Seducing Chase (9 page)

*****

Val called Stacy for reinforcements. After explaining the situation to her, Val was able to convince Stacy to meet her at the mall. Normally, Val didn’t go to the yearly gala since employees didn’t get a discount on tickets and, even though she was well-compensated, dropping almost five hundred dollars just on tickets, not to mention the dress, hair and makeup, would put a dent in her bank account. Then there was the problem of finding a date.
Took care of that one–against my will.
But it didn’t look like she was getting out of attending the soiree this time.

After a quick bite in the food court, they headed to the department stores to look for a dress. As they perused the racks, Val started thinking about what it would be like to attend the gala with Nate. Would he expect her to dance with him?
Did
he dance? Was dancing with him a good idea if he asked? Stacy startled her out of her reverie.

“Hello? Earth to Val!”

“What?” Seeing the exasperated look on her friend’s face, Val’s face flamed. “Sorry.”

Stacy smirked. “Thinking about Nate again?”

“I just–”

“You like him. Hey, it’s okay to like him.”

Val groaned. “Sometimes I like him. Sometimes I want to slap him.”

“So a typical reaction for a woman to have to a guy?”

“That’s typical? God help us.”

“Anyway, do you like this one?”

Val wrinkled her nose. “I hate one-shoulder dresses. I always feel lopsided.”

“Okay then,” Stacy answered with a snicker, as she put the dress back.

They continued to flip through the racks. Val bit her lip. Should she tell Stacy about kissing Nate again? Finally, she decided she needed someone to talk to and Stacy was likeliest the least judgmental of anyone she knew.

“Hey.” Stacy looked up from where she was admiring the beaded bodice of a dress that would look great on her but not on Val, who’d fall out of the thing. “Did I tell you Nate kissed me again?”

“No. And I can’t believe you didn’t say something earlier. We’ve been together for almost two hours now. When were you planning to slip this little piece of information in?”

“Apparently right now,” Val answered, rolling her eyes.

“Oh. Yeah. Well, why did you wait so long?” Stacy tugged Val to a pair of chairs outside the dressing room. She waved toward the dresses when Val protested. “We’ll get back to that in a minute. Right now you need to tell me what happened. Don’t leave any details out.”

Val recounted the tale of Nate kissing her in her office and then that little brush of a kiss later. Stacy stayed silent throughout, and when Val finished, she said, “Let me ask you a question.” At Val’s nod, she continued. “Would it be that bad to give in to the attraction? I mean, he’s not staying, right? So where’s the harm in having a little fun?”

“I don’t do that. I don’t have casual sex,” Val protested.

“You say that like I just told you to go hump a football team. Sex for sex’s sake doesn’t have to be dirty.”

“I know. I just…” She wasn’t sure how to explain her feelings. “I haven’t had sex since Brian and I broke up and I’m afraid that once I start my judgment will be clouded.”

“In what way?”

“Like I won’t be able to tell if he really likes me or if he’s just using me for sex.”

“So what? Do you
want
him to like you?”

“I don’t know. Yes. No. This is all becoming so complicated. I think the whole problem is that I don’t want to like
him
, but I do. I can’t help it. Even when he’s driving me crazy and we’re arguing about how to handle stuff I still want to climb over the table, grab the lapels of his perfectly-tailored suit and kiss the daylights out of him.”

“Wow. You should do it, then.”

“Right. Not that easy, by far. Let’s get back to dress shopping, shall we?”

“So are we looking for something that’ll make Nate sit up and take notice?”

“God, no, I don’t want him to be any more aggressive than he already is.”

Stacy laughed and Val shook her head at her friend. It was easy for Stacy to be so carefree about all this stuff. She didn’t have a hotter-than-sin, overly confident, all-male specimen to contend with for hours every day.

Together they picked out several dresses and Val headed to the fitting room to try them on. The first, a sleeveless white silk gown with a gathered bodice, was nice but too clingy. Stacy remarked, “That thing looks like it was painted on.”

That was all Val needed to hear. She peeled the dress off, handed it to Stacy to put back on the hanger, and went to the next, a long black dress with an open back. That one was discarded as soon as Val turned around to look at herself in the mirror. “Way too sexy.”

“What do you mean? Except for the back it’s pretty staid.”

“Yeah, and the back’s the problem. It goes down almost to my butt!”

