Thrill of the Chase (Dangerous Love) (10 page)

E
rin would never have guessed that Chase Montclair would be one to spoon. And if she was being truly honest with herself, based on their first interaction in his office, she would have pegged him as being one of those fuck-’em-and-leave-’em types. But there he was, his arms holding her tight against him, one leg weaved between hers, his breathing slow and mesmerizing as he slept. She hated to disturb him, as he looked so peaceful, but nature called. Erin slowly squirmed out of his embrace and when she stood from his bed, she looked down to see if she had been successful. He rustled a bit, but then rolled to his other side, still asleep, still painfully beautiful.

Erin smiled and as she crept to the bathroom, she felt a slight ache between her legs, a reminder that Chase was still with her. She was actually a little surprised that she wasn’t really sore, considering his size and the fact that after she had given Chase the green light, he’d rammed into her with determination and such lovely force.

Out of habit, Erin looked at the toilet paper holder before taking a seat. Finding it empty, she peered into the cabinet below the sink, but there was no TP to be found. Across the room stood a full-sized door, which seemed odd, since linen closet doors were usually not as wide. She hadn’t taken notice of the door the last time she was in Chase’s master bathroom. The fact that her mind had been a pile of mush due to her drug-induced state could explain the oversight. She shrugged, walked over to the door and twisted the knob.

Locked.

Before Erin could theorize as to why Chase would lock a door in his bathroom, she was interrupted by a voice that was laced with a definite edge. “Erin, what do you need?” Chase was standing in the doorway, his eyes dark, his hands clenched at his sides.

“Um…toilet paper…was just looking for a refill,” she said, nodding to the empty roll.

His eyes softened and that dark, penetrating glare dissolved. Chase walked over to another cabinet in the expansive bathroom and retrieved a new roll of toilet paper from inside. “Here you go,” he said, handing her the roll.

“Thanks,” Erin said, still unnerved by the darkness she had witnessed. “Sorry I woke you.”

He caressed her cheek with three fingers. “You can wake me up anytime you like.” He smiled and then grew serious. “But I learned that there is nothing I hate more than waking up without you next to me.”

Erin felt her face grow warm in response to his intense statement. They had moved this relationship, or whatever was happening between them, to the next level. It was scary, exhilarating and what Erin could only describe as highly addictive. She liked how he made her feel. She loved the person she was when she was with him. Someone who took risks and wasn’t so goddamn afraid all the time. Someone fearless and growing stronger with each heated gaze he gave her. The soreness between her legs was replaced with need, and she was wet with desire. Erin stood on her toes and planted a kiss on him that could only lead to naughty things. His body responded, his rock-hard cock pressed against her and he groaned. Erin found the strength to break free and said, “I’ll be right out.” Smiling, she backed away from him. “And Mr. Montclair, be ready for me.” She reached down and touched herself, then revealed two glistening fingertips. “Because, as you can see, I am very ready for you.”

He swallowed, his gorgeous face revealing what appeared to be ravenous want. “You will be the end of me, Erin,” he said, his tone serious and incredibly sexy. He left the bathroom, shutting the door behind him.

At least they were on the same page.

E
rin moved little throughout the night, with the exception of the four times Chase was deep inside and completely enveloped by her. Chase’s need to have her was insatiable, as his growing erection now indicated. She was lying on her side, her smooth ass peeking its way out of one of his t-shirts. With her hair mussed and her lips swollen, she was beyond sexy. He had to have her again.

Chase kissed the back of her neck and she began to stir. He cupped her rear, kneading the soft flesh. She moaned softly and reached behind her, finding his hand. Erin brought his hand to her breasts, which made him even more aroused. He stroked her taut nipples, pinching them, inducing that perfect amount of pain, the kind that morphs into pleasure.

Chase rolled her to her knees and bent her over so her face rested on the pillow. “I want you like this, Erin, with your sweet ass exposed to me.” He reached around, sliding a finger into her cunt. He was met with incredible heat, signaling that she was, like every time before, ready for him.

“Oh yes, please, take it,” she whimpered. He grabbed her waist and with one smooth motion, he plunged into her from behind. She gasped and then cried out. “Chase!” she screamed through rapid pants.

“Your body was made for me, Erin.” He could have come at that moment, but fought to hold out. It was a monumental task not to submit as she clamped down on him. Chase watched his slick cock slide in and out of her, each thrust producing a jolting sensation that seemed to travel to every part of his body. “You’re mine…mine,” he grunted, his orgasm mounting.

