“Um,” says Nicole, eyes wide. Then the window rolls down and my heart drops into my lungs as my stomach drops into the ground. Staring up at me from the limo is Jordan’s perfect, sculpted face, his piercing blue eyes boring into mine.
“Katie,” he says. “Do you want to go for a ride?” It’s not a question. It’s only posed as one because we’re not alone. In truth, it’s a command, or at least, that’s how my body perceives it. Because anything issued from this man is a command my body has to obey. But I just stand there, frozen to the spot, my heart hammering in my chest. I can see Jordan’s jaw muscles clench. He’s not smiling, but instead staring at me intensely.
“What are you waiting for?” whispers Nicole beside me. And Jordan opens the door, scooting over to allow me to get in next to him.
“Go on, Katie!” hisses Nicole, and gives me a gentle shove towards the open door. “You’ll regret it if you don’t take this chance!” And I know she’s right. I have to know how this ends, even if it’s in tears. I take the three steps between me and the limo, and climb in, hearing the dull thud of the door closing behind me while accosted by the scent of rich leather and new car. Then we’re swaddled in a deafening silence, shielded from the world outside this expensive cocoon. The windows are tinted and the center divider up, giving us privacy.
I lift my gaze to face Jordan, hoping he can’t see the desperation in my eyes. A desperation for him to take me as he did that first time, to own me. But he’s staring down at me with some kind of desperation, too. Only it’s revealing itself in the form of intense restraint, causing him to clench his jaw as he holds back from touching me.
“Katie,” he growls.
“Where’ve you been?” I hear myself asking. It doesn’t sound angry or bitchy, merely gentle and a little sad. The words simply flow out of my lips, forming themselves automatically. Again, my body knows what to do, and that includes what to say, when I’m around him.
“I couldn’t keep away,” he continues, gaze anguished.
“Then why did you?” I whisper. It’s not a reproach, but a genuine question.
“You were my son’s girlfriend – ”
“Were,” I confirm. “So why the hesitation?”
“I had to wait until I spoke to Jimmy but he took his sweet ass time. He finally came by the apartment today, and told me it didn’t work out between you two. We had a talk about it and I decided to come find you straight away.”
My lips part in surprise at the knowledge. So Jordan’s just been trying to do the right thing by keeping away until he’d spoken to Jimmy? But then why is he so stoic now? Why is he holding back like he’s afraid to touch? The billionaire seems different from when I last saw him. The carelessness about him is gone, leaving a strong, serious, brooding character. It’s as if I’m seeing the real man for the first time. The perfection on the outside is still there, but there’s also a human being on the inside torn between his son and this new-found love. And strangely, seeing the caring side of the man amps up his masculinity even more.
“What’s wrong?” I ask, reaching up to touch his face. To my surprise, he grabs my hand in mid-air.
“Wait, Katie,” he says through clenched teeth, like he’s angry at me or something. He presses my hand into my lap and lets go.
“I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you. And that’s new for me. I’m not the kind of guy who loses sleep over a woman, especially not a girl your age,” he explains, making me swallow as I feel my face blush.
“That’s not meant as an insult,” he frowns again. “I just don’t like being out of control. Control is everything for a man like me – everything has to be calculated and carefully planned. Yet you make me feel like I have no boundaries. That there are no longer any rules, and it worries me, Katie. It’s a strange feeling, so I’ve tried putting you out of my mind. I tried using the excuse that you were Jimmy’s girlfriend in order to convince myself you weren’t right for me.” He says it honestly, although the words cut me to the core.
I gasp a bit, going white, but he shakes his head.
“Does that shock you? Well, it’s part of who I am, Katie. If I want something, I take it. That’s the way the world works for guys like me, and those who are scared of that kind of power, don’t get to where I am.” He licks his lips and runs his fingers through his black hair, as if trying to compose himself. I wait breathlessly, to see where this is going. He clears his throat and continues, looking me square the eyes.