Selena rubbed her wrists and let out a slow exhale. Today had been a long one. Going to the bridal shop was supposed to be a highlight, but turned into a semi-nightmare with her, Phoebe, and Eden being thrown in jail. How in the world would she explain it to her parents when the news was broadcast on a bulletin board in the next coming days?

“I’ll take care of it.”

The nocturnal sound of his baritone voice pulled Selena from her woes. She glanced over at Jordan, taking in his profile in the dimness of the night. Reaching over the console, Jordan took a soothing hand up her shoulder as his fingertips skipped lightly up to her chin. With a slight tug, Jordan’s hand lingered there, and Selena closed her eyes and exhaled at the simple caress of his touch.

“I know you have connections,” Selena began, “but I’d rather not get you involved. I’d hate for people to think you called in favors to get me off just because we’re dating. That could ruin your reputation, and I couldn’t live with myself if that happened.”

A smile tugged at the corners of his solidly designed jawline.

“I wouldn’t do anything that was unethical, so that’s something you don’t have to worry about,” he said, not trusting his own words at the moment. With the way he was feeling about Selena as of late, it was possible he would do just about anything for her. “However,” he continued, “I didn’t misrepresent the information given to the chief today. Those assholes manhandled you and my sisters. And somebody’s got to pay for that.”

A small semblance of a smile trailed across Selena’s lips. “You’re too sweet to me,” she said.

Jordan held her stare. “And just think, this is my softer side,” he said.

Selena peered at him. “Are you saying you have a harder side?”

The direction of the conversation switched altogether. “There’s definitely a harder side.”

A flurry of heat saturated Selena’s body, and she tried not to squirm where she sat, but it was useless. It was time. Their flirty phone conversations had been one thing. Their New Year’s Eve celebration had been another, but the dates they’d endured had taken Selena on an entirely different roller coaster. And now she wanted him, physically. So, what was he waiting for? Why hadn’t he propositioned her?

 A ringtone sounded, cutting through their moment. Selena’s gaze drove down his toned form, landing in his lap where his phone illuminated from an incoming call. Madison. This felt like the millionth time Selena had seen that name pop up on his phone within the period they’d known each other. Jordan had never elaborated on his ties with Madison, but Claudia told Selena one day while they were having brunch.

“How are things with you and Jordan?” Claudia had asked.

Selena’s smile was forthright, shining like the rays of sunlight. “You say that as if there’s such a thing as me and Jordan,” Selena responded.

Claudia pursed her lips and dipped her head. “Are you really trying to be coy because I know better.”

Selena’s smile widened. “You know I’m just playing with you, girl.” She sighed. “Jordan is sweet to me. Last night, he took me to the opera.”

Claudia’s eyes stretched in surprise. “How was it?”

Selena’s smile faltered. “Boring as hell.”

The women laughed.

“He knew I was bored, too, when I started joking, crossing my eyes, and sticking my tongue out at him. He was kind enough to joke back by pretending he was sleep, slumping against my shoulder.”

The girls laughed some more.

“Well, at least he’s got a sense of humor.”

Selena nodded. “True that.”

“So how long did you guys torture yourselves?”

“Thirty minutes tops, then he had mercy on me, and we left and went to the Velvet Café.”

“Oooh, the new jazz club downtown? I’ve wanted to go there since they opened. How was it?”

“We danced, drank champagne, and I almost jumped his sexy bones on the dance floor.”

“Sounds like a perfect time.”

“It was until his cell phone rang and some woman named Madison called.” Selena grumbled. “I’ve seen Jordan answer his phone in my presence plenty of times, but whenever this girl calls, he always sends it straight to voicemail.”

“Madison…” Claudia snapped her fingers. “Girl, that’s that dingy blonde so-called debutante. She’s passed around from one elite person to the next, attends all the ritzy and glamorous parties, and is always connected to someone with an extensive bank account. Watch out for that girl. Whenever she’s around, she comes to win.”

That hadn’t made Selena feel better about this Madison girl calling Jordan. After that conversation, Selena searched Google for more information on Madison and found a slew of it.

Madison Santari, socialite and all-around mean girl, had had a thing for Jordan for years. There were pictures of them from the Jan’s Roses event in which Madison appeared to be Jordan’s date. That was only a few months ago, but it gave Selena the impression that Jordan and Madison had history. To this day, Selena never questioned him about it. She didn’t consider herself the jealous type, but the more she saw Madison’s name pop up on Jordan’s phone, the more her lip would twitch, and her gut would knot. It didn’t make it any better that Jordan never answered the call.

Like now as he glanced down at his device and silenced the incoming song.

Selena turned her face away from him to look out the window at her one-bedroom townhouse.

“I should probably let you go and call it a night,” she said.

Before Jordan could respond, his phone lit up again, and although Selena tried with all her might, she couldn’t help but turn and sneak a peek at his screen. It was her, again. Selena caught herself getting ready to question him. But she couldn’t. It wasn’t her place. Despite the many dates they’d been on, he didn’t belong to her and vice versa. Selena cast her sight back out the window.

“Let me walk you to your door,” Jordan said.

“No.”

The car became quiet, and Selena closed her eyes and bit down on her jaw then silently opened her door.

“Selena…”

The profoundness of his plea gave her pause, and Selena couldn’t explain the reason for her palpitated heartbeat.

“You should go. Looks like there’s an emergency of some kind.”

She exited the car before Jordan could say anything more and scurried up her sidewalk to her front door. Selena opened the screen door, and it closed against her backside as she fished through her purse for a set of keys. She’d just pulled the metal keys out when the screen door opened and a festering heat crawled up her back. Selena’s motion slowed as she figured Jordan was standing behind her.

“Selena…”

Her eyes dropped then closed as her pulse accelerated, and her flesh roasted from his nearness.

“Look at me,” he said.

Selena’s hand trembled, and she hurriedly stuck the key in the door and turned the lock. Who was she kidding? Fairytales were for kids. If her parents were any indication that love never lasted, then she should just save herself the drama and embarrassment.

Opening the door, she stepped inside then turned to him.

“Thank you for making sure I got in safely. Thank you for bailing me out of jail. Like I said before, you didn’t have to.”

Jordan raked his eyes over her face.

“You’re upset,” he said.

“I’m not upset.”

“Now you’re lying.”

Selena sighed. “Will you stop doing that?”

“What, calling you out when you lie?”

Her voice elevated. “I’m not lying.”

“Then what do you call it?”

“I call it tired and not in the mood to talk to you about it.”

Their showdown was intense and profound. Just like at the hospital, Jordan wanted to press her on the subject, but he didn’t.

Instead, he tipped his head, deciding to bow out of this fight. “Have a good night, Selena.”

She watched him take a step back and remove their splintering connection by turning and marching down her porch and walkway. Selena shut the door and blew out a heavy breath, coming out of her clothes all at once for a hot shower. She would pray to God that tomorrow was a better day. But Selena could already tell that would just be too good to be true.