Chapter 958
[ 659 words ]
The holidays were fast approaching.
For the first time in sixteen years, the seven siblings were spending the season together. The gathering was taking place at the Subterra Vanguard base in Australis.
Juniper sat on a plush rug, a lollipop in her mouth, watching Shanley pack her suitcase.
“Tell your grandparents I’m so sorry I couldn’t be there,” she said softly. Long ago, she had promised to spend the holidays with them.
“They understand completely,” Shanley replied, his voice rich and low. “I had Dana pack enough of your favorite snacks to last you half a month. If you run out, I’ll have more flown in.”
She was staying in Australis for two weeks. Originally, Shanley was going to stay with her, but she knew his parents and grandparents wanted him home for the holidays. So, she insisted he return to Borealia.
It was only two weeks. They had survived far longer separations in the past. They would survive this one.
“That should do it,” Shanley said, zipping up the suitcase. He walked over to her and pulled out a sleek, festive holiday envelope, a gorgeous smile playing on his lips. “Happy holidays, my girl.”
Since they couldn’t spend the actual day together, he was giving her his present early.
“A holiday envelope?” Juniper took it, feeling the texture. It was very thin, and rigid. “Yeah,” Shanley nodded, watching affectionately as Juniper opened it and slid out an exclusive, matte black bank card.
“This is my first time spending the holidays with you, so I wasn’t sure how much cash to put in,” Shanley murmured, staring down at her with infinite tenderness. “This is my primary black card. All my liquid assets, real estate holdings, stock dividends, and corporate payouts… every single cent I earn is deposited into this account.”
He had already transferred a massive fortune to her name previously, but this was the key to his ongoing empire. He was handing over the main card to her and keeping the secondary card for himself. From now on, he was essentially living on an allowance from his girlfriend.
“I see.” Juniper twirled the black card between her fingers, an amused glint in her eye, before slipping it into her pocket. “So… what does my handsome Shanley want for his holiday present?”
Hearing her playfully call him ‘handsome’, Shanley’s throat bobbed, his eyes darkening with desire. “I don’t need anything. The greatest gift in the world is already
Sitting right in front of me.
Juniper’s brow arched slightly, a wicked little smile forming on her lips.
“But you haven’t unwrapped this present yet, have you?”
Shanley frowned slightly, trying to process the implication. What did she mean by ‘unwrapped’?
Before he could put the pieces together, Juniper stepped into his space. Her fingertips lightly traced his jawline, trailing slowly down his heek, over his prominent Adants apple, lingering on his collarbone, and finally resting flat against his chest.
With a gentle push, the incredibly powerful, terrifying boss of the underworld fell helplessly backward onto the bed.
“Juniper-“
Before he could finish his shocked gasp, the girl crawled over him, planting her hands on either side of his head and staring down at him with a predatory gaze.
“Stop messing around,” Shanley groaned, his voice instantly dropping an octave as he gripped her waist to keep her still. “Go to sleep. We have an early flight tomorrow.”
“Don’t you want your present?” Juniper leaned down, pressing a soft kiss to his jaw, her tone dead serious.
Shanley swallowed hard, the sound of his own heartbeat deafening in his ears. The last shreds of his rationality were hanging by a thread.
“I do,” Shanley inhaled sharply, fighting a losing battle against his raging desires. “But I wouldn’t dare.”
Juniper stayed silent, simply staring into his eyes.
“When your siblings thought you
were pregnant earlier, Celine practically went into shock, and Ebony Fox had a loaded gun pointed at my head,” Shanley whispered, his hands tightening on her hips. “If I
actually cross that line tonight, they will literally hurt me down and mount my head on a wall.”
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