by Nicola Marsh
Things she hadn’t grown up with. By the sounds of it Chase hadn’t grown up with them either but did that mean he craved it like she did or would he run from that whole scene?
Considering his single status and playboy reputation, she had a strong suspicion it was the latter.
He stirred again and she stiffened, holding her breath when his hand casually draped over her stomach and splayed on her hip.
She’d planned on easing out of bed and hiding out in the bathroom to get dressed before he woke but as his grip tightened and his eyelids cranked open, she knew the time for making a graceful escape had passed.
‘Hey, come here, you.’
He tugged her closer, brushing a soft, lingering kiss across her lips, his eyes hazy with sleep and satisfaction.
‘Some night, huh?’
All she could manage was a mumbled, ‘Uh-huh,’ her heart instantly kicking into second gear at the sight of those blue eyes locking onto her.
‘I knew getting the hotel contract would show you how much I’ve enjoyed our time together. Last night was amazing.’
He shifted towards her but she placed a hand against his chest, her mind still processing what he’d just said. Something about the hotel contract…and as she stared at him in dawning horror all he could do was smile with pride, as if he’d bestowed the greatest gift on her. ‘You arranged for me to get that contract?’
To her relief, her voice didn’t quiver while inside she screamed at having her success belittled and ripped apart before she’d had a proper chance to savour it.
His expression sheepish, he shrugged. ‘We’ve had a great time together and nothing I said was getting through so I thought I’d pull a few strings—’
‘I can’t believe you did that.’
Shaking her head, she frantically tugged at the top sheet, sliding out of bed in an ungraceful heap before wrapping it around her.
‘Do you know what it meant to me, knowing I did that on my own? Achieving something? Proving all the sceptics wrong? Do you?’
Her voice had risen and she clamped her lips shut, hating the hint of hysteria.
Frowning, he sat up and thankfully pulled the duvet over his lower half.
‘By your over the top reaction, I’m beginning to see.’
‘Over the top?’
She gritted her teeth against the urge to fling something at him. How could he not understand? He worked hard, he was successful—surely he’d know what this meant to her?
But as he sat there on the edge of the crumpled bed, confusion slowly replaced by anger at her outburst, she realised something she’d known all along.
He couldn’t understand because they were too different. And all the kisses and cosy chats and snuggles in the world wouldn’t change that.
‘I’m leaving.’
‘You’re overreacting,’ he said, reaching for her but she evaded him as she managed an unladylike squat to scoop up her dress and underwear from the floor.
With a poise she’d acquired through years of practice, she stopped at the bedroom door and pinned him with a haughty stare.
‘For you to say that just shows you don’t know me at all.’
Hating it had come to this, she held up an underwear-filled hand, inwardly grimacing with embarrassment.
‘If you value anything that has happened between us, please let me leave.’
‘Lola, this is nuts—’
‘Goodbye, Chase.’
She slammed the bedroom door for extra emphasis, grateful the loud sound masked her first sob.
Chase waited until he heard the front door closing before swinging his legs out of bed and sitting up.
Every stunned cell in his body wanted to go running after Lola, to call her back, to talk sense into her.
She’d overreacted, taken his goodwill gesture as interfering and that really peed him off. How many times had he gone the extra yard as a kid, putting extra effort into his studies and his sports, hoping his folks would understand how much their opinion mattered?
When most of his mates had been hanging around at the local skate ramp having a good time he’d been looking after Cari, playing housekeeper and chef, wishing the people who mattered most would appreciate his gestures.
His parents never had. The only time they’d come close to acknowledging his efforts was when they’d given him their precious armoire when he’d graduated from high school, the first piece of furniture they’d bought when they’d got married.
He’d thought it had meant a lot until they’d belittled it with a, ‘If you have this, you might study something useful rather than play around with figures and chase money.’
He’d kept it anyway, letting it take pride of place in his lounge as a reminder to never make the mistake of trusting his heart. Though after a busy week, as he sat in his lounge sipping a whisky, he’d stare at that blasted armoire and knew that deep down it represented something else entirely—a time when his parents had noticed him, one of the good times, a time he’d give anything to have again.
The only reason why he still visited his folks despite the past was because he cared. Just like he cared about Lola. Doing something for people he cared about only to have his good intentions ripped to shreds hurt like the devil and having the woman he loved react the same way his folks did most times had him leaping off the bed and pacing the bedroom, fists clenched, inhaling huge lungfuls of air to calm the urge to vent.
It must’ve been on his third circuit when he realised what he’d just thought.
The woman he loved…
Hell.
Since when had this moved beyond having fun?
A plethora of flashbacks flitted across his mind: Lola curled up on the couch in his study cradling her cocoa, Lola’s wondrous expression as the hot-air balloon lifted off, Lola warm and lush in his arms as they danced in the atrium’s moonlight, Lola’s sparkling eyes every time they kissed.
Each snippet of memory, every tantalising flashback, coalesced into a giant whole, tightening his chest, squeezing his heart until he rubbed the spot over it.
He’d never fallen in love before. Why now? With a woman who so obviously didn’t understand him it was painful.
