Page 77 of Alive At Night

He was close—too close. And this was…this was all going to go terribly, wasn’t it?

Julian breathed my name.

“Juni.”

A slight pause, and my heart skipped a beat.

“Juni, turn around for me.”

I did. Slowly, one step at a time.

As soon as my eyes met Julian’s, he noticeably sucked in, taking all the air in the room with him.

“Fuck, Juniper.”

“What?” My hands flew to my dress, smoothing it over my body self-consciously. “Is something wrong?”

Julian shook his head, his shoulders shaking as he pinched the bridge of his nose. Was he laughing right now? Honestly, at a time like this?

“God, yes—”

“Yes?” I repeated in horror.

“I meanno.” He reached out, grabbing my hands to steady them because they started smoothing even harder. Such an oxymoron and so useless. “No,” Julian intoned. “Nothing’s wrong. You just shocked me.”

Shocking wasn’t really what I was going for tonight, and I stared at Julian, looking for more. Shockinghow?

“In a good way or a bad way?”

Julian smiled as he stepped closer. Goddamn, this man. Was my panic that amusing to him? His eyes shone as he brought one of my hands to rest on his arm like he planned to escort me from the hotel room. Like we were a couple. Well, that was exactly what we were, I supposed. At least for the rest of the night.

His lips brushed against my ear as he leaned in to whisper his response like it was a secret no one else could know.

“A good way, Daisy.”

CHAPTEREIGHTEEN

julian

IWAS SO FUCKED.

Juniper wore dresses all the time to work. But there were dresses, and then there weredresses. And the one Juni had on looked so unbelievable that I couldn’t look at her for more than five seconds without imagining things I shouldn’t be imagining.

Namely, taking it off.

Fuck.

Was she trying to torture the hell out of me with that thing? It was silky and tight and highlighted all those curves pressed against me this morning.

We absolutely could not sleep as closely tonight. Not after feeling her fingers trail lower and lower earlier. Not after seeing her in this dress. And that was honestly a damn shame. I fucking hated to admit it, but it was a bit nice holding her all through the night—even though my arm fell asleep more than once, and I woke up aroused as all hell.

There was no mystery woman to blame it on this time. Only Juniper. Juniper St. James and her striped, button-up pajamas.

What was happening to me?

Juniper’s movements were stiff as we stepped into the elevator, and I squeezed her hand, the one still resting on my arm.

“I’ve got you, okay?” I reassured her softly. “It’s going to be a good night.”

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