His Duchess [Completed]

Chapter 38- Epiphany [E]

The kiss he forced upon her awoke something inside of him he's never admitted feeling before.  It was more then an attraction, it was on a deeper, more emotional level. 

Many moments since that evening, Julien imagined kidnapping her, whisking her away and having his way with her to appease his need. Her soft willing body wrapped around his, kissing every inch of skin on her body. He imagined taking her over and over all night until he appeased this obsession of her. It made his muscles tighten and bunch and his arousal sprang to life, throbbing painfully against his pants.

What he could not make a reality, his mind conjured up during his sleep.  He dreamt of her every night. Countless times he awoke in a cold sweat, breathing hard after dreaming of the enchanted beauty. The constant bombardment of her image tattooed in his mind, anywhere he went.

Duncan sighed in relief and smiled, shaking Julien out of his thoughts. He found a armchair in the corner of his office to sit in and started. "Then it's time you learned about your past ....You were once in love with her....before the accident. You told me she was a challenge. Not giving you the time of day, pushing you every step of the way while you fought to get closer to her. One day while we were on a trip to Hawaii, you spoke to her father, asking his permission to pursue her. You concluded by boldly asking for the girls hand in marriage...and you did this all without the lasses knowledge.  You never once expressed your feelings about the lass to me until the night after we left Hawaii–"

"...Remember who you are...do not succumb to the weakness... " The gypsy's far away voice echoed in his ears.

Julien felt like someone took a bucket full of ice water and emptied it on him.  The shock coursed through him like a lightning bolt. His his body locked down refusing any movement. The black cloud that hovered above him all this time lifted slowly. The oxygen started to feely flow back into his lungs as he took forceful, ragged deep breaths. It was like he was breathing fresh clean air for the first time.

A stream of memories flooded his brain like a open floodgate.  What once were locked away, trapped, obstructed finally burst like a dam overflowing from the water pressure.

The accident.

Seeing her again on the sidewalk.

Annie falling into his lap.

Catching her in his arms as she fainted in the hospital.

The first passionate kiss they shared in his office.

Their first rendezvous.

Hawaii.

The ring.

Her birthday.

The dress.

The fortune tellers warning rang in his ears...Your love will be threatened by natural causes. You will break her heart...

Julien blinked away the haze, staggering, then falling to his knees clutching his head as it throbbed from the overload of information. A high pitched ringing sounded in his ears.

It all came back so swiftly. It all made sense.

An epiphany of understanding washed over him.

Julien's head felt like it was spinning with the unbearable burden of emotions. Anger, regret, pain, longing were just a few of the many things he felt. The heavy burden that once weighed him down since the accident evaporated, replaced with an overwhelming sense of guilt and loss.