Less than Perfect, S. J. Evans [classic literature books txt] 📗

to support her, she could’ve only imagined that she would have tumbled to the ground in an entirely less than graceful manner. Something fluttered in her stomach as she watched him, and licks of heat spread from her core all the way to the back of her throat. She swallowed hard on the foreign sensation and licked her chapped lips, preparing herself to move forward.
Her heartbeat sped up, fluttering like bird’s wings against her rib cage, and she took a deep breath, closed her eyes. With the darkness that welcomed her behind closed lids, she slowly began to recall the memories of their past time spent together: memories of Jules resting beside her, holding her hand, watching over her even as she slept, and never once leaving her side unless she asked him to; memories of Jules portraying her protector, savior, and healer, rebuilding all of the hope she’d once lost because of Johnny’s dark games—all the memories of the past six days she’d spent with Jules—and her loved ones—since Johnny’s death.
Those were the memories that held so much promise for a brighter future. A future where she not only had new hope for a life void of burdening pains and fears, but also a promise of a new love that could carry her through even the darkest of storms. A future where she was no longer hiding secrets and pushing away the people she loved most.
When she finally peeled her eyes open again, and disregarded the wondrous thoughts drifting around in her muddled mind, Jules was watching her, with his beautiful, trademark smile luring her into his captivating gaze. For a moment she forgot to breathe. Her entire body and soul lost to the depth of the connection they shared.
Without giving it a second thought, compelled by a drive she couldn’t ignore, Skye moved towards him, with her hands tightly gripping the crutches so that she wouldn’t lose her grip and stumble. He moved too, around the counter and away from where he’d been stationed for work, hustling to meet her. When they met in the middle, he instantly crushed her into him, held her securely in his arms. She accepted him without question, desperate to feel him close again.
“Hey, Trouble,” he cooed against her ear, softly, tenderly. “How are you feeling?”
She curled further into him, appreciating the instant feeling of security and warmth that smothered her by his embrace. “Better now that I’m here, with you.”
“Perfect.” He kissed the top of her head, a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips. “Did you have fun last night? I know I sure did.” He chuckled, pressed his lips against her temple. “We should have movie nights

more often.” His low, husky voice provoked a feverish frenzy inside her, releasing chills throughout her entire body.
She shivered as she remembered the events from the night before. She and Jules on the couch, tangled in each other’s arms, thoroughly enjoying each other’s company instead of the movie they’d planned on watching—a classic “movie night” that turned into much more. A night filled with tender caresses, soft kisses, warm embraces, and precious declarations of their love for one another. A night she’d never forget. One she’d always cherish for the beauty and promise its memory withheld.
A small, barely noticeable smile crept up her face. “Last night was perfect,” she said shakily, quivering under the heat of is touch. “I really needed it.”
“I hoped you’d say that.” He pulled her face in his hand, caressed it tenderly, requesting that she’d look into his eyes. When she did, his warm, bright emeralds peered deep into her soul. “How’d you sleep?” He narrowed his brows in the slightest. “Sorry I left so early this morning. Duty called.”
“I slept well,” she told him, and for the first time in a long time, she meant it. “I always

