Julian's hands slid from Beatrix's waist lower, fingers curling around the backs of her thighs. He lifted her legs slightly—guiding them around his hips in one smooth, possessive motion—pressing her back against the nearest wall of the observation deck.
Beatrix gasped sharply, eyes widening in surprise. "Julian—!"
The sudden intimate grip made her thighs tense under his palms—warm, soft skin yielding just enough to make his fingers dig in a fraction deeper. She instinctively wrapped her arms tighter around his neck to steady herself, cheeks flaming despite the cool air of the room.
He didn't rush. He simply held her there—bodies flush, her weight supported easily against the wall and his chest—letting her feel the heat of him through their clothes. Slowly, deliberately, his thumbs began tracing lazy circles along the sensitive inner crease of her thighs, inching higher with each pass.
