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February 19, 9:21 p.m. 43 seconds
(Chicago, Illinois)
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The Proto-Smash conference was at the Four Seasons Hotel in downtown Chicago on the Magnificent Mile. On entering the penthouse assigned to Kyle, Juniper ran through the modern and upscale space like a kid in a toy store. Amused, he leisurely followed her erratic path through the dining room, living room and bedroom, where she slipped out of her coat, threw down her purse and stopped at the wall of windows. The glittering lights of the snowy city spread out like a clear-cut grid beneath them.
“Chicago! I will conquer you!” she screamed, loud as a screwball.
“You kinda did already,” Kyle said.
He felt a stab of remorse. This was not the first time he had stayed in this hotel. But he would never tell her that. The last time he had lived here was with Anu, his Summer last year: It was a weird coincidence the conference was in the same hotel and that they had given him a penthouse suite almost identical to the one he'd had with Anu. Kyle tried to remember what Anu looked like, but her memory was fuzzy—the only girl in his mind and heart was the one in front of him.
“This is crazy beautiful.” Juniper pressed her nose on the window, her breath hazing the frosty glass.
“Like you.”
Kyle stepped so close to her, heat radiated off her body. She sank back, settling into his hard planes. He smiled and wrapped his arms around her familiar nooks and curves.
“So glad we made it. Days without you are freaking torture,” she whispered.
The last time they met was at their trip to Turks and Caicos, almost two weekends ago, and was their first two-week separation. It felt too long.
“Mine too. Ready for tomorrow? I can’t wait for the world to know you are mine.”
Juniper had agreed to walk the Proto-Smash red carpet with Kyle and if they got media coverage they would be publicly exposed as a couple. Kyle was pleased Juniper no longer worried about what people thought. Worrying what people thought of your life choices was a waste of a perfectly good cerebrum.
Juniper turned and eagerly kissed him. “Take off your clothes so I can test that postulation. Mine. Mine. Mine.”
His breath caught in his throat but something cold inside made him pause. “You take off my clothes, eager beaver.”
She unbuttoned the first button of his shirt and took off his sweater so fast, Kyle saw a flash of static. She undid the second button and kissed the V of his chest. “Mine.” Juniper stopped when she saw he was still stationary. She cocked her head and asked, “Why the hesitation? Usually by now...you are wallbanging me.”
This was true. Normally, on entering a hotel room, Kyle pinned her against the wall and by now their clothes would be off and they would be panting. He did not know how to articulate what he felt so he said nothing.
Attempting to awaken him, she undid the third button and whispered. “Mine.”
When she was on the fourth button, Kyle extended an index finger to stop her.
She looked up at him, hazel eyes troubled. “What’s wrong, darling?”
“Juniper, what the heck. What was your British guy talking about? Are you seriously moving to England?”
“That explains it.”
Reeling away from him, she walked across the room and slumped on the bed. He just stood there, watching her. She pulled her heeled boots off and lay down, legs dangling on the floor.
“Explains what?”
“Kyle, I have not made a decision.”
“When were you going to tell me?”
At the sight of her lying down, so damned sexy and yet so unaware of her latent allure, desire flamed him.
Down boy! Focus on her words—not her body.
“Aha. So that’s what is messing with your head. I just found out last night.”
“You could have told me. I’d rather find out about a life-altering decision from you and not a total stranger.” His voice was even and calm but they both knew he was furious.
He came and stood over her, blocking the light of the lamp.
“Obviously, I was going to discuss it with you first,” she whispered, her pretty brow wrinkling.
Kyle cursed himself. He hated worrying her. But he also hated the sight of that clever, pasty owl from London.
“I don’t like the idea of you working side by side with Dr. Leather Pants.”
“Real mature, Kyle.”
“I don’t trust him.”
“Don’t be perverse.”
“He’s a snake oil salesman.”
“I don’t like this jealousy of yours.”
“Then we have something in common.”
“Look...” She sat up with a jolt, her eyes wild. “Dean has a vested interest in helping me.”
Reaching for him, she tried to pull him into her arms, but he took a step back. Though each and every one of his cells longed for her touch, he needed to understand just what the hell was going on. With a dramatic sigh, she flopped back on the bed again, her eyes going stone cold.
“I’ll buy it,” he said. “But only time will tell how noble and scholarly his intentions are.”
“You are so obtuse at times. Can’t you tell how crazy I am about you, to the degree of obsession? So how anyone else feels about me is a wash.”
His anger melted and he shifted closer to her. “Go on. I want to hear more about this hypothetical obsession.”
