As the guys transferred the bicycles to Chase’s truck, Addie inched toward the house. She needed to use the restroom and definitely wanted to brush her teeth.
“Thanks,” Chase said, patting his friend on the back.
“No problem.” Jackson pivoted toward Addie, a silly grin on his face. “Did you get your Kisses?”
He just can’t leave it alone. “Nope.”
Jackson swung open the door to his truck and leaned across the seat. He pulled out the bag of candy and tossed them to her. “Here you go.”
“Thanks.”
“Make sure to give Chase a few of your kisses.”
She knew he wasn’t talking about the candy, and she was half tempted to throw the bag back in his face. But it was chocolate so she hugged it to her chest.
“Bye, Jackson,” she said sweetly.
Chuckling, he waved, climbed into his truck and drove away.
“Sorry about Jackson.” Chase glanced over at her. “He doesn’t know when to stop.”
“Really? I hadn’t noticed,” Addie said dryly, making him laugh.
“If you’re not too mad at me,” Chase said, looking a little contrite, “do you want to sit on the porch swing and talk for a while?”
Addie didn’t want the evening to end yet, so she let him off the hook. “I’d like that.” She took a step backward. “I just need to run inside for a minute.”
They started toward the porch, and their arms brushed. Instantly, the electric pulse arced between them. “I won’t be long,” she said, opening the door.
Chase took a seat on the swing. “I’ll be waiting.”
The screen door slammed behind her and she rushed up the stairs. Sort of. Her legs were a little wobbly. She hoped she wouldn’t be too sore tomorrow. After tossing the bag of Kisses on her bed, she stepped into the bathroom and caught her image in the mirror. It surprised her. She looked different somehow. Happy. Could it be the exercise?
Or was it something else?
Whatever it was, it looked good on her. She took care of business and then she brushed her teeth. Twice.
Aunt Janie still wasn’t home when Addie stepped out onto the porch. The full moon illuminated Chase, making it unnecessary to turn on the porch light.
“Hey,” Chase said, giving her a smile that tickled her stomach. He stopped the swing with his foot and patted his hand on the seat beside him. “Come and sit by me.”
Her bare feet treaded softly across the wooden porch. After brushing her teeth, she had removed her shoes and socks and changed into a clean, white T-shirt. She’d also used a little of her vanilla and brown sugar scented lotion on her arms and legs.
“No fair,” he said as she sat down next to him. “You changed your shirt.” He leaned in close. “And you smell good.”
Dang. She’d kind of hoped it wouldn’t have been that obvious. “Will it make you feel better if I go put back on my attitude shirt?”
He laughed, curling his fingers around her hand. “No.” With the toe of his shoe, he pushed back, rocking the swing in motion. “But if the shirt fits…”
She gave his shoulder a playful nudge. “I do not have an attitude…much.”
“You’re right,” he teased. “Besides, I think the problem had more to do with the altitude.”
“And here I thought Jackson was the comedian.”
He looked at her sidelong. “Yeah, I guess he was kinda funny.”
She hadn’t meant to bring up the whole “kiss” thing. It made her appear too eager. Nervously, she changed the subject. “I think I’m going to borrow Aunt Janie’s car tomorrow and stop by that house we rode by. You know, the one with the amazing wrap around porch?”
“It’s also the one with all the No Trespassing signs.”
“What?” She glanced up at him. “How did I miss those?”
He grinned. “I have no idea.”
She bit her bottom lip. “I planned on asking permission anyway, but maybe it’s not a good idea to even try.”
He slowly circled his thumb over the top of her hand. “I know the owner. Mr. Hanks is a grumpy old guy, but he likes me. When I used to deliver the paper, I was the only one who ever made sure the paper landed on the porch instead of the sidewalk.”
“Really? Do you think he’ll remember you if I tell I’m your friend?”
“Maybe.” He studied her for a few seconds. “Tell you what, I have an early meeting in the morning, but should be done around eleven. What if I take the rest of the day off and take you to meet Mr. Hanks? I’m sure he’ll say yes, and then after we can go somewhere to eat.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yeah.” He gave her a mischievous smile. “Besides, I would never want to be responsible for anymore missed opportunities.”
