The Agreement (An Indecent Proposal) (14 page)

Now I owed him for that, too.

I turned my head away from Jude,
my neck pricking from her inquisitive stare.

Damn!

He was taking control
again—and not in a way I liked. He wasn’t that bad when he followed my
commands and tried to please me. But the moment he became all stubborn and
unreasonable, I had no idea how to deal with him.

This whole marriage thing wasn’t starting the way I had
envisioned it at all. I couldn’t take anything from a man, and certainly not
from someone like Chase, and so I vowed to pay him back. As we walked the
expensively furnished hall, my eyes taking in the rich and upper-class people
dressed in their designer attire, my mouth went dry at the thought of paying
Chase back.

Oh, God.

Did he
have
to
book us into what looked like one of the most expensive hotels in the state? It
was supposed to be just a ten-minute ceremony, where we signed a few papers,
and then we were done. Not spending a night in the kind of place that would
most certainly break the bank if I kept true to my conviction and footed the
bill myself.

 
“Come on. You
need to lie down before you faint on the spot.” Jude’s hand clasped around my
upper arm and she pulled me to the elevator area. Behind us I could hear the
receptionist communicating our room numbers and instructing someone to bring
our luggage up and show us the way, but I didn’t look back. All I did was
follow Jude’s command as we were shown our way to our rooms, my stomach turning
to ice.

The elevator came to a halt on one of the lower floors. The
bellboy opened the door and stepped aside to let us in.

I breathed a sigh of relief. At least Chase hadn’t gone for
the most expensive room. Deep down I knew he would have understood how awkward
it would have been for me if he had done that.

The room was pretty, consisting of a neat double bed, large
TV, a desk, a tiny walk-in closet, and an exquisite bathroom. Nothing more, and
yet everything I would have expected from this kind of hotel. With another
relieved sigh, I dropped my handbag on the bed when I noticed the bellboy
frowning.

Of course, I still had to tip him, stupid me.

Absentmindedly, I held out a twenty-dollar note to tip him
before he left, and then I noticed my suitcases behind him, outside in the
hall.

“Your suite’s on the top floor, ma’am,” he said in thick New
York accent. “Please follow me.”

The penny dropped. “Wait, did you just say suite?”

“Yes, ma’am,” he said, and for a moment I thought I
recognized a spark of panic in his eyes. “It’s the best we have. Mr. Wright
wanted the presidential suite, but it was already booked. I’m sorry for any
inconvenience caused, but you’ll find our executive suite offers a truly VIP
experience and…” The rushing in my ears muffled his voice.

Oh my God.

My face paled at the realization that Chase had asked for
the most expensive room in the hotel. No expenses spared. The initial bad
feeling had blossomed into a full-blown itch on my skin. I didn’t even dare to
look to Jude, knowing that she was probably inwardly laughing her head off.

“Ma’am?” The bellboy’s voice drew me back to reality. I
glanced at him and realized he was waiting for me.

I nodded, but didn’t move from the spot.

Would he find me rude if I announced that I’d be staying
with Jude?

“I’ll be fine. Go. I’ll see you later,” Jude whispered.
Before she turned away, I caught her smile, which was supposed to be
comforting, even though the twitching of her lips implied that she was having a
hard time not laughing.

I couldn’t blame her. The situation would have been
hilarious—and just a little bit romantic—were it not happening to
me.

Holding my head high, I grabbed my bag and followed the
bellboy back to the elevator, suppressing all my conflicting
emotions—most of which were urging me to call a taxi and return to L.A.

My heart hammered hard as we reached the first door on the
top floor and the bellboy opened it, his easygoing chatter all the while
amplifying my initial assumption that Chase had spent a whole lot of money on
something that should have been of no importance to both of us.

I stepped into a wide hall that led into a living room with
state-of-the-art furniture and floor-to-ceiling glass windows, more confused
than before. This didn’t look like any suite I had ever seen.

It was far too big and luxurious for that. But then again, I
hadn’t slept in many suites in my life. From the plush bedding, French doors,
and the beautiful, warm décor to the expensive carpets and rich draperies,
everything screamed style and elegance. It looked so darn expensive, they
should have charged for viewings.

