Chapter 14…
About a month after Kevin last met Widow Michely, he received an invitation from her.
When he arrived at the usual inn on the appointed day and time, it wasnât Michely who awaited him in the roomâbut Julia.
âJulia? Why are you here?â
Kevin was surprised not only by her presence but also by how much she had changed.
Her hair gleamed with luster, her skin shone with health, and though she wore only light makeup, her cheeks were full of color. The once slightly gaunt face and frame had grown healthier, and even through the dress she wore, the graceful curves of her figure were clear.
âLord Kevin,â Julia said softly, âwould you make me your mistress?â
So that was it.
During the past month, Julia hadnât just been living at Michelyâs house to learn household work. She had been refinedâshaped into someone more alluring.
If Michely was offering Julia to him like this, it could only mean she intended to end their own relationship.
Kevin had always known it would end one day, but he hadnât imagined it would come in this way.
âJulia,â he asked, âis it truly your wish to become my mistress? If youâre only doing this on Michelyâs orders, I wonât accept you.â
âItâs my will,â she answered firmly.
ââŚI see. Then Iâll take you as my mistress. But there will be no servants assigned to you, and your room will remain as it is now. Are you fine with that?â
Julia was a countâs daughter, yet Kevin had no intention of keeping her as anything more than a commonerâs mistress.
He had money he could use freely, but since he wasnât named the next heir to the earldom, it would be troublesome if the family ever demanded repayment for any funds he spent maintaining a mistressâs house or staff.
If she disliked those conditions, wellâgiven her newfound beauty, she could easily become the mistress of a wealthier noble. Michely could surely introduce her to a better man.
But Julia simply said, âI donât mind. I want to live in that room, take care of myself, and wait for you to come to me.â
Looking into her eyes and hearing her words, Kevin realized she truly held feelings for him.
Whether it was gratitude for saving her or genuine affection, he couldnât say. But it no longer mattered.
Julia wanted to be his mistressâand he desired this beautiful, transformed Julia.
There was no need to hesitate, no reason to refuse.
Kevin pulled Julia close and slowly brought his face toward hers.
He thought that if she tried to pull away, he could still pretend none of this had happenedâbut instead, Julia leaned forward, welcoming his kiss.
Then there was no need to hold back.
After brushing his lips lightly against hers several times, Kevin parted them and slipped his tongue inside, intertwining it with hers.
Julia seemed inexperienced with such deep kissesâher shy, hesitant tongue made her seem all the more endearing.
Even after moving to the bed, she appeared confused and startled by his gentle touchâperhaps because her late husband had never treated her so tenderly. But when Julia reached her first climax, it was clear she was both sensitive and wonderfully attuned to him.
His mistressâor perhaps more accurately, his lover.
Kevin felt that, at last, he had found someone truly precious to him