Thrill of the Chase (Dangerous Love) (16 page)

C
hase had expected her to know how to work the room. But what surprised him was just how comfortable Erin appeared to be presenting in front of the greatest minds in his company. The only time her confidence seemed to wane, though it was for just a moment or two, was when he walked into the boardroom, already ten minutes into the presentation. She had been in midsentence when he entered the room and had stopped abruptly as their eyes met. She didn’t smile, but her face turned a beautiful shade of pink, and she continued right where she had left off. He, unfortunately, couldn’t suppress his own grin, and he sat down at the head of the long table to enjoy the show…to enjoy Erin.

Board members bombarded her with questions about the drug throughout the presentation. Without hesitation, she answered each and every one of them with a thorough explanation. Even the most skeptical member of the panel seemed to be at a loss for words, as he remained unnaturally quiet at the moment when he would usually infect the lot with doubt and uncertainty about the effectiveness of a new product.

When she concluded her presentation, board members rose to their feet and approached her. Still seated, Chase looked on, watching men and women who usually had no problem ripping apart a proposal that was deemed unworthy, shake her hand and thank her for not wasting their time. She smiled in return. And though she appeared gracious as his pit bulls uttered such kind words, he had a feeling that she had them right where she wanted them. Erin knew when to appear humble and when to tell everyone that she wasn’t a woman you could easily break.

And it was at the moment when the last board member had filtered out of the room when she finally looked at him. He had been staring at her for the past hour, not necessarily at her body, though in her pinstripe suit she looked goddamned sexy, but at the way she carried herself. Entranced, he had watched this woman pick apart a tough crowd with unwavering confidence.

A softness blended with that confidence as their eyes met. He had every intention of taking her in his arms and telling her just how much he had missed her. But she beat him to it, as she rounded the table and ran straight into his arms. His mouth came over hers with such force that he thought he may have hurt her. But as he felt her arms encircle his neck and her fingers fist his hair, pulling him dangerously close, Chase knew that she was right there with him.

He wanted to take her right there, lay her out on the table and plunge into her, making her scream his name over and over again. But that would have to wait, at least until after the benefit. Chase wanted Erin to know that there was more to their relationship than just sex. He wanted her to see what he had seen in her today, what she was capable of. With great difficulty, he broke free of her. He did not enjoy the feeling of that abrupt disconnect. Still a bit breathless from their kiss, he tucked a golden lock of hair behind her ear and said, “Your presentation was flawless, Erin.”

She smiled, which only increased his need to take her on the boardroom table. “I hope this isn’t your typical response to presenters who please you.” She bit at his lip, making his erection stiffen even more, though he had no idea how that was possible.

“No one will ever please me like you do. I need you to believe that,” he said. He hadn’t intended for their conversation to get so intense so quickly, but he wanted her to know just how much he desired her.

She looked up at him, those playful nips to his lip halting in an instant. He watched her swallow and for a second he thought he saw her eyes fill up. Before he could tell for sure, she hugged him, burrowing her head in his neck. And then slightly above a whisper, she said, “I’m yours, Chase. Just don’t hurt me, okay?” Chase stood in silence, realizing that she was finally letting him in, allowing him to see more of her in that moment than in the last few weeks combined. “Just…don’t break my heart.”

Y
ou look absolutely stunning,” Chase said, perusing her body with his eyes.

It was just the reaction Erin was hoping for. The disturbing text she had received the day before from her rapist was overshadowed by Chase’s presence. Although scary, real and always there, her rapist no longer took center stage in her life. Chase had claimed that role—more specifically, her soul—and she smiled at that realization.

It appeared that her shopping trip had paid off. The deep red, almost burgundy, floor-length dress was definitely a risk. She was way out of her comfort zone with that purchase. Usually, she opted for more reserved attire, the kind that allowed her to blend in with the crowd. But when she’d tried this particular dress on, Erin knew it was the one, even without the saleswoman’s coaxing.

“Thank you,” she said.

Chase reached over and entwined his fingers with hers. Erin was about to show him just how much she appreciated his compliment when the limo pulled up in front of the Marx Hotel. “We’re here already?” she asked, not even masking her disappointment that she would have to wait even longer to touch him.

He chuckled as he pulled her closer, until she was practically sitting on his lap. “These last two days haven’t been pleasant for me either. I can’t wait to get you home and show you just how much I missed you.” Erin’s heart fluttered, not from the heat in his voice, but from the realization that he too might be basing their relationship, or whatever it was, on something much deeper than just sex.

“Me too,” she said. Erin wanted him all to herself tonight, a night that had been slated to support a very worthy cause. Erin winced, realizing just how selfish she was being. “I’m sorry. Tonight is extremely important, benefiting cancer research in your mother’s name, and all I can think of is how much I want to be beneath you.”

He took her face in his hands and she instantly wanted to hide. “Look at me, Erin,” he demanded.

Erin stared into beautiful, but very determined, blue eyes. “Don’t ever apologize for wanting to be with me.” He smiled, as he trailed one finger from her face to the curve of her neck. “It will take everything I have to get through the benefit without touching you.”

