Chase_The Chosen By Him Series Prequel

by Ellie Danes

  Chase

  The Beginnings Series

  A Prequel to the Chosen by Him Series

  By

  Ellie Danes

  www.EllieDanes.com

  Table of Contents

  Chase

  Copyright

  Book Description

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

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  Copyright

  First Edition, August 2018

  Copyright © 2018 by Ellie Danes

  This book is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is entirely coincidental. Names, characters, businesses, organizations, places, events and situations are the product of the author's imagination.

  All rights reserved. No parts of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without written consent from the author.

  License

  This book is available exclusively on Amazon.com. If you found this book for free or from a site other than an Amazon.com country specific website it means the author was not compensated for this book and you have likely obtained this book through an unapproved distribution channel.

  Book Description

  Before Summer, there was Hannah, the girl that destroyed his life.

  They always sit in the front of class.

  Short skirts, tight shirts. Cleavage and smiles.

  The ones that want a piece of me.

  I should know better, but I don’t.

  Being a billionaire business mogul and prestigious professor

  makes me feel unstoppable.

  And then she stops me in my tracks and turns my world upside down.

  Hannah. The smile that corrupts me and then breaks me.

  At least this story has a happy ending.

  Chase is a prequel novella about Billionaire Business Mogul Chase Kerns, the Hero in the Chosen by Him series.

  Chapter 1

  The demure black dress did nothing to hide Hannah's delicious curves. Her curly blond hair was swept up into a neat bun, the opposite of the riotous gold that often distracted me in class. I'd just seen those silky curls spread out over my pillow that morning, but that was our sexy little secret.

  My palms got sweaty as I thought about our risky relationship. Professors did not sleep with students, especially not legacy students like Hannah Barton, whose father donated large sums to the university every year.

  What was I thinking?

  Clearly it wasn't my brain that was in charge as my eyes hungrily followed Hannah's slow progress across the cocktail party. Her designer dress did nothing to hide her long, firm legs, and I felt my desire for her swell despite our polite setting.

  It was easy to forget Hannah was a student when I saw her at charity events like tonight's cocktail party. She had been born into ridiculous wealth—old money—and had therefore acquired such an air of sophistication that even my real estate mogul colleague, Albert, stumbled over his words as she greeted him.

  "Who's that older guy with Albert?" I asked my assistant, Jake.

  Jake flagged down a waiter and got me a drink refill before subtly clocking the smiling silver-haired man that was rousing my jealousy. I didn't like how the man put a hand so casually on Hannah's lower back. My fingers tightened around my crystal glass.

  Jake's eyes widened a fraction. "That’s Walter Barton."

  I choked on a heavy sip of bourbon. "Hannah's father?"

  No wonder her diamond-blue eyes had flashed when she noticed me across the room. During the first semester, we had agreed that I would avoid any functions where her father might appear. I wiped the bourbon off my chin and shrugged helplessly at her.

  It was too late. Albert had caught sight of me and waved. "Chase! Come join us."

  "Good luck," Jake said under his breath. He plucked my drink out of my hands to prevent any further choking.

  Albert made the introductions in his usual jovial manner, so it was natural for Hannah to laugh as her warm hand slid into mine.

  "Nice to see you outside of class, Professor Kerns," Hannah said.

  I stroked her palm and was pleased to feel her pulse jump. She may have been sophisticated and full of grace, but I knew how to make her lose control.

  Hannah withdrew her hand quickly and stepped back, closer to Albert.

  "Ah, so this is the famous Professor Kerns?" Hannah's father pumped my hand with a firm handshake. "You're a busy man but you still hold office hours for your students. Much appreciated."

  I glanced at Hannah, turned on by the light blush heating her cheeks. It had all started during office hours, right there on my desk, on top of the very assignments I was supposed to have helped her with.

  I cleared my throat. "It's been a, um, busy semester, Mr. Barton. I think we're all looking forward to Spring Break."

  Hannah narrowed her eyes at me, fully aware I was alluding to the sexy retreat we'd planned together. She tucked her hand around her father's arm and began to lead him away.

  "But I won't be able to relax until I know what your big announcement is, Father," she said. Hannah threw me one more smoldering look over her shoulder, enjoying our secret as much as me.

  "Interesting family, eh?" Albert asked.

  I blinked back to reality and grinned at my friend. "They seem close."

  Albert nodded and watched father and daughter thoughtfully. "Though that might change soon. Barton's liquidating his entire fortune, some kind of major realization, spiritual or something. Bet his beautiful daughter will be looking for a little security and stability once it's announced."

  I allowed myself one more glance at Hannah. Our affair had started as a passionate mistake, but she was more than that to me now. Albert's prediction made me wonder if I was the lucky one who could give Hannah exactly what she needed.

  Chapter 2

  "You really bought it?" Hannah walked into the ski lodge and glanced up at the high, lofted ceiling.

  I watched her blond curls sweep across the low neck of her cashmere sweater and licked my lips before I responded. "After your introduction, the sale was easy. Besides, we needed somewhere to go for Spring Break."

