"That asshole is clearly jealous."
His deep voice rumbled softly beside her ear.
Juliet blinked.
Then she shrugged.
"What does that have to do with me?"
Cassian raised an eyebrow.
Juliet looked completely sincere.
"He has his own date," she said matter-of-factly, glancing briefly toward Vincent and Alexa before dismissing them entirely. "We should focus on ourselves, not strangers."
Strangers.
The word clearly pleased Cassian.
A slow smile spread across his face.
His gaze softened as he looked down at her.
Without warning, Cassian lifted a hand and gently cupped Juliet's face.
His fingers brushed against her cheek with such tenderness that Juliet's breath caught. She looked up instinctively, meeting his dark gaze. For a few heartbeats, it felt as though they were the only two people in the room.
Cassian's thumb slowly stroked her cheekbone before he lowered his head.
Juliet's eyes softened. Without realizing it, she rose onto her toes, one hand instinctively coming to rest against his chest, her fingers curling lightly around the lapel of his suit.
Their lips met.
The kiss was slow.
Tender.
Intimate.
Cassian's arm slid around her waist, pulling her closer until she was pressed securely against him. His touch was protective, possessive even, as though he wanted the entire world to know exactly where she belonged.
Across the ballroom, Vincent watched everything.
He stood completely still, his gaze locked on the couple as if unable to look away.
Every trace of color slowly drained from his face.
The hand holding his champagne glass tightened unconsciously.
Juliet had laughed like that with him before.
She used to look at him with that same softness in her eyes.
She used to stand close to him.
She used to belong beside him.
A dark, irrational jealousy surged violently inside him.
