*Isabella's POV*
"Would you go on a date with me?" Jacob asked, his voice somewhat nervous, a contrast to his usual suave and confident Playboy persona. "A real one," he added, "not that this isn't real, but I guess this is just work for you." He sounded uncertain, and I couldn't help but notice the difference in his tone.
"Jacob," I started to say, but he quickly cut me off. "Not that I'm not having a good time, but..." he added, his words trailing off. I felt a surge of amusement at his nervousness, and I couldn't help but tease him a bit.
"Jacob!" I exclaimed, finally getting his attention. "Shut up," I said, laughing as he rolled his eyes. He looked so cute when he was flustered, and I couldn't help but feel a flutter in my chest. "You're cute," I said, still chuckling. "When I met you, I never would've believed if someone told me I'd get to see you stutter like this."
We stood there in silence, staring into each other's eyes, the tension between us so thick you could cut it with a knife. Jacob's gaze was intense, and I felt like he could see right through me. "Well?" he inquired, his voice low and husky.
"I'd love to," I started, "but..." I hesitated, unsure of how to continue. Jacob cut me off, his expression thoughtful. "Of course, there's a 'but'," he said, making me feel a bit bad for hesitating.
I thought to myself, shit, this is not how I thought this would play out. I expected him to be confident and charming, not nervous and uncertain. Jacob asked, "Is it about the boyfriend Damien told me about?" and my eyes widened in surprise. "Boyfriend?" I asked, shocked. Oh fucking hell, he was talking about Harry.
I quickly assured him, "Oh no, he's out of the picture." Jacob's face lit up with a wide grin, and I couldn't help but feel a pang of affection for him. But then he asked, "But then what is it?" and I felt my confidence sink.
I hesitated, unsure of how to piece the words together. "I'm not...I'm just me," I began, feeling insecure. "I'm not the girls you're used to dating. I'm not a model or rich or..." I trailed off, feeling like I wasn't good enough.
But Jacob cut me off, his voice firm and commanding. "The lack of confidence doesn't look good on you, doll," he said. "Where is the Isabella that held her chin up and stood her ground? The girl I met in Raleigh? I demand her back." His words were like a slap in the face, and I felt a surge of determination.
"Meanwhile, I can assure you, you're the most beautiful thing the walls of this ballroom have ever seen," Jacob said, his finger moving under my chin, sending shivers down my damn spine. "But I won't," he added, his gaze compelling me to believe it, even though I didn't know it. But fucking hell, his words made me feel like I was the only freaking person in the room.
"I would love to go on a date with you," I finally said, making him smile, and damn, it was a beautifully sexy smile. "Then it's settled," he said, his eyes sparkling with excitement. "When we get back to Raleigh, we'll make it happen. Now, let's go back inside and have some fun," he added, and fun we damn well did have. The rest of the night was a blur of laughter, music, and dancing, and I was having the time of my freaking life.
Once the gala was over, we headed back to the limo, Elly still taking the driver's seat and driving us away. "So, tomorrow we are going back to Raleigh?" I asked, starting a conversation, trying to sound casual, but my mind was racing with freaking thoughts about him I know I shouldn't be having.
"Yes," he replied, his eyes fixed on mine, making me feel like he could see right through me."In Damien's plane?" I inquired, raising an eyebrow, and Jacob smirked, "Oh, sweetheart, do you think he's the only one with a plane?" I burst out laughing, "Show off," I replied, and we both laughed, the tension between us disintegrating.
We were close to the hotel, but I could only think about one damn thing - how much I wanted to invite him to my room. The thought plagued my mind, but I was hesitant, mostly because he had rejected me last time we were in his limo, and I didn't want to humiliate myself again. Plus, this dress was way too pretty to get ripped off by him, and I didn't want to end up looking like a freaking idiot.
"Isabella," he said, breaking my train of thought, "tomorrow at noon, Elly will pick you up," he said, and I felt a pang of disappointment, thinking that was it, goodnight for the night. I began opening the door as the limo came to a complete stop, but Jacob grabbed my wrist gently, pulling me back.
"Uh-huh, sweetheart, where do you think you're going?" he asked, his eyes sparkling with mischief, and he grabbed my waist, pulling me against his chest into a passionate kiss. I hesitated for a damn moment, unsure of what to do, but then I leaned into it, feeling his lips on mine, and oh hell, it was like the whole freaking world had come to a standstill.
Then, he pulled back, a smug smile on his face, "That's more like it," he said, smirking, and I felt my face heat up, my cheeks blushing like a damn fool. "Goodnight, doll," he said, planting a kiss on my cheek, making me blush even more. "Text me when you're in bed," he added, his voice low and husky, sending shivers down my spine.
I nodded, still feeling the effects of the kiss, and stepped out of the limo, my heart racing like a freaking drum.