Chapter 134

“He did,” Juniper replied. With a piece of cake in her left hand and a fork in her right, she had no free hands and obediently ducked her head down.
From that angle, her gaze landed directly on his chest. Shanley wasn’t wearing a tie, and the top buttons of his shirt were undone. As he moved, his shirt gaped slightly, revealing the sharp line of his Adam’s apple and his handsome, defined collarbones. Juniper’s chewing slowed, and a faint warmth crept into her cheeks.
“Click.”
The seatbelt fastened. Shanley pulled back, his eyes meeting her clear gaze. A smudge of white cream dotted the corner of her lips, making her look playful and adorable.
“Is it good?” His eyes darkened slightly as he sat up straight, taking a napkin to gently wipe the cream away.
“Mhmm,” Juniper hummed, licking her lips with a satisfied arch of her brow.
“I’ll bring you some every day from now on.” Shanley straightened up, his hands on the steering wheel, his eyes filled with a soft, indulgent warmth. The girl was surprisingly easy to please.
…
Back at Cloudscape Community, Juniper dropped her bag, washed her hands, and sat down for dinner. Dana’s cooking was perfectly to her taste, and she ate quite a bit. Throughout the meal, Shanley attended to her, peeling shrimp for her one moment and ladling fish soup the next.
After dinner, Juniper stood up to leave, but Shanley’s voice stopped her. “You have your quiz tomorrow?”
“Yeah.” She paused and turned to look at him.
“It’s still early. Bring your review materials over here. I’ll go over them with you.” He took off his jacket and began to slowly roll up his shirtsleeves, his movements graceful and elegant.
Juniper was at a loss for words, remembering his promise to Jimmie to not only take care of her daily needs but also help her with her studies.
Crap. She’d only been focused on the food part of the deal.
“I Juniper frowned, about to refuse. She was tired and wanted to sleep.
“After we review, I’ll have Dana make you a fruit salad.” Shanley patted the seat next to him. His expression was indulgent, but his tone was firm. “Juniper, come sit next to me.”
Fruit salad! The refusal died in her throat. Using food to tempt her was just cruel.
In the end, the young girl reluctantly brought her backpack over and sat down beside him. She spread her materials on the table, propped her chin on her left hand, and picked up a pen, her posture radiating unwillingness.
“Graphical analysis isn’t actually that difficult Shanley began, pointing to a section in her review packet and explaining it in a gentle voice.
Juniper listened quietly, but at some point, her attention drifted from the book to the man beside her. His high-bridged nose, the clean lines of his jaw, the perfect shape of his lips…
From her angle, she could see his features clearly, unable to find a single flaw. His looks were truly impeccable; no wonder even a notorious heartbreaker like Luella had praised him.
“Juniper Shanley noticed her staring into space and turned his head, gently tapping her forehead. His voice was a soft, affectionate murmur. “Are you going to get a high score by staring at my face?”
Actually, looking at his face during the test might just keep her from dozing off and help her score a few extra points.
“Probably,” Juniper muttered, accidentally saying her thoughts out loud.
Hearing this, Shanley’s eyes narrowed. He leaned his handsome face closer to
hers, his voice a seductive whisper. “Is that so? Well then, should I let you get a closer look?”