by J. J. Scotts
“It’s my pleasure!” I could see a faint flush on his cheekbones from my compliment, and his grin was wide. “I’m sure I’ll see you around, Liam.”
I waved and watched him go. He was amazingly talented, especially for a kid his age. He also had a great presence – friendly and open.
I was in awe at the huge differences between him and his older brother. I felt like I had learned more about Chase just from talking to Josh than I had from the entire morning meeting and from reading through all that study material.
I mean, sure, I knew his writing process. He often wrote longhand until he had the thread of the story, and then he’d transcribe everything he’d written onto his laptop and continued from there. In addition, he did most of his research with a mix of Googling and pure fabrication, but he had a few experts he called on some of the more technical topics. Still, I couldn’t imagine that sideways-smiling mouth ever volunteering the information that he couldn’t stand green peppers. It was so simple, yet made him seem more…human, I guess.
Both Josh and Chase had been raised by the same parents, it seemed. Both were homeschooled, and had been encouraged in the creative pursuits they were passionate about. So why the disparity in character?
I’d probably never know, but if Chase wrote as well as Josh cooked, it was no wonder his books were popular. I felt pity that the fans would only be getting me, instead of the real Chase Preston, but the feeling didn’t last very long.
Given his personality, they were better off.
Chapter 7
I finished the last bite of saffron rice with a small hum of pleasure and contemplated going for seconds, but then I remembered Josh had said there was ‘panna’-something in the fridge for dessert, and decided against it. Whatever was for dessert was probably just as delicious as the main meal.
I carried my plate and silverware to the stainless steel sink and began to clean them. It felt weird to leave dirty dishes in such a clean and nice-looking kitchen. The warm water felt good washing over my hands. With a pleasantly full stomach, I found myself yawning. It had been a long, strange day. Maybe I can save the dessert for tomorrow, I thought to myself.
“Exhausted being me already?” That distinct dark voice sounded behind me, making me jump. The fork I was holding slipped from my hand, clattering loudly into the sink.
I turned my head to see Chase. He was leaning on the kitchen island, his full body visible. He was only a few feet away.
How long had he been standing there?
Either he had ninja training, or I was more tired than I’d thought. Even over the sound of the water, I should’ve been able to hear him coming.
It took me only a second to take in what he was wearing. Apparently he hadn’t been in his room writing after all. He must’ve been out.
The suit was perfectly tailored to his lean, muscled frame. Black slacks clung to his sleek thighs and calves, draped like the work of a master sculptor. A collared white shirt accentuated the breadth of his shoulders and the narrow waist beneath the tight black vest. An ebony jacket hung over his arm. What stood out the most was hanging around his neck: a black half-mask.
Rich people did weird fucking stuff.
I stared at the mask briefly. It was the kind of thing you’d wear to a masquerade ball, asymmetrical.
Was that to cover his scar?
The left side would cover the entire half of his face, while the right would only mask his eye and part of his forehead – a bit like that mask from the Phantom of the Opera. I shivered at the thought, dropping my gaze. Unfortunately, it caught on the glint of his silver belt buckle and the area below.
“Uh…no…” I yanked my eyes upward, swallowing hard, worried he’d caught me staring at his crotch. It wasn’t my fault his stupid belt was so shiny. Blood crept into my cheeks, and my mouth went dry. When I met Chase’s blue eyes, the look in them was unreadable.
Was the question supposed to antagonize me? I was better than that. I wasn’t going to let him get to me.
I took a deep breath, trying to steady my pounding heart. But all it did was fill my nose with the scent of smoke and whisky, and the dark wood smell I recognized from earlier. The scent of Chase’s skin.
When he didn’t say anything in response to my weak reply, I turned my head back to the sink to finish rinsing my silverware, and put it in the dishwasher to dry. I tried to ignore the trembling in my fingers, and hoped Chase didn’t notice in the dim light.
Maybe if I just avoided him – avoided any sort of confrontation – I could go back to my room in peace.
Chase chuckled and walked over to me. He leaned his back against the cabinets next to the sink. He was standing way too close.
Within arm’s reach was way too fucking close.
He tilted his head and looked at me. “Nothing to say, Liam?”
I paused, feeling the puff of his breath on my neck. The scent of whisky grew stronger. My whole body flushed with his nearness, and his warmth, and the dark ripple of his laugh.
He leaned his head close to me and whispered, “No questions?”
I flinched at the feeling of the words slipping into my ear, but forced myself to control my reaction. He definitely wasn’t going to get the best of me or make me uncomfortable.
I could totally handle myself.
“Fun night out?” I managed to reply without sounding too strained, which was a minor miracle. My heart seemed to be doing its best to climb into my throat and block my airway.
He stepped closer behind me, his chest brushing my back. When he laughed again, I could swear I almost felt his lips at my ear. “That’s it?” His voice sent tingles down my spine.
