Don't Mess with the Girl with Candy novel Chapter 977

"Then why did you just call Luella your little darling?" Shanley clearly wasn't buying her sweet-talking, crossing his arms sullenly. "I heard it. I heard the whole thing."

"I was just playing her."

Juniper stood up and stepped directly into his personal space, practically melting against his chest.

She rested her chin on his sternum, looking up at him through her lashes, the corners of her eyes curving up.

It was a blatant, calculated attempt to butter him up.

"Luella practically lives at the Subterra Vanguard base keeping things running, which is the only reason I have so much free time to spend with you."

Juniper licked her lips, spinning absolute nonsense. "I just have to keep her fiercely loyal to the cause, don't I?"

Shanley stared down at her, his eyes narrowing slightly as if to say:

*Keep lying. Keep spinning your little web.*

"Besides," Juniper shifted higher, pressing a quick, soft kiss to the corner of his mouth, her tone deadly serious. "Luella likes men. We're just besties."

Hearing that, Shanley suddenly remembered Luella's bizarre habit of collecting photos of shredded male models' abs.

Right.

Thank god her tastes leaned towards men, otherwise...

"You aren't mad anymore, right?" Juniper's round eyes sparkled, her voice soft and dangerously persuasive.

"No."

Properly appeased, Shanley's expression finally thawed. He leaned down, aiming to kiss her properly.

"Glad we cleared that up."

The moment she achieved her goal, Juniper's affectionate smile vanished. She slipped out of his arms like a slippery eel, dropped back onto the couch, spun her laptop to face him, and adopted a strictly business expression. "Now, let's talk about why our stocks are being squeezed to a halt."

Suddenly finding his arms empty, the heat that had just flared up in his chest was thoroughly doused with cold water.

Shanley frowned hard, his voice dropping into a husky rumble. "Is this really the time for business?"

"What else would we be doing?"

Juniper shrugged, looking at him as if he were crazy. "This is millions in losses we're talking about! Millions!"

She emphasized the 'millions' with terrifying intensity.

What a little capitalist.

Shanley couldn't help but smirk. He leaned over, his gaze dropping to the glowing screen.

He had already been briefed on the "Sanctum Holdings" situation.

If neither Cybernetic Shadows nor Binary Oracle could unmask them, their opponent was far from ordinary.

"What else is there?" Juniper shrugged lightly. "Do you have more paperwork?"

"I think it's time we get down to our own proper business." Shanley gently pinched her cheek, leaning in to brush a kiss against the corner of her lips.

"This is your definition of proper business?"

Juniper's eyelashes fluttered. She stared deep into his eyes, her breathing suddenly hitching.

"Very proper."

Shanley's lips curved. His left hand gripped her waist firmly while his right hand slid around to cup the back of her neck.

He leaned down again, deepening the kiss into something entirely consuming.

Juniper frowned slightly. She was genuinely exhausted.

But the face looming over hers was undeniably, unfairly intoxicating.

Tsk.

Her body was a lot more honest than her logical brain.

By the time she fully registered what was happening, her arms were already locked around his neck, willingly pulling herself deeper into the current.

***