Chapter 10 Boyfriend
Cassian froze.
For the first time that morning, genuine surprise appeared on his face.
Juliet's smile widened.
"You told me to live here, didn't you?" she asked, spreading her arms dramatically. "So naturally I need my things."
Then she pointed toward the movers.
"Your people brought everything from my apartment."
Cassian's gaze shifted toward the boxes filling the living room before returning to her face.
A deep, possessive satisfaction settled heavily inside him.
Juliet, completely unaware of where his thoughts had gone, leaned closer and lowered her voice.
"I'm just telling them where to put everything before I unpack it in our bedroom."
The words made him stiffen.
‘Our bedroom.’
For a moment, Cassian simply stared at her.
His expression didn't change, but something dangerous flashed through his eyes.
Juliet casually tugged at the hem of her dress before glancing down at herself.
"And besides, I can't keep wearing the same outfit forever." Her nose wrinkled slightly. "I definitely won't look pretty anymore."
Looking down at herself again, she smoothed a hand over the dress before pointing toward the boxes.
"I need clothes."
Then she lifted her head and looked at him, amusement dancing in her eyes.
"Or do you want me to keep wearing the same dress every single day?"
Cassian stared at her for a moment before taking a slow step forward.
The distance between them disappeared completely.
He lowered his head until his face was only inches from hers, his dark eyes fixed on her with shameless intensity.
Juliet instinctively tilted her head back to maintain eye contact, her heartbeat quickening as she felt the heat radiating from his body.
A faint smile touched the corner of his mouth.
The kind of smile that instantly made her nervous.
"You don't need more clothes," he said calmly.
His eyes swept over her one more time before returning to her flushed face.
Juliet blinked.
One corner of his mouth lifted.
"I like you best when you're not wearing any at all."
Juliet's eyes widened.
Heat exploded across her cheeks.
"You—"
The words died in her throat.
Cassian looked entirely unapologetic.
Behind them, several movers suddenly became very interested in carrying boxes. One man nearly walked into a table because he was staring so hard at the floor.
The moment a few of the maids scattered around the house let out soft laughs, Juliet immediately froze. Heat rushed to her cheeks, and her entire face turned bright red as she finally realized what Cassian had just said in front of everyone.
"Cassian!"
Embarrassment flooded through her. Without thinking, she raised her hand and smacked his chest.
The blow wasn't hard, but it was enough to make the maids struggle even harder to hide their amusement.
Cassian didn't seem affected in the slightest.
If anything, the sight of her flushed face only appeared to please him more.
A satisfied look flickered across his handsome features as he watched her glare at him.
Juliet could have sworn he was enjoying every second of her embarrassment.
Around them, the workers and maids suddenly became very efficient. Within minutes, the remaining boxes had been moved inside, and everyone disappeared as quickly as possible, leaving the two of them standing alone in the middle of the living room.
The moment they were gone, Juliet's expression softened.
She hesitated briefly before taking a step toward him.
Then another.
Before Cassian could react, she wrapped both arms around his neck and tilted her head back to look up at him.
The movement immediately captured his full attention.
His gaze dropped to her face.
"What is it?"
Juliet bit her lip.
"I want to go back to my apartment."
The faint smile on his face disappeared instantly.
His expression darkened so quickly that it was almost impressive.
Juliet hurried to continue before he could interrupt.
"Just for a little while," she said quickly, tightening her arms around his neck. "Your people brought most of my things, but there are still a few things I placed separately. I need to go get them."
The atmosphere shifted almost instantly.
The warmth that had been lingering in Cassian's expression disappeared as though it had never existed, and Juliet watched the change happen right before her eyes.
His jaw tightened, a hard line forming beneath his stubble, while the muscles across his broad shoulders visibly tensed beneath his shirt.
"No."
The answer came so quickly and firmly that Juliet blinked in surprise.
Cassian's eyes darkened as he looked at her, all traces of softness gone.
"I already told you."
His voice had turned noticeably colder.
"You're not leaving this house."
Without giving her a chance to argue, he reached up and gently but firmly removed her arms from around his neck before stepping away from her.
Then he turned and walked straight toward the dining table where breakfast had already been prepared, his long strides making it clear that the discussion was over as far as he was concerned.