Something brushed my hip, sending my heart leaping. I didn’t know if it was his hand or...something else. I looked down at my hands.
Shit. I was done with the dishes. How was I going to get out of this awkward situation? Maybe if I did it really fast, I could excuse myself and get the hell back to my room.
I spun around, cheeks burning, and tried to sidestep Chase. His right hand rose in a flash of movement, clamping tightly around my left upper arm so that I was stuck facing him.
I was more muscular than him, but his big hand – long-fingered, I realized for the first time – wrapped nearly all the way around my bicep, stilling me. My breath caught in my chest, snagging on my ribcage as another waft of alcohol fumes bathed my face.
Was Chase a violent drunk? I wasn’t even sure he was actually drunk. Sure, he smelled of liquor, but his words hadn’t been slurred. Cryptic and taunting, but not slurred.
I had no doubt I could pull away from him. He was only a writer, albeit a fit one. I’d spent the last several years doing manual labor. He was no match for my strength. But if I pulled away, or pushed him aside, there was a good chance it’d escalate the situation. I could probably knock him out with one well-placed punch, but he was the employer. I’d be fucked. Landon and Eli might be the ones giving out all the information and rules, but they were only nominally in charge.
Chase paid their checks, right? At least, I thought he did. It was best to try and get out of this situation without starting a fight.
“Maybe you need some sleep, Chase.” I hoped the statement sounded as neutral as possible, maybe even helpful-sounding.
Instead of stepping back, Chase leaned even closer, his left hand rested on the edge of the sink, caging me in. At least he was too close to throw a proper punch if that’s what he was going to go for.
I looked nervously into his eyes. They glinted dangerously, hot in the low light as he stared down at my face. One corner of his mouth was quirked slightly upward, his red lips wet and glistening – only an inch or so from mine. He turned me to stone with that look. I didn’t want to admit it, but I was getting turned on.
His whisky breath tickled my mouth when he spoke. “Go on, Liam. Ask me about the mask.”
I clamped my jaws together, refusing to give in to his taunting. I had no idea what his goal was in confronting me l
ike this. Establishing his role as the more alpha male or some shit? He was the boss. I knew that already. So what the hell?
And then Chase shifted even closer – which, apparently, was possible. One hard, muscled thigh slipped between my legs. My eyes widened and my mouth fell open in shock as I felt his knee graze against my inner thigh through the thin cotton of my pants, and then lift slightly higher to press against the soft mass of my sack and my semi-erect shaft.
I sucked in a sharp breath of air through my teeth, bringing my hands up to shove at Chase’s chest. I might as well have been pushing stone, as little good as it did. He swayed only the smallest bit, but used the momentum to rock back into me, pressing the full length of his body against mine.
“Ch-Chase.” His name came out slightly strangled on a groan as he rocked his hips, rubbing himself against me. I pushed again, putting more force into it, but he still didn’t budge.
“Struggling, hmm?” his voice rasped. His right hand slid off my bicep and pressed into the counter beside me, pinning me between his arms. His nose brushed mine, our ragged breaths mingling.
Why was I letting myself get so turned on?
I splayed my hands across his chest, feeling the smooth material of the vest beneath my palms. I tried shoving him away again, but the movement was half-hearted, at best. My arms had begun to shake. I found myself just pressing lightly against the muscled wall of his chest.
Chase’s long, lean body undulated erotically against mine as he kept me trapped against the sink. My head dropped forward, my forehead coming to rest against his collarbone as all my blood began a heated rush south.
His thigh stroked enticingly between my legs, teasing, with just the right amount of pressure. His warm breath puffed against my cheek in uneven gusts. The combination of his heady, drugging scent and the feel of his hard body pressing against me had an immediate effect.
My shaft throbbed, the rigid length rising beneath the soft cotton of my pants at the insistent, delicious friction. My fingers curled, digging into Chase’s muscled pecs.
He must have felt the press of my erection against his hip because he gave a low growl and increased the rocking of his hips. Chase’s moist mouth glided over my cheek as he dipped his head.
He nipped my lower lip hard before lifting one big hand to grip a handful of my hair. He tugged my head back roughly, making me gasp at the slight shock of pain, before he took my mouth.
Like everything else about him, the kiss was commanding. His tongue, tasting of the liquor he’d been drinking and the cigars he’d been smoking, thrust into my mouth. He explored me, licking along my teeth and the roof of my mouth, sliding around and dancing with my own tongue. He demanded my response, sucking hard at my tongue and my lips.
The passion and eroticism of the kiss slammed into me with such force, making lust twist sharply, deep in my gut. I hated that I wanted him. My blood burned and throbbed. My brain sizzled. All I could think, all I could feel, was Chase.
I tried to pull back, to take in a breath, but he held me captive against him. His hips rotated and twisted, sliding his rigid length along mine. I shuddered, clutching at him, as he demolished me with a never-ending hot, wet kiss.
