by Leslie Kelly
There was no doubt his suspicions had been raised by the incident. He'd wondered if somehow Worthington had sneaked into his office to look over pre-bid paperwork. Telling himself he was paranoid, Chase had brushed off the feeling.
Lately, however, there had been a few too many incidents holding up the project. Stolen equipment and supplies, late deliveries, vandalism. It seemed the site was plagued with bad luck...or vindictiveness. The thought that Andrew Worthington was deliberately trying to sabotage his company would not leave Chase's mind. The incident yesterday with the unreleased bid documents left in Ryan's truck just reeked of the Andrew Worthington. The man was trouble, no question about it.
And now that man was out with Claudia.
"I'm really glad you agreed to come with me," Andrew said. "Jen was happy to see you."
Claudia tried to smile slightly in the darkness of the car, but felt the beginnings of a headache throbbing in her temples. She was glad the reception had broken up relatively early, and that Andrew hadn't protested when she told him she really wanted to go home.
"It was great seeing her, too," she replied, forcing herself to smile politely.
The evening hadn't been unpleasant, in fact she had very much enjoyed seeing old friends. Andrew had been solicitous, attentive and friendly. So far he hadn't made any moves on her physically, for which Claudia was grateful. There had been one or two uncomfortable moments when they slow danced when he had pulled her a little too close, but he hadn't protested when she'd immediately stepped back.
All in all, for a woman who hadn't gone on a date with a man other than her husband in about six years, the evening should have been a great success.
It wasn't, of course.
Claudia couldn't blame Andrew. It was all her own fault. The problem, she acknowledged, was that when Andrew took her arm, or danced with her, she found herself wishing he was someone else. The fact that she felt badly about it didn't help.
"I can't believe my baby sister's married," he said as they drove down a quiet street. It was only about eleven o'clock, but there wasn't much traffic. Quite a contrast to Saturday nights in Philadelphia, she recalled.
"She was a beautiful bride," Claudia said. "Her husband seems very kind."
"He does seem to care about her, but he's a bit of a stick-in-the-mud. Kind of like your boss."
Claudia looked sharply at Andrew and asked, "What do you mean?"
Andrew laughed lightly and said, "You know, never smiling, serious, somber, unemotional...."
"You have no idea what you’re talking about."
"Sorry," he muttered, "I wasn't criticizing Paxton. Just stating fact. The man's a rock."
"It constantly amazes me," Claudia said heatedly, "that people who have no understanding of the kind of man Chase really is think they know him so well."
Andrew stopped the car at a stoplight and turned to look at Claudia. His eyes narrowed slightly as he studied her. "I didn't realize you were so intimately acquainted with him."
Claudia heard an unpleasant tone in Andrew's voice which made his comment offensive. "If it weren't for Chase Paxton," she replied evenly, "I might not even be here."
Andrew gave a sly chuckle and said, "What, did he pay you to come out with me to spy on me or something?"
Genuinely confused, Claudia said, "Spy on you for what?"
"For work, of course. We all know his company would be absolutely nothing if he hadn't ridden on the coattails of Monarch Construction."
"That's absurd. Chase Paxton built that company from nothing with his own two hands. A pair of very talented hands at that."
The light turned green, but Andrew didn't seem to notice. His eyes narrowed further, and a distinctly nasty expression settled on his face. "Know a lot about the hammer-jockey's hands, do you?"
Claudia gasped. There was no mistaking the insult this time. Suddenly she found herself remembering why she had never gone out with Andrew in high school. Beneath that huge grin, he had a mean streak.
"Chase Paxton may well have saved my life...and Sarah's."
Andrew laughed bitterly. "Oh, right, noble hero saving the kid from tumbling down the stairs. He probably put her there himself so he could rescue her. Christ, is that all it takes to get you into bed?"
Claudia didn't even think about her response. Her hand grabbed the door handle of its own volition, and she was out of the car, standing in the street about ten seconds later.
"Claudia, get back in the car," Andrew said, a tone of jaded amusement in his voice.
"Drop dead."
Claudia didn't even glance back as she walked across the street toward the all night convenience store on the corner. She wondered for a brief moment if Andrew would chase after her, but a loud peal of tires told her he hadn't bothered.
Chase flipped off his desk light shortly after eleven and thought about raiding the kitchen for a late night snack. He knew there was no way he'd be able to sleep, so there was no sense going to bed. The phone rang as he was walking out of the room. Wondering who would call so late at night, he quickly walked back to his desk and answered. A brief silence ensued, then he heard,
"Chase, it's Claudia."
Chase felt blood start pounding in his head. He could tell immediately something was wrong.
"Where are you?"
"At a Jiffy store on the corner of 10th and Main in Milltown," she replied.
He immediately sensed a long explanation, but heard the fatigue and anxiety in her voice. His questions could wait. For now, Claudia sounded like she needed help.
"I'm on my way."
Claudia replaced the receiver on the pay phone and smiled gratefully at the elderly man behind the counter. He'd been kind enough to lend her a quarter to make the call. She couldn't believe she'd been stupid enough to get out of Andrew's car without even grabbing her purse, which contained her cell phone.