“If you don’t like it, we’ll be happy to offer you something
more suitable for your needs,” the bellboy offered, misinterpreting my deadly
silence and cranky gaze.

Damn right I wasn’t happy. I had wanted
affordable
, not yet another invisible reminder of my low credit
score. But, as angry as I was, I wasn’t going to make a scene. It wasn’t the
poor bellboy’s fault that Chase was driving me crazy with his unnerving way of
showing off. Forget crazy. He was driving me insane, and not in that ‘screaming
his name in the waves of lust’ kind of way.

“It’s great,” I forced myself to say through clenched teeth.
“Thank you.”

“If you need anything, we’ll be happy to assist you. The
suite comes with a twenty-four-hour in-room dining experience that includes
champagne service.”

What the fuck was champagne service?

I listened as he explained a few more things and then he
left. Completely exhausted, I slumped down on a chair near the fireplace and
looked around, still incredulous.

What the hell had Chase been thinking when he booked a suite
for me?

That I’d need it to host a dinner party just for myself?

I buried my head in my hands. The suite probably had at
least two bedrooms. Plenty of space. For what? Once I closed my eyes at night,
I might as well sleep in a storage room and not know it. What a complete waste
of money! Didn’t Chase ever learn how to save up and put it all to good use?

You’re blowing it all
out of proportion.

I knew I was, but the knowledge didn’t change the way I
felt.

Chase had meant to be generous, but I knew there had to be a
different reason for his charity.

I knew men like Chase—seemingly generous on the
outside, but there were always hidden intentions, always demands that would
surface later.

Because nothing was ever free.

Not this time.

I had every intention of repaying him. And I’d tell him the
moment I’d see him.

A crack, followed by a thud, jerked me out of my thoughts. I
jumped up, startled, and caught movement from the corner of my eye.

Someone was here. Outside, in the hall.

My heart began to beat unnaturally fast, imitating the speed
of the racing thoughts inside my head. An intruder? No, it couldn’t possibly
be, because this was a hotel, and breaking into a hotel was a rare occurrence.
Then a room mix-up. Or a double booking. Or maybe the bellboy had returned to
inform me about my pay-TV options.

Clutching my handbag to my chest, I tiptoed out the living
room and toward the closed doors down the hall. A door opened and I bumped into
something hard and big. My mouth opened to scream but the sound remained lodged
in my throat. And then arms went around me, the scent of shower gel and
aftershave wafting over and enveloping me like a sheath.

I looked up at Chase, my blood boiling.

Dressed in nothing but a towel that hung low on his hips and
barely managed to hide an inch of his sculpted body, he looked like a beautiful
statue that had come alive.

Basically naked.

And within a hand’s reach.

“Good to see you, Laurie.” He laughed and his arms tightened
around my waist, as though to steady me even though I needed no support.

“What are you doing here?” The words came out so thin I
cringed. Behind him I glimpsed a spacious bathroom, lined with Carrera marble,
and equipped with a whirlpool big enough to host an entire family, and a
glass-enclosed shower.

“Obviously, I crash here. Just as per our arrangement.”

“But…” I struggled for words, numbed by the absurdity of the
situation. Could I throw his ass out even though he had paid for the suite?

Hardly.

Oblivious to my thoughts and obviously misinterpreting my
long and hard stare, Chase grinned. “No worries. The bathroom’s large enough
for two. It even has a whirlpool that will fit both you and me. We’ll have to
squeeze together a bit, but that won’t be a problem. I’ll gladly let you sit on
my lap.”

I looked past his broad and very naked shoulders. The
whirlpool was so huge, you could practically swim in there.

The word “lap” managed to stir something within my core.

“Let go of me.” I took a step back, my gaze traveling down
his chest to the damp, white fabric that seemed to draw all attention to a
generous bulge. I knew I was staring, but for some inexplicable reason my eyes
just couldn’t look elsewhere.

“You want a close-up?” Chase asked. “Because I’d be more
than happy to oblige.”

All heat drained from my face.

I stared at him, shaking my head.

