Page 152 of Alive At Night

It was white and flowy and annoyingly angelic. But most of all, it was short.

“What the hell are you wearing?”

“Happy birthday, Julian,” Juni said, ignoring my question.

“It’s January,” I muttered, still stuck on her choice of attire.

“Yes, I’m aware. Your birthday has always been on January 8th. My birthday has always been on July 8th. It would be odd if they suddenly changed to different months.”

“I don’t understand why you’re wearing that,” I continued. “The heaters in here aren’t very warm.” She was going to catch a fucking cold.

“I told her she should wear it because she looks hot,” Gemma cut in, handing a soda to Juni. “Don’t you think, Jules?”

I frowned at my sister while refusing to look at her friend.

And refusing to answer that question.

CHAPTERTHIRTY-FIVE

julian

“KEEP THE HEELS ON,” I commanded as Juniper walked into my apartment. “I need to see what you can do in those.”

Juniper listened, walking straight into my apartment with a slight sway to her hips. Her heels clicked as she walked across the living space and sat on the corner of my couch to wait for me. Butterflies—goddamn fucking butterflies—erupted in my chest when she lifted her sooty gaze to mine.

“Finally alone,” I muttered, low enough that I didn’t think she heard me.

But her legs clenched tighter, a telltale sign that she didn’t just hear my words—she heard my intent.

Juniper tracked my movements without saying anything. I dropped my keys on the kitchen counter, and the gentle clinking reverberated through the quiet apartment, stirring up the tension. I swore I could hear her heartbeat. Or maybe it was just a feeling. I couldfeelher heartbeat.

I wondered if she could feel mine, which picked up as I crossed my apartment and sank onto the couch next to her.

“Hi, gorgeous,” I said, immediately sliding my hand onto her thigh.

I was going to be the clingiest fucking boyfriend, and I didn’t even care. I was obsessed.

“Hi, handsome,” she replied, her body shifting toward me as her attention warmed me from the inside out. A pretty blush spread over Juni’s cheeks, making me smile. If my simple compliment made her blush like that, I couldn’t wait to see what would happen next.

I dropped my eyes, letting them trail over her outfit for the hundredth time tonight. “Look at you sitting here, waiting for me like a good girl.”

Her eyes flicked up in a half roll, but her lips twitched in an attempt not to react. “Don’t get used to it. Consider it an early birthday gift.”

“Yeah?” I cocked a brow. “We’ll see about that.”

I was more than confident that she would want to replay tonight.

I drifted my palm up her thigh, squeezing slightly. Juni instinctually opened for me, gasping my name as her body betrayed her. With her legs parted, I snuck my hand under her dress for the third time tonight and wasn’t disappointed with what I found. I was still a greedy asshole who wanted more, though.

But before I could continue touching her, Juniper moved. She shifted onto her knees, swinging one leg over my thighs to straddle me. And as soon as she sat her ass down on my lap, all I could think about was how fucking good her weight felt on top of me. Not to mention her tits were in my face, andgoddamn. She could lean forward and suffocate me with them, and I would say thank you.

Juni placed both hands on my chest before sliding them beneath my suit jacket, forcing me to shrug it off my shoulders. Then she began unbuttoning my shirt, and every time her fingers brushed my skin, I had to suppress a shiver. She knew exactly what she was fucking doing to me, smirking as she ground her hips down, making my cock stiffen with every movement. I clenched my hands into fists, wanting to touch her but also not wanting to interrupt what she was doing.

Juniper’s eyes flicked over my tense body.

“That control of yours won’t last long, baby,” she cooed after a long moment of pulsing silence.

I groaned. She was right; I wasn’t going to last. Not when she called me baby, making me melt into the fucking ground.

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