Chapter 136
**Sara**
I put the car in drive and eased out onto the street. See? Piece of cake. I shot Tom a triumphant look.
He still looked tense, one hand gripping the door handle. "Eyes on the road, Parker."
I rolled my eyes but complied. We drove in silence for a few blocks, the only sound being the quiet hum of the engine and the occasional directions from Tom.
"See?" I said as we stopped at a red light. "I told you I could handle it."
Tom visibly relaxed. "I suppose I underestimated you. My apologies."
"You should know better than to doubt me by now," I teased, letting my hand rest on the gear shift.
His eyes followed the movement, lingering on my fingers. "Oh, I never doubt you. You constantly surprise me."
The light turned green, and I pressed down on the accelerator. Maybe a little too hard. The car lurched forward, tires squealing against the pavement.
"Shit!" I yelped, easing off the gas.
Tom's hand shot out, gripping the dashboard. "Easy! This isn't a racecar!"
"Sorry, sorry!" I laughed nervously, my heart pounding. "Guess it's a bit more powerful than my brother's old clunker."
We continued on, and now I was driving with exaggerated care. Tom gradually relaxed again, though his eyes fixed on the road ahead.
"So," I said, desperate to break the tension. "Where exactly are we going for this 'friendly coffee'?"
"There's a nice place about ten minutes from here. Just take a left at the next light."
I nodded, focusing on the road. As we approached the intersection, I flicked on the turn signal and began to slow down.
That's when I saw it. A massive pothole was right in our path.
I jerked the wheel, trying to avoid it. The car swerved, tires screeching. Tom let out a strangled yell, his hand flying to grip my thigh.
For a heart-stopping moment, I thought we were going to crash. But somehow, miraculously, I managed to straighten us out.
We stopped at the red light, both of us breathing heavily.
"Holy shit," I gasped, my knuckles white on the steering wheel.
Tom's hand was still on my thigh, his fingers digging in. "Are you okay?"
I nodded, unable to speak. The adrenaline coursing through my veins made everything feel hyper-real. I was acutely aware of the warmth of his hand, the way his thumb was absently stroking my leg.
"Maybe..." Tom started, his voice rough. "Maybe I should drive the rest of the way."
I wanted to argue, to prove I could do it. But the memory of that near-miss was still too fresh. "Yeah, okay."
We switched seats at the next safe spot. As Tom settled behind the wheel, I noticed his hands caressing the steering wheel almost lovingly. A pang of jealousy shot through me. It was ridiculous. I was jealous of a car.
"You okay?" Tom asked, his eyes searching my face.
I nodded, forcing a smile. "Yeah, just... that was intense."
He reached over, squeezing my hand. "You did well, all things considered. That pothole came out of nowhere."
"Thanks," I murmured, my skin tingling where he touched me. I tried to ignore the warmth spreading through my body, focusing instead on the passing scenery as Tom navigated the streets with practiced ease.
"So," he said, breaking the comfortable silence between us. "Are you feeling confident?"
I turned to him, raising an eyebrow. "About what? My driving skills? Because I think we both know the answer to that."
"No, not your driving. Though I must admit, you did keep things... interesting."
"Is that what we're calling it now?"
"I meant about our little challenge," he clarified, his eyes briefly meeting mine before returning to the road. "Think you can resist my charms for a whole week?"
I scoffed, trying to sound more confident than I felt. "Please. I could go a month without touching you if I wanted to."
"A month?" Tom's eyebrows shot up. "That's quite ambitious."
"Fine, a week then," I amended, realizing I might have overestimated my self-control. "Seven days of keeping my hands to myself. Easy peasy."
"Only a week?" he asked, a hint of challenge in his voice. "I thought you were more competitive than that, Sara."
I narrowed my eyes at him. "What are you trying to say, Tom? That I can't do it?"
"Not at all," he said, with an infuriatingly sexy smirk. "I'm just surprised you're setting the bar so low."
"Low?" I sputtered. "A week of not jumping your bones is challenging, thank you very much."
Tom's laugh filled the car, rich and warm. "Fair enough. Though I must say, your confidence is quite... stimulating."
I rolled my eyes, ignoring how my pulse quickened at his words. "Nice try, but your smooth talk won't work on me. I'm immune now."
"Is that so?" he murmured, his hand casually resting on the gear shift, inches from my thigh. "We'll see about that."
I forced myself to look out the window, away from his tantalizing proximity. "Yes, we will. And I'll enjoy every second of proving you wrong."
"All the best, then," Tom said, clearly amused. "May the most stubborn person win."
"Oh, it's on, Professor. It's so on."
Tom's eyes glinted with mischief as he pulled into a parking spot. "We'll see about that, Miss Parker."
I unbuckled my seatbelt, ready to prove him wrong, when I caught sight of our destination. My jaw dropped.
"Holy crap," I breathed. "Is this place for real?"
The café looked like it had been plucked straight out of a movie set. The exterior was painted a deep, rich black with gold accents that gleamed in the sunlight. But it was the windows that really caught my eye. They were shaped like piano keys, alternating black and white in a mesmerizing pattern.
Tom chuckled at my reaction. "I take it you approve?"
"Approve? This is... I don't even have words." I shook my head in disbelief. "How have I never seen this place before?"
"It's a bit off the beaten path," Tom said, coming around to open my door. "But I thought you might appreciate something unique."
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