ForePlay: A Checkmate Inc. Novel Book 1 (The Checkmate Inc. Series)

by Shelly Alexander

  I might smell pretty ripe by then, but hey, I can’t let Chloe be the one that got away. At least not without fighting for her.

  As I’m getting in my car, my phone dings. It’s Oz. “Hey, have you seen the latest video hitting the internet as we speak?”

  I run fingers through my hair. “No, I haven’t. How bad is this one?”

  Oz laughs. “Dude, this one is the opposite. Your girl did her job well. The interviews she’s been orchestrating are brilliant. We look like heroes. It’s going viral. Even the protesters have given up and gone home.”

  Wait. What the fuck? That wasn’t supposed to be ready for release for several more days. “The interviews weren’t even finished, and no way have they been edited.” Unless that’s where Chloe has disappeared to all morning.

  “Well, she pulled a fucking rabbit out of her hat, because it’s online now. Check your Twitter feed. The public is loving it.” Oz chuckles again. “Swear to God, in the last twenty minutes Dex and I have gotten over a hundred marriage proposals, thousands of date offers, and two dozen indecent invitations that I’d rather not repeat.” He clears his throat. “Which of course we won’t accept. We’ll let Chloe decide how we should handle that, since she’s our go-to girl for all things public relations.”

  A silent beat goes by. My buddies are offering an olive branch to me and my lady.

  “Look, Leo. We started Checkmate as friends and partners. No matter what happens, we’re going to end it the same way. Any one of us can fuck up at any given time because we’re not perfect. But we’ll always stick together because that’s what friends do. We’re still a team and always will be.”

  I swallow down the lump in my throat. “Thanks, Oz. It means a lot to hear you say so. And it’s great that you still want Chloe on our account.”

  It really would be great, if I could fucking find her. I end the call with Oz, but I can’t just sit still in the back of the car while we maneuver through traffic en route to her office. So I text Chloe again.

  Pls answer my text. I’m worried.

  My heart pounds when the dots jump. Her reply pops onto my screen.

  Can you come get me?

  I will go to the ends of the earth for her. So I type as fast as I can.

  Where?

  Her response is almost instantaneous.

  My office. I’ll wait out front.

  Shit. If she wants to be picked up in the middle of the workday, she’s probably been let go. Those assholes. Zach Simmons must be as bad as Adam Richards, because he’s already broken his word.

  My next move forms clear as crystal in my mind. I pull up the Simmons & Richards website on my phone. Bingo. Headshots of the partners are displayed above their bios. I can’t publicly expose Adam Richards as the guy in the video because then I’d have to expose Chloe’s workplace relationship with him too, since she’s the one that can identify the tattoo. I won’t do that to her. But Gerard has seen the tattoo as well. He’ll be able to put a face with it once I show him Adam’s headshot, and I can use that as leverage.

  Once I show my winning hand to Zach Simmons and make it clear that I’ll go public if they screw Chloe over, no one will want to do business with their firm again.

  I send Chloe another text.

  On my way. Hold tight.

  I don’t know if she just needs a ride because I’m handy or if she wants to see me. I swear I’ll hold my breath all the way to Madison Avenue and keel over before we get there if I don’t talk to her. Hear her voice.

  I dial her number, and she picks up right away.

  “Are you okay?” I ask.

  “I am now.” Her voice is breathy, but not like she’s upset. It’s happy and floating on the crisp autumn breeze. A seed of hope springs up in my chest.

  “I’m almost there.” We round the corner, and Chloe is standing outside leaning against her building. Just the sight of her makes my pulse kick into warp speed. She’s wearing a gray wool coat that hits her at the knees, and a stylish scarf around her neck. The wheels haven’t completely stopped rolling when I jump out of the car and she runs into my arms.

  I crush my lips to hers in a desperate kiss. When we’re both breathless, I break it but keep her snug against me. “I’m sorry,” I say, tucking a dark silky lock of hair behind her ear. “This is all my fault, but I’m about to make it right.”

