Claimed for Destiny

by Brenda Jackson

  He glanced back over at Jessica and saw she had drifted off to sleep. But still he heard her murmur his name as she shifted in bed and wiggled her bottom to fit into him. His physical reaction to her cradled so snugly against him was immediate. His craving for her absolute. He splayed his palm on her stomach and gently pressed her closer to him, spooning their bodies, and he heard when she murmured his name again.

  Chase frowned slightly. The last thing he needed at this point in his life was another woman getting under his skin. Once burned, it was hard not to wear a shield. He had made the decision long ago never to fall in love again. Doing so would only be asking for pain. For that reason he was troubled by his deep attraction to Jessica. Even before they had shared what they had tonight, he had been entranced by her, which wasn’t a good thing. When it came to women he wasn’t into attachments.

  He glanced at the clock on the nightstand. It was a little past midnight. He would need to wake her before four o’clock to make sure she got dressed to return to her apartment. Some of his employees began arriving around five to handle the early-morning breakfast crowd. The last thing he wanted was for anyone to know his and Jessica’s business. As far as he was concerned, what they’d shared was too precious for prying eyes at the moment. Everyone would discover sooner or later that they were having an affair, but he wished it to be later and not sooner.

  Chase cursed under his breath when he thought about his brothers and cousins. They would try making a mountain out of a molehill but at that moment, Jessica shifted again in bed, bringing her bottom even closer to the fit of his front, and his brothers and cousins were the last thought on his mind.

  Jessica slowly opened her eyes and felt a strong, warm arm slung across her waist. A very naked waist. It suddenly occurred to her that she was completely naked and so was the man lying so close beside her in the softly illuminated bedroom.

  She peeked at the clock on the bedside table. It was three o’clock in the morning. She felt her pulse quicken at the memory of what she and Chase had shared last night, and all because of Chase’s very talented mouth. She closed her eyes as heat flowed through her.

  Then something else rushed through her as well. The stark memory that she had been a virgin. Chase was now the first for her in a lot of ways. The first man to give her a climax and the first man to actually make love to her in the full sense of the word. There had been nothing quick about it and the last thing she felt was cheated.

  Jessica felt her face burn with embarrassment when she also remembered what he’d done after they had made love the first time, and the gentle, attentive care he had given her afterward. She had never imagined any man being that caring and concerned with a woman he’d slept with. Just thinking about what he had done to soothe her aches would endear him to her for life. And when they had made love a second time, he had been so gentle and tender it had almost brought tears to her eyes.

  A sharp pain stabbed at Jessica’s heart when she imagined what Chase’s reaction would be when he discovered she was Carlton Graham’s granddaughter. She knew Mrs. Stewart and Jennifer were right. She should tell him the truth and continue to go about proving her grandfather’s innocence. From just the short time she’d gotten to know Chase, she felt that trust was an important issue to him.

  Suddenly, Jessica’s breath caught in her throat when she felt his arm shift from her waist as his hand moved slowly downward, toward the juncture of her legs.

  “Sore?” he asked, his voice warm and soft, as he brushed his lips across an area beneath her ear.

  Jessica opened her mouth to answer but she let out a soft purr instead when his fingers began caressing her feminine core, making scorching heat swirl inside her. She swallowed deeply and then tried to speak again. “Not too much, thanks to you.” She felt the moistness of his tongue as he licked an area against her neck. She immediately gasped for air.

  “No thanks needed.”

  In one smooth move he had rolled her from her side onto her back and she found herself trapped intimately beneath his hard, solid body. The eyes staring down at her were sexy as sin. And immediately she felt the heat simmering within her ignite, flame out of control. Right now, at this very moment, she wanted him to make love to her again. She needed it. Later she would rake herself over the coals for falling in love with him, but for now…

  She raised her arms to encircle his neck, bringing his mouth down closer to hers. “Make love to me again,” she whispered, meeting the deep intensity in his gaze.

  Although she might be the one making the request, she knew that he wanted her just as much as she wanted him. The proof was there in the thick, hard, turgid erection resting so achingly close between her thighs. But she knew that Chase was the kind of man who wouldn’t make a move until she’d given him permission to give her pleasure.

  And then, slowly, she began to feel him inch his way inside of her. The dark eyes she was gazing up into became even darker. Her body automatically stretched as he went deeper, and flicks of intense heat began consuming her.

  “I love being inside you,” he growled in her ear, and she wrapped her legs securely around him, locking their bodies as his shaft inched deeper still. When he had gone as deep as he could go, he leaned down and when her lips parted on a low, breathless moan, he claimed her mouth, at the same time as the lower part of his body began moving in deep, penetrating thrusts, over and over again.

  And then it happened. Pleasure slammed into her and she was stunned by it. She had reached a climax with him before, but this one almost jerked her body clear off the bed, made her arch desperately against him, and felt as if she was coming apart, fragmenting into a million pieces. Chase lifted his mouth from hers to throw back his head and a deep howl filled the air as he experienced his own pleasure. As if she wasn’t close enough, his hands cupped her bottom to bring her closer so he could go deeper, fusing their bodies as one.

