by Stacey Lynn
By the time he’s done, he’s standing almost directly in front of me. A satisfied grin is on his lips and I’m breathing so hard I think my heart might explode.
“I want to go home. Now.”
He shakes his head. “Can’t. The pilot has spent too much time in the air today. Earliest you’ll be able to get out is tomorrow and if you’re still this pissed at me in the morning, I’ll take you to L.A.” He skewers me with a look that I’m sure has lesser men shaking their knees. It takes everything in me to roll my shoulders back, glaring back at him just as harshly. “But after we talk.”
My face puckers up and I open my mouth to snap back at him, but before I can say anything, he reaches down and picks up our luggage, easily throwing them into the trunk of the waiting car.
He opens the passenger door and raises one eyebrow. “Coming?”
I look back at the darkened airplane, the hangar that I know is hiding the pilot somewhere inside, and then back to Chase. I’m so furious and my palms hurt from my nails pressing into my skin.
I can’t believe he would do this to me, although I’m not shocked to learn that Nicole is behind it. Hell, knowing her and her attitude about me cutting things off with Chase, I wouldn’t be surprised to learn this idea was all hers. A romantic getaway in Napa Valley to make me fall in love with Chase? Please.
Not gonna happen.
Regardless, I’m exhausted. My body is tense and my mind still hurts from the shitty day I had before I ever stepped foot on the plane in the first place. I’ll spend the night in Napa Valley and be out of here first thing tomorrow morning.
Slowly, I stomp toward Chase, proving to him that I’m going – but reluctantly. As soon as I sit in the car, with its soft, gray, leather interior seats, I rip the door out of his hands and slam it so hard the tiny car shakes and wobbles.
“Two rooms,” I tell the concierge, Evan, at the front desk of the most amazing hotel I’ve ever seen. It’s some sort of spa that oozes Old Warm Charm and my eyes widened in awe when we pulled onto the grounds. There are buildings everywhere, and with the sun on the horizon, I almost sigh in wonder at the rolling hills across the countryside that hold the tiny trees encased in wire fences. We are right in the heart of what I am guessing are some of the most luxurious wineries in California.
If I wasn’t so pissed, I might have smiled and oohed and aahed. Instead, I kept my eyes out the side window, refusing to give Chase any indication that I think the place he – or Nicole – chose for our weekend must be absolutely beautiful in the daylight. I still can’t believe she did this to me, and I have no idea who I’m angrier with.
Unfortunately, the man behind the counter is taking the brunt of my frustration with a pink tinge to his cheeks. Clearly most people don’t speak so rudely to him. Or demand two rooms at what is probably one of the most expensive and romantic resorts in the area.
“Our suite has two bedrooms, Mia.” His voice reminds me of how he talks to me when he’s lying next to me in bed. Which is exactly the one thing that I do not want to be thinking about right now.
I push down the lustful thought and glare at him. “Two. Rooms.”
We stand at the counter, with a blushing Evan behind the desk, locked in a silent battle of wills. I don’t know what makes Chase back down first, but he eventually sighs and nods his head toward the silent man helping us. “Fine. Two rooms if you have them.” Then he smiles that damn wicked grin I used to like so much. “Adjoining.”
I narrow my eyes so fiercely I can barely see through them, but I relent. Evan clears his throat as if he’s asking for my permission to make the change. I look at him and suddenly feel bad that I’ve been so short with him. It isn’t his problem that I’ve been tricked into coming. And no one could have planned it would all happen on the day my life went to shit.
“Never mind,” I say, not completely understanding why I’m agreeing to this. “We’ll just take the suite you have already planned for us.” The suite better have two bedrooms with locking doors, or I’ll be hauling my little butt back down here and demanding a new room on a completely different wing of the resort. I give Evan a genuine smile as he finishes our check-in and hands us our keys.