The lips of her sex clenched and her entire body shook beneath him as she climaxed. “Just yours,” she screamed. Chase came at once, spilling his seed deep inside her, and then collapsed at her side.

He was falling quickly…and breaking every promise he had made to himself.

Fuck.

The morning sunshine was not a welcome sight. Panicked, Erin sat up in Chase’s bed and looked at the alarm clock on his nightstand. “Shit,” she said, a little above a whisper. Erin looked over at Chase, who was sleeping peacefully, and stood up. The sudden movement seemed to emphasize the soreness between her legs. But it was pain brought on by incredible pleasure, and she sighed happily at the thought of their active evening.

Erin contemplated whether she should just let him be, his beautiful body enjoying much-needed sleep. But she remembered what he had said about waking up without her. Erin searched his chest of drawers and found a pair of sweatpants that would definitely be huge and make her look ridiculous, and crawled over to him. She stared at him, appreciating the view. A white sheet covered him from the waist down, but his ripped chest and tight abs were gloriously exposed. His brown hair flopped in every direction and as she bent down to kiss him, his scent—that fantastic mixture of soap, cologne and pure male essence—washed over her. Erin wanted to peel back the covers and jump back in bed with him.

But that was definitely not a possibility. She had less than an hour to get home, shower, dress, and be ready for Paul when he arrived to take her to work. Erin knew that she would have to have “the talk” with Paul; she was delaying the inevitable. She just needed more time to figure out how to explain to her brother where Chase fit into her life.

Erin felt his arms wrap around her, taking her by surprise. He returned her soft kiss and it was apparent that if she was to make it home on time, Erin had better put an end to it. She broke away and whispered, “I need to go and get ready for work.”

His sigh was reminiscent of a pout, and he pulled her to him and kissed her. “Let’s call out,” he said.

Erin pressed her hands to his mouthwatering chest. “I have a presentation this Friday and I need to be prepared. My boss can be a real dick when his employees disappoint him.”

He grabbed her ass and before she knew it, he was on top of her, his expression wild…hungry. “I’ll let you leave, as long as you agree to have dinner with me tonight.”

Erin tapped her finger to her chin. “So, we are going to try once more? Think we’ll be successful this time?”

He smiled. “Maybe it’s best we stay away from limos?”

Erin nodded. “Most definitely.”

“That’s a yes?”

Disheveled and worn from a night of unbelievable sex, he looked incredible at that moment, a far cry from his pristine businessman appearance. How the hell could she turn him down? And why would she want to?

She nodded.

He was closing in, disengaging every defense mechanism she had.

Shit.

P
aul paced her small living room like some sort of caged animal. He was going out of his mind with worry. Where the hell was she?

He was just about to call her for the twentieth time that morning when he heard a key turn in the front-door lock. He held his breath, and when his sister came into view, a barrage of emotions flooded his mind and heart. Relief, anger, love, rage and grief swept over him, and he didn’t know whether to run up and hug her or shake her senseless. But he found himself doing neither, and he just stood there.

“Christ, Paul…you scared me!” Erin gasped and put her hand over her heart.

“That makes two of us.” He ran his hand through his dirty-blond hair. “Do you have any idea how worried I was…what conclusions I reached when I came here this morning to ask if you wanted to go to the gym and found you missing?” Paul sat down on the sofa and rubbed his eyes with his thumb and forefinger. It wasn’t even eight o’clock and he was wiped out, drained from thinking the worst—that his sister had been abducted, raped…killed at the hands of that monster.

“I…I’m sorry,” she stammered.

He looked up, the exhaustion he was experiencing temporarily put on hold, and stared at his sister. She was wearing sweatpants, flip-flops, and a t-shirt he had never seen before. Her face was clean and free of makeup. Her hair was pulled back into a haphazard ponytail, and he noticed that the more he studied her, the more uncomfortable she seemed to be.

And then it hit him. Like a ton of frickin’ bricks. He knew that look.

“Who is he?”

Erin placed the plastic bag she was holding on one of the bar stools. Paul noticed the slender heel of a black shoe peeking out of the bag. “He who?” she asked, her eyes never once meeting his.

“Don’t do this, Erin. We’ve always told each other the truth, even when it was painful to do so.” He stood up and walked over to her. Paul lifted her chin with two fingers, forcing her to look him in the eye. “I think I can stomach the fact that you’re seeing someone, but what I will not tolerate is you putting yourself in a dangerous situation.”

