Page 69 of King of Sin
Then he slipped into bed beside her.
The mattress dipped beneath his weight.
Almost immediately, his arm slid around her waist and pulled her closer.
Even in her sleep, Juliet instinctively moved toward him.
A soft sigh escaped her lips as she nestled against his chest.
Cassian froze.
Then he slowly exhaled.
Only now did he realize how tightly wound he had been all day.
The tightness in his chest loosened as he tightened his hold around her, almost as though reassuring himself that she was really here. That she hadn't disappeared. That she hadn't left him.
Juliet remained peacefully asleep against him, her warm breaths brushing lightly against his chest.
Lowering his head, Cassian rested his cheek against the top of her hair and closed his eyes.
The familiar scent of her surrounded him, slowly washing away the last traces of tension from his body.
Holding her securely in his arms, he finally allowed himself to relax.
By the time the first rays of morning sunlight filtered through the curtains, Cassian was already awake.
He had barely slept at all. Most of the night had passed with Juliet tucked securely in his arms while he stared into the darkness above him. Every now and then she would shift in her sleep and unconsciously move closer, and each time she did, the tightness that had gripped his chest for years eased just a little.
It still didn't feel real.
For so long, she had been just beyond his reach. He had spent years watching her chase after other people, defend other people, and trust everyone except him. Yet now she was here, sleeping in his bed beneath his roof, close enough that all he had to do was lower his gaze to see her.
Juliet was curled against his side, her breathing slow and steady. At some point during the night, she had rolled onto her side, and her dark hair was scattered across the pillow, several loose strands falling over her face.
His fingers twitched with the urge to brush the strands away and trace the softness of her cheek, but he stopped himself before he could act on the impulse.
Slowly and carefully, he slipped out of bed.
The mattress shifted beneath his weight, but Juliet merely sighed and burrowed deeper into the blankets. The sight made something soften inside him, and for a moment he simply stood beside the bed watching her sleep before finally forcing himself to turn away.
A few minutes later, fully dressed, he stepped out of the bedroom and headed downstairs. Instead of leaving for the office, however, he found himself walking toward his study.
He wasn't ready to leave the house.
The thought of returning home to an empty house after finally having Juliet made something cold and possessive twist inside his chest.
He refused to take that risk.
With that decision made, he pushed open the study door and buried himself in work.
Hours passed.
The mansion gradually settled into its usual morning routine. Staff members moved quietly through the hallways, breakfast came and went, and sunlight streamed through the tall windows. Cassian sat behind his desk reviewing documents, but his attention wasn't entirely on the reports in front of him.
Every few minutes, his thoughts wandered back to Juliet. He found himself wondering whether she was awake yet or still asleep upstairs. The possibility of her changing her mind and leaving lingered at the back of his thoughts no matter how much he tried to focus on work.
The sharp sound of the study door opening broke his concentration.
