Page 101 of Alive At Night

“Juni.”

“—that I’m going to act differently around you,” I continued, ignoring Julian’s low voice. He took a slow step toward me, and I dodged him, inching sideways until we were stuck in a moving circle while I rambled. He tried to get closer with every step, crowding me. “You don’t need to worry at all. I’m certainly not delusional in thinking that you—”

“Juniper.”

“—want me like that. Trust me, I am more than aware that you don’t have anyrealinterest in me. Not like that. I mean—”

Julian stole the rest of my words with his lips, kissing me and knocking me back into his desk in a single swift movement that left me reeling.

His talented lips broke from mine for one split second to grunt, “Shut up,” before he dove in again, capturing my mouth with his for a second time. I kissed him back recklessly, momentarily losing myself in how our tongues tangled and lips clashed.Why?Why did he have to be so good at this?

I slipped away with a gasp as reason returned to me. “Jul—”

“God, you drive me up the wall.” Julian grabbed me by the throat and wrenched us back together. “I saidshut up.”

I shut up.

Our lips fused back together.

Although, I was torn. Because even thoughIloved the feeling of his lips on mine, I didn’t want him to think that he had to do this. He didn’t have to kiss me. He didn’t have to do anything. That was the whole point of this conver—

“Now, stop thinking,” Julian grumbled against my lips, giving my neck another frustrated squeeze before running his hands reverently down my body. “I want you. I desperately want you like this. You have no idea, Juni baby.”

Chills ran across my skin. Maybe I was easily convinced, but those words combined with his mouth, his hands, his hard body—it wiped all my other doubts away.

I desperately want you.

I couldn’t comprehend it, but I didn’t care. Not right now. I stopped thinking and threw my hands around Julian’s neck.

Julian made a gruff noise of approval in the back of his throat. Continuing to kiss me, he slid both hands beneath my ass to hoist me up before kicking the door shut and pressing me up against it. His hips anchored us there, rocking against me while his lips trailed down my neck. I wrapped my legs around his waist and held on tight.

“It wasn’t fake,” he breathed, his lips fanning my skin. “The kiss, the things you said in the hotel room… Tell me it wasn’t fake. Tell me it was more than getting swept up in the moment.”

“I thought you wanted me to shut up,” I retorted while fighting to catch my breath.

He moaned in frustration, fingers curling into my hair and tugging, forcing my head back to expose more of my neck. His voice dropped to a tone I didn’t dare disobey. “Well, now I want to hear your pretty little mouth tell me it wasn’t fake.”

“It wasn’t fake.”

None of it was fake, not a single moment.

“I know,” Julian groaned into my neck, and my stomach flipped. He peppered kisses on my hot skin, his lips never leaving for long, making me feelwanted. Like he had on Saturday night. Until he pushed me away.

“Don’t stop,” I whispered. “Don’t stop tonight.”

Julian did the exact opposite of what I wanted him to do. He stopped. He’d always been infuriating like that. He’d always done exactly what he wanted to without a care—

“You know I didn’t want to stop, right?”

Julian’s piercing blue eyes were only inches from mine as he stared at me. His breaths were deep, chest heaving beneath his white button-down, his hands shaking as they left my hair to travel over my skin.

But his eyes were steady.

“Pushing you away this weekend was the hardest fucking thing.” His husky voice made my insides swirl and my head spin. It felt like a dream, like something I’d imagined. “The things I would have done to you if you hadn’t been drunk, Juni…God.”

My mouth ran dry, and I could barely get my words to leave my throat. “That wasn’t how you were acting.”

Those blue eyes darkened, turning hazy with lust. “It was all I could do to keep my fucking shit together with how you were teasing the hell out of me.” His voice lowered. “You’re gonna pay for that, by the way.”

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