Last night had been a blast, and that was putting it mildly. After a couple more rounds, Jared and I had finally hit the sack, completely worn out by our after-midnight “activities”.

Just thinking about it made me want to giggle non-stop, keeping me restless and jumpy. Even though I’d slept for barely four hours, I felt more energized than ever, and I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face.

I tried to remember when the last time was I clicked with someone like I had with Jared... Nope. I couldn’t think of anyone who made me feel the way Jared had. Just one gaze or touch was enough to create a whirlwind of emotions in me, and the attraction was irresistible. I had won the lottery with him.

How ironic was this considering the fact that we’d gotten off on the wrong foot?

“You’ve had that smile plastered on your face ever since we got up from the bed,” Jared teased me when we got out of his building, on our way to the parking lot.

“You got a problem with that?” I pinched his cheek, tickled pink. “I’m addicted to smiling.”

“And I’m addicted to you.” His lips brushed mine, his hands pulling me closer to him as his tongue skimmed over my lower lip. “I want you to smile like that for me all the time, sweetheart. Deal?”

I let a low moan into his mouth, pressing myself closer to him, when his phone rang, interrupting our little passionate moment.

The groan that left his mouth depicted perfectly how I felt. Alison would call his phone a cock-blocker, not that we were anywhere near getting busy.

He checked his screen and frowned when he saw the ID of the caller.

“What’s going on?”

“They’re calling me from my company. Hold on a sec.”

Taking me by my hand, he answered the call and led me toward his Porsche. “Yes?”

I glanced at him, noticing tense lines forming on his face. His stride was slightly difficult to keep up with, and his grip on my hand was a bit firmer than it should have been.

“But I told them we should wait!” he bit, and I winced. His cold voice reminded me of the Jared the day we’d first met, which could only mean some serious business. “Yes. I know what’s at stake.” He clenched his jaw, his green eyes turning tempestuous. “You don’t have to remind me about it. I know.”

There was no way for me to make out anything out of this conversation. I could hear the hurried murmur from the person on the other side of the line, but I couldn’t discern the words.

“I’m coming there in twenty, so stay put.”

He ended the call abruptly and halted right next to his car, breathing fast, his body completely rigid now. He let go of my hand.

“What’s happening, Jared? Is everything alright?”

His back was turned to me, so I couldn’t see his face. All I could see was the way his shoulders turned stiff as soon as my words came out of my mouth. He was furious about something, and I wondered if I could help him with it.

“Jared?” I asked again when he denied me the answer, remaining silent.

He made a heavy sigh, finally facing me. However, for some reason, he didn’t look me directly in the eyes. “Just some issues at my work.” He clenched his fist. “It’s nothing important. Come on, I’ll drive you to your place.”

It was clear that whatever bothered him was important, but I understood his reaction. He didn’t want to divulge the issue, not trusting me, so I couldn’t press him for answers. Still, it hurt a little. I didn’t expect him to open up to me, but I thought we’d managed to get closer to each other after last night.

Or maybe last night wasn’t as important to him as it was to me. Maybe we would never see each other again after this morning.

My stomach protested at the thought, filled with lead. I didn’t know how to feel about this. If he said he’d call me or something vague like that at the end of the drive, it would be a clear sign he had no intention of seeing me again. Then I would feel dejected. I wanted to see him again. He made me feel good. He made me feel alive.

I glanced at him when he started the engine and found his gaze already on me. “I’ll tell you everything,” he muttered, his words referring to something I couldn’t fully grasp at the moment. “Soon.”

“What do you mean?”

He brushed his knuckles against my cheek, gazing at me softly. “Nothing. Let’s get you home, okay?”

We’d barely spoken a word during our drive, both of us lost in our thoughts. I was worried that something bad had happened in his company, which could cause him more stress. I really liked him, so, naturally, I wanted to help.

Minutes passed, but instead of calming down, he was becoming more nervous, until he was simmering with anger. I didn’t need to be an expert on anger to realize he was having difficulties controlling it, so the moment he shut down his car in front of my building, I unfastened my seat belt and pressed my lips to his, hoping to help him relax.

Our lips molded perfectly, moving against each other in sync, and all worries or doubts didn’t matter as the heat spread through our bodies and fuelled our passion. He’d been trembling, but now that we were kissing, I could feel him unwinding, his hands tracing my back tenderly.

“Thank you for this,” he murmured into my lips, holding my gaze. Our fingers intertwined.

I giggled. “Does it help?”

“Definitely. Your kisses are the best cure.”