At the office, when a deal went south he’d sit down and make a list of pros and cons, then do everything in his power to make the pros work in his favour.
Considering the way Lola had stormed out of here, he had a feeling no amount of list-making would help.
Swiping a hand over his face, he padded towards the bathroom. A shower might clear his head, help clarify what he needed to do.
Right now, that entailed figuring out what the hell he was going to do with this alien feeling invading his cool business brain and making him want to do crazy things.
Like find Lola as soon as possible and grovel.
Lola cringed every time she checked her mobile phone for messages.
It was the end of the week; surely if Chase wanted to get in touch he would’ve done it by now?
Not that she expected him to, not after the way she’d behaved, but a small part of her, the part that loved him, wished he felt one iota of genuine emotion in return, an emotion that might prompt him to ring the crazy woman who’d shattered her own dreams in one neurotic outburst.
Her behaviour had bordered on neurotic and she deliberately wiped the memory of that night every time it surfaced—which was often, thanks to what had come before her little meltdown.
She’d never known making love could be like that. Bodey may have awakened her sexuality six years ago but compared to Chase, he was a beginner.
Her body had sung beneath Chase’s expert hands…and mouth… In shedding her clothes for Chase she’d opened herself up in a way she’d never thought possible again and for those brief few hours when he’d caressed and stroked and cherished, her size hadn’t mattered for the first time.
She loved him, she knew that, otherwise she never would’ve put herself in that situation. But all the whispered words of endea
rment and all the soul-drugging kisses in the world couldn’t totally eradicate the same insecure girl she’d always been.
Then learning he’d been the one behind her biggest business coup after she’d laid her heart open like that… Well, all those old feelings had built to the point where she could see nothing but a guy who thrived on control, a guy who wanted to mould her a certain way to fit into his world, a guy who could never accept her for who she really was: an old-fashioned girl who’d love nothing better than to settle down with the right guy, indulge her passion for food and build a real home with him.
Sadly, she knew Chase couldn’t be that man. She’d always known it but had allowed her yearning for him to blind her, desperate to take what she could get before her prince vanished into the wide blue yonder with another stick-figure-It-girl.
Now she had to face him at Cari’s wedding, a fact that made her palms clammy as she sorted inventory. She’d thought about calling him, trying to smooth things over before the wedding, but her throat seized up every time.
Besides, it wasn’t as if she’d make a scene or anything. It was Cari’s big day and she’d be the epitome of polite when she ran into him. Or with a bit of luck, he’d waltz into the wedding with some knockout blonde a hundred times sexier than her and that would be the end of that.
Don’t undersell yourself.
She stopped dead, the scarves in her hands sliding to the floor as the echo of Chase’s words taunted her, making a mockery of her previous thought.
It wouldn’t be lucky if Chase brought a beautiful date to the wedding. She’d hate it. Just like she hated how things had ended between them.
She could take the easy way out and hide among the mannequins here or she could resurrect some of her chutzpah from the other night and take another chance. Show up at Cari’s wedding. In a killer dress. With a sturdy resolve to make things right.
Decision made, she nodded at a mannequin draped in a crushed cerise velvet cloak that stared balefully back at her and scooped up the fallen scarves. The sooner she finished running inventory the sooner she could make a start on finding that killer dress.
Weddings always made Lola cry and Cari’s was no exception.
She sniffed as Cari strolled along the flower-strewn red carpet towards her groom standing under a towering eucalypt.
She dabbed her eyes as the happy couple exchanged vows.
And she scrabbled madly in her bag for another tissue or ten when they kissed and Hugh swung his bride around in a bear hug until she squealed.
Being utterly absorbed in watching Cari and Hugh might have turned on the waterworks but it served another purpose: to avoid locking gazes with Chase at all costs.
They’d managed to exchange stiff pleasantries when she’d first arrived but thankfully she’d been swallowed into the festivities at the insistence of the four Bs, resplendent in flowing silk gowns of varying pastel shades, flitting around like ethereal butterflies.
Yet she knew the time for avoidance was over as the couple made their way to the atrium for pre-dinner drinks, most of the guests following.
All but one.
As Chase strode towards her, incredibly sexy in his designer tux, she had the urge to bolt, to run like she’d always done from confrontation. She’d never stood up for herself as a kid, had been ordered around by a mother expecting perfection and a sister who liked being bossy for the heck of it.
She’d slunk in their shadows, resentful yet powerless to do anything about it. Until she’d finally grown a spine and moved to Melbourne and come into her own. She was proud of the person she’d become, the type of person who could attract the interest of a guy like Chase. But after the way she’d behaved, could she keep it?
Her heart stalled as he stopped in front of her, a flicker of uncertainty in his eyes quickly masked by his usual savoir faire.
‘It’s great to see you,’ he said, brushing a kiss across her cheek as if it was the most natural thing in the world.
Resisting the urge to cup her cheek and hold onto that kiss for ever, she managed a smile. ‘The wedding was gorgeous.’
‘Cari’s happy, that’s the main thing.’
