I Forgot I Ever Loved You (Zoe and Hayden) novel Chapter 23

Zoe called no less than five times, having no idea if Colin simply couldn't hear it on his end.

Left with no other choice, she opened a ride-hailing app.

Just as she launched it, Colin pulled the black SUV up right in front of her.

The door slowly slid open. Hayden sat perfectly still, his laptop resting on his knees as he worked.

Zoe climbed in, eyeing him suspiciously.

"Were you planning on ditching me and leaving me here?"

Hayden continued working without even lifting his head, treating her as if she were invisible.

"Mrs—Ms. Lynd, I was just really thirsty, so I swung by the convenience store across the street to grab a water. Sorry for the delay."

Colin explained while sneaking glances at the rearview mirror, casually handing Zoe a bottle of water.

Hayden acted utterly deaf, showing zero reaction.

Zoe smiled brightly. "It's fine, no worries. I'm not in a rush."

Turns out, she had been too petty and misunderstood Hayden.

Reaching for the bottle Colin offered, she twisted the cap hard, and it immediately exploded. The liquid drenched her chest and legs.

"Ah—"

Zoe hadn't expected Colin to give her sparkling water.

A few crystal-clear drops splashed onto Hayden's keyboard.

The woman's filterless outbursts were something Hayden couldn't tolerate.

"Ah—"

"Shut up."

Hayden's face darkened. He slammed the laptop shut and tossed it onto the seat beside him.

Zoe looked at him in panic. How was she supposed to work looking like this?

"My clothes are soaked."

What kind of man was he?

His scent filled the car like a ghost, overwhelming her senses. The explosive rush of testosterone made her feel increasingly disoriented.

The cramped space was a heady mix of Zoe's unique feminine scent and Hayden's intimidating aura.

His profoundly dark eyes held an ultimate, magnetic temptation, as if trying to suck her very soul in.

Even though her mind held no memory of him, her body responded with absolute honesty.

They were both a chaotic mess until Hayden finally released her. Zoe felt as if she had been clubbed over the head, snapping completely awake.

What exactly were she and Hayden doing?

Even though she had been told she was his wife, she still found this behavior inappropriate and shameful.

That identity was something Hayden had aggressively pushed onto her; she didn't genuinely recognize it.

Psychologically, Zoe still believed Hayden was her sister Sienna's fiancé, making him completely off-limits.

At that thought, she suddenly drove her knee upward.

He hadn't expected his woman to launch an unprovoked attack, and that strike nearly ended his bloodline.