Chapter 0452


    Original from N?velDrama.Org.


    Either way, I was now here, standing in my human form, watching Julian unbutton his shirt.


    Julian nced backwards and me and waggled his eyebrows. “I thought it would be nice to


    go


    for a swim.”


    “And you are going to get naked to do that?” I asked.


    Last button unbuttoned, he shucked his shirt off down his arms. Then he folded it nicely and ced it


    over his suit coat. When he reached for his belt, I immediately swiveled. Blushing, I put my back to him.


    I had seen enough already to be embarrassed. Julian had a slimmer physique than Nichs, but he


    was still toned and handsome. That much bare skin nearly set my face ame.


    “You wouldn’t have me wet my clothes, would you?” Julian said, augh in his voice. “I could get sick!”


    Even though I have my back to him, I still covered my eyes. “Julian!”


    Heughed, loud and strong. “Fine. I’ll leave my boxers on.” Then his voice dropped lower, ?ultry and


    dangerous. “Why don’t you join me, Piper? A good moonlight swim always clears the head.”


    I shouldn’t. I really shouldn’t.


    But the moon was bright, and with all the wild freedom pulsing through my veins, I couldn’t really resist.


    Especially with the promise we would be keeping on our underwear.


    A heard a ssh behind me, and turned to look. Julian was already in the water.


    “Come on, Piper!” he called. “Live a little! While we’re still alive!”


    “Turn around!” I called back to him.


    “What? Why?”


    “I can’t undress with you watching!”


    Even at this distance, and even with the darkness, I could still tell that he rolled his eyes at me. Yet,


    because he was a gentleman at heart, no matter how much he tried to convince others otherwise, he


    turned his back to me.


    I hastily undressed and threw my clothes into a pile rather than folding him. Truthfully, I


    +15 BONUS


    knew he was a gentleman at heart, but I didn’t fully trust that yboy to not at least sneak a peek.


    I jumped into the water a momentter, making a ssh that crashed down over Julian. He turned


    toward me, just as my head resurfaced above water.


    “Holy shit! It’s freezing!” I cried. God, it was like ice water prickling my skin.


    “You’re being dramatic,” he said, but this close I could see his teeth chatter.


    “You jerk! You tricked me toe in here!”


    “All I did was suggest it! A little cold water does a world of good. Good for the heart.”


    He was making that up entirely. I red at him as I waded my way over to the edge of the water. He


    laughed as he followed me out.


    Fortunately the night air was warm, so we were not in much danger of catching colds. Even so, Julian


    handed me his suit jacket.


    “Use it as a towel,” he said. So I did, patting myself gently down, then I handed it back to him so he


    could do the same. I avoided looking at him as much as I could.


    After we dried, we changed back into our clothes. Then heid down side by side at the bank of the


    lake and looked up at the starlight.


    “It’s a shame,” he said.


    I turned my head to the side, to look over at him. “What is?”


    He didn’t look back. “If we had met each other first, maybe we would have fallen in love with each


    other, and none of this heartbreak would have happened.” (1


    I looked away, back up to the stars. It didn’t matter now, I supposed. Maybe he was right. Maybe he


    wasn’t.


    It would only hurt to think about what could have been.


    Silence lingered between us. It wasfortable but a bit sad. Bittersweet, maybe.


    “How do we move forward from this, Julian?” I asked. “How do I heal my heart?” Julian said, “If I knew


    that, Piper, I would have done it long ago.”