Chapter Nineteen Pressure Applied
Chapter Nineteen
Pressure Applied
R
eaching the side gate, the cool night air wraps around me, sharper now without the press of sweaty bodies or the heat of the crowd. The bass from inside still thumps faintly behind us, but out here its quieter—almost peaceful.
Levy’s hand tightens around mine as we step onto the sidewalk, his touch light but claiming, letting everyone know—I’m his for the night. My pulse hasn’t caught up yet, my body is still humming from the softness of Levy’s lips when I spot Daniel.
He’s leaning against his shiny black Corvette, passing a joint back and forth with some guy I don’t recognize.
Of course he’s out here—God why did this have to be his house.
The second our eyes meet, I see it—that quick burn laced with humiliation before his jaw tightens. He takes one last hit, blows it out slow, and calling out, “really Jainey?”
Levy’s head turns immediately, his brows pulling together like he’s trying to do the math. And his look says it all—Who the fuck is calling your name like that?
Great. Exactly what I need.
“Fuck,” I mutter under my breath, forcing a fake half-smile that doesn’t reach my eyes. I can practically feel Levy’s question before he even asks it.
“You know him?” he asks, his deep tone no longer playful.
“Yeah… something like that,” I reply, already moving before this turns into a scene. The last thing I need is both of them sizing each other up in the middle of the damn street like two dogs marking their territory.
So I meet Daniel halfway, my heels click against the pavement like I’m walking straight into trouble—which, let’s be real, I probably am.
He straightens as I get close, his eyes scanning me from head to toe like he’s trying to figure out what the hell he just interrupted. I can still taste the smoke from Levy’s kiss, and judging by the way Daniel’s looking at me, I’m not hiding it nearly as well as I think.
“What the fuck, Jaine?” he says low, like he’s fighting to keep his voice calm.
I cross my arms, keeping my tone even but laced with that edge he hates. “What the fuck what, Daniel? You’re the one out here playing Mr. Mysterious by the Corvette—don’t start with me.”
He runs a hand over his face, clearly trying to hold it together, his eyes flicking past me toward Levy. “You’re really leaving with this dude?”
I shrug, giving him my best I-don’t-give-a-damn look. “Why, you wanna come too? Maybe your parents have a guest room for three.”
His jaw clenches, but he doesn’t take the bait.
Behind me, I can feel Levy’s stare burning holes through my back, the tension thick enough to choke on even out here.
And here I am—standing in the middle of the street between two men, one who just had me an hour ago, and one who’s about to ruin me next.
My life really knows how to pick its moments.
Daniel exhales roughly, shaking his head like he’s trying to cool himself down. “You really doing this shit right now?”
I laugh, the sound sharper than I mean it to be. “Oh please, don’t start acting like you care now. You weren’t exactly losing sleep before seeing me tonight.”
His lips press together, eyes flicking away for a beat before finding me again. “You’re impossible you know that?”
“Yeah,” I say, the corner of my mouth lifting, “and you used to like that about me.”
The sarcasm hangs there between us, thick and biting, until his expression softens just enough to sting. For a second, it’s not anger in his face—it’s something else.
And damn it, I feel it too.
Without thinking, I sigh as I step closer, and wrap my arms around his neck. His body tenses at first, then his hands find my waist, grip firm and certain, pulling me in like muscle memory.
“I’ll talk to you soon,” I whisper, my chin brushing his shoulder.
He leans back just enough to look at me, eyes searching. “And I’ll be calling you,” he says, his thumb tracing the small of my back. “You know I prefer hearing your voice.”
That makes something twist inside me. It’s annoying and sweet and dangerous all at once.
“I’ll be seeing you soon, beautiful,” he adds, his tone dropping, eyes flicking toward my mouth. “And finishing what I started in that bathroom.”
Before I can stop him, he leans in and kisses me—achingly careful, but deep, and full of everything we shouldn’t still feel. His friend, leaning on his car, whistles low. “Damn, I didn’t know you pull em’ like that Danny,” he teases, half laughing.
I pull away before I can fall into it again, my hand resting briefly against his chest. “Now go enjoy your party before your ego explodes,” I say, forcing a smile even though my pulse is racing.
When I turn toward the street, Levy’s standing there—hands in his pocket, jaw set, his stare cutting straight through the dark. The possessiveness in his eyes is quiet but undeniable, the kind that makes my breath hitch.
Great. Now I’ve got two men and one mess—and the worst part is a little part of me wants to see how long this can go my way.
