by Ava Miles
“Oh, God,” he moaned, straining to sink higher inside her. “I need more of you.”
She had been careful, balancing so she wouldn’t accidentally knock one of his casts. Shifting a fraction, she lowered until he reached the hilt. This time it was she who said, “Oh, God.”
Then she started to move, slowly at first, but when his hand gripped her waist urgently, she gave in to a faster pace. She could feel him straining under her, doing his best to lift when she fell, but it couldn’t be easy for him with his injuries.
“Are you okay?” she asked, panting.
His eyes locked on her face. “No. God. I need you to come for me.”
Okay, that was hot. “Trust me, it’s going to happen.”
“Lean back,” he growled, and suddenly his good hand was caressing where they were joined. She arched again as a surge of energy rocketed up from her toes. Crying out, she came. Hard.
She was aware of his hand shifting, and then he was changing the angle of her body over him. He cried out, coming under her in deep pulses. She folded over him.
“Oh, my God,” she said, everything tingling beautifully. “Oh, my God.”
“Yeah,” he said, caressing her spine. “Oh, Moira.”
He was breathing as hard as she was by the time she rolled off him. “If this is how you do things when you’re injured, I can’t wait to see what you’ll think of when you’re free of these casts.”
Turning his head on the pillow to look at her, he smiled. “I’m going to blow your mind.”
Oh, she liked a man who excelled. “I can’t wait. You…this…it’s like the best gift ever.”
“I love you, Moira,” he said, reaching for her hand.
She took it and pressed it to her heart—where it belonged. “I love you too.”
Chapter 26
Chase was jarred from sleep by a sound. It took him a moment to register that someone was knocking on the front door. He groaned as he turned over. His bad side screamed. Shit, that hurt.
“Who is that?” he heard a sweet voice ask.
“If we ignore them, they’ll go away.” Opening his eyes, he couldn’t help but smile at her. “You’re adorable with your hair sticking out.” Normally he didn’t notice such things, but with Moira, he noticed everything.
“That’s not the most complimentary thing to say to me after last night,” she said, raising a brow at him.
“You’re beautiful and fierce and completely sexy,” he said, frowning as the knocking on the door ramped up again.
“Do you want me to get dressed and get that?” she asked. “Or would it be weird if I answered the door?”
“After last night, it wouldn’t be weird at all.” He loved her, and part of him wanted to shout it from the rooftop. He still couldn’t take it all in.
She slid out of bed and looked around. “Ah…this is awkward. My jeans and shirt are in the den, and the front door—”
“Has window panes on either side,” he said, seeing her dilemma. “Grab one of my robes. In the closet. It will take me twenty minutes to get dressed, and I’m not starting the process without knowing if it’s just a determined UPS man needing a signature or something.”
Laughing, she dashed into his closet and came out wearing his navy floor-length robe. “It’s like I have a train behind me. Okay, I’m going out.”
Chase wondered at the time. He heard voices, and then heavy footsteps heading his way. Evan appeared sheepishly in his bedroom doorway, holding up a bakery bag.
“Fresh croissants?” he asked. “I’m sorry to intrude. Really, I am.”
“Evan, what in God’s name are you doing here?” Chase asked, pulling himself up against the headboard and tucking the sheet around his waist.
“I thought it would be safe to swing by. It’s noon. Are you okay?”
Chase scowled at him. “Let me repeat. Why are you here? Not that I don’t like seeing you, but this is my first morning with Moira.”
“I’m sorry for interrupting,” Evan said. “And even sorrier for bringing you another work problem. Something happened with Gopal.”
Chase’s gut tightened. “Tell me.”
“It seems Maurie told him that K-Barker is going to submit him on their bid as well since they also had his letter of commitment and a salary package negotiated. Gopal believes him.”
Maurie was pulling out all the stops. “Shit.”
“Exactly. Gopal knows it will hurt his reputation with our defense colleagues if he’s put forward on two bids. He’s withdrawn from both of us.”