  Then his lips covered hers and he took her mouth with a promise of more fulfillment as exploding waves drowned them once again, sweeping them off to a place where it seemed their souls had somehow melded.

  Before dawn that morning Chase opened the door of his restaurant to walk Jessica home. The air was cool and everything was quiet and still.

  He automatically placed his arms around her shoulders and brought her body close to his as they strolled in the darkness past Mrs. Morrison’s shop. No words were exchanged between them and Chase wondered if Jessica felt the way he did, that what they’d shared was a dream and one uttered word would bring them awake.

  When they reached her door he watched as she unlocked it. She turned back to him and Chase quickly leaned down and pressed a kiss upon her lips. He wondered how one ended what had turned out to be such a very special night. And if she were to invite him in, how would he turn down her invitation when more than anything he wanted to make love to her again—for the rest of the morning and the remainder of the day as well?

  The kiss that he had meant to be short and sweet suddenly took on a life of its own, and he found himself kissing her deeply, with abandoned possession and simmering hunger. He knew he should pull away from her, but decided he couldn’t imagine having his mouth in any other place at the moment.

  Finally, when they heard the loud horn of a semi-truck somewhere in the distance, they moved apart. She met his gaze and he could see the same desire he felt mirrored in her eyes.

  “I’d better go inside,” she whispered softly. “And thanks again for dinner.”

  Chase smiled. “Thank you for everything.”

  Jessica’s stomach clenched. She both loved him and wanted him. A deadly combination. Without thinking what she was doing she leaned up on tiptoes and brought her lips to his. He took the kiss she offered, added his own little sensual twist.

  She slowly pulled back. “Good night, Chase.”

  A broad grin touched both corners of his lips. “And good morning to you, Jessica.” He turned and then walked away.

  Eight

  T
he first thing Chase noticed when he walked into Jessica’s shop at lunchtime was the slew of customers lined up at the counter that had yet to be waited on. And it appeared she was trying to work the lunchtime crowd all by herself. He wondered aloud where Mrs. Stewart was.

  Jessica had glanced up when she heard the sound of his voice. She met his gaze and smiled.

  “She called in. She wasn’t feeling well and was determined to come in anyway, but I talked her into staying home.”

  Chase lifted a brow. “And you’re trying to handle this crowd all by yourself?”

  “Yes.”

  Before she could blink, he had come behind the counter and snagged an apron off the rack. He then put on a pair of food-handler’s gloves. Jessica turned and stared at him. “What are you doing?”

  He smiled at her. “Helping out.”

  “B-but…”

  He turned her back around. “You have a customer, Jessica. Don’t keep Mrs. Prescott waiting. If I’m not mistaken this is her day of beauty and she can’t be late at the salon.”

  The older woman who was standing on the other side of the counter beamed. “That’s right, Chase. And Harry and I will be at your place for Friday’s night’s special. I’m counting on it being fried chicken, collard greens and potato salad.”

  Chase chuckled. “And just for you and Mr. Prescott, I’ll make sure that it is.”

  Mrs. Prescott then turned to Jessica. “And don’t put up a fuss about him helping out, young lady. I’ve known those Westmoreland boys since the day they were born. The last thing you have to worry about is one of them robbing you blind.”

  Jessica couldn’t help but smile. That was the last thing she was concerned about. But how would she be able to do anything with Chase so close? There wasn’t much space behind the counter and she didn’t know how she and Chase would share it. She and Ms. Stewart were two relatively petite women, but Chase… well, Chase was well-built, muscular, had a nice set of abs, not to mention a few other qualities she considered outstanding. She’d been an eyewitness to those qualities just last night, and the memory made heat rush into her face.

  “Hey, you okay?” Chase leaned over and asked her, almost too close for comfort.

  She blinked and tried to control her rapid heartbeat. “Yes, I’m okay.” If you call thinking about last night okay.

  “Why you ask?”

  He chuckled. “Because Mrs. Prescott has been trying to give you her money for the past couple of minutes.”

  “Oh.” Jessica turned to the older woman apologetically. “I’m sorry.”

  The older woman smiled. “That’s okay, I understand. I used to be young once.”

  Jessica swallowed. Had the woman picked up on her attraction to Chase? She was more than ready for the next customer, determined to keep her concentration on her customers and not on Chase. A few moments later she discovered they worked well together. He knew just what her customers wanted and even talked them into buying something extra. For the next hour and a half they had a steady flow of customers, but by two o’clock the store was completely empty.

  Jessica glanced over at Chase as he removed his gloves. “Thanks for the help. You’re good for business,” she said smiling.

  “Umm, I hope I’m good for more than just business,” he said grinning suggestively as he removed his apron and hung it back on the rack.

  Jessica shook her head and chuckled. “Trust me, you are.”

  His grin widened. “That’s good to know.”

  Jessica sighed. She had meant every word of what she’d said. Memories of their time together last night had kept her pretty heated much of the day. One thing the busy lunch hour had done was keep her mind occupied and off him…until he had shown up unexpectedly with his offer to help.

  Chase glanced down at his watch. “I’d better go before everyone wonders where I took off to.” He chuckled then said, “But then I think they’ll know if Luanne Coleman has her way.”

