by J. C. Reed
Chase opened his mouth to speak when I held up my hand, stopping him. I didn’t want to hear that he was sorry, because that wasn’t what I wanted to hear. Everything had happened such a long time ago that all the wounds had long since healed. What had remained, though, was a mystery I could never solve.
“There’s a reason I’m telling you this, Chase,” I whispered gravely. “Something else has been bothering me. It’s haunted me all the years, and I think it’s the reason why Clint offered you money.”
Unable to stay still for a moment longer, I got up from the sofa and walked over to the window, keeping my back turned to Chase. This was the one thing I had never shared with anyone.
The air grew silent, and all I could hear were the cars outside.
“The morning of the day she disappeared, I was late for school, but she wasn’t in a hurry to let me go,” I began. “She pulled me aside and told me that she was sorry. That I shouldn’t be angry with her for what she had done, but she was worried for my safety. That I must never go after the money, but that I should try to get my hands on the letters because they would explain everything.”
“What letters?” Chase asked.
“The letters in her will. The only thing she left me,” I explained. “By committing suicide, she left everything to Clint. The mansion. All her money. Everything she had received from her father—my grandfather.”
I turned around to face him. His eyes were narrowed as he processed my words.
Eventually he said, “That’s…strange.”
He had meant to say something other than “strange.” I could see it in his expression, but I didn’t press the issue.
“I guess.” There was a hard tone in my voice. I sounded bitter, I realized, but I couldn’t help myself. Too many years had passed, and yet they did nothing to reduce the pain of her leaving me to face the world alone.
“Did you read them?” Chase asked, filling the silence.
“The letters?” I shook my head, signaling that I hadn’t. “That’s why I needed you.”
“I’m sorry. I’m afraid I don’t follow.”
I clasped my hands together. “My mother specifically asked that I be married before my twenty-third birthday in order to get the letters,” I said.
He drew a long breath. “And your twenty-third birthday is—”
“In twenty days.”
“Ah.” His eyes widened just a little bit. “In twenty days? But you’re not married. You’re just engaged.”
“Pretend-engaged.” I rolled my eyes at Chase, stating the obvious. “I don’t even know why I can’t just forget all about them and move on. There’s probably nothing important in them anyway, just a madwoman’s senseless rambling.”
“But she was your mother,” Chase said. “And those letters are the only thing she left you.”
I nodded gravely. Maybe he didn’t know what I was feeling, but he certainly knew why those letters meant so much to me.
“That’s true. But she was still crazy. And they’re probably just stupid letters,” I said, repeating the one thing I had kept telling myself over and over again for the past few years. Lies to myself to get over the fact that she hadn’t loved me enough to stay alive and see me grow up and do all the things mothers did with their daughters.
“They’re not stupid letters, Laurie.” His fingers stroked my face, pressing gently until I looked up to meet his determined gaze. “You said she was scared, maybe not just for you, but for herself as well. Maybe she knew something, and that’s why she cut you out of the will.”
“Or maybe she was crazy as bat shit.” I laughed darkly.
“No,” Chase said, his gaze never leaving me. “Clint offering me money to get rid of me? That only proves he has something to hide. What if there was something really important in those letters?”
I stared at him, at the way his eyes seemed to shimmer with intelligence.
“I’ll admit it crossed my mind, but I always thought….” I left the rest unfinished.
“What?” He frowned at me.
“My stepfather gave her the medication. I always thought she was quite lucid…until she took the pills he gave her. But maybe I was imagining things. I was just a child. Maybe I’m crazy thinking all this.”
When I remained quiet, he continued. “You’re not crazy, Laurie. You actually might be on to something.” He pulled me to him, and for a moment I thought—feared—he’d kiss me. But the kiss never came. “That’s why you need me. And I’d be happy to help you.”
My heart skipped a beat or two.
Why did I like the sound of that so much? And why did I like it even more coming from this stranger’s beautiful mouth?
For a moment we just stared at each other, the silence heavy between us.
“You know what?” he asked. “I think we should get married.”
“What?” I gaped at him, unsure whether I had heard right.
Chase shrugged and pulled away, his face turned so I couldn’t see his expression.
“I mean it. We’re both single, with no commitments. It would solve all your problems. What’s the harm?”
“What’s the harm?” I laughed.
He turned back to me, and in that instant I caught the glimmer in his eyes.
Determination.
Whatever Clint had said and done had only persuaded Chase to want to help me.
“This is about the worst proposal I’ve ever head of,” I said jokingly.
“That’s because it’s an indecent proposal,” Chase said. “You pay me to help you and in return you let me date you, with all its implications.” He paused, letting me get the hint. Which I did, loud and clear. “We get married, you get the letters. And if you’re not into dating, no harm done. I make some money, and that sounds fair to me.”
I eyed him carefully, but his expression remained nonchalant. Unreadable. “You realize we might have to stay married for a while, right?”
“Let’s give it a year.”
“That’s a long time.” I stared at him, waiting for a sign that it was nothing but a joke.
