Chapter 10%
I could feel the bass of the club vibrated through my body. I traced the rim of my glass with my fingers as I tried to settle into the atmosphere. But there was no escaping the presence beside me.”
Jared Williams #
I hadn’t expected to see him here. I hadn’t expected to hear his voice over the pulsing music, offering to buy my drink as if this were just another casual night out. But as he leaned against the bar, I realized he wasn’t just here by chance.
He studied me for a beat before speaking. “Drinking alone at midnight? That doesn’t seem like you, Ms. Hart.“%
I let out a dry laugh before taking a sip of my drink. Then I met his gaze. “Maybe you don’t know me as well as you think, Mr. Williams.“%
Jared tilted his head slightly. His smirk slowly deepened. “Try me.“%
I exhaled as my fingers tightened around my glass. “Let’s just say I had an eventful night. A birthday party that overstayed its welcome.”
His brow lifted. His interest was clearly piqued. “Let me guess. Your ex and his lovely new fiancée?“}
I rolled my eyes while swirling the liquid in my glass. “She’s not his fiancée. Yet. But judging by the way people were already planning their wedding tonight, I doubt it’ll take long.“/
Jared hummed as he watched me closely. “And you? How do you feel about that?”
I let out a slow breath before setting my drink down. “Would it be terrible if I said I don’t feel much at all?”
His gaze flickered with something unreadable. “Not terrible. Just unexpected.“%
I shrugged. “Maybe I spent so long fighting for something that was never really mine to begin with, that when I finally let go, I realized I didn’t lose anything at all.”
Jared nodded as if he understood. And somehow, I believed he did. “Sounds like freedom to me.”%
I smirked as I picked up my drink again. “And what about you? What brings you here tonight?“>
He leaned back against the bar. A lazy expression was plastered on his face. But there was also amusement on it. “Dinner with business partners. It ran late. And I figured I’d grab a drink before calling it a night.”
I quirked a brow. “And yet, here you are, sitting with me.”
Jared chuckled. Then he tilted his glass toward me before taking a sip. “Like I said, unexpected turns.”
Something about the way he looked at me made my pulse quicken. There was no pity in his gaze. No veiled condescension. Just quiet curiosity. It was like he was peeling back the layers without ever needing to ask permission.
The music changed to a sultry beat vibrating through the speakers. Suddenly, the air between us thickened. The way his eyes lingered on mine and the way the corners of his lips lifted just slightly, it was intimate in a way I hadn’t expected.
I drained the rest of my drink before setting the glass down with a decisive click. “It’s late.”
Jared watched me for a moment before nodding. “I’ll drive you home.”/
I hesitated for only a second before agreeing. I wasn’t reckless. But I also wasn’t interested in ending the night just yet.”
***
The drive was quiet. The city lights casted fleeting shadows across Jared’s face as he navigated the streets. My thoughts should have been on everything that had happened earlier. On Jairus, on Katie, and on the way I had finally severed the last thread that tied me to my past.
But they weren’t.”
Instead, I was acutely aware of Jared beside me. He was tapping his fingers idly against the steering wheel. His presence was both grounding yet electrifying all at once.”
As we pulled up to my building, he shifted in his seat to face me. “Vanessa-“}
I turned to him. But before I could speak, he brushed his fingers against my chin. Then he tilted my face towards his. The moment stretched, thick with something unspoken./
Then he kissed me.
It wasn’t tentative or unsure. It was deliberate and slow. A question and an answer all at once.}
Heat curled low in my stomach. My fingers tightened against the seatbelt strap. When he pulled back, his gaze searched mine. “Are you single?” he almost whispered.
let the smallest smile play on my lips. My heartbeat was thrumming against my ribs. “Soon.“}
Something flickered in his eyes. Satisfaction, maybe. Whatever it was, it made him lean in again, deepening the kiss, and making me forget everything except the feel of him.”
And for once, I let myself get lost in the moment.”
