JAY'S POV
The car was quiet.
Too quiet.
Soft music played in the background, low enough to barely notice, while the city lights passed by outside the window in blurred streaks of gold and white. Normally, I liked drives like this.
Calm. Peaceful.
But not tonight.
Not after the elevator.
I shifted slightly in my seat, trying to act normal, but I could still feel it—the way his hands had held me, the way that kiss hadn't been soft or careful.
It had been—
I stopped myself.
No.
Don't think about it.
I turned my head toward the window, resting my chin lightly against my hand.
Maybe if I stayed quiet, everything would just—
"You've been quiet."
My heart jumped slightly.
I didn't turn to him.
"I'm fine."
A pause.
I could feel it.
His gaze.
Heavy.
Focused.
Not leaving me for a second.
KEIFER'S POV
She thought I didn't notice.
The way she avoided looking at me.
The way she kept shifting in her seat.
The way she was trying to act like nothing happened.
But I saw everything.
And it wasn't helping.
Not when that dress was still there—resting just above her thighs, riding up slightly every time she moved.
Not when I could still remember exactly how she felt in my hands.
I tightened my grip on the steering wheel.
Tried to focus on the road.
Didn't work.
At all.
I let out a slow breath.
"You think I didn't notice?"
She finally turned slightly.
"Notice what?"
I glanced at her.
Then back at the road.
My voice dropped.
"The way you looked at me."
Silence.
JAY'S POV
My heart started racing again.
"I didn't—"
"Don't."
The way he said it—
Low.
Controlled.
It made my breath catch.
I turned fully this time, looking at him.
He wasn't smiling.
Not teasing.
Something else.
Something deeper.
"You've been driving me crazy all day."
The words hit harder than I expected.
My fingers tightened slightly against my lap.
"Keifer…"
But he didn't respond.
Instead—
The car slowed.
Then turned.
Into a darker street.
Quieter.
Empty.
My breath hitched.
"Why did you—"
The car stopped.
KEIFER'S POV
I turned the engine off.
Silence filled the space instantly.
No music.
No noise.
Just us.
I finally looked at her.
Really looked at her.
Her eyes. Her expression. The way she was trying to stay calm—but wasn't.
My jaw tightened slightly.
"You have no idea what you do to me."
She didn't answer.
Didn't move.
That was all I needed.
I reached over, my hand finding her waist, pulling her toward me before she could even react.
And then I kissed her.
Not like before.
Not interrupted.
Not stopped.
This time—
There was nothing holding me back.
JAY'S POV
My breath caught the second his lips met mine.
Stronger.
Deeper.
Different.
My hand instinctively grabbed onto his shirt, holding onto him as everything else disappeared again. My heart was racing so fast it didn't even feel real anymore.
The angle shifted suddenly—
And before I realized it—
I was no longer in my seat.
My eyes widened slightly as I felt myself pulled closer, my balance shifting as I ended up in his lap.
My breath hitched.
"Keifer—"
But the words didn't come out properly.
Not when he was this close.
Not when his hand tightened slightly at my waist, keeping me there like letting go wasn't even an option.
KEIFER'S POV
She said my name like a warning.
But she didn't move away.
Didn't try to leave.
Her hands were still on me.
Still holding on.
That was enough.
I pulled back just slightly, just enough to look at her.
Her cheeks were flushed.
Her breathing uneven.
Eyes wide—but not scared.
Just overwhelmed.
My voice dropped again.
"Say it."
She blinked.
"Say what?"
I leaned closer, my forehead almost touching hers.
"That you don't feel this."
Silence.
A long one.
Her grip on my shirt tightened slightly.
That was my answer.
JAY'S POV
I couldn't say it.
Because it wasn't true.
And he knew it.
Of course he did.
My heart was still racing, my mind completely blank except for him, him, him—
I looked at him, barely able to breathe properly.
"…I can't."
His eyes darkened slightly.
Not angry.
Not frustrated.
Just—
Certain.
KEIFER'S POV
That was it.
That was all I needed.
I leaned in again, but this time slower, more controlled, like I was making sure she understood exactly what this was.
What we were.
My hand stayed at her waist, steady, holding her in place—not forcing, just… there.
"Then don't."
The car stayed parked in the quiet street.
Dark.
Still.
And neither of us moved away.
Because at this point—
Neither of us wanted to.