Eden's Pleasure (Pulse Book 1) (27 page)

Mason stood in the drive, just outside the door, obviously hearing the commotion and coming to help. “Chase, man, you can’t let her drive in her condition,” Mason pointed out the obvious. Chase’s narrowed eyes burnt holes straight through Mason’s forehead, and his jaw clenched so tight, it looked painful.

“Wait! Chase, please, I don’t have anywhere else to go. Please let me stay. I’m sorry, please?” She was desperately hanging off of his arm in a pathetic display.

“Go home to Mom’s.”

“I can’t; she threw me out…please, Chase, let me stay? I’ll stay out of your way. You won’t even know I’m here,” she begged with tears coursing down her face. “I’ll do anything you want. I’ll even apologize to her. I’m sorry, I’m sorry!”

“Upstairs now!” he shouted, pointing his direction. She moved swiftly, wiping her face on her sleeve in a not-so-ladylike move.

He slammed the front door, turning to see Eden and Mason staring from a safe distance. He ran his hand through his hair, a dark storm brewing in his eyes. Without another word, he took off up the staircase. Seconds later, a door slammed, echoing through the house, causing Eden to jump.

“I’d leave them alone for a while, sweetheart. I’ll get you a robe, and you can change out of those wet clothes, ok?” Mason rubbed her shoulder hearteningly before heading off down the hall with his mission.

When he came back, he gave her a fluffy white robe. She changed into it in the laundry room just off of the kitchen and then joined him on the sofa in the great room. The doors were open, and a slight breeze blew in.

“You want something, sweetheart?”

Eden shook her head. “No thanks,” she answered, feeling a bit uneasy after the show.

“Don’t let those two get to you. They do this all the time. He hates her, and she hates him. It’s a sibling thing. She can ruffle his feathers with just one word and he…well, he just hates her,” Mason explained with a snicker in his voice.

“That’s sad,” she said, settling herself onto the sofa, her knees pulled up under her robe to better face Mason. “He was so angry.”

“I know. She makes him angry sometimes. Well, most of the time, really. She’s done a lot of fucked up things to Chase.” Mason shrugged his shoulders. “But I try and stay out of it. It can get really ugly. You know brothers and sisters?”

“No, not really but after that…whatever it was, I’m almost happy I don’t have any. What about you? Do you have any?” she asked with interest, placing her arm on the back of the sofa and resting her head on her arm.

Mason raised his hand up, shaking his index finger at her. “Oh no you don’t, sweetheart! I don’t do personal questions. My private life is my own.” Eden grabbed his finger as they fought a mock arm-wrestling match.

“So what do we have here?” Chase asked, his arms crossed over his chest. He stood at the back of the sofa with no smile on his face, his cold eyes giving nothing away. He had changed into dry sweats and a form-fitting white t-shirt with “I’m The Law” written on it in bold black letters, making him appear dangerous and not to be fucked with.

“Chase? Are you ok?” Eden moved from the sofa cautiously, coming to wrap her arms around his waist. His hard features smoothed at her touch.

“I’m sorry, baby. She shouldn’t have said those things to you. She’s going to sleep it off. I’m going to let her stay for a few days,” Chase said, kissing the top of her head, cradling her closer, and scowling at Mason.

Mason raised his brow and tucked in his chin, challenging Chase to go ahead and dare to ask if he was trying it on with Eden. He could read his best friend like a book, but he was insulted that Chase would even consider that he would try anything with her.

“It’s not up to you to say sorry…what did she mean by gold digger?” Eden asked sadly. “Does she think I’m only with you for your money?”

“With that, I’ll say goodbye!” Mason was gone in a flash, out past the patio and across the lawn toward the guardhouse.

“I really think he’s got the hots for you, Miss Fox. Do I need to worry?” Chase asked, squinting at her. Then he realized he was being ridiculous.

“Are you naked under this?” Chase tugged at her robe, trying to gain access as she wiggled in his arms. “No wonder Mason’s got the hots for you, sitting inches from him half naked. You probably gave him a hard-on. I know I’ve got one…you’re naughty, baby!”

She slapped his rear end lightly, taking his hand from her waist, and directed him to the sofa. It was definitely time to change the subject.