  Hannah set down her Versace duffel and stood framed by the huge picture window. Outside, large flakes of snow the size of fluffy feathers fell over the wide vista. Far below, past a ridge of protective pine trees, a little ski hamlet twinkled. There were ski slopes, restaurants, and even bright, neon night life down below, but Hannah was above all that.

  She was the only college student I knew who preferred aged wine and discussions of modern art over crowded bars and pulsing music.

  It made my heart thump when I realized how much I wanted Hannah's approval. I carefully selected the perfect bottle of red wine and asked, "So, do you think it's a keeper?"

  Hannah startled out of her thoughts and turned around, still blinking. "What? This place? Oh, sure. You could easily turn it into a boutique lodge or, better yet, an exclusive spa retreat."

  I shook my head, smiling as I poured two glasses of wine. "I was thinking more about a private sex retreat exclusively for my best students."

  Hannah turned down her pretty mouth at my crude joke. She knew she was the first student who had ever made me cross the line. As a senior with perfect grades and the best connections, Hannah hardly thought of herself as a student at all.

  She crossed the heated stone floor of my ski lodge and sniffed at the wi
ne. "You should let it breathe," she said.

  "Excellent tip." Hannah was close enough for me to catch her around the waist. I pulled her close, pressing her ripe body against mine. "It'll give me time to think of an appropriate toast."

  She gave a breathless laugh, her nipples already hardening against me through her soft, cashmere sweater. "I'm not going to toast this extravagant purchase."

  "The ski lodge?" I slowly swept aside her curls and kissed her neck. "I like to think of it as an investment in our future."

  "Our future?" Hannah looked up at me. "That's bold of you, Professor."

  I had hoped she didn't hear me slip up and now I didn't like the way her one eyebrow arched up. Hannah knew her worth and it made her quite a snob. Her look started a fire in me, a fire to prove just how much me and my experience could do for her.

  "Good thing you're studying finance, not English, because that wasn't 'bold.'" I caught Hannah tighter around the waist and hefted her onto the ski lodge's wide kitchen island. "This is a better example of 'bold.'"

  Hannah gasped as the backs of her bare thighs touched the cold marble. Her instinctive reaction opened her legs and I pressed in between to capture her lips in a long kiss. Her teasing smile disappeared between panting breaths.

  I slipped my hands up from her hips, under the soft cashmere sweater, and found her tight nipples. She had stopped wearing a bra when we were together just because she knew it made my knees weak. I returned the favor by cupping her pert breasts and brushing my thumbs over her nipples until each stroke made her pulse with sensitive pleasure.

  I leaned in, needing the support of the kitchen island as Hannah melted. Her long legs swept up to clench around my waist and her hips rocked against the tight zipper of my pants with increasing need. She tore at my shirt, her fingers fumbling as I continued to pluck and tease at her nipples.

  This was the Hannah I loved: all her good breeding, etiquette, and cool ambition burned away by passion. Underneath it all, she was just a young woman figuring out what she wanted and discovering that her body had a definite say in the matter.

  And Hannah wanted me.

  I released her lips and slipped my hands out her shirt all at once. It took every ounce of strength I had to step back from her silky, open thighs. Still, I took a shaky breath and pulled my shirt together, determined to regain some of the power.

  "You're right," I said. "Maybe this place was too risky of an investment. You'd probably be more comfortable down in town."

  Hannah stayed on the kitchen island, legs open, lips red from my kisses. Her eyes burned at me like blue flames, considering her choices and very high standards, and then she bit her lip.

  Finally she rolled her eyes up to the lodge's lofted ceiling and back to the kitchen island where she perched. "I guess it has a certain charm. This marble, for instance."

  "You like the marble?" I asked, inching forward just enough to tease us both.

  Hannah nodded, her blond curls clouding her face and her pink cheeks. "I like the way it feels?"

  The question, asked in a breathless whisper, made me harder than the countertop. The peak of my desire brushed Hannah's thigh and her eyes dropped to the bulge in my pants.

  "Where?" I stepped back between her thighs and tickled my fingertips along her rounded backside. One hand drifted over her soft cashmere sweater to her breast and squeezed. "Here or there?"

  Hannah's eyes widened as I slipped her off the kitchen island and turned her around. She bent over, discovering the teasing friction of my hardness behind her and the smooth countertop beneath her. We were just working her cashmere sweater up and off so she could enjoy it bare-skinned when my phone buzzed.

  "Please." Hannah bumped back against my taut zipper, her back arched with pleasure and need.

  I pried my hands off her willing hips and gritted my teeth. "Sorry. It's business."

  I answered the phone but never stood a chance. Hannah turned around, a new spark in her blue eyes. I knew it turned her on even more to hear me discussing a multi-million-dollar deal, but I was shocked when she dropped to her knees and did everything she could to make me blow the deal.

  Feeling Hannah choose passion over business made me love the ski lodge. If we could balance our separate powers, we'd be the perfect couple, and I imagined toasting our engagement on the very spot where I threw away my phone and made love to her on the kitchen floor.

