Chapter 16 Drink With Me #2
Grinning triumphantly, she leaned forward and planted one final kiss on his cheek.
"Let's go," she declared happily. "I need a drink."
Her hand slid across his arm before curling around his wrist.
Cassian looked down at her for a moment, his fingers still resting lightly against her waist. He seemed reluctant to let go, but after a brief pause, he finally loosened his hold and allowed her to step back onto solid ground.
The moment her feet touched the pavement, Juliet immediately grabbed his hand.
Without giving him any opportunity to change his mind, she started pulling him toward the drinks counter set up along the side of the garden.
Cassian followed without resistance.
In fact, despite all his earlier objections, there wasn't the slightest sign that he intended to leave.
The two of them soon reached the counter, where rows of elegant bottles and crystal displays were arranged beneath warm golden lights.
Juliet's eyes immediately brightened with interest as she leaned forward to inspect the selection, moving from one display to another while carefully studying the menu.
Juliet studied the rows of drinks lined up across the counter, her gaze moving from one colorful cocktail to another as she tried to decide what to order. The warm lights hanging above reflected off the crystal glasses, making the entire display look even more tempting.
After a moment, she rested her elbows lightly against the bar and turned toward Cassian.
"Which one is your favorite?" she asked curiously, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "Do you like sweet drinks or something stronger? What do you usually order?"
Cassian glanced at her before shifting his attention toward the selection spread across the counter. His gaze swept over the bottles and glasses without much interest before settling on one particular cocktail.
Lifting his chin slightly, he nodded toward a dark amber-colored drink.
"That one."
Juliet followed his gaze and tilted her head.
"Really?"
A faint smile touched the corner of his lips.
"It's my favorite."
The answer immediately seemed to make up her mind.
Without another second of consideration, she waved the bartender over.
"I'll have that one, please."
Cassian watched her with a look that was almost amused.
"You're ordering it just because I picked it?"
Juliet looked at him as though the answer was obvious.
"Yes."
The bartender quickly prepared the cocktail and slid the glass across the counter toward her.
Juliet wrapped her fingers around the stem and lifted it carefully before taking a cautious sip.
The moment the flavor touched her tongue, her eyes brightened.
"Oh."
A pleased smile spread across her face.
"This is really good."
She immediately took another sip, her expression growing even more delighted.
"I think this might be my new favorite."
Cassian's gaze lingered on her face.
For a moment, he didn't answer.
Instead, he found himself watching her reaction far more closely than the drink itself. The excitement shining in her eyes, the pleased smile tugging at her lips, and the obvious satisfaction on her face made it difficult to focus on anything else.
His self-control had already been stretched thin all evening.
Juliet certainly wasn't helping.
One dark eyebrow lifted slightly.
"Is it?"
His voice was lower than before.
Stepping a little closer, he rested one hand against the edge of the bar while studying her expression.
"What do you taste the most?"
Juliet looked down at the drink thoughtfully before taking another sip. Her brows furrowed slightly in concentration as she considered the different flavors.
"Hmm..."
She swirled the amber liquid gently inside the glass, watching it catch the golden light before taking a careful sip.
“I think there’s whiskey in it,” she said after a moment, letting the taste settle as she tried to pick it apart. “And… orange peel.”
She took another small sip, her expression turning more certain.
“A bit of honeyed sweetness too. And something sour—like lemon.”
Cassian watched her with quiet amusement, his gaze resting on her as though her focus on something so small was oddly entertaining.
When she finished analyzing it, Juliet extended the glass toward him.
“Do you want to try it?”
Instead of immediately taking the drink, Cassian looked at her for a long moment.
Then his hand reached forward.
Rather than taking the glass, his fingers closed gently around her wrist where she held it.
"Another sip."
Juliet blinked in surprise.
"What?"
"Take another sip."
There was something in his voice that made her obey without thinking.
Lifting the glass again, she took another sip of the cocktail, the sweet, fruity taste lingering on her tongue.
The moment she lowered the glass, Cassian stepped closer.
Juliet's breath caught without permission as she instinctively looked up at him, only to find his gaze already fixed on her lips.
Her heartbeat stuttered.
Cassian didn't take the glass from her.
Instead, his hand slid from her wrist to the back of her neck, his fingers tangling gently in her hair as he tilted her face toward him.
The distance between them vanished.
His lips claimed hers in a kiss that stole the air from her lungs.
He deepened the kiss, coaxing her lips apart with teasing patience, tasting the lingering sweetness of the cocktail directly from her mouth. The faint flavor of honey and lemon mingled with the taste that was uniquely Juliet/
One of Juliet's hands instinctively clutched the front of his jacket.
Cassian drew her closer, his thumb brushing softly along her jaw as he continued kissing her, unhurried and thorough, as though he had all the time in the world.
When he finally pulled away, his dark eyes remained fixed on her flushed face.
“It tastes better like this,” he murmured.
Juliet quickly looked away and brought the glass to her lips again, pretending to be far more interested in the cocktail than the man standing beside her.
Unfortunately, the faint chuckle that escaped him only made her more aware of his presence.
Cassian watched her obvious attempt to compose herself with poorly hidden amusement.
Trying to regain some dignity, Juliet cleared her throat and waved the bartender over.
"We'll take one for him too, please."
The bartender nodded and immediately began preparing a second drink.
Only then did Juliet finally risk looking back at Cassian.
"Now you have to drink your own."
Despite her attempt to sound casual, the faint pink color lingering across her cheeks gave her away completely.
Cassian's eyes lingered on her flushed face for a moment before the corner of his mouth lifted into a satisfied smile.
The expression was subtle.
Small.
But devastatingly attractive.
And the moment Juliet saw it, she realized he knew exactly what he was doing to her.
The realization only made her cheeks grow warmer.
Which, unfortunately, seemed to amuse him even more.