Page 66 of Kisses and Paperclips

Mika cleared her throat, a quiet reminder that she and Nia were still there…still holding space for me when I probably looked as unraveled as I felt. The entire situation had crashed over me like a rogue wave.

Julien’s voice cut through the static, softer now and stripped bare. “You good?” A low hum that curled around me, warm and insistent, making it damn near impossible to pretend I didn’t feel it everywhere.

I nodded, my fingers clutching his jacket lapels like armor. “I’m just worried you broke his hand.”

His mouth curved, not into a smile, but something deeper. Something that looked like understanding. “Only thing broken is his pride,” he said. “But we could always arrange to change that.”

The words landed between us like a vow. There was a beat of silence between us, with us just staring at one another.

His eyes dipped then, dark and intentional, lingering like he had every right to memorize the way the emerald silk clung to my curves. Like I was something rare. Something worth studying.

“Did I mention I love that dress?” The sudden shift in subject threw me, his voice all rough velvet and wicked intent.

I arched a brow, struggling to recalibrate. “That would be the second time tonight.”

Julien grinned, that damn dimple appearing like a punctuation mark to his mischief. “I meant it both times.”

His gaze now on the empty flute in my hand, lingering on my fingers before dragging back up to my face. Slower now. Hotter. “Can I get you another cider? Or—”

“It was Pepsi,” I corrected, my voice drier than the champagne everyone else was drinking.

He blinked, then huffed a laugh through his nose, that amused crinkle appearing at the corner of his eyes. “Right.” His thumb brushed the stem of my glass as he took it, our fingers charged in a touch that sparked like static. “Pepsi it is.”

But he didn’t move. And God help me, I didn’t want him to step away. But then he did. Striding toward the bar, as if he hadn’t just rewritten every rule I thought existed between us. I stood there drowning in his jacket and his contradictions…the man who’d threatened violence in one breath and ordered Pepsi in a flute the next.

“Girl, that’s him?!” Nia whisper-yelled, slicing through the haze Julien had wrapped around me.

Mika snorted, not even pretending to lower her voice. “The way he was looking at her. Oh, that’s him.” She raked an appreciative glance over Julien’s retreating form. “What was your reason again for not climbing that man like a tree? Because at this point, you’re doing yourself a disservice.”

“I have to agree,” Nia added.

My head whipped toward her so fast my curls bounced. “Excuse you?”

“Did you two forget he’s my boss?” I hissed.

Mika arched a brow. “Oh, suddenly now you remember he’s your boss?” She tapped her chin mock-thoughtfully. “Funny, because five seconds ago, you were looking at him like he was your last meal.”

“And that’s the first time I’ve even heard you refer to him as your boss,” Nia chimed in, grinning like the traitor she was. “Last week, you were too busy plotting to get him fired. ”

“Things get complicated once you mix work and play,” I said, more to reminded myself than them.

Mika smirked, swirling her martini. “Then keep the play out of work.”

I opened my mouth then snapped it shut. Because damn them both, they weren’t entirely wrong.

“I’ve never seen that side of him before,” I murmured, watching Julien at the bar as he ordered my drink with that effortless command. “He definitely keeps parts of himself hidden.” The observation slipped out before I could stop it, a quiet confession tossed like a pebble into uncertain waters.

Nia’s knowing smile softened as she bumped her shoulder against mine. “Don’t we all have sides to our coin? Only difference is…” She nodded toward Julien, where the lights caught the sharp angle of his jaw as he glanced back at us. “He’s not hiding his from you.”

Mika hummed in agreement, swirling her cocktail. “And when a man like that starts showing you his true currency? You’re already his.”

I opened my mouth to protest, but the words dissolved when his eyes met mine across the crowded room, dark with unspoken promises.

“Take that fine man home or I might have to.” Mika said.

“Try me,” I snapped, turning to face Mika fully, my voice dropping to a velvet threat. “Take one step in his direction, and I’ll have you flat on your back in front of this entire party, and not in the fun way.”

Mika’s grin only widened, her eyes glittering with mischief as she raised her hands in mock surrender. “Ohhh, so now she’s territorial.” She shot Nia a knowing look. “Took you long enough to admit it.”

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