He kissed me again, lacing his fingers through my hair. My pussy responded immediately to the slow strokes of his tongue, reminding me that I wasn’t as nearly as satiated, even after the “wild” night with him.

“I’ll call you later,” he said when we separated.

“Call me later as in—really call you later, or call me later as in—you’re nice and all, but we won’t see each other again?”

He burst into a laugh, shaking his head at me.

“Sorry. That probably sounded pushy. But it wouldn’t be the first time I’ve heard those words and never seen the guy again.” I raised my hands in the air, grinning. “Not that I’m saying you would do that or anything.”

He snorted, running his hand across my cheek. “We men are something else, aren’t we?”

I shrugged my shoulders. “To your defense, women aren’t any better when it comes to that. So...”

“I like spending time with you, Claire. So that’s definitely a ‘really call you later’ call you later.” His thumb grazed my lip, and I bit into it. His pupils dilated instantly, and a growl left his lips. “Careful, Claire. I’m afraid I don’t have time to act upon what I feel right now, but that doesn’t mean I won’t rip your clothes apart and fuck you hard tonight.”

His crude words set my mound on fire, and a blush came to my cheeks. “And what if I wait for you naked? You won’t have anything to rip apart then?”

“Fuck, Claire.” He bit into my lip before he pulled it into his mouth and tugged at it. “I’ll rip your pussy apart anyway. Now go because I can do something really irresponsible any minute.”

Completely flushed, I winked at him and got out of the car, needing a cold shower fast.

Alison had come to my office as soon as my last appointment had finished. We were chewing the fat, but my thoughts kept drifting to Jared and his problem at work. Was he okay?

“Okay, spit it out,” Alison said, leaning in her chair with her arms connected behind her head. “I see there is something bothering you.”

I was fiddling with my thumbs. “I need your advice. As I told you, last night blew my mind.”

Her grin could easily be used for a toothpaste commercial. It was that white and big. “Jared, the sex god?”

I chuckled. “The absolute sex god. And believe me when I say that he really knows what he’s doing.”

“I bet he does. Ugh, I wish I could find a sex god, too. Some of the guys I’ve hooked up with were a total disaster.”

I tilted my head to one side. “Define disaster.”

Her lips curled inward. “Like, they kept losing their erection in the middle of sex.”

“Ouch.”

“Yeah. Ouch. Imagine what a blow to my ego that was. Then there are those who finish in a record time as if they’re chasing a Guinness Record for the quickest fuck.”

“Double ouch.”

“So Jared is like an extinct species.”

We erupted into fits of laughter at the same time. “More like endangered. There are a few of them, but they are pretty rare...”

“Yeah. Totally.” She ran her hand through her hair, switching her snarl for a smile. “Anyway, we’ve gone off topic. Why do you need my advice?”

“Right. So, last night was perfect. And this morning too. But then Jared received a phone call from his company, and apparently, something serious has happened. He became furious and he couldn’t ease up. I’ve sent him a text, but he didn’t respond, so I’m worried he’s in big trouble.”

She slid her index finger across her upper lip, musing about something as she studied me. “You really like him, do you?”

I broke into a warm smile. I was pretty sure my eyes were twinkling. “Yes. A lot. Which is bordering on hilarious or weird—however you wanna call it—since we were like cats and dogs the first time we saw each other, but now I really like him. And I want to help him. So what do you think I can do?”

“Hmm, well, maybe you can surprise him at his work and bring him some lunch. That is definitely something I’d do for someone I was head over heels for.”

Suddenly, the fog in my mind had cleared. I jumped up to my feet. “Now, that’s a great idea!” I went around my desk and kissed her cheek. “You’re a genius, sweetie!”

“I know I am. And you know what’s even better? You can have sex in his office.” She sent me a wink. “Mmm, now that’s a hot fantasy. He can tie you up with his tie to his leather chair, or maybe he can blindfold you and then... Ah. I envy you.”

“Kinky, are we?”

“Oh, hush! You’re the same.”

“Absolutely. Okay. I can do that. I just have to google his name to find the name and address of his company.”

I typed his name in Google’s search bar, suddenly feeling like a schoolgirl stalking her crush. Butterflies settled in my stomach at what I might find, but then everything froze in me when I read the top ad that had popped out right beneath the search bar.

Real Estate Silver.

“Ali?”

“Hm?”

“Was the name of the developer who wants to tear down our building Real Estate Silver?” I asked, wanting to confirm, dread spreading through me.

“Yep. Why?”

I clicked on the website, my hands going cold. There it was. At the top of the page.

Jared Holmes—the CEO.

What kind of a sick joke was this?