Chasing Fate: An Enemies-to-Lovers Romance (Dark Love Series Book 5)

by Kat T. Masen

  She’s fucking beautiful.

  I may have calmed my cock, but my heart’s equally racing beside it, desperate for first place.

  NOAH

  So, this is what it feels like to be crushing.

  Thinking about her all day and night.

  When some song comes on the radio, it reminds me of her. And I don’t enjoy romantic songs. Yet, for some twisted reason, I switch to radio stations with ballads on repeat. Somewhere in this universe, my balls have gone missing.

  Every moment she has spare, I beg her to meet me. It’s mainly lunches or a quick coffee, and at night, she’s always tied down with Scarlett. Both our schedules are hectic, mine occupied with back-to-back meetings. And being that we’re still in public, my hands have to remain to myself, much to my disappointment.

  She made it clear during our second lunch that due to the tabloids, we need to appear civilized because the last thing Scarlett needs is her assistant caught having sex in a parking lot.

  And so, since that day, I haven’t touched her, not even a kiss.

  Karma, delightfully, has pulled its reins and started a vendetta against me.

  To point out and make myself sound completely undesirable, it’s been four days since I mauled her in the parking lot.

  On Thursday, she flew to San Francisco to meet with magazine officials who are doing a four-page spread on Scarlett. With the meeting running late, she missed her flight home and is forced to stay an extra night at the hotel.

  It’s late when she calls, her name appearing on my screen as I climb into bed.

  “Are you calling me for phone sex? Because if you are, I charge a dollar a minute,” I answer, grinning.

  “Sounds cheap,” she teases. “A man like yourself could surely fetch more.”

  “Maybe,” I say, unable to hide my smile. “You’re alone in a hotel, can’t help yourself?”

  “I already did that. Now I’m flicking through the movie channel trying to find something to watch.”

  I cough, a tickle caught in my throat as I almost choke on her words. How does she manage to do this to me all the time? A buzz distracts me. Pulling my cell away from my ear, I see a text from Kate.

  Kate: My doorman asked me out on a date. I said I was seeing someone and now it’s awkward every time I walk past him. HELP ME.

  Shaking my head with a smile, I bring my phone back to my ear to focus back on Morgan.

  “You okay there, soldier? You seem to be at a loss for words.” I can hear the smile in her voice—the little tease knows how to rile me up.

  “You’re one of two things right now… a terrible liar or the biggest cock tease ever to walk this earth.”

  “I guess you’ll never know…”

  I shake my head, laughing. “Then I suggest settling for the porn channel. If you’re lying, that should get you started.”

  “R-rated porn is not my style,” she says simply.

  “R-rated porn is not your style?” I repeat. “What porn is your style, may I ask?”

  “A lady never tells,” she taunts. “But you, you’re easy to peg. I’d say you’re into anal. Fisting is probably too much for you.”

  This time, I’m rendered speechless. There’s only one guy I know who isn’t into anal—Tom. He tried it once, freaked out, which, in turn, made the girl freak out, and he never tried it again. As for the fisting, she’s right. Something about having an arm up someone’s pussy seems a bit too much. Keep it tight—that’s my motto.

  “It appears the cat got your tongue, Noah?”

  My fucking dick is raging like fire, stiff as a board underneath my boxers. What’s this woman doing to me? She’s killing you, little by little.

  “Your pussy needs my tongue,” I harden my tone. “God, what are you doing to me?”

  “The same thing you’re doing to me, Noah Mason.” It follows with silence, shallow breaths echoing through the speaker.

  “We need to change subjects. Any minute now, Ava will sleepwalk into my room,” I tell her, reluctant to walk away from this subject.

  Morgan laughs. “Is that your niece?”

  “Uh-huh, and she’s the behaved one.”

