Leaving the office, Juniper started toward the cafeteria, rummaging in her bag for a piece of candy. After a moment of fruitless searching, a dreadful thought urred to her: she was out. She still had exams this afternoon, hours to go. How was she supposed to get through it without sugar? Her shoulders slumped, and she felt like a wilted flower.


    An image of a certain man shed in her mind. If he were here, his pockets would surely be full of candy. She''d found some in there more than once.


    Shanley... The name echoed in her thoughts as she stared at her feet, walking aimlessly.


    As she neared the security office, a tall, imposing figure suddenly blocked her path.


    Juniper slowly lifted her gaze, her eyes traveling up a pair of long, well-tailored trousers to a handsome, sharply defined face.


    Shanley? She stopped dead in her tracks, her dull eyes suddenly sparkling with light as her heart began to pound against her ribs. One second he was in her head, and the next he was standing right in front of her.


    No way. She couldn''t be hallucinating just because she was craving candy, could she? At this time of day, he should be at the office.


    She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to clear her head. When she opened them again, he was still there.


    "Heh," Shanley chuckled, amused by her dazed and bewildered expression. He stepped closer, his deep voice washing over her. "You''re not seeing things. It''s me."


    He was so tall she had to tilt her head back to see his face. Her longshes fluttered. “What are you doing here?" she asked, her voice filled with disbelief.


    "I heard there was some trouble at


    school, so I came to check on you," he said, gently straightening the cor of her uniform. He took backpack from her, his tone softening with affectio candy?"


    Outof


    And she distinctly remembered Dana mentioning he had an important meeting at eleven this morning. Did he cancel it for her?


    How did he know about e


    Juniper pressed her lips together, saying nothing, but her eyes were glued to his jacket pocket. She wanted some. Badly.


    "Left pocket. Help yourself,” Shanley said, his one free hand holding his phone. “Go on."


    She stepped forward, closing the distance between them, and slipped her fingers into his suit pocket. It was filled with candy.


    Why did he carry so much with him?


    She nced up at him, her eyes meeting his tender gaze.


    "Ahem."


    A blush crept up her cheeks, and she quickly looked down. She pulled out a single piece, unwrapped it, and popped it into her mouth. The sweetness instantly melted on her tongue, washing away all heofatigüe and irritation. It was delicious.


    Grinning, she instinctively reached for another, but her hand was stopped in mid-air


    as Shanley''s fingers gently closed around her wrist.