He pulled out a chair, sat down, and calmly began serving himself breakfast as though the conversation had already ended and there was nothing left to discuss.
The sight immediately irritated Juliet.
Her lips pressed into a thin line as she stood there staring at him. The indifferent expression on his face, combined with the way he deliberately focused on his food instead of her, only made her more determined.
A stubborn spark flashed through her eyes.
Without wasting another second, she marched across the room toward him.
Cassian had barely picked up his fork when he suddenly felt a hand wrap around his arm.
His hand paused.
Before he could even turn his head, Juliet gave his sleeve a small tug.
"Cassian."
Then, to his complete surprise, she climbed directly into his lap.
Cassian froze.
Every muscle in his body locked instantly.
The fork in his hand stopped moving as he stared at her in stunned silence.
Meanwhile, Juliet settled comfortably against him as though she had done it a thousand times before.
She shifted slightly, finding a more comfortable position before slipping both arms around his neck once again.
Her soft body pressed against his chest, and she tilted her head back to look up at him through her lashes.
Then she leaned forward and pressed a quick kiss against his cheek.
When she pulled back, a sweet smile curved her lips.
"Come on," she coaxed softly, her voice carrying a gentle, almost spoiled tone. "You're my boyfriend now, right? You should understand how difficult it is for me to live with you without my things."
As she spoke, she exaggerated her pout, looking so pitiful that it would have been almost convincing if her eyes weren't sparkling with mischief.
Cassian's entire body went rigid. A lock of dark hair fell across his forehead.
For a moment, he simply stared.
His heart slammed violently against his ribs.
My boyfriend.
The word echoed inside his head over and over again.
Did she just call him her boyfriend?
A strange warmth immediately spread through his chest, chasing away every trace of irritation he had been feeling moments ago.
Although his expression remained mostly unchanged, excitement surged through him so fiercely that it almost left him dizzy.
She called me her boyfriend.
For years, he had imagined hearing those words from her. He had dreamed about them more times than he could count.
And now she had said them so casually, so naturally, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.
For a moment, he almost didn't know how to react.
Completely unaware of the damage she had done to his self-control, Juliet leaned closer until only a small distance remained between them.
Her arms tightened around his neck, and she leaned against him until there was barely any space left between them.
"Cassian..."
His name rolled softly from her lips.
The sweet sound alone was enough to weaken his resolve.
Then she leaned forward and pressed another kiss against his cheek.
And then another.
And another.
A trail of soft kisses followed across his face.
One landed on his other cheek.
Another brushed his jaw.
Then his temple.
The corner of his mouth.
She seemed completely shameless, showering him with affection and kissing him wherever she pleased, looking utterly smug as she did.
Cassian felt as though his brain had stopped functioning altogether.
Every kiss seemed to erase another coherent thought from his head. By the time she finally pulled back, he was still staring at her.
His body had gone completely rigid.
Meanwhile, Juliet continued her relentless attempt to persuade him. She looked at him through her lashes with hopeful eyes that could have melted steel.
"Please?"
Cassian swallowed hard and forced himself to take a slow breath.
He needed to get himself under control.
"No."
His voice came out rougher than intended.
Clearing his throat, he tried to recover some dignity and forced his features into a stern frown.
"I already told you."
His hands remained firmly around her waist despite his words.
"You're not leaving this house."
Juliet immediately huffed in dissatisfaction.
Her cheeks puffed slightly as she glared at him.
Then, before he could continue arguing, she suddenly leaned forward.
A quick kiss landed directly on his lips.
Cassian froze.
Another followed.
Then another.
Three brief kisses in total, each one lasting only a second, yet somehow managing to steal every coherent thought from his mind.
His breath caught.
His lips parted slightly.
The world around him seemed to disappear.
His chest tightened so painfully that he almost couldn't breathe.
Instinctively, his arms tightened around her waist until it felt as though he might crush her against him.
Yet Juliet didn't seem bothered in the slightest.
If anything, she relaxed further into his embrace, completely trusting him to hold her.
When she finally pulled back, she blinked up at him innocently.
"Cassian."
Cassian sat perfectly still.
He looked like a statue.