Free Bull: A Steamy Billionaire Romance Novel by Zoe Davis Page A

in the direction
of her trail, oblivious to how much time had passed.
     
    My gaze was broken by the sound
of sobbing next to me.  Jared was crying for the first time since I’ve known
him.  I reached my hand to his shoulder but he shrugged it off and got out of
the car.
     
    I was taken aback and wasn’t
sure what my next course of action should be.  I decided to chase him against my
better judgement.  I didn’t bother closing the door when I got out, and watched
winged insects fly in and out of the car.
     
    I found him on the side of the
road with his arms crossed, kicking the dirt below.  He was no longer crying
but was focused on his feet.
     
    “Jared-“ I began, but wasn’t
sure where to go, so we stood aimlessly in silence, aglow from our own
headlights.  I looked down the road in front of us and my mind flashed back to
that first night.  I thought of his cool excitement and remembered the creases
on my fingers.  I finally found the words.
     
    “Jared.  I know this was
supposed to be an adventure.  We were supposed to open ourselves up to flings
and meaningless sex.  I wasn’t supposed to fall in love, or get my heart
broken.”
     
    Like a stubborn child he
continued kicking rocks while I poured my heart out.  Our car dropped to a low
humming from the idleness and I continued.
     
    “I feel foolish, actually, caring
so much about something that was supposed to be meaningless.  I thought my love
for you would keep me at a distance, but I’ve found so much more than I
anticipated.  My heart is so vulnerable and open, but I’m learning just how
full it can become.”  The wind picked up as I finished and stirred grounded
leaves into the air toward the stars.
     
    Before I knew it I had a pair
of hands on my cheeks and a set of lips kissing me.  Jared was crying through
his kiss and shook with a passion I didn’t know he had.
     
    His ardor crashed into me and I
soon matched the nervous vibration of his body next to mine.  He didn’t let up
on kissing and I didn’t push him back.
     
    His fingers traced my arms from
tense shoulders to the hands at my waist and he held them gently as he pulled
his lips away, looking into me with a new intensity.  He left me speechless.
     
    “I have to know I won’t lose
you, Vanessa,” he said finally.  “I would be a wreck without you.”  He clenched
his jaw to hold back his fear.  I assured him he would never lose me.  I
described my undying gratitude to him for allowing me this experience.  We
talked for what felt like hours, in the cool night, in our headlights. 
Eventually we returned to our seats in the car, on our way to one of Ethan
Sloane’s very memorable swinger’s party.
     
    Jared seemed different that
night.  After our conversation he had a confidence that seemed inspired rather
than controlled.  He smiled occasionally and looked at me often. 
     
    In the distance, the road faded
into pitch black and I returned to the thought of Ethan that first night.  I
thought how bizarre it would be to know his name and his face, yet see him in
the mask from that night.  I couldn’t picture it, and in my mind I removed the
mask from his face to more clearly see those silver eyes.
     
    As his eyes stared into me,
they flickered into a soft yellow and soon we were at his front gate.
     
    The air was warmer than the
first night but still cool enough to give me chills.  I looked up at his castle
and was no less amazed than the first time I saw it.  I imagined Ethan inside
running around with various naked women, having his way with them and was
surprised at my acceptance of this.  I wanted him to be as happy as he’s made
me, even if it ended in my own demise.
     
    Jared and I sat in the car for
a few minutes, daring the other to get out first.  I was preparing myself to
see Ethan for the first time since he hurt me, and I still had no clue what to
say.  I decided that it wouldn’t matter if I had the words, because they’d
probably