The sight immediately irritated Juliet.
Her lips pressed into a thin line as she stood there staring at him. The indifferent expression on his face, combined with the way he deliberately focused on his food instead of her, only made her more determined.
A stubborn spark flashed through her eyes.
Without wasting another second, she marched across the room toward him.
Cassian had barely picked up his fork when he suddenly felt a hand wrap around his arm.
His hand paused.
Before he could even turn his head, Juliet gave his sleeve a small tug.
"Cassian."
Then, to his complete surprise, she climbed directly into his lap.
Cassian froze.
Every muscle in his body locked instantly.
The fork in his hand stopped moving as he stared at her in stunned silence.
Meanwhile, Juliet settled comfortably against him as though she had done it a thousand times before. She shifted slightly, finding a more comfortable position before slipping both arms around his neck once again. Her soft body pressed against his chest, and she tilted her head back to look up at him through her lashes.
Then she leaned forward and pressed a quick kiss against his cheek.
When she pulled back, a sweet smile curved her lips.
"Come on," she coaxed softly, her voice carrying a gentle, almost spoiled tone. "You're my boyfriend now, right? You should understand how difficult it is for me to live with you without my things."
As she spoke, she exaggerated her pout, looking so pitiful that it would have been almost convincing if her eyes weren't sparkling with mischief.
Cassian's entire body went rigid. A lock of dark hair fell across his forehead.
For a moment, he simply stared.
His heart slammed violently against his ribs.
My boyfriend.
The word echoed inside his head over and over again.
Did she just call him her boyfriend?
A strange warmth immediately spread through his chest, chasing away every trace of irritation he had been feeling moments ago.
Although his expression remained mostly unchanged, excitement surged through him so fiercely that it almost left him dizzy.
She called me her boyfriend.
For years, he had imagined hearing those words from her. He had dreamed about them more times than he could count.
And now she had said them so casually, so naturally, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.
For a moment, he almost didn't know how to react.
Completely unaware of the damage she had done to his self-control, Juliet leaned closer until only a small distance remained between them.
