Lowering his head to her neck, he left a trail of kisses from her ear to her collarbone, increasing the pressure of his hands on her breasts. He wanted her. Now. He kissed the flesh along her cleavage, moving to capture her nipple, where he licked it softly at first, then took it in his mouth to suck and bite gently.
The salty, sweet taste of her made him even harder. Would she taste this good everywhere?
She clung to him, her head tossed back, her hands gripping his shoulders as she moaned. “For the record, this is not a good idea,” she said.
“I think it’s a great idea,” he muttered against her other breast before taking her other nipple into his mouth. He couldn’t get enough. He could spend the entire night tasting her.
“No, really, Chase...” she said, but the protest was weak as her breath came fast and hard.
“I want you, Hayley,” he said, releasing her breasts, but not letting her go. “And I know you want me.”
Her expression was conflicted but a second later she reached for the waistband of her thong and slowly, wiggling her hips from side to side, she pulled it over the strappy three-inch stilettos and tossed it aside.
She made no move to remove the sexy shoes.
She was leaving them on. He was screwed.
Falling to his knees in front of her, he licked down her stomach, around her belly button, lower and lower. Putting his hands on the inside of her sexy thighs, he forced them open as his mouth continued to move downward. “You’re wet,” he whispered against her mound, his own body aching to be inside of her. Right or wrong, it didn’t matter in that moment. He knew what he wanted and he knew she wanted it, too.
“It’s all your fault,” she said as his tongue flicked her clit then slid between the length of her folds. “I’ve been thinking about this since I first saw you on the plane.”
He knew that was true. He could tell by the way she’d looked at him that evening, touched him...she’d been wanting this to happen as much as he did. And he wouldn’t disappoint her. Pleasing a woman in bed had never been an issue for him.
He might not be able to offer a woman more than sex, but he made up for that lack of long-term commitment between the sheets.
Thankfully, the vibe coming from his fake girlfriend told him that sex was all she wanted from him.
Which should have put him at ease.
Standing, he lifted her and wrapped her legs around his waist. Her wetness at the tip of his cock had his entire body shaking with need and he tightened his hold on her.
Her soft hands trailed down his chest, across his abs and wrapped around him. When she gripped tight and started stroking, his cock throbbed, desperate for release. “That’s a dangerous game you’re playing,” he said, reaching for her hands and holding them away from his body.
She laughed. “I guess all that pretending to be crazy for one another had an effect, huh?”
Good to know she’d been feeling the heat, too. The problem was, he hadn’t really been pretending. She was incredible and getting to spend the week touching her, kissing her, being next to her, was barely a hard time.
He carried her to the bathroom and set her down on the counter, then fumbled with his toiletry case until he found a condom. Ripping the package open, he handed it to her.
She slid it over him, slowly, and the teasing look in her eyes told him it was on purpose. She was trying to drive him insane with desire. It was working.
“Ready?” he asked, but then didn’t wait for an answer before bringing her tight, sexy body back down over him.
She gasped as she clutched his thighs, her nails biting into his flesh, but the look of desire in her eyes told him she craved more.
He plunged even deeper. “Oh, Chase.”
“Hayley,” he groaned as her hips moved up and down in a slow rhythm, teasing, killing him. Her hands traveled back over his obliques, tickling him as they climbed higher over his chest and around his neck. Her fingers tangling in his hair as she kissed his neck and bit his earlobe.
Gripping her ass, he moved forward until her back hit the bathroom wall. Then, pushing against her, he took control, sliding in and out of her body, pinning her against the wall as she panted and moaned and frantically clutched at him. “Is it crazy that I trust you when I barely even know you?”
The words were the last thing he’d expected and his gut twisted. Slowing his pace slightly, he moved his hands upward, cupping her face, a million thoughts rushing through his mind as his body begged him to continue. “I won’t let you down this week,” he said.
She kissed him quickly then and it was all he could do to keep his knees from collapsing as he thrust deeper one last time and exploded within her. His gaze locked with hers briefly, before he forced his away. A loud groan escaped him as his head collapsed onto her breast and he felt her spasm around his cock. “Hayley, beautiful Hayley...” Who trusted him with the future of her career...
She rested her forehead against his as she struggled to catch her breath. “Well, that hadn’t been part of our agreement.”
“It is now, baby girl.”
* * *
HOURS LATER THE beach walk was quiet as Chase made his way back toward his hotel after walking Hayley back to hers. She’d refused to stay the night with him and her attempt at making light of what had just happened between them had been awkward and forced.
But damn, the sex certainly hadn’t been. Since the moment he’d seen her on the plane, he’d been attracted to the spirited, beautiful lawyer, but he hadn’t been prepared for the deep longing she’d spurred in him that day. The more time he’d spent with her, the more he’d learned about her, the more he liked her. The way his family had quickly accepted her made his chest ache. The sound of her laughter as she’d enjoyed the stories his sister and brother had insisted on telling about their childhood had him questioning whether all of this was an act. It certainly hadn’t felt like one. And the few kisses they’d shared had definitely ignited a spark. When she’d basically shoved him into an elevator, he’d almost been grateful that they hadn’t done anything stupid. He’d known that being with her, having sex with her, would only complicate things.
