“Deal,” I smile.
He takes a deep cleansing breath, irritation twisting his features. “How’s your food?”
I can tell that it took every bit of control he had to control his response. It makes me ridiculously happy to know that I’m getting through to him. He’s finally starting to trust our place in each other’s lives and realize that I’m not going anywhere. I haven’t run since the day I was granted my promotion. And now, there’s nothing that could ever make me run from him.
***
I shake Theodore Vandegren’s hand. It’s clammy, instantly gives me the creeps. He’s tall, thin and very handsome. Nothing like my personal Superman, but drool worthy to the right woman. His smile is charming, and I see why Chase would be worried. This man oozes sex from the white suit to his bedroom eyes. Even his blonde hair is tousled in layers.
His gaze roams my body from tip to toe and back again, landing on my breasts. They stay there much longer than is appropriate. The black cocktail dress I wore is the least revealing of the items I brought with me. Chase rummaged through all of my clothes and insisted on it, right after making a call to Dana about ordering me a new wardrobe to be added to the New York apartment. The dress falls delicately to the knee, covers most of my bosom, leaving only a small swath of skin to feast on. However, it still hugs my curves in a way that makes me feel young, sexy and professional.
Throughout dinner, Theodore stares at me, blatantly disregarding Taye’s presence. He’s officially a world class, rich, scumbag. I sit quietly, trying not to give the impression I’m interested in anything more than his donation.
“I’m a very busy man, Mr. Jefferson, can you get to the point?” he says to Taye while looking at me. I wish I wasn’t here. Chase was right. I vaguely hear Taye give his spiel and ask for the charitable donation.
Theodore waves off Taye forcing him to stop talking. “Look Mr. Jefferson, I will give the Foundation $25,000 if this lovely young lady will accompany me for an after dinner drink…alone. I’ll hand the check to Ms. Callahan tonight,” he finishes.
Twenty five thousand dollars for a drink? The man is bat-shit crazy but whatever floats his boat. “Okay.” I say confidently with a shrug. Taye’s eyebrows furrow and a frown mars his face.
“Gillian, are you sure? You don’t have to,” he warns.
A drink can’t hurt. There really doesn’t seem to be anything nefarious about him besides being slimy and a bit forward. “I’m fine, I’ll call you tomorrow,” I say to Taye. “You can have Jack bring you back to the hotel. He stands and walks out of the restaurant. I can see through the window that he says something to Jack. Jack shakes his head and gets into the front seat of the limo. Taye then raises his hand for a taxi.
I watch Theodore not knowing really what to say. The waiter brings over a bottle of wine and fills our glasses.
My cellphone pings. “Excuse me.”
To: Gillian Callahan
From: Chase Davis
Why are you alone with him? Jack tells me Jefferson left, and you haven’t come out to the car.
I ignore Chase’s text and slip the phone back into my purse, and click the “silent mode” button before stowing it away. The man has to learn to trust me.
Twenty minutes and two cocktails later, I’ve listened to Theodore drone on and on about his success, his money, his Ferrari and I couldn’t be more bored. He stands and I stand with him, ready to get back to my control freak before he blows a gasket. I can only imagine how many texts await me when I get back into the limo to check.
As we exit the hotel restaurant, Theodore grips my elbow and leads me toward the bank of elevators. I try to pull away but his grip is firm. “Come on sweetheart, I need to give you that $25,000 check. While I’m writing it, you can remove your dress. Save us a little time.”
“What?” I yank my arm from his clammy grasp. He thinks I’m going to bed him because he donated to our charity? The warning bells clang loud, only I wish they would have gone off sooner. Shit! Chase was right.
“That’s right. I give, you give. If you’re good at giving to me, honey, I’ll make sure your boss knows how convincing you are and donate more.” He pulls me against his chest and grips my hip roughly. His chin drags along my neck and he bites the skin hard. Chills race along my spine and my chest tightens. Panic starting to tickle the sense. “But you need to get down on your knees first and get to work,” he says smugly.