“You’re booked in our hillside suite which will give you a view in the morning of the gorgeous Napa Valley hillsides and olive groves.” Evan gives me a terse smile. “Hopefully this will meet your standards and provide a relaxing atmosphere for your stay this weekend.”
Well played, Evan. I laugh softly, acknowledging his little dig at me. Taking the keys from his hand before Chase can grab them, I head for the elevator, leaving Chase steps behind me.
Mia gasps as soon as we enter our hotel suite on the top floor of the resort. I bite back my smile, not knowing if she’ll be able to tell that I’m thrilled she’s finally showing an emotion other than completely irate.
I knew she’d be pissed I tricked her, I just didn’t think I’d see her get so mad I was afraid her head would spin in circles. This could end up being a really shitty idea. I just hope once she’s had a good night sleep and takes advantage of the spa day I have set up for her tomorrow morning, it’ll loosen her up some.
She makes a slow circle around the room, admiring the artwork and the view out the window that we can’t see. But there’s a private terrace right outside with our own personal hot tub. She pauses at the kitchen table, running her hands slowly against the softest Italian leather made. And then she smiles. It’s faint, just a hint of it on her perfect pink lips, but I see it before she quickly smothers it.
Yeah, she likes this place.
“This is some place.” I breathe a sigh of relief. Besides barking at me in the hotel lobby, she hasn’t said a single word to me since she slammed the door to our rental car. Not that I don’t deserve the anger.
But what I said is true. If we would have gone straight to L.A. there’s no way I’d get a chance to talk to her. To find out what in the hell went wrong and how I can fix it.
Because I’m determined to.
I put my hands in the back of my jeans pockets, waiting for her as she walks into the bedrooms that are on opposite sides of the living area. I frown when I see her check one of the rooms for a locking door.
So she’s still pissed off.
When she walks out of one of the rooms, she passes by me and heads for the kitchen. It’s fully stocked, and she reaches for a bottled water before sitting down on the couch in the living room.
I want to go to her. Explain everything to her about how I feel. I love her. For the first time in my life, I’m not afraid of the words or the feelings, I’m simply afraid of her reaction. If I tell her now, she’ll hail the first cab to the closest airport and be gone before we have a chance at anything.
But I don’t. Instead, I grab my own water and chug half of it before I leave the kitchen.
“This is some place Nicole picked out.” I grind my teeth together at the insinuation.
“I picked it out.” Her mouth drops open and I grin. “The only thing Nicole did was to tell me to go after you. Again.”
I can’t help but take the small dig at her. It was almost two years ago when Mia was first offered the job in New York. Nicole and Zack were getting closer, and when Nicole told me about Mia’s job, the next words out of her mouth were, “Go get her, Chase.” I feel like I’ve been chasing her ever since. Giving her space when I know she needs it; when I see her put up her walls and step back from anything more than the occasional sexy night. But I’m tired of chasing her. I finally, just once, want her to admit that we have more than that and to stop fucking running.
Her eyes light up when she scowls at me. Her eyes sparkle as blue as the ocean when she gets all passionate about something, and even if tonight it’s because she hates me, I’ll take it. It’s better than the teary-eyed woman who was surprised to see me sitting in her hallway earlier today.
I wait for just a second, wondering if she’s going to say anything, but she doesn’t. With a huff, she plo
ps back into her chair and crosses her arms. The move splashes water out of the bottle, so on my way to grab the luggage we left by the front door, I toss her a towel and walk to my room, pulling my luggage behind me.
“See you in the morning, babe.”
To let her know that I’m serious about nothing happening tonight, I lock my own door even though what I really want to do is pick her up, haul her ass into my bed, and make love to her until she forgets why she’s even mad at me.
She’ll come around. Mia and I argue a lot because we both like to be right all the time. But this time, I’m not backing down until I win everything I want.
Her.
I’m barely into my bathroom before I hear Mia’s feet stomping across the limestone flooring followed by the slam of the door.