"Is someone coming to get you?" the clerk asked.
She nodded wearily.
"Come on, have a cup of coffee. You look like you need it."
"I meant it when I said I didn't have a nickel on me," she protested weakly.
"I think I can spring for a cup of coffee and a phone call for such a kind-looking young lady."
Smiling again, she gratefully accepted the Styrofoam cup and sipped the hot liquid. The clerk beckoned her toward the back of the store where two small café tables and chairs were set up for customers. Shrugging off her long wool coat, she sat down to enjoy her coffee.
The clerk listened sympathetically to her abbreviated explanation of the evening's events, and refilled her coffee cup twice. "If that man who sped off without you was any kind of gentleman, he would at least have come back to give you your belongings."
A tinkling bell sounded at the door. Claudia didn't even glance up as she replied, "I somehow don't think he's much of a gentleman."
"You got that right."
Claudia heard Chase's voice and quickly looked over to see him walking toward her. She didn't think she'd seen a more welcome sight since that cold October night, nearly a year ago, when he'd found her in the graveyard. He'd made record time getting to her, she hadn't expected him for another ten minutes.
"Chase. My savior again."
He smiled gently, "Just call me Galahad." He offered her his hand, and she slipped hers into it as she rose from the chair. His fingers squeezed hers gently, and the reassurance warmed her entire body.
"Sir, I can't thank you enough," Claudia said to the clerk. "Chase, could I possibly borrow some money to pay this very kind man for the coffee?"
Chase looked at her in surprise.
"I don't have my purse with me. And I don't have a cent," she explained.
"No, no, I wouldn't hear of it. Let's say there are two Galahads this night," the clerk insisted with a wide grin.
"Thank you again," Claudia said warmly.
Chase helped her put her coat on, then led her outside to his car. She slipped into the passenger seat and was thankful he didn
't ask her any questions immediately. They rode in silence for at least five minutes. Finally, knowing she owed him an explanation for the late night call, she spoke. "I really appreciate you coming to get me like this. I would have called Melanie, but, to tell you the truth, she worries about me so much already, I just didn't want her to know what happened."
"What did happen?"
"Let's just say I've suddenly remembered a few things about Andrew Worthington that I'd forgotten," she responded dryly.
"Like what a slimy little jerk he is?"
She chuckled. "Something like that."
"Did he hurt you, Claude?"
Claudia watched Chase's hands tighten on the steering wheel as he waited for her answer, though he didn't even look at her. "No," she insisted. "Andrew just has a big mouth. A big, offensive mouth. Other than that, he's harmless."
"As a python," Chase muttered, but didn't elaborate.
They didn't speak much during the ride home. When Chase asked about Sarah, Claudia mentioned that she'd left her at Melanie's. Arriving at her house, Claudia said, "I have to thank you again. You've been so wonderful to me, you always seem to be there to get me out of trouble."
"You're welcome," he said quietly.
He kept the car running, but turned slightly in the driver's seat to face her. The subdued light from the dashboard cast his face in shadow, making it difficult to see what he was thinking. Impulsively, Claudia leaned forward to kiss his cheek. He moved a little, and instead of his cheek, her lips met his mouth.
There was no time to draw away quickly in embarrassment. As soon as their lips met, Chase wrapped one arm around her waist and pulled her entire body toward him. She moaned and placed her hands on either side of his face, loving the feel of him, the taste of him as he deepened their kiss. She shifted in the seat, trying to get even closer. Chase slid out from behind the steering wheel, and lifted her by the hips to sit her on his lap. There was no mistaking his excitement and Claudia suddenly felt her body get moist and hot in response. Wanting him even closer, she turned on his lap and slid one thigh across his legs to straddle him.
"Claudia..." he whispered against her mouth as she pressed against him intimately.
"Yes, Chase. Yes."
Chase moved his mouth to press light kisses across her cheek.
"I think you're getting yourself into more trouble here."
Claudia realized he wasn't kissing her anymore, and she opened her eyes to look at him. He looked like a man in pain.
"What's wrong?" she whispered.
He shook his head and said, "This. I want this, but not here, not now. Not out of a sense of gratitude because I came to your rescue again."
"Is that what you think?" she retorted, as she slid off his lap. "That I'm trying to pay you back for the ride?"
He didn't answer but steadily held her gaze.
"It so happens that I show my gratitude with thank you notes, or perhaps small gifts. I don't feel the need to have sex in a parked car to thank someone for a damn ride!"
Claudia jerked the car door open and jumped out.
"Wait," he insisted as he got out of the car and followed her. "You've misunderstood. Look, I just don't want you doing something on a moment's impulse that you'll regret tomorrow."
"Oh, and I don't know my own mind? Give me a break," she said as she turned and prepared to walk up the stairs to her front door. "I'm an adult, Chase. If you don't want me, just admit it."
Chase grabbed her arms and swung her around to face him. He leaned in until their breaths mingled. "If I knew for sure you made the conscious decision to go to bed with me, and that you wouldn't regret it, let me tell you, we wouldn't be standing here talking about it. We'd be back in that car, and I'd be so deep inside you you wouldn't know where your body ended and mine began."
