Chasing Chelsea (NSFW Book 4)

by C. C. Wood

  He chuckled softly. “Fair enough.”

  “Which files do you need?”

  “Anything pertaining to Landen Weber’s company. He’s coming by in a bit to discuss some things.”

  I stiffened at his words but continued on my way as though I was unaffected. If I hurried, I’d be out of the office before he arrived. I wasn’t ready to see him again. I needed a little more time to work the hurt and anger out of my system before I could be civil to him.

  I should never have crossed that line with him. I knew better, yet I’d allowed the crazy chemistry between us to interfere with my working brain cells. Moving quickly, I found the files and handed them to Chris.

  “Anything else you need?” I asked.

  He shook his head, already opening the top folder. “No. Have a good time on your date.”

  I watched him disappear into his office and shook my head. Lucy was changing him for the better, that was for sure. When I started working for him, he barely noticed I was human, much less commented on non-business related information. Now, he was telling me to take breaks and have fun. It was strange but also good to see. Lucy was loosening him up.

  I grabbed the garment bag and my purse and carried them into the bathroom. With efficient motions, I changed my clothes and slipped my feet back into my shoes. Then I ran a wide-toothed comb through my hair and touched up my make-up, adding a little more shadow and liner to my eyes to make them pop. The final touch was a quick spritz of perfume. Once I was satisfied with my appearance, I left the bathroom and tucked the garment bag into the coat closet. I would retrieve it on Monday when I left work.

  It was only twenty after five, but the elevator was often slow this time of day. I had to wait five minutes before one of the eight elevators on the floor arrived and the doors swept open.

  There was just enough room for me to squeeze in, which I did with nods to the people crammed inside like sardines. A few moments later, I was on the ground floor and escaping the cramped confines of the elevator car.

  I walked over to the small fountain located halfway between the elevators and the front doors. I’d be able to see Phillip as soon as he appeared. As I waited, I checked my phone for messages and basically twiddled my thumbs.

  Then I felt it. The weight of eyes on me. A stare that made my skin heat. There was only one person that made me feel that way and made me question my sanity. No normal person would literally feel someone’s eyes on their body. It was a ridiculous concept.

  But it was true.

  I knew before I turned that Landen was somewhere nearby. I turned and saw him standing just inside the door to the building. His eyes moved from the top of my head to the tips of my toes then back up again. I got the impression that he was memorizing the way the royal blue dress hugged every curve of my body. I’d chosen it because I knew the color complimented my skin tone and made my eyes look deeper and darker blue rather than the sky blue they usually were.

  Landen’s eyes lifted to mine and I saw the warmth in his gaze. Then the fucker smiled as though he were happy to see me. I gritted my teeth then jolted when a hand came to rest on the small of my back. My head whipped around and my mouth opened to give the presumptuous ass touching me a piece of my mind. Then I saw that it was Phillip and I relaxed.

  “I’m sorry,” he apologized. “I didn’t mean to startle you.” His eyes wandered over me quickly and he smiled warmly. “You look beautiful.”

  I forced myself to smile. I could still feel Landen’s eyes on me and I could almost swear that his stare was burning my flesh. “Thank you. It’s nice to see you.”

  “Are you ready?” Phillip asked.

  “Absolutely,” I replied firmly. “Do you mind walking? The bar isn’t far from here.”

  “Sounds good,” he answered. “I need to stretch my legs.”

  With his hand still at the base of my spine, Phillip and I set off toward the doors. I looked up as we approached and saw that Landen had moved off to the side and leaned against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest. And he was definitely glaring at me.

  I met his gaze levelly before turning away. I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of seeing that he affected me. I allowed Phillip to lead me outside. Considering I hadn’t heard from him in ten days, I wasn’t sure why he looked annoyed with me.

  I tried to ignore the sinking sensation in the pit of my stomach, but it remained the entire two blocks to the bar. And while Phillip and I ordered our drinks. When I heard my phone buzz in my purse, I ignored it because I had a pretty good idea who was messaging me. Figures. Now that I had a date, the asshole called.