  I tell her about Charlie, what it was like growing up with her and how much of a great mother she is to the girls. It compels her to open up about her mom, and how, when she died, she felt the need to protect Scarlett from the nasty people in Hollywood. “Scarlett has a huge heart, and quite often, she’ll only see the good in people. I just don’t want anyone taking advantage of her. There are some horror stories about young women being taken advantage of. I can’t have that happen to my sister.”

  “But what about you?” I ask her with good intentions. “Is this what you want to do?”

  “I want the best for her. But no, I always wanted to be a Disney princess.”

  I burst out laughing—it’s cute, and something Ava would say. “Don’t most little girls?”

  “Oh no,” she says. “I wasn’t young. I remember one year when I was eighteen, I think, Dad, Scarlett, and I went to Disneyland. I’d just been accepted into college, and Scarlett’s career was starting to take off. Dad wasn’t coping well with both of us almost leaving home, so he decided to take us there. We were watching the parade, and there was this kid sitting in a wheelchair. She’d have been maybe five. Her head was completely shaved, and her skin was ashen. She was awfully sick,” she says sadly, then continues, “The princesses, all of them, stopped the float and climbed off, so they could all shake her hand. You should’ve seen her face. It’s just stuck in my memory, you know. How happy they made her doing something so simple.”

  “Do you know what happened to the little girl?” I ask, hopeful.

  “No,” she mumbles. “I’d like to hope that wherever she is, she’s in peace.”

  “So, you wanted to make people happy.”

  “Yes, I did. I wanted to spend every day smiling and making people happy.”

  “Then what happened?”

  “I went to college. Got caught up with the wrong crowd, the wrong guys. I ended up in places I never knew how I got there… random beds. I was a mess. And so, one morning, I decided I didn’t want to be a poor example for Scarlett. She looked up to me.”

  “And so, you went on to help her,” I fill in the blanks.

  “Yes.” I can hear her smile through the phone.

  “So, a princess, eh?”

  She giggles softly. “Yeah, but a badass one who has tattoos hidden underneath my gown and a shotgun tucked into my garter for all the villains wanting to mess with me.”

  It’s easy to picture it. She’s so damn beautiful, she can make any costume look sexy.

  We talk for hours about everything—both of us laughing at each other’s stories. I love hearing her speak. She’s led an interesting life, a little on the dangerous side when she was younger, but thankfully, she outgrew that rebellious attitude.

  After our yawns become consistent, we both decide to end the call and catch up if possible tomorrow. She has an early flight to LA, and I’ll be in meetings with clients for most of the day.

  It never seems like time is on our side.

  ***

  I’m tired the next day.

  Our phone call ended somewhere around three o’clock when Ava decided to wake up and scream the house down. Charlie said she had a nightmare. Great. I still have to function as a human being.

  I’m on my third coffee when Haden strolls into my office.

  “Got a minute?” he asks.

  “Sure,” I tell him, prying my eyes away from my laptop. “What’s up?”

  “Presley’s called an impromptu meeting. That woman will be the death of me.”

  I follow Haden’s lead to the meeting room while he complains the whole way there about her overbearing ways. The editing team is already seated, and so I take a seat, leaving an empty spot beside me.

  Karina, the young girl from finance walks into the room, immediately she spots the seat beside me. She walks over, si
ts down, which forces me to say hello.

  “Hey, Karina.”

  “Hey, Noah.” She grins, keeping her voice low. “It’s a shame you weren’t able to make it out to drinks. You missed Larry, the editor, doing a round of shots, then proceeding to do his rendition of Magic Mike.”

  I contain my laughter, looking across the table at Larry, a scrawny geek with glasses who rivals Harry Potter. He knows he’s embarrassed himself, retreating behind his notebook, pretending none of us know about his stripping abilities.

  The boardroom begins to fill when Presley enters, carrying a large folder.

  Karina leans in and whispers, “This book is costing us a fortune. John, head of finance, said we need a lot of sales to profit, and if—”

  She doesn’t finish her sentence as Presley calls for attention. I click on my screen, unlocking my program when I hear, “Miss Winters and Ms. Bentley will be attending this meeting.”

