Chase’s eyes grew even icier when he walked around the desk and stood in front of him. “I just need you to understand what you just did, Cyrus. You’re still my brother—I can’t change that—but we ain’t friends no more. I can’t respect you no more, Cyrus, ‘cause you won’t respect me. You’re settin’ yourself up so that Khalid will be your only ally. You’re losin’ me, Cyrus, and you best believe if you do, I’m takin’ my little brother with me. You need to be real careful with me, Cyrus, ‘cause you don’t know me like you think you do.”
“Okay, Chase. Whatever you say.”
Chase frowned at him. “Did you hear what I just said to you?”
Cyrus nodded. Of course he had heard, but he really didn’t listen or care. It was just a variation of the same nonsensical babble he spewed every time he made a request like this. “Yeah, yeah. I heard you. Okay. All right. Fine, Smoke.”
Chase stepped away from him. “What happened to you, Cyrus? I mean, you always had some shit to you, but when did you become this motherfucker I’m lookin’ at now?”
What happened to me? You happened to me! Before he thought about it hard, Cyrus had Chase’s collar in his hand, and everything else was a blur. Chase tucked in his bottom lip, stuck his foot behind Cyrus, and turned his body. His left arm came up, and his elbow met Cyrus’s nose with a crunch. Cyrus shut his eyes against the pain and let go of his brother’s collar. Chase stepped into him with his shoulder, forcing him backward, as Cyrus stumbled over Chase’s shrewdly planted left foot. The small of Cyrus’s back hit the desk violently, and Chase was on him in an instant, his left hand circling his neck.
Cyrus was trying hard not to choke on the blood that was threatening to clog the back of his throat. He opened his eyes in time to hear what Chase had in his hand before he saw it. Click- wick-wick! Cyrus flinched and blinked. Chase had spun that damned silver-handled straight razor out of his pocket like a gunslinger in a Western. It was open and gleaming right by his nose. Cyrus held his breath. This nigga crazy, he thought, realizing all that shit had happened in less than a minute.
Chase’s face was close to his, and now he was smiling. “You grab me at your own risk, Cyrus. I think you better think twice before you do it again.”
“Let me up, Chase.” He wanted it to come out sounding like a command, but it sounded more like a squealing plea. He hated Chase for it.
Chase’s smile became a grin. “Say ‘please,’ Cyrus.”
“I’m chokin’! Please.”
Chase let him go and went to the door and opened it. “Now get the hell out of here. I don’t want to see you again until I’m ready to discuss Wolf. In the meantime, leave Corey alone.” Chase returned to his seat behind the desk. “Shut the door on your way out.”
Cyrus was in no position to talk shit or even try. He staggered his ass out of the office and to the front door.
“Look at this! Did you take a tumble down the steps, Cyrus?” J.T. asked, laughing.
Cyrus glanced over at Bliss. She was in the middle of an interview, and whatever she was saying, her mouth was a perfect circle. When she glanced over and saw Cyrus, she excused herself and rushed over to him.
“Oh my God! Are you okay, Mr. Brown?”
J.T. clapped him hard on the shoulder. “He’s great, Bliss. Continue your interview. I’ll walk him to the door.” J.T. turned Cyrus toward the door with the hand he had on his shoulder. He threw it open and gave Cyrus a shove. “I’d love to throw you out on your ass, but I’m afraid people will talk.”
Cyrus watched the door to his own club slam in his face. It was, in his opinion, completely disrespectful, and whether they knew it or not, they’d just started some shit, and regardless of what Chase thought, Cyrus wasn’t afraid of him. Your ass is gonna pay dearly for that shit you just did. Nobody fucks me over and gets away with it. I shoulda gotten rid of your ass before you took your first breath.
Chapter 8
After five interviews, Bliss had hired a hostess and two bartenders. Her next interview was an hour later, and she was thinking of going back to the office to check on Chase. She hadn’t heard a peep out of him since Cyrus left, though she had seen J.T. disappear back there and come back all frowned up. She stood and smoothed her dress as J.T. came out of the unfinished bathroom with a hardhat on his head.
