Page 20 of Kisses and Paperclips

I swallowed, trying to ignore the slow burn his words left behind.

“One night?” I tested, my voice was softer than I meant it to be.

Julien’s gaze darkened, something slow and consuming flickering behind his eyes.

“We can if—”

“No.” I cut him off, shaking my head, needing the boundary more than I needed my next breath. “I don’t do one-night stands.”

His lips curled at the edges, something between amusement and knowing.

“There’s a first time for everything.”

I exhaled sharply, my fingers curling into fists at my sides.

“Like hearing the word no?” I shot back, even as my pulse betrayed me, thudding against my ribs in something dangerously close to anticipation.

He didn’t blink, didn’t back off. If anything, he stepped in, his presence wrapping around me, heavy and warm.

“That smart mouth,” he murmured, voice low enough to sink into my skin. “You know what it does to me?”

My stomach clenched.

I knew.

I could see it in how his jaw flexed and his fingers twitched like he was barely keeping himself from reaching for me. His eyes stayed locked onto mine. A challenge. A promise. The silence between us stretched, thick and weighted, pressing against my skin like a touch I wasn’t sure I’d reject.

I should’ve turned away. Should’ve left him standing there with that smirk, that confidence, that infuriating Patience.

But I didn’t.

Because somewhere between his voice, his body heat, and how he saw me, the cracks in my restraint had already begun to splinter.

His hand brushed against mine, just barely. But it was enough. Enough to send a slow, curling heat through me. Enough to steal my breath. Enough to make me forget every reason I had for resisting.

I didn’t move.

Neither did he.

His fingers flexed.

My lips parted.

I don’t know if he kissed me. Or if I kissed him. All I knew was that when his mouth met mine, it wasn’t a decision. It was a loss of control. A free fall. A slow burn that had been waiting to catch fire. And I was already burning.

This wasn’t like the first time. This wasn’t stolen or impulsive. This was slow, sensual, a kiss that demanded to be felt. His hands found my waist, strong and sure, pulling me just enough so that I felt the solid heat of him against me. My fingers slid up the back of his neck, and the deep, quiet groan that rumbled through his chest sent fire licking down my spine.

I was in trouble.

Julien kissed me like he already knew how this night would end. Like he’d seen the whole thing play out before I even realized I was on the board. Like he’d been waiting for me to surrender.

And maybe I already had.

When he pulled back, his lips skimmed the shell of my ear, his breath slow, dragging more shivers down my spine.

“I want you, Serena.”

It was barely more than a whisper, but it branded me anyway—a slow-burning confession settling deep into places I’d long since sworn off-limits.

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