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I touched the tip of my shoe to hers.
She kicked me in the shin.
I grinned at her show of violence, and her eyes narrowed.
There was no explanation I could come up with for my reaction—not when I’d been firm in my decision to cut things off with her and hadn’t wavered. Of course, this past week, I’d had Sage, so seeing Clara had been out of the question anyway. I could’ve picked up the phone to apologize, but I’d chosen silence as the period at the end of our...situation.
Yet, here I was, feeling very much not done with this woman. I did not like her involving someone else to make me jealous—or whatever her intention was—and I would let her know in no uncertain terms. But first, we had unfinished business that needed taking care of.
As soon as I could get her alone, we’d do just that.
Chapter Sixteen
Clara
Clara
My hands shook as I climbed into the back of the limo Luca had ordered for me. It was ostentatious, but after that dinner, I couldn’t possibly drive myself home, and the last thing I wanted to do was make small talk with a driver or anyone.
As soon as the door shut, it was yanked open again, and a man slid into the back seat.
Leather and wind.
He wasn’t wearing any, and as far as I knew, he hadn’t been riding, but Jacob Hayes smelled like the road anyway. I’d know him with my eyes closed.
Infuriating.
“Why are you in my car?”
“Look at me then I’ll answer you.” He commanded my attention like he had a right to it.
I turned my head, focusing on a spot beyond him. “Remember the last time you ordered me to do something? How did that go for you?”
He breathed a laugh. “Not well. I had a spitting-mad woman storming out of my house—”
“I didn’t storm. I left calmly,” I clarified.
“Don’t deny being spitting mad?” he teased.
My nostrils flared at his amusement. There was nothing entertaining about his asshole behavior.
“I don’t like being told to stay like I’m a dog. And while being blindsided by your…I don’t know—girlfriend? Wife?—showing up with your child, whom you never mentioned, was an absolute blast; let me tell you, the things you said about me…that was beyond the pale.”
“I get that, but I didn’t lie. That was the first time I ever woke up with you. Before that, you let me get in then you got gone.”
I finally had to look at him. He was speaking like what he was saying made sense and wasn’t the most obtuse way to look at everything that had happened between us.
“That was private. Me spreading my legs for you was private. Staying the night with you happened because I was beginning to think I could trust you.” I scoffed at my idiocy. “I should have known. I have no sense of danger.”
There was a long pause, and I was finally able to avert my gaze to my fingers twisting in my lap.
Then, like feathers floating in the wind, Jake spoke. “I’m no danger to you, Clara.”
“Okay.” I did not agree. Any man able to cut me the way he had was definitely dangerous.
He groaned, and I slanted my eyes toward him in time to see him dragging his fingers through the sides of his hair.
“All of that was a fuckup. I should have handled it differently, but I hadn’t expected them to show up—”
