Chapter 21 Stop Talking Dirty #2
Juliet frowned at him, still wrapped around him as she waited for an answer. Her arms remained looped around his neck, and when he didn't immediately respond, she gave his shoulder a small shake, her brows knitting together in frustration.
Instead of responding, Cassian simply looked at her and said flatly, "Get down. You're not a child, Juliet."
Juliet immediately pouted.
Her lips pushed forward as she stared at him in disbelief, clearly unhappy with that answer. The expression lingered on her face for only a second before she suddenly leaned forward and bit his shoulder.
Cassian winced at once, his face twisting slightly from the sting. A sharp breath escaped him, and his brows furrowed briefly, but he made no attempt to push her away. Instead, his arms tightened around her hips, holding her firmly against him so she wouldn't accidentally fall.
Only after Juliet pulled back did she lift her chin and stare at him.
Then she raised an eyebrow.
"Now you know how I feel."
She glared at him triumphantly, her eyes sparkling with satisfaction as though she had finally gotten her revenge.
However, the moment her eyes met his, her expression slowly changed.
The smugness faded from her face little by little. She realized that he wasn't looking at her with that familiar softness anymore.
Instead, there was something darker in his eyes.
His gaze remained fixed on her face, steady and unreadable, yet there was a dangerous edge beneath it that made her pulse falter.
The sight of it sent a thrill through her chest, but at the same time it made her heart skip nervously. Excitement and panic rushed through her together.
Juliet immediately fell silent.
Even her grip around his neck tightened slightly without her realizing it.
Before she could say another word, Cassian suddenly lifted her higher in his arms.
A small gasp escaped her lips as her body rose effortlessly.
His grip tightened around her hip as he turned and strode directly toward the bedroom without saying a single word.
Juliet instinctively wrapped her arms tighter around his neck.
"Cassian..."
Her voice came out softer than she intended.
He didn't answer.
His jaw remained tight as his long strides carried them up the stairs and into the bedroom.
Once they were inside, he walked all the way in before stopping near the wall. Without ever setting her down, he stepped closer until her back touched the wall behind her.
Juliet's breath caught.
Her fingers unconsciously curled against the back of his shirt.
Cassian remained standing between her legs, holding her securely in his arms so her feet never touched the floor.
They were completely face-to-face. Close enough that the heat radiating from his body seemed to surround her completely.
Without breaking eye contact, Cassian lifted one hand and unbuttoned part of his shirt.
Juliet's gaze followed the movement automatically.
Then he pointed at the bite mark she had left on his neck.
"Next time," he said, his voice low and rough, almost a growl, "bite somewhere else."
Juliet blinked.
Cassian's gaze remained fixed on her.
"Somewhere I can feel it even more."
The words were delivered in that same rough tone as he stared directly at her.
Juliet immediately flushed.
Heat rushed into her cheeks, turning her face red.
"Cassian, stop talking dirty!"
The embarrassment in her voice only seemed to amuse him. The corner of his mouth twitched faintly, and something that looked suspiciously like satisfaction flashed through his eyes.
Before she could continue complaining, he leaned closer.
Juliet's breath hitched. Her heart instantly began pounding faster.
The next moment, he kissed her, instantly silencing whatever protest she had been about to make.
Juliet's eyes widened briefly before slowly fluttering shut.
Her hands, which had been pushing against him only seconds ago, gradually slid around his neck instead.
***
Morning light spilled through Cassian’s house, soft and pale, sliding through the curtains and filling the bedroom with a brightness that felt almost too awake for sleep to survive in it.
Juliet shifted under the covers with a faint crease between her brows, the warmth of rest slipping away as a persistent vibration pulled her out of it again and again.
With a quiet, annoyed breath, she reached out blindly, fingers searching across the sheets before closing around her phone. She didn’t even bother looking at the screen—just pressed it to her ear, still half-trapped between sleep and waking.
“Hello.”
The moment she spoke, a sharp, shrill voice cut straight through the line.
“Juliet! How dare you!”
Her eyes snapped open fully this time, confusion flickering across her face as she slowly pulled the phone slightly away from her ear.
The tone on the other end was immediate, heavy, and unmistakably familiar—already loud enough to fill the quiet room.
Juliet frowned, forcing herself to focus as she glanced down at the screen just in time to catch her aunt, Clara’s name flashing there.
Before she could even respond, the voice surged again, trembling with anger.
“Come home right now. What did you do to Alexa? How could you do something like this to your own cousin? She’s family, Juliet! And you’ve been treating her so badly—do you think you can just get away with it? Come back this instant, or I swear I will come there myself!”