Chase (Lakefield Book 4)

by Jennifer Vester

  He set his phone down on one of the chairs before turning around. The look on his face was undefinable. His mouth was set in a firm hard line and he stared at me unblinking. He let out a loud deep growl and kicked off his shoes.

  I bit my lip and backed away a little. He looked angry in a way and I didn’t know what that meant. Was he going to do something? I didn’t know him that well and the possibility that he might not be such a nice guy sprang to my mind.

  Suddenly he was in the water, pants and shirt on. Once in, he started moving toward me.

  I backpedaled as fast as I could. He stripped off his shirt as he came closer. It landed with a splash on the side of the pool. His tanned chest and muscled arms were in full view.

  He still had that look on his face.

  Shit. My heart started pounding. I turned around and tried to grab for the edge when I felt his arm catch me around the waist.

  I let out a squeal and tried to jerk away. I wasn’t sure what he intended but the look he had frightened me in a way.

  He lifted me up and turned me around to face him. His hand hooked under my leg and lifted it around his waist before he pressed me against the side of the tiled pool.

  I felt his hard cock press against me as he held me in place. The fabric of his pants held him in check but I suspected that it if he really wanted, his pants would be gone in a second.

  My arms were hugging my breasts, trying not to make contact with his hard chest in front of me. We both stared at each other for a moment. My breath was coming out in small pants, his nostrils flared.

  His hand squeezed my waist and I could feel him relax. He looked at my mouth then back up at my eyes. There was some unspoken thing behind them that I couldn’t discern.

  “Truth Andi. Did I scare you?”

  I nodded. “A little.”

  “Why?”

  “You looked angry.”

  “Hmm,” he said. “Your face looked scared in the elevator today too. Why? Truth.”

  I looked away and the hand at my waist squeezed me again.

  “I don’t know.”

  “You do know, you just won’t tell me.”

  My mouth clamped shut stubbornly.

  He took a deep breath. “I’m not angry with you. Just frustrated and I’m not entirely sure what to do with you. You’re young and I get the feeling that there’s a reason why you’re not telling me the truth about who you are. Are you frightened because someone hurt you?”

  The answer to that was complicated. Yes, I had been smacked around by two people I trusted to love and care for me for years. Where spilt milk on the couch meant I received a solid hand hitting me on the back of my head and time in a locked closet for an hour. The goon beating me up was just icing on the already ruined cake.

  The other issue was he was older and far more experienced with a lot of things. I didn’t know what to do with how he made me feel.

  The way he felt against my body made me want him. The way he looked at me and kissed me let me know he wanted me too. He said things that made me question exactly what he wanted and how he wanted it though.

  If he knew the truth would he want me as much as he thought he did? He said I had made him chase me. In reality, I didn’t know what that meant. The only other experiences that I had to draw from involving guys, revolved around two long ago relationships that were fairly subdued compared to what he had shown me in a day.

  “Truth Andi,” he growled.

  I blinked at him and tried to formulate what I wanted to say. The hand he had on my leg reached up and grabbed my wrist. His fingers pressing into the underside again.

  “Truth Brock. Yes, someone hurt me a long time ago. I get a little jumpy sometimes.”

  He tensed and a severe frown came over his face.

  “Who?” he barked. “Who the fuck would do that? What did they do?!”

  I shook my head. I wasn’t going to answer that.

  He let out a loud frustrated growl. “Is your name really Andi?”

  “It’s a nickname.”

  “Andrea? Adrianna?”

  “No. Stop guessing. Why do you want to know so badly?”

  “Because I like to know things. I want to know about you, your life. Let’s just say that you intrigue me.”

  “Why do you want to know things? Why do you have to know? Are you that much of a control freak? There are a million women in the world that you could know about. I’m sure you’ve been with plenty that would tell you everything.”

  He frowned. “They aren’t you. And yes, I like control.”

  “Brock,” I said, and started trying to push him back with the hand he wasn’t gripping. “When the mystery is over I’ll just be another woman you figured out. A puzzle that you solved and you’ll move on. There’s nothing to know.”

  “That’s not entirely true Andi. I don’t know what your favorite dessert is. Or your favorite color, although I think it’s red.”

  I rolled my eyes. His face was playful again as he stared back at me. “I love chocolate but I also love caramel. So, any mixture of those together is great. My favorite color is green.”

  Like your eyes, I wanted to say. That would play too much into his ego though and I wasn’t willing to feed it.

  I poked at his bare chest with my finger. “It’s not like you share anything about you.”

  He drifted back in the water with my body still snug against him. His arms wrapped around my waist and back as he slowly moved us through the water toward the stairs.

  The look on his face was guarded. It looked like he had some secrets of his own.

  “Let’s see, I have parents that I adore that live in Boston. I have two brothers that are younger than me. They’ve got an interesting line of work. My favorite color is white at the moment but depending on what you wear tomorrow I may change my mind.”

  I snorted at his statement. Such a flirt.

  He chuckled and kept gently moving us through the water. “I’m a fan of fruit. Any dessert with fruit in it.”

  “Fruitcake?”