He smiled at her and gave her a non-invasive look of appreciation. “Hey, Bliss. Takin’ a break?”
She smiled back. “Yeah. I’ve got a little free time between interviews, so I thought I’d go pay Chase a little visit and see if he’s okay.”
J.T. nodded. “Go ahead. If anything out here needs your attention, I’ll come get you.”
“Thanks, J.T.” She folded her arms across her chest and took a step closer, lowering her voice. “Hey, what happened in there this morning? Did I really see Cyrus leaving with a bloody nose? Was it broken?”
J.T. laughed, but in his eyes, he didn’t really look amused. “Well, let’s hope, for his sake, it wasn’t broken, but I really can’t say what went down between him and Chase.”
Bliss frowned. “You mean you don’t know?”
He smiled again. “Of course I know. I just can’t say. Go ahead though. Maybe if you sit on his lap for a while, it’ll smooth him out.”
Bliss took his advice and went down to the office, wondering what the hell kind of violent relationship Chase actually had with his brother. Obviously, it was the kind of brotherhood where breaking somebody’s nose was no big deal. What could Cyrus have done to deserve that from Chase? she had to wonder. She didn’t want to make snap judgments about Cyrus, but Chase had spent all the time she’d known him avoiding Cyrus in a very big way. He didn’t seem to act the same way about Corey. When she’d met Cyrus earlier, she noticed that he was tall and fine, obviously cut from the same cloth as her Chase from a physical standpoint, but her gut reaction left her feeling like he had all the charm of a snake oil salesman. At the moment, though, she didn’t really care about Cyrus or his broken nose; she cared about Chase. “Chase? It’s Bliss,” she announced, knocking softly since she wasn’t sure what kind of mood he was in after his big brother’s visit. “Can I come in?”
“Yeah, come in.”
She opened the door and stepped inside. Chase was in the big chair behind the desk, slouched in his seat with his fingers laced across his stomach. She stood across the desk from him, studying his face. He looked like he’d been crying, of all things. “Are you okay, Chase?”
He looked so sad, but he smiled a little. “I’ll live. Come here, Bliss.”
She came around the desk. Chase reached for her and really did pull her into his lap. Bliss put her arms around his neck and hugged him fiercely. His strong arms circled around her and held her close. They sat like that for a while, not speaking and just holding each other, with their faces close and touching.
She’d stepped into his office to comfort him about whatever was happening between Cyrus and him, but sitting there so close to him was making her yearn to be even closer—as close as she could possibly get. Bliss put her fingers on his hair and her lips on his. She kissed him with soft, closed-mouth kisses, loving the feel and taste of his lips against hers. She darted her tongue in his mouth, and Chase moaned, kissing her back with a skilled, but tender passion.
Chase swung his chair around with his feet, placing his back toward the door. He leaned past her and closed the window blinds. He kissed her on the hollow of her throat, and she trembled and kicked off her shoes.
“Oh, Chase! Put your hands on me…please! I can’t take this anymore.”
He kissed her chin, and she could feel him smiling.
She looked down into his beautiful, clear, cognac eyes.
“I’ve been dyin’ to. Take your hair down for me, Bliss.”
She reached behind her and started taking her hair down as Chase put one hand on the small of her back and used the other to pull down the zipper on her dress. Bliss fluffed her hair out over her shoulders, and Chase pulled the top of h
er dress down. Bliss took her arms out of the sleeves and reached behind herself again to unhook her lacy bra. She held it in place and smiled down at him, teasingly, even as somewhere in the back of her mind she wondered what the hell she was doing, sitting in that man’s office, on his lap, taking her clothes off.
Bliss pushed her doubts back as she looked at his face. There was no doubt that Chase Brown was a strong, virile, dominant male, but there was a very large part of his makeup that she found vibrantly and refreshingly boyish. The way he spoke, his enthusiasm, and the open way he displayed his emotions—hell, even his good looks were boyish—and Bliss found all of these incredibly endearing.
He was looking up at her, his eyes seemingly undecided on whether they should stay on her face or drop to her soon-to-be-bare breasts. His mouth was slightly open, and his breath was a bit rushed, just like hers. Chase’s hands drifted up her sides, his thumbs skimming over her ribs; but it was the look in his eyes that floored her: He was looking at her like he couldn’t believe he was sitting there with Bliss on his lap, as if he absolutely adored her.
