Jayce arches a brow. “Complicated, how? Just ditch him.”
He makes it sound so easy. I sigh and shake my head.
“Here’s the deal. I want to take over as CEO of Holloway,” I explain. “I should’ve been appointed last year, but my parents have been putting it off. They don’t think I can handle the responsibility on my own and I’m doing everything I can to prove them wrong. So, you know, outright shooting Leon down might not help my case. I’m kind of just hoping they get the hint that I’m not interested and let it go.”
He arches a brow. “That’s not a great plan.”
His deadpan tone makes me burst out laughing. “No, it’s not. You’re totally right.”
This is weird. I’m not usually this open and at ease with people I don’t know well, and I’m not drunk, so I can’t give thevodka the credit. Even the girls don’t know about all my issues with my parents, and they certainly don’t know how bad my anxiety can get. I keep that side of me locked away tight. I can’t risk showing such vulnerability and letting people down.
There’s something about Jayce. I can’t really explain it, but I feel like I can… breathe around him.
“Heads up, the creep’s coming back,” Jayce mutters, snapping me out of my wandering thoughts. I look around and spot Leon making his way back toward us.
No! No, no, no! I’m not ready for this easy feeling to go away yet. I don’t want to go back to suffocating while I fight to keep a polite smile on my face.
“Come on.” Jayce grabs my hand and pulls me out of my seat.
“Huh?” I gasp as he tugs me toward the dance floor. “What are you…where are we…?”
“Follow me,” he says over his shoulder, giving my hand a gentle squeeze. “I’m getting you out of here.”
I shouldn’t go with him. My parents will be worried if I suddenly disappear, but… I want to follow him. I want him to take me away and strangely enough, I trust him to take care of me.
Mostly, though, I don’t want to lose my ability to breathe, so I don’t resist or pull away. I let him lead me out of the ballroom.
CHAPTER FIVE: JUST FOR TONIGHT
SUTTON
I continueto follow Jayce out of the ballroom, and then into the open night air in front of the building. It’s much quieter out here, save for the low hum of traffic in the distance, and I feel an instant sense of relief, like a weight I hadn’t realized was pressing down on me has suddenly lifted. The open sky above helps alleviate some of the claustrophobia I hadn’t realized I’d been feeling until this moment. Jayce’s hand around mine is warm and solid, anchoring in a way that’s keeping me from overthinking and second-guessing my choice to come with him.
He hands the valet his ticket, and a few minutes later, a sleek black sports car pulls up in front of us. Jayce opens the passenger door for me and helps me get inside. I sink into the soft leather seat as he makes his way around to the driver’s side.
“Where can I drop you off?” he asks once he’s settled next to me.
I hesitate, pulling my phone from my clutch and gazing down at the black screen. Mom and Dad will eventually wonder where I went, and if I just go back to the hotel, I can use the excuse that I got a headache or something and wanted to rest.
Except, I’m not ready for the night to end. Not ready for this feeling of relief to disappear.
“I don’t know,” I answer at last. “I just don’t want to go back to my hotel yet.”
He regards me for a moment, the corner of his lips quirking up.
“Want to go to my place? It’s not far.”
My heart races at the suggestion, but I instantly say, “Yes.”
His small, easy smile remains in place as he takes off down the road. The drive is quiet, but it’s not an awkward silence. I’m weirdly comfortable and at ease, which never is the case in situations like this. I always feel the need to fill the empty space with unnecessary words because I feel like I’m falling short somehow if I don’t. Like I’m not interesting enough, or trying hard enough to be charming and engaging. Jayce doesn’t strike me as the kind of man who needs the quiet filled. He seems comfortable with not speaking, so I lean into that and relax.
We arrive at his house less than twenty minutes later. The tires crunch over the gravel as the car winds its way up the long, tree-lined drive. I catch flashes of white stucco through the gaps in the towering oaks, lit up with soft lights illuminating the property. As the road curves, the house comes into full view, and it’s rather impressive. It’s not ostentatious in the way I expected a Silicon Valley mansion to be. Sleek, modern lines. Floor-to-ceiling windows. It’s an impressive piece of architecture and I can’t help but admire the angles softened by terraces, steel, and stone balanced with stretches of pristinely manicured greenery.
I can see the sweep of the bay off in the distance, the hazy outline of the city beyond, and it makes sense why this is here—why someone would pay a fortune for this view. The closer we get, the more details stand out: the slate roof, the infinity pool that seems to spill off the cliff’s edge, the sculpture garden positioned near the entrance.
It’s all very curated and intentional, and whoever designed this place was a true artist. I’m so used to gaudy, over-the-top homes that shove the wealth of its owner down my throat, but Jayce’s home is minimalistic and thoughtful in the way it blends in with its natural surroundings. It’s a lot like him, and I find it just as refreshing as his presence.
The car glides to a stop before massive double doors framed in black steel and warm wood and I catch the small vines carved into the curve of the entrance. The details of this place are exquisite.
