Wrong Car, Right Guy

I glance up and see the guy is still lingering. He’s frowning at me like I’ve somehow disappointed him. Looking me up and down with a cruel look in his eyes.

“No, I didn’t mean to,” I say, but my voice is carried away by the music.

He scoffs at me.

“Dumb fat cow,” he snarls at me. “You were ignoring me, weren’t you? You think you’re too good for me, right? You’d be lucky to spend a night with me, sweetheart. No other man will ever want you looking like that.”

His words feel like a slap.

I try to ignore his rant as I fumble for my phone and request an Uber. I’m trembling so hard, feeling his hot breath on my cheek as he tells me how worthless I am, how ugly I look.

There’s a lump in my throat that won’t go away. I never thought this night would go well, but I didn’t expect to be verbally abused by some man for no reason. Someone I don’t even know.

What have I done to deserve this? All I wanted was to get through tonight, but right now, it feels like I might not last five more minutes, let alone the evening.

It’s safe to say I’ve got to deal with this alone.

I get confirmation that my Uber is on its way and I start to push through the crowd, but the guy grabs my arm again, turning me to face him.

“Don’t you dare walk away,” he snarls in my face. “You’re nothing special, you know that? You’re nothing at all. Don’t you dare walk away from me.”

I yank away from him so hard that he stumbles in surprise and I use the opportunity to run out of the bar and onto the street. I check my phone for what my car should look like. I register very little of the information on the screen, other than I’m looking for a black car. In my frenzy to get away, I dive toward the first black car I see, not even bothering to check if it's the right car. I just open the back door and throw myself onto the back seat.

“I need to get out of here, please,” I whimper.

The man at the wheel turns around.

And I freeze.

It’s him.

He’s the man I’ve dreamt of so many times. Broad shoulders, a chiseled jawline, intense dark eyes. He’s older than me, his hair graying a little at his temples, but I don’t care one bit. Because I know who this man is. I know how important he is.

He’s the man I’m meant to be with.

CHAPTER TWO

Tate

My heart is racing.

This woman who has just jumped in the back of my car, I have no clue who she is…but I suddenly feel like my entire life has fallen into place. I feel like I’ve been waiting for this exact moment to come along my entire life.

Because she’s perfect.

I stare at her in disbelief. She’s not even meant to be here, but she’s come at exactly the right moment, or so it feels like.

She looks distressed, brown curls falling over her shoulders in a disheveled mess, and her eyes are filled with tears. She’s a curvy goddess, and I can’t understand why anyone would ever want to upset her.

I clench my fists at just the thought that someone would try to hurt this woman.

Whoever upset her like this is going to pay for it.

“Are you alright?” I almost growl, my voice suddenly rough and deeper than usual.

She seems to have some kind of primal effect on me, making me into some kind of beastly version of myself. I feel like I would do anything for her. Nothing feels off-limits. I’d kill for her if I needed to. I don’t understand why I feel this way, but there’s no denying that the feeling is there all right.

I watch as the beautiful woman in the back seat of my car sniffles and looks up and into my eyes. It’s only then I realize she’s at least half my age.

She looks around twenty or twenty-one, far too young for a man like me…and yet I can’t possibly resist her. How can I when she looks so damn good? I want to reach for her and pull her into my lap, kiss her, make her feel better. I’m obsessed with her already, determined to have her. But right now, I have to push those feelings aside. I need to make sure she’s okay.

“I…I’ve had a bit of a rough night,” she eventually says, sniffling again. “I just want to get out of here please.”

“I think you may be in the wrong car,” I tell her gently.

She blinks in shock.

“You’re not my Uber driver?” she asks, checking her phone and then looking mortified. “Oh no. I’m so sorry…I’ll just leave…”

“No,” I say forcefully.

There’s no way I’m letting this woman slip through my fingers. I’ve only just discovered this beauty and I don’t want to waste my chances with her. I’ve never felt this way before. No woman has ever been able to turn me on, not even a little. And now, it’s like this woman has made me come alive in just a few shared moments together.