Players

8. So You Are A Swiftie

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"What in the world are you doing here?" I ask the annoying man leaning against his black Bugatti Veyron, an irritating lazy grin plastered across his face as he looks up from his phone.

I take in the car. This was not the one he was driving the last time he was here. Did he own a car dealership as well?

"Like him?" He asks and he has all my attention again.

"Got a lot of money to burn, don't you?" I roll my eyes as I cross my arms in front of my chest. My eyes narrow at how his eyes follow every bit of my actions. I look down to see that my breasts are hiked up with my cleavage in full view. Men.

I look back up at him and his eyes follow, a smirk forming on his face.

"Show some restraint," I say, my defiance not letting me uncross my arms.

"I think I have made it clear that I really can't keep my cool when it comes to you." He says, kicking off from he stood and walking toward me.

He holds a hand out.

"Shall we?"

"I am taking my car." I shrug. "What the hell am I supposed to do if I leave it here?"

"I will chauffeur you tomorrow?" His grin is childish. But that does not make the urge to smack it off his way, go away.

"I seriously do not understand your principle of headhunting." I take off my coat. I take a step forward, mere inches between the two of us, and look up at him. "Someone who doesn't realize your game might even say you are courting me."

"Maybe that's exactly what I am trying to do." He winks at me, taking my hand and tugging me towards his car.

"Wanna drive?" He asks.

"Nah." I smile. "I don't have the energy to f**k the patriarchy."

He chuckles. "So you are a Swiftie."

"Hell yeah, I am." I laugh. "But you are too?"

"I must have listened to that song over a hundred times because of my niece."

"Stop blaming your niece. You know you love it." I am about to open the door when he stops me.

"I should be a gentleman." He says, grinning at me as he opens the door for me.

"Seriously?" I shake my head as I duck and get in, not missing how he keeps his hand on the top of the frame to make sure I don't bump into it.

Why is this man trying so hard?

"Ready to go?" He asks as he gets in.

"Sure."

We buckle in the seatbelts and he pulls the car out of parking.

For two people who enjoy bickering, we both are quiet the entire ride.

Dominic actually puts on Taylor Swift in low volume and lets me be. I don't how I feel about this.

The city's late-night skyline comes into view through the window. The bustling streets are now a tapestry of vibrant lights, illuminating the darkness that envelopes the city.

The rhythmic hum of the engine and the soothing voice of my favorite artist fill the silence as Dominic expertly maneuvers through the city's labyrinthine streets. The city is alive even at this hour, with occasional pedestrians walking briskly, their silhouettes passing by in a blur.

I lean back against the seat, taking a moment to appreciate the tranquility of the scene. The distant sound of car horns and sirens added a symphony to the backdrop, reminding me of the energy and constant motion that defines urban life.

I love New York City. And despite the high rent and living expenses, the overcrowdedness and noise pollution, and every other negative thing that people associate New York with, anyone who has lived here will agree that they do love this place.

"I forgot to ask where we are going." I sit up in the seat and look over at him.

Dominic has a side profile to die for. The dim illumination from the dashboard highlights the strong contours of his face, casting intriguing shadows that only enhanced his features.

I gulp.

"Well, if I tell you then it wouldn't be a surprise, would it?" His chiseled jawline flexes as his mouth goes up in another one of his smiles, and I am an i***t because my pulse rate just hiked.

"Who said anything about surprises?" I ask. "You said that we were going out to get something to eat."

"No." He looked over at me, and I take in for the first time, the hint of stubble along his jaw that adds a rugged touch to his otherwise refined appearance. Where is your mind going, Cassie?

"I said it was a surprise."

"Uh uh..." I hold up a finger. "You said and I quote, "How about we go get something to eat?" Nowhere in our whole conversation was a surprise mentioned."

"Jeez, what are you?"

"A lawyer."

"Right." He laughs again and I hate how my body is reacting to the whole thing.

What is wrong with you, body? Are you that s*x-starved that you are finding your enemy attractive?

Though I am a big fan of the enemies-to-lovers trope in books, I know that it is not the best option in real life. Especially not for someone like me and not with someone like Dominic Grant. He is a crazy person. The fact that he laughs and jokes around with me should scare me because he is probably preparing me for sacrifice.

Instead, here I am getting butterflies.

If there was a zombie apocalypse, I will be the first to die. I swear.

"So, where are we going?" I ask again.

"Oh, it's a surprise Cassidy, you will see once we get there." He grins at me, his voice high-pitch and back to the irritating one I have gotten used to in the past weeks.

"Oooh... I am so excited! I can't" I mimic him, my voice shriller.

And he throws his head back and laughs, the sound rumbling off his chest.

I curse myself. My entire being is vibrating from the sound of his voice. What on earth is wrong with me?

"We are here." He says and I am confused. We have water on the right and closed stores on the left.

"What do you mean by we are here? Are you referring to one of the alleys over there where you plan to drag me into and gut me alive?"

He bursts out laughing again and now with the idea of imminent death in my brain, it doesn't sound relatively as sexy.

Dominic grabs my head from the top and turns my head in the other direction, and I finally see it.

"Food trucks?" My face probably lights up like a Christmas tree when I say it. I love cheap delicious out-of-the-world food!

"I hope the lady doesn't mind." He says, and it is clear from his voice that he already knows that I don't mind. Well, it is pretty clear from my face, isn't it?

"What are we waiting for?" I ask as I unbuckle the seat belt. "Let's go!"

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