  Her breath washes over me as she stares up into my eyes. “No need. It’s done.”

  I wrinkle my forehead. “How?” Nervous energy threads through me, because I hope she hasn’t taken a bullet that should be mine to take square in the chest.

  She shakes her head and turns her face into my neck. “I told Zach the truth. He’s a good guy, and he deserves to know what a jerk he’s partnering with.”

  My eyes slide shut. She did take that bullet that was meant for me.

  “Tell me about the interview video you released,” I say.

  She places her palm flat against my chest and caresses the soft Italian leather under her fingertips. “When I left your office, Adam told me to turn over everything to him so he could take over. I don’t trust him. He’s such a loose cannon, so out of control right now. I mean, if he’ll do what he did at your studio then who knows what he’s really capable of, right? Since they agreed to give us input, I thought Adam might try to influence the editing process to make you look bad.” Her voice pitches higher at how stressful it must’ve been for her. But she’s obviously a brave girl. “So I contacted the grad students at Columbia, and spent the morning finishing it up. We didn’t have all the footage I planned to get, and the finished product isn’t as polished as I’d wanted, but it was enough to use. We uploaded to the internet right then.”

  Her voice cracks, and I run the back of my fingers across her smooth cheek. “You did that for Checkmate? You got yourself into even more trouble because of my company?”

  She shakes her head, and closes both sides of my open jacket into her fists. “I did it for you. You mean so much to me, Leo, and if I was going to get fired, I wanted it to be for a good cause.” Wetness shimmers in her blue eyes. They glisten against the bright sun. “I had to choose, and you mean more to me than my job.”

  “You foolish girl. I figured out a plan to stop Adam without you having to come forward about your relationship with him.” I press my face into her temple and breathe her in. “You have a job at Checkmate for as long as you want it.”

  She looks up at me, one side of her mouth quirking up. “Who says I need a job?”

  “I thought…” Wait. “What happened when you told Zach about Adam?”

  “Zach finally stopped working long enough to watch the video at the Fifth Avenue studio. He recognized Adam’s tattoo.” She gives me a creeped-out look. “I didn’t ask, because I do not want to know.”

  “Are you saying you didn’t get fired?” I ask.

  She nods, looking very pleased with herself. “Zach told me to make myself scarce the rest of the day while he deals with Adam. Right this very moment Adam is being informed that he will sell his share of the firm to Zach or Zach will expose Adam’s identity on the video.”

  I pull my eyebrows together. “But that will destroy the firm.”

  She nods again. “Exactly. Zach is willing to do that if necessary. He said one way or another he isn’t going to be partners with…” She taps her chin. “I think ‘unethical rat bastard with no integrity’ is the term he used.”

  I knew I liked Zach Simmons.

  “So you still have a job,” I mumble.

  She puts a sassy hand on her hip. “Not only that, but Zach asked me to be a junior partner for being savvy enough to fast-track the interview video. We’ve still got a lot of work to do on your campaign. The negative press may not be completely over, but we’ve got the high ground now.”

  I throw my head back and billow laughter into the autumn breeze. I’ve been trying to save her from Adam, rescue her from the shitty situation we’re in. Only she didn’t need me to rescue her. She
rescued me. Saved my company and tried to sacrifice herself in the process.

  “You’re amazing, Chloe Evers.” The words flow out so easily, and I don’t even try to hold them back.

  I kiss her then, soft and slow and sweet with New York City bustling around us. Pedestrians maneuvering around us make no difference. Honking horns and roaring engines don’t faze us. I finally understand how my parents felt about each other. How completely and totally they loved each other to the point that nothing else mattered as long as they had each other.

  When we finally come up for air, she places a warm palm against my jaw. “Your partners may never forgive you because of me.”

  I anchor my hands at the small of her back and hold her close. “I told them I’d resign as CEO. I want you more than I want to be the head of Checkmate Inc.”

  A sharp breath whistles between her parted lips. “Leo, no.”