Not saying another word, he turned around and stalked to his car. Her heart pounding wildly, all Claudia could do was stand there, open-mouthed, and watched him drive away.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Claudia didn't know how many minutes passed as she stood in front of her house thinking about what Chase had just said. Their kiss had aroused her, but his words had nearly driven her out of her mind.
Finally feeling the chill on her stocking-clad legs, she walked up the steps onto the front porch.
"Oh, no, my keys," she moaned aloud as she remembered she'd left her purse in Andrew Worthington's car. Crossing her fingers, she reached for the door knob anyway. As it spun easily in her hand, she again thanked her lucky stars she was comfortable enough in her home to forget to lock the door occasionally.
Claudia draped her coat on a chair in the living room and went upstairs to change. It was late, and she should have just gotten ready for bed. Somehow, however, with all her nerve endings tingling and an unfulfilled excitement churning inside her, she imagined she would have a tough time falling asleep.
"Of all moments to prove what a nice guy he is," she muttered as she recognized Chase probably thought he was doing her a favor by walking away from her.
It didn't feel like a favor, though.
Restless, Claudia went back downstairs, slipped her shoes and coat on, and went outside. Glancing up toward the star-filled sky, she took a deep breath and blew it out slowly. Her breath hung in a cloud before her face, and she breathed again, deeper, enjoying the bite of the cold air as she drew it into her mouth.
Loathe to go back inside the empty cottage, knowing she’d have trouble sleeping with Sarah out of the house, she made her way down the steps onto the lawn. Claudia drew her long wool coat tighter around her body as she soundlessly made her way across the grass. Not even thinking about it, she proceeded into the woods, and walked the thirty feet or so through them. Able to see clearly from the starlight shining through the nearly bare trees, she didn't pause until she came to the edge of Chase’s lawn.
A few downstairs lights were on. His car sat in the circular driveway in the front of the house. She hesitated. Standing outside in the cold night, she felt the nearly physical pull as his home beckoned warmth and comfort. Even more, she knew, it called to her with excitement and passion. All she had to do was walk across the lawn, knock on his door, wait for him to open it and tell him, with a completely clear head, that she wanted him.
As much as she wanted to walk toward that declaration, she simply couldn’t make her feet move another inch.
"Coward," she muttered under her breath. "What are you waiting for?"
There was no doubt in her mind she was ready to make love with Chase. Her body had been ready for weeks, and her mind had finally caught up. But knowing that, and walking right up to boldly knock on his door to tell him so to his face, were two entirely different things.
Chase couldn’t see Claudia’s driveway from his house. In the summer, he couldn’t see the cottage at all, since it was hidden behind the trees, and in the winter he could just make out the back. That didn’t stop him from looking out the window over his kitchen sink, however, as he wondered what she was doing.
"Paxton, you're an idiot," he told himself angrily. "Only a fool would turn around and walk away from the invitation in those green eyes."
Knowing he'd be unable to sleep, he glanced at the clock and saw it was nearly one a.m. Unable to resist, he walked through the house and out the front door. He glanced across the side lawn toward the woods and Claudia’s house. No lights were visible. He imagined she was already safely tucked into bed for the night, thanking her lucky stars that she hadn't made a colossal mistake. He was just about to turn and go back inside when he caught a flash of something near the trees.
“Claudia,” he breathed, not even fully seeing her in the darkness. He walked toward the woods, seeing a light outline reflected in the moonlight. With each step he took, her silhouette became more clear. She stood watching him, her cream-colored wool coat clearly visible against the dark backdrop of the trees.
Claudia watched him approach her, but she didn’t try to back away or slip into the shado
ws. There was no walking away from this moment, she knew that now. If the lights had gone off one by one in Chase’s house, indicating he’d gone to bed, she would have silently returned home and continued wondering what would happen between them. But, instead, he’d found her.
“A little cold for a night walk, isn’t it?” he asked when he walked to within a few feet.
“Umm-hmm,” was all she could reply.
She remained silent as he came closer. His body radiated warmth. When he was just a few inches away, she swayed toward him, drawn by the heat of him, and his smell, and those dark, shining eyes.
He met her halfway...more than halfway. Before she realized his intention, he’d caught her in his arms, drawing her against his body. She wrapped her arms around his waist and tilted her head back, silently urging him to close that final few inch gap and kiss her.
She didn’t have long to wait. In a moment shorter than a heartbeat his lips were on hers, and she sighed. His kiss was all she remembered, and all she imagined.
He slid the palms of his hands up and down on her back, then around to cup her arms, then finally down to wrap his fingers in hers.
"I know my own mind, Chase," she whispered as he moved his mouth to her jawline.
She saw his smile in the darkness just before he captured her lips in another kiss. She shivered, from the pleasure, from the cold, from the relief of finally giving in to the feelings which had been driving her for so long.
When the kiss ended, he drew her even tighter in his arms. “You’re cold,” he whispered against her hair.
Claudia didn’t say anything as he drew her hands up to his mouth and pressed kisses on her fingers. Closing her eyes, she savored the feel of his lips on her skin, loving how he made her feel adored and cared for. “I’m sure it’s warmer inside,” she said in a low voice.
