Dinner was a slow dance of conversation, glances, and subtle movements. Jenna found herself more intrigued by Liam with each passing moment. He was different than anyone she'd met. His calculated demeanor was offset by something she couldn't quite place — an undercurrent of something deeper, more magnetic.
But that didn't mean she was ready to surrender.
"So," she began, breaking the comfortable silence, "tell me, Ryder, do you always get what you want?"
Liam smiled, but it wasn't the playful grin she was used to. There was something more grounded about it now. "I've learned how to make people think they have a choice. It's a skill."
Jenna's eyes narrowed. "Manipulative?"
"Not exactly." He paused, choosing his words carefully. "I prefer strategic. I don't waste time with unnecessary moves."
She considered this, leaning back slightly in her chair. "And what about this?" She gestured between them. "What's your strategy here, Liam?"
His gaze turned thoughtful, but there was still a hint of mischief. "I don't have one. I'm not here to strategize. I'm here because I find you fascinating."
Jenna arched a brow, trying to read him. "Fascinating? Or just intrigued? There's a difference."
"Maybe both," Liam admitted, his tone low. "I'm not used to being unsure about something. But with you? I don't have all the answers. And I kind of like it that way."
For a brief moment, the vulnerability in his words disarmed her. But she quickly recovered, shifting in her seat. "So you're just... chasing the unknown?"
He met her gaze, his voice steady. "I'm chasing the truth. The one I think might be hiding beneath the surface."
Jenna swallowed, surprised at how his words had landed. She'd always kept her distance from people, especially men who seemed like they could unravel her. But Liam? He wasn't like the others. He wasn't looking for a quick conquest. No, he seemed to want something else entirely — something she wasn't ready to face.
"So, if we're being honest," she said after a pause, "what do you think I'm hiding?"
Liam leaned in just slightly, lowering his voice. "I think you're hiding your vulnerability. The side of you that's not always in control. But you're not ready to let anyone see that. Not yet."
Her heart skipped, and for the first time that night, she looked away, unsure of how to handle his insight.
But Liam, ever observant, didn't push. Instead, he took a step back. "We don't have to talk about it. But I'll be here when you're ready."
The shift in the air was palpable. Jenna wasn't sure what to say or how to respond to the quiet tension between them. He wasn't just a challenge anymore. He was someone who saw her — the real her — and didn't run.
"So," she said after a beat, taking a deep breath, "how do you suggest we leave things tonight?"
Liam's smile returned, but it was tempered with something deeper. "The same way we started. With a question."
Jenna tilted her head. "And what's your question?"
He leaned in closer, his voice a low whisper. "Do you trust me, Jenna?"
Her pulse quickened, but she held his gaze steady. "I don't trust easily. You should know that by now."
Liam nodded. "Then maybe we have something in common."
There was no grand confession, no dramatic moment. But in that quiet, unspoken exchange, something shifted between them. It was as if they were standing on the edge of something neither of them could fully understand — yet both were too intrigued to walk away.