by Lora Leigh
The music eased and broke, struck into a hard, violent clash of sound and lights as she turned away from him and rushed from the dance floor.
She could feel him watching her, feel his eyes on her, feel him following her. She felt him, even when he wasn't touching her, and that sensation speared through her, tightened her womb and spilled the silky warmth of arousal between her thighs.
I need you, he had whispered. If only it were need rather than mere want. Need she couldn't have denied him. But want? Wanting was a hidden little fling, nothing of substance, nothing to warm either of them. She would rather do without want. She dreamed of need. Because she needed—
He watched them. He had followed, just to be certain. To see them together. He couldn't be certain unless he saw them together. And he saw them. He watched the dance, the sensuality in their movements, and in Falladay's face he saw something that evidently the woman had missed.
As she walked away from Chase, he saw misery flicker across his face, then determination, then savage possessiveness.
And he nodded, his chest heavy, his heart filled with grief.
Chase followed her. He hadn't meant to be here tonight. He had meant to stay as far away as possible. Nothing good could come of it, he told himself, even as he drove to the club. Hurting Kia further wasn't fair. He was hurting them both, and he couldn't turn back.
She was his. She would have to learn to live with the consequences of that, because tonight he had every intention of claiming her, of holding her through the night and waking with her come morning.
God help them both. Living with him wasn't easy; he'd been assured of that time and time again.
For now, he'd let her run while he followed. She deserved that, to be able to hurt him back, for a time. And fuck if it didn't tear at him, seeing those tears in her eyes, the suspicion, and the lack of trust.
He told her he needed her. He wondered what she would think if she knew he had never told another woman he needed her. That he had never asked another woman to live with him. The few times he had managed to share homes with one, it had been at their insistence, not his.
He intended to insist this time. He would have her in his home, and in his life, and she would just have to learn to deal with him, wouldn't she?
He followed her back to the table, taking the seat beside her that Jaci vacated, despite Kia's look of promised retribution.
He eased into the chair and caught the waiter's attention. He ordered his drink, and sipped at it as she ate the light dinner she had ordered. And tried to ignore him.
Timothy Rutherford was watching him suspiciously, knowingly. Man to man, they both knew what the hell was going on here. The other man would have to learn not to interfere in it, and he would learn that nothing mattered more to Chase than having Kia in his life.
Commitment wasn't something Chase went into lightly. And it still had his guts tied in knots. Hell, he was a fool for her and he knew it. He always had been.
She refused to dance with him again, but she didn't dance with anyone else.
Sebastian tried to cajole her into returning to the dance floor and she refused.
Daniel Conover was there minutes later, only to be turned away.
"Why aren't you dancing?" Chase asked her, watching as she played with her glass of wine.
She shook her head. "I'm tired."
"You enjoyed dancing earlier. Do you think I'm going to get angry because you dance with other men?" he asked her carefully. "I won't be jealous, Kia. But when the night is over, you'll be leaving with me, not with them."
She stared back at him in surprise.
"You were made to dance," he said quietly. "Your body loves the music. I wouldn't take that from you."
"And I won't let you." She lifted her glass and finished the wine quickly before rising to her feet and leaning down to whisper something to her father.
He frowned, glanced at Chase, then nodded and pulled his phone free.
"Excuse me." She nodded to those at the table before turning away.
Chase assumed she'd gone to' the ladies' room until he saw her moving to the exit. He'd pushed back his chair to rise to his feet when Timothy Rutherford's heavy hand landed on his arm.
"Let her go, son," he ordered him, his expression determined. "You've hurt her enough."
"I intend to fix that," he said firmly. "But I can't do it if she runs."
"And you can't force her to stay and listen," Timothy growled. "Don't make her hide again, Falladay. You're the reason she hid the first time. Two years of it, hiding away so you would have what you wanted. So everyone would assume it was her lies, her manipulations, that nearly revealed your secrets. She did that for you. Not for me, not for Drew, and not for herself, and so help me God, if she does it again, I'll make damned sure you pay for it."
Chase sat back slowly. "What the hell are you talking about? I never asked that of her. Not in any way."
Timothy shook his head. "You didn't have to ask her, son. What you asked of her, she did willingly, and she made certain she did it well enough that you had what you wanted. You've taken enough from her. Let her go tonight. Maybe tomorrow, you can convince her it's more than just a man's stupidity that drives you."
He could wait. A few hours. When the Rutherfords left he would as well. And when he did, he knew exactly where he was headed.
