Chapter 30: Kinetic Energy
Timeline: 02:30, Saturday
Location: GIG/Apex R&D Campus, Agonwood
The ride back to Agonwood was quiet. Thomas drove.
Julian claimed the front passenger seat. He sat perfectly still, his profile sharp and unreadable in the passing highway lights. But every time I glanced at the rearview mirror, his eyes were there, watching the backseat where
I sat in the middle row between Marcus and Alex.
Marcus had fallen asleep almost instantly, his head resting against the cool glass of the window, his breathing deep and even. Dan and Ellie were conked out in the last row of seats. Alex was wide awake. He had loosened his tie and unbuttoned his collar. He sat with his legs crossed, relaxed but attentive. He reached over and took my hand, interlacing his fingers with mine. It was a warm, grounding touch.
"You survived," Alex said softly, his thumb brushing over my knuckles.
"We did," I whispered. "It was… fun."
"It was necessary," Alex countered gently. "You need to remember what the world looks like when you aren't measuring it."
I squeezed his hand. In the front seat, Julian shifted slightly. He didn't turn around, but the air in the car seemed to tighten.
When the SUV rolled through the gates of Agonwood, the silence broke.
"Guest Suites first, Thomas," Alex instructed. We pulled up to Block B. Dan and Ellie stumbled out of the third row, looking happy and exhausted.
"Best. Night. Ever," Ellie yawned, leaning against the door frame. "Lonna, are you staying over?"
I moved to unbuckle my seatbelt.
"Lonna has a debrief," Julian said from the front seat. He didn't turn around. His voice was calm, final.
Dan stopped stretching. He peered into the dark car. "At 2 a.m.?"
"Data doesn't sleep," Julian said.
"I'll see you guys in the morning," I said quickly and dismissively before Dan could start a fight he couldn't win from the sidewalk. "Get some sleep."
"Night, Lon," Dan said, glaring at the back of Julian's head. "Text me when you're home."
Thomas pulled away, driving the short distance to the Staff Rowhouses. Marcus woke up as we stopped. He blinked, looked around, and groaned. "Home," Marcus mumbled. He climbed out, stretching his massive frame. "Night, guys. Good party, Alex."
Alex squeezed my hand one last time before letting go. He climbed out and leaned back into the doorway. "Sleep in tomorrow, Lonna," Alex said gently. "You earned it."
He glanced at the front seat. "Goodnight, Julian."
"Alex," Julian acknowledged with a curt nod, still not turning.
Alex walked toward Unit 1.
I climbed out. The night air was cold, biting through the thin fabric of my tank top now that the adrenaline was fading. The front passenger door opened. Julian stepped out. He shut the door without a word to Thomas, and the SUV pulled away, leaving us in the silence of the courtyard.
I took a step toward my door.
"Wrong way," Julian said. He stood on the pavement, his key card in hand. He wasn't looking at me; he was walking toward Unit 2.
"I'm tired, Julian," I said, hugging my blazer around me. "And Alex said to sleep in."
"Alex is polite," Julian said, stopping at his door. "I'm not."
He turned to face me. "You're vibrating again. That loud brain of yours is even more active after that supposed respite," he noted. "If you go to your room now, you'll stare at the ceiling for three hours replaying the night. Come here."
It wasn't a request.
I looked at my door. Then I looked at him.
I followed him.
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Timeline: 03:15
Location: Unit 2 (Julian's Residence)
Julian held his card to the reader. The lock chirped, and a heavy bolt slid back with a mechanical thud. His house was lit only by the ambient glow of the appliances and the moonlight filtering through the sheer curtains.
"Shoes," Julian ordered. He expertly removed his own dress shoes and placed them neatly on a shoe rack. Then he walked into the living room.
I leaned against the wall and unzipped my boots. My feet ached as I stepped onto the cool laminate floor. I padded after him. He was standing by the window, pouring two glasses of water
"Drink," he said, turning to hand me one.
I took it. I drained it in one go. He was right; I was dehydrated.
"So," I said, setting the glass on the counter. "Am I here for a debrief? Or are you going to lecture me about dancing technique?"