“It’s probably none of my business, but what’s Rheanna’s problem? What have I done to make her think I’m a gold-digging whore?”

“That little bitch was just being Rheanna.” He scrubbed at his beard. “I’m not going into great detail because, quite frankly, I don’t need the added frustration but...Rheanna and I were close at one time, until she decided that our father wasn’t paying enough attention to her. She started drinking and partying. She did things, disgusting things, with married clients and family friends to hurt him. He asked me to take care of her, wiped his hands clean. He just couldn’t cope with her anymore. Now I need to wipe my hands clean too.”

“But she’s your sister. She needs help. What about rehab or something?”

He shot her a look of daggers. “Please, let’s just change the subject.”

“I’m sorry,” she said, swallowing hard. She was discovering that Chase was not a force to be reckoned with when he was angry. She made a silent vow not to piss him off in the future, if at all possible. “I’m going to go get dressed and check my email. Is it ok if I borrow your fax machine to send my proposal?” she asked, changing the subject. His shoulders seemed to relax.

“My office is yours.” He kissed her lips with a tenderness that made her weak. “I’m glad you’re here.”

“I’m glad too.”

***

“So? She still out of it?” Mason asked when Chase came out of the guest room that Rheanna occupied. Closing the door quietly behind him, they wandered slowly down the staircase.

“Oh, yeah. She’s going to be out of it for a while,” Chase assured him. He stood at the bottom of the stairs, talking with his hands in his pockets.

“You know she’s never going to get better on her own. She needs help, man. Serious help. I can see Gloria in her, and look how she ended up…six feet under.”

“I know. I see it too.” Chase reached over and slapped his friend on the shoulder in a sympathetic gesture.

“My wife was a ticking fucking time bomb, Chase. It was just a matter of time before she self-destructed. I was just too fucking stupid to see it until it was too late…don’t let that happen to Rheanna. You need to take charge,” he warned. “As much as you hate her and as big a pain in the ass as she can be, she needs to be saved. Use a bit of that control-freak thing you got going on, and fucking do something.”

“I’m on it man…do me a favor and keep an eye on her. Make sure she can’t leave the grounds, ok? And if you see her drinking anything let me know.”

“You got it.”

They strode out the front door together, neither realizing that they had had an audience. Tears spilled down Eden’s face as she stood pushed tightly against the wall under the staircase. She hadn’t meant to eavesdrop but couldn’t help hearing the pair. Her heart sank knowing that Mason had been married, and his wife had lost her life. She felt guilty, looking around to make sure the coast was clear, and headed quickly back to Chase’s office.

***

Eden opened her laptop and powered it up, watching out the window while she waited. A gardener was raking up the few leaves that had escaped from the trees, and the pool was being cleaned by another staff member. She smiled when she thought of her and Chase falling into the water, splashing around like silly kids. For a moment, her thoughts turned to how a person like Rheanna grew up with all this luxury and pampering. She had it all, and she still wasn’t happy. Yet, Eden grew up with nothing and was mostly happy with her meager lifestyle.

She put her mind to business, not wanting to think about the dragon lady. There were so many emails she was shocked. Many turned out to be spam and things that Amanda could handle, but one in particular caught her eye. Her belly felt like a lead weight had dropped in it, and she swallowed back the lump that formed in her throat. She had an eerie feeling something was off.

To: Eden Fox

From: Adam Hawthorn

Eden,

Your latest design proposal for Kozlik Holdings was rejected.

Please contact me a.s.a.p. I have tried to reach you on your phone.

This needs your immediate attention!

Adam Hawthorn

The email was dated four days ago, making Eden wince. She scanned through the remaining emails until she found more from Hawthorn, marked “attention.”

To: Eden Fox

From: Adam Hawthorn

Eden,

I realize that you are out of town on family business, but you agreed to work from there, and so far I have heard nothing from you. I’m worried.

The Kozlik Holdings contract is slipping through our fingers as I write this, and we risk losing a very lucrative contract.

This isn’t like you. Please contact me immediately.