He’s holding me so tight I’m certain I’ll have bruises. The skin around my bicep feels pinched and swollen as I pull hard away from him, just enough that I’m able to pull my leg back and bring my knee up into his crotch. He screams and falls back, but not enough that he doesn’t let go of his hold on me. Just as he’s trying to drag me toward him, a firm arm around the waist yanks me backwards. I’m catapulted back a few feet as a fist comes out of nowhere and connects with Theodore’s face. He falls to the ground in a heap, shouting in pain. Blood pours from his nose, a stark contrast to his white suit.
“Stay the fuck away from my girlfriend, Theo. I’ll only tell you once,” Chase yells, his face red, cheeks puffed with anger. That sexy jaw is working overtime, the tick clicking away like a clock. Momentarily, I’m stunned by his presence. I didn’t even see him come up behind us. Chase’s anger is palpable as he hovers over Theodore’s prone form. Then I realize I’m still being held back with a firm arm around my waist. Taking a peek over my shoulder I realize it’s Jack. His arm locks around my waist and he’s not moving.
Theo looks up at Chase, recognition dawning on him. His features turn arrogant as his eyebrow perks up and his lips quirk into a sly grin. “How was I supposed to know that hot piece of ass was yours.” His voice is nasal as he pinches the bridge of his nose. Chase lunges for him again, fingers around his neck. “Hey man, okay okay. She wasn’t wearing a ring or a sign around her neck that says she belongs to Chase Davis. Give me a fucking break!” He grips Chase’s hands and pushes him off. Chase heaves as Theodore backs against the wall putting some serious distance between them.
“Never again, Theo. She’s mine.” In a few steps, Chase assesses me. The cold blue of his eyes notice the red imprint on my arm. He cups my chin, lifts and turns my head to the side. His finger caresses the sensitive skin where Theodore bit me.
“I’ll fucking kill him,” he growls.
“Baby no,” I whisper. “Take me home,” I lift my arms to the beautiful face of the man I adore. Chase clasps my hand, turns me around and hugs me to his side as he leads us towards the exit. He has absolutely no concern for the man he left bleeding all over himself.
I’m still trying to wrap my mind around what just happened and how Chase made it to the restaurant so quickly when my knight in shining rayon forcefully pushes me into the limo. I slide in spastically. His hands settle me into my seat. Chase slams the door and turns to me. His eyes are black, hungry and filled with lust.
I hear the privacy screen roll up as I scrutinize the giant bulge in his pants. “Your underwear. Off. Now!” he demands.
I’ve never heard this tone from him before. His nostrils flare and his eyes narrow, their depths an inky onyx color. Quickly I hike up my dress and shimmy out of my underwear. Excitement and fear a hazy line he’s making me walk. With jerky movements he unbuckles his belt and pulls his pants down. His cock appears fully erect and bulging. The tiny slit at the top weeps, a pearly drop sits at the crown of his massive erection. My mouth waters at the sight wanting nothing more than to take his fullness into my mouth and taste his need. When his pants are around his ankles he hauls me onto his lap. In one second flat he powers into me, sheathed to the hilt. I scream out, the pleasure pain of his entry coalescing into one.
“Fuck!” he groans.
I’m not prepared for his penetration. There is no foreplay or kisses, just his carnal need to mate. After the burning sensation of his rough entry wears off, I slide up and down his length, rocking slowly. I grip him with my internal muscles and grab ahold of his shoulders for lev
erage. His gaze searches mine as if he’s memorizing every facet of my face. Then he smashes our lips together in a brutal kiss, one hand holding my nape close. He pulls back and bites and nips down my neck. His words are a chant against the tender skin, “I love you, I love you, I love you,” he says while he bites, licks, and sucks on the skin he can reach.
There’s the man I know. There’s my Chase. He grips my waist pushing me up and slamming me down on his cock in punishing thrusts. The rough pleasure of this coupling is unlike anything we’ve had before. Something about his need is feral, animalistic, stripping him down to want and need. All of which seem to be one thing…me.
“You’re fucking mine!” he says through gritted teeth, his jaw tight. “Do you understand?” He jackknifes his hips up going impossibly deep. I scream out in pure ecstasy, climbing to the crest and falling over the edge.