  Jessica raised a brow. “Luanne Coleman?”

  “Yes, the woman who was in here wearing the red dress and straw hat.”

  Jessica nodded, remembering. “Was she the one who held up the line for ten minutes trying to decide whether she wanted a batch of brownies or fudge and didn’t make up her mind until you gave her a sample of each?”

  Chase laughed. “Yes, that’s the one. She and her husband own a flower shop in College Park and she is the town’s biggest gossip. It’s my guess that after she left here she went right over to the restaurant and spread the word that I was helping you out.”

  Jessica stared at Chase. “But why would that interest her?”

  Chase leaned back against the counter. “The last I heard Mrs. Coleman and the other older ladies in her sewing club are betting on the next Westmoreland to get married.”

  “The next Westmoreland to get married?”

  “Yes. Some are putting their money on me and some on my cousins Ian and Durango.” At her confused look Chase chuckled again and decided to explain. “My brothers and cousins and I haven’t ever wanted marriage in our future but within the past three years, all of my brothers have gotten married.”

  “Oh.”

  “Then a few months ago my cousin Jared surprised all of us by getting engaged. He and Dana got married, so quite naturally everyone turned their eyes on me since I’m the last of my brothers. Although I’ve told them many times I’d never marry, they don’t believe me.”

  Jessica nodded. “And why not?”

  “Because my brothers and Jared always said the same thing—that they would never marry. And although I would be the first to admit that they’re all happy, it means nothing to me. The bottom line is that I’ll never marry.”

  Jessica turned away from him, pretending to be absorbed in wiping down the glass case. She didn’t want him to see how his words affected her. She may have fallen deeply in love with him, but that was her problem, not his. She had a feeling he was deliberately emphasizing something he’d said last night. She had heard him loud and clear when he’d said he was into casual relationships. A man into casual relationships didn’t have marriage on his mind. She was smart enough to know that. Maybe it was time she let him know her position as well. “I never intend to get married either,” she said as she wiped off the counter. She didn’t look up but felt his probing eyes on her anyway. “Why not?”

  Jessica decided to look at him since he actually sounded confused. “I told you the story behind my father, Chase. What he did affected my ability to trust. Not that I think all men are the scum of the earth like he was, but I pretty much decided I have more to do with my time than worry about whether the man I’m with is trustworthy.”

  Chase nodded. “Yes, I know what you mean.”

  Jessica met his stare. “Do you?”

  Chase fell silent for a moment then said, “Yes. I do. I got burned in college when the woman I thought loved me dropped me like a hot potato when my injury kept me from playing pro ball.”

  There was a pause and then he added, “I was quite bitter for a while but soon wised up and decided I was better off without Iris. Still, that hasn’t stopped me from being cautious. I’ll never trust another woman with my heart again. Trust is important to me. I can’t stand deceit of any kind.”

  She nodded slowly, not wanting to consider the fact that at that moment she was deceiving him. “Umm, so I guess we understand each other.”

  Chase was quiet. Then he said, “Yes, I guess we do.” He looked back at his watch again. “I’d better go.” He then looked at her and asked. “What are you doing later?”

  “I’m going out.”

  He raised his brow. “Out?”

  “Yes.” She decided she didn’t owe him any further explanation than that. The last thing she wanted him to know was that she intended to pay a visit to Theodore Henry. The man had refused to return her calls. She had heard from Mrs. Stewart that he would be catering a fund-raising dinner in East Point, a suburb of Atlanta, tonight. She intended to show u
p and talk to him whether he wanted to talk to her or not.

  “How about taking a two hour drive with me to Chattanooga on Saturday?”

  “Chattanooga?”

  Chase smiled. “Yes. I’m going there to pick up motorcycle parts as a favor to Thorn. He’s busy building a bike for his next race.”

  Jessica thought about his invitation. She had never been to Chattanooga before and had always heard how beautiful the city was. Although she knew the best thing to do was not get more involved with Chase than she al ready was, the bottom line was she couldn’t help it. She wanted to spend time with him. “I’d love to go to Chattanooga with you Saturday.”

  His smile widened. “Great. I’ll pick you up Saturday morning around eight. Is that a good time for you?”

  “Yes, that’s a perfect time, and I’ll be ready.”

  For a long moment neither of them said anything, but they stared long and hard at each other. And, as she gazed into his dark eyes, Jessica could feel the heat beginning to rise between them. She wondered what Chase was thinking when he tipped his head back and continued to stare at her. Was he remembering last night in his office and then later in his bedroom? She had enough memories stored for the both of them. Even now, with him standing there, she could vividly remember him kneeling between her thighs and the swirl of his tongue as he greedily devoured her.

  She felt her stomach clench and her thighs actually trembled at the memory. As if he’d read her thoughts—was tuned right into what she was thinking—he took a couple of steps toward her when the bell on the door sounded. A man walked in.

  Chase inhaled deeply as he watched as Jessica turned to greet the customer. His entire body felt tight, wound-up, hot. It was as if he’d read her mind and had gotten caught up in her sensuous thoughts, her candid memories of the time they had spent together last night.