Adam Hawthorn

Her stomach sank with a heavy, sick feeling. How could she have not checked her emails? This was bad, very bad. She quickly sent a reply to Hawthorn explaining that she hadn’t read her emails until today, promising to contact Kozlik Holdings right away and personally smooth things over with them. An email from Hawthorn came quickly on the heels of her sending her reply.

To: Eden Fox

From: Adam Hawthorn

Eden,

I’m afraid that Kozlik Holdings took their business elsewhere when we could not contact you to clarify the design proposal.

I demand an explanation. We will meet on your return, which I would advise to be as soon as possible.

Hawthorn

With the lack of his first name in the signature line, she was sure he was beyond angry. She sucked in a deep breath and closed her eyes. She had never been so negligent. Her job meant everything to her. Her mind was a mess. How could she have let this happen? She had worked so hard to get to her position, and now it all dangled from a thread.

“Knock, knock!” Chase joked as he slowly entered the room. He could see by the look on her face that something was very wrong.

Cautiously stepping closer he asked, “What happened? Is the fax machine busted?”

She covered her face with her hands and leaned into the desk, moaning loudly before whipping back in her seat, looking up at him, miserable with regret.

“I blew it…I mean I really blew it!”

“What did you blow?” he asked, almost afraid of her answer.

“I lost a contract…a really big contract. All because I didn’t check my emails sooner. I could have fixed it all with a few simple changes, I just know it. Hawthorn’s livid and wants me in his office
yesterday
! He demanded that I return immediately.”

Squatting down beside her, he put his hand on her leg to give her support. Touching her was all he knew, all he could offer. “I’m sorry. I don’t know what to say.”

“I have to go to the office. I have no choice.” She closed her laptop and stood as she planned what to tell her boss.

“You can’t go to the office. Give him a call and explain,” he offered.

“I can’t call him, Chase. I have to face him and beg him to keep my job, grovel if I have to.” She was nearly sick with guilt. The fact that she let some raving lunatic ex-boyfriend change her life so drastically was driving her mad.

Everything around her seemed to be unraveling and spiraling out of control. Her control, the control she had mastered, was slipping away. The situation seemed bleak. Eden drew in a breath and looked at Chase. “I’m going to see Mr. H. and save my job.”

“Ok, I understand.” He held out his hands to calm her. “I’ll take you. You get ready, and I’ll meet you out front.” He took off ahead of her.

She changed into black dress pants and a plain white blouse before running out to meet Chase. They got into the back seat of his Bentley Arnage without a word. Mason winked at her in the rearview mirror. She gave him a half smile, her heart heavy with regret and fear. She could feel her heart pounding in her chest and a headache was starting as she chewed at her lower lip.

Chase reached over and pulled her lip free with a smile. “It’s going to be ok.”

“We both know otherwise.” She rubbed her forehead nervously. Chase took her hand in his and squeezed it gently. He knew he couldn’t argue with her.

When they arrived, they made a dash for the door. Like the trained sentry he was, Mason leaned against the car, crossing his arms over his chest, and scanned the street until he was satisfied.

At the elevator, Chase offered to go in with her, but her protest quickly put the kibosh on that idea. He took her face in his hands and kissed her, long and smoldering, but her tension was beyond repair. Her mind was elsewhere, totally focused on getting her ass through this dilemma. She was prepared to throw herself on the ground before her boss’s feet and beg forgiveness if necessary.

She knocked on the door of Hawthorn’s office. His secretary looked at her nervously, giving away the fact that he was not a happy camper today.

“Come!” he roared. She quietly opened the door, looking over to his huge desk, her mind momentarily comparing how much larger it was than Chase’s before noting Hawthorn’s angry glare.

“Eden.” The angry tone of his voice made her name sound like a dirty four-letter word in a dark seedy alley.

“Sir.”

“Sit.”

The single syllable conversation was unnerving; she sunk into the chair before him, clasping her hands together in her lap. They were clammy and shaking, so she increased her grip. Eden licked her dry lips. The lack of saliva made it hard for her to swallow. She wasn’t going to be able to talk her way out of this.

Feeling very much like a schoolchild being sent to the principal’s office, Eden knew the battle was lost before it had even begun. Defeated, her shoulders slumped forward, and she bit back the urge to burst into a sea of tears.