"Jesus fucking Christ."
The defeated curse came out under his breath.
He dragged a hand down his face and shook his head.
"I'm going home. Do whatever the hell you want."
Without waiting for a response, he turned and walked away.
A few seconds later, the front door slammed shut.
The sound echoed through the massive house before fading into silence.
Cassian remained where he was.
For several moments, he simply stood there staring at the closed door.
Then he turned.
His gaze landed on Juliet. The irritation disappeared from his face. The tension left his shoulders. Even the hard line of his mouth softened.
Cassian's eyes lingered on her sleeping face.
A small smile tugged at his lips.
‘God. She looks so peaceful.’
He found himself walking toward her before he even realized he had moved.
His expensive suit was wrinkled from the night's chaos, and dried blood stained one sleeve of his jacket.
Without taking his eyes off her, he loosened his tie and tossed it onto a nearby chair before shrugging off his jacket.
The garment landed on the floor beside the bed.
Juliet remained perfectly still.
But inside, panic was steadily building.
Her heartbeat was so loud she was certain he would hear it.
Every step he took seemed to echo through the room.
Closer.
Closer.
Until he finally stopped beside her.
The mattress dipped slightly as he leaned down.
Juliet's breath caught.
Then she felt the soft press of his lips against her cheek.
The kiss was brief.
Gentle.