He doesn’t say a word when I reach him. He unlocks the car, jaw grinding, those blue eyes storm-dark and unreadable.
I slide into the passenger seat, I cross my legs, and try to act unbothered even though I can feel the heat of his frustration radiating off him. He starts the engine but doesn’t move—the low rumble filling the space between us.
Shutting the car door, my phone lights up in my hand, my instincts kicking in, unlocking it to quickly message Arina.
“See you in the morning girl and be fucking safe. Text me when you get home—if you even go home.”
“So…” I finally say, turning toward him with a little smirk as he pulls off. “You always glare at guys like that, or is tonight just special?”
He exhales hard, shaking his head once. “You didn’t tell me you had someone out here claiming you.”
I arch a brow. “Claiming me?” I repeat, leaning back in my seat. “He’s not claiming anything. He’s just upset.”
“Didn’t look like he was just upset to me,” he mutters, his tone low but edged with annoyance. “You could’ve told me your ex was there.”
I laugh, short and sharp. “Correction—ex fuck buddy. Not ex as in ex-boyfriend. Let’s not start giving him titles he never had.”
That makes him glance at me, finally breaking his stare from the windshield. “You got a whole category or what?”
I grin. “I mean… well yeah, doesn’t everyone?”
He shakes his head, lips twitching like he’s trying not to smile. “You’re something else you know that?”
“Yeah,” I say, turning to the window with a half-smirk, “so I’ve been told lately.”
He’s quiet for a minute, fingers flexing on the steering wheel. “You really didn’t see the look on that guy’s face when he called you? He clearly has real feelings for you.”
“Yeah,” I say with a shrug. “He’s just sad. Probably finally realizing I don’t orbit around him like he wants.”
Levy hums under his breath, the sound low and thoughtful. “You’re cold—is that what you want?”
I glance at him, meeting his stare dead-on. “He knows I don’t want him like that. What we have—had—was strictly transactional.”Something about that makes him nod, like he understands even if he probably doesn’t agree.
He turns back to the road. “Exactly,” he says quietly, almost to himself. “He’s gonna regret letting you walk away.”
I glance out the window, trying to play it cool even though the inside of me feels anything but. “Can we please stop talking talking about this,” I say softly, turning to face him once more. “Before I change my mind.”
He smirks, that possessive glint sliding right back into his eyes. “You don’t strike me as the type to walk back on a decision like this… but whatever you say, baby.”
? ? ?
Levy’s hand rests on my thigh, thumb tracing slow, soothing circles that send shivers crawling up my spine.
He’s calmer now, focused on the road, and it hits me—I’m glad he’s not still brooding over Daniel.
I half-expected the jealous comments or side-eyes to last the entire ride, but I’m glad he listened and the tension ended almost as fast as it started.
I shift in my seat, trying to act like it’s the music that’s getting to me and not him. “You’re killing me,” I mutter, glancing at his profile.
His grin slides into place—lazy, dangerous. “Not trying too, sweetheart,” he says smoothly. “Just keeping you curious.”
“Curious?” I echo, my tone teasing. “You make it sound like you’ve got a plan.”
He shoots me a quick look, blue eyes glowing against the intersection lights. “Everything’s a plan when you want something bad enough.”
“Confident, aren’t you?” I say, crossing my legs with a smirk. “You talk like you’ve won a prize or something.”
He laughs under his breath, the low sound wrapping around me. “Maybe it’s because you make me feel like I have.”
The car turns down a quiet street lined with sleek houses glowing beneath soft porch lights. My pulse matches the slow hum of the engine until he pulls into a long driveway and cuts the ignition.
The air shifts as he nears, carrying that blend of smoke and spice that’s far too intoxicating.
He leans in, fingertips brushing along my jaw until I have no choice but to meet his gaze. “I should take you inside,” he whispers, “but I think I like this view a little too much.”
My heart thuds against my ribs. “Patience not your thing?” I tease.
He smiles, just barely. “Not when it comes to you apparently.”
I grab the front of his shirt and pull him in, closing the space between us. Our breaths mingle, and for a second, everything collapses into heat and the steady thud of my heart.
This kiss is nothing like the one in the backyard—this one is urgent, messy, and desperate.
His beard scrapes rough against my skin, his tongue sliding against mine with a hunger that makes my entire body ache for him.
I moan into his mouth, clutching him tighter, reaching across the console to get closer.