“I can hear it in your voice how elated and proud you are. But Chase, you were part of this too. Be proud of yourself!” She encourages and I shake my head in wonder at her support, despite me standing her up tonight.
“Thank you, Angel. I’m proud of myself. I felt alive today and it made me realize how I’ve missed being part of the business. Seeing all of our loyal employees who I’ve worked side by side with for a long time. It felt really good to be back. I honestly didn’t think once about my father,” I admit to her and to myself for the first time since being back home.
“I’m genuinely happy for you, Chase. Have you seen your mother yet?” she asks tentatively.
“No, not yet. Tomorrow will be the first time at the press conference. You’ll get to meet her too.”
“It’s okay if I don’t,” she says quickly, which causes me to laugh.
“You are important to me, Angel, so therefore, you will meet her,” I confirm, making sure she isn’t caught by surprise when I make the introductions.
“Hmmm,” she says in a sleepy mumble and I realize it’s late for her with the two hour time change.
“Go to sleep, Angel. I will see you in your dreams.” We say good night and I continue to work. I don’t want anything to stand in my way of having alone time with her tomorrow night.
26
Layla
The day starts out early with all of us having to wake up around seven in the morning to get ready for today’s press conference. I choose my attire wisely as I want to look professional, yet chic, since I’m here to support Cal and Jenna. I also want to make sure I look good for meeting Chase’s mother. We’re told to bring numerous outfits for multiple events and even though I overpacked, I still feel unprepared. With help from Robert, I decide to wear emerald satin green tuxedo style pants, a warm black turtle neck sweater and a stylish black trench coat since it’s chilly here. Black suede wedges round out my look to be comfortable to walk around in. I finish my hair and makeup and join everyone in the kitchen to grab breakfast before going to the vineyard.
Once breakfast is completed, we climb into the van and are driven back to the private jet terminal at Vancouver International Airport. A chartered plane is waiting for our arrival, with Chase, his brother and a group of people all outside waiting to greet us. I take a deep breath and look outside my window to see Cal shaking hands with everyone, introducing Jenna and Avery to them. Chase and Rhys are standing next to a stunning older woman who Rhys favors, but I can tell Chase inherited her cheekbones. Lara Wilson is the epitome of sophistication and I suddenly feel inadequate to meet her.
“Layla, are you okay?” Robert turns back to look at me before exiting the van, noticing my pale complexion.
“Yes, just tired,” I respond, not wanting Robert to know how nervous I am to meet Chase’s mother. Despite Chase and I not officially being a couple, her opinion of me really does matter. I stand up and smooth out my already wrinkled pants. I take one more look out of the window and notice a tall, beautiful, red head standing next to Chase’s mom. As Chase introduces Cal and Jenna to his mother, this woman watches him with a certain type of pride that only someone who is close would show publicly.
“Robert, do you know who that red-headed woman is?” Robert did all the research on the people he would be meeting, so I’m curious if he knows who she is.
“You mean the enchanting goddess standing next to Lara Wilson? That’s Ellory Davis, daughter to Roger Davis, one of the richest families in Canada. Apparently Chase’s father and Roger were close, even trying to arrange a marriage between Chase and Ellory when they dated in college.”
I fall back into my seat in shock, not prepared by the news that I’m meeting one of Chase’s former girlfriends.
“Why are you looking like that? She’s not a threat — they aren’t together anymore. You really need to start stalking people that come into your life, Layla,” he chides and I nod my head in agreement.
“So everyone tells me,” I sarcastically respond and take another look at Ellory. “She’s beautiful,” I murmur, deep in my thoughts of wondering why Chase is not with her anymore.
“And so are you. Suck it up, buttercup! Get your ass out of that seat and let’s go be the ballers that we are!” Robert heads out of the van and leaves me alone with my thoughts.
Why hasn’t Chase mentioned her?
What does it matter that he didn’t?
Does he still have feelings for her?