He moved to kiss her, but Bliss put her hand on his chest. She could feel his heart racing. Chase looked surprised, and she laughed softly. “Not so fast. I took my top off, so you have to take yours off too.”
Chase reached down and pulled his T-shirt over his head, as he had in so many of her daydreams, and she was just as impressed as she’d been in her fantasies. He was lean, muscular, and well defined. The muscles in his stomach rippled nicely when he threw his shirt over his shoulder.
Chase smiled at her and tugged at her bra. The boy in his face was gone, replaced by the man who wanted to fulfill her request and put his hands on her. “This is pretty, but I’m tired of lookin’ at it,” he said, pulling at her lingerie. “It’s gotta go.”
Bliss slipped it off and dropped it on the floor, and Chase’s mouth was on her instantly, licking at her like she was the most delicious, delectable dessert in the world. Bliss’s back arched with pleasure, and she put her hand on the back of his head. Her breath puffed between her lips as he changed breasts. She squeezed her thighs together and sighed in delight. Chase closed his mouth and did some little swirling, sucking thing that curled her toes.
She ground against him, and he ground back. That bit of highly intimate contact seemed to shock them both. They stared at each other, moving against each other leisurely, like they had all the time in the world to pleasure each other. Chase’s hand slipped under her dress and made its way to her panties…
KNOCK! KNOCK!
Chase held Bliss close to his chest, and they both stopped moving like two deer caught in the headlights. “What?” he shouted over his shoulder.
There was a silent pause, and then, “Damn, man. You ain’t gotta shout! It’s me, Corey. Can I come in or not?”
Chase sighed deeply, and Bliss shivered at the warmth of his breath. Chase smiled and kissed her, holding her a little closer.
“Chase?” Corey called again, but he didn’t wait for an answer, and the door burst open unceremoniously.
Chase ran his hand over Bliss’s thigh and shook his head. “I’m busy, Corey. Leave.”
“Yeah, but Chase—”
Chase lost his patience, but he didn’t quite yell at his little brother. “Come on, Corey. Give me a minute, okay?”
“Yeah, but Chase…” he repeated, taking a step further into the room. He caught himself when he realized Chase wasn’t alone. “Whoops! I’m sorry, man. I didn’t know you were in here with your woman. Hey, Bliss.”
Bliss wiggled her fingers around the back of the chair, careful not to reveal anything more of herself to the unexpected visitor. “Uh…hey, Corey.”
Chase frowned at her. “Don’t answer him, or he’ll never leave,” he said in a low voice.
Corey retreated to the doorway, snickering. “So…uh…what y’all doin’?”
Chase stuck his head out from behind the chair. “Get outta here, Corey!” He didn’t sound entirely pissed off, just irritated.
Bliss kissed his neck to calm him down.
“All right, I’m out. Don’t do nothing I wouldn’t do.”
“Bye, Corey.”
Corey laughed. “Bye, Chase. Um…bye, Bliss.”
“Bye.”
After Corey slammed the door behind him, Chase looked around the chair to make sure he was gone.
Bliss laughed and pulled her dress up, covering her breasts. She hopped off his lap, stuck her feet back into her shoes, and picked up her bra.
Chase stood up, but he didn’t make a move to stop her; he just watched her put her bra back on and fix her dress.
Bliss looked at him as she ran her fingers through her hair and licked her lips. She’d thought he looked good sitting down, but on his feet, he looked even better. She turned her back to him to prevent things from going any further. “Would you zip me up please?”
Chase walked up behind her and put his hands on her small waist. He moved his body against hers and spoke into her ear. “Are you tryin’ to torture me, Bliss? Don’t go.”
She turned in his arms and put her hands on his biceps. “No, but I’m not going to stay in here with you a second longer. Corey already walked in on us.”
He looked past her like he wasn’t really trying to hear what she was saying, but he also didn’t seem to want to press the issue. A little more, and he’d be sulking. Bliss pursed her lips to keep from giggling, because it was kind of funny.
