My phone was constantly buzzing in my pants. And that entire time I was busy scolding myself, persuading my mind and heart to get Joy out of my thoughts, to think straight. Nothing was ever going to happen between the two of us. Joy had made it very clear last night when she’d pushed me away, not once, but twice.
I finally glanced at the humming device, striding it out of my pocket. It was Jordan. Taking a deep breath, I met Joy’s stare and said, "I have to get this."
"Sure."
I quickly headed out of the restaurant and picked up the call.
"You fucking asshole, what took you so long? I’ve been calling you all day," Jordan growled from the other side. He sounded devastated, which only made me believe that whatever the matter, it had to be a huge matter or he wouldn't be so freaked out.
"I was busy with business.” Lies! “Why? What happened?" I asked, peaking at Joy through the glass windows o
JOY I recognised his face immediately when he stalked toward me and, shocking as it was, I remembered his voice better—the same raspy tone that had me going weak on my knees and that English accent. I felt pain and anger hammering in my chest as I stared at him. I couldn't believe my eyes. There was a time when I couldn't differentiate between reality and imagination, which I had to take therapy for. But standing here, I hoped the man in front of me was nothing more than a figment of my imagination or some late, late hallucination. I’d known how much Vince had changed over the years. I’d seen him change with my own eyes . . . on sheets of papers, advertisements, social media and news. He was more handsome now with a perfectly trimmed scruffy beard. His aura was stronger and his voice deeper. His physique was broader and his gaze fiercer. But some things about him remained the same—his devilish charm, his wicked smirk, and the ambition
JOY "Are you sure there's no message for me?" I asked the brunet. The receptionist had his brows lined and for the fifth time, he responded, "I'm sorry, Ma'am, but there really isn't any. We have a quick delivery policy here at our hotel where—" “Oh, I know,” I said, instantly regretting the rudeness and frustration oozing from my tone. I took a deep breath, my nostrils flaring. "I’m sorry, and thank you." I turned around on my heels and walked my way out of the hotel, my heart clenching in my chest. The scorching heat made me squint my eyes, and I pulled my sunglasses down. Julia looked concerned, her brows bent into a frown. "Are you okay?" she asked. "Do you want to talk about it?" I shook my head. "There's nothing to talk about. It's the end of the fairy tale. The prince returned home and now it's time for the princess to do the same." Julia patted m
JOY I didn't want to get into his car, make myself look weak, but Aubrey had a point. Rather than going home with a random stranger, I would’ve prefer to go home with a stranger I trusted, no matter how bad his reputation. A part of me knew him—the real him—and that part was sure he would never hurt me. And here I thought I had trust issues. My legs trembled as I inhaled Vincent's earthy aroma lingering inside the car. The smell was too strong. Too addictive. He walked to my side, hauled the door open, and bent in, his face just inches away from mine. His attention was focused on buckling the seatbelt around me, but I completely glued mine on him. My breath hitched, my heart just seconds away from lurching out. Goddamnit!He was beautiful. He looked up at me with the same power he had before, the one that could steal millions of hearts. I had missed those silvery eyes and his long lashes that fanned his cheeks when he bl
VINCE I stepped out of the warm shower and went back into my room. It had been long since I’d had a break from work. There was no one to disturb me either, since it was a Sunday. Usually, even when I stayed at home, I kept myself busy with work as much as possible. But today, the only thing filling my head was Joy. Getting dressed, I walked into the garage, grabbing my car keys from the wall hanger. I didn't think for once as I got in the car, or even when I started the engine. It did click when I was already halfway to her house, and, at this point, I did not feel like turning back. The last time I’d given my heart to someone, she had broken me in ways I couldn’t fathom going through again. But who wanted to be healed? One thing was certain: women loved broken men and were inevitably attracted to them. They hoped for the impossible—changing them. But the change in a broken person was rare, and I was beyond repair. The word 'broken' f
JOY I had no idea what got into me, but the idea of spending the day with Vincent didn't seem entirely bad . . . at least, not at first. I watched him intently as his hand went up, ruffling his hair. "What should we watch?" I asked, drumming on the table. He licked his lips and with a flick of an eye, my gaze drifted down to his plump lips. My core tightened, imagining the feel of them between my thighs. Oh my God!What the fuck am I thinking? "What would you suggest?" he asked. "Pick a genre," I said, my voice raspy. "Rom-Com," he said in a breath, and my brows quirked. "I didn't take you for a Rom-Com guy." "I love the idea of watching horror movies and having you cling to me while doing so. But I didn’t want to seem too dick-ish.” I burst out laughing at his honesty and he added, “And you didn’t seem like a woman who’s scared of a bunch of ghosts.” “I’m not,” I said, sh
VINCE My jaw twitched as I watched Olivia move around the room in the way I used to admire long ago. I knew she would come back like she always had, but what I didn’t like was her timing. “What the fuck are you doing here?” I asked with a haughty stare that made Olivia frown. “Aren’t you happy to see me, Vi?” Her hands quickly wrapped around my shoulders, rendering me stiff. I hated the control she had on me, even after all thesefuckingyears. Olivia was the very woman who’d stolen my heart back in high school and had never intended to return it. She came back whenever something in her life went down, without even a shred of thought or worry about mine. And then, just as fast as she appeared, she disappeared, leaving me broken all over again. It was my fault for letting her in. I had always been. Jordan didn’t blame me any less. But I was too weak to resist her. There was still a tiny part in me t
VINCE I walked out of my room, scrolling through the message exchanges between me and Joyce. I couldn’t sleep after blatantly texting her I need you in the middle of the night. But I kept waiting for a reply. Maybe my message had made her panic. It ought to. I would’ve panicked as well. I shook my head, cursing myself at the back of my mind. The clattering of dishes reached my ears as I strode down the stairs. Olivia was sitting by the island while Carla, my cook, prepared breakfast. Without making eye contact with Olivia, I said, “The lawyer will be here in an hour. You can talk to him in the study.” “Will you not be there?” “No. It’s your personal matter. I’m helping you all I can but the matter ends there.” “Something about you has changed, Vi.” “I think so too.” I turned to her, my brows furrowed and a small smile tugging at my lips. Shrugging, I said, “But is the fact that I’m not open a
VINCE “Hey, stranger.” I heard the very voice I’d been yearning to hear. I had reached just in time to the address that Joy had texted me. I didn’t want to go home. I didn’t want to be around Olivia. Especially when all I could think of was Joy. “You’re early,” she said, making her way toward him in the parking lot. There was something different about Joy's smile. She looked exhausted, yes, but her smile offered the type of control that I couldn’t quite explain. I couldn’t ignore how different she looked from all the times I had seen her. Back in Paris, she looked like a carefree woman, and just last day, she looked like herself. And now, in her grey pencil skirt and blazer, and her white shirt tucked, she looked like a complete businesswoman. The look was incredibly sexy on her and had my throat drying. Her curves, her firm breasts, her long legs. Everything was beyond beautiful to me. I’d seen her half-nake