"Look, what about these ones?" she asked.
A second later, several photos appeared on his screen.
The moment the first photograph loaded, Cassian's heartbeat faltered.
His fingers loosened around the phone so suddenly that it almost slipped from his hand. He caught it at the last second and stared at the screen, his body going completely still as his eyes locked onto the image in front of him.
Juliet stood inside a fitting room, smiling brightly at the mirror while showing him one bikini after another. She looked completely unaware of the effect she was having on him, posing naturally as she snapped pictures and sent them to him as casually as if she were asking him to choose between two dresses.
Cassian swallowed hard.
Then another photo arrived.
And another.
Soon his phone was filled with pictures of Juliet trying on different bikinis, each one making it harder for him to focus on anything else. His jaw tightened slightly as his gaze moved from one image to the next. The meeting room, the executives around him, and the discussion worth billions of dollars gradually faded into the background until all he could see was her.
"Does this one look nice?" Juliet asked.
Several more photos appeared before he could even answer.
Cassian leaned back in his chair and slowly dragged a hand through his hair, releasing a quiet breath as he tried to regain some measure of self-control. It was a hopeless effort. Every time he thought he had recovered, another photograph would appear on his screen and completely ruin it.
On the other side of the call, Juliet lowered her phone and turned toward the mirror again, studying her reflection. She shifted slightly from side to side before smoothing her hair over one shoulder and looking at herself one last time.
"Which one looks best on me?" she asked. "Which one should I buy?"
The question immediately made the smile on his face deepen.
Only a few minutes ago, he had been completely focused on business, listening to reports and discussing company matters. Now every thought in his head revolved around her. What amused him most was that Juliet wasn't asking anyone else's opinion. She was asking for his.
His choice.
His preference.
For some reason, that simple realization filled his chest with a warmth he couldn't quite explain.
His eyes drifted back to the photographs again, lingering on them longer than they probably should have before he finally lifted the phone to his ear.
"You look good in every outfit," he said honestly.
Juliet laughed, clearly pleased with the answer.
"Good. Then I'm buying all of them."
Cassian couldn't help smiling.
"And I'm putting them on the card you gave me because I'm not that rich yet. So you might get a very big bill under your name, Mr. Han."
The playful teasing in her voice only made his smile widen further.
"I'll survive."
Juliet laughed again, the bright sound warming something inside him.
"Okay, I'm heading home now. Bye-bye. I'll see you at home."
Before he could say anything else, the call ended.