“But we had him first! Our letter of commitment says so. Let me call him.”
Evan shook his head. “I talked to him for over an hour after Rajan did. He won’t change his mind.”
“So we’re out the best candidate for the bid,” Chase said in a tight voice.
“Maurie is as well,” Evan said, rubbing his forehead. “That’s got to be a small comfort.”
“It’s not,” Chase said. “This is a victory for Maurie and K-Barker, and he knows it. Gopal had better not go with anyone else.”
“He won’t,” Evan said, shaking his head. “I want to hire him direct to Quid-Atch before Maurie does. He’s vulnerable right now, knowing his ethics are in the toilet. I think we can bring him on and bid him out on another high-profile bid in the future. We’ll just have to watch him like a hawk to make sure he can be rehabilitated. Rajan agrees that it’s a good plan.”
Chase looked at his friend in shock. “I like the way you’re thinking, Evan. Especially the hawk part. Work with Rajan on what to offer him salary-wise. I don’t want him making bank because of this error in judgment. He doesn’t deserve to be rewarded.”
“Gopal doesn’t think you’ll forgive him,” Evan said, coming further into the room. “You might need to make the offer personally.”
“I can do that,” Chase said. “I’m fairly certain Andy is going to green-light me to return to at least quarter-time work this week. God, I can’t wait to dive back in.” But there was another part of him that felt tired just thinking about it.
“Me either,” Evan said with a gusty sigh. “Running Quid-Atch is harder than I imagined. Forget what I said about you moving here.”
Chase felt a ripple of surprise go through him at Evan’s about-face.
“Just kidding,” his friend joked, his shoulders shaking. “I’m more hopeful than ever after seeing Moira here this morning. I’m going to leave you these croissants and slink out the front door. Moira and I were a little embarrassed to see each other.”
Chase could imagine. “Don’t you dare discuss our personal relationship with her. I mean it, Evan. I don’t need your help on the logistics issue in our relationship.”
Except that wasn’t quite true. He needed help from someone. Something. After she’d gone to sleep last night, he’d stayed awake. How were they going to continue seeing each other? Even if he didn’t live so far away, he worked long hours and traveled internationally. Something was going to have to give. He didn’t know what it was.
“You know my vote,” Evan said. “You move here. Rajan is open to the idea, by the way.”
The look Chase gave him made him shift his weight. “Don’t you dare start talking to our personnel about moving operations out here without my agreement. You’ll cause a panic, Evan. People have established lives in the D.C. Metro area. Kids in school. And we have partners who are used to seeing us show our faces frequently.”
“We don’t have to move everyone,” Evan told him. “I think we can create a way to make this work.”
Chase’s head was starting to hurt. “I don’t want to talk about this right now, Evan. We keep things as they are for the moment. When I feel differently—”
“Chase, I want R&D out here with me,” Evan said. “Maybe not everybody, but the lion’s share. I’ve given it a lot of thought, and I don’t want to keep traveling back and forth like I have in the past, staying in D.C. for weeks at a time for testing and the like. This is my home now. I want to
invent here and have the rest of my team here to support my efforts.”
So he’d been thinking about moving Quid-Atch for personal reasons, ones separate from his desire to bring Chase into the Dare Valley fold.
“Can we discuss this when I don’t have a concussion? Or my…” He was too old to call Moira his girlfriend. “Moira is here.”
“Of course,” Evan said, waving his hand. “I’m sorry for springing it on you like this. I was a little off balance about Gopal. We can discuss it when you’re back to full speed.”
Judging from the way everything was starting to unfurl, from the problems with the bid to his friend’s wild idea about moving R&D, Chase had better get back in the saddle soon. “We’ll figure things out.”
He only hoped Evan would be able to put Quid-Atch’s best interests at the forefront instead of his own. That was leadership.
“Okay,” Evan said, placing the bakery bag on the edge of the bed. “I’ll be going now. Have a great day. Are you sure you don’t need me to buy you—”
“No!” Good God, would his friend give the condom thing a rest? “We’re fine. I’ll see you later, Evan.”