Then fate—aka Kate—had stepped in.
And they’d done something stupid. He ran a hand through his hair. How were they supposed to get through the week when he already wanted her again?
A repeat would not be a good idea. Her hasty exit implied she agreed, but could they really keep their hands off one another that week when that was exactly what they were supposed to be doing?
Damn.
He continued on. It was after midnight and several couples lay scattered on the sand near the water. The sound of the lapping waves used to have a calming effect on him, but tonight they only made the situation seem more real. The easy, relaxing island vibe helped to downplay their deception and made it hard to think of anything after that week.
But there wouldn’t be anything after that week. Relationships didn’t fit into his world and even if Hayley did want to see him again back in LA, he couldn’t promise her anything more than the casual fling they’d started.
After his job had put so many of the people he loved at risk, after it had cost his family so much, and his late partner’s family...how could he ever consider bringing someone else into that life?
His career came first. In a way, his devotion to the job was a tribute to his father, a way to avenge his parents’ untimely, tragic death. And the intensity of his commitment to the force had only increased when his partner’s life had been stolen, as well...
* * *
THE CALL HAD come over the radio at twelve ten that evening. Any units close to Gaslamp Quarter Historic District, please respond to a break and enter at the old Shoe Warehouse location. “Want to take one more before we call it a night?” Chase had asked Will, never thinking
this call would be Will’s last.
“Why not, man?” Will had grinned and shrugged, straightening the seat he’d just reclined as they’d started back to the station at the end of their twelve-hour shift. “Mia’s been up studying every night for her nursing exam so I know I’m not getting lucky even if I do get home on time for once.”
“Whatever. I bet your dinner’s still waiting in the oven, right?” He punched his friend’s shoulder. The man had it good and he knew it. Married ten years to his high school sweetheart, Will Ramsay had a fantastic relationship with his wife, Mia, who had recently decided to finish her nursing degree now that their daughter was a preteen and more independent.
“She always makes enough for you, too.”
“I love that woman,” Chase had said, and it was the truth. He’d been friends with Will since the academy and they’d been thrilled when they were partnered up after their on-the-job training.
“Seriously, you should really come by to eat more often. You’re wasting away to nothing. Does Kendall feed you at all? I mean besides protein shakes and egg whites.”
Chase laughed. His girlfriend of two years was a fitness trainer and she liked to keep him in shape, as well. As they’d pulled onto Main Street, he radioed the station. “Unit eighteen responding.” There were no other units nearby, so they were given the go-ahead by dispatch.
“Let’s go,” he’d said a second later, pulling to the curb outside the old warehouse. The building used to be an outlet shoe store, but now it was only occupied during the holiday season, when it served as a gift donation and wrapping center for the Salvation Army. From October until the end of December, the charity collected over a hundred thousand gifts for children and teens. Then they delivered the packages on Christmas Eve to the local families who would be hard-pressed to provide a memorable Christmas for their children otherwise.
As they exited the vehicle, Will had said, “What kind of low-life breaks into a charity organization to steal presents from underprivileged families?”
“I couldn’t agree more. You go around the back and I’ll check out the front. If you see anything, radio me before going in.” He’d made it as far as the front door before he’d heard the shots. Three of them in steady succession cutting through the quiet night air and making his pulse race and his adrenaline soar. Abandoning his post at the front of the building, he’d radioed for backup, sprinted across the lawn and around the side of the warehouse, gun drawn...cautiously checking every corner before advancing. At the back of the building, two perpetrators fled through the alley and Will lay motionless on the ground.
Damn it. “Stop! You’re under arrest,” he called to the fleeing perps, but they kept running. Chase radioed the station as he hurried to Will’s side. “Officer shot and injured. Requesting medical services behind the warehouse on Island Avenue...at the corner of Island and Sixth Ave.”
“Emergency services have been dispatched. More units on their way.”
Kneeling next to his friend, he’d been relieved to see his eyes open and his breathing regular, despite the dark pool of blood beneath him. Opening his coat, he searched for the wound. Please, God, let it be a flesh wound. But peeling back his friend’s shirt revealed a deep bullet hole in his lower stomach, just beneath the vest. Dark red blood oozed from the wound and Chase quickly applied pressure with his hands as his friend began to shake. “Stay with me, man.”
“Guess we shouldn’t have taken this one, huh?” Will attempted a weak smile as his eyes rolled backward.
“Hey!” Chase yelled. “I said stay with me.” Panic set in as his friend’s head had rolled to the side.
Oh, no. Fuck, no, this wasn’t happening... He removed his coat and applied it to the wound, checking his friend’s pulse at his neck. It was faint but still there. “Where the hell is emergency services?” he asked dispatch.
“On their way, Officer. Hang tight.”
Hang tight? His friend and partner was bleeding to death and their advice was to hang tight? Didn’t they know the man wasn’t even supposed to have been there? Didn’t they know he had a fantastic home-cooked meal in the oven waiting for him and a wife that he was hoping to seduce? And a child that would need him to drive her to school in the morning. Didn’t they know anything? “Will... Will, buddy...” He slapped his cheek and his friend’s eyes opened. “Will, listen to me. Emergency services are on the way...”
