Chapter 5

Clara

Who is this man??????

I swallowed hard, trying to get my words together but my brain was suddenly blank and my chest tight.

“It's nice to meet you, again,” he said and stretched out a hand for a handshake.

I looked at him, at his hand and swallowed hard. “Do you want to explain what's going on?”

“Oh that,” he said and laughed. “I will… In my car.”

Jesus… How did I even get here? The air in the car thickened as we drove off.

He looks even more handsome than I remember. Although I don't remember much, every single detail from when his hands touched me remains stuck in my brain.

Not one word had left his mouth and that alone made me nervous.

I sat right in the passenger seat with the seatbelt tucked and my head tilted to the side, just so I don’t have to look at him.

When another thirty seconds passed without any word from him, I swallowed hard and forced my lips to part. “Where are you taking me to?”

“To talk business.”

His hands remained on the steering wheel and his eyes on the road. Although it was a private road in the estate, I could still see how careful he was being.

“Look,” I started. “I need to get out of this car.”

“In the middle of nowhere?” He asked. “You should be smarter than that, Stranger.”

“Well, anywhere but here with you seems safe.”

“You’re scared, but not of me. You’re scared of yourself… You don’t trust yourself with me.”

I was so nervous but I didn’t want to show it. “You make a lot of jokes.”

“Maybe we should talk about what happened in Houston.”

“What happened in Houston is meant to remain in Houston, not for you to bring it up here. This is the wrong timing for that.”

He laughed. “Like I said, I'm taking you to a nice place where we'll be able to talk.”

“You're taking me to a nice place to talk business, which is what I don’t understand…. The office should be the best place to talk business.”

“I know, but not all the time.”

“Is there something you ain’t saying?” I asked him.

“Maybe there's something you're not seeing,” he countered.. “Care for a drink?”

“I don't want a damn drink, Jason. You need to stop all these right now. You're driving me crazy with whatever the hell you think you're doing.”

“And there it is… I want to drive you crazy.”

Asshole.

“I know you need the job and I can offer you so well,” Jason said.

I looked at Jason and I was unsure if I heard him right. His voice was quite low and calm when he said that.

“Look,I don’t know what you're talking about but I am not working for you.”

“Of course,” he shrugged. “If you don’t mind, I can offer you so much, that Aiden Walker will regret losing you.”

At a pause, my heartbeat and everything in me stopped.

His words hit me like cold water.

I looked at him again to be sure of what I heard, Aiden’s name. Like how— how did he…

My eyes narrowed. “What the fuck did you just say? I asked, just in case it was all in my head.

Jason didn’t blink or look in my direction. Instead, he continued driving like he never said anything.

“I asked you a damn question.” I repeated.

“Easy, Stranger.”

“Who the fuck are you?” I continued. "And how on earth do you know about Aiden?”

Jason looked at me, his expression shifted to pity or something I couldn't figure out.

I clenched my jaw, my pulse thundering. The emotions on his face faded… and the only thing there was the wicked grin.

He stopped the car and his gaze met mine. “ How about I give you everything you want,” Jason said, his voice calm and deliberate. He paused for a while just long enough for me to look up, “So you become mine.”

I laughed.

I mean, what other reaction is best for such rubbish? A man I barely know? Who I let fuck me within one hour of meeting me.

“You think it’s that simple?” I asked. My voice was sharper than I expected. “Then you've met the wrong one.”

“I know you, Clara Mallon and nothing about you is simple. Not the way you arch, not the way you suck and certainly not the way you—”

“ENOUGH.”

“I gave you the best orgasm of your life and you know it.”

The words sounded heavy and for a moment I couldn’t move or breathe. He was right. I have never experienced anything like that, ever.

No. I can't. This is shitty… disrespectful and I can't take it.

Jason smiled, calm and confident. “I want to always give you that, Clara.”

"So what is this?”

The air thickened and from just his eyes, I could tell what was going on in his head.

I broke eye contact and looked out the window.

He smirked. “You can't run. You know it. You feel it.”

I swallowed hard, hoping my hard nipples weren't already making their way out to be seen.

I have a damn sensitive body.

My chest skipped, trying my best to not make any mistakes but also pondering on his words.

“Say the words.”

I turned. “Say what words?”

“That you want this… and I'll bring Houston to you.”

I could have sworn I knew what he was about to do but when I raised my head up, my heart squeezed in my chest.

Aiden????

Gina????????

They stood right there, sharing a kiss that went on for more than two minutes.

My boyfriend and my best friend.

Is this—

My heart broke all over again; my breathing pattern getting ragged.

“Why the hell did you bring me here!???” I found myself asking.

“So we can talk business.” he stretched his hand until he placed it on my thigh. “What do you say?”