sleep sounder when you’re around. And don’t worry about this morning—I understand.” She smiled sweetly at him, brought her face closer to his, taunting him. “You do still have a job to keep.”
“If only I didn’t need to,” he murmured, curling a lock of her hair around his finger. “We could have a lot of fun together with that free time.” A wild grin spread across his face. “I’d be perfectly all right with ditching work right now. . .” His words trailed off as he brushed his lips over hers, just the feather of a touch.
“Jules,” she breathed, clutching his shirt in her fragile hands desperately. Her heart missed a beat when he flicked his tongue across her upper lip teasingly. “You can’t ditch. . .” She struggled to find the right words, too overwhelmed by the sensations clouding her body. “You’re not going to skip out on work today, Julian Rane. I—I won’t let you. . .”
Her words were lost in his mouth as he crushed his lips possessively against hers and lifted her off her feet, basking her in the comfort of his warmth. She made a small sound in the back of her throat, melting into his body. He explored her mouth deeply, fully, and in an instant Skye found herself depending solely on him, counting on his strength to hold her.
And when he eventually began to pull his lips away from hers, after many long, beautiful moments, she found herself trapped in a fuzzy haze that his eager kiss had created. She closed her eyes for a moment, tried to calm her erratic breathing, and nuzzled her face in his neck, treasuring the feel of his body so close and so comfortable against hers.
She groaned quietly when she felt him setting her down, left to rely on her own two feet again, and grabbed a hold of his arms to keep herself from falling. Until that moment, she hadn’t even realized her crutches had fallen to the floor. And right when she was about to bend over and pick them up, Jules leaned over and snatched them up for her, holding them out towards her.
She beamed at him then, allowing her arms to fall into place atop the crutches, and let out a breath she’d been unaware of holding. Gingerly, her fingers traveled to her dry, bruised lips, thrumming still with the energy left from his hungry kisses. She couldn’t help but ache for more—there had to be more. She wasn’t ready for him to be done yet.
“Don’t worry, baby,” he said slowly. His glazed eyes sparkled with satisfaction, and his lips were curled into a goofy, lopsided grin. Her heart leapt at the sight. “I’m not actually going to ditch.” He chuckled, and his warm hands cupped themselves around hers. “I do have a surprise for later though. After my shift.” He lowered his head towards hers, his lips brushing her ear as he added, “You’ll love it.”
“I—” She shook her head, discarded her frazzled train of thought. “I’m not worried,” she said eventually, around a sigh. “At least . . . not anymore.” Grinning at the thought of another one of his surprises, she turned his face around so that it was right in front of her and kissed him, slowly, softly, teasing him with more. “You changed my mind.”
He chuckled in the back of his throat, and pulled away so that their foreheads were pressed together. “Good.” A stray strand of her dark, tousled hair fell in her face and he brushed it behind her ear again, grinning at her. “It’ll be worth it.”
Melting under the heat of his gaze, she shrank back a little, averted her gaze. The longer she looked at the boy before her, the harder she fell under his spell, and the harder it became to pull away. But she had to sometime. She couldn’t stay in his arms forever. She had other people to see, other appointments waiting for her. Jules had only been a stop on the way.
“I should go,” she said quietly, almost as if testing the words on the tip of her tongue. “Leah will be here soon, and I haven’t even found a table yet.” She sneaked a peak at Jules, and smiled in satisfaction at the look of longing on his pretty little face. “I’ll be home later, though.
And I’ll be waiting for your wonderful little surprise.” Her heart quickened at the thought.
Jules’s face lit up, eyes gone bright and lips curved into a devilish smile. “I can help you find that table,” he cooed. “After all, it is

part of my job.” He wiggled his brows, daring her to challenge him.
She giggled. “Well, as much as I appreciate your kind offer, I think I’ll pass.” She glanced behind him, taking in account the strangers around the two of them who’d been intently watching their friendly little display of their affections. “I believe we have an audience.”
After giving her a questioning look, he took a subtle move at glancing over his shoulder to the people behind him, watching from afar. When he turned his focus back on Skye, he was struggling not to laugh. He ran a hand down the side of her face, and said, “Why don’t we give them a real good show, then? Shall we?” He tipped her chin towards him, and brushed his thumb across her bottom lip.
Her hands grasped her crutches for dear life, and with a generous amount of resistance she didn’t know she had in her, she shook her head and wobbled back a step. “No, Jules. You need to get back to work. So go. Before you get fired.”
He frowned. “Oh come on

, Skye,” he groaned dramatically. “I’m not going to get fired. I’m the best addition they’ve got. And besides—you owe me one last kiss. If you’re going to ignore me until tonight, then the least you can do is give me one last kiss goodbye.” He gave her winning puppy dog eyes, and added pouty lips for good measure.
She sighed, easily caving under the heaviness of his pleading gaze. “Fine,” she muttered, trying not to smile. “One last kiss goodbye. And then you’ll get back to your job, okay? Promise?”
“Promise.”
Without wasting a fraction of another moment, Skye quickly leaned up, planted a soft kiss on his lips, and began walking in the direction of the tables. She could hear Jules’s laughter trailing behind her, and grinned, pleased with herself.
“You call that a kiss?” he called out after her.
She didn’t hesitate before replying over her shoulder, “I call that just a little preview. The good stuff will come if you can impress me later.”

BY THE TIME Leah arrived at the shop, fifteen minutes had passed and Skye was having an even harder time keeping her eyes off of Jules. She just couldn’t do it. And every time he caught her looking at him, he’d grin and wink at her, like an agonizing little reminder of the long hours she’d have to wait before discovering his “wonderful” surprise. She’d tortured herself with the possibilities of what it could be, only to end up unsatisfied. By the time Leah sat down