Chase looked at her with mild annoyance and zipped her up, speaking volumes without saying a word. He stepped back and pulled his T-shirt over his head, covering up his wonderful body.
This time, Bliss did laugh. She couldn’t help it because he was sulking. “Oh man, Chase. That is sooo childish.”
He shrugged. There was a hint of a smile on his lips. “Oh well. Sorry.”
She took his hand. “No, I’m sorry. I’m not trying to tease you, baby…really. Corey made me feel a little uncomfortable, walking in here. You’re the only man I want to see me…like that.”
Chase looked instantly placated. He gave her a peck on the lips and smiled. “I see you stepped me up.”
Bliss smiled back. “Well, you stepped me up first, according to Corey.”
Chase kissed her again, another one of those soft, lingering, not quite closed-mouthed kisses.
“How many interviews do you have?” he asked, letting her go.
“Two.”
“Okay, good. I got a couple things to do, and then I gotta talk to nosy-ass Corey about the liquor license. I gotta talk to J.T. about the progress with the renovation too…and I should give Dee a call.”
Bliss looked at him expectantly. “What then?”
Chase smiled at her devilishly. “Well, after that, I’m gonna drop you off at your place so you can change into somethin’ real sexy, then I’m gonna pick you up and take you to dinner. Then, I might stop at Cream and dance with you for a little while. Then…I’m gonna take you back to my place and talk you out of your clothes. Maybe I can convince you to get naked for me like that.”
She smiled. “So you think you’re sleeping with me tonight, huh?”
Chase laughed softly and looked at her cockily. “Sleepin’? That’s the last thing on my mind, Bliss. If you need a nap, you better take one now.”
Bliss put her arms around his waist and looked up at him warily. “Plan on wearing me out?”
Chase smiled and gave her another one of those sweet kisses. “I plan on seein’ if you can live up to your name…Bliss.” He took her hand and walked her back to the main room of the club. Chase kissed her again and patted her on the ass, then spun her out into the room like he was dancing with her, slipping his hand out of hers.
Bliss watched him walk back down the hallway, loving the set of his shoulders and admiring his easy stride. His swagger was so exhilarating she could have skipped down the street shouting his name. Bliss took a deep breath and closed her eyes; she could still smell his cologne.
It had become entwined with her own and created a new and lovely fragrance. She loved it so much that she wanted to lick the feel of him off of her fingers. She wanted to go back into his office and…
“Hey, Bliss! You all right, girl?”
Her eyes flew open and found J.T. looking at her with a knowing smile on his face. Bliss blushed furiously. “Oh! Hey, J.T. I was just—”
J.T. laughed, a bit indulgently. “No need to get flustered around me. I promise not to tease you and Chase. I’m happy for both y’all.”
She smiled. She honestly liked J.T., who handed her a clipboard. “Your interview is down front.”
“Got it. And thanks, J.T. You’re very sweet.”
He laughed. “Yeah, okay…just don’t say it too loud.” He walked away.
When she was sure he was out of sight, Bliss licked her finger and rolled her eyes. Wow, I’ve got it bad…and I’m not sure that’s good…
Chapter 9
After Chase dropped Bliss off, he stopped and got his hair cut, then went straight home to his loft on Riverside Drive. He’d chosen a loft over a brownstone or condo because one of his quirks was that he insisted on being able to see all around him. Chase wasn’t fond of places with a lot of hidey-holes. At least there, in his personal space, he would know it if someone was lying in wait for him. He wasn’t particularly worried about anyone doing that, though, because he knew most everyone was scared of him—for good reason.
He rode up in the elevator, and it opened up right into his apartment. Chase stepped out and walked to the bedroom and then into the master bath. He took his clothes off and took a rather long shower, running the events of the day through his mind. He hated what was going on between him and Cyrus. Cyrus had threatened him with Corey for years, and their little run-in that afternoon was the last straw. He knew that if Cyrus forced Corey to do it, Corey would…and he would fuck it up and get himself arrested or killed. Chase was a risk-taker to some degree, but he wasn’t willing to risk his little brother.
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