  I put a finger to those plump lips. “Doesn’t look like Checkmate will be getting a new CEO anytime soon. Oz and Dex already forgave me because of you and what you did for us with that video.” I nuzzle her ear and her flowing hair tickles my nose. She sighs and settles into my intimate embrace.

  I shift my nuzzling to her neck right here on Madison Avenue in broad daylight. “Come to my apartment with me.”

  She goes still and stares up at me with wide eyes. I get lost for a moment in the blue depths.

  “We’ve never been to your apartment.”

  “I’ve never taken a woman there ever.” I shrug. “I don’t know; I guess I was saving it for the woman.”

  A smile settles onto her mouth, and I have to kiss her again because it’s so tempting.

  “I’m the woman?” She threads her fingers in mine.

  I bring them to my lips to shower them with kisses. “You are. So what do you say?”

  “I say let’s go.”

  I take her hand and hold it as we get into the back seat of my car. I give the driver Chloe’s address again and squeeze her hand. “We need to swing by your place and pick up a few things.”

  “What do we need from my place?” she asks, totally puzzled.

  “We need to pick up our dog.” She gives me that winning smile that melts my heart every time. “And I left four dozen Casa Blanca lilies at your door. I want you to have them before they wilt.” I lift her hand and brush a kiss across the back. “Because once we get inside my apartment, I don’t plan to let you out for a long time. Plus, I had to travel halfway to the moon to find that many lilies on short notice. I don’t want them to go to waste.”

  When we finally get to my place, it takes several vases to hold all the lilies. Chloe wanders my apartment, taking in the modern design and the breathtaking view of Central Park. Everything I have, everything I am is hers if she wants it.

  I show Toby his new turf—the plushest doggie bed I could find and a variety of dog treats and food.

  Chloe puts her hand to her mouth. “When did you get all of this?”

  I shrug, acting a little shy. “A few days ago. I figured we’d either stay together and he’d end up spending time here, or you’d break things off with me and I’d offer to adopt him.”

  She comes to me and throws her arms around my neck. “You beautiful man, you.”

  I have her clothes off her in seconds, while backing her toward my bedroom. By the time we get to the door, she’s in nothing but a royal blue lace bra and matching panties that cover little more than a thong. That I want to peel off of her with my teeth. “Are you ready to christen our bed with me for the first time?” I know without a doubt that from this day forward it will be ours and not just mine. In this moment I’m so happy I never brought other women here. It feels like a new beginning. A new chapter in my life, and Chloe will be included in the rest of the chapters to come until the end of my life.

  She lifts a brow, and a naughty smile plays at her lips. “Are you asking me to stay here with you?”

  I slide my hands down her ribcage, around her slender waist, and into her panties to squeeze her full cheeks with just enough pressure to cause a sharp gasp to escape through her plump lips. Lust flares in her eyes, and they deepen to a hazy purple. The same color of the sky at sunset.

  “I’m asking you to live here with me. Now. Later. Whenever you’re ready. I’m yours, heart and soul, Chloe Evers. You win. Whatever you want, I’ll do.” I drag my mouth down her neck to her shoulder, slide one lacy strap down her arm with gentle fingertips, and place an open-mouthed kiss where the strap was.

  Both sets of her wandering fingers anchor into my hair. “I’ve checkmated the master champion, Leo Foxx?” she laughs, angling her head to the side so I can devour the tender skin where her neck meets her shoulder.

  “That you have.” I unhook her bra and slide it off while devouring her mouth.

  “Then you’re overdressed for our next match,” she whispers in between kisses as I slide her panties off.

  I shuck my clothes while she stands back and watches. She’s not the least bit shy about letting her hungry gaze wander over me from head to toe. Once again, her stare anchors on my ink for a second, the lust in her eyes turning to a five-alarm fire.

  “I’m so glad I’ll get to see that every morning from now on,” she says, still staring at my tattoo. “And every night.”

  When I kick off my boxer briefs, she licks her lips. I’m fully aroused and so goddamn ready to fuck her until she leaves claw marks on my back and shatters the windows with her screams of ecstasy.

