continued his exploration of Delilah's body. Her nipples ached in response to his teasing lips and the way he laved each with his tongue. She slid her fingers through the hair at his nape, and as Julian took the dark tip between his lips, she cried out as pleasure radiated through her and settled in her core once more. His response was a deep growl in the back of his throat, a sound that reminded her of a jungle cat purring.

Delilah had heard one once, when one of the hunters had an exhibition in London. It was caged and pacing while making the low, predatory sound. She had felt sorry for the animal, feeling as trapped and caged as the lion was. But now the sound Julian made caused heat and yearning to settle between her legs, and the ache she had never felt before made her writhe beneath him.

Julian was a man built for power. His muscles bunched beneath her touch. Men feared him when his dark gaze pinned them in untruths, but now she was under the onslaught of his desire, and his eyes were filled with hunger—passion that left her breathless.

"Will you be inside me now?" Delilah asked tentatively.

Julian shook his head. "No, not quite yet. Give me your hand."

She placed her hand in his, and he ran it down her body to her sex. She hesitated, and he kissed her gently.

"This is your body. You should know what it does, how it feels, and why you are a woman," he told her huskily. "Touch yourself. Feel the slick moisture of your sex."

Delilah followed his directions and how his hand led her to delve between the soft folds of her sex. She gasped as her finger grazed a part of her that made her hips lift in response. She also felt a wetness that she didn't understand.

"That moisture is what makes me fit inside you, and your body is built to accept me," Julian told her. She felt his finger graze that place that brought her the most pleasure, and this time he circled the sensitive bud. "When I touch you and you desire me, your body makes more of that sexual fluid. It coats my cock with each thrust."

"It feels marvelous," she whimpered.

"Mmm, delicious."

Delilah opened her eyes to see him lick the digit he had used to please her. "Should you do that?" she asked worriedly.

Julian gave her a slow smile. "I'll know you more intimately than any other, down to your taste. It will be on my tongue, and I shall be addicted to it."

She looked at him hesitantly. "Will I be able to touch you as well?"

"At any time," he replied.

"Okay." Delilah sat up so quickly he was thrown back on the pillow.

"I didn't mean..." His words were lost when her fingers tangled in the mat of hair on his chest and grazed the small tips of his nipples.

Delilah wrapped her hand around the length of his cock. She felt his hand tighten on her thigh as a slow breath escaped him, then quickened as she stroked his cock. The muscle in his jaw ticked from him clenching his teeth.

"Am I hurting you?" she asked.

He shook his head slowly, and she went back to her task, watching in fascination while a pearl of liquid formed at the tip. Delilah bent to lick the bead away, and she lost her breath when he had her pinned beneath him in almost an instant.

"Why did you stop me?"

"Because, woman, doing that almost made me take leave of my senses." Julian kissed her hungrily. "I don't want to scare you with my passion."

Delilah wrapped her arms around his neck. "You are the last person I would fear."

His kiss gentled because of her words, and she reached between them to stroke his erection again.

"I like the feel of you," she said against his lips. "Why did I fear this so much?"

"Because you were meant for me, and your soul knew you needed to wait," he said roughly. "You have no idea how much your touch pleases me."

"Then show me," Delilah demanded. "Make my cries not be of fear but passion."

Desire darkened his gaze before Julian took her lips in such a devastating kiss that she felt faint, almost lightheaded, and drunk off his kiss. The heat between them was palpable, and even the wind that blew the curtain didn't cool her body. They became frenzied. Not even aware that instinct drove her to act, she spread her legs wantonly, hoping that she would feel more of what he offered.

Julian moved easily to one side, never breaking their kiss but giving himself full access to her body. Delilah roamed her hands down his muscular back to his taut ass before she smacked the muscles of his rump. He looked down at his wife in shock, and his rich laugh filled the room.

"Everything with you is a surprise." He pushed her hair from her face. "How I adore you."

Delilah's second slap on his ass made him kiss her hard as he pinned her hand to his side. Julian nuzzled her neck and began his ministration to her body once again, from the passionate sucking at her pert nipples to his hand roaming down her body to her lower stomach.

"Spread your legs, beloved," he ordered gently.

With trembling legs, she did as he requested. Julian cupped her mound, parted her soft folds of flesh, and found her slick and wet. A groan left his lips, and her gasp blended with the sound that emanated from her husband. She focused on the sensations that rolled through her, his finger trailing gently between the folds of her sex and circling the little bud slowly until she was gasping.

Delilah felt her own slickness enhance the light movement of his digit, and her hips rose in response. She cried out in surprise when Julian dipped his finger inside her wet depths. He returned to teasing her and then once again dipped inside her sex. Each repetitive motion made her crave more until she cried out his name. The sensations had no mercy, she didn't know that her body could practically sing from the energy coursing through her like shards of lightning moving from nerve to nerve.

This time when Julian dipped his finger inside her, he stilled. His stare made Delilah open her eyes, and they connected—she couldn't look away if she tried. The walls of her sex clenched around his digit, and she watched the unadulterated need playing across his face.

"You want more. Your body is telling me..." A groan escaped Julian. "Do you know how good this feels, beloved? I'm longing to be buried inside you. Shall I make you fly, darling?"