His boss and friend looked down in the mouth as he walked to the doorway. “I’ll let you know if there are any new developments on the bid.”
That statement brought him back. “Can you bring me Rajan’s top three candidates for Gopal’s old position? I want to see what we have to work with.”
Evan looked down. “You’ve seen all the best candidates. We haven’t found anyone new to consider that matches all the personnel qualifications.”
Chase stroked his jaw. They’d been recruiting on this bid for over six months. Gopal had been far and away the best candidate. “If that’s the case, we might have to bid Rajan.”
“No way!” Evan said immediately. “He’s the head of R&D. Irreplaceable. Especially with MAL-77 being finalized.”
Evan wasn’t telling him what he didn’t know. “We may not have a choice. Evan, we need to win this bid. It’s not just the money. If we win this contract with the Defense Department, it’ll put us at the forefront of the government’s new military initiatives. We’ll be positioned for every upcoming bid for the next five years, maybe ten if…when we perform like rock stars and win the extension.”
“Chase, you and I have agreed to keep Rajan exclusive to Quid-Atch operations. He can bill time on this project, but not run it full-time.”
“Gopal might have changed that,” Chase said.
“I can’t get on board with this one,” Evan said, shaking his head. “We need to find another solution.”
Chase wanted to throw something, but the only thing within reach was the croissant bag. There would be something unsatisfying about throwing that. “That’s hard to do with me laid up. You’re asking the impossible here. We haven’t found a better candidate than Gopal. The person doesn’t exist.”
Evan’s eyes turned frosty. “Then I’m prepared to lose the bid. Rajan is vital to our efforts at innovation and invention. If we bid him on this project for the full five years, it’ll hurt Quid-Atch’s efforts for the next twenty. And I’ll be really unhappy. You know I don’t invent when I’m unhappy.”
That was true, but he didn’t like Evan manipulating him that way. “Let’s table this for the moment. Rajan can keep looking for another candidate, but I need to speak with him ASAP. Losing Gopal has a huge impact on our technical approach.”
Evan sighed and crossed the room to hand Chase a phone. “You can call him from this phone. Only him.”
The urge to growl was tough to suppress. “Only him? You expect me to be Quid-Atch’s savior, but you’re treating me like I’m twelve years old.”
“I’m sorry,” Evan said, his scowl pronounced. “You aren’t the only one who wishes it were different. We’re all making compromises, Chase.”
He walked out. Chase wanted to call him back, but he was tired of reassuring Evan. No one ever reassured Chase. He was the one who did that for everyone. And he was tired of it. Right now, part of him wished he could simply disappear and let someone else handle things.
Instead he called Rajan. Their head of R&D was as upset as he was. Chase didn’t have to put the option on the table. Rajan himself said he would be willing to be bid in Gopal’s place if it would help them win.
“Evan doesn’t want that,” Chase told him. “But we’re both realists. I don’t see us finding a better candidate, especially with the clock ticking.”
They both knew how important this position was to their technical approach for the bid. Time couldn’t be wasted recruiting for a Hail Mary.
“What about Evan’s idea to move R&D out to Dare Valley?” Chase asked. His gut told him Evan had probably broached the subject already. If he was wrong, at least he could get his two cents in first to try and stave off disaster. “Who else knows?”
“You’re putting me in a tight spot,” Rajan said. “I told Evan he needed to speak with you about it first. I work well with both of you.”
“I know,” Chase said, “and I’m sorry for this, but I need to know, Rajan. A move like this is big.”
“Yeah,” Rajan said. “I don’t think he’s said anything to anyone but me. But since Evan moved to Dare Valley and…well…”
“Spit it out.”
“He’s been more hands-on,” Rajan said. “Everyone has been wondering what it would mean long-term.”
