“Juni?” Sophia’s voice filtered through the door.

They finally separated, though Daniel’s hands lingered at her waist for one more precious moment. Juniper ducked her head, hiding both her smile and the heat she could feel blooming across her cheeks.

Her gaze fell naturally downward, catching the shine on his buckle - she couldn’t help but notice the drape of his fabric… seeking evidence that whatever had been separating them no longer did, that maybe he was one of the affected as well.

Her heart hoping to see a sign that things had shifted in her favor, that she wasn’t just another easy mark.

A sign that he not just wanted, but needed to be rinsed off with her… just even slightly stacked up.

That this was what she hoped it to be… that Daniel wasn’t just another shottaker who was cashing in on what she’d made too easy. That this was something real…