He’s holding my license and registration but makes no move to hand it to me.
“Am I free to go now?”
Rather than answer me, he stays silent, his posture rigid, his stance unnervingly formal. It’s almost as if he’s slipped into another persona—detached, professional. This must be how he carries himself on duty. And fuck, is it hot.Why is it so hot?It shouldn’t make my stomach flip. It definitely shouldn’t make my skin tingle. And yet here I am, gripping the steering wheel so tightly, I’m surprised it hasn’t cracked in my hands. Ithought there was a universal rule that exes are supposed to get less attractive as the years go by.
Dominic didn’t get the memo.
Clearing my throat, I shift in my seat, willing away the heat spreading across my chest.
“I don’t have all day. Either give me a ticket or let me go.” My bite is forced, lacking the grit I intended.
An unreadable expression twists his features, and he looks to either side before speaking, like he’s checking to see if anyone is listening. He removes his sunglasses, slipping them into his front pocket where his name is stitchedD. Alvarez.
“I’m going to need you to step out of the vehicle.”
His already deep voice sounds foreign in the professional tone he’s trying to exude.
My head falls back, colliding with the headrest, and a laugh barks out of me. It’s unhinged and slightly manic sounding, I let it flow,nonetheless. I don’t knowwhat game he’s trying to play, but if he meant to rile me up, he failed. He’s acting like he’s going to arrest me or something. Hell, this is the first time I’ve ever been pulled over. Apart from some stupid antics as a teenager, which Dominic was part of, I’ve never been in real trouble.
“Don’t make this harder than it has to be, Elyse.”
The last bits of my laughter bubble out and I clear my throat to stop it completely. He called meElyse. I don’t think he’s ever called me by my full name.
I make the mistake of meeting his stare, and he locks me in place as my stomach barrels down to the floorboards.
I’ve been doing so well—avoiding truly looking at him. Clinging to every shred of determination not to study him, not to sink into his eyes the way every instinct in me has begged to. But all that effort vanishes in a heartbeat.
Instantly, I’m hit with every detail of him at once. Deep brown eyes under dark, thick brows. There’s the start of wrinkles on the outer edges, ones that weren’t there ten years ago. His pupils are consuming all the bits of gold flecks that are normally present when they aren’t so dilated. Smooth-shaven cheeks sit above faint creases on either side of his mouth, laugh lines likely caused from that contagious smile of his. There’s a new scar above his upper lip—well new to me. And a gold chain is peeking out from beneath the collar of his uniform. Despite it all, he’s just how I remember him, but filtered through age, with sharpened features, and somehow even more good-looking than he was when we were younger. Now that I’ve really looked at him, I don’t want to look anywhere else. It’s only the seriousness in his eyes that keeps me from getting lost in him completely.
“Ellie, please get out of the car.” He sounds almost pleading, the strain in his voice louder than anything he’s actually saying.
Is he not joking?
As if he can hear my thoughts, he slowly shakes his head. “It’s not a joke. I’m wearing a body cam and the dash cam is recording.”
Dumbfounded, I stare at him open-mouthed.
“Step out of the vehicle, ma’am,” he says loudly, like it’sfor someone else.
My hands grip the steering wheel harder, tightening as his words sink in. He’s serious. Dead serious. My heartbeat picks up, banging against my ribs, trying to escape, and I realize this isn’t just Dominic trying to mess with me. I sit there, frozen, trying to convince myself this is some kind of elaborate prank, and the universe really isn’t this cruel.
“Dominic.” I force his name out like a plea, even though I hate the desperation in my voice. “You can’t be serious. You’re not actually going to do what I think you are, are you? You don’t even have jurisdiction, this is a city road and you’re not a city cop.”
A glimpse of something that looks like regret passes over his face, but it’s gone before I can decipher it.
“Jurisdiction or not, I’m obligated to proceed.” His tone is clipped but his eyes are rapidly blinking, as if he’s wrestling with every decision he’s making. “I’ll explain once you’re out of the car.”
“Explain now,” I counter, my voice rising despite the lump forming in my throat. “This is ridiculous!”
“Ellie,” he says softly, trying to soothe me, and that only makes it worse.
“Don’t ‘Ellie’ me! You can’t just?—”
“Step out of the car,” he cuts me off, firmer now, his gaze darting to the dash cam on the cruiser behind him. “Please.”
And then it hits me—he has no choice. Whatever this is, it’s bigger than just us.
Swallowing hard, I unbuckle my seatbelt and open the door. The spring air smacks me as I step out, and I’msuddenly aware of how exposed I feel under his unwavering stare.
