Addicted (The Addicted Series, #1)(97)



"Hmm, won't that interfere with your social lives?" Sandra said. "No offense honey, but since meeting John I've kind of been hoping you'd meet someone like him, and find some happiness outside the kitchen. I know you love it, but there's more to life than fine dining."

"Yeah . . . well, about that," Krystal said, looking at her mom and then at me. "I kind of already have."

Sandra looked from her daughter to me and back, realization beginning to dawn on her face. "Well then . . . uhm, wow. Excuse me please, I think I need to go think about this for a little bit before I say something I'll regret."

She got up to leave the room, Krystal standing up to follow her before I put my hand on her forearm. "Don't, babe. She needs some time alone, or at least with her thoughts." I looked over at Dad, who was watching the two of us impassively. "Dad?"

Dad shook his head slowly, and took another drink of his tea. "Julian, I lost you once years ago when I didn't tell you the truth. I missed years of your life, years I'm not going to get back. I'm too damn old to have that happen again. So for me, I'm just going to take this in stride. Now, part of me is surprised, not that you'd find Krystal attractive, but that she'd reciprocate. Krystal, I'm going to say something that might hurt Julian, but I need to ask. Are you sure? My son, as much as I love him, has not been the most consistent guy over the years."

"I love him, Johnathan. And he's a better man than history suggests. I've seen that over the weeks we've been living together."

My father finished off his tea and set the cup down, his face having the same expression I'd seen numerous times as a teenager when he'd tried to show me how his work went. Johnathan Castelbon was a thorough thinker, and when he said something, you knew he'd put his mind behind his words. It commanded respect when he was in the board room, and I respected it now.

"Krystal, your mother is the finest woman I've ever known. She's raised a wonderful daughter. A daughter so good that she appears to have rehabilitated my only son and brought him back into my life. If it was your love, or his love of you that caused it, who am I to argue? Despite what I've tried, I've not been the best father in the world myself. If I was, I would've told the truth to Julian long ago. For that Julian, I'm sorry, and I should ask you for forgiveness. But that's beside the point. Point is Krystal, if you love him, and he loves you, I'm happy for you both. This will take some getting used to, and I'd ask that you two take it a little slow around here for a while, but I'll have Yuki move your bags in together. I assume that would suit you?"

I blinked, somewhat surprised. I hadn't even thought about it, honestly. "Yeah, I guess so Dad. Seriously, you're okay with this?"

My father looked down, then laughed once and looked up at me. "I'm okay with it. Now, do you two want to stick around while I do some work, or would you like to relax? It's a Monday afternoon, you're a young couple in love, and it's late summer. Dinner will be at six in the small dining room, if you're okay with that."

I got up and walked over to my Dad, pulling him up and into a hug. "Thank you Dad," I said softly, squeezing tight. Dad returned the hug, clapping me on the back.

"Okay, okay. Let go before you break some ribs," he said, mock coughing. "Damn boy, I must have done something right raising you, even if it was just getting you enough milk and protein to turn you into Hercules."

I let go and stepped back, Krystal coming over to hug him too. They shared some whispered words together, and then the two of us left the study. "So, I guess the question is, what do you want to do now?" I asked, standing in the hallway like a doofus. "I hadn't thought that far ahead."

"How about we go catch some laps in the pool? I packed my swimsuit."

I raised my eyebrows. "Swimsuit? I didn't know you had a swimsuit, even. I've never seen you in one."

"I'm still able to hear you!" Dad called from the study. "I said I'm okay with it, but watch it!"

Krystal and I looked at each other and laughed. "Sorry Dad,” I said, and we hurried down the hallway. Once we were out of Dad's listening range, I leaned in, still laughing softly, feeling giddy that we'd gotten that off our chests. "So what's this about a swimsuit?"

"Why don't you go up to your room and change, and I'll meet you poolside and you can find out for yourself?" Krystal said, her voice dropping to a sexy purr that sent tingles through my body. "Yuki won't have moved our bags yet."

"Two minutes, I'll meet you at the pool," I said, sprinting down the hallway. I needed to change, and I needed to try and get rid of the erection that was forming in my pants. I just hoped the pool water was cold, or there might be trouble.





Chapter 19


Julian




Krystal and I didn't see Sandra until dinner time, where she came in after Dad, Krystal and myself were already sitting down. I was worried she wouldn't come at first, wearing the same clothes she'd been wearing that afternoon. Dad was the same, although Krystal and I had changed after going swimming.

"Sorry you three, I was just trying to wrap my head around all of this," Sandra said as she sat down at the small four-person table that was used by the family when we didn't have guests. Castelbon Manor had three dining rooms, a grand room for the occasional large dinner party, a small family one we were using now, and one that was used by the servants when they took their meals. Yuki also had one in her house on the grounds, but I'd only seen it once. Her house was her house, after all.

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