Chase kissed her softly on the lips and then broke away quickly. For once, Erin was grateful for the separation, as she knew she wouldn’t be able to stop the kiss from leading to something much more. They exited the limo and found themselves mobbed by photographers. Chase held on to her hand, pulling her closer with every click and flash of the cameras. Erin didn’t know what she’d expected, but it certainly wasn’t this. Chase was being treated like a celebrity, and Erin instantly felt uneasy as she realized that she was suddenly in the spotlight. She had flown under the radar for so long that this burst of attention made her anxious.

She needed to relax. Chase, the handsome and extremely wealthy bachelor, was the true object of their attention. She was just arm candy. Chase was gracious, smiling for the cameras and exchanging simple pleasantries. Erin just smiled and said thank you as the paparazzi showered her with compliments on her appearance.

They hustled into the hotel lobby, making a beeline to the elevator. When the doors closed, he turned to her and said, “Sorry about that. I should have prepped you. Don’t worry, I’m not in the papers or tabloids too much.”

“You don’t have to apologize. I was a little surprised, that’s all.” Erin gave him a quick kiss and then grabbed the lapels of his suit jacket. “I just better not be depicted in tomorrow’s news as the flavor of the month, Mr. Montclair,” she said, teasingly.

His hands encased hers. “There is no one else I want but you,” he said, his voice matching the intensity in his eyes.

The last wall surrounding her fragile heart came tumbling down. And though she wanted to wrap her arms around him and tell him that she had fallen for him, Erin knew that it was neither the time nor the place. She would wait until they were back at his penthouse, while they were making love in his bed, to tell him that she was in love with him.

The ding of the elevator sounded, signaling that her emotions would have to take a backseat for the next few hours. Erin pulled him closer and brushed a kiss over his lush, sexy lips. “I’m happy to hear that.” She licked his lower lip, taking in his heady scent and taste. “Because I won’t share you…not ever.”

His heart no longer belonged to him. And if he wanted to be truly honest with himself, he had lost it—had given it, rather—to Erin the first time he saw her. He should have been surprised to learn that his damaged heart could find a way to feel again, but as he looked into her eyes, there was not a doubt in his mind. He was in love with this woman.

Chase tucked her arm around his and escorted her out of the elevator. They were immediately greeted by the foundation’s chair, whom Chase himself had appointed to take care of the plans surrounding the benefit.

“Good evening, Chase,” Steven McConnel said.

“Hello, Steven. Everything in order?” Chase asked, looking around the massive banquet hall. The party seemed to be in full swing as the city’s most elite mingled with one another.

“The turnout is even better than last year. Your father would be incredibly pleased.”

There was only a handful of people that Chase felt comfortable enough around to discuss his father. Steven was one of them, as he had been a close friend of his father’s since Chase was a little boy.

“I’m sure he would be.” Chase smiled and then looked over at Erin. “Steven, I would like to introduce you to Erin Whitley.”

Steven shook Erin’s hand and smiled. “Very pleased to meet you. I hope you will enjoy yourself tonight.”

“I plan on doing just that,” Erin said, flashing a smile that made Chase’s legs want to buckle beneath him.

Grinning, Steven shifted his focus to Chase. “I believe everything has been accounted for, but please let me know if you need anything.” Chase nodded, appreciating the man’s loyalty and his great attention to detail.

Steven excused himself and left Chase and Erin alone, though their solitude would be short-lived. Chase was expected to meet and greet those in attendance and speak about a cause that was inspired by the other woman in his life. “I want to show you something,” he said.

Erin looked positively radiant and when she turned to face him, he swore her eyes sparkled. “What is it?” she asked.

Taking her by the hand, he said, “Come with me.”

He led her to an expansive balcony, just off the main hall. A cool breeze whipped through Erin’s long blond hair, causing his breath to hitch. She was gorgeous. He squeezed her hand tighter, as if reminding himself and anyone else who looked on that she belonged to him. The weather was absolutely perfect, beckoning the guests to enjoy the outdoors and the breathtaking view of the skyline. Although Chase had lost his mother when he was only five, his father had kept her memory alive by sharing stories about the woman everyone loved, about what made her smile. It was during one of his dad’s trips down memory lane when Chase learned of his mother’s love of nature, how she appreciated the simplicities in life.

Chase walked her over to a well-lit corner of the balcony that gave the donors a glimpse of the woman behind the Foundation. “She was beautiful, wasn’t she?”

Erin looked at the painting of a woman who had died way before her time. “You have her eyes,” she whispered. Her hand reached up and touched the face in the painting. Chase was overcome with emotion. He had never missed his mother as much as he did in that moment. He wanted his mother to know the woman who meant everything to him, the woman who he was determined to make his wife.

“I have been told that,” he said, struggling to regain his composure. Erin must have heard his voice waver because she turned from the painting and looked him squarely in the eye.

“I think she would be happy to know that you have done much more than just preserve her memory. The research you support will benefit millions, which would make any mother proud.”

Chase pulled her to him, caring little that the public display of affection would definitely raise eyebrows. “Do you wish to be a mother someday?” he asked, keeping his voice low.

