Borrowed Time

Chapter Eighty Seven

For the first time in two days... Probably longer if she really thought about it... Juliette was happy to have woken up. She felt calmer than she could ever remember feeling, peaceful... When had she been peaceful before? Was that a side effect of having sex with Esme Panchek? It must be.

She had sex with Esme Panchek... Yeah, that wasn't something that was easily forgotten. She let a smile spread across her face as she turned on her side, watching Esme as they continued to sleep, their face fully relaxed, their lips slightly parted... They looked so cute in the morning... It made Juliette's heart ache in the best way.

She pressed a soft kiss to Esme's cheek, rousing her from slumber.

"Jules... Mmm... How long have you been up?" Esme murmured, opening one eye to look at Juliette, a smile creeping onto their lips... God, they were so pretty in the mornings... Well, they were pretty all the time, but the morning just sort of highlighted their natural beauty.

"Only a few minutes longer than you, I was just admiring you." Juliette said, keeping her voice quiet. She didn't want to disturb the peaceful bubble that they seemed to have surrounding themselves... It was too wonderful to ruin.

Esme stretched up and sighed, their tank top riding up to expose their lower stomach. Juliette slid her hand over the warm bare skin and sighed, rubbing her thumb across the line of Esme's tattoo. So pretty.

"You mean you were staring at me while I slept, don't you?" Esme asked, a small smile on their face as Juliette nodded.

Of course I watch you sleep. Who wouldn't watch you sleep? That sounded creepier than she'd meant for it to sound, but what was she supposed to think, right?

"Of course that's what I meant." Juliette pressed a series of soft kisses to Esme's cheek, sliding her hand from where it was resting on Esme's stomach to their waist, pulling them closer under the blankets, holding them close. "I do that a lot, you look very peaceful while you sleep." She murmured, and Esme let out a chuckle, warm and low in a way that sent a shiver down Juliette's spine. God, their morning voice...

"Well, that isn't a terrifying statement at all, is it?" They asked, making Juliette shrug. If it were a stranger saying that and not her, yeah, that'd be fucking creepy... Mostly because that would mean that a stranger was watching her sleep and they would have a whole different set of problems to deal with.

"Not from me." Esme nodded. Good, they were in agreement on that.

"That's true." They pulled Juliette back down to lay against their chest. Well, she couldn't argue with that, now could she? "Anyone else and I'd be filing a restraining order." They said, and Juliette grinned... Well, she could make a wordplay joke off that, couldn't she? It'd be a missed opportunity if she didn't.

"I mean, I don't mind being restrained by you." Juliette whispered, and Esme coughed, looking at her with surprise as they shook their head... They hadn't expected that.

"That's not what I meant." They said, their voice croaking out. Juliette chuckled and pressed a kiss to the nape of their neck, and then another. They deserved millions.

"I know. I just thought it was funny, sue me."

"I'd win." ... Yeah, probably. Emma's family would help them get a lawyer and Juliette would be screwed... and not in the fun way.

"Mhm, I'm so sure." She traced her fingers under Esme's shirt, bringing her hand up to rest on their breast as she looked up into their face... God, she'd never wanted someone as bad as she wanted them. "Can I go down on you?" Juliette asked, making Esme choke on air as they sat straight up for a moment, pounding on their chest as they looked at Juliette with a shocked expression.