“It does not,” Stacy argued.

“I’m not wearing it. Next.” They went through a bunch more dresses until Val slipped one over her head, turned toward the mirror, and gasped. The gown was satin with a chiffon overlay. It looked silver, but as she moved the satin shimmered in greens and pinks. The little chiffon wrap with the dress made her feel more covered up, even if it was only an illusion. She checked out the price tag. “And I can afford it. Even better.”

They gathered all the rejected dresses, leaving them on the rack outside the dressing room. After paying for her purchase, she and Stacy stopped by the makeup counter and Val bought a few special colors to do her eyes for the party. With their shopping done, they strolled back down the main aisle of the mall, talking, until they came to the entrance by the food court.

Val hugged Stacy. “Thank you so much for putting up with my craziness.”

“Anytime, girl. You know that.” Stacy pulled away and waggled her finger. “But I want at least one picture, even if it’s from your cell phone.”

Val laughed. “I’ll see what I can do.”

Nate called and told her he’d come pick her up. She protested, as the gala was only a few blocks from the hospital, whereas her little house was almost a half-hour outside the city, but Nate wouldn’t hear of her meeting him there. Finally Val relented, figuring she had bigger fish to fry with him than where they’d meet that night.

Through some stroke of magic, Val was able to get into her favorite salon for a manicure and pedicure before Michelle, her stylist, put her hair up in an elegant twist. Driving home, she was careful to keep her nails and her hair from getting messed up. But when she stepped out into the typical Buffalo wind, one strand of long, black hair flew across her face and she shrieked, running into the house as best she could in her flip-flops. Slamming the door behind her, she put a tentative hand up to assess the damage. Not too bad—nothing she couldn’t repair with a few strategically-placed bobby pins and a metric ton of hairspray.

By the time she’d shimmied into her dress, fixed her hair, and applied her makeup, Nate was due to arrive. She didn’t even have time to be nervous, but when the doorbell rang her heart jumped in her chest anyway. Forcing herself to move slowly, she went to the door and opened it, then had to concentrate on keeping her tongue in her mouth as she looked at Nate.

He was attired in a navy-blue tuxedo that looked like it had been made specifically for him, but unless he typically traveled with a tux she doubted that was true. The man certainly knew how to wear clothes. The wide shoulders tapered down to a three-button waist, and his powerful thighs were lovingly encased in the pants. The look was topped off by a traditional white tuxedo shirt and a navy-blue satin tie that matched the crisp lapels. Overall, an entirely delectable package.
Too delectable.

They both stood there, admiring each other, until Nate cleared his throat. Val was brought back to reality in force then. “I’m sorry, come in. I just need to gather a few things and I’ll be ready to go.”

“Take your time.” Nate sat on her overstuffed cotton couch and leaned back, casual as can be, while she scurried around the house looking for all the things she needed to tuck into her small evening bag. He appeared to be watching her with a mixture of amusement and curiosity. She’d expected him to demand a tour and was surprised when he just sat quietly. Finally she was ready to depart. Nate helped her into his Porsche and then started the engine.

Val couldn’t help but reach her hand out to stroke along the dashboard. “Purrs like a kitten.”

“Doesn’t she?” Nate grinned at her, and then pulled out of her driveway with the flawless efficiency she’d seen him display in so many situations. She’d be jealous if it didn’t make her want him so badly.

Nate valeted his car and they walked into the hotel where the gala was being held. Already a crowd was assembling and Val was happy to see attendance didn’t seem to be down. They found Doug to let him know they’d arrived.

He shook Nate’s hand and told her she looked beautiful. Nate snagged two glasses of champagne from a passing waiter and handed one to her. She drank gratefully, glad to have something to wet her mouth, which had been parched since the moment she’d laid eyes on Nate.

“I’ve saved places for you both at my table,” Doug told them, pointing out the table immediately in front of the podium. She and Nate nodded and Doug continued, sighing. “I want you to be close at hand in case there are any problems.”

He looked so worn out Val couldn’t help but place her hand on his shoulder. Squeezing gently, she said, “There aren’t going to be any problems. It certainly doesn’t look like attendance is suffering.”

Doug looked around. “Thankfully, no, according to the gala committee. Hopefully the guests will still be generous with the raffle and auction items, like they have been in prior years.”