Sometimes Chase amazed me with his bluntness, but right now
he amazed me with his stupidity. Did he really think that by looking so
deliciously sexy or choosing a suite with a whirlpool he’d manage to make me want
to sleep with him?

Definitely not.

I wasn’t that desperate.

“You’re crazy,” I whispered. “Just because you’re naked, I
harbor absolutely no intention of sleeping with you, Chase. I hope you know
that.”

“Yeah, you told me.” He laughed. “It’s easy for you to say
now. But come tomorrow, you might not feel the same way, which is why I’ll stay
near you in case you change your mind about our wedding night.” He winked. “And
then I’ll be here, baby, making all your dreams come true, and then some.”

He didn’t even make a secret out of his inflated ego.

“Crazy.” I pointed a finger to my head, annoyed with my
monosyllabic answers.

“One day you’ll see.”

“Dream on.” I scowled and took another step back.

Obviously, he was laughing at me, and given the fact that the
entire situation was ridiculous, I couldn’t blame him. But the knowledge
angered me nonetheless. His arrogant comment and his exasperating confidence
demanded a comeback…if only my brain functioned well enough that I could think
of one. Instead, I turned sharply and headed for the next door, keeping my head
high.

Chase laughed behind me. The low, sexy tone both grated on
my nerves and sent a tiny shudder through my belly. My hand clasped around the
doorknob and I pulled, but the door didn’t open. I tried again, then with more
fervor.

Why wouldn’t the damn thing open?

I could feel him behind me a moment before he leaned over me
and whispered in my ear, “You’ve got to push the right buttons.”

His warm breath tickled my neck, sending more shivers
through me. He stood so close I could smell his aftershave—the one that
always sent my head spinning. Ever so slowly, he inched forward, his hard abs
pressing against my back as he reached for a bolt and slid it open. I could
almost feel him through my clothes, as though they had magically melted away.
Maybe it was the knowledge that he was half-naked, his lips dangerously close
to my ear.

Skin on skin—the sensation was so delicious I marveled
at how good it felt and how much I wanted more.

My breath hitched in my throat as he leaned closer, his body
melting into me. His hardness rubbed against my lower back as his hand traveled
down my chest, settling on my hips. My heart stopped and I forgot to breathe. I
closed my eyes, unable to think or move.

“Why are you running?” His voice was deep and…hoarse.

It was a mere question, nothing sexual about it, but his
words, mingled with his gentle tone, managed to scare me even more than his
immediate proximity and his touch.

“Why are you really here?” I countered with a question of my
own, because there was no point in denying the obvious.

“I’m getting married tonight,” Chase whispered against my
skin. “I’m getting married to a mysterious but very frustrating woman.”

I laughed. Oh, I knew all about frustration around him.
“That wasn’t my question. I meant here, in this room with me.”

He let go of my hips and moved back, putting some safe
distance between us. I could almost feel his arrogant smile. For the umpteenth
time since I’d met him, my blood began to boil.

“It’s a suite, meaning there’s more than one bedroom. You
have yours and I have mine. We’ll be neighbors or, if you prefer, roomies,
because we share the bathroom and the living room.” He pointed to the door on
the right. “You’ll find my bedroom’s next to yours, in case you want to pay me
a visit. Any questions?”

I eyed the door to the right, full of mistrust. “What do you
mean next to mine?” I asked, confused. “There’s just one door to one room.”

His lips twitched. “My room has two doors. One through the
bathroom and one through yours.”

The fluttering sensation in my belly turned into churning
conviction.

“Your room’s connected with mine?” I asked, and shook my
head in disbelief. If I locked the bathroom door and forgot to unlock it, the
only way out for Chase would be through my bedroom. And if I wanted to take a
shower, he could enter anytime.

“You can’t be serious.” I turned to regard him, my eyes
ablaze with the kind of anger that burned a wicked trail through my entire
body. “I said different rooms, which means separate doors, different entries,
different everything.”

I sounded so ridiculously fraught, it was almost painful to
listen to myself, and
yet I couldn’t stop the sudden wave of desperation
washing over me. Chase was everything I dreamed of. But dreaming was one thing
and having it in real life was another. He kept challenging me, pushing my
limits, forcing me to accept the unacceptable.