His implied message made her heart beat wildly. “You wouldn’t?”
“Absolutely not.” His tone was seductively low.
They leaned closer, and Addie’s gaze drifted to his mouth. Every nerve ending was alive with anticipation as he lowered his head. It was like being at the top of a roller coaster just before it plunged straight down, leaving you breathless.
Her eyes fluttered closed, and she felt his warm breath next to her mouth. Then, under a Georgia moon, Chase kissed her. Lightly at first, like he was savoring the feel of a first kiss. Then he shifted and the pressure on her mouth intensified.
He was very talented—and not just as a musician. His kisses mirrored the way he spoke. Slow and soft. Perfect.
The most intoxicating warmth engulfed her body as his lips skillfully moved over hers, and Addie finally understood what Faith Hill was singing about—centrifugal motion, perpetual bliss and all that. She had never felt like this. Never been kissed like this.
Chase drew back, his breath uneven. Still lost in the blissful, floating sensation, Addie met his eyes. “Wow…that was amazing.”
“Yeah. It was.” A playful smile spread across his face. “Wanna do it again?”
She grinned and nodded her head, leaning into him as his mouth met hers in another long, slow kiss. Heat trailed up her arm as he slid his palm along her skin, bringing her closer. A soft sigh escaped as he deepened the kiss, and Addie became lost to everything around her. She was flying—floating, and she never wanted to come down.
At length, they reluctantly parted. Her eyes fluttered open and she shivered.
“Cold?” he asked, his voice rough with emotion.
Was he kidding? She felt so warm she could instantly melt an ice cube on her skin.
“No. No, I’m not cold.” She drew in a shaky breath. “In fact, I doubt I’ll ever be cold again.”
Deep laughter rumbled in his chest as he hooked his arm around her neck and pulled her close. “You know what?” he asked, pressing a kiss into her hair.
“What?”
“I think I just had my last first kiss.”
With her thinking still clouded, her mind struggled to make sense of what he’d just said. She tried to recall the exact wording when headlights illuminated the porch as her aunt’s car pulled into the driveway.
Chase stood up and pulled her up beside him. “Well, Miss Attitude, looks like we’re not alone anymore.”
She melted into his side. No they weren’t alone anymore. And after that kiss, she never wanted to be alone again. What was she going to do?
Chapter Seventeen
Chase tapped the ballpoint pen on his desk and wished this morning was already over. He stared at the computer screen in frustration. The program wasn’t loading correctly and the last thing he wanted to do was shut everything down and reboot his computer. Mr. Barclay had requested a few changes after this morning’s meeting, and it was taking longer than it should have.
Glancing at the clock, he realized he wouldn’t be able to pick Addie up at eleven. He reached for his phone to text her he’d probably be a half hour late. The good news was Mr. Barclay announced he was leaving for a last minute business meeting in South Carolina, and wouldn’t be back
until Monday. So, in addition to cutting today short, Chase planned on taking all day Friday off as well.
Sending off the text, Chase let out a frustrated breath and reached for the bottle of water he had on his desk. No longer cold, the warm liquid slid down his throat, leaving a funny, plastic aftertaste.
He replaced the lid just as Shanna knocked on his door and stuck her head inside his office. The look on her face didn’t bode well. Chase wondered if she’d figured out how Hayden had learned about his job application for Nashborough. The two of them had talked earlier, and Shanna assured Chase she hadn’t told anyone other than her husband. Chase believed her and made sure she knew that, but his secretary was upset and wanted to find out how the information had been leaked.
“Hey, Chase.” She slipped inside his office and closed the door behind her. She clutched a white piece of paper to her chest and looked at him with a worried expression.
“Is everything okay?” he said, standing up and coming around to offer her a chair.
She shook her head and remained standing. “Just remember, don’t shoot the messenger.” She offered him the paper along with a strained smile. “Mr. Barclay wanted me to give you your itinerary.”