  But not this time. This time I’m going to make love to her, murmur sweet words into her ear, while I bring her to the brink with loving strokes.

  I catch her up in my arms and carry her over the threshold like a bride. We tumble into bed, and she’s all over me like we haven’t been together in weeks. I flip her onto her back, thread her fingers into mine, and pin her arms above her head. “This time we do it my way,” I say.

  I ease into her, but not all the way, and tease her with slow shallow strokes. I watch the beauty of her face, exquisite pleasure etched into it as a storm builds inside of her. When she can’t take it anymore, she opens her eyes, captures my mouth with a hot, sultry kiss, and begs me, “Go deep, Leo. Please.”

  I sink into her, deep and hard, and we both moan so loud I’m sure we cause the pigeons to scatter from the roof of my building.

  “I love you, Leo,” she whispers against my ear. “I’m yours.”

  “I love you too, Chloe. We belong to each other, now and forever.” I start moving, driving deep and fast into her, and she matches my strokes. The storm rises in both of us until an orgasm crashes into us at the same time. It’s so powerful, so emotional that it rocks our world.

  But not our foundation. Foundations built on solid ground remain intact, no matter the circumstances. No matter the games life tries to play with us, we will always win as long as we’re together.

  Epilogue

  The Next Week

  I steer my car around a line of traffic, holding Chloe’s hand the way my parents used to do. “Are we doing that thing you mentioned last week? You know the thing you wanted to do since you were a kid, but then we got sidetracked by your awesome shower and never made it?” I tease as Chloe’s cellphone GPS guides us through Brooklyn.

  She shakes her head and smiles. “Nope.”

  “What was that thing, by the way? You never told me.”

  She blushes. “When I was a little girl I wanted to be a ballerina, but we couldn’t afford lessons. I’d had tickets to see the Bolshoi Ballet. It doesn’t tour outside of Russia that often, so the tickets are like gold. After the reporter brought up your parents during the interview and you skipped out of work because you were upset, I wanted to do something to lift your spirits.” Her voice softens. “So I traded the Bolshoi for the jazz tickets. I’d already made the trade while you were out of the office, so that’s why we didn’t go out that night.” She shrugs, and her blush deepens. “Well, that and the shower.” She laughs. “The shower definite
ly had something to do with us staying at my place all evening.”

  My heart pounds against my chest. “I would’ve never let you do that if I’d known.” I bring her fingers to my lips and drop kisses on each finger. “I’m going to take you to Moscow to see the ballet.”

  She laughs.

  “Where are we going?” I ask as Chloe’s cellphone GPS guides us into a middle-class Brooklyn neighborhood. Large trees overhang the narrow residential street, the leaves turning fantastic colors of orange, red, and gold. Kids play in their yards and ride their bicycles up and down the street.

  The sense of yearning and emptiness I get this time every year has vanished, and I grab Chloe’s hand across the console of my car. Toby whines and trembles since this is his first car ride that we know of.

  “When I first gave you the jazz tickets, you asked me to have dinner first, remember?”

  “Yes.” I drag the word out much longer than necessary. “I also remember that you said you couldn’t go.”

  “That’s because my sister called and wanted me to come to my niece’s birthday party tonight. Luckily, she agreed to have the party earlier than she originally planned so we can still make it to the concert.”

  I freeze, and tension ripples through me. “You’re taking me to meet your family?” I’m not good at meeting families. At least I don’t think I am. I’ve avoided doing so with every girl I’ve dated since I became an adult. Probably because I don’t have parents of my own, and it makes me feel inadequate somehow.

  She turns a warm, loving smile on me. “Thank you, Leo Foxx, for reminding me how important family is and how much I would miss them if I didn’t have them anymore.” Her eyes grow a little wet. “I’ve spent too many years feeling sorry for myself because my family doesn’t show me much attention. But you made me realize it’s not because they don’t care about me. It’s because they’re busy splitting their time, attention, and affection up between all of the members of my gigantic family.”