  I was distracted and fighting the urge to look at my phone when Phillip spoke. “Everything okay, Chelsea?”

  My eyes lifted from where I’d been studying the tapas menu and found Phillip studying me, his gaze surprisingly astute.

  I forced a small smile. “I’m okay. Just a long week.”

  “So you’re not uncomfortable because of the man who was staring holes in the side of my head when we were walking out of the building earlier?”

  This time my smile was real. “You noticed that, huh?”

  Phillip’s brows lifted and he chuckled. “I thought my hair was going to catch fire when he looked at me.” He leaned forward, folding his arms on the table. I noticed that his biceps bulged slightly beneath his suit jacket and felt an answering tug in my belly. Maybe Landen wasn’t the only man I could find attractive after all. “Did I step on someone’s toes by asking you out?”

  I immediately shook my head. “Absolutely not. And I wouldn’t have accepted if I was in a relationship of any kind.”

  His eyes gleamed as he stared at me and I suddenly understood what made him a good lawyer. He didn’t ask any more questions, he just let the silence stretch until I finally continued.

  With a sigh, I placed the tapas menu on the table. “He and I went out a couple of weeks ago. It was a great date but he never called or texted. He didn’t even send me an email. Just silence.”

  Phillip studied me for another moment before he spoke again. “Then he’s an idiot.”

  I laughed and felt my cheeks warm. “Thank you for saying that.”

  “I’m serious.”

  Shrugging, I stated, “I’m not disagreeing with you. It’s just something that happens regularly.”

  His gaze sharpened. “Men not calling you after dates?”

  The waitress brought our drinks over. I thanked her and waited until she walked away before I answered. “Actually, yes.” I sipped the margarita I’d ordered and was immediately reminded of the night of Lucy’s wedding and everything else that had happened. So, the margarita was a mistake, but apparently I was a masochist because I took another drink before I continued. “I’m not as sweet as I might appear.”

  The corner of Phillip’s mouth tilted up. “What do you mean?”

  I placed my drink on the table and met his eyes steadily. “I’m outspoken and blunt. I say what I think and I’m not very tolerant of bullshit.” I grinned at him. “I’m actually a lot like Tanya, but I look more like a china doll than an Amazon.”

  He swallowed some of the vodka tonic he’d ordered before he responded. “I could see that. You’re right that appearances can be deceiving, but I personally don’t like the delicate flower type. Which is why I approached you.”

  I mimicked his earlier behavior and cocked my head to the side without speaking.

  As though he understood what I was doing, he grinned and went on. “I guess it’s time for me to confess,” he said. “I’ve been here for a few weeks now and I’ve seen you at the coffee shop or the atrium several times. To be honest, after the first time I saw you, I’ve looked for you every time I’m there because you interested me. When I noticed you sitting there alone yesterday, I decided it was time to talk to you.”

  Propping my elbow on the table, I put my chin in my hand. “You realize that sounds borderline creepy, right?”

  He threw his head back and laughed.
I found myself smiling back at him. “I know, but I’ve dated enough to know that honesty from the very beginning is the best way to go.”

  “I have to agree with you.”

  The rest of the date went well. We talked, drank, and laughed, though I switched to water after the margarita because I wanted a clear head for the drive home. Plus I didn’t want any more reminders of Landen and the crazy fireworks that went off in my head whenever I remembered the way he’d kissed me at Lucy’s wedding.

  When I tried to split the check, Phillip merely gave me a look and pulled the black book that held the ticket to his side of the table. After he paid, we walked out of the bar and I noticed that the sun was going down. We’d stayed for much longer than I originally planned. Night didn’t fall until nearly eight during the late spring.

  As we walked back toward the building where we both worked, Phillip stopped me at the corner with a hand on my elbow. I knew what was coming, so I turned to face him. He looked down at me for a moment before his head lowered and his mouth touched mine.