How could they not wonder? Evan could change their whole world, moving parts of Quid-Atch out west. “I’ll need to handle that kind of rumor in person—the minute I get back to HQ.” Of course, he and Evan would have to come to some kind of understanding first. God, he hated thinking about it. The rare times he was at odds with Evan were always awful.
“That would be best,” Rajan said.
“In the meantime, I should be able to dig into other priority items this week after the doctor clears me to start working some. I need you to outline the three areas that need my immediate attention.”
“Besides your health?” Rajan joked. “You’ll have my report tomorrow.”
Even though it was Sunday, Chase thought. He hadn’t expected anything less. “Rajan, when do you see your wife and kids?”
The man laughed. “I can hear them in the other part of the house, Chase. My wife and kids know how important my job is. I see them when I see them.”
Where was this concern over Rajan’s work-life balance coming from? “I need to go, Rajan. It was good talking to you. I appreciate you keeping things rolling while I’ve been out.”
“Chase, no one can keep things going but you. This unexpected leave of absence proved that. Gopal isn’t the only one who’s been worried. I think Maurie has been filling some of our clients’ ears with concerns. I had a defense official ask a few too many questions about your time off.”
It felt like a rubber band had been snapped into his brain. “That bastard.”
“It’s a smart move on Maurie’s part,” Rajan said. “He likes to go in for the kill.”
“Yes, he does,” Chase said. “Keep your ear to the ground for me. Nip anything that comes up until I’m back.”
“I will,” Rajan said. “I’m going to write up your report now. Get better. Evan says you’re doing acupuncture. It’s an age-old tradition. I do it myself when my ulcers act up. Hate medicine personally.”
“And I love needles,” he joked. “We’re a pair.”
He hadn’t known Rajan suffered from ulcers. He wondered what other work-induced symptoms of stress the rest of their employees were experiencing. Something to handle when he returned.
“Expect the report, Chase.”
“Thanks, Rajan. Talk soon.”
After hanging up, he could feel his energy flag. There was no easy solution to any of the problems facing him. Usually he had a laser focus and cut through obstacles. All he wanted to do now was run off to some island with Moira and never come back. He laughed at himself. Yeah, that would last for a day.
�
��Are you okay?” Moira asked from the doorway, holding two cups of coffee. “You don’t look any happier than Evan did when he left. Want to talk about it?”
He rubbed the tension encircling his neck. “Unfortunately I can’t. It’s Quid-Atch business and falls under—”
“Your top-secret clearance,” she said, coming into the room and handing him his coffee.
He hated saying it after the closeness they’d reached last night. “I would tell you if I could, but there’s no reason for us both to be depressed.” Then he had a thought. “Has Evan talked about moving parts of Quid-Atch out here with Artemis?”
Her green eyes widened. “No. Is he?”
Chase instantly felt better. If Evan had only talked to Rajan, the problem wasn’t as great as he’d feared. “I shouldn’t have said that. Sorry. I’m…”
“Tense?” she asked, setting her coffee on the bedside stand. “Worried? You look like you did the first time I met you—minus the naked part.”
Leave it to Moira to make him smile at a time like this. “Did I look tense and worried then?”
“No,” she said, worrying her lip. “You looked like you spent every second of the day taking names and kicking ass. But now that I know you better, I think that’s how you react when you’re tense and worried.”
He hung his head, not bothering to tell her she’d gotten the phrase mixed up. Was that how he wanted to continue to live his life? At this particular moment, he wasn’t so sure. “Sometimes I don’t know what we’re working for. Like today’s current problem. Someone decided to be unethical and undercut us, ruining all our hard work.”
“That must be exhausting,” she said, rubbing his good shoulder. “Is there anything you can do to change it?”
“Doesn’t look like it. Not right now, anyway.” Maurie had tied him up quite nicely this time. What he wouldn’t give to drag that man behind a horse for a few miles.
“Then can you come back here and be with me?” She sat beside him on the bed. “I’d like to have a good day, just the two of us. Having you all to myself is a luxury. You mentioned smoking the bacon that finished curing. I’m even bowing out of a Hale family dinner.”