  Chapter 3

  Hannah recovered first, as she always did, and straightened her skirt and sweater. She was carefully sniffing her glass of wine when I hauled myself to my feet.

  "We can always let it breathe a little longer," I suggested. My eyes traveled to the ski lodge's master bedroom that she had yet to see.

  She gave a small shake of her head, now completely in control again. She took a dainty sip. "It's a nice vintage."

  I left her to sip the wine while I lit the fire. It roared to life as the light outside turned blue and darkened. Snowflakes flashed across the windows and soon mixed with bright stars in the cold sky. I hoped Hannah would snuggle up close to me, but she was lost in her own thoughts.

  What did Hannah Barton think about? She certainly didn't have any worries, despite what my colleague had predicted about her father's news.

  "What's on your mind?" I gestured to the warm fire and patted the sofa next to me.

  She gave me a suspicious look. She walked over and handed me my glass of wine but remained standing. The cool diamond blue had returned to her eyes and her eyebrow started to arch.

  I caught her hand and tugged her down next to me. "I'm not trying to seduce you, Hannah. I really want to know. Are you okay?"

  "Did you hear about my father?" She held her head very high and stiff.

  I kissed her cheek. "Yes. Albert told me. I've consulted for his firm many times."

  Hannah gave a faint smile. "Albert. He and my father have been friends for years. So, I'm not the only one who thinks he's gone crazy," she said.

  I took both of Hannah's hands and kissed them gently. "I don't know. Selling off everything and focusing only on what really matters sounds pretty ideal to me."

  Hannah yanked her hands free. "My father liquidated everything over some sort of three-quarters life crisis! He's acting as if he was the only Barton alive."

  I leaned back and changed tactics. "You're right. He didn't think about taking care of you, making sure you got to school on time, and keeping you safe from all the big, bad wolves."

  Her eyes narrowed and her jaw hitched even higher. Hannah was truly beautiful when she was angry. "I'm a highly educated and successful entrepreneur. The least he could have done was consulted me."

  "Speaking of consultations, maybe you'd be willing to look over a few deals I have in the works." I caught her hand again and led her to the long dining room table.

  I knew the panoramic and starlit mountain view was nothing to Hannah compared to financial possibilities. It was the best way to cheer her up. The second best was waiting for her on top of all the paperwork.

  She spied the robin's egg blue box right away and gasped. "Really, Chase? For me?"

  I waited for her to rip into the Tiffany's box and catch sight of the radiant diamond earrings tucked inside. "Just the ones you've been hinting about, right?"

  Hannah frowned. "I don't drop hints."

  "But you do deserve diamonds." I bent down and kissed her.

  She softened just a bit, but I could tell her eyes were searching for the matching necklace. I sat down and pretended not to notice while we sorted through the potential client piles. Barely five minutes had passed before I couldn't help myself any more. Hannah so clearly expected to be spoiled and I wanted her to know I could treat her right.

  "You know, when we're done here I think I saw a similar box over there near the fire," I said.

  That bright spark came back in her eyes and Hannah licked her lips. "You know your financials do turn me on."

  We worked our way through the proposals and weighed each
opportunity carefully. Hannah was good at seeing where clients overlapped and how projects could be woven together. The only problem was she was too used to being right.

  "It's not always strictly about the numbers," I explained. I retrieved our wine glasses and topped them off. "Sometimes the charm and potential of a business venture is felt. You feel it when you're in the room and they're pitching their lives' endeavor."

  "So you're saying you'd pick the plucky start-up over the sure thing?" Hannah asked.

  "There's no such thing as a sure thing," I told her.

  Hannah stood up and paced to the fireplace. "You're wrong. There are certain decisions you can make that will ensure your future. Others are just risks. No matter how great it feels, it's still just a risk."

  I picked up the file I thought she was talking about. "So, let's look at your sure thing. Slow, steady growth but the payout is a long time coming and will probably be less than you want. A sound investment but not necessarily one that will give a big return."

  "A big return," she scoffed.

  She had no idea what it was like to risk everything and see it work. Her whole life was insulated by her family fortune and completely devoid of the thrill of chance. Hannah was a brilliant student and a competitive businesswoman, but she would never succeed as an entrepreneur until she risked something of herself.

  "I needed low investment and big returns when I first started out," I reminded her.

  Hannah's eyebrow went up again. "You're past that now. You'll never have real status until you start acting like a man of real wealth."

  I snatched up the Tiffany's box and shook the diamond solitaire necklace free. "You mean like this? There's a trio of tennis bracelets to match. I hid them in the bedroom. Of the ski lodge I bought for you!"

  It was petty, listing the gifts I had bought for her, but Hannah always pushed me to defend the way I handled my money. She was so arrogant, thinking she knew better than me. It didn't matter that I was her professor. Hannah attacked my status every time I dismissed one of her financial decisions. And she was especially determined to champion the stable, safe bet.