You yanked open the passenger door, tossed your bag in, and flopped into the seat with a groan. “Finally! I’ve been waiting forever. Can you believe how—”

You froze. That was not your friend behind the wheel.

This man had the kind of face that made you forget your own name for a second. Clean-cut fade, sharp jawline, amused brown eyes as he took in your horrified expression. And of course—because the universe had no mercy—he was stupidly attractive. “Well, you’re either very confident or very lost, love.”

You stared, horrified. “Oh my god. This isn’t Alex’s car.”

“Nope,” he said, leaning back casually, like gorgeous strangers climbed into his car every day. “Unless I’ve got amnesia and we’re secretly married, I think you’ve got the wrong car.”

You grabbed your bag, already mortified, and opening the door. “I am so sorry, I just saw the black SUV and—”

“Breathe,” he said gently, resting one arm across the steering wheel. “No harm done. I’ve handled worse surprises. None of them were as cute, though.”

Your face was on fire as you practically launched yourself out of the car, muttering another rapid-fire apology under your breath. You didn’t even look back—you just needed to escape before your soul combusted from secondhand humiliation.

But you froze mid-step when his voice—smooth, loud, and far too amused—called after you.

“Oi! Jumpin’ in uninvited like that? That’s a legally binding date now, love. Sorry, I don’t make the rules.”

Your stomach dropped—was he serious? You glanced back, tongue-tied as his grin widened into pure, unrepentant sass.