I could barely survive the chaos of working in advertising, how the hell was I supposed to navigate being some Hollywood star’s girlfriend or whatever? Honestly, if I could choose, I’d work from home, writing my silly stories, drinking peppermint tea, and avoiding all human contact. The thought of going out and having strangers stare at me, acting like they knew me? Absolute nightmare.
“I know it’s a mess, but…” He hesitated before taking another step closer, our bodies now touching. “Aren’t you even a little curious about us? Why and how have we been dreaming of each other?”
“Oh, yes…” I admitted, sighing. Truth be told, I couldn’t stop thinking about it, even when I tried. At some point today, I’d even tried convincing myself I was delusional and that yesterday hadn’t actually happened. The Google search for psychiatric facilities near me was still in my browser history.
“I don’t think I can stay away now…” The way he said it, his voice low and wanting, made my whole body melt. It was now a dual betrayal, not just my body but also my brain, which played flashes of last night on a loop. I could practically feel his hands on me all over again. The way he knew exactly where to touch, how to move. The way our bodies fit together like they’d been designed for it. All. Freaking. Night. Long.
My knees wobbled, and I couldn’t tell if it was pure exhaustion or the pull he had on me. Probably both.
“What do you say we go inside and… talk some more?” He said with a glint in his eyes. Yeah, that was pure trouble right there. It snapped me out of my haze.
“Absolutely not!” I blurted out, stepping back sideways so fast I nearly tripped. It came out sharper than I intended, and I could see the hurt all over his face. It made my stomach twist.
That was too much.Try again, Jules.
“My kids are home,” I tried saying it softer this time. “I can’t… I don’t want to… You know.” I waved my hands, hoping he’d fill in the blanks because there was no way I could finish a sentence right now.
Chris’ jaw tightened before he nodded slowly. He could see where my boundaries were. I wasn’t ready for someone new to enter my kids’ lives, not after the divorce, and definitely not someone who came with his level of messy baggage.
“Fine,” he said after a beat, moving back toward his ridiculously fancy car. He pulled open the back door and gestured inside. “Then let’s sit in here. It’s freezing out.”
I stood there, arms crossed, trying to force myself to walk away and end this whole interaction before it escalated into something else. He didn’t move either. He looked with those stupid blue eyes that could see right through me.
“I’m not going anywhere,” I said, crossing my arms tighter to make a point. But my voice sounded weak, like I didn’t entirely believe myself. And, of course, he noticed.
That damn smirk was back. “Don’t pretend you don’t want to,” he teased, his gaze sweeping over me, making my cheeks heat.
I raised an eyebrow, but before I could fire back, he leaned back in, making me swallow back the words. His voice dropped to that smooth, self-assured tone as he strolled towards me. “I don’t know how. I don’t know why. But I can read you like a book. And from what I see…” His eyes dragged down my body slowly before meeting mine again. “Your pink cheeks, the way you’re crossing your arms like you’re trying to hide your tits, and those shaky legs that can’t seem to stay still…” His gaze was holding mine like a dare. “I’d say it’s a smut book.”
He laughed, low and damn near sinful. I tried really hard not to join him because, well—he wasn’t wrong. Even though he infuriated me, my body was practically begging for a replay of last night.
“Come on, Blaze,” he said when I didn’t move. The nickname stopped me cold. It sounded so familiar, like it had been on his tongue a thousand times before. Like it was second nature. But he’d never said it before—at least, not here. Because in my daydreams, that’s what he always called me.Blaze.
“Red,Rusty, Freckleface, Chili Pepper… I had this friend in elementary school who used to call me Flamey Jules.” I said.
“Flamey?” His face had scrunched up in disapproval. “Sounds… tamable.” A slow grin spread across his face. “I’ll call you Blaze.”
I remembered it so clearly,like it had actually happened. Except it hadn’t. It was a daydream I’d had over a decade ago. Right?
The realization hit me hard. The kids’ names. The nickname. Could he somehow… see my daydreams? The thought made my stomach twist in knots.
“What did you call me?” My voice was barely a whisper.
“Blaze,” he said, smiling again, and then almost exactly like he had in my daydream—when he Googled it to confirm it matched my personality—he said. “A very large or fiercely burning fire. It’s a nickname I used to call you. Or…” He hesitated, trying to explain it. “I dreamed I called you. I don’t know. I…” He didn’t need to explain. I already knew exactly what he meant.
“I know,” I said, my voice uneven. “I… remember?” Did I remember? Was that even the right word? I wasn’t sure. What Ididknow was that this moment and this impossible connection between us made me want to run. Run inside, lock myself in my room, and do some serious, copious research onwhat the actual fuckwas happening. That’s what I was good at—research, planning, figuring things out. But let’s be honest: this didn’t feel like something I was going to find answers for on the internet.
Chris was back holding the door open, his turquoise eyes steady on mine. He gestured toward the inside of the car. His look wasn’t pushy, but it wasn’t exactly patient, either. Rationality was screaming at me to push as much distance as possible between me and this man, but all I wanted—all I needed—was to hear him whisper“Blaze”right to my ear. The thought alone made me press my thighs together.
Before I could talk myself out of it, I climbed into the car. He followed right after, shutting the door behind us. Being confined to the back seat made me immediately hyper-aware of everything—his scent, his warmth, the way my body wanted to lean toward him on its own. My hands sat tightly in my lap, willing myself to stay put.
“So… are you going to hide me from everybody forever?” Chris asked, breaking the silence. It sounded like a joke, but there was something serious underneath it.
“A bit presumptuous of you to think we’ll meet again after today.” What was I even doing in this car? He was engaged, for crying out loud. I wasn’t supposed to be here. “And we’re not talking abouteverybody. We’re talking about my kids,” I continued.
The words felt heavy coming out, but it didn’t change the truth of them. My kids were off-limits. Even though there was a tiny voice in my head wondering what the fact that he’d been dreaming about them meant, I didn’t want to get them involved in something so… chaotic.
“Fair enough,” Chris said, nodding slightly. There was the faintest hint of a smile tugging at his lips, and I hated that I found it so damn charming.