“There you are,” Chase says as he gets into the van, looking for me. I flash him a smile, not wanting him to sense that anything is wrong. He looks divine in another dark colored suit with a white button down dress shirt underneath his blazer. His hair is styled again and the air permeates with his delicious Armani cologne. “Ready to meet everyone?” I nod my head and reach for the hand he has offered me. He pulls me into a hug, sending shivers up my spine as he nuzzles my neck.
“Damn, you smell good, Angel.” He traces light kisses against my neck, up along my check and finally plants his lips on mine softly. I give him a quick kiss back and pull away, not wanting to be seen by anyone from the outside.
“You look amazing.” His gaze slowly travels up and down my body with heated appreciation. Suddenly, the van has turned into a sauna, making me want to rip off all my clothes — and his as well. “C’mon, I want to introduce you to everyone.” He grabs my hand and leads the way off the van. I try to remove my hand from his, but he holds tightly as he walks straight to introduce me to his mother… and Ellory.
“Mother, this is Layla Sands, Jenna’s best friend. Layla, this is my mother, Lara.” Chase introduces us, his smile beaming on his face. He must have had a long talk with her because unconditional love is shining from her eyes as she gazes at her son.
“It’s so nice to meet you, Mrs. Wilson.” I extend my hand out, but she surprises me by grabbing me into a hug and kissing me on both sides of my cheeks.
“Chase has been raving about you, Layla, so the pleasure is all mine. He told us you were beautiful, but his words do not do you justice.” Her words render me speechless as I wasn’t prepared for such kindness. My cheeks feel like they are on fire from my bashfulness at her compliments and all I can muster out is a “thank you” back.
“Hi Layla, I’m Ellory. It’s so wonderful to finally meet you. Chase told me so much about you!” Ellory says with an overabundance of enthusiasm. But Chase has said nothing about you, Ellory, my mind screams as she squeezes my hand in a firm handshake. “We must find some time to talk and get to know one another. I would love to get some advice on your favorite places to go in Chicago. I’m hoping for a visit sometime soon.”
“Sure, I would love that,” I respond, adding another note to my mental checklist to research both Chase and Ellory.
“Excuse me for interrupting, but I need to say hello to my little minx.” A rich, masculine accented voice speaks behind me. I turn around to see who they are talking about, only to be surprised to find myself embraced in a strong hug from the devilishly handsome, Sean Lindsey.
“Sean! What are you doing here?” I laugh as I hug him back, missing his sexy Irish self. Sean is Cal’s best friend and I met him in Las Vegas when I went to visit Jenna the same time she met Cal. I tried my hardest to seduce Sean, but he never took me up on my offer and now we have more like a brother/sister relationship.
“I came out to support Cal and to see if this venture is worth my money as well.” I’m about to respond to him when I feel myself hauled up next to Chase’s hard body as he puts his arm possessively around my waist, making sure his territory is marked. He holds out his free hand for Sean to shake.
“Hi, I’m Chase Wilson.” Chase’s usual warm voice is ice cold as he sizes Sean up.
Sean does the same, a cruel smile appearing on his lips. “I know exactly who you are since I clearly remember you being a low-life paparazzi.“ Sean takes Chase’s hand and leans in close to his ear. “Hurt my girl and I’ll ruin you,” Sean says, in a
low menacing tone before giving Chase a cold smile, dropping his hand and walking away.
Embarrassment creeps up along my cheeks and I look around to see who else had witnessed that exchange. The only person I see watching us is Isla, who has a surprising glint in her eyes as she watches Sean introduce himself to the Wilson Enterprises’ staff. My intuition is telling me there is more to the story of them just being family friends.
“Chase, we need to get going,” Rhys says, as he starts to usher everyone to board the plane. Chase drops his arm from around my waist and turns to me.
“My brother is going to need me to conduct business the rest of the day, but as soon as this press conference is over, you’re mine,” he growls, pecks me on the cheek and walks over to his mother to escort her on the plane.
I cover the area of my cheek where he had just kissed with my hand and look around for witnesses. Of course, the only people watching me like a hawk are Jenna and Robert, both of them staring at me with shit eating grins on their faces. I shake my head and laugh as I know they’re going to interrogate me as soon as we have alone time.