Pleasure pulsed in my veins, crackling down my spine. My balls drew up tight and I realized in sudden horror that I was close to coming. Just from having Chase pressed against me. Just from one kiss.
I could no longer even try to pull away. I held fistfuls of Chase’s vest and couldn’t help pulling him closer to me, rocking against him in return. There was no point in me hiding it as I let out a moan.
But it was Chase who pulled away, breaking the kiss with one final swipe of his tongue along my lower lip, and a hard nip to my jaw. He stepped back, tugging my hands free from his chest with that half-smirk on his kiss-slick lips.
He took a slow, steadying breath and unlaced the mask from around his neck. It had gotten slightly mangled, crushed between us. “Now that you mention it, I’m pretty tired.” His blue eyes shimmered like living flame as he smoothed one hand down his rumpled vest. “Goodnight, Liam.”
Still grinning, he turned sharply on his heel and disappeared around the corner, down the hall to his room.
Without Chase’s body pinning me against the counter, I couldn’t hold myself up. My legs were shaking so badly I slid to the floor, pulse pounding, heart hammering, body throbbing with unsatisfied desire.
What the hell had just happened?
Chapter 8
Bright sunlight pried at my eyelids. I rolled over, groaning at the intrusion of morning. I felt like I’d gotten no more than a few minutes’ sleep. A glance at the phone resting on the bedside table revealed it had actually been closer to seven hours, but it sure didn’t feel like it. My eyes were gritty, my throat was dry, and my whole body ached.
Once I’d finally managed to get myself under control last night, I’d quickly made my way to the relative safety of my room. But, even though I was very tired before my bizarrely behaved roommate/employer had come home, what happened between us made sleeping difficult. That gorgeous, snarky bastard had developed a sudden desire to thoroughly explore me with his tongue. Christ, could the man kiss!
I yanked my pillow over my head to muffle a string of curses. Blood burned hot in my cheeks. I couldn’t believe I’d let Chase kiss me. More than that, he’d practically dry-humped me against the kitchen sink, and I had hardly resisted. What the fuck was wrong with me?
Just as I was beginning to once again berate myself for not fighting harder to get away from Chase’s sudden advances, I heard a soft meow near my elbow. I peeked out from beneath the pillow and looked straight into Cosmo’s bright yellow eyes.
My gaze jumped to the bedroom door. It was still closed. I’d closed it last night, and I hadn’t seen her lounging about anywhere. Had I missed the cat last night when I was preoccupied with the mind-melting kiss, or had Chase looked into my room?
I told myself it was more likely that I’d simply not seen Cosmo in the dark, but the thought of him checking on me, seeing me asleep, made a strange warmth bloom beneath my collarbone.
Embarrassment, of course. The guy had basically sexually assaulted me.
I rubbed Cosmo’s little head with my fingers. “What have I gotten myself into, Cos?”
She moved to butt her head against my cheek. I tossed the pillow aside with a sigh and began to stroke her silken fur. She climbed up onto my chest and curled into a ball, purring loudly.
“What was your owner thinking, hmm?” I tried to get Cosmo to look at me, but she was preoccupied with my stroking. “He kissed me! Did you know that?” I hissed the last words softly, full of surprise. Though she cracked one lambent eye, Cosmo had no answers for me.
There was no way I could look him in the eye knowing that he’d felt how hard I’d gotten. Not to mention how desperately I’d clung to him. My hands had been white-knuckled fists, pulling him into the kiss! Fucking embarrassing.
Now what was I supposed to do? Say something like, ‘So, where do you get your ideas from and, by the way, why did you rub your dick against mine?’ Yeah, that’d go over real well.
Maybe I should just call it quits. This job had been one mind-fuck after another. No amount of money and luxury was worth getting shoved up against a counter by a rude jerk and forcibly aroused.
Cosmo’s tail flicked against my wrist like she was reprimanding my thoughts.
“Okay, so I didn’t fight all that hard,” I admitted. Which made the heat in my face deepen.
I rubbed under Cosmo’s chin, making her eyes close in happiness. “Still, quitting is probably the smart thing to do. Right?”
She pawed at my hand, and I thought of my tiny, empty apartment. My meager savings. My phone sitting in Eli’s pocket. And then I remembered Landon’s chilly ice-chip eyes, and shivered. I tried to imagine calling him and telling him I couldn’t do it, and my mouth dried up.
I took a deep breath, held it, and let it out. What I needed to do was calmly
assess the situation.
I’d decided yesterday to go through with this job, as crazy as it sounded. I needed the money, and I was unlikely to get anything but the most low-paying job…if I was lucky. I’d tried to look into construction and electrician jobs here in the city, but they were all union, and it was nearly impossible to break in if you weren’t already in it.
Landon hadn’t been lying when he said this was the best offer I was going to get. And it was a pretty sweet deal, all things considered. None of that had changed.
The only difference between now and then was that Chase had come home a little tipsy and made a pass at me.