  He eyed me. “Not so much, but that was clever. You know I was in the military. I worked in military intelligence for a while, then as a consultant later on for the government. I still do that a little now and again.”

  I tilted my head and asked, “What does that mean?”

  A pensive look slid over his face for a moment. “It means I work on some projects with some people that want to know things. Consulting jobs.”

  An uneasiness settled in my stomach. He was being extremely evasive and it sounded like something I might not like or might not want to know about.

  Changing the subject, I asked, “Is your name really Brock?”

  He looked relieved that I didn’t ask him about his last statement and laughed. “It’s a nickname. I’ll tell you mine if you tell me yours.”

  He got to the edge of the stairs and sat down on them, pulling me up into his lap.

  “No deal.” I smiled at him. “What’s your last name?”

  He laughed again. “Fleming.”

  I scrunched my nose at him. “That’s so normal. And you’re not normal.”

  He squeezed my ribs and I squealed. “Ahh stop!”

  He got a devilish look in his eyes. “You’re ticklish.”

  “Yes! Stop!” I laughed as his fingers dug into my ribs again.

  “No. I like hearing you laugh. Plus, I’m getting a full view of you in my shirt.”

  I looked down and realized he had come up the steps just enough that my top was above the water where we sat. I covered my chest up again with my arms and looked at him.

  He stared down at my arms then his eyes slid up to mine.

  “You know that’s a very expensive shirt.”

  “Yes, Brioni doesn’t make anything that isn’t. I hope you didn’t like your pants. They’re probably ruined too.”

  “Well,” he readjusted me in his lap so that I could feel the hard bulge of his cock against my ass, “I’m not wearing anyt
hing under them. So, I could have taken them off but I didn’t want to frighten you. Apparently, I should have taken them off because I scared you anyway. How do you know anything about Brioni men’s clothing?”

  I blinked up at him and kept my mouth shut.

  He gave me a frustrated look. “Truth. How many men have you been with? Sexually.”

  My eyebrows shot up in surprise. The look he gave me was challenging, like he didn’t expect me to answer it but was daring me to anyway.

  “Wow, that’s quite a question. Men? Or like boyfriends in high school? There were two.”

  “Fuck,” he said and closed his eyes. “I need a shower. This is what I mean when I say I don’t know what to do with you.”

  I pursed my lips. “I don’t understand what you mean. There’s nothing to do with me. In fact, I think I should probably get off your lap.”

  I moved to slide off of him and he grabbed me firmly.

  “I think you need to stay right where you are,” he whispered against my ear.

  I could feel his shaft pulse against me as he said it and the intent in his tone. My heart raced and a shiver went up my body. One of his hands started sliding up my leg and went under the edge of his boxers.

  Swallowing hard, I said, “Brock I think—”

  “You’re not wearing anything under here?” he croaked. His voiced sounded strained.

  “Uhm.”

  He growled. “You’re killing me.”

  Before I could respond, a ringing like a chime sounded. It wasn’t either of our phones.

  “Shit,” he muttered. “That’s the hairdresser. Are you sure you need your hair done because I think we need to just take a shower. Together.”

  The last thing I needed was a shower with Brock. I elbowed him. “No, I need my hair done. Go let them in please.”

  “Your hair is fine.”

  I frowned at him “Brock, if you want me to help you then go get the hairdresser.”

  “Go on a date with me and we can skip the hairdresser and the party. I’ll have someone else take over.”

  He was so pushy about this date thing.

  “No. Hairdresser, please.”

  “Fine,” he muttered and moved me off his lap.

  His pants were soaked as he got out of the pool. I finally got a clear view of the tattoo on his arm. It looked like a phrase or a name but I couldn’t quite understand it. He had a series of tribal tattoos all over his back that formed an intricate pattern in the shape of an eagle. It looked like he was patting the front of his pants but it wouldn’t help. He was already making a large pool on the warm cement.

  He turned around to me and gave me a wicked grin. His hands were at his waist and I noticed that his pants were unbuttoned.

  I narrowed my eyes at him, wondering what he was grinning about.

  He shoved his soaked pants down his legs and stepped out of them in front of me. His head lifted as if he was challenging me to look at him and his muscled arms flexed.

  My cheeks burned as my eyes wandered down his body. He was completely naked. I could see every fine line of his defined muscles. Even his legs had definition. His smooth and tanned chest was like artwork. His abs were solid and tapered into a v-shape at his pelvis.

  My hand flew to cover my eyes and I turned around to hide my growing blush.

  He had an enormous cock and it had been standing at attention when my eyes had moved down to it.

  Full attention. Full. I would never get that image out of my head. It was burned there for eternity no matter what happened from here.

  Brock had been completely aware of what he was doing. No shame, no hesitation. Now I knew why he hadn’t taken is pants off earlier. Had I seen it earlier, I might have considered running. I would have taken a look, a long look, but I would have been out of the pool and over the penthouse patio rail had he gotten in the water with that monster between his legs.

  He laughed deeply. “Back in a minute. I’ll get you a towel.”

  I looked over my shoulder at his retreating ass that thankfully was wrapped in the towel I had brought out earlier.

  “Shit,” I muttered.

  He was a menace.