“I’m sure they will. These people know CCC is a good cause to support, no matter what one doctor did.”

“God, I hope so. We’re going to need this money if more donors pull out and NIH doesn’t lift their ban on funding us.”

Nate turned to her. “Would you like to go check out the items up for bid?”

“The things they offer at these galas are usually too rich for my blood,” she answered, trying to suppress a sigh. She had a great life and felt kind of ridiculous lamenting the fact she couldn’t put a five-figure bid on a fabulous vacation.

Nate insisted they go over anyway and, sure enough, a weeks’ stay at a private villa in the US Virgin Islands was one of the live auction items. Val ran the tips of her fingers over the brochure on display. She hadn’t been anywhere for vacation in almost three years and was dying to go somewhere she could just hang out by the ocean and have someone bring her endless margaritas. Moving down the line she spied spa packages, autographed sports memorabilia, gorgeous diamond jewelry, and more. The lights flickered and she turned to Nate. “We should go sit.”

“Why don’t you go ahead? Grab us some seats and I’ll join you in a minute.” Val briefly narrowed her eyes, but gave her assent, following the rest of the assemblage back into the ballroom. A few moments later Nate sat down next to her. “So what’s for dinner?”

That look on his face was far too innocent and she had a feeling he’d just bid on something for her. Val read from the card in front of her. “Mixed grill, it looks like. Why would anyone bother with chicken when steak is available?”

Nate threw his head back and laughed. Squeezing her arm lightly, he leaned over to whisper, “A girl after my own heart, I see.” He was close enough that Val couldn’t avoid breathing in the musky scent of the light cologne he wore. The scent had first enticed her when he’d kissed her, and her body heated as he continued to crowd into her personal space. “I was too speechless to say so earlier, but you look absolutely gorgeous tonight. If you were on the menu I’d definitely clean my plate.” He winked at her and she swallowed thickly. It was a corny come-on line, but for some insane reason, it was working.

She turned away from Nate to greet the hospital administrator on her other side. Throughout dinner she managed to engage several people in conversation and ignore Nate for the most part. He sat next to her, close enough she could feel the heat pouring off him in waves, making conversation and smiling at her in turn. At last Doug rose and said a few words, thanking the attendees, and then the auctioneer came up to start the live auction. Val began to excuse herself to go to the ladies’ room, but Nate grabbed her arm.

“Stay, just for a few minutes.”

“What did you do?” Her voice came out harsher than she’d intended. Clearly Nate was going to bid on something for her, which was incredibly sweet given the time they’d known each other.

His eyes pleaded with her. “Just stay put. That’s all I ask.”

Val’s instinct had been right. Nate was the high bidder on a full day of pampering at the most exclusive spa in Niagara-on-the-Lake, a gorgeous tourist town about a half-hour north of Buffalo.

When he returned and set the brochure and voucher in front of her, she looked at them and then back at him. She still couldn’t quite believe it. “You bought that for me?”

“I thought you could use a little stress relief.”

She’d been taught to be gracious when given a gift, which made kissing him senseless out of the question, though that’s all she really wanted to do. Instead she tucked the materials into her clutch.

“Thank you. Truly.” Val leaned over and planted a quick kiss on his cheek. His breath caught and she hoped no one would be able to read their body language, as she feared there was no way to disguise her feelings for the man, or his for her. “Now I really do need to use the ladies’ room.”

Nate let her go and she made her escape. In the powder room, she fell into a chair and clasped her head in her hands.

What am I going to do with him?

When Val finally forced herself to re-enter the ballroom, she looked around but didn’t see either Nate or Doug. Was something wrong? She hadn’t been gone more than ten minutes, she was sure of it. Reaching into her purse, she extracted her cell phone and checked for messages. Nothing. Where were they?

Val tamped down on her rising panic as she began a tour of the room. When she didn’t see either man in the ballroom she headed out to the hallway. Hearing masculine laughter, she opened the door to a smaller room and came upon a bunch of men having an after-dinner drink. Both Doug and Nate were there. Nate must’ve seen the look on her face, because he immediately excused himself and took her elbow, leading her back out the way she’d come.

Leaning toward her, he spoke in a low voice. “Doug was spirited out here and I didn’t want to let him go alone just in case. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you, but there wasn’t really an opportunity.”