"Please let me feel it," she whimpered. Delilah felt her hips rising and falling against his hand of their own accord—she was seeking to feed the restless ache within her.

"A bit more." He kissed her before adding another finger inside her.

"Julian!" Her voice rose in panic, not because of the intimate stretching of the walls of her sex, but because the pleasure heightened so suddenly that it caught her by surprise.

He drove her to the brink of madness. Julian teased her sex, using his fingers to penetrate he and circled her clit. Delilah pumped against his hand, seeking, trying to reach for the pinnacle of pleasure, until her sex released a gush of fluid.

"Beloved, find your release. Come for me," he whispered against her ear.

"What—I don't know..."

The ache she felt, the tight band that seemed to pull from her stomach, broke, and the feelings that coursed through her body were unlike anything Delilah had felt before. Could someone die from this much pleasure? She wondered how she could take any more, and her sexual fluid seemed to flow once more. Delilah was left gasping and in disbelief as he kissed her while she came down from the bliss that he'd created. Julian covered her body with his own while their lips clung to each other.

"How does that always happen?" Delilah asked.

"I can't say for certain, but I know that it pleases me to see your pleasure," he replied between kisses. "Now this is how we connect as man and wife."

Delilah felt the tip of his cock at the entrance of her sex, and she stilled, waiting for his next move.

"No love, feel," Julian said huskily and began to build the desire within her again.

He kissed her until the tenseness left her muscles. With his gentle touch, Delilah was steeped in desire, and she writhed against him. Her hips lifted reflexively, causing him to slip into her, and Julian's hips flexed in response. He continued his caresses, then stilled. Delilah knew he was almost buried inside her and wondered why he didn't move.

"Don't stop," she pleaded, moving restlessly beneath him until Julian groaned in response.

"Yes," he said through gritted teeth. "Beloved, you'll feel just a slight pain."

His lips covered hers just as he thrust, finally breaching the thin barrier that had kept her virginity a prized treasure for years. The pain ebbed, leaving a sense of fullness that made her feel complete, and it was Delilah that pulled his head down for a kiss. Julian began to move slowly, his harsh breathing against her ear, and she could feel his cock glide against the walls of her sex.

A low groan escaped him. He withdrew and thrust into her, making her gasp, and she felt no pain. Lifting her hips, she tested the waters and felt nothing but pleasure to replace the short-lived pain. Feeling more brazen, understanding exactly what her godmother meant, Delilah matched his rhythm, and the need built and coursed along her veins like liquid heat. A deep groan escaped Julian, and the sound made her insides tremble.

"This is bliss," she gasped out. "I never understood until now."

"You are beyond exquisite," he muttered and fisted his hand into her hair before kissing her like it was a reverent act. "I cannot—there can be no other but you."

Delilah didn't quite understand what he meant, but all her thoughts drifted away when he withdrew and then sank deeply into her sex. There was just him and her, the room, and nothing beyond. The world could have drifted away, and Delilah wouldn't have cared. Each time he penetrated her, her hips rose to meet him, and with a loud grunt, he moved one hand under her and thrust deeper, making her cry out.

"Fuck, yes!" His voice grated, harsh with need, and there was a damp sheen on his back when she caressed and clung to him.

Instinctively, Delilah spread her legs wider, and Julian lifted her naked calf high over his waist and penetrated her deeper. The sensations swirled and tightened within her as their tempo quickened and the pumping of his hips became frenzied. She spiraled higher into bliss until she was catapulted into her release.

It washed over her until she closed her eyes and tears leaked from beneath the lids. She heard desperate, harsh guttural sounds escaping Julian, and he followed her into his own release with a muttered curse. Delilah held him to her as his body strained and went taut, until he slumped against her, his breath hot against her neck.

Together, they stayed coupled together, and she loved his weight, until he moved to one side and then off the bed. Julian came back with a basin of warm water and a cloth to wash her sex and make sure she was comfortable. Back at her side after he cared for her, Julian pulled her into his arms.

He kissed her temple. "Did anything scare you, beloved? Was I too rough?"

"Not at all." Delilah nipped at his chin. "I now understand what Aunt Bibbie meant. Gibson and Saur aren't men; they're animals. This is what it should be like, should feel like, no fear, but love and—" Tears clogged her throat. "Thank you for freeing me of that burden, of the fear. I am glad to be your wife."

"You fell me with your words, love." He laced his fingers with hers. "You will always be my beloved."

"Julian?"

"Yes, darling?" His voice was relaxed and deep.

"When do we do it again?" Delilah asked.

His chuckle made his shoulders shake. "It has been a long day, love. How about we sleep first?"

"Okay, I'll wake you, when I wake," she said, settling into his arms and closing her eyes.

"I may have created a wanton woman," he teased.

"Only for you," she promised.

"Beloved," he whispered.

A huge sigh left him, and the soft rise and fall of his chest told Delilah he was asleep. She closed her eyes and listened to his steady heartbeat. It astonished her that the overriding fear she always felt in London seemed to be erased by being enfolded in his embrace. It was the right choice to marry Julian. Being in his arms felt like home.