Chapter 16
He was waiting on her. He hated to do this. It was going to hurt him, more than it would hurt her, because if it went right, she would be gone forever, and he would be the one who would have to live with his actions.
But living with it was something he was prepared to do. He lived with worse, daily. He lived with his life spiraling out of control. He lived with his own rage daily. And Chase would suffer.
That was his goal. That was all that mattered, that Chase suffer. Falladay had destroyed his life. The son of a bitch. The bastard. He had taken everything, and now he had this beautiful, sparkling young woman.
He was doing her a favor. Because Chase would only destroy her. Why hadn't she just remained the sweet, faithful little wife she had been? If she had done that, she wouldn't have to suffer now. She wouldn't have to pay for Chase's crimes.
Kia watched the lights of the city as she rode home in her father's limo. The twinkling Christmas lights. Christmas was fast approaching. Her shopping had been done for ages. She only bought for her parents and her aunt and uncle. There was no one else. Except the present she had hid in her bedroom. The present she had bought Chase and would likely never give him.
It wasn't much. A new belt. The exquisite leather was soft and supple, and she had noticed he liked comfortable leather belts.
There was nothing fancy on it. No fancy buckle or decorations. But underneath she'd had it engraved. For the memories. Kia .
She hadn't been able to help herself. She was insane where he was concerned, and she knew it.
She had known it when she forced herself to leave the club. If she hadn't, she would have ended up
leaving with him, and she couldn't bear another night as she'd spent the night he had come to her.
It was better like this, she told herself. Better to run while she could, to avoid the temptation as much as possible. But when he had whispered he needed her, she had nearly stumbled, nearly begged him to take her then.
Aching for him was going to kill her. It was tearing through her like a bitter storm and it was taking all her energy to stay away from him.
As the limo pulled up to the curb in front of the apartment building, she stared out the window with a sense of regret. Wishing she were with Chase instead.
Insane, she thought again as the chauffeur opened her door.
Kia stepped out of the limo and waved to her father's chauffeur as he moved around the car toward the driver's side.
She wasn't aware of the shadow that moved around the building. As she turned, pain ripped through her skull and darkness swirled around her.
She felt herself falling, and it was Chase's name she cried out as she felt her purse being torn from her shoulder.
Timothy Rutherford answered his cell phone less than half an hour after his daughter left the club, listened to his chauffeur's frantic report, and his gaze met Chase's, terror streaking through his mind.
"Timothy, what's wrong?" Cecilia, always attuned to him, gripped his arm as he continued to listen.
"Stay with her," he ordered. "We're on our way."
"Kia?" Celia's tone was frightened as Chase rose quickly to his feet.
"She was attacked outside her apartment building. Ambulance is on its way. She's unconscious, bleeding from a head wound."
"My limo is just outside." Ian was on his feet, as were the others.
Chase didn't wait for them. He tore out of the club, racing out the door and rushing past the valet area to where he'd parked his car.
He was streaking out of the parking lot, tires screaming, gears grinding as he glimpsed the Sinclair limo pulling away from the club.
Km. He knew he should have followed her. Something had told him to follow her, to stay as close to her as possible. This wouldn't have happened if he had been there. If he had taken her home himself. No one would have had a chance to touch her, to hurt her.
She wouldn't be lying on a sidewalk, unconscious, bleeding, if he had been there.
He maneuvered through the congested traffic, cursing, horn blowing. It was a damned wonder he didn't have a cop on his ass when he swung into a parking slot in front of her apartment and jumped from the car.
The ambulance was there, lights flashing. Chase saw blood on the sidewalk and glimpsed the paramedics inside the lobby.
He pushed inside, slamming the doors open, rage and violence coursing through him until he heard her voice.
"I said I'm okay," she snapped. "I swear to God, Drew, if you don't get your hands off me, I'm going to break them."
Drew!
Chase snarled as he pushed past the small crowd that had gathered and saw her pushing Drew away. An animal force of sheer raw fury overcame him.
"Get the hell away from her!" He grabbed the other man's arm, swung him back, and stared at Kia.
"Let me go, bastard." Drew jerked his arm back. "You don't have the right be here."
Chase swung back to Drew furiously. "Don't make me kill you." Then he turned to look at Kia and felt the blood drain from his face.
A paramedic knelt in front of her, a small light trained on her eyes as she batted at him. Behind her, another was trying to check the gash in her head. She had blood on her forehead, her cheek.
It stained her blouse. Chase's knees began to cave.
"Don't tell me to get away from her, Falladay!" Drew exclaimed. "You weren't here. You didn't see her lying on that damned sidewalk."
