Julian's hand moved from my throat to cup the back of my neck, his fingers tangling in my wet hair as he pulled me up for another passionate kiss. This one was deeper, more demanding, full of promise for what we could explore together now that we had the time.
We stumbled back toward the bed, still kissing, still touching, until my stomach chose that moment to growl loudly enough to break the spell.
We both froze, then burst into laughter.
"When did we last eat?" Julian asked, suddenly realizing how hungry he was.
"Dinner was cancelled last night due to crisis management," I said with a rueful smile. "And we never had breakfast."
"Food first," Julian said decisively. "Then motorcycle ride. Then we can continue exploring your... preferences." He gave a lecherous eyebrow wiggle that had me giggling even as the promise in his voice sent a shiver of anticipation through me.
"I like that plan," I said, reluctantly stepping back to get dressed. "What do you want to do about breakfast?"
"Whatever you want," Julian said. "I cancelled all my meetings today. We have the entire day to ourselves."
Despite everything that had happened—the photo scandal, my job, the uncertainty about my future—I felt a bubble of happiness rising in my chest. I had the whole day with Julian, no work obligations, no external pressures. Just us, and the open road, and all the possibilities that lay ahead.
As we headed downstairs to figure out breakfast and plan our day, I realized that being put on leave from my job might have been the best thing that could have happened. Not because I didn't love teaching—I did, desperately—but because it had given me something I'd never had before. A day of complete freedom with the man I was falling in love with.
The school board thought they were punishing me. Instead, they'd given me exactly what I needed. Time to focus on what really mattered.
And what really mattered was walking beside me, his bare hands reaching for the coffee pot, his hair still damp from our shower, looking more relaxed and happy than I'd ever seen him.
Whatever came next, we'd face it together. But first, we were going to live a little.
19
Vivienne
After a quick breakfast of coffee and toast—both of us were too excited about the day ahead to focus much on food—Julian led me out to his motorcycle. In the morning light, his sleek green bike—the Aston Martin AMB 001 Pro—he had to remind me, looked even more impressive and intimidating than it had the night he'd arrived at the gallery.
"The riding gear is at my studio," Julian explained, running his hand along the bike's smooth lines with obvious affection. "I left everything there when Kane called me yesterday."
"I can follow you there and leave my car," I suggested. "That way we can ride straight from the studio."
Julian's smile was warm with approval. "Perfect. Just stay close—city traffic can be unpredictable."
My phone buzzed with a text from Lydia.
Lydia:Where are you? Your first period was asking me about their quiz today when they couldn’t find you.
I stared at the message, reality setting in. My students were sitting in my classroom right now, probably wondering where I was, not knowing that their teacher had been essentially fired for having a boyfriend.
Vivienne:I won't be in today. I've been placed on administrative leave. I'll call you later to explain.
The response came within seconds.
Lydia:WHAT?! I'm calling you right now.
True to her word, Lydia's call came through immediately. I answered on the second ring.
"What the hell do you mean administrative leave?" Lydia's voice was sharp with outrage.
"Exactly what it sounds like," I said,giving my friend a brief rundown of the phone call. "Apparently the media attention is too much for the board to handle."
"This is insane, Viv. You're one of the best teachers in the school. The kids love you, your test scores are excellent, you've never had a single complaint. They can't fire you for having a boyfriend."
"They're not firing me," I corrected. "They're 'reviewing my employment status.' Which could lead to firing me."