“Say it!” he demands with another harsh thrust. I cry out, lost in a never ending orgasm.
“I’m yours, Chase. Always, yours.” Tears prick at my eyes. “I love you, Chase. I love you,” I scream as he thrusts deeper and deeper. I lean back and rest my hands on his knees behind me, changing the angle, allowing him more access to penetrate farther. He moans and presses hard into me, his fingers dig into the flesh of my hips. His cock is rock hard as it pounds into me. I can feel every steely inch of him drag along the tender inflamed tissue inside.
“Come baby. Come again for me,” he says in a tone I recognize, one as intimate as my own voice. I come long and slow, my sex tightening in leisurely pulls against his length, tipping him over the edge with me.
I lay against his chest waiting for the storm to pass. His hands caress my back in lazy circles but he doesn’t speak.
“What just happened, Chase?” I whisper against his chest. This sexual encounter was rife with anger and possession.
“I lost control.”
Chapter 18
We don’t discuss what happened with Theodore-the-slimeball-Vandegren or what took place in the limo after we reach his Penthouse. Chase waves me off to bed saying he has work.
Instead of talking to me, he chooses to internalize his issues and isolate himself in his study. It hurts and makes me feel as if we’re taking steps backwards instead of forward. I feel alone, like a cork bobbing in a sea of disappointment. I thought we’d gotten past the bulk of our communication issues. So wrong. Every time it bubbles up it’s like a pot of water forgotten on a burning stove, left to overflow with the intense heat. I go to bed alone, exhausted over the day’s events. When I awake, disappointment once more crashes over me. He left me alone. I don’t even know if he slept next to me though he did leave a note on his pillow.
Gillian,
I have to work today. Dinner tonight with Craig and his wife at 7:00. Jack will take you wherever you’d like to go today. I’ll call later.
Yours,
~CD
At least he left a note. I can’t help but hope the “yours” signoff means something. Last night was the first time he’d said those three little words in months. Under the circumstances, I wish he hadn’t.
We also haven’t discussed any of what we revealed of our pasts since that night. Do I regret telling him about my past? That I loved him? No. I could never regret that. Last night when I screamed my love for him as he took me in the limo was the only other time I told him. It was such a relief. It’s as if we’re holding onto that night and those revelations as if they never occurred. Even the “love” part.
As I get ready for the day, I decide not to sit around waiting for Chase to get home. I call the bellman and schedule a taxi to pick me up. I walk out of the building and jump into the waiting taxi as I wave at Chase’s sentinel sitting on his perch near the car.
Jack shoots me one of his patented scowls. His large form bounds over to the cab but not fast enough. I promise the cab driver an extra twenty bucks if he squeals the tires as we speed off. I smile coyly as Jack puts his phone to his ear. I use my thumb and pinky to give him the symbol for making a call and mouth “call me,” adding to his irritation. He seems pretty peeved. Mission accomplished. I feel vindicated and free. Now for a little “me” time. I need the space to put things into perspective.
Besides, I refuse to be chauffeured around New York by Chase’s personal soldier so that he can be apprised of my comings and goings.
My phone rings. I answer, saccharin sweet, “Hello darling.”
“What the hell are you doing going off without Jack?” His deep voice is clipped and razor sharp. “Didn’t you get my note?”
“I did.”
“Why the hell are you out without protection?”
“Look, Chase, you are not my great protector—“
“Wasn’t I last night?” he interrupts. “I protected you from potentially being sexually assaulted.”
“Last night was…” I have trouble finding the right words. “…difficult.” I choose a light one, one without malice. “Today is a new day, and I’m more comfortable on my own. I will meet you back at your Penthouse in plenty of time to get ready for our dinner this evening.”
His voice lowers. “I’d be more comfortable with Jack--”
I’m tired of his controlling ways. He cannot leave me lying in bed, cold and alone and expect me to just do what he says. “Chase Davis…you, mister, do not own me,” I cut him off.
“Yet,” he growls.
I shake my head trying to wrap my mind around what he just said. Nope. Still doesn’t compute. “What?”