He had expected her to be taken aback by the very straightforward and untimely question. But she surprised him when she said without hesitation, “I would love a large family, one that keeps me on my toes and makes my head spin, but in a great way.” She gave him a quick kiss and as she pulled back, Chase knew he had failed in his attempt to mask the fear that clearly lingered on his face.

Chase knew Erin would be a wonderful mother. She was strong and kind, passionate and incredibly intelligent. She would go to hell and back for her children if that was what was required. But could he say the same about himself?

“Chase, who is your lovely guest this evening?”

Chase was never more grateful to be interrupted in his life. Erin looked at him, clearly confused that her response had invoked such a concerning expression on his face. He forced a smile and looked at his mother’s only sister.

“Aunt Melanie, you look wonderful,” he said, kissing her on the cheek.

“Oh Chase, you have always been a charmer,” she said, blushing.

“Aunt Mel, this is Erin,” he said, pulling her to his side. “Erin, this is my mother’s sister, Melanie.”

Gracious as always, Erin smiled and extended her hand. “It’s very nice to meet you. Would it be rude of me to mention that the resemblance between you and Chase’s mother is…extraordinary?” she said, looking from Aunt Melanie to the painting.

Aunt Melanie smiled. “You couldn’t have paid me a higher compliment, Erin.” She looked at Chase. “She was the picture of beauty, inside and out. And she lives on through this young man right here.”

Chase blushed, something he rarely did, and thanked his aunt Mel for her nice sentiment.

“Erin, I just love the color of your dress, and the cut is exquisite,” Aunt Mel said.

“Thank you, that’s kind of you to say,” Erin said, smiling.

“Well, I’ll let you kids mingle about. I need to get back to John,” she said, gesturing to the banquet hall.

“Let me guess. My uncle is scoping out the items marked for the silent auction?” Chase asked.

“Of course. And would we expect anything less?” she asked. Aunt Mel kissed both Chase and Erin on the cheek before she disappeared into the sea of guests in search of her husband.

“I like her. She’s very sweet,” Erin said. When he didn’t answer, she continued, “Is something wrong?”

The realization that he was in love with this woman had hit him like a ton of bricks. And he was willing to risk everything, including his heart, to hear her say those three words to him in return. But what scared him was that he couldn’t promise her the future she wanted. A future that consisted of children, his children. It wasn’t that he didn’t love envisioning Erin growing with his child, he just didn’t think he deserved that kind of happiness.

He didn’t want to spoil Erin’s evening. She looked so content, so carefree that it would be a crying shame to sour her good mood. “I just wish we could sneak away, if only for a moment.”

Her eyes softened, the concerned look gone. Chase exhaled.

“A moment wouldn’t be nearly enough…for what I would like to do to you,” she whispered in his ear.

Chase let out a groan. “Erin, you have a tendency to not play fair.” It was difficult to keep his voice steady. “And for that, you need to be punished.”

Erin’s eyes grew wide as she bit her lower lip. His comment had startled her, but the look she gave him said that she was intrigued, if not turned on. He chuckled. “Come on. We better start socializing before I am physically unable to move without creating a scene.” His cock was almost fully erect, and that was before Erin’s eyes wandered from his face to the ever-increasing bulge in his pants.

“I promise I’ll take care of you before the night is through,” she said, her voice husky.

Christ!

“Have I told you that I missed you these last couple days?” he asked.

“Yes. And now you are showing me just how much,” she said, her eyes still fixated on his cockstand.

“You need to stop looking at me that way, Erin.”

“But why? I quite enjoy drinking you in, even if we are in public.”

She was going to be the death of him. He led her into the banquet hall and toward the bar. “You are being a very naughty girl right now,” he whispered in her ear.

“I thought that you liked it when I’m naughty?” she asked, her lips pouty and lush.

How the hell could he have gone from sentimental to horny as all hell within seconds? There was only one explanation: Erin.

Chase grabbed her by the hand, bypassing the bar completely and heading straight to the elevator. He pushed the button and watched the elevator doors close in front of him. “Where are we going?” she asked.

“I need to be inside you…if I have any hope of getting through this night.”

“Oh,” she said.

The doors finally opened at the top floor. “I’m sorry, Erin. But I can’t wait.” He practically dragged her down the hall. He retrieved the key card to room 519 from his pocket and inserted it into the slot. The door clicked open, and he pulled her into the room and slammed the door shut behind them.

Chase pinned her against the door, mashing his lips against hers. Her mouth opened, allowing his tongue to slide past her teeth. She sucked on his tongue with rhythmic strokes that he felt all the way to his pulsating cock. He tore off his suit jacket and began to unravel his tie. Erin pushed his hands away and completed the task, then went for the buttons on his shirt. Her petite fingers undid every button within seconds. She took a step back and with just the tug of a zipper from some hidden seam, her gown fell and pooled at her feet. Her bra and barely there panties were the exact same shade as her dress, and he swallowed…hard.

“Take them off, before I rip them off your body,” he said, his voice filled with desire. It was amazing he didn’t come at the sight of her, standing there in her underwear and high heels.