The warmth in his eyes faded as he glanced to an older couple hovering uncertainly by the gazebo.
‘No thanks to them.’
The couple, dressed surprisingly casually in matching khaki slacks and button-down white shirts, held hands tightly, as if afraid to let each other go and get swept away in the party atmosphere. They looked out of place, uncomfortable, as if a beautiful dusk wedding in the Mount Macedon ranges was the last place they’d want to be.
‘Your folks?’
‘Uh-huh.’
So much bitterness in those two tiny syllables and before she could think she reached out and clasped his hand and squeezed.
‘Hey, at least they made it.’
A hundred different emotions flashed across his face before he tore his gaze from them and focused on her, his uncertainty surprising her as much as the vulnerability.
‘Yeah. It meant a lot to Cari, having them here, I could tell.’
She squeezed his hand, trying to convey understanding and sympathy. ‘You did good, getting them here.’
The tightness around his mouth eased. ‘I did it for Cari.’
‘I think they came for you too.’
Confusion creased his brow as she released his hand and tried a subtle thumb jerk in the direction of his parents. ‘Incoming.’
‘What—’
Putting on her best Go Retro face, Lola held out her hand. ‘Hi, I’m Lola, a friend of Chase and Cari’s.’
Chase’s mum shook her hand in a surprisingly firm grip. ‘Belinda Etheridge. And this is my husband Bert.’
His dad nodded. ‘Pleased to meet you.’
An awkward silence reigned for a split second before Chase said, ‘Glad you came.’
‘We wouldn’t have missed it.’ To her surprise, and Chase’s too by the way his eyebrows shot up, Belinda squeezed his arm. ‘Some things are just more important than academia.’
‘Pity it’s taken us thirty years to realise it,’ Bert mumbled and by the stunned expression on Chase’s face, his shock was complete.
Lola wished she could extricate herself gracefully from this long overdue family heart to heart but the moment she sidled away an inch, Chase’s hand shot out and grabbed hers.
‘Drinks are being served in the atrium.’ He cleared his throat, his vulnerability making her heart ache. ‘Maybe if you have time later, we can catch up?’
‘We’d love that.’ Belinda quickly kissed his cheek, as if expecting a rebuff and Bert clapped him on the back. ‘You’ve got a fine place here, son. You’ve done well for yourself.’ Almost as an afterthought, he added, ‘We’re proud of you.’
Since Lola had met Chase he’d never been speechless. Today was a first as they watched his parents meander their way towards the house.
‘Pinch me.’
Lola smiled. ‘You’re not dreaming.’
Releasing her hand, he rubbed the back of his neck, his wistful gaze focused on his parents’ retreating backs. ‘I can’t believe that just happened. I mean, it’s good enough having them here for Cari but all that stuff they said…’ He cleared his throat again and she yearned to hug him. ‘I’ve been waiting a lifetime to hear it.’
‘I’m so happy for you.’
‘Catching up later will be interesting to say the least.’ He shook his head, as if trying to clear his daze. ‘There’s so much we need to catch up on…’
‘It’s great you never gave up on them.’
‘You’ve probably done the same.’
His assessing stare made her squirm, as she realised he was right. Despite her upbringing, she still loved her folks and Shareen, still wanted their approval. Though lately, that hadn’t mattered so much… It struck her then how since she’d met Chase and he’d lavished attention on her, she hadn’t felt the need for approval.
She was more confident i
n herself, more sure of her assets than she’d ever been. Having the approval of people who’d criticised her growing up wasn’t so important now she was successful in her own right, and having confidence in her body grew exponentially with the adulation of the right man.
Chase was that man.
‘Yeah, I guess you’re right. I don’t give up on people.’
‘That’s one of the things I admire about you—your faith in people. Your ability to see the best in them, to bring out the best in others.’
He tightened his grip on her hand. ‘Thanks to you, I’m seeing people in a new light too.’
Not sure where he was heading with this, she gave him an encouraging smile.
‘What I’m trying to say is, I used to be caught up in the entertainment industry twenty-four-seven. I worked it, I partied with it. I went from one shallow date to the next, not really caring about anyone bar Cari.’
His thumb brushed the back of her hand and her resolve to see him at the wedding and say a proper goodbye shook to its foundations.
‘Then I met you. You’re warm, vibrant, genuinely beautiful inside and out, and you made me want to share in that warmth too.’
He waved his free hand around the property. ‘I rarely came out here but having you here made me see that a home isn’t about sleek lines and modern furniture, it’s about creating a place filled with cooking and laughter and moonlit dances.’
A huge lump welled in her throat. She couldn’t have answered him if she’d wanted to.
‘Thanks to you, I’m going to head out here more often. I’m going to take time out to chill rather than running on a city treadmill all day every day.’
Reaching out to pluck a rose, he waved it beneath her nose until she laughed. ‘I’m going to take time out to smell these.’
Uncharacteristically bashful, he handed her the rose. ‘I’m really glad you showed up today. I thought you should know all that stuff.’
‘I wouldn’t miss it. Cari invited me, I had to come.’
‘For Cari.’