Candle In The Wind

Chapter Twenty Six

Haunted By The Sweet Kiss

Her brows furrowed the softest way possible, then she leaned in and pressed her lips against mine. Juliette’s kiss was soft and vulnerable like she had just opened a door for me—it was a gentle welcome into her life—her heart.

I felt like a candle in the wind, weak yet full of life.

Juliette lit me with just one kiss.

I rubbed her back as we softly kissed, it was innocent, slow and passionate barely more than my heart could handle.

My eyes snapped open as I tried to catch my breath. I glanced at the clock and it was still one a.m.. This was my third attempt at trying to sleep but the kiss is all I could think about, it was all I seemed to be dreaming about.

This was my first night in my own bed in months. I thought I’d sleep like a baby, but I was haunted by Juliette’s sweet kiss. I thought about it even when I didn’t want to think about it because having a hard on for hours on end wasn’t fun.

But the second I closed my eyes, she was all I saw—her soft lips pressing against mine, the way she softly looked at me before she kissed me, or the way her tongue gently traced my lips before we broke apart.

I wanted to do it over, and over, and over again. It was obviously driving me crazy.

I ran a hand through my hair as I stared at the bedsheet, focusing on a single thought.

Don’t think about Juliette.

There she was, in front of me, in the middle of a wild field, staring at me like she saw something through me.

Fuck.

I groaned and forced myself out of bed. Four hours of sleep would have to suffice because I wasn’t going to go back to sleep.

My eyes felt heavy as I blinked, trying to listen to Jacob’s presentation.

I didn’t sleep a wink last night, instead I went on a long horse ride with Bpo and came back around four a.m. I took care of my horses in the stable then I showered, got ready, and arrived at work by six a.m. I didn’t dare to visit Juliette at her shop, or text her. Now, I was trying to survive this meeting.

I sighed as I moved my hand under my chin and listened to Jacob talk about the dangers of some construction we were working on.

I glanced at my phone maybe hoping to see a text from Juliette but nothing, just a list of emails I had to get to before the day came to an end. I couldn’t deny my disappointment knowing she hadn’t contacted me yet, not even a customer count for today—well she texted me her customer count at the end of the day but still, a simple good morning would suffice.

After all, she did kiss me last night.

“Mr. Oakes?”

My eyes flashed up and met with Jacob’s. It seemed like he just finished his presentation and now everyone at the table, including him, was waiting for my thoughts, but I couldn’t even start my day yet, let alone work because Juliette hadn’t called or texted me yet.

“Um,”

I cleared my throat as I rubbed my stubble, “yeah, we should be more careful.” I quickly grabbed my phone when I heard the ding, but it wasn’t my phone that got a notification because Charlie at the table also pulled out his phone.

“You okay, Callum?”

Crystal whispered as she leaned in over my shoulder, “you look…tired.”

I nodded as I looked away, envious Charlie got a text and not me. “yeah, I’m fine.”

She nodded as she pulled away. “Okay.”

“Thank you for the presentation, Charlie, um, just leave the file in my office,”

I said as I stood and fixed my suit. Crystal quickly grabbed the files that were already in front of me and my laptop.

I checked my phone again when I reached my office, closing the door behind still staring at the screen of my phone.

Still, nothing but emails.

I sighed as I plopped down in my chair.