Her shoulders, which she hadn’t realized had been hunched, relaxed at the news. Jerking her head back to the room, she said, “So you think he’ll be okay?”

“Yeah. Turns out they’re all golfing buddies. I think he’s safe with them.”

“You know, this is so ridiculous. We’re afraid to leave the CEO alone at a public event because he might get tarred and feathered for something he had nothing to do with.”

Nate shrugged. “Perception is reality.”

“It’s hardly fair to blame him for this.”

“People don’t care about fair. They care about their own idea of justice.” Steering her back into the ballroom, he headed for the dance floor.

“What are you doing?”

“Dancing.”

Jerking her elbow out of his grasp, Val said, “I don’t recall you asking.” Nate looked so perplexed she almost wanted to laugh. “What, in your world it’s acceptable to just drag women onto the dance floor?”

“No, of course not.” He extended his hand and bowed low. “May I have this dance, milady?”

People were starting to look at the two of them, so Val took his hand and pulled him up. “Yes, just stop embarrassing me.”

“Now I’m embarrassing you? I’m hurt.” Pulling Val flush with his body, he began to sway to the music. Val tried to push away from him but he wouldn’t have any of it, keeping a tight hold on her. “Oh, no you don’t. I’m not letting you get away that easily.” With an exasperated sigh, Val let him lead her around the floor. “So you’re not even going to talk to me while we dance?”

Val was busy trying to remember to breathe and hardly recognized his words. “What?”

“I said, aren’t you going to talk at all?”

“Do you normally talk while dancing?”

“There’s not much else to do, unless you want me to spend the time getting to know your body better. Because if that’s the case, I’m all for it.”

He spun her into a turn before she could react and, when he righted them again, Val glared at him. “Must you be such a barbarian?” She was hoping against hope he wouldn’t notice the rapid pulse beating at her neck due to their proximity.

“You love it.” Leaning closer, his breath feathered over her ear and she shivered. “And I think you’re warming up to me too.”

“What do you mean?” She closed her eyes in mortification, as her voice came out as little more than a squeak.

“Your heart is racing. Your breath isn’t steady.” He glanced down. “Your nipples are hard.”

Val looked down too and cursed the fact that wearing a bra had been impossible in this dress. “I’m cold.”

Nate chuckled. “Bullshit.” And then right there on the dance floor, he kissed her. A thousand points of light exploded behind her eyes as his tongue sank into her mouth. She clung to him, wringing every ounce of pleasure out of the kiss. Then the band finished its song and she stumbled backward, a hand over her mouth. He reached for her and she held up her other hand. Turning, she fled.

Val heard him swear and knew he was following her, but she had to get away. What had she been thinking, letting herself get carried away like that? Sure, this wasn’t technically the office, but the place was filled with people Val worked with. She knew better. Striding toward the ballroom’s exit as quickly as she could in her heels, she swung the door open and turned left, away from the revelry. Nate was alternating between cursing and trying to get her to slow down. Reaching the corner, she came to a deserted hallway and whirled around to face him.

“What in the
hell
were you doing?”

“Look, I’m sorry.” He blew a breath out and Val noticed his face was flushed. It was little comfort.

“Sorry for kissing me right in the middle of a party filled with my co-workers, not to mention my boss? You mean that little incident?”

Nate ran a hand through his hair. “You were driving me crazy. I got carried away.”

“Damn right you got carried away.”

“Look, I apologized, okay?” He speared her with a look that could’ve melted Polar ice caps. “But you can’t even
try
to tell me you’re not attracted to me. I know you are, you’re just fighting it, and I want to know why.”

“You’re leaving. Plus, we should try to maintain our professionalism, don’t you think?”

“Why can’t we be together and still have a professional relationship? After all, we aren’t really co-workers since I’m just a short-term consultant, and me leaving is all the more reason for us to stop wasting time. I want you. You want me. What else do we need to know?”

He moved in again and Val couldn’t disagree. He made a good point. It wasn’t like the two of them had to work together for years to come.
Ugh. Now I’m justifying this to myself.
Against her better judgment she wanted this man, even though a million reasons not to get involved popped into her head. She’d wanted Nate since the moment she’d laid eyes on him nearly a week ago. Resisting the pull of his charm was exhausting and she couldn’t do it anymore.