“Doesn’t have to be.” He grinned with mischief, but his eyes remained solemn, the glint in them intense. “What matters is that you get what’s yours.”
“You don’t understand, Chase,” I whispered. “My mom was crazy. There’s a chance that the letters might not be worth anything.”
He shrugged. “That’s a risk we’ll take.”
“I’m not sure it’s a good idea,” I mumbled.
“Laurie.” He touched my shoulder. “You owe it to your mom to try to get those letters. She wanted you to have them. If marrying is what it takes, then so be it.”
“It’s a good plan and it would work, but”—I paused, unsure how to put it—“I don’t have the money to pay you for your services. I’m not rich. I’m not the heiress to anything. I wasn’t included in her will. I haven’t even figured out how to keep myself afloat with the mounting bills trudging in on a daily basis. Even if I wanted to do this, I couldn’t possibly pay you, Chase,” I whispered. “I don’t have the money, and I doubt I’ll have it in a year. I can barely afford to pay my rent.”
Chase nodded. “I know, Laurie. And I’m not doing it for the money, which his why I offered you Option A,” he said, his hand touching mine gently. “I don’t need it, meaning you can repay me whenever you feel like it in any form you want. All that matters is that you get some answers.”
Now, that sparked my curiosity.
When something sounds too good to be true, it probably is…. The saying rang in the back of my mind.
“If it’s not about money, why would you make such an offer, then?” I asked. “You don’t know me. We’ve just met. There are plenty of other girls you can date.”
“I just want to help because—” He shrugged again.
“Because?”
He hesitated for a second as he gathered his thoughts.
“I like you, Laurie. I already said that. And I have a feeling t
hat you need those letters, not just because you deserve them.” He looked at me with kindness. “I don’t think it’s right that your stepfather has control over your life. The letters could help you turn your life around, maybe even help you understand what was going on with your mom.”
He was right. Too right.
I took a sharp breath and kept it trapped in my lungs until they began to burn from the strain. Only as the pain became unpleasant did I exhale. Just as he knew there was more to me than I had let on, I knew there was more to Chase than met the eye. We didn’t know each other, but, for inexplicable reason, I wanted to trust him. For once in my life, I didn’t want to be disappointed. However, the nagging feeling that I would owe him the rest of my life was too big. As if sensing my distress, Chase pulled me to him.
“Laurie,” he whispered. “I want to be here for you.”
“After everything I told you, you still want in?” I looked up, my heart jumping so hard I was sure he’d hear it. His hands trailed down my waist and settled on my butt. Without a warning, he pulled me close against him until I could feel his breath on my lips. Beneath his clothes, I felt the hardness of his muscles and the strength emanating from him.
“Sure. No questions asked.” His eyes were like deep, dark pools as he leaned forward just a little bit more and his gaze settled on my mouth. For a second, we just stood there, caught in the moment, frozen in time. My heart skipped a beat as realization dawned. He was going to kiss me. And I wanted him to—more than ever.
His mouth came crashing down on mine—probing, savoring, sending a shivery rush between my legs. With a soft moan, I parted my lips and let his tongue invade the cave of my mouth. I could taste cookies, chocolate, coffee, and him—the perfect recipe to send me into a drunken state from which I didn’t want to emerge. A flame flickered to life within my core, and twinges of electricity pulsed through my private parts, urging me to take whatever he had to offer. If one kiss could do this to me, I wondered what would happen if I asked for more.
I pressed my hungry body against him and felt the heat of his skin beneath his clothes. He was already hard, his erection brushing my abdomen, and for the first time in my life I didn’t feel the need to run away. I wanted to touch him. Feel him. Expose him to my gaze.
Chase pried his lips off mine, leaving me breathless and slightly disoriented as he put some distance between us. “I’m going to marry you, Laurie, but under one condition,” he whispered, his flushed face mirroring the way I felt. “I want to take you out on a date. A real date.”
Chapter 16
Chase had been adamant that if we were to marry, we at least make it look real. Given that I didn’t exactly have an array of other choices, I agreed, and we arranged a first date when Chase expressed his first condition. He insisted that I dressed accordingly, or, in his words, “Wear something nice.”
I had guessed he meant something elegant, maybe made from a flowing fabric. Naturally, a chiffon dress was my first choice as I ascended the stairs of our apartment building.
Chase was leaning against his expensive car, his eyes sweeping over my legs appreciatively as his lips curled into a wicked smile.
“Hi,” I said shyly, my gaze appraising his black slacks and light blue shirt that seemed to match the color of his eyes. He was so beautiful I almost choked on my breath, my mind unable to grasp the fact that in less than half an hour, I’d be having dinner with the most beautiful man I had ever seen. I felt like a fan who was about to meet her Hollywood crush for the first time. He wasn’t just making me nervous; his presence seemed to highlight and magnify my inexperience to glaring proportions.
“You look stunning,” Chase said, sweeping me into his arms to kiss my cheek.
My throat constricted, and my brain switched off. As his lips touched my skin, I wanted to say something clever—something a mature woman with plenty of experience would say—only, the words remained glued to the back of my throat.
