Page 129 of Burning Daylight
I stiffen, recognizing what it is that we’re hearing. I turn to signal to Juliette that we should sneak away while we can, just loop around the other side of the building and back to the front, but she doesn’t move.
Her head is tilted, her expression shifting like she recognizes the voices. Then she’s moving past me, brushing so close her ass drags against my groin, and I swear under my breath because the universe clearly gets off on making me suffer when it comes to her.
There are loud smacks of two people making out, and then a grunt and a moan, and whoever is out there isclearlyabout to fuck, and honestly, it’s not helping my situation.
Juliette leans forward even more, peering around a corner, and my eyes drop to her ass.
Jesus Christ.
“Art, cut it out.” The girl’s voice giggles. “I have to go back in.”
Juliette straightens, and I jump back like I wasn’t two seconds away from grabbing her and pushing into her like a caveman.
She spins toward me, grasping my forearm and dragging me away quickly until we’re walking around the opposite side of the building.
I don’t question her, because quite frankly, I’m pretty sure that I would follow her anywhere right now.
When we get far enough away, she stops. We aren’t back at the front, and we’re still hidden from view, but now we’re close enough where I can hear the people out front and the cars driving down the street.
Juliette’s hands press into her eyes, her face scrunched up. “Oh,God. I want to bleach my brain.”
A car door slams, and she stiffens again like she’s realizing how close we are to the public eye, no longer secluded. She takes a giant step back.
I narrow my gaze at her. “Don’t say it.”
She shakes her head. “I didn’t say anything.”
Sighing, I slip my hands into my pockets and look at the stars before focusing back on her. “It’s fine. You can’t. I get it. Honestly, I can’t do it, either.”
“Because of your sister?” she asks.
The reminder is like an uppercut to my jaw. If she’d just sign the goddamn papers, I wouldn’t have to worry about her anymore, and she’d be taken care of.
My mom, though…
“Among other things. Just…go before I do something stupid.” I wave my arm toward the front of the bar.
“Okay.” She pauses, her teeth sinking into her lower lip. “I don’twantto go, though—you know that, don’t you?”
Groaning, I grip the roots of my hair. “Don’t say that to me right now.”
I glance around, making sure nobody can see, and then I drift forward, lowering my voice. “I’m drunk. And you’re…sofucking beautiful. And for some reason, every time I’m near you, it feels like I might die if I don’t touch you.”
She sucks in a breath, her cheeks flaming that deep pink I love.
“And I’m trying—really trying—to respect this invisible line we drew, but clearly, I suck at it.”
“Why?” she asks, like she doesn’t already know.
“Because every time you smile,” I say, “every time you give me that little look like you can’t decide if you want to throttle me or kiss me, I want to keep you forever.”
Her mouth parts. “Trouble…”
I reach out, pressing my thumb to her lip. “Stop explaining yourself, and just…walk inside.”
She hesitates, her eyes shining. “I wish we could be more, Roman.”
“Wearemore, Juliette.”