* * *
Our day at the vineyard started out with a private tour, lunch at the restaurant on the property, and then ending with the press conference. Cal, Chase and Rhys talked about their partnership, answered questions for forty-five minutes, and then obliged all photography requests. By the time we were done, the early evening sky was speckled with gorgeous hues of purple, pink and blue as the sun was ready to set. The plane ride back to Vancouver was filled with excitement over the success of the press conference and anticipation for the gala the following evening. I start to panic a little at the thought of not having anything formal to wear, but Jenna reassures me that Cal has flown in his stylist and make up artist to take care of us.
As the plane gets closer to the city, trepidation starts to lace through my veins at the idea of being alone with Chase. Seeing him in his element confirms that he belongs here with his family. He needs to work on getting the business back to where it was and improving his relationship with both his mother and brother. Yesterday my thoughts were veering toward giving us a chance, but today is a different story.
Today I realize that I need to let him go.
Just like he needs to let me go.
I don’t know if this will be temporary and will turn into something permanent, but we both have work to do on ourselves that needs to take priority over everything else. Chase may think he’s ready to dive right into a relationship, but I see the importance of saving his business and family. I don’t think he realizes that it’s not something that is fixed over night. It takes time, focus and hard work. Now that my head is clearer, with my focus on learning how to respect and love myself again, I need to concentrate on my future, regardless of whether or not he’s in it.
I watch him a couple of rows away from me, going over last minute details of tomorrow’s party. He’s commanding everyone’s attention with his firm, confident voice, dictating his expectations to them. They nod and listen, glancing at him with respect. This is what he was meant to do. It’s where he belongs.
But for the next forty-eight hours, I want him to be mine.
I want to forget about our limited time with each other.
I want to forget about our painful pasts.
I want to forget about how we originally started off.
I want to be lost… lost in him.
His handsome face is listening intently to one of his employees when his beautiful eyes unexpectedly meet mine. I stare at him in raw hunger, trying to communicate to him how much I want him. Understanding dawns on him as his face softens, eyes widen and his soft lips part as a tiny whisper of a breath escapes him. I’m rewarded with the most tantalizing of smiles as the heat in his gaze promises me that he plans on fulfilling all of my desires tonight.
When the captain announces that we’ll be landing shortly, I tell Robert and Jenna my plans to leave with Chase since he wants to give me a tour of downtown, which considering he lives in downtown Vancouver, is not necessarily a lie. Jenna gives me a smirk, clearly not believing me, while Robert decides to be his usual sarcastic self.
“I bet it’s a private tour of his downtown,” he snickers at his joke while I roll my eyes at him despite his accuracy that I one hundred percent without a doubt plan on touring Chase’s ‘downtown’ area.
I can tell Chase has told his brother that he’ll not be returning back to the office because as Chase whispers his plans into his ear, Rhys’ cold gaze lands on me disapprovingly. Harsh words are hushed out to one another and Rhys drops the matter since Chase isn’t going to give in. I refuse to feel guilty about taking Chase away from work as I only have limited hours with him.mRhys will have him forever.
The plane makes a smooth landing and comes to a stop when we reach the private charter hanger. I walk off with everyone, quickly say my goodbyes and am racing to keep up with Chase as he practically drags me to his car. Once we are inside, it’s as if the air has combusted with our lust and we immediately reach for each other. Hands everywhere, tongues clashing, breaths panting, our sole focus on being together. With too many people still around at the airport and Chase’s having a small sports car, we manage to untangle ourselves for him to start the car and drive us to his condo.
“Layla, we’re going to get into an accident if you keep touching me,” he warns as my hands can’t keep to themselves while he drives us at an accelerated speed. I remove my hands and try to calm down, wanting to savor every moment left with Chase. I look out the window as we drive into downtown, trying to memorize its beauty.
We reach his condo within fifteen minutes and Chase smoothly parks the car into his designated space. I notice he has his own private elevator and punches the button that leads to the penthouse. As soon as the doors close, he has me pushed against the wall, hands in my hair, consuming my lips with rough kisses that leave me breathless and aching between my legs.
