Chapter 34

S: [Are you asleep?]
Juniper glanced at the time. 7:30 PM. Who goes to bed at 7:30? Ridiculous.
She shot the message a cool glance, tossed her phone onto the nightstand, and grabbed her clothes to head for the bathroom.
After her shower, Janet roped her into helping with a few homework problems. By the time she was done, it was around ten o’clock.
Lying in bed, Juniper stared at the yellowed ceiling. She closed her eyes but couldn’t sleep. After tossing and turning for a few minutes, she reached for the candies Shanley had given her. She popped one in her mouth and felt a wave of calm wash over her.
Later that night, Juniper had a dream. In it, Shanley stood before her, his deep eyes fixed on her as his elegant fingers slowly unbuttoned his shirt.
“Do you enjoy the view, Ms. Payne?”
His shirt parted to reveal a lean, muscular chest with well-defined abs. Lower down was the seductive V-line of his hips… and even lower…
“Did you not get a good enough look?” the man smirked, his entire being exuding a magnetic, almost dangerous allure that threatened to pull her in. “This time, I’ll let you see everything, Ms. Payne.”
As the man moved closer, Luella’s words echoed in Juniper’s mind. “Oh, him? He can’t get it up.”
The thought jolted her awake. She sat up in bed, her cheeks burning.
Why on earth would she dream about Shanley? It must be because he kept showing up around her so often.
That had to be it!
…
On the other side of the city, in a luxurious, quiet private room, a tall man was sunk into a booth, his long legs crossed casually. His right arm rested on the armrest while his left swirled a glass of red wine. His lips were pressed into a thin line as he stared intently at his WhatsApp screen.
Three whole hours had passed, and the message he’d sent still had no reply. Clearly, the little miss didn’t want to talk to him.
“Flint,” Shanley’s sharp brows knitted together, a hint of fond indulgence hidden in his casual tone. “Send someone to Australia to buy some mango candies. Have them delivered by private jet before noon tomorrow.”
“Yes, sir.” Flint’s initial surprise had long since turned into stoic acceptance. To win Ms. Payne’s affection, there were bound to be even more extravagant requests. He had to maintain his composure.
Fine.
“What kind of candy requires a private jet?”
Just as he spoke, the door to the room swung open. Jimmie walked in, dressed in a windbreaker and a face mask. He took off his hat, tossed it onto the sofa, rolled up his sleeves, and downed two glasses of wine before asking quizzically, “I thought you hated mango candies.”
“A certain young lady likes them,” Shanley said, his eyes narrowing as a soft smile played on his lips, a look that was both casual and deeply indulgent.
A young lady? Jimmie sensed there was more to the story, his tone playful. “Don’t tell me you’re defying your grandmother for her?”
He had heard that a while back, Hannah had picked up some “miracle doctor” girl off the street and had taken such a liking to her that she insisted on having her as a granddaughter-in-law. Shanley had deliberately avoided meeting her, which had made Hannah so furious she’d threatened to disown him.
Jimmie found it quite surprising. He knew how devoted Shanley was to his grandmother. He’d never liked the blind dates, but he always went along with whatever Hannah arranged.
This time was different. Truly remarkable.
“What kind of girl could capture the heart of the great CEO of the Schwartz Group?” Jimmie raised his glass with a tilt of his chin. “Got a picture? Let me see!”