Page 86 of Backhanded Compliments

Which, to be honest, is nicer than hers.

Juliette lounges in Luca’s bed as she watches her go through her meticulous nighttime routine.

“What’s that?” she asks as Luca pops a pill with a swig of water.

“Melatonin,” Luca says before crawling into bed and kissing Juliette silent.

Juliette pulls back after a moment and tilts her head at Luca. “Why?”

Luca rolls her eyes. “Why do you think, Jules? I don’t sleep well.” She rolls onto her back, and Juliette snuggles into her shoulder. The herbal sweetness of lavender washes over her in calming waves as she breathes in Luca.

“Do you want to talk about that?”

Luca sighs, long and resigned. “Not really, no.”

Juliette nods. She wants to know everything she can about Luca, but she doesn’t want to push her, so she focuses on what she can do to help. She lets her fingertips skate beneath the hem of Luca’s shirt, tracing nonsensical patterns onto her stomach and hips. Juliette loves the way Luca shivers under her touch. She caresses the line of Luca’ssternum to her navel, up and down again, adding gentle pressure like she’s seen Luca do dozens of times.

Slowly, she feels the tension unwind from Luca’s body until she is boneless against the pillows. “Oh,” Luca whispers.

“What?” Juliette asks, lifting her head to look at Luca’s face. Pink tinges across Luca’s cheeks and ears.

“Nothing,” Luca says stubbornly. “I’m not going to inflate your ego.”

Juliette can’t help but burst out laughing. “You don’t have to say it, darling, I can tell.” Even if sometimes it is difficult for Juliette to see past the hard wall Luca’s built around herself, her body never lies.

“I’m going to kick you out of my bed,” Luca grumbles even though her lips threaten to tip upward in a traitorous smile.

“No, you won’t,” Juliette purrs, curling her leg around Luca’s and pressing soft kisses to Luca’s throat, if only to feel her pulse jump. “You know an orgasm helps you sleep, right?” She slides her hand up Luca’s stomach again, curving her palm to cup Luca’s breast and rolling the heel of her hand over Luca’s already hard nipple.

“Yeah?” Luca is breathless. “Are you going to do something with that information?” Her chest preens upward, and Juliette kisses the corner of her mouth.

“Maybe?” She lets go of Luca’s breast and drifts her hand down her chest again, dipping her fingertips beneath Luca’s sleep shorts and finding she isn’t wearing any underwear.

“I did just get ready for bed,” Luca says softly as Juliette sweeps her fingers along the fuzz of hair on her mound.

She twists onto her elbow so she can see Luca’s face. “We can just go to sleep,” she says teasingly, pulling her hand free of Luca’s shorts, but she lets it roam across her trembling lower stomach.

“You started this,” Luca says, her fingers threading through Juliette’s hair. Warm tingles shower down Juliette’s spine at the scratch of Luca’s nails against her scalp, and she almost loses her train of thought.

“Maybe it’s not worth having to change your shorts?” Juliette asks, as if truly pondering.

“Do you want me to beg, Jules?” Luca whispers, fingers tightening in Juliette’s hair, and she leans into Luca.

“You do it so prettily, Lou,” Juliette says, and Luca grimaces.

“Oh no, Nicky is the only one who calls me Lou.”

Juliette pauses. She likes how Luca uses her nickname, and she wants one for her. “Luce?” She suggests and Luca fake-gags. “Lux?”

Luca blinks, her brow furrowing. “Lux?”

“Because you’re my light,” Juliette says, and Luca laughs.

“You’re so—”

Juliette pinches Luca’s nipple between her fingers and twists, just enough pressure to cut off what Luca was about to say.

“What was that?” Juliette asks sweetly, letting go and slipping her hand back into Luca’s shorts. Her hips tilt up, and Juliette skims two fingers on either side of her clit.

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