  My eyes dart to Presley.

  Morgan’s standing beside her.

  Despite our late night, she looks gorgeous. Her shiny black hair is pulled into a sleek ponytail, accentuating her cheekbones. She’s wearing a suit, navy with a very low button-up blouse. I can’t peel my eyes away from her until the people in the room gasp when Scarlett walks in.

  Scarlett introduces herself, leaving the entire room—aside from myself—star-struck. Like I said, she knows how to charm anyone. And between her dazzling smile and entertaining monologue, she’s left the room speechless.

  She’s quick to notice me, grinning with her winning smile. I can’t for the life of me argue she’s not stunning. But I don’t know her. And my mind is preoccupied with the beautiful creature sitting alongside her.

  “And so, let’s begin with any concerns,” Presley begins.

  Morgan’s gaze lingers on mine, a mischievous grin closely following.

  John fires questions about budget restrictions, all of which Morgan takes in stride, answering on Scarlett’s behalf. Haden, being a level-headed businessman, puts the kibosh on John’s tirade.

  I never understand how finance people can get their pants in such a twist.

  Karina raises her hand, just like in school. “Miss Winters?” she asks nervously.

  “Please, call me Scarlett,” she corrects her gracefully.

  “Scarlett,” she repeats. “Given the worldwide success of your latest movies, plus the fact that you have the largest fan base on social media, I personally follow you everywhere. How do you think your fans will react to this book?”

  Scarlett coyly brushes her curls to the side, her diamond ring almost blinding us. “I think they’ll enjoy it. Understand that life isn’t always what you see splashed all over the tabloids. That, and the fact I’m really just another human being like them.”

  Haden joins the conversation. “I have no doubt in my mind that it’ll be a number one bestseller. We expect pre-orders to go up in a month. The cover shoot is happening at the end of this week, and we have the printers ready to go the end of next month for the first print run.”

  “That’s a fast plan of action, Mr. Cooper,” Presley questions, her eyes disagreeing with his projected timeline.

  “Yes. I believe we discussed this last night,” he seethes, trying his best to remain calm.

  “Excuse my husband, everyone. His version of discussion is him talking and me biting my tongue,” she says half-jokingly.

  Everyone in the room laughs, and across the table, my eyes meet Morgan’s, playfully flirting until Karina’s hand touches my arm, and she leans in to whisper, “Do you think I can get Scarlett to follow me on social media?”

  Jesus.

  I whisper back in her ear, “If it’s important to you, just ask.”

  My focus moves back to Morgan. Her smile has disappeared, and she’s no longer eye-fucking me. Instead, she’s looking at the opposite end of the table with a stern glare. With all the questions flying around the room, one is directed at me by Morgan herself. “The success of this project lies heavily with the marketing strategy. Since Mr. Mason is in charge of this project, perhaps we should direct any concerns to him.” Her tone is condescending, drawing everyone’s attention to me.

  Did she seriously just do that?

  I want to pull her over this desk, bend her over, and fuck the living daylights out of her to prove I can take charge. But, of course, I answer a million questions that have been thrown my way instead. When the firing line is almost over, I pick up my cell and type a quick text to her.

  Me: You are so going to pay for that.

  She picks up her cell, and thankfully, no one seems to notice as John begins to talk about profit margins. The corners of her lips rise, hiding the smile wanting to escape. She taps on the cell, then places it down and turns her attention to John, blatantly ignoring me. I give it a few moments, not wanting to draw attention to myself.

  Morgan: All talk, no action.

  This woman is driving me insane. I’m the one begging her to the bedroom, yet here she’s saying I don’t act quickly enough? That’s it. I’ve had enough.

  Me: Keep sitting there with your pretty little smile. When I’m done with you, you’ll be speechless. And for the record, I do enjoy anal.

  I wait patiently. She takes a sip from the glass of water sitting on the coaster in front of her. While opening her text, I watch on as she gulps, almost choking. Scarlett turns to face her, asking her if she’s okay. She nods, her nostrils flaring like a raging bull.