Chase pried his arms off me, and we were in the car. A strong wind rustled through the open windows and blew a few strands of my hair into my face. I was hurrying to brush them aside when I realized Chase had started the engine and now was staring at my naked legs.
“What?” I turned to regard him and narrowed my eyes as I took in the amused smile on his lips. “Don’t you like what I’m wearing?”
“Of course I do.” He shook his head and met my gaze—and something sparkled in his eyes. “Anything shorter, and I would have insisted we head up to your place and order in.”
My heart thumped. “Why?”
He let out a small laugh. “You know why, Laurie. I doubt I would have been able to kept my hands off you, and making out in a restaurant isn’t something you’d be comfortable with.”
He wanted to make out.
I bit my lip hard to suppress a smile, but the heat scorching my face probably betrayed my true feelings. Ever since we had kissed, a rose hue and a smile had remained etched on my face. He was pure eye candy, flirty and easy to converse with. Even though a relationship would never happen, at least I could enjoy the moment.
“I have to say you’re really….” I struggled for words.
“Awesome?”
“Persistent, stubborn. Maybe even bordering on insufferable.” I smiled at him. “Tell me, do you ever give up when a woman says no?”
“I don’t, Laurie.” He put the car in gear. “I would never give up because I always get what I want. Then again, I never had to chase. You’re the first one to cause me both blue balls and wet dreams.”
“I don’t believe you,” I whispered, shocked at his boldness.
“Why would I lie to you?” He killed the engine, and then he turned to me, his eyes full of mischief and something else. My breath caught in my throat as he leaned forward, and I was bracing myself for his kiss when his fingers brushed my leg gingerly, lingering for a second or two, before he picked up something from the floor. “You lost your journal.”
I stared at the light pink journal, confused, the meaning of his words not really hitting home. It wasn’t the only thing I had lost. Under his touch, I felt like I was losing every inch of my self-control…or ability to think.
“Oh.” I had been so busy staring at Chase, I hadn’t realized my bag had opened and the contents had spilled onto the seat and floor. As he handed me the light pink journal, my fingers brushed his, and an electric spark traveled down my arm.
“Thanks,” I muttered, my voice alien in my ears.
“You’re welcome.” His eyes rested on me for an awkward moment.
“Shouldn’t we get going?” I said when his strange gaze became too uncomfortable.
“Sure.” He started the engine and pulled out of the parking space. The car roared, and we sped through the busy L.A. streets. Never in my life had I felt this way: this absurd longing to kiss Chase again whenever he was sitting next to me, his hand gracing mine accidentally as he changed lanes. We’d only driven for a few minutes before he pulled over.
“Are you ready? We’re here.” Without waiting for my answer, Chase opened his door and jumped out. I slung my handbag over my shoulder and let him help me out of the car. I was about to head for a quaint little Italian café advertising the best pizza in town when Chase’s fingers curled around my elbow.
“What are you doing?”
I turned to take in the amused glint in his eyes. “You promised dinner.”
“Yes.” He nodded slowly. “But not in there.” He pointed to the large building on the other side of the street. “That’s where we’re headed.”
“The Lux?” I stared at one of the most overpriced places in L.A. “You can’t just walk in there without a reservation.” I didn’t want to point out that the place was booked months in advance.
“I wasn’t going to.” He intertwined his fingers with mine and pulled me after him through the stagnant traffic. “Guess what? I have an old friend who works here. He got us a nice table.”
“Oh.” I hurried my pace to kee
p up with him, almost oblivious to the luxury cars and—was that an A-list movie star ascending the stairs, disappearing behind the doors? “Are you sure about this?”
The place looked way out of my league, not least because I couldn’t afford it.
“Relax, Laurie,” he whispered in my ear. “Just go with it.”
“But—” I opened my mouth to let out a string of protests, but the words remained stuck in my throat. “Why here?” was all I managed to say.
“What’s wrong with taking my future wife to one of the best restaurants in L.A.?”
Everything.
I just stared at his profile, at a loss for words.
“I’ve heard they specialize in candlelight dinners.” Chase winked and held the door open.
I mumbled a grim “thank you” and walked in, struck speechless yet again. This wasn’t supposed to happen to me. All my life I had lived in fear. I had been running for so long, I had stopped believing that something like this would ever take place. Sure, I had read about it in books, seen it in movies, heard about it from gushing friends, but I had always been convinced that romance wasn’t real.
Chase was slowly starting to prove me wrong.
Chapter 17
The Lux was located in a top 4,000-square-foot space, complete with cushioned booths and fascinating greenery. It was a place where celebrities hung out and, as such, was always fully booked for months in advance. That Chase had a friend who worked here was unfathomable but nothing I’d consider unbelievable, considering the fact that, as an actor, he probably knew a few famous people.
A maître d’ led us past several booths, each one decorated with flower bouquets and white candles, and stopped in front of the most beautiful one overlooking a water fountain behind a glass wall. Soft music played in the background. The love seats looked comfortable and inviting. The whole atmosphere was so serene I could have spent hours in here, ready to forget Clint and the real world.