My Dad's Bestfriend novel Chapter 157

Evelyn

I halted in my tracks, his voice slicing through the silence like a knife. Then came the click, and suddenly the bar lights flickered on, casting a warm glow over the staircase and illuminating my figure. A peculiar heat crept up my skin, seeping into my flesh and bones—his voice, resonant and deep, carried an edge that sent my heart into a frenzy.

Summoning my courage, I clenched and unclenched my fists before finally turning to face him, meeting his gaze head-on. There he sat on a bar stool, his appearance starkly different from the morning encounter. Shirtless, every contour of his sculpted muscles on display, the veins in his arms prominent. Strands of hair fell across his forehead, offering tantalizing glimpses of his enchanting green eyes. In his hand, a glass of whiskey, his favorite brand—ironic, considering Dad despised it yet still brought it home upon Jacob's arrival, despite claiming to loathe his best friend now. Strange, wasn't it?

Everyone still fucking loved Jacob Adriano, because it was damn near impossible not to love a man like him. And who knew that better than me? Life just had to throw those curveballs.

"Why does my dating life interest you so much, Mr. Adriano?" I challenged, crossing my arms over my chest as I cautiously approached, leaning against the end of the bar. Despite the few feet of distance between us, the space seemed to shrink, closing in around us. I fought the urge to reach out, to feel the warmth of his body against mine—damn, I hated myself sometimes.

"Shouldn't it?" he countered, his voice as measured as always. "People chase after their exes for years, even after a breakup. It hasn't even been a month since you left me."

"Because you fucked up," I shot back, my tone laced with bitterness.

"And I'm not denying it," Jacob suddenly rose from the stool and closed the distance between us with purposeful steps. My fingers tightened around the edge of the bar, gripping the marble as if it were my lifeline. He halted just before me, his palms resting on the bar behind me. A shiver ran down my spine as his hand brushed back his hair, sending my mind spinning in a direction I desperately didn't want to go, but my body... it yearned for him.

I was so damn accustomed to his touch that the absence of it felt like starvation.

"I messed up, more times than I can count. But I'm here to make it right, to do whatever it takes to win you back. What I won't fucking stand for is you throwing yourself at other guys, trying to convince yourself they're better than me," Jacob's words were harsh, his voice rising in intensity. His left hand settled on my hip, while his right remained planted on the bar, trapping me between him and the counter.

"They are indeed a thousand times better than you," I retorted, finding my voice amidst the chaos. "Leaving you was the best decision I ever made. Cameron is perfect for me—the one I deserve."

"Oh, really?" Jacob chuckled, his eyes filled with mocking amusement, as if he could see right through me. "Tell me, what about Cameron makes him so perfect for you?" His hand on my hip began tracing slow circles, his proximity igniting a fire beneath my skin. My throat tightened, my palms grew sweaty, and my breath quickened.

Struggling to maintain my composure, I locked eyes with him, feeling utterly powerless yet strangely intoxicated by it. Jacob had a way of making me feel so many conflicting emotions, and the way he could render me powerless was both infuriating and exhilarating.

He could make me surrender and still make sure I fucking loved it.

"Answer me, Evelyn," he demanded, a smirk playing at the corner of his lips. "I need to hear you say it."

He didn't believe me, not for a second.

I had to make it convincing enough to buy myself some time.