Page 48 of Jessica, Not Her Real Name

He didn’t answer right away. Just gave a slow shake of his head, eyes unreadable.

She waited, trying to read him. The quiet stretched, just long enough for her to wonder if she’d pushed too far.

“But there’s no one else now, right?” she asked, more vulnerable than she meant to sound.

He reached out and ran his thumb along her cheekbone, gentle and sure.

“Baby, there’s no one even close.”

* * *

Daniel thought he could happily stay in that bed for hours. Between those thousand-thread-count sheets, in a room that smelled like her, with her warm body curled beside him—yeah, he could stay here for the rest of the afternoon. Maybe the rest of his life.

Lying on his side, head propped up on one elbow, he watched Julia sleep. Her hair fanned across the pillow like a halo, and with each slow breath, her bare shoulders rose and fell. His gaze trailed over her, memorizing the delicate curve of her spine, the way her lashes fluttered slightly in dreams.

Fuck, she was perfect.

One of her eyes cracked open. Then the other. She smiled, before her expression faltered into something almost shy. “Why are you staring at me?”

He grinned. “I’m just committing to memory how good you looked in that little lacy pink thing. Y’know, in case I get lonely later.”

She rolled over to face him, smiling sleepily. He slid a hand behind her neck, drawing her closer. Their lips met, slow and unhurried, like they had all the time in the world. His thumb traced down the soft skin of her throat, settling in the hollow at the base of her neck.

She let him kiss her for a moment, then her fingers brushed his wrist, feeling the watch strapped there. Suddenly, she stiffened. “Wait, what time is it?”

Before he could answer, she grabbed his hand and twisted it so she could see the watch face.

“Shit.” She sat up, swinging her legs over the side of the bed. “My mom’s due home any minute.”

Daniel didn’t move. He just watched her, still lazy with sleep.

She glanced over her shoulder, exasperated. “You have to go.”

“Now?”

“Yes, now.”

He groaned and sat up, rubbing his face. “Isn’t there, like, a window I can jump out of or something?”

“Not unless you don’t mind a twelve-foot drop.”

He moved behind her, draping an arm over her shoulder, his hand curving around her breast. His inked skin was stark against her pale complexion. He pressed a kiss to her shoulder, then along the slope of her collarbone. “I might not mind if it means I get to stay longer.”

“Daniel,” she murmured, tilting her head as if tempted.

But then her eyes flicked toward the driveway. His car was sitting out there, loud and unmistakable.

“You have to gonow.”

He caught her mouth again, kissing her deep, but she broke away too soon. So, he moved to the back of her neck instead, sweeping her hair aside with his fingers. “What do you think she’d do if she found me up here?” he murmured. “Call the cops?”

He meant it as a joke, but her expression instantly sobered.

“Shit, really?”

She pressed her lips together, looking both worried and a little irritated. “It’s just better if she doesn’t meet you this way.”

He sighed but didn’t argue. Instead, he rolled off the bed and started gathering his clothes.