Jin didn’t know what to do. It was clear that Julieta needed a bed. She’d been asleep for over an hour and a half, slumped over in the passenger seat of his car. He was so tempted to take her back to his place. But he shared that residence with six other men, and he didn’t want to overwhelm her. Or embarrass her. After all, she would be working in a professional capacity with those six men over the next few months.
Sighing, he pulled out his phone and texted Tia. But she didn’t respond. Finally, he just decided he’d have to break into their apartment. With Julieta’s key, of course.
He drove to her apartment then rummaged through her purse to find her key. This made him decidedly uneasy. This would be yet another reason why she would never talk to him ever again. But he was determined to take care of her. Without disturbing her.
He left her in his car while he knocked on the front door to her apartment. No answer. Tia must be out. He unlocked her apartment and opened the door. He investigated until he had figured out which room was Julieta’s. Then he left the front door open while he returned to his car. After much awkward maneuvering, he had Julieta safely cradled against him, carrying her in his arms, and he returned to her bedroom. He had kicked both his car door and her front door shut with his foot. Now he approached her bed, trying to figure out how to deposit her on the bed without either waking her or losing his balance. In the end, he was able to do neither.
He bent over to lay her down on her bed, but his foot caught on something, throwing off his equilibrium, and Jin pitched forward. Julieta ended up lying on her bed, all right. Underneath Jin’s long form. He had fallen forward, unceremoniously dropping her in the center of her bed as he fell on top of her. The instant they stopped moving, he sprang backward, sliding off of her to lie beside her, looking down at her.
Julieta had grunted when he’d landed on top of her. Now she rolled towards him and opened her eyes. Her jade orbs penetrated his chocolate ones.
“Jin?” she asked fuzzily. “What’s going on?”
But then her eyes fluttered shut again, and instantly her breathing evened out. She was already asleep. Jin was afraid to move. He didn’t even dare to breathe. He didn’t want to disturb her again.
So he lay there next to her, his head propped up by one elbow as he bent over her, his eyes caressing her face. She was achingly beautiful. She made his heart sigh. He wanted a chance with her. He longed for more than that. He desired a life with her. He didn’t want to consider one without her lovely presence. How could she make him so discontent? He had been happy once. Before he’d met Julieta. But having met her, he couldn’t return to that simpler time. Now he knew that he would not be truly happy until Julieta was a part of his life: a big part.
She was meant to fill one of the leading roles in his story. He knew it. He wanted it. But would she ever desire to be part of his life again? Or had he blown it forever?
He gazed down at her as she lay next to him, her breathing even. A strand of her dusky hair had fallen across her face, obscuring her eye from his view. He reached out and tenderly picked up that lock of hair and carried it back behind her shoulder.
Ah. That was better.
Now he could see all of her lovely face. His eyes traced her delicately arching, dark eyebrows. Then he studied the outline of her eyelids, now closed in slumber, her coal eyelashes fanned out across her high cheekbones. His eyes slid down the perfect slope of her nose to land with joy in the little divot above her upper lip. Her lips…he probably shouldn’t be looking at them. Pale pink. Full. Begging to be kissed…
It would be so easy to dip his head and claim them as his own. But he would never do that. Not while she was so vulnerable. Not while she disliked him so. But a guy could dream…
And so, he did. As his eyes continued to bask in the glory of her beautiful countenance. Jin lost track of time as he lay next to her, his thoughts buried in her luxurious hair. His fingers intertwined in those dark tresses. His mouth eking intense pleasure out of her own. His thumb delighting in the texture of her skin. He was sure the reality would be so much better than this fantasy. He sighed as he drew near her. He bent his head, allowing his forehead to come to rest against her own. For real. This one touch was real. And infinitely precious. He rested his head against her own for a long time. Eventually, his eyes also closed, and he too fell asleep…
