The Return of the Ex: Dangerous Him and Love

For a brief moment, I thought there must have been something wrong with my ears.

I was attracted to the type of guy who might say "no" with his mouth, but his face would practically scream "keep close to me," all while his heart was racing with excitement, almost like a young boy wanting to be close to me.

But this... this was completely different from what I had imagined.

"Regretting it already?" Vincent asked, his eyelids lowering slightly as he leaned back into his chair, looking at me with an almost casual confidence. Instead of being flustered by my flirtations, he turned the tables on me effortlessly.

However, my competitive spirit flared up. There was no way I could back down now, so I responded with a slight smirk. "There's no taking back flowers once they've been given."

I leaned in closer, brushing off any hesitation and gently placed the wine glass he had been holding onto the table. Then, without an ounce of shame, I reached out for his broad hand, rubbing his palm lightly twice. "Let's head to the stage."

His warm fingers twitched for a moment before gripping my hand a little tighter than I had expected.

Without hesitation, he stood up straight, his back perfectly aligned, making the black suit he wore look even more refined and sharp.

His grasp on my hand was firm, almost possessive, as we made our way toward the podium together. The eyes of the crowd followed us, their surprise evident in their stares.

Some people gasped and others started clapping and cheering as if it were some sort of wedding.

The host was quick to adapt and then grinned while announcing, "Well, it seems the romantic atmosphere here is exceptionally strong today! We've only just reached the first step of flower-giving and already, we have a perfect match!"

I glanced down at the growing crowd, watching as people began to gather in the banquet hall. Men and women alike were probably cursing me under their breath.

Just moments before this, several girls had stood huddled together, admiring Vincent from a distance, too afraid to approach him.

The host suddenly turned to me, thrusting the microphone into my hands with a beaming smile. "Miss Caldwell, why don't you share a few words with this gentleman?"

I took the mic hesitantly, casting a sideways glance at Vincent. My gaze was soft, full of affection, though mostly for show.

Time to perform.

My mind raced through countless romantic confessions, each more dramatic than the last, but when I finally opened my mouth, the first words that slipped out were: "Um... what's your name?"

Laughter erupted from the crowd below, but the host was professional, so he quickly attempted to smooth things over. "Ah, it seems our lovely couple hasn't even exchanged names yet, but look at that! Their hearts are already burning with passion! That's the beauty of true love. When you meet the right person, nothing else really matters, not even the little details!"

I could hear Vincent mutter under his breath, "So noisy."

From this close distance, the host must have heard it too.

How embarrassing. How awkward.

I was not familiar with such an ill-mannered person.

Despite the awkwardness, the host held on to his professionalism like a lifeline, his smile unwavering as he passed the microphone between us. "So, what's the first thing you two plan to do once you leave this venue together?"

"Make love," Vincent answered swiftly, his tone unwavering and his expression as calm as if he had just commented on the weather.

Wait, what?

For a split second, the entire room froze. Everyone's gaze snapped to Vincent, their eyes widening in shock. He, on the other hand, casually cleared his throat and added, "Or just do whatever she likes."

***

Could he please stop speaking so recklessly in public?

The poor host, his career being tested to the limits, valiantly carried on with the same level of enthusiasm, offering us his heartfelt congratulations amidst the growing noise in the room.

At some point during all this chaos, Vincent leaned in close to my ear, his voice dropping to a low, intimate murmur. "You caused this trouble yourself, so you won't have any chance to regret this."

I felt my heart begin to pound, each beat heavy like the rhythm of a drum. Sweat had started to gather on my palms.

Vincent must have noticed it because, at that very moment, his grip on my hand tightened. He leaned in once more, his voice laced with challenge as he whispered, "Is this really the best you've got?"

***

His voice had a certain tingling effect and the breath that accompanied his words felt like soft feathers lightly brushing against my cheeks.

I had met a master at this game.

After we walked out of the banquet hall, I subtly shook the hand I was still holding onto, hoping he would get the hint and let go.

But instead, he turned to look at me, his expression calm and composed, as he asked, "We just had a successful blind date and now we're breaking up already?"

I felt a bit cornered, unable to match his stubborn demeanor. Sighing, I replied helplessly, "Geez, I'm just asking you to let go of my hand. It's not breaking up."

He did not budge. "No," he said, his voice laced with an unmistakable stubbornness that left no room for negotiation.

We walked in silence towards the parking lot, side by side, until we reached the two cars parked in front of us. One was a small, unassuming black Beetle and the other was … a sleek, black Porsche Cayenne.

We both pressed the buttons to unlock our cars at the same time.

Then, we both stopped for a moment, the air between us freezing.

Gripping my hand firmly, he pulled me toward his car with no regard for my feeble attempts to resist.

He put me in the passenger seat as he calmly got in beside me, closing the door.

He turned to me, his gaze locking onto mine with a playful glint in his eyes. "My car has a lot of space and is quite convenient."

Convenient... for what?

Seeing the surprised look on my face, he leaned in closer, lowering his head until he was mere inches from my face. "You take advantage of someone and now you think you don't have to pay it back?"