  As far as kisses went, it was tame. A simple touch of lips, no tongues or roving hands. And it was nice.

  Nice. There’s nothing wrong with nice, right?

  I mean, I enjoyed it in a clinical sense. It was a good kiss. But that was it. My heart didn’t race and my breathing remained steady. I didn’t feel the overwhelming urge to climb his body like a tree.

  When Phillip lifted his head, his smile was rueful. “Well, that was…” He trailed off, staring down at me in bemusement.

  “Nice?” I supplied.

  His smile turned amused. “Yes, and not quite what I expected.”

  I sighed. “Me either. We’re a pair, aren’t we? Well, if you need a native to show you around Dallas, sans kissing and hand-holding, I’m willing to be your new friend.”

  Phillip laughed and held his arm out to me like an old-fashioned gentleman. “I will probably take you up on that.”

  I slid my hand around his elbow and hugged his arm gently. “Thanks for drinks and listening.”

  “It was my pleasure.”

  Phillip walked me to my car in the parking garage and gave me a hug before I climbed inside. He waited until I started the car before he walked away. I watched him go, disappointed that neither of us had felt a spark. Phillip was attractive and he seemed like an interesting man, one I would like to know better, but there was no chemistry at all between us.

  It was too bad.

  I heard my phone buzz in my bag again and sighed, reaching into the depths of my purse to pull it out. As I suspected, Landen had texted me. Twice.

  The first one read, What are you doing?

  But it was the second one that really concerned me.

  We need to talk.

  I rolled my eyes at the text and tossed my phone back into my bag. I needed to calm down before I responded. If I even decided to reply. Considering I’d gotten nothing but radio silence since our dinner date, I wasn’t too eager to hear anything he had to say.

  I couldn’t believe his nerve! We needed to talk? I didn’t think so. If he was so keen on talking to me, he should have done it a week ago.

  Now, it was too late.

  Chapter Eight

  I stopped at the grocery store on the way home and picked up a bottle of wine and a box of cookies. And a family-size bag of potato chips. I could have bought more but reminded myself that my pants were getting a tad tight and that I didn’t enjoy working out all that much. But I needed them for the spectacular mope I was planning for tonight and possibly Saturday. And I hoped that a couple of glasses of wine, cookies, and chips would provide some inspiration on how to respond to Landen’s texts.

  Texts. As in multiple messages.

  Now that he’d seen me with another man, he wouldn’t leave me the heck alone. If he hadn’t hurt my feelings with his behavior, I would have found the situation hilarious. Well, you know, if it was happening to one of my friends. Yes, I know, that’s kinda bitchy, but they all knew this about me and loved me anyway. God help them.

  I arrived home and immediately stripped off my dress and heels. The bra came next and I slipped into an ultra soft and comfy tank top and a pair of cotton pajama pants.

  My phone buzzed again and I sighed. It seemed Landen was determined to have a conversation tonight.

  Call me or I’m coming over.

  I scoffed at his high-handed attitude. He’d never been to my apartment. Then I hesitated. I’d also never given him my cell phone number but he had that. Did I want to risk him showing up at my door?

  The door in the lobby required a key for entrance but it was nine on a Friday night. People would be coming and going for the next few hours. I wouldn’t put it past him to sweet talk one of my neighbors into letting him in. I’d witnessed his ability to schmooze firsthand and it shocked me. Considering his intensity and sometimes abrasive personality, I hadn’t expected him to be able to rein it in long enough to charm people.

  Chewing on my bottom lip, I stared at that message and ran through the possible scenarios. Calling him seemed like the lesser evil of them all. With a sigh, I tapped the screen of my mobile a few times and lifted it to my ear.

  “I was just about to get into my car,” he said by way of greeting.

  I rolled my eyes and wandered into the kitchen where my purchases were still sitting on the counter. “What is your problem?” I asked as I began to put away the chips and cookies, leaving the wine on the counter. Once that was done, I untwisted the screw top on the wine, because I was classy like that, and poured myself a glass.