"Why do you still challenge me," Julian said to himself more than to me.
He walked toward me and stepped right into my personal space, forcing me to tilt my head back to look him in the eyes.
"In the booth," Julian murmured. "You asked if I was going to kiss you."
"And you said no and kicked me out."
"I won't while you don't know what you want," Julian corrected. "We're not in the club anymore, Lonna. There's no music. No crowd. No Alex."
He reached out and took hold of the lapels of the navy blazer. He slid the blazer off my shoulders, letting it fall to the floor. The cool air hit my bare arms, raising goosebumps. He'd removed my armor—and a gift Alex had given me.
"The sequins," Julian said, his eyes tracing the silver camisole. "Chaos." He placed his hands on my waist, his thumbs pressing into the skin just above the waistband of my skirt.
"You said you needed to be entertained," I whispered. "What do you want, Julian?"
"I want you to stop thinking," he said.
He gripped my waist and lifted me. I gasped as my feet left the floor. He turned and sat me on the edge of the kitchen island, stepping between my knees. In the club, he had held me between his; now, he reversed the trap. But this time, there were no curtains. No other people.
"You think too much," Julian murmured, running his hands up my thighs, over the chiffon skirt. "You're still looking for an escape." He leaned in, his nose brushing against mine and his lips nearly touching mine. "I want you to stop calculating how far each exit is."
He kissed me.
It wasn't like the kiss in my bedroom. That had been a question. This was an answer. It was demanding, hungry, and absolute. He kissed me like he was trying to consume the oxygen in my lungs. One hand tangled in my hair, pulling my head back to deepen the angle; the other pressed flat against my lower back, arching me into him.
I made a small sound in the back of my throat—a surrender.
Julian groaned, a low vibration against my lips. He broke the kiss but didn't pull away. He trailed his mouth down my jawline to the sensitive spot under my ear.
"Tell me you're not thinking about the emitter," he whispered against my skin.
"I'm not," I gasped.
"Tell me you're not thinking about Alex."
"I'm not."
"Tell me who you're with."
"You," I breathed. "Julian."
He pulled back, looking at me. His pupils were blown wide, swallowing the grey of the iris. He looked dangerous. He looked hungry.
"Good girl," he praised. "This is the variable we can't solve, Lonna," he said roughly. "This isn't safe. Marcus is safe. Alex is safe. This… this is burning."
"I know," I whispered. I reached up, my hands finding the collar of his shirt. "I hate that I like it."
Julian let out a harsh breath. He grabbed my wrists, pinning them to his chest so I could feel the frantic, heavy thud of his heart. "You have no idea," he muttered.
He kissed me again, harder this time, his hands roaming over the sequins, the skin, the fabric, claiming every inch.
For a long time, there was nothing but the heat and the taste of him.
Then, he pulled away abruptly.
He stood there, chest heaving, staring at me sitting on his counter with swollen lips and messy hair. He ran a hand through his own hair, disrupting its perfect order.
"Go home," Julian rasped.
I blinked, dazed. "What?"
"Go home," he repeated, stepping back. "Before I forget that you have friends waiting for you in the morning."
He picked up my blazer from the floor and handed it to me. "You wanted to know if I could dance," Julian said, his voice rough. "Now you know."
I slid off the counter, my legs shaking. I took the blazer.
"You're kicking me out again," I said, but there was no bite in it.
"I'm saving you," Julian corrected. "Go."
I walked to the door. I shoved my feet into my boots. I opened the door and looked back. Julian was leaning against the island, gripping the edge of the counter with white knuckles, watching me leave.
"Goodnight, Julian," I whispered.
"Run, Lonna," he said softly.
I walked the ten steps to Unit 3. I tapped my key card against the reader and slipped inside. I leaned against the door, sliding down until I hit the floor. I touched my lips. They still tingled.
My phone buzzed. One new text from Dan.
[Dan] You home?
[Lon] Home.
I looked at the biometric readout on the smart thermostat display: HEART RATE: 140 BPM.
I laughed. Well, the sensor was working perfectly.