JUNIPER’S POV:
Troy’s company has a gala today, so I agreed to attend with him. He sent a dress over to me, along with a chauffeur. The dress is black, long, and it hugs my body in the right manner. As I give myself one final look in the mirror, my phone beeps with a text from him.
“I can’t wait to see you tonight.”
We aren’t officially a thing, and nothing has happened between us since we kissed last week. Matter of fact, I have been avoiding him because it felt sudden, and I still think of Hiram, but each time I try to fall asleep, I literally dream of Troy’s warm lips against mine. Today I had a sex dream about him, and I couldn’t tell if it was because I’m ovulating or I was just single and horny. Ever since I met Hiram, I have never gone an entire week without sex, and now it’s becoming unbearable.
As soon as the car pulls up, I make my way out the door with Rhea, who he equally invited.
“I swear I do not know how long I can last,” I say to Rhea, who has a smirk on her lips.
“Stop fighting it and give your body what it wants. Troy is a gentleman, and he has been there for you the entire time, so it is up to you to choose happiness or not,” she says, and I sigh deeply, leaning into the car.
As soon as it stops in front of the tall building stretching into the sky, I spot Troy walking towards us. He is dressed smartly in a tux, and his brown eyes glisten under the beautiful night sky.
“Wow!” he exclaims, then he kisses both of my cheeks. “You are so pretty, and the dress fits perfectly, like it’s made for you,” he says, causing my face to redden.
“Thank you,” I mutter, then he turns to Rhea, exchanging a handshake with her before grabbing my hand.
“This way, ladies,” he says to the both of us, and we follow him into the building. “Do not expect this to be fun; it’s just a fundraising gala, and I need to be here to show my face. After that, I will be gone, and you can sneak away with me if you want to,” he says to me, and I chuckle lightly.
Rhea clears her throat, and I stick out my middle finger at her from behind. Soon we walk into the grand hall, which has a lot of people in it. Troy’s hands don’t leave mine as we make our way around the crowd.
While the fundraising is going on, Troy grabs a drink for the both of us. As I clink my glass with his, I look around to see that Rhea is nowhere to be found.
“You look really great tonight,” Troy whispers into my ear, sending bumps sprouting up on my skin.
I mutter a thank you, then I tip the entire glass of drink down my throat to quench the fire burning in it, before I turn to him with a smile, handing him the glass. As soon as he leaves to drop the glasses, I text Rhea.
“You are doing this on purpose; you aren’t supposed to leave my side.”
She sends a smiley emoji, and Troy’s hand rests on my back before I can text her again, causing me to shut my phone. In that moment, the MC calls upon Troy to give a speech, and he leaves me, causing me to breathe a sigh of relief. But seeing him up there makes it worse. He looks sexier than ever.
I throw a hand over my mouth as I realize I think of him as sexy. Maybe I need more drinks for clarity, I say to myself, then I walk away, searching for a table where I grab a champagne flute, downing the entire content in one gulp while Troy’s voice rings through the room, doing nothing but intensifying what I feel in my core.
Soon he stops speaking, and the crowd applauds while I keep myself busy with another flute of champagne.
“Juniper,” Troy calls out, startling me, and I turn around at once with shaky hands, causing the champagne I’m holding to soil his tuxedo.
“Oh, my God!” I exclaim, dropping the glass on the table and turning to him.
“I… I am so sorry,” I try to explain to him, but he holds my hands.
“June, it’s okay.” His voice comes out soft as he stares down at the mess on his outfit. “I’ll just get it cleaned up,” he says, attempting to walk away.
“Let me help you,” I say to him, reaching for his hand. He tries to protest, but I insist.
Then he surrenders, and I follow him as he makes his way up the stairs to a private room. When we get there, I drop my bag on the bed, then I walk to the bathroom, grabbing a towel which I apply soap on, and soak with a little water.
He is sitting on the bed with his tux off, then I make my way to him with my heart thumping in my chest. Instantly I regret my actions, but I know this is the only way I can help, so I try to cloud my mind with thoughts of Hiram as I dab the collar of his shirt gently, trying to clean off the stain on it. I try for a while, but it doesn’t work, and the way he keeps staring at me makes me feel suffocated.
“Ugh. It isn’t working!” My voice comes out high, and I pull away. I do not realize what I have done until I catch Troy glaring at me in shock.
I let out a sigh.
“I… I am sorry,” I say to him. “Just take off the shirt, and…”
“You do not have to do anything, June. It was a mistake, so do not work yourself up,” he says, then he gets to his feet, closing the space in between us.
“You stress yourself so much, June, and I really do not like it,” he adds, reaching for my right hand with his while his left parts my hair, tucking the loose strands behind my ear.
I look into his eyes, and then I feel the entire room disappear with the feeling in my core tightening. He leans in to kiss me, and I do not pull back. As soon as his lips meet mine, I kiss him back with urgency, and his hands roam around my body, pressing me into his