“I can’t stop living my life, Paul. I know that piece of shit is out there somewhere.” Erin’s eyes began to fill up. “I just want to feel normal. When I’m with…” She stopped and hung her head.

“Who is he, Erin?” he asked, gently this time around.

“Chase Montclair.”

“Of Montclair Pharmaceuticals?” he asked with a raised eyebrow.

“Yes,” she said, her voice sounding a bit more confident.

“How long has this been going on?”

“Not long…less than two weeks. Why?” she asked, backing away from him.

“I mean, he walks into your life right around the time that asshole reemerges. It could most certainly be a coincidence, but…”

“But what? What the hell are you saying, Paul? That Chase is the rapist? Are you out of your mind?”

Paul knew that deep-seated pain and frustration prompted her words. “What I’m saying is that we can’t rule anyone out. Neither of us saw his face that night. The coward hid behind that fucking ski mask, his voice barely above a whisper.” Paul went to the fridge and grabbed a bottle of OJ. “I should have torn off his mask and burned the image in my mind for future reference.” He took a long sip of the juice. “No…all I could think of was getting you away from him and to the hospital.”

“We’ve had this conversation before, and I know where this is going. We can kick ourselves hard and often if we like. But what we can never do is go back in time. I should have waited for you after the exam. Instead, I walked home alone, like some stupid teenager who thinks she is invincible…that nothing bad could ever happen to her.”

He put his drink on the counter and hugged her. “We just can’t be too careful. I mean…do you really know this guy, besides the fact that Chase Montclair is a millionaire and the CEO of a major company?”

“I know enough to rule him out as a suspect. Is that what you want to hear?”

He released her and leaned against the sink. “No. What I want to hear is how you know that. How can you be certain?”

Erin walked over to one of the bar stools and sat down. She sighed, as if she was choosing her words carefully. “Well, for one, Chase is a great deal taller than that asshole.”

“And?” Paul pressed, and then sighed. “Look, I know this is awkward, especially coming from your brother.”

“Understatement of the decade,” she whispered, but then continued. “Asshole’s flowers were sent to me at Chase’s penthouse. And unless Chase is taking acting classes in his spare time, there is no way he could fake what I perceived as complete surprise and anger that somebody would send me flowers at his home.”

“So, you didn’t sleep at Tori’s that night?” he asked.

“No.” She blushed. “And I felt like I had no other choice but to tell Chase that the flowers had been sent from an ex-boyfriend who you and I both know doesn’t exist.”

Paul looked at her, fighting back the urge to scold her for lying to him. He took a deep breath and said calmly, “No more lies between us. Okay?”

She nodded. “Sorry.”

He grabbed her hand. “Forgiven.” Paul gave her a quick smile and then let the seriousness of the conversation sober him. “Is there anything else you can think of that would assure us both that Chase is not the asshole?”

She looked up at him and again blushed.

“Just tell me. Forget for once that I’m your brother.”

Erin sighed and then shook her head. “Okay, you asked for it.” She stood up and walked toward the French doors that led to her balcony. With her back to him, she said, “I would give anything to forget what that asshole smelled like, what he felt like, how he made me feel…what he took.” She shook her head. “I’ve been with Chase. He is nothing like that monster.”

Paul winced. She hadn’t shared with him such intimate details about the rapist. He assumed that she saved those for her therapist, which was for the best. It infuriated him that her memories were so vivid and that she could be transported back to that night so easily. He wished he could rid her of her gruesome thoughts. He would gladly take on that burden alone.

“Okay. I believe you. But for my own piece of mind, I think I’ll call in a favor.”

“Ricky?”

“Yep. He owes me one.”

Paul was tired of looking at Erin’s back. He walked over to her and spun her around by the hand. “Don’t worry. Ricky will be discreet. Chase will never know that I’m digging through his past, the night in question in particular.”

She looked up at him. “Okay. But promise me this: The minute you find out that it was not him, you’ll tell Ricky to stop. I want to learn about Chase on my own, not from one of your best friends.”

He paused and then nodded. “Agreed.”

Paul was pleasantly surprised that she was somewhat conceding. He knew he might be pressing his luck, but he had one last request. “Until I rule Chase out, I don’t want you to be alone with him.”

Erin stared at him and just when he thought that she was going to spit venom or rip him a new one, she smirked. “Well, you better get Ricky on the phone. Chase is picking me up at eight o’clock tonight, and I have no intention of canceling my date.”