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I only wanted one person, and they weren’t her.

Ayana fiddled with the jacket in her lap. She didn’t say another word until we arrived at her building half an hour later.

“You never give a direct answer,” she said. “It’s not so hard just to say ‘no, I’m not dating anyone,’ is it?”

You seem to have a strange fascination with my love life.

I didn’t allow myself to examine the reason why. That wouldn’t lead to anything good for either of us.

“It’s not fascination, it’s curiosity. They’re different,” she said with remarkable dignity. “I only ask because there’s zero information about your personal life online, and Jordan barely tells me anything.”

My mood darkened at the sound of his name.

I wanted to lean over and crush my mouth against hers until she didn’t remember her own name, much less his.

I wanted to wrap her legs around my waist and make her scream for me andonlyme.

I wanted a lot of things I couldn’t have, so I settled for mocking indifference instead.

Do you spend a lot of time researching me online?

“Only when I’m bored. I also spend a lot of time researching knitting patterns and watching cat videos, so don’t feel too special. You’re less interesting than both those things.”

It happened so suddenly I hardly noticed it until the sound left my throat. A rumble of laughter—mine.

My first genuine laugh in possibly years.

The shock of it immobilized me for a moment. Ineverlost control like that, and Ayana’s response hadn’t been the funniest or the most surprising. However, it was so adorably spiteful I couldn’t help but give in.

The delight that lit Ayana’s face made me wish I was the type of man who laughed easily, if only so I could see her smile more often.

A knock interrupted our moment of camaraderie. The doorman must’ve grown tired of us idling outside her building.

My amusement died.

Ayana rolled down the window. “Hi, Bernard. Can you give us an extra minute please? I’ll be out soon.”

“Ms. Kidane, I’m afraid…” He faltered when I glared at him behind her back. “One minute. Of course.”

He retreated, and Ayana faced me once more. “Thank you again for the ride and the jacket.”

You’re welcome.

I expected her to leave right away, but she lingered, crossing and uncrossing her legs again like she was silently debating something.

Few things surprised me anymore. I was trained to expect the unexpected, and yet, nothing could’ve prepared me for the next words out of her mouth.

“Do you want to come upstairs to my apartment?”

CHAPTER13

Ayana

Do you want to come upstairs to my apartment?

My question hung in the air. It snuffed out the remaining warmth from Vuk’s laugh, but it was too late to take it back.

“To dry off,” I added hastily. “You’re soaked, and it’ll take you at least another forty minutes to get home in this traffic.”