All too soon the elevator doors open and we walk to his front door. He enters a number on the key pad and the doors unlock. I only get a brief glance at his massive foyer before he’s leading us to his bedroom. He pulls me in and I gasp in awe at the gorgeous background of downtown Vancouver, its lights casting the perfect hue into Chase’s bedroom. I walk toward the glass when Chase comes up behind, slides my trench coat off my arms and throws it onto a nearby chair. He moves my hair away from the nape of my neck and starts kissing his way up, his teeth grazing my earlobe which causes shivers to run down my spine. He spins me around and I stare up into his fervent eyes.
“I’ve never wanted someone as badly as I want you,” he whispers as his finger traces along my bottom lip. His words make me clench my muscles in the promise of having him inside of me. My breathing has started to become shallow as my desire for him intensifies with his touch. I wrap my hands around his neck and bring his head down to my demanding lips. He starts to deepen our kiss, drugging my senses with the addiction that are his lips. His hands are roaming my ass, molding me to his body where I feel his erection bulging against his pants.
“Angel… I can’t wait any longer. I have to be inside you, now!” he growls and we feverishly start to rip each others clothes off. He walks me backwards toward his bed, his lips never leaving mine. We only break apart when the back of my legs hit the bed, causing me to fall backwards onto it. The moonlight that enters his room enhances his muscular torso, causing my breath to hitch at the sight of his beautiful body. He watches me as my gaze follows his hands pushing down his boxers to reveal his hard cock. The sight of it in all its glory makes my mouth dry. I bite my lip to contain my moan of hunger to feel him inside of me.
He leans down over my body and takes one of my nipples into his hot, wet mouth. This time I do moan as his tongue starts thrusting against my bud, sending tingling sensations towards my core. He moves onto my other breast, giving it the same attention as he did the first one, while his hand roams down to my panties. His fingers move beneath the lac
e and soon his tongue and finger are in matching motions against my two sensitive areas. I ball the sheets into my fist, my head starting to thrash from the build-up he’s causing inside me.
“Chase,” I pant, not knowing how much more I can take of this. “I need you inside of me.” He looks up from devouring my breast with a wicked grin and instead of answering my pleas, his mouth continues a hot path of destruction down my navel. When his mouth reaches the waistband of my panties, he uses his hands to quickly pull them down my hips and continues his assault with his mouth, but this time on my core. I start to pant louder, his tongue lavishing over my clit. My thighs instinctively start to tighten around his face as my climax is imminent.
“Chase… please,” I whimper, his rotating tongue teasing me to the brink of no return. He stops as he feels my walls start to tighten. I groan from the loss of his touch and watch with hooded eyes as he meets my gaze with his own fiery one as he rolls the condom down his shaft. Never has the act of putting on a condom looked as seductive as Chase makes it look. As soon as he’s finished, he grabs my hips to bring me to the edge of the bed, leans down into me and starts kissing me. When our tongues touching, he plunges inside of me. We moan into each other, the satisfaction of him being inside of me more than anything we anticipated. He slowly starts to thrust in and out of me, the friction making my walls clench around him.
“You feel so fucking amazing, Layla,” he murmurs and stands up straighter. He positions my legs over his shoulders, grab onto my hips, and thrusts hard inside me. I gasp at the sensation of a little bit of pain mixed with so much pleasure and move my hands over his chest as he continues to thrust faster into me. My hands find his nipples and when I squeeze them, his moans get louder. I can see he’s fighting against his release to make sure I come as well. I reach down and start rubbing my clit in order to help. He watches our bodies become one and when he sees me start to play with myself, he tightens his hold on me and increases his speed. Between the friction of his cock inside of me and my finger rubbing against my clit, the dam holding back my orgasm completely bursts. My walls squeeze tightly around him as my screams of release fill the air. As I buck wildly against him, Chase’s own release follows with an animalistic roar.
Perfectly Lonely: (Let Me In, Book 2) Page 15