“You know those guys never make it in time,” he mumbled.
“Today they will... Just stay with me.” His voice must have betrayed his desperation, as Will gripped his hand with surprising strength.
“Take care of my family.” His voice was strong for someone who’d lost so much blood and was near unconsciousness. Strong and clear.
“What are you talking about? Shut up and just relax, okay? The ambulance is almost here.” God, he hoped it was true.
“The house isn’t paid off... We had to remortgage last month when Mia’s mom...”
“Shut up, save your energy.” He didn’t like the way his friend was talking—as if he was giving up the fight, letting go. He couldn’t let that happen.
“Mia’s student loans...”
“Everything’s going to be fine, man. Just breathe...” His pulse was dropping and his breath was labored now.
The sound of the ambulance in the distance gave him momentary relief, before Will’s grip on his hand weakened and his head fell to the side.
His friend was gone. Leaving him behind. Leaving his family behind.
* * *
CHASE SWALLOWED HARD. No, he wouldn’t ever put a family of his own through the pain he’d experienced and witnessed twice too often.
In the distance, he saw Cooper. What was he doing out here so late? His accelerated heart rate eased when he noticed his partner was alone. “Hey, man, what are you doing?” he called as he drew nearer.
Cooper, in running shorts and an old academy T-shirt stopped when he reached him. Slightly out of breath, he said, “Bet you didn’t think I work out at all, huh?”
“You run at night?”
“Not usually, but the night shifts at work mess up my sleeping pattern. Feels like it should be two o’clock in the afternoon right now,” he said, falling into step beside him. “You just walked Hayley back to her hotel?”
“Yeah.” He turned to him.
“Kinda late, isn’t it?”
He ignored the implication. “Kate didn’t say anything, did she?”
“Just how much she thought Hayley was perfect for you.”
Chase cringed. His sister was supposed to like Hayley, accept her as his girlfriend, but not start to plan a wedding.
“So, did you tell Hayley about Kendall and Adam?” Cooper stretched beside him, taking long lunge-like strides.
“I told her I had another brother arriving later in the week with his wife, yeah.”
“So you didn’t tell her.”
“What was I supposed to say—by the way, my brother married the woman who broke my heart and they’re expecting a baby, so if I punch him in the face when I see him, don’t be alarmed?”
“That would work.”
Chase shook his head. “It’s fine. I’ll be fine. I’m happy for them.” He was. He would be. At least, he wanted to be. The truth was, being with Hayley that day, he hadn’t had much time to contemplate what he was feeling about seeing Adam and Kendall.
“So, essentially, you’ve told this woman absolutely nothing.”
A wave of guilt washed over him, remembering her words about trusting him. Sooner rather than later, he needed to tell her the real reason he’d wanted her by his side that week. “What does it matter? We’re not actually dating, Coop.” Just having amazing sex, apparently. “I think you’re forgetting that.” Inside the lobby, Chase hit the button for the elevator.
“Hate to break it to you, man, but it looked like you were forgetting it tonight, too.”
5
“GET UP.”
“Huh?” Hayley glanced at the clock on the bedside table and groaned. Six thirty? Hadn’t she just closed her eyes? “It’s six thirty, Lila. Why are you calling this early?” She rolled onto her side and hugged the extra pillows. The few hours of sleep she’d gotten after saying good-night to Chase weren’t exactly restful. The what-the-hell-did-I-do? thoughts competing with the urge to go back to his hotel and do it again had made sleep elusive. The fresh air coming through the open balcony door and the sound of the waves lapping against the beach had finally lulled her to sleep.
“This resort offers some amazing sunrise fitness classes. It would be a waste not to take advantage of them while we’re here.”
“It would be a waste not to take advantage of these heavenly beds...” Hayley mumbled.
“Let me guess—Chase is in there with you?”
“No!” Hayley said, suddenly awake. “I barely know the guy,” she muttered the lie. The truth was in twenty-four hours she’d gotten to know him better than almost any other guy she’d dated. In fact, his family had been the first she’d met since her high school boyfriend. And physically—well, there had been very few places she hadn’t explored the night before.
“What’s there to know? He’s sexy as hell. Good enough for me,” Lila said. “Anyway, spin class starts in fifteen minutes, followed by sunrise yoga on the beach... Might be a good idea to tone those muscles a little. You know, just in case that handsome stranger does happen to fall into your bed sometime during this trip.”
“I’m going back to sleep now,” Hayley said, replacing the receiver. Too late for exercise now. Chase had already seen every last inch of her. Under the covers, she touched her stomach beneath her white tank top... It had been a while since she’d worked out. Though he hadn’t been complaining about her body the night before. Rolling over, she groaned into her pillow. Had she completely lost her freaking mind? Going through with this scheme was bad enough. Now they’d totally made a mess of things. Simple. Easy. Those things had been shot to hell by giving in to their hormones the night before.
Her Holiday Fling Page 6