“My what?” As he scanned the contents of the paper, his stomach lurched. This had to be a mistake. The E-ticket said he was scheduled to fly out for South Carolina this evening and he wouldn’t be returning until late Sunday night. “I don’t understand?” he said, raising questioning eyes to his secretary.
One of her shoulders rose up. “I know. I don’t either, and I’m sorry.”
Laughing mirthlessly, he laid the paper on the corner of his desk. “I can’t believe this. I have a gig on Saturday night.”
Shanna put a finger to her lips to quiet him down. She leaned forward and whispered, “Look, I need to give you a heads up. I overheard Mr. Barclay talking with someone…well, actually, it was more like arguing. But they were discussing you and the trip to Hilton Head.”
Chase sat on the corner of his desk and ran a hand through his hair. He had a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. Somehow Hayden was behind this. “What did he say?”
“The only thing I caught was the fact he promised to make sure you were gonna be there.”
“Great.”
“One more thing,” Shanna said with trepidation. “I think I know how Hayden found out about Nashborough.” Tears filled her eyes. “I did tell someone else about your job search. A few days ago I got my hair colored. The girl who does it knows me well, and knows how frustrated I am with my job and that the only reason I haven’t left is because of you.”
She sniffed and Chase grabbed the box of tissues off of his desk and held it out to her. “Whatever it is, Shanna, I’m not mad at you, okay?”
“Thanks.” She took a tissue and dabbed at her eyes. “The coloring process takes a while, and we got to talking about my job. While she shampooed and rinsed my hair, I told her if you got the job in Nashville, I planned on quitting and staying home with the kids for a few months until I decided what to do.”
Twisting the tissue in her hands, Shanna continued, “I didn’t see Hayden come in, but when I went to the register to pay, I saw her sitting in the next booth over, getting her hair done. She didn’t even look at me so I figured she hadn’t seen me. I’m sorry, Chase, but she must have overheard me talking.”
“It’s not your fault, Shanna.” Chase wanted to ease the woman’s conscience. “At least now we know Hayden isn’t some computer genius who hacked into my laptop.”
That won him a tiny smile. “You really thought that was an option?”
Despite how messed up everything was, Chase laughed. “No. I figured she would’ve paid someone else to do the hacking.” Glancing down at the itinerary, the smile on his face disappeared. “Now I just have to decide what to do about this. Maybe I’ll just wait until Mr. Barclay leaves. He’s always more relaxed if he’s away from the office.”
“I hate to tell you this, but he wants to see you in his office right now.”
This just gets better and better. “Well, I guess here goes nothing.”
Shanna hesitated for a moment. “I really am sorry, Chase. Let me know what I can do to help you.”
“I’ll be okay.” Chase gave her an encouraging smile. “On the bright side, since I won’t be here, you should take tomorrow off.”
“Thank you, Chase. I think I will.” She opened the door and together they exited his office. “Good luck,” she whispered before returning to her desk.
Uttering a silent prayer, Chase walked down the hall to the opulent office at the end. His stomach tightened as he rapped on Whit Barclay’s door. He might have to go on this business trip, but he was coming home in time for his gig.
“Come in,” Whit barked in his familiar, no-nonsense way.
Chase pushed the door open to find his boss poised with a golf club, preparing to hit the tiny white ball. The elaborate putting green occupied a fair amount of office space. Whit took his golf seriously, trying to hone his putting skills on a daily basis.
He paused mid-stroke and flashed his white capped teeth in a showy smile. “Hang on, son.” He lowered his eyes and concentrated once more on his task. With perfection, he tapped the ball, making a hole-in-one. He chuckled and came around to stand in front of Chase. “Now if I can do that in Hilton Head, I’ll be a happy man.”
Ah, yes. Hilton Head. Chase couldn’t wait to find out what was going on. “Speaking of Hilton Head,” Chase said, choosing his words carefully. “In this morning’s meeting I understood that Kyle was going along with you since the Winter’s account belongs to his team. I’m not sure why you need me to be there.”
