The Misunderstanding
The city lights blurred past the car windows as they drove in comfortable silence. Sophia kept stealing glances at Adrian’s profile. The evening had been a whirlwind…humiliating for others, vindicating for her, and thoroughly confusing in terms of understanding who this man really was.
“I’m sorry,” Sophia said finally, breaking the silence.
Adrian glanced at her. “For what?”
“For everything that happened back there. I invited you to dinner to thank you, and instead you ended up being insulted and humiliated by those awful people.” She twisted her hands in her lap. “Derek has always been terrible, but I never imagined he’d stoop that low. And Alexander…” She shuddered. “I can’t believe I ever considered even having a meal with that man.”
“You didn’t know what he was really like,” Adrian said evenly, his eyes back on the road. “People like him are experts at hiding their true nature until they think they have power over you.”
“Still, you shouldn’t have had to deal with that. Being mocked, having them treat you like…” She couldn’t finish the sentence.
Adrian pulled the car to a stop at a red light and turned to face her fully. His expression was gentle, almost amused. “Sophia, I genuinely didn’t take it to heart. Words from people like that don’t carry any weight with me. Their opinions are based on appearances and assumptions. neither of which concern me.”
The light turned green, and he accelerated smoothly. “What does concern me is that you’re more careful going forward. When choosing a partner…romantic or business…you need to look deeper than surface–level charm and credentials. That man clearly had issues long before tonight”
Sophia felt something warm bloom in her chest. Here was someone who’d watched her company rise from the ashes, who’d dealt with her family’s dysfunction, who’d been publicly mocked…and his concern was still for her well–being, not his wounded pride.
“You’re right,” she said softly. “There was definitely something wrong with Alexander. I should have trusted my instincts from the start.”
They drove for a few more minutes before Sophia remembered something that made her sit up straighter. “Oh! The raffle!”
Adrian raised an eyebrow. “The raffle?”
“At La Belle Époque…they were doing that anniversary drawing. One of the prizes was a personal invitation to Madame Duchamp’s annual business gala.” Sophia slumped back in her seat with a sigh. “If those two idiots hadn’t shown up and ruined everything, I could have stayed for the draw. Who knows…I might have actually won.”
She turned to look out the window, her voice wistful. “Mad me Duchamp is one of my idols. She built something incredible from nothing, just through determination and slll. I’ve wanted to meet her for years, to learn from her. That gala would have been the perfect opportunity.”
Adrian’s lips curved into a small smile. “Is that all you’re worried about?”
“Well, yes. It would have been…” Sophia paused, noticing as expression. “Why are you smiling like that?”
“Because you don’t need to worry. I can get you an invitation.”
Sophia’s eyes went wide. “What? How could you possibly… Then she stopped herself, thinking about everything she’d witnessed tonight. At this point, I shouldn’t be surprised by anything you can do.”
Joy bubbled up inside her, immediate and overwhelming. Without thinking, she unbuckled her seatbelt and threw
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herself at Adrian.
“Thank you, thank you, thank you!” she squealed.
The car swerved violently.
Adrian’s hands gripped the wheel tighter, his body going rigid with surprise. “Sophia, I’m driving…”
But she was already in his space, her arms wrapping around his neck, her momentum carrying her forward until she landed squarely in his lap. The confined space of the car meant there was nowhere else for her to go, and in the chaos of her enthusiastic gratitude, she pressed directly against him in a way that made them both freeze.
Adrian let out a muffled groan.
The low sensual sound cut through Sophia’s excitement like a knife. She became acutely aware of several things at once: the hard muscle of his thighs beneath her, the warmth of his body through his shirt, the rapid rise and fall of his chest, and most prominently, the unmistakable evidence of his very physical reaction to her sudden proximity.
Heat flooded her face. The temperature in the car seemed to spike by twenty degrees.
Adrian’s hands had moved from the wheel to hover awkwardly in the air, clearly uncertain where to put them. His jaw was clenched tight, and even in the dim light, Sophia could see the flush creeping up his neck.
“I’m sorry,” Adrian said, his voice strained and rough. “That’s… that’s a completely involuntary reaction. I didn’t mean…you should probably move…”
But Sophia didn’t move.
She stayed exactly where she was, feeling the heat of him beneath her, watching the way his throat worked as he swallowed hard. The awkwardness of the moment had transformed into something else…something charged and electric that made her skin tingle and her breath come faster.
Three months ago, she’d lost everything. And tonight, against all odds, she’d gotten her life back.
All because of the man currently trying very hard not to touch her despite her being draped across his lap.
Sophia shifted slightly, watching as Adrian’s breath hitched his eyes squeezing shut.
“Sophia.” His voice was a warning. “You need to go back to your seat.”
Instead of answering, she leaned forward and pressed her lips to the side of his neck.
Adrian’s entire body went rigid. “What are you…”
She kissed the spot again, more deliberately this time, letting her lips linger against his skin. She felt his pulse hammering beneath her mouth, felt the way his hands finally moved to grip her waist…whether to push her away or pull her closer, even he seemed uncertain.
“Sophia,” he tried again, but his voice had lost its firmness
She nipped at his neck gently, and the groan he let out was deeply satisfying.
This was crazy. She knew it was crazy. But something about him made her want to throw caution aside.
Adrian seemed to reach his limit. His hands tightened on her waist, and with more force than she’d expected, he lifted her bodily off his lap and deposited her back in the passenger seat.
Sophia landed with a soft “oof,” staring at him in surprise.
Adrian’s chest was heaving, his hands gripping the steering wheel so hard his knuckles had gone white. He stared
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straight ahead through the windshield, his jaw set in a hard line.
“I’m not ready to start a new relationship yet,” he said quietly.
The words hit Sophia like cold water.
Oh god.
The full weight of what she’d just done crashed over her. She’d practically thrown herself at him. She’d kissed his neck. She’d pressed herself against him like some desperate…
Mortification burned through her entire body.
“I’m so sorry,” she gasped out, fumbling for the door handle. “I completely misread the situation. I thought…I don’t know what I thought…I should go…”
She yanked on the handle.
Nothing happened.
She tried again, pulling harder. The door remained stubbornly locked.
Confused and increasingly panicked, Sophia looked at Adrian. “The door won’t open.”
Adrian still wouldn’t look at her. His expression was carefully neutral, almost too calm.” I’ll drive you back to your apartment.”
“You don’t have to…”
“I’m driving you back,” Adrian said, and something in his tone made it clear the discussion was over.
The rest of the drive passed in excruciating silence.
Sophia pressed herself as close to the passenger door as physically possible, her face burning with humiliation. She couldn’t believe she’d been so forward, so presumptuous. He’d just gotten divorced. He’d explicitly told her he wasn’t ready. And she’d still thrown herself at him like some desperate fool.
When they finally pulled up outside her apartment building, Adrian put the car in park but didn’t turn off the engine. The door unlocked with a soft click.
“Thank you,” Sophia mumbled, not meeting his eyes. “For everything. I’m sorry again for…”
“Don’t apologize,” Adrian said quietly. “You did nothing wrong.”
But she had. She knew she had.
Sophia practically fled from the car, speed–walking toward the building entrance without looking back. She was certain her face was bright red, certain everyone on the street could somehow tell what had just happened.
Behind her, she heard the car door open and close,
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Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
