Chapter 25
CHAPTER
TWENTY-FIVE
JULIETTE
After our talk yesterday, Slade left, claiming he had something he needed to take care of. I didn’t ask any questions, even though I really wanted to. It’s not my place, and while I loved being with him, the moment he walked out the door, I had no regrets, but I did feel uncertainty.
Instead of getting lost inside my own head about it, I showered, ate a girlie dinner of crackers, cheese, and grapes, then watched some bad reality television and fell asleep. Too drained to stress out, my physical, mental, and sexual exhaustion took over, which was probably a good thing.
The last thing I needed to do was overanalyze the situation that I’ve created. It was the best sleep I’ve had in years. But when I woke up this morning, it wasn’t that I felt guilty. I’m single, and as far as I know, he’s single, too, so I wondered if I just did something that fucked up my future.
Now I’m sitting in the car in front of a small coffee shop and bakery, wondering why the hell I’m even going inside to meet both Alex and Elodie, knowing they’re going to figure out what I did yesterday with Slade.
There’s no way I’ll be able to keep that a secret or hide it from them in any way. As much as I want to believe that I’m a closed book and nobody can tell when something is going on, when I’m thinking about something, or when something is bothering me, I know I’m easy to read.
Now that I’m here, how the hell do I tell them that I slept with Slade? They’re going to want details, and I’m not sure he wants anyone to know. I’m also not so sure that I do, either. Maybe it was just a one-time thing, and if that’s the case, then why does anyone else need to know?
Telling them feels like it’s sharing a secret. A sweet secret only for Slade and me. I hold my breath for a moment, knowing there’s no way out of it. I have to go inside. They’re my bosses, and I want this to be more than temporary.
I want to work for them.
I want to stay here and be part of their world. That desire is mostly because of yesterday with Slade, but also because I don’t think I’ve ever been happier or felt safer in my own skin.
Being here in Boulder City feels right. Seeing Alex and Elodie waiting at a coffee shop with smiles on their faces, and those smiles being for me, feels good.
I truly believe that this is where I was meant to be, or maybe that’s just what I’m hoping because I had two amazing orgasms last night. I don’t know what’s real and what’s just a fantasy swirling around inside my head.
Inhaling a deep breath, I let it out slowly before I touch the engine button and turn the car off. I stay where I am for a moment, taking another calming breath, then square my shoulders in an effort to find some faux bravado and possibly hide my wariness.
Opening the car door, I unfold from the seat and stand. Closing the car door behind me, I hitch my purse a bit higher onto my shoulder then step up onto the sidewalk. I look over my shoulder, sensing someone watching me.
I know I shouldn’t be so paranoid, but I also know that Victor could be lurking around any and every corner when I least expect it. I take a calming breath, then move toward the front door.
Wrapping my fingers around the handle, I tug it open and slip inside. The scent of coffee and sugar hits my nose, then I swear it seeps into my bloodstream. My god—it smells amazing in here.
Like, beyond amazing.
My gaze flitters around the room, and there, sitting in the corner where I knew they would be, because I saw them through the window, are Elodie and Alex. They each have a coffee in hand and flick their gazes to meet mine.
I motion to the line, wondering what kind of treats I can find when I get up to the counter, because I can sure smell them.
Alex and Elodie dip their chins, a smile playing on their lips.
I can’t help but wonder if they can read my mind.
Do they know I’m searching for treats? Do they know it’s because I’m still exhausted and famished from my evening with Slade?
While I stand at the back of the line, my mind begins to drift as I continue thinking about Slade. I want him again. I wish he had come back last night or this morning. I would take anything. I’m craving him.
“Next,” the barista calls out.
I don’t move.
My vision is blurred. My thoughts are only focused on one thing and one thing only: Slade. I want his touch, his lips, his arms around me. I imagine him standing directly behind me, his hands on my hips, his lips on the side of my throat.
I want to feel him fill me and stretch me. I want it all, and I want it right now.
I don’t think I’ve ever wanted anything more. It is such a foreign feeling, wanting a man’s touch, craving it this way. But it’s a welcome one, too. I want my own happiness. I want to feel good and safe.
I deserve all those things.
At least I think I do. I hope I do.
“Next,” the barista calls out a bit louder.
My back straightens, I blink, and then I feel my face heat when I realize that it’s me she’s shouting to. Moving toward the counter, I stop as my eyes search the case. The barista sighs heavily, obviously annoyed with me. I need to hurry and order.
I say the first thing that comes to mind. It’s not even anything that I have ever ordered before. It’s just something I saw a sign for. “I’ll have a brown sugar almond milk latte,” I blurt out. “A cinnamon roll, a blueberry muffin, and an apple streusel muffin,” I mutter.
“Name?” the barista asks.
“Juliette.”