A Debt Repaid (1) (5 page)

He
was bribing the kid. He was doing it, and yet, he was being so nice about it
,
that Aria
couldn’t even judge him for it.

Apparently, though,
he had an M.O. when it came to all his dealings.

Adam unrolled the bill,
his green eyes lighting up when he saw it was a twenty.

Lori gasped.

Then, the shrewdest expression Aria had ever seen on a kid’s face was aimed at Chase. “That depends. Are you paying me
just
for privacy?”

What the hell
was this? The kid was six!

“Yes.” Aria
could hear what sounded like a smile in Chase’s voice.

Adam pouted.
“But I wanna know what you guys are gonna say.”

“Adam!” Lori scolded, cheeks turning pink.

“I have no doubt that you’ll find a way to figure out what was said.  All I’m asking is for you to step away
while
it’s being said.” It was odd hearing that playful tone in Chase’s voice.

Odd and freaking hot. Stupid woman that
she was, Aria couldn’t deny that.

Don’t
look, Aria. Don’t.

“True.” Adam mused. “Still,
I want ten dollars more.”

“Adam Matthew!”

“Done,” Chase said, ignoring the fact that Lori seemed ready to strangle her negotiating child.

Adam smiled at Chase when
he was handed the extra ten, then he rushed away from their table with his Optimus Prime Transformer in hand.

Lori shook
her head at Chase. “Sixty dollars is too much money. Thirty is—”

“
It’s nothing.”  Chase waved away Lori’s concern about the money, in that way only a man with too much of it could. “Why can’t you use your last job as a reference?”

Lori remained silent,
her eyes bouncing from his face, to his expensive button down and vest. The watch on his wrist screamed “Filthy Rich”. “My ex…he made a scene there. A
real
bad scene.”

Chase’s eyes flickered to the stitches on Lori’s face. “What did
you do at your last job?”

The moment
he asked that question, Aria’s heart punched into her ribcage, the beat as fierce as the realization that hit her mind.

Oh God,
he was going to help Lori. How she knew? Aria had no freaking idea, but she was so sure of it that she found herself answering before Lori had a chance to do so. “She was an administrative assistant.”

Chase’s eyes turned in
her direction, and something in them was making her heart pound like crazy. “We have a few positions open.” He nodded at Lori, as if everything had been decided. “You can come by on Monday. We’ll see what part of the company is a good fit for your skills.”

Poor Lori. The woman had gone pale, mouth gaping open and wide eyes filling with tears. Lori seemed ready to topple over.

Aria, for her part, was having a hard time not melting into her seat, or falling to the floor in a heap. Adrenaline spiked, then ebbed, leaving her limbs watery. She’d been right. He was going to help Lori. “I can watch Adam that day for you, if you’d like.”

Lori turned that shell-shocked
look on her next. “You guys would do this for me?”

And there
it was:
you guys.
Proof that it was happening. She and the man she’d convinced herself was nothing more than a vile opportunist, were teaming up to help Lori get her life back together.

Lori blinked back a new round of tears. “
I–I don’t know what to say.”

Yeah, Aria
could relate there.

“
I don’t even know how to repay you guys.”

“
It’s no big deal. You don’t owe me anything. I’m just watching Adam for a little while.” Aria motioned toward Chase. “It’s him you have to thank.” His stare burned into the side of her face. She didn’t look, but she sure as hell felt it.

“
You don’t have to thank me.” The sound of his voice made her lungs do that weird seizing thing again. “Just show up at eight-thirty and come ready to work.” He extended his hand toward Lori, a business card hanging between two of his long fingers.

Lori hugged the business card to
her chest, smiling. “Thank you so much. You won’t regret this. I’ll give it my all, I promise.”

“Are
you guys done, yet? ‘Cause if not, I might have to ask for more money.”

Lori gasped, staring down at
her son with a glare that promised severe punishment.

The masculine chuckle that came from Aria’s left hit
her like a knee aimed at her gut. It was deep. Kind of awkward, as if rarely used.

Sexy.

I’m hopeless.

It
was official and undeniable to her at that point: she was attracted to Chase Blaine in a way she’d never been to anyone before.

She
was so out of her depth. Aria had no clue how to control it, deal with it—get
rid
of it.

Do
I have a weakness for dishonorable men?

Except, dishonorable man number two had just handed Adam another thirty bucks.
He was in the process of telling Lori how those negotiating skills the kid had were going to come in handy one day.

And there
was something behind Chase’s words when he said it
,
that
was almost warm, and his praise of Adam made a weird sensation unfurl inside Aria.

Lori thanked Chase one more time, as if to further add mass to Aria’s growing ball of doubt.

He’s an asshole.

Isn’t
he?

