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27

Drew

The day’sbeen busier than I expected, but with Juni, I always crave more time. Her honesty, the raw emotions, and her trust were placed in my hands when she opened up about her parents.

She’s made me an insider. That’s a role I don’t take lightly.

After sex, well, duh, and a short nap, I’m woken up by my phone buzzing across the nightstand. Nick. I’m tempted to let it go to voicemail, but he usually just texts. So the fact he’s calling has me curious as to what’s going on.

Grabbing the phone, I slip out of bed and go into the bathroom so I don’t wake Juni. “Hey, what’s up?”

“Did you forget? You forgot. Fuck, Andrew, I promised Natalie.”

I catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror. I look like shit with my hair in disarray and my unshaven face. Great, I silently grumble. I’m turning into a New Yorker. “Slow down. What did I forget?”

“Dinner at my house. I told you about it weeks ago.”

“That’s on the twenty—oh fuck.”

“Yeah, the twenty-fourth, also known as today. You better get dressed and get over here, but I’m not letting you back out even if I have to come drag you over here myself.”

Peering back at Juni sleeping, I keep my voice low, and ask, “What time is dinner?”

“You have an hour. I can stall for another thirty minutes, but after that, Natalie will lose it if her meal is served cold.”

“You still have me down for a plus-one?”

“If it’s Juni, yes. Anyone else, I don’t want to do the dog and pony show. I just want to have a relaxed and fun night surrounded by people we know.”

I know what he means without the details. Not only is he cursed with the tycoon last name of Christiansen but his wife and her family are Manhattan famous. Reminded of Juni and her parents and the fame that came with that has me glad she’s been able to live in relative peace all these years. She carries a lot of burdens, but she’s good at keeping her last name in relation to her parents on the down low.

I had no idea, so I assume most people don’t. It’s become her story to tell, and I’m one of the lucky ones to hear it. “I’ll see if she’s up for it.”

“Okay, but I’m warning you, Andrew. You better show up.”

“I will. You have my word.” My word is as good as gold, too. He knows that.

When I return to the bedroom, Juni asks, “Where are we going?”

Fuck. Why does she have to look so good and be naked saying it?

I shift my dick, willing it to stay down when it overrides my ruling and stands at full salute just for her. With a mischievous grin settled on her face, she struts past me and starts getting dressed. “Nick’s?”

“Yes,” I say, grabbing my shirt from the floor and trying to hide my erection.

It doesn’t work, but it’s the effort that counts.

“When do we leave?”

“Forty-five minutes. Is that enough time?”

“I’ll be ready.” She slips on her shoes, leaving the laces untied. “Meet you down in the lobby?”

“That works.” Every answer is more clipped than the previous one.

She laughs and then blows me a kiss. “See you soon, handsome.”

I hurry to the hall just to get another look at her shaking that great ass. When the front door closes, I return to the bathroom and put the shower on cold. It’s the only way I can hope it will keep me from ravaging her until we get home, and I have little faith it will work.