Whit gave an imperceptible tilt to his head, his gaze narrowing slightly. He clearly didn’t like to be questioned. “Kyle is still planning on taking the lead. You’ll need to sit in on a couple of meetings to justify the expense, but business isn’t the reason you’re coming along.” He smiled, but it came off more as an irritated grimace. “I’m taking you on this trip, son, to give us a chance to talk. Hayden’s hinted you might want to speak to me formally and thought a little fun and relaxation with our family would be the perfect ice-breaker.”
What? Chase barely held back a snort of disbelief. Fun and relaxation coupled with the Barclays was an oxymoron. And if Whit thought Chase wanted to talk to him formally, it meant Hayden was back to her usual manipulating self.
“I don’t quite follow you.” He kept his gaze fixed on the man in front of him. Intimidation wasn’t something Chase liked all that much and maintaining eye contact was his only line of defense. “Hayden and I aren’t dating anymore. I thought you knew that.”
Anger flashed in Whit’s blue eyes. “What I know is that my little girl has been seeing you under the radar for the past month.” He leaned in close, once again going for intimidation. “She’s been given the impression you might be providing her with a new piece of jewelry. I hope you haven’t been toying with her.”
Toying with her? Chase stared at him with disbelief. This had to be a really sick joke—at least he hoped it was. In desperation, his eyes briefly scanned the room, looking for any sign of the practical joker. The office was eerily quiet. Well, except for the pounding of Chase’s heart. His gaze returned to Whit’s irate face.
Drawing in a deep breath, Chase rubbed his hand over the back of his neck and tried to think of a way to tell his boss about his daughter’s deception without actually calling her a liar. “There must be some kind of misunderstanding, sir. Hayden and I haven’t been dating since before she left for California.”
Whit’s eyes reduced to thin slits. “There is a misunderstanding. One you need to fix.” His lips flattened in anger. “This trip will be the perfect opportunity.”
Unbelievable.
Chase swallowed back a sarcastic reply. “You’re right. And I’ll be more than happy to speak to Hayden and get this settled.” He narrowed his own eyes. “But I’m returning Saturday mornin
g. I have a gig at Gracie’s Haven, and it’s been on the calendar for months now.”
The muscle in Whit’s jaw tightened. Chase had no idea what would happen next. He waited, never backing down from his stance.
“Fine.” An icy tone edged Whit’s voice. He picked up his putting iron again. Hopefully he didn’t plan on using it on Chase. He leaned on the golf club and said, “We leave this evening. I’m not sure what’s going on, but I intend to get to the bottom of this, understand?”
Perfectly.
“Yes, sir.”
The man gave him one more cold glare before turning around, effectively dismissing him. Maybe it would’ve been better to have been fired. Chase placed his hand on the doorknob, twisted it and pulled back.
“Chase?” Whit’s hard voice made him pause.
Chase looked over his shoulder. “Yes?”
“I’m looking to promote one of my team leaders as director of marketing. I’d hate for anything to lessen your chances.”
Was that a threat? “So would I,” Chase said evenly.
“Good.” Whit’s lips twisted into a smile. “We’ll talk more about it later. See ya tonight.”
Shaken and angry, Chase stepped into the hall. What kind of game was Hayden playing? And what did she expect to happen? That he’d somehow see the light and ask her to marry him? Not only was Hayden obsessed, she was also delusional.
Passing Shanna’s desk, she glanced up sympathetically. “Everything okay?”
Behind Shanna, Whit’s assistant paused at the copy machine, seemingly waiting on his answer. “Yeah.” He glanced at the clock on the wall. He wasn’t sticking around here another second. “But I think I’ll head on home to pack for my business meeting.” He couldn’t keep the sarcasm from spilling out.
Shanna nodded her head. “Okay. Do you need me to do anything?”
“Yes, please. Mr. Barclay has agreed to let me come home early so I’d like to come home late Friday night or early Saturday morning instead of Sunday. I’d appreciate it if you could make the flight change for me.”
“Sure thing. I’ll text you the new itinerary as soon as I have it.”
Under a Georgia Moon: Georgia Moon Romance Book 1 Page 18
