Jay's POV
Jay sat in his car, staring at the dashboard, his hands clenched on the wheel. He couldn't shake the images of Elena—her smile, her laugh, the way she had looked at him with that mix of curiosity and something else. Desire. She wanted him. He could feel it, but she was scared. Scared of him, scared of what he represented.
The woman he had fallen for didn't know who he really was, and that hurt more than he was willing to admit. She didn't know that he was the one who had created the very company she worked for—the one that her family had built from the ground up. She didn't know he was the one who could destroy it with a single word.
And that made him angry. Angry at the way she had treated him, angry at the way she had walked away, thinking he wasn't good enough for her. But more than that—he was angry at himself for falling for someone who didn't even know the truth.
He needed to change that. He needed to make her see him for who he really was.
~Elena's ~
She stepped back, her heart pounding in her chest, her body still craving the feel of him against her. But she couldn't ignore the warning bells in her head. She had been so caught up in the heat of the moment, so caught up in the desire that she almost forgot everything else.
But she couldn't forget. She shouldn't forget.
She forced herself to take a deep breath, trying to steady her nerves. "I'm not ready for this, Jay. Not yet."
His eyes softened, just a little, though the intensity never left them. "I know," he said quietly. "But it's only a matter of time."
The words hung in the air between them, heavy with promise. And Elena knew, deep down, that he was right. It was only a matter of time before they crossed the line, before they gave in to everything they were both so desperate to deny.
But not tonight.
~Jay's ~
As she stepped back, Jay let out a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding. He wanted her. God, how he wanted her. But he couldn't rush her. Not when she was so conflicted.
But what Elena didn't understand was that he couldn't just walk away from this. He wasn't the type to back down once he'd decided what he wanted. And he had decided—he wanted her.
But there were other things to consider now, things that weighed on him more than anything else. Things he was determined to control.
He stepped back, running a hand through his hair, the intensity of the moment still burning in his chest. "I'm not going to force you, Elena. But know this—you're mine. And you'll realize that sooner or later."
With that, he turned and walked away, leaving Elena standing there, her heart still racing, her mind a whirl of confusion and desire.
~Elena's ~
The days that followed that night were filled with uncertainty. Each time Elena thought about what happened between her and Jay, she couldn't help but feel a strange mixture of guilt and longing. She had stopped herself, yes, but the moment had felt so real, so raw. She hadn't expected to be so drawn to him, not like that.
Jay was different. He was always so composed, so confident, but there was a depth to him, something dark and intense that she couldn't quite understand. It was like he was playing a game—a game she wasn't sure she could win.
Her body still ached for him. She hadn't been able to get the image of his lips against hers out of her mind, the way his body had pressed against hers. The heat between them had been undeniable, but she had been right to stop it. They couldn't go down that path. Not now. Not when she was still trying to figure out who he really was.
But then she'd find herself thinking about his words—the things he had said that night. You're mine. He hadn't said it as a threat, but as a promise. And it was a promise that Elena couldn't ignore, no matter how much she wanted to.
She had spent so long keeping herself at arm's length from people, afraid of getting too close. But Jay… Jay was different. She felt it deep down.
But was it enough? Was it enough to risk everything she'd worked so hard for? Her family's company, her future—could she really give it all up for him?
Her phone buzzed, pulling her out of her thoughts. It was a message from Jay.
Jay: "Meet me. I need to talk to you. Can't wait any longer."
Her heart skipped a beat as she read the message. There was an urgency in his words that sent a shiver down her spine. What could he possibly want to talk about? Was this about the kiss? About what almost happened?
She stood up, grabbing her jacket and heading out the door. She didn't know what to expect, but she couldn't ignore the pull of his invitation. She needed answers. She needed to understand who Jay really was.
~Jay's ~
Jay had never been more certain of anything in his life. He wanted Elena. More than anything else. More than the business, more than the empire he had built from nothing. But it wasn't just about desire. It was about control.
He had kept his distance for so long, hidden behind his consultant persona, but that was all about to change. He wasn't going to keep pretending to be someone else. Elena needed to know who he truly was. She needed to understand the stakes of everything between them.
But there was another reason he had summoned her tonight.
The tension between them had been building ever since that night. Jay couldn't stop thinking about her, about the way she had kissed him, only to pull away. She wasn't ready. But Jay was. He was more than ready.
He had waited long enough.
He paced back and forth in his luxurious apartment, his thoughts running wild. She's mine, and she will understand that. He was determined to make her see him for who he was—not just some consultant, not just a guy who worked alongside her in the office.
He was a man who could take everything she ever wanted and more.
When he saw her enter the apartment, his heart skipped a beat. She looked as beautiful as ever, her expression filled with uncertainty, but also something else. Curiosity, maybe. Or was it longing? Whatever it was, Jay could see it in her eyes. She was already slipping, already falling.
"Jay," Elena said, her voice quiet, but there was a hint of something beneath it. Something softer, but still hesitant.
"Elena," he replied, his voice low, steady. "I've been thinking about what happened the other night. And what didn't happen."
Her cheeks flushed slightly, but she didn't back away. If anything, she took a step closer.
"I think we both know why it didn't happen," she said, her voice almost challenging. "Because it would've been a mistake."
Jay took a deep breath, his fingers running through his hair. He was done pretending. Done waiting.
"You don't think it would've been a mistake. You wanted me just as badly as I wanted you." He stepped closer to her, closing the distance until they were almost touching.
"Elena," he said softly, his voice barely a whisper. "What if I told you that there was more to this than just physical attraction? What if I told you I wanted you… for more than just tonight?"
She looked up at him, her expression unreadable, but there was a flicker of something there. Fear? Excitement? She didn't say anything, but the silence stretched between them, thick and heavy.
"I know what you're thinking," he continued, his lips just inches from hers. "You think I'm not on your level. That I'm just some guy who doesn't belong in your world. But I am. And I'm going to prove it."
Her breath hitched as he leaned in, his lips brushing against hers in a kiss that was soft at first, but quickly deepened. She responded, her hands coming up to grip his shirt as her body melted against his. For a moment, it was as if nothing else existed.
But just as quickly, reality came crashing back. Elena pulled away, her chest heaving as she looked up at him, her expression torn.
"Jay… this isn't… we can't do this," she gasped. "I don't even know who you really are."
He smirked, his hands resting on her waist. "Oh, but you will."
She stepped back, her eyes filled with a mix of confusion and something else—something deeper that he could see but couldn't quite name. "I don't know what's going on with us, Jay," she said, her voice quiet. "But I need answers. I need the truth."
Jay stared at her, the desire still burning hot between them. But he knew she wasn't ready for all of it—not yet. He had to give her time. He had to make her see.
"The truth, Elena, is that you have no idea what you're getting yourself into," he said, his voice dark with meaning. "But soon, you will."
~Elena's ~
Her head was spinning. She had almost given in, almost let herself lose control. But she had stopped herself, just in time.
Jay's words echoed in her mind. You have no idea what you're getting yourself into. What did that mean? What was he really trying to say?
As she stepped back, trying to regain her composure, a new realization dawned on her. Jay wasn't just any man. He wasn't just some consultant. There was something bigger, something more powerful that he was hiding. She could feel it in the way he looked at her, in the way he spoke.
And it terrified her.
But despite everything—despite the fear, despite the uncertainty—she couldn't ignore the pull between them. She couldn't deny how much she wanted him, how much she needed him.
And that was the problem. Because she didn't know if she was ready to give up everything for him.
Not yet.