The sound of metal hitting stone jolts me awake in the morning and it takes me a minute to remember where I am. Outside, the sun is just starting to come up and all I can see is the hills filled with olive trees as far as the eye can see.
I smile remembering Mia. The way her body felt beneath mine; the way she moaned while we climaxed together the night before on the plane. I’m a prick, but at least I got my shot to be with her before she got pissed me at me.
I’ll make it up to her today.
The loud crashing sound of metal jolts me out of bed again and then I frown, realizing Mia is probably still pissed at me, but it doesn’t mean I can’t try to seduce the anger out of her.
With that thought in mind, I ignore my shorts in my suitcase and walk out to the living room to find the source of the crashing noise, clothed only in my white boxer briefs. Mia’s favorite.
She’s standing on her tiptoes in the suite’s small kitchen, wearing … oh hell, she’s wearing a plain white t-shirt that is practically see through and as she reaches up to the top shelf, the bottom of the shirt rides up so I can see a hint of ass cheeks sticking out and an instant dick-hardening, teasingly small glimpse of her pale pink lace underwear.
I take a deep breath, thinking of baseball stats to calm the heaviness in my shorts before walking up behind her.
Slowly, I reach an arm over her. My hand barely brushes the skin of her finger as I grab a juice glass and a coffee mug that she must have been searching for, causing that hideous racket.
“Good morning, Mia.” I watch the light hairs on her arms stick up and briefly brush my nose against her soft blonde hair, inhaling her scent before quickly stepping away.
She might still be pissed, but she’s still affected by me. I hide my smile and walk around her, starting the coffee pot.
“How’d you sleep?” I ask her once my coffee is filled and I’m sitting at the kitchen table. She hasn’t spoken to me yet. She’s sat perfectly straight, sipping her orange juice and flipping through her tablet mindlessly.
“Fine.” And then, finally, she looks at me. Her eyes are pale blue and there are slight purple rings under her eyes. She’s full of shit. She didn’t sleep well at all last night, and it’s obvious. For a second I feel like crap for adding stress to her already shitty day yesterday, but I shrug it off. Mostly because my dick thinks she looks gorgeous with her slightly smudged mascara, flushed cheeks from being tired, and messed up hair. And the shirt. It’s obvious she’s not wearing a bra. I thought I was playing hard ball by walking around in my underwear, but she’s just playing dirty.
“Chase?” she asks softly, and I catch a twinge of humor in her voice.
I pull my eyes to her, aware that I’ve been staring at her chest and the darkness around her nipples that can be faintly seen through her shirt.
Her lips are tipped up in slight amusement although there’s still a hint of anger in her eyes. She caught me staring, and I could play it off. But no way. I may want more than her body this week, but that doesn’t mean I’m not going to take her body too.
“You can’t wear something like that and not expect me to look, babe.” I smirk and enjoy the way she fidgets in her chair while I watch her over the rim of my coffee cup.
“You said we had to talk, so let’s get to it. I have a plane to catch soon.”
No way in hell. I shake my head, still grinning, and I watch her fight to stay calm.
“I have something planned this morning. We can talk when you’re relaxed.”
Her mouth falls open a little bit and she snaps it closed. “You said we would talk in the morning and then I could catch a plane. Lying to me again?”
With a clearly frustrated move, she stands up from her chair, pushing it so harshly into the table that the glass top rattles. I follow her into the kitchen so she can’t run. Even if she’s just moving five feet away, I recognize her trying to make space between us and no way in hell I’m letting that happen again.
I’m right behind her when she shuts the door to the fridge and before she can say anything, I push her back lightly up against the fridge door, running my hand softly through her tangled hair. She freezes for a second and then her eyes go hazy. She also doesn’t push me away, but I don’t press for anything more.
“I know you’re still pissed about last night, and I don’t blame you. I do want to talk to you, but I have you booked for a massage this morning and whatever else you want. You just lost your job, Mia. And you’re stressed. I know I didn’t help with that last night by springing this trip on you, but let me help you relax first.” I move my hand from her hair and down to her shoulders, pressing my thumb into the knot just behind her collar bone. Her eyes close and she groans as I quietly prove my point of how tense she is. “Let me take care of you with the massage, and then we’ll talk.”
