This was the first time Gaël had asked her to meet him, and Juliette couldn't help feeling nervous as she wrung her hands while waiting for—-
Oh.
Juliette's heart skipped a beat as the familiar sight of her guardian's limousine rolled up the driveway, and Gaël's chauffeur, dear old Toby, stepped out to open the door for his master.
"Hi."
The tightness in Gaël's chest eased upon hearing Juliette's breathless tone. No woman would sound like this if the man she was talking to was someone she saw as her father. Right?
Juliette's apprehension returned when she saw Gaël's gaze suddenly sweep the parking lot. "What is it?"
"Most of the students here drive their own cars," Gaël observed darkly.
"Well...of course. Not all of them can afford to hire their own personal drivers—-"
"Do you think it's better that I drive rather than take the limo?"
Juliette's brows furrowed. "What do you mean by better?"
"Which would make you more comfortable? Do you prefer riding the limo with me? Or is it more comfortable for you if I were the one behind the wheel?"
Juliette's confusion grew. "I'm still not sure what you mean, but..." She looked at him earnestly. "I think it's your comfort that should matter more. Didn't you once tell me that you preferred taking the limo because it afforded you to work and multitask while traveling? But you see, you're always so busy everyday, I also think taking the limo is ideal. That way, you can use any spare time you have to rest."
It was not the answer Gaël had expected, but damn if those words didn't make him realize just how fucking sweet his ward was. However—-
"Can I ask you one last thing?"
"Okay..." Juliette couldn't help tensing as she waited for him to speak. It wasn't like Gaël to talk about these things in public, and they couldn't get any more public than the two of them standing in front of the school entrance, with every UdLA student gaping and staring at their direction. Could this be some kind of test? Or a trick question, maybe?
"Have you ever thought of me as your father?"
Oh, she knew it!
He was up to one of his tricks again!
Gaël was caught off guard when Juliette suddenly started blushing and shaking her head.
"Oh my God, Gaël," his ward whispered. "Stop it. Not here, please."
He blinked. "Stop what?"
"You're teasing me again," Juliette accused him under her breath. "You've figured out that I can't play those games—-"
Since she was still whispering, and he still had no idea why that was, Gaël decided to play along as he lowered his head and whispered back, "What games?"
Juliette looked at him, aghast. Was he really going to make her say it here? Didn't he notice the other students and even faculty members staring at them?
"Well?"
Oh God.
He was really going to make her say the words then.
With her cheeks turning red, Juliette squirmed as she whispered, "Kinky games. You realized that I just can't do it and call you daddy, and that's why you've been asking these questions. I'm right, aren't I?"
Gaël's lips pressed together in a straight line. Juliette had obviously misunderstood him, but by doing so, she had also given him the answer he needed. His ward definitely did not think of him as her father, and as for Juliette's other worry...
Juliette started squirming again when she saw the contemplative look in her guardian's eyes.
"Are you sure you can't call me daddy?"
Juliette gave him a horrified look. Yes, she was absolutely sure she didn't have it in her to call him...that.
"But...what if I say it would terribly disappoint me that you can't?" Gaël knew he shouldn't be teasing his ward like this, but how the fuck could he resist doing so when she was being so adorable with the way she was now fidgeting in front of him?
Juliette gnawed on her lip. She hated the thought of disappointing her guardian, but...
"Are you sure you won't change your mind?"
Oh God.
When his tone was husky like that, she wanted to give him everything, but...
"Can't you please choose something else?" she begged. "I'll call you anything else...except that."
"Then...how about you choose what to call me," Gaël said solemnly, "and I'll let you know what I think?"
His ward went back to her lip gnawing, and it was all he could do not to gnaw on her lip himself. A few more moments passed, and just as he was about to take pity on her and say he was only teasing, Juliette suddenly raised herself on her toes and whispered her choice straight into his ear.
Fuck.
He was instantly hard, and without another word, he grabbed her hand and made a terse call to his driver.
Juliette's heart was beating hard as Toby came back to pick them up. Once inside the limo, Gaël didn't waste time getting the privacy window behind his driver slide up, and before she could ask him what he had in mind—-