Romans & histoires Drive By Daniel Pink

The car ride was a vacuum of suffocating tension. Daniel sat behind the wheel of his sleek, blacked out SUV, looking effortlessly lethal. He’d changed into a crisp black shirt with the sleeves rolled up, exposing the corded strength of his forearms and the faint, blue mapped veins that I’d stared at in the diner. He didn't speak. He just drove, one hand on the wheel and the other resting near the gear shift. Occasionally, his hand would "accidentally" brush against my thigh as he shifted. Each contact sent a jolt of static through the emerald silk of my dress, making my breath hitch in the quiet cabin.

He just kept driving in silence like I wasn’t even there. Maybe it was time to replace the staff. All of them were acting up lately, like I didn’t pay their salaries. We pulled up to the house and Daniel parked in the circular driveway. “Thank you, Daniel,” I said as I got out. He nodded once but didn’t say “you’re welcome” or “have a good evening” like he usually does. He pulled away as soon as I closed the door and I stood there for a moment, watching the car disappear, feeling like I was losing control of everything.

Daniel grabbed his keys from the table. “I’ll drive.” “Okay.” They left the house together. The morning air was crisp and cool, the sun still low in the sky. Daniel’s car sat in the driveway exactly where he had left it the night before. He opened the driver’s door while Lydia climbed into the passenger seat. Neither spoke as he started the engine. The silence inside the car felt thick. Not just with worry. With something else too. Something they both seemed determined to ignore. Daniel pulled onto the road.

my voice shook as Daniel's hand rubbed me roughly, but I tried to keep my face cool. “You could just use it, so you won't…get bored, you know you're…driving” I breathed out, making sure my words didn't come out as a moan. “Okay then, fine” he said and I jerked my hip forward, my toes curling on their own. “Are you playing loud music?” I asked Daniel, and he gave a grin. “You can moan loud now,” he growled deep in his throat, his fingers pushing harder, the pressure almost unbearable. “You want me to make you come right here while he drives?”

I saw a man who looked like he’d been hit by a truck and was still trying to convince the driver he was fine. "Alex, we need to talk about the... situation," Daniel started. He didn't sit. He paced a small line in front of my desk, his hands shoved deep into his pockets. "Hannah. My wife. I don't know what she told you, or how she convinced you to put her in that seat, but you have to understand her condition." I finally closed the folder. I leaned back, my chair giving a small groan, and just watched him. I didn’t say a word. Silence is a funny thing; it makes people talk when they should stay quiet.

ELINA POV Daniel’s car smelled faintly of leather and mint as I settled into the passenger seat, pulling the seatbelt across my chest. His playlist was soft at first, smooth jazz that calmed the nervous pounding in my chest. We drove for a while in comfortable silence until he finally said, “Are you sure you’re okay with Noah and Mia tagging along tonight?” I forced a small smile, keeping my eyes on the road ahead. “I’m fine with it. Really. I don’t have anything against them.”

After glancing at him, David smirked disdainfully. Leaning lazily against the back seat, he raised an eyebrow. "Indeed, in four years, I have earned nothing more than the title of a friend. However, I think I am better than you, who spent three years trying to send someone away." He deliberately titled his head so that Daniel, who was driving, could see the disdain in his eyes through the rearview mirror. "What do you think, Daniel?" Daniel remained silent. He pursed his lips as he continued to drive however he wanted.

Eldrian said as he lay back in the car seat. The car driven by his driver started to leave the head office. Eldrian, who was lazy to be interrogated by Daniel, immediately closed his eyes to take a nap after a tiring day. While Daniel who was curious at first, also looked a bit tired, he didn't open his laptop or cell phone. The man took a nap with Eldrian along the way.

She blinked, lowering her head to glance at his hand that held her waist. Daniel tilted his head and moved closer to her face. "Darling, how long can we keep our love hidden from others?" The driver looked at them with admiration. He turned back to the road and started the cab. He muttered, "What a lovely couple! Despite their strong appearance, they fight like lovebirds.” Violet clenched her jaw as Daniel attempted to tease her. The driver's words also irritated her. She grabbed Daniel's hand and tried to remove it from her waist. But his grip tightened around her. She turned her head and noticed how close his face was.

He was breathing hard, like he had come up the stairs quickly, and his suit was immaculate except for a small tear at the left shoulder that had not been there at dinner. "Do not go in there yet," he said quietly. His voice was urgent and controlled. "There is something you need to know first. Something about tonight. About why Adrian is really here." I stared at him. "Who are you?" He glanced at the door. At the spilled soil. In the closed corridor around us. "My name is Daniel Park," he said. "I have been on the Blackwell board for eighteen months." He held my gaze. "I have also been working with the FBI Financial Crimes unit for fourteen of those months."