“I do not own you…yet,” he adds with a strained tone. I can tell he’s barely holding on to his anger.
“Whatever, Chase. I’ll see you later this evening.” And with that, I hang up just like he does with me, never saying goodbye, just cutting him off with a dial tone. Serves him right.
I’m actually feeling quite proud of myself. He’s the one who avoided me last night. I don’t even know if we slept in the same bed or not. That thought more than anything saddens me. The last thing I need right now is to feel uncertain of my place in his life, in his bed. I decide a day of shopping will perk me up. Shopping in New York City is exactly what every Californian girl dreams about. I tell the driver to head to the outlet stores. The closer I get to my retail therapy, the more I start to relax. I’m going to get a smoking hot dress for this evening and wow the socks of the temperamental Mr. Davis. Remind him of what he has so that he never ever feels the need to isolate himself away from me again.
***
I feel his presence before I see him. He’s sitting in the armchair across from the bed in the darkened room as I enter with today’s bargain finds. His elbows rest against his knees, his face teetering on the tips of his fingers. The drapes covering the window behind him are open enough to shine a slice of light across his furrowed brow.
“I was worried,” he says brusquely.
I set my loot on the bed and turn toward him, hands on hips. “I told you I’d be back in time for dinner. I keep my promises, Chase.”
“Just the thought of you out in the city, not knowing where you were, that you were safe…” He cocks his head to the side, and I adjust my shoulders, not really wanting to have this battle with him before I meet his family.
“I was fine. I went shopping. Got a dress for tonight,” I say trying to change the topic. I rifle through my bags looking for the outfit I plan on wearing.
“I know. I had your credit card traced.” He is nonchalant in his admission, not even a hint of apology can be heard.
My head whips to his side of the room settling on him. I let go of the bags. “You what?”
“You heard me. I also paid for those items.” He gestures to my bags. My mouth opens to respond but he continues. “I paid off your credit cards, and I put a large sum of money into your checking account.” His words are calm and evenly spaced. However, that’s not how my twisted brain interprets them. He says “paid” and my mind morphs it into “owing.” He says “large sum of money” and my mind warps it into
“you are my possession.”
I can’t breathe. My ability to speak is gone. Pretty much the only thing I’m capable of is standing still with what must be a stupefied look across my face. Again, I open my mouth and close it several times, trying to form a response but nothing comes out. Panic swirls like liquid acid in my stomach, sending spikes of fear to hammer at my heart. I clutch my stomach and chest protectively.
“No woman of mine will go without. No woman of mine will live paycheck to paycheck.” He stands abruptly and walks over to me. “No woman of mine will need to shop at thrift stores when she can have everything she ever dreamed right at her fingertips!” There’s a grimace to his features, almost disgust twisting his beautiful lips.
“They were outlet stores, not thrift stores and what the fuck?” I say as he slides his hands around my waist. Scowling, I push away from him. He doesn’t relent, holding me tighter. His magic fingers move enticingly along the fabric of my hips and up my ribs. I close my eyes in frustration and excitement, the panic transitioning into lust. I want to be pissed at him. I am pissed, but when his hands are on me, I turn into a pile of goo. Chase hasn’t touched me since last night in the limo and although the sex was satisfying, something happened to him. Since that moment we’ve been off kilter. Proof can be found in his reaction moments ago.
He completely ignores my question; his hands burning a path along my sides up and over my swelling breasts, cupping them firmly. I gasp. “And no woman of mine will go unprotected as long as I am around.” His fingers slip into the straps of my dress and pull them down my shoulders. The summery dress falls in a pool of cotton around my feet.
“I’m not your woman, Chase.” The words cross my lips in a breathy whisper, lacking conviction.
“No?” he asks flatly while thumbing the erect peaks that are reaching for his attention. He knows he’s affecting me. The grin that comes across his face is confident, smug. Handsome bastard. My nipples bead into impossibly tight knots as he pets them, pushing tightly against the white strapless bra. Moisture pools between my legs, soaking the barely there matching G-string.
Body (Trinity Trilogy Book 1) Page 28