Adam grabbed
his mom’s hand and placed all the money Chase had just given him in it. “There you go, mommy. This will help, right?”

Blinking
back the hot rush of tears that had flooded her eyes, Aria stood just as Lori pulled her kiddo into her arms.

She
was beyond confused. Doubting her own beliefs about Chase, throbbing deep down with a yearning that she was smart enough to understand
,
but too much of a coward to face—
she had to get away from Chase.

G
ETTING AWAY FROM CHASE was impossible, it seemed.

Lori and Adam finished eating, and then they left. Lori promising to call Aria on Monday
,
so she
could drop off Adam in the morning. Aria had almost offered them a place to stay right there. The thought of them returning to the shelter irked her.

Sadly it
wasn’t that simple for Aria. Taking care of Adam one day was one thing. With Douglas still coming and going, and things as they were at home, having Lori stay with her would just make it all that much more complicated.

She didn’t want to put Lori and her kid in an awkward situation just because her husband
was a worthless prick.

That meant that the man following her back behind the counter
was the only one in any real position to offer Lori help. But why had he done it? And why the hell was he following her?

Aria pushed open the door leading to the service hallway and stopped, waiting for Chase. She crossed her arms and
whirled around to face him, indignant and ready to give it to him good.

One second passed. Then two. She blinked. He’d been following her. There
was no way she could mistake the feel of him at her back.

Chase walked out a second later. He shrugged into his blazer, looking like a sex icon compared to a regular man. His vest and dress shirt tightened across his chest as he adjusted his suit jacket.

Aria’s arms dropped to her sides.

He came to a stop before her and stared her down with a concentrated, closed-off stare.

She swallowed hard, feeling lost in the shade of that look. Consumed, actually. The hallway—all fifty feet of it—was too small. Chase was too close.

He
wasn’t close enough.

She
was so damned confused.

Aria wanted to bash her ow
n head into the wall.

Chase’s lids fluttered. The slow perusal he gave her body
seemed almost angry. He was too serious and that expression on his face bordered on becoming harsher by the second.

“You don’t have to go on that date with me. I won’t force you
…and I’ll stick to my word about—” His eyes dropped to her left hand, where her wedding ring still sat on her finger. “
Husband
.”

Aria held in a gasp,
feeling her stomach bottom out. He was letting her off the hook, so to speak. Releasing her from their fucked-up agreement.

Promising to uphold his end, even if she didn’t uphold hers.

It was what she’d wanted. What she’d been freaking praying for.

So why
wasshe disappointed
?
The cold sensation in her gut could be described no other way.

“Why did you offer to help Lori out?” Aria blurted
out. There was no stopping it. She
needed
to know. Her hands were cold and sweating. She clenched them into tight fists at her sides and watched his expression for any change.

There
was a change, but not what she’d been expecting. A flicker of frustration momentarily twisted his features, then it was gone.

“She needs
help, Aria. From what I gather, she and that kid are in a shelter. No one is going to hire a bruised, stitched-up woman, no matter how impressive her resume or skills are. She needs a job and I’m in the position to give it to her.” Chase glared at her. “I’m not that much of a bastard that I’d turn my back on her. I know that’s what you’re thinking. I’ve already told you many times: I know what I did to you was wrong.”

Aria’s lips parted.

Chase clenched his fists, obviously fighting with himself. “Aria… you don’t have to go anywhere with me. I won’t press charges on Douglas. And you can just…just forget everything.”

Her mind
was in a void of confusion when he turned and began to walk down the hall.

Right toward the exit leading out to the street.

Her racing thoughts went into warp-drive. He’d just freed her from her end of their bargain, and wasn’t going to go after Douglas.

He
’d offered to help Lori out of her situation.

Chase had to be the
most confusing, intriguing, and fuck it all to hell,
attractive
man she’d ever met.

And he
was about to walk out that door.

“Chase, wait!”

Chase jerked to a stop, one hand braced on the door.

Aria. What the hell are you doing?

His shoulders rose and his back tensed, but he didn’t turn in her direction.

He
was willing to back out of their agreement and stick to his end of it
,
without getting anything in return. Douglas had stolen hundreds of thousands, if not millions, from his company; he deserved to go to jail and Chase
was willing to let him go free. All for her.

It seemed fair that she’d go along with what she
was planning to do. At least, that’s what Aria told herself as, heart racing, she took a step toward him. “I’ll go.”

That had Chase’s head spinning in her direction. “
What
?”

She opened her mouth, desperate for
some air. His expression was almost frightening. But she wasn’t scared. She dared to poke and squint at the emotion she was feeling, and recognized it for what it was.
Exhilarated. Excited.

She was
starting to feel like an adrenaline junkie.

“I–I said I’ll go.”