  The voices in my head are laughing, celebrating with a victory party.

  Checkmate.

  I focus my attention on Haden and talk about the deal we had agreed on with a major book retailer who wants Scarlett to do in-store signings. I also mention the contract with the largest eBook provider in the world, which will showcase the book on their featured page. The advertisement itself is costing us a fortune, but the return will be far greater. Haden, myself, and John discussed this yesterday, agreeing that we need to invest the money to see a return.

  “If your time is dedicated entirely to this project, then perhaps, the deadline is achievable,” Morgan implies.

  “Ms. Bentley, I can assure you that Noah’s focus is only on Scarlett Winters. We have a great marketing team which he now manages. The team has taken on the smaller projects to free up his time,” Haden adds in my defense.

  Great. That made me come off like a pussy. I want to add more to his point but decide to bite my tongue instead.

  “I’m glad his focus is only on Miss Winters.” Her smile fades, her eyes bitterly staring back at me.

  “I’m a firm believer in multitasking. And no task will be left undone, Ms. Bentley.”

  The chatter between Scarlett and the editors continues on, and unwillingly, I zone out for a few moments, trying to understand why Morgan’s mood has suddenly shifted to bitch.

  Scarlett tells everyone she needs to leave because of a red-carpet event tonight, which she has to start preparing for. It seems to create a buzz amongst the ladies in the office and Larry, for some reason.

  With the meeting wrapping up, Morgan picks up her cell and taps away, ignoring Scarlett as she says her goodbyes. Moments later, my cell vibrates.

  Morgan: Let’s see how focused you really are.

  And following that text appears a picture. My cell almost tumbles out of my hands like hot coals. She’s wearing only a white tank in the picture with her legs spread wide open on the bed, and her hand is conveniently positioned right where her pussy is.

  I just got selfie-porned.

  Fuck me.

  I’ve received pictures from women before, but never one that left me drooling like a St. Bernard staring at a bowl of dog food. I have to control myself. The entire room will notice if I stand up with a boner.

  Think of something disgusting.

  Naked men in the steam room.

  Naked men in the steam room, giving each other backrubs.

  Okay, that does it.

  Stop, now, for the love of
God, thinking about naked men.

  With everyone filing out of the meeting room, I stand up quickly, moving around the large meeting table until I’m by her side.

  “I need to see you in my office… now,” I demand quietly.

  With her head bowed down, she hides the smirk planted on her face and then lifts her head back, ignoring my presence. “Haden, it’s nice to finally meet you.” She shakes his hand politely. “Presley, are you still free to meet with Scarlett tomorrow afternoon? It’ll have to be on set. She has about two hours to spare before they head out to the desert to do the night shoot.”

  “I’ve got it scheduled in. Thanks so much for your help, Morgan.” Presley smiles in return.

  My presence, along with Morgan’s sudden shyness, creates an awkward tension in the room. Haden and Presley watch both of us curiously.

  “Well, I must head off. I’ve got a meeting across town this afternoon. Mr. Mason, did you need to discuss something?”

  I force a smile, nodding my head as I walk toward my office, and she follows me. Closing the door behind her, I curse the glass walls that give everyone a view directly into my office. Sitting at my desk, I ask her to take a seat. She sits in front of me, purposely adjusting her collar giving me a bird’s eye view of her tits. Fuck me dead. Just act professional, remember the glass windows and the fact that everyone can see into the office.

  I quietly observe her, my pen dangling off my lip as she gazes at me with such innocence as if she never sent me any picture at all.

  “I meant what I said. You’re going to pay for what you did to me in there.”

  She leans forward, sliding her cell in front of me. “Such a shame about the glass walls,” she says, looking back. “I was going to apologize in person, but we can’t have everyone knowing, now can we?”

  My eyes are entirely fixated on her tits, the lace barely covering her nipple. I tighten my thighs, trying to control my dick exploding in my pants.