With a seductive smile, she parted her long legs to make room for him, her slender arms going around his torso. He took a nanosecond to admire her holy hotness—Juniper was a blushing virgin no more. She hooked her thumbs in his jean pocket loops and pulled him to her.
“Listen, Kyle. If I go away, will you take up with another girl? Of course not, right? Once you tell me that I’m yours and I tell you that you are mine, I expect loyalty and I will give it to you as well.”
“Back to your going away, what have you decided?”
“Seriously, let’s not go there.”
“Where? Juniper, I have adjusted my entire life, my schedule, put my business on hold so I can be with you on weekends.”
“Oh God. I hope you’re not losing millions because of me.”
Actually, he was. He no longer worked on weekends.
“Screw work. Nothing in my life is important. Except you. Give me the same respect. Give me the same consideration.”
“Come to me.” She let him go and slid up on the silky sheets and patted the bed. When he did not follow her, she thrust out her full lower lip. “Listen, baby. I just found out. Clearly, it’s a great opportunity. I have to think about my salary and Cypress. And most of all, you. I want to do it, but I thought about you. I don’t want to leave you. But in theory, if I do go, so what? I will always come back to you.”
“Theories don’t work in real life.”
“What do mean by that?”
“Long distance relationships are tough enough and overseas relationships are impossible.”
She cocked an eyebrow. “Ironic coming from a guy who perfected the long distance fuck-buddy thing.”
It was a low blow, but to her credit Juniper had managed not to talk about his previous lifestyle for the past two months. “So karma should ruin what we have?”
“No. I didn’t mean that. Look, England or America, you’re stuck with me now. By the way, don’t you go to London too every summer?”
“I do sometimes. We have a smallish office in the London tech roundabout. But I can’t work there for six months. Three max.” Suddenly, he could bear the hunger no more. Pushing her down, he crawled over her soft and sweet body, his arms wrapping around her waist from force of habit.
Her eyes rounded and she gasped, still heroically trying to talk. “Okay...great. So what if we did three months together and you came back and then I existed in three months of bleak and utter misery without you and I came back once a month and you visit me once a month— that gives us every two weekends together. Obstacle resolved. What do you think?”
“I think your math is terrible. And we’ll see.”
Kyle’s lips hovered over hers. He found it hard to breathe with her delicious lips so close and her delicious lithe body writhing under his. Distributing his weight evenly on his elbows and knees, for fear of crushing her, he tried to focus on her eyes.
A safer bet.
But when his gaze met her jade and gold eyes with their finely curved black eyelashes, the aching within him grew to the point of pain. Every time he saw her, he wanted immediate but prolonged gratification. And after that, he wanted to hold her, talk to her about nothing and everything, shower with her, and then sleep with her curled against him. He had never felt like this about any other woman.
“Again, I have not made a decision. I need to ask the museum if I can get a paid sabbatical. I can’t stop supporting my family.”
“Let me take care of you, June-Bug.”
“Over my dead body will I allow you to help me financially.”
“What are you—the Celtic mafia? I’d like to help you. It’ll take a second and a snap of my finger.”
“I know. I know. But the answer is always no, Daddy Long Legs.”
Goddamn it. Why wouldn’t she let him help? He wanted to take care of her. His eyes contracted. “Jeez sake, June-Bug, let me help you.”
“Help how? You’ll give me a stipend for being your girlfriend? I don’t think so. Let’s not discuss that again. I like my freedom—pathetic and paltry and poor as it is.”
“Have it your own way. Freedom is just another word for stubborn.”
“And your attitude is another word for tyrant.”
“That doesn’t make sense.”
She put a finger on his lips and he caught it and kissed it. Her face was so close, their breaths mingled. Shaking his head, he stroked her glossy hair spilling down her shoulders.
“You are the single most stubborn, dogged and headstrong girl I know.”
“Come on, stud, this headstrong girl wants you. You on top of me is driving me crazy. I need you right now. I’ve been waiting for two god-awful weeks.”
Kyle eased off her and crawled backwards off the bed. Did she know what she was doing to him? He could not focus on her words anymore but he had to slog through this conversation. “I’m afraid of losing you if you go.”
Pouting in her adorable way, she sat on the edge of the bed. “Are you saying if I go...you and I are over?
“No. You and I are not over, baby. Ever.”
“Yay.”
He kneeled on the floor and tenderly put his arms around her. As he nuzzled his head in her generous and lovely breasts, her eager arms wound around his neck. He found it difficult to talk. He searched for the right words to say.
“Juniper, I want you to succeed. I don’t want you held back...because of us. If you need to go. Go. And we’ll figure it out.”
“I love you, Kyle,” she said.
He froze.