  Landen was silent for a tense moment. “I told you I didn’t like to share,” he all but growled.

  I gulped back half the wine before I answered. “True, but you have to be in a relationship before it’s considered sharing.”

  There was more silence and I could all but feel his frustration across the phone line. “I thought we came to an understanding when we went to dinner,” he finally said.

  I laughed but the sound was utterly devoid of amusement. “I did too, Landen. But then I didn’t hear from you for ten days, so I assumed that you’d had a change of heart and didn’t bother to tell me.”

  He growled again and I drained the last of the wine in my glass before refilling it. I didn’t say anything, just waited for him to speak. I intended to use the trick Phillip used tonight to my advantage. And, sure enough, it worked.

  “I’m…” he paused. “Sorry.” The word sounded as though it didn’t want to leave his mouth. As though apologizing was akin to flaying the skin from his body, something painful that he’d rather avoid.

  I huffed. As far as apologies went, his sucked. “So what happened? Did you trip and fall into a parallel universe?”

  Landen laughed. “That would be better than the real reason. And a hell of a lot less frustrating.” He hesitated. “There was an issue with one of my companies in another state. My business partner couldn’t handle it, so I hopped a plane Tuesday morning. I just got back at three a.m. today.”

  My eyes narrowed and I drank more wine before I said anything. “Okay, that explains why I didn’t see you, but there are these handy dandy inventions. One is called a cell phone. You can carry it around with you and make phone calls or send messages. You can even email. If you aren’t sure what email means, it’s a shortened version of electronic—”

  “I know what both of those things are, but thank you for breaking it down for me,” he answered dryly. “Is there any way we can talk about this without you giving me shit?”

  I hummed beneath my breath as I pretended to think about it. “Nope. No way. You ghosted me and now you’re pissed because I went out for drinks with someone today? Do you not see the issue with that?”

  “I do,” he answered. His voice was strained. “The problem with my company, it’s big. Apparently, there have been some harassment complaints and I was not made aware of them until two weeks ago. There is also some suspicious financial activity. My business partner
has a hunch about the identity of the culprit, but we had to find proof. And get the police involved.”

  The strain in his voice softened my anger a little. Just a bit. “I’m sorry you’re dealing with that.” I knew how much work those sorts of situations could be because Chris handled them regularly. But still, why the fuck couldn’t he be bothered to send me an email?

  “I’m glad you understand,” he stated.

  “Uh, I said I was sorry you were dealing with it, not that everything was hunky dory. You could have at least sent me an email and told me that you might not be able to call me for a few days. Or even a week.”

  He groaned. “Jesus, why are you such a hard ass?” he asked.

  Though he couldn’t see me, I shrugged. “Just the way I’m built, I guess. I want to make sure that you understand why and how you screwed up so you don’t ever do it again.”

  “I am sorry, Chelsea,” he said again. And this time it actually sounded like he meant it. “Give me another chance.”

  God, he was so damn bossy. Exactly the kind of guy I typically avoided because it drove me bonkers. I hated it when the men I dated told me to do things rather than asked. It was just plain rude! “I’ll think about it,” I hedged.

  Then he said something I never thought he would say. “Please.” The word was soft and I wouldn’t have heard it if my apartment hadn’t been completely quiet.

  I hesitated. If his withdrawal hurt after a single date, how would I feel if he did it again? Or broke up with me when he got tired of my personality?

  “Chelsea?” he asked.

  “I’m thinking,” I replied, my voice just as soft as his. Then I took a risk. One that felt huge. “You disappearing on me…it didn’t feel good. I need to know that I can trust you not to do it again because if I pursue this with you, my emotions will be involved. If we’re dating, exclusively, not hearing from you for a week would not only hurt me, it would piss me off. And considering how much I know about you and your businesses, that could be a bad thing.”

  Landen chuckled but the laugh faded quickly. “It won’t happen again.”