Chase gripped the lapels of Drew's jacket, nearly jerking him off his feet. He felt like ramming his fist into his jaw. "Out of my face, out of her life, or I'll make damned sure you regret it."
He thrust Drew back. ,
"Get away from me," Kia ordered, fear in her voice, as the paramedic probed at her head.
"Ms. Rutherford, you need to let us transport you to the hospital," the female tech kneeling in front of her ordered in a firm voice. "You could have a concussion. That's nothing to play with and that head wound is going to need stitches."
"I'm fine." Her voice trembled as Chase rushed to her.
"Kia. Baby."
Her head turned and a little cry passed her pale lips as she seemed to sway where she had forced the paramedics to allow her to sit instead of lie down.
"Chase." Her eyes looked dilated, dazed. "Make them leave me alone."
He knelt beside her, wondering that he had the strength in his legs to keep from falling at her feet in complete terror.
"It's okay, baby." He touched her face with fingers that shook from his utter terror even as they smeared through her blood. "It's okay. I promise."
"They won't leave me alone." Tears welled in her eyes. "Tell them I'm fine. Please. I don't want to go to the hospital."
He saw the concern on the paramedics' faces. From Kia's dilated eyes and paper-white face, he knew she wasn't going anywhere but the hospital. Her eyes looked like bruises in white flesh.
"Baby, I'll go with you," he promised. "I'll ride with you, right beside you. We'll get you fixed right up, and I'll take care of everything."
"I don't want to go," she whispered. "They don't let you leave."
Her voice was now edged with panic. He didn't understand it, and he didn't give a damn what he had to promise her.
"It's okay. Trust me, Kia. I won't leave you." He nodded to the techs as they moved back for the stretcher. "Let's get you taken of Everything else is going to be okay. I promise."
"You have to make them let me come home." He saw the first tear slide down her cheek as the techs helped her onto the stretcher. "Promise me."
"On my life, Kia. I swear." He followed the paramedics, ignoring Drew as he passed him.
"Come on. Just a quick trip. Okay?"
"You won't leave me?"
He stepped into the back of the ambulance with her as the tech strapped her in.
Her eyes were so large, so filled with fear, he swore he was going to become violent.
"They don't let you go once they get you there." Her voice sounded dazed as she stared at him, those fucking tears dampening her cheeks, sliding through the stain of blood.
"I won't let you go." He leaned forward as the tech moved behind her and called the information in to the hospital. "I'll be right beside you. I promise."
He would keep that promise.
"Your father's right behind us. No one's going to hurt you again, Kia. I swear."
"My purse is gone." Her lips trembled. "It was one of my favorites."
>
"She's dazed," the tech murmured to him. "Chauffeur reported a mugging, said the guy took her purse as he hit her. She's possibly concussed, definitely dazed."
"We'll find your purse," he promised. "I want you to rest, Kia. Do that for me, baby?"
He ignored the tech and leaned closer. He cupped her face and held her cheek against his. She was so cool. Her skin was like ice, and her gaze burned into his.
"I'm scared," she whispered. "My head hurts, Chase. Like it did when I was a child. Mom and Dad would make me stay in the hospital, and I hated it."
"I won't let them," he promised. He would promise her anything, do anything, to take that fear out of her eyes. "Do you hear me, baby? They're going to patch your head up and I'm calling Ian's doctor. We'll take you out of there and take you home. There's a spare bedroom. The doctor can sleep there."
She frowned at him. "I don't have a spare room."
"You do now." He pressed his lips to hers. "Trust me, Kia. Let me take care of you."
She stared up at him. "I'm not a doll."
"Never." He brushed his thumb over her cheek. "Never again. Just this one time, please, baby. I won't let them make you stay."
If he didn't get that fear out of her eyes, he was going to commit murder. She stared back at him, and it eased, slowly. Pain still filled her eyes, though, and the grip of her hand on his was fierce, determined.
"I want a call put in to Dr. Sanjer. Radio the hospital now. Tell him Ian Sinclair requests his immediate presence at the hospital."
Ian Sinclair's name opened doors. The tech made the call as the ambulance maneuvered through the city streets. Chase looked behind the ambulance and saw Ian's limo behind them. Her parents would be there, and they would try to take her from him, take her home.
The hell they would. He had backed off earlier because of Timothy Rutherford; he wouldn't make that mistake again. As the ambulance pulled into the hospital emergency entrance, he took her hand and lifted it to his lips.
"I'll be right behind you," he promised.