  Chapter Six

  The hairdresser was fantastic but a little pissed when she heard what I wanted her to do in addition to hearing that I had just come out of the pool. I was ordered to take a shower before she even started. The salon downstairs would have been more appropriate and easier on her but we made it work. She bitched about it, a lot, but we made it work. And apparently the session was completely paid for by Brock.

  While she tugged and used her scissors on my hair I thought about Brock. There was a definite appeal to him and it nothing to do with what he showed me earlier.

  Well, maybe a little.

  Sexually he was very attractive. I couldn’t deny that. If I did, I would be lying to myself and I already lied enough to other people. He was one of the most attractive men I had ever seen. The fact that he turned me on every time he got near me could confirm that.

  But in other ways he was attractive as well. Ignoring the fact that he could seriously damage the life that I had built, he also seemed concerned about me.

  Seemed, being the operative word.

  I still thought he was more curious than anything else. I was a puzzle. He solved puzzles for a living. It might have been data but it was still in the same realm. He said he kept secrets, thousands. I didn’t doubt it but some secrets were too personal. They didn’t need to reach the light of day.

  Concern wasn’t something I had expected though. The flirtation, yes, but the way he had made it sound when he told me he wanted to help drew me in.

  He couldn’t help. Everything in my life that had happened was in the past. If he could have made that go away I would have let him. As much as I hated my parents and as much as I detested the complete lie my family had been, I missed the security of thinking that my life was going somewhere when I was younger. My aspirations of going to college were shot, my little sparks of hope of finding a man I could be with were gone. Forever lost.

  I couldn’t chase any of those dreams of youth anymore.

  I had to keep pushing what I had here and now. The past was done and my focus was on Drew. Giving him a life built on reality and being the person that could show him a parent’s love in a way. I was his sister, but it didn’t matter. I still wanted him to have his dreams.

  The hairdresser tugged one last time at my head and I winced. I was convinced she was taking out her wrath on my scalp.

  “Fifteen minutes then we’ll check it,” she said.

  I nodded and watched her busy herself with cleaning up. At the very least she was professional enough to clean up the mess. After she finished she wandered off to the dining room with a magazine while I sat and let my hair color sink in. It wasn’t dramatic necessarily but I had decided to go with dark red highlights. Compared to the dark brown hair I had been sporting lately, it was going to be quite a change. Conservative but not bland.

  If I was going to help Brock and pretend to be his personal assistant, it needed to look like I could afford to spend the money on it. He had paid for it after all.

  The dramatic part was the haircut. I had been growing my hair out for the last year. It had been nearly down to the bottom of my back. Not anymore. I had it chopped to my shoulder blades now. I hadn’t opted for bangs. I kept the front and side the same length. What I noticed most already was that the weight of my hair felt lighter already. In the end, it would be far easier to take care of.

  The bags that contained my outfit were sitting on the floor by the couch. I could see the dress slung over the arm of the couch.

  I walked over to them and started unpacking. The dress was covered with a plastic bag but I could tell it was short. When I opened the first bag I saw accessories. Two sets of bracelets, earrings, and necklaces. Two sets of nail polish. Red and a soft periwinkle. Odd choice on the last one. It seemed very feminine and not as racy as I might have ch
osen. There was also a small bag of makeup which I definitely needed. All still in the boxes and all designer.

  The next box I opened contained two pairs of shoes. I pulled the first set out. Black heels, cross straps on the foot that led to a bow at the foot and open toed.

  The second set I smirked at. Oh yes.

  I wondered if Olivia had been involved in picking out my clothes. They were black open toed heels that had wide satin lacing that would wrap around my ankles and calves until they tied off just below my knee.

  Racy. Just like I liked them.

  Drew had his car obsession, I had my shoe obsession.

  The price tag on them was probably atrocious. If I wanted to look conservative I would probably have to forego these and wear the other pair, but they certainly tempted me.

  I dug Brock’s loaner phone out of my back pocket and texted Liv.

  Andi: Did Aiden’s assistant call you?

  Olivia: YES! The shoes!! Do you like them?

  I chuckled.

  Andi: Yes but you didn’t have to buy designer. I’m afraid to get them dirty now.

  Oliva: Whatever, send pictures when you get dressed. You know those are going to be killer once you get them on.

  Andi: Will do

  Olivia: Heard a little bit about a party at the hotel. What’s shakin?

  Hmm, what to say?

  Andi: I’m going to a party with some of Brock’s co-workers.

  I waited for her response. And waited.

  Olivia: You realize that you’re probably going to have Brock all over the rest of the night, right? Not to mention, he’ll tap your phone, GPS your location, break into your house, possibly bug you, use satellites to keep track of you and possibly put you in his dungeon for the rest of your life, right?

  Andi: What dungeon?

  Olivia: Where he works. And never comes out of and it doesn’t have windows. He said once that he was thinking about installing poisonous gas to prevent security breaches. Good luck!

  I grimaced. What the fuck?

  I never was quite sure what to think of what Liv said. She was strange and a tad paranoid. What she said sometimes was even stranger.

  Andi: Thanks! But I’m not with Brock. I’m going as a favor. He asked for some help with something. Just going to mingle and call it a night.