God she smells good. While her eyes are closed and her lips slightly parted, I lean forward, pressing my hips against her slowly. Her eyes fly open when she feels me, feels how much I want her. Her hands go to my chest, trying to push me away, but I don’t let her. And as I stand there, staring at her and quietly asking her to let me in, a sparkle flashes in her eyes and I know I’ve got her. And I love it. It’s that same mischievous glimmer she always used to have in her eyes and I realize that it’s been a while since I’ve seen it. I definitely didn’t see it yesterday.
I don’t give her time to change her mind before my lips crash down on to hers. She responds immediately, her hands go to the back of my neck and her nails dig in to my skin putting pressure on me and pulling me toward her. I let her. I let her control the kiss as my arms wrap around her waist.
It’s my favorite kiss with her yet, and we’ve shared lots over the years, but this one is filled with a different kind of passion than I’ve allowed myself to show her.
I move my mouth against hers, opening it when her warm, soft tongue flicks across my bottom lip and then I take over, devouring her and showing her how much I want her. I pull her head away and begin trailing soft kisses down her neck, toward the front of her throat and smile against her skin when she moans as I lick the skin right around her collarbone.
“Chase.” Hearing her rough voice say my name makes me press harder against her, pushing her until she’s plastered against fridge and I roll my hips into her. I don’t know if she’s trying to protest or urge me on, but I don’t stop. The thought of being so close to her that I’m in her, in her breathing and in every single part of her, makes me harder than I’ve ever been in my life. This is more than just sex and lust. I want her. All of her, and I’m not going to stop showing her that or proving it to her until she feels the same way about me.
I catch her next groans of pleasure with my mouth before I remember that taking her in the kitchen will go against my plan to prove that I want more from her than sex.
With my dick telling me to get closer, I reluctantly pull myself away, but leave my hips pressed against her. I cup her cheeks with my hand and gently press my lips against her flushed skin. It’s hot on my lips and I smile against her skin.
“You have a massage in one hour,” I remind her with a raised eyebrow. Her eyes slowly open and the smoky color in her blue eyes clears.
&n
bsp; “Wha …”
I chuckle softly. It takes every ounce of self-control not to take her. How can one kiss turn both of so completely inside out like this?
“A massage. In one hour.” And then I smirk. “Unless you want me to take care of it for you.” I run my hands slowly down her throat, across her collar bone, and down her sides until I reach the edge of her short t-shirt that I want removed. Immediately. I play with the hem with my fingers and firmly grasp her thighs, squeezing the backs of them until my hands are cupping her perfect ass.
She jumps when I pinch each ass cheek, pushing me away. I throw my hands up innocently as she laughs just once. It’s the first smile I’ve gotten out of her since we stepped out of the plane. It’s progress and I’ll take it.
“You’re a tool.”
I place both hands on my hips, my feet shoulder-width apart, and watch her eyes fall to my erection that’s pressed so hard against my boxers I’m surprised it hasn’t popped out yet. When she’s looking, I wiggle my hips once. “We both know you like my tool.”
Her cheeks flush bright pink and she turns away, but she’s still smiling and laughing so I consider my work done for the morning.
I take a shower, turning the water as cold as possible, but it doesn’t help anything. My body wants Mia and I have a feeling that my dick is going to stay permanently hard until Mia is willing to help me take care of it. Once I’m out of the shower and dressed, I find her in the living room, staring out the window and chewing on the side of her thumbnail. She’s dressed in tight yoga shorts that barely cover her ass and a loose-fitting pink sweatshirt that falls off one shoulder. Her hair is pulled up into some messy looking pile on top of her head and she’s not wearing any make-up.
Even dressed and looking like this she’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.