He started walking back toward her, each step slow and methodical. Brows hard. Eyes dark. He studied her, piercing straight through her with that hard look.

Aria
felt exposed.

“Why?”

Taken aback, Aria blinked rapidly. “I… because, I…” Jesus. Fuck. It wasn’t fair. Chase was like a huge vacuum, sucking all the air and the closer he got, the less she could breathe. “I—”

“Why, Aria? You
were so angry that I blackmailed you into it. Why would you go now?” That last part was asked in a low, soft tone. He stood a few feet away from her now.

Too damn close.

She couldn’t think straight.

“Aria.”

“It’s fair. You’re willing to leave Douglas alone. I should stick to my end of the deal.”

He ignored her blurted out excuse with a shake of his head.

An inch. That’s all that was left between them.

Chase’s hands shot up
, and he cupped her face between his large palms. The feel of his skin kick started her entire system. She gasped as air rushed through her windpipe. His scent made her throat close right back up.

Her body throbbed.

Painfully.

He pulled her closer, eliminating the last bit of space between them. “Tell me the real reason why.” He took deep breaths, his face tilted toward hers. His eyes probed hers.

Too deep. She couldn’t focus passed that stare—his scent.

“Aria.”

“Chase, I…” She pressed her hands to his chest. She had to push him away.
Now.

She
couldn’t. Everything inside her was shaken. Everything about her was fluctuating wildly, realigning in ways she couldn’t understand. Her atoms seemed to tremble.

For him. Her body
was liquefying
for him
.

Chase cupped the back of her neck with one hand. His thumb stroked her. The sensation barreled through every nerve ending in her body.

“I wish I was strong enough, Aria. I fucking do,” he mumbled, voice gone hoarse.

Aria didn’t have a chance to ask him what he meant.

He leaned down. For a split second, she was convinced he was going to kiss her.

And she wanted it so fucking bad. Her entire body opened up, softening in preparation for that kiss.

Chase stopped an inch away from her lips, eyes heavy-lidded as he focused on her mouth. He was panting.

She
couldn’t think. His full lips were right
there.
All she had to do was lean up on her toes. Less than an inch and she would know if he tasted as good as he smelled. If those lips felt as good as—

Chase tilted his head and pressed his cheek against hers. He nuzzled her, his jaw sliding across her own with the movement.

Aria stared over his shoulder, trapped by—what? Arousal? Confusion?
Disappointment
?

Oh God.

He let loose a deep groan that stole all the sensation from her legs. With a gasp, she clutched at his shoulders.

“So warm. Soft,” he whispered, so low she almost didn’t hear him.

Against her God damned will, she felt her focus zero in and become all about him. She had to extricate herself. Get away. But her body wasn’t obeying; her nails had become claws determined to keep him right where he was.

No, Aria. You have to stop this. You have
to.

She didn’t want
to. She wanted more. More of his scent, his smooth cheek pressed to hers, more of
him.
His lips. His—

“
Ch–Chase.” She pushed at his shoulders. Her attempts were pathetic. Her body wanted, with a desperation it had never wanted with before, and it was determined to have. “I… I…”

Chase’s hand tightened around the back of her neck, holding her still so that he
could murmur right up against her cheek. “Aria.”

Fuck
. The feel of his lips. His breath.

The freaking way he kept saying her name!

“You have yet to answer my question.” His bottom lip slid across her skin and his tongue touched her as he spoke.

That’s because I can’t, you jackass.
Oh, if only those words would leave her mouth.

She had no idea what the answer to his question
was. All she knew right then was the feel of his tongue as it flicked her skin. The feeling palpated across her flesh, sliced through the layers
,
and slid in deep.

She fisted his blazer, feeling faint. Suddenly, he backed her up, driving her right into the wall behind her. Aria felt her back hit the wall; she expected him to press that large, sculpted body of his into her right after.

God help her, she wanted him
to.

He didn’t, remaining inches away from her, with those lips still pressed to her cheek.

“You want me to answer the question for you, Aria?”

Dread
raced through her at his low, heated question. She knew that whatever he was going to say, it would hit her too hard, too deep, and way too truthfully.

“I’m going to tell you what I think.”

Please don’t.
She knew right then how obvious her body’s reaction was. It was too God damned
obvious
.

“I think,” Chase paused, brushing her skin lightly with his lips.

Aria shook her head, choking on everything he was and everything he was making her fucking want.

“You
feel this between us, Aria.” He kissed her cheek one more time, lingering just enough to drive her wild. “As wrong as everything has been so far… You. Feel.
This.
”

Chase pulled away from her and stormed down the hall.

The sound of the door slamming open and closed reverberated through Aria, mixing with the maelstrom churning in her body.

She sagged against the wall.