The Return of the Ex: Dangerous Him and Love

From such an ambiguous distance, his warm breath sprayed directly onto my face and I could feel the temperature inside the car rising sharply with every second that passed.

He unbuttoned his suit, letting the fabric drape over his body, while one of his hands casually rested on the back of the seat beside me. With the other, he gently pinched my chin. "Don't you want to touch me?"

My entire body trembled at his words.

The corners of his mouth curved into a rare smile, his tone turning playful as he teased, "Just now, you were the one taking the initiative. How come now you're playing hard to get?"

I could not tear my eyes away from his gaze. Those calm, deep eyes were staring back at me. A few strands of hair fell loosely over his forehead and his jawline was so defined.

As he leaned even closer, I felt my mind go blank. The buzzing in my head became louder, almost like the alcohol I had consumed earlier was kicking in all at once.

Olivia Caldwell, you forced me into this blind date, but don't blame me if things progress too quickly!

In a sudden rush of boldness, I reached out, grabbed his tie and yanked it hard, pulling him towards me.

Our lips collided, not with the softness I had expected but with a kind of forceful clash. There was no hesitation. Even the exchange of breath between our lips felt like some kind of competition.

I opened my eyes just enough to catch a glimpse of his Adam's apple bobbing as he swallowed, the color in his eyes slowly darkening, intensifying.

And then, out of nowhere, my phone rang.

Without even thinking, I reached for it, intending to end the call quickly so we could continue our moment.

However, just as I was about to press the button, Vincent grabbed my wrist, his grip firm yet deliberate. Before I knew it, he had answered the call and even turned on the hands-free mode.

"Eucalina, I heard from your mother that you went on a blind date today."

My pupils shrank. Elliot? I had thought for sure it would be my mother, Olivia, calling to check in and lecture me.

But how on earth could it be Elliot Sinclair?

I was about to reply when I felt Vincent's fingertips sliding underneath the hem of my skirt, tracing slow, deliberate patterns along the sides of my legs.

My entire body went rigid, nerves lighting up like a live wire. I gritted my teeth, trying my best to answer, "... Don't get the wrong idea. She was the one who insisted I go."

"I have no room for misunderstanding," Elliot said, his tone dripping with irritation as though he could barely contain it.

Meanwhile, I was doing everything I could to stop Vincent's hand from traveling further up my leg, but he was relentless, pinning my wrist above my head.

While glaring at him, I tried my best to speak calmly, "...Are you coming back this weekend?"

There was a pause on the other end of the line and I felt my heart leap into my throat. If Elliot noticed anything strange in my voice or the tremor in my breath, the situation would spiral out of control.

But fortunately, his answer was as usual, "It's so busy here in the village, lots of patients, few doctors. I'll find some time to come back next month."

"Okay... see you then." Vincent's hand slid to my waist, his fingers brushing lightly across my skin. I felt my body tremble, but I managed to finish the call and end the conversation before it was too obvious.

But after I said this, Vincent stopped suddenly and withdrew his hand.

I looked at him in confusion and my high heels almost instinctively brushed against his muscular calves in his suit pants. "Why did you stop?"

His gaze was sharp, his eyes narrowing with a kind of deliberate caution. He paused for a moment before speaking, his voice low and deliberate. "What's your relationship with him?"

That question caught me off guard. A shiver of unease ran through me. I pressed my hands against his chest to create some distance between us, but it was like pushing against a solid wall. He did not budge at all.

Though I should not have been, I found myself thinking about how good it felt.

I could not meet his eyes for long. The sudden pressure of the situation made me glance away as I stammered, "Male... friend?"

Vincent exhaled softly. His lips pressed into a thin line as though he were holding something back.

Then, without warning, he sat up straight, his expression turning cold as he looked ahead, his tone clipped and distant. "You can leave now."

I blinked, completely taken aback.

He did not glance in my direction again, but his voice cut through the silence, his words clear and firm. "I'll give you a week to handle things with him."

He paused a moment before adding, "Don't let me find out by myself."

Before I could respond or even make sense of his words, he reached across me, his long arm stretching over my body to push the car door open.

I wanted to say something, but before I could say anything, I could not figure out why I needed to explain to him, so I got out of the car.

I had assumed this was just a casual encounter and that this cool guy probably only wanted something physical, like a fling. After all, with my looks and figure, I figured it was mutual. We could get what we needed from each other and move on. But now... I was not so sure.

Was he serious about this?

As I watched the sleek black silhouette of his black Porsche Cayenne drive away, a sudden realization hit me. I did not even have his number.

The drive home felt long, my hands gripping the steering wheel tighter than usual, my palms damp with sweat. Everything that had happened tonight seemed surreal.

What exactly was this between us now?

He had my business card, that much I knew. But would he actually contact me?

Thinking of this, I pulled another identical card from my bag. My eyes landed on the bold black print of [Marion Caldwell], my name standing out starkly against the white background.

I took a deep breath, the air catching slightly in my throat.

I pressed down hard on the accelerator, passing through just as the traffic light ahead turned red. The wind rushed past the open windows, howling like a warning and a cold shiver ran down my spine.