She shifted closer until she was sitting across his lap, her legs brushing against his as she settled comfortably against him. Onearm slipped around his shoulders while the other rested against his chest. Tilting her head, she leaned down and pressed a quick kiss to his lips before pulling back with a smile.
"Were you waiting for me?" she asked sweetly, her fingers absentmindedly playing with the collar of his shirt. "I thought you were going to wait so we could sleep together, but look at you. You already went to bed without me."
She pouted slightly and nudged his shoulder before letting her hand slide back to his chest.
"You didn't even wait."
Her voice softened as she rested her palm over his heart.
"You know I'm scared when the house is this dark. I was honestly a little frightened when I came upstairs and couldn't find you."
A small laugh escaped her as she shook her head.
"But now that I've found you, I'm happy."
She looked at him with warm eyes, her expression open and affectionate.
"And I'm really sorry I came home so late. I just had a few things I needed to take care of, but everything is sorted now."
Leaning closer, she kissed him again.
This time, she didn’t stop at a quick peck.
Her lips lingered against his, slower, more insistent, as if she was trying to pull him into her mood. When he still didn’t react, she deepened it on her own, her mouth parting slightly as she kissed him again—more boldly this time, her fingers tightening in his shirt.
Cassian remained completely still.
Juliet pulled back just enough to study his face, then tilted her head and kissed him again, softer at first… then deeper, her lips moving against his with growing impatience.
When he still didn’t respond, she shifted fully on his lap, settling closer, her dress brushing against him as she refused to give up.
Her kisses grew bolder.
She kissed the corner of his mouth, then down along his jaw, lingering there as she murmured against his skin, almost teasing.
"Cassian… you're being weird tonight."
Her tongue traced a wet trail down jaw again before moving lower, along the side of his neck, slower now, warmer, as if trying to pull a reaction out of his silence.
Cassian simply sat there, letting her take what she wanted, his dark eyes fixed on her face the entire time.
The longer she kissed him, the tighter his jaw became.
But his hands stayed exactly where they were.
Juliet finally slowed, breath warm against his skin, completely unaware of the tension building beneath his restraint.
She continued playing with the collar of his shirt and tracing absent patterns against his chest, trying to coax even the smallest reaction out of him.
Then suddenly, his hand lifted and settled firmly against the back of her neck.
The movement was so unexpected that she immediately froze.
His fingers slid into her hair as he held her in place and pulled her closer. The playful smile on her face faded instantly, and shestared at him in confusion. The atmosphere in the room shifted so abruptly that even she could feel it.
What had started as light teasing suddenly felt heavy.
Juliet instinctively placed both hands on his shoulders as she searched his face.
