Thrill of the Chase (Dangerous Love) (4 page)

O
ur limo awaits!” Paul shouted from the living room.

Limo. This was way over the top.

Erin had already agreed to a manicure, pedicure, facial and haircut earlier that day. Not to mention her shopping trip to Roberto’s. Erin settled on a short black dress that hugged her curves and strappy heels that made her legs look like they went on for miles. She wore her hair loose and, thanks to the makeup artist at the salon, her smoky eyes definitely had that come-hither look. The whole ensemble gave off a sexy, but not slutty, vibe.

They arrived at the club around seven thirty and due to the early hour, they didn’t have too much difficulty finding a table. Erin looked around and took in the swanky atmosphere. She was thankful that she had gone with the dress she had chosen. The other one, the dress that was definitely more comfortable and didn’t show as much boob, would have looked frumpy here. Reminded of her cleavage, she looked down to make sure that her girls were still in place and not misbehaving.

Paul ordered her a glass of wine and a beer for himself. He knew her too well. She wasn’t a big drinker. If she started her night with wine and then switched to beer with the occasional shot thrown in the mix, she would last longer and not get too drunk or sick.

The first glass of wine went down quickly, and Erin soon found herself getting reacquainted with the hum and buzz that only a club can bring. People were filtering in now. A line had formed outside, and she was thankful that they had arrived before the crowds had set their sights on the place.

She had just checked her phone for the time when a waitress came to the table with a lemon drop shot and a bottle of Heineken. Paul raised his beer and Erin lifted her shot in return. “To new beginnings, a new life.”

Erin smiled, knowing how much was behind his words: a combination of pain and hope that they could both move on from the past. She picked up the shot and threw it back. The sweet liquid scurried its way down her throat. The warm sensation that followed transported Erin back to happier, more carefree days.

And as Erin slammed the shot glass back down on the table, she heard a familiar voice from behind. “That’s my girl.”

It may have been almost a year, but Erin would have known it anywhere. She turned and found her best friend smiling at her.

Erin tore across the aisle and ran straight into his arms. She was laughing and crying all at once. Erin didn’t know how much she had missed him, missed that put-life-on-hold attitude until now. Josh hugged her tight, appearing equally happy to see her. After a minute of “I can’t believe you’re heres” and “I missed yous,” she grabbed his hand and pulled him over to the table. Paul was already standing, his hand extended to Josh.

Looking at Josh, Erin was shocked. She’d known he’d be here, but she was shocked at how good it felt to see her old friend, to be okay with coming face-to-face with a part of her life that she had tried desperately to forget, to check off item number five on her list. Josh symbolized her life at college and the moment when her innocence had been taken from her. And until now, Erin had thought that allowing Josh back into her life would somehow awaken the memories of the rapist that had lain dormant for the past several months, since she had started therapy. Though occasional nightmares and trembling hands still plagued her at times.

Josh ordered a round for their intimate little gathering and they instantly started reminiscing about their college days. Erin forgot how great a storyteller Josh was, and before she knew it, he was sharing the keg stand story with her brother. Paul smiled and interjected at appropriate times during the retelling, but she couldn’t fight the feeling that her brother was studying her. When Josh excused himself to the bathroom, Paul seemed to seize the opportunity and reached for her hand. “Time for me to head out.”

“What…where are you going?” she asked, clearly missing something.

“I have no intention of being the third wheel. My plan was to hang out here until I felt you were comfortable enough to be with Josh and just have fun.” Paul stood up, not allowing her to disagree or try to convince him to stay. “The limo will take you wherever you need to go. I’ll have my phone on me at all times. Call me if you need me.” Erin knew how hard it was for him to let her go. He wanted to stay, to never let her out of his sight if he could help it. And again, she loved him for it.

Paul kissed her on the forehead and walked to meet Josh, who was just returning from the restroom. Erin watched from the table and though she couldn’t hear the conversation between her brother and Josh, she gathered that the conspirators deemed Operation Get Erin Back to the Land of the Living a success. Erin smiled at her brother as he left, thanking him and giving him the confirmation he needed that she would be alright.

Josh came over to the table with two beers in hand and Erin happily accepted. “If my calculations are correct, you are just one beer away from agreeing to dance with me. So drink up, sweetheart.”

Josh’s estimate was dead-on. Erin was working on a great buzz, feeling the wine and shots, which were giving her that lightheaded, carefree feeling that all was right in the world. The beers were going down like water and the next thing she knew, Josh was pulling her out onto the dance floor. It didn’t take long for them to find their rhythm.

They would grab a beer during the songs they both despised and then immediately return to the dance floor. Erin was loving every minute of it. People were bumping and grinding on all sides of her, leaving no space for worries or memories to crowd in and haunt her.

One song bled into another, and suddenly Erin felt two hands grab her waist from behind. Her body grew rigid and she repelled the stranger’s touch. With her fists clenched, she swung around, fully prepared to wallop the guy who thought it was okay to be the other half of an Erin sandwich. Erin felt her breath leave her as she stared into piercing, deep blue eyes. Lust and desire resonated there, and they pleased her. She liked how he looked at her. But she was also aware that this was a man who probably always got what or whom he wanted. She had denied him—and rightfully so—and turned down his invitation to dinner. She’d then followed it up with her resignation. No, this was a man who didn’t get rejected often, and he was most likely viewing her as a challenge, his next conquest in a long line of adoring women.

“Dance with me?”

Chase’s voice was husky and so goddamned sexy. He wore dark jeans and a black button-down shirt with the sleeves rolled up, exposing muscular forearms. His thick brown hair had that I-just-woke-up look, but on him it absolutely worked. And the subtle smell of his cologne all but made her weep, for good reasons.

Josh reached for her hand. He wasn’t one for confrontation, but would happily lay a guy out if Erin asked him to. Erin looked at Chase and then at Josh. She didn’t want to cause a scene. It would get back to her brother and he would kick himself for leaving her at the club, for organizing the entire evening, a night that had been awesome up until this point.

“Do you know this guy, Erin?” Josh asked. Josh could be protective, but he was also respectful of her choices and knew when to back down.

Erin nodded. And then with a little more confidence, she looked at Josh and said, “Josh, it’s okay.”

Josh let go of Erin’s hand and told her that he was going to grab a drink at the bar. He smiled, indicating that there were no hard feelings. She wasn’t too worried about him. He would be snatched up immediately by some chick, or three. Josh was incredibly hot. Seldom was his bed empty during their college years.

Chase’s one hand was still on her waist; the other had navigated down to her wrist. He pulled her close and they started to dance. Erin discovered quickly that the man knew how to move. Not surprising.

That painful fact would make it all the more difficult to tell him off. But she had to try.

“I don’t like confrontation. That’s the only reason why I’m giving you this one dance.” She was such a piss-poor liar. She wanted this dance. She had wanted to feel him…
taste
him ever since she had entered his office. Erin’s voice was shaky as he grinded against her. She could feel every ripple of his washboard abs. It took everything Erin had not to continue her quest southward and learn if he was just as firm elsewhere.

He leaned in closer. “Are you with him?” Even amongst the noise of the club, his whisper was crystal clear and so very tempting. His breath against her neck caused her to shiver and she whimpered. She prayed he had not heard her.

Erin swallowed, hard. For some reason, she had a very strong feeling that he already knew the answer. “No, he’s a friend from college. Why?”

And just when Erin thought he couldn’t get any closer, he did just that. His grip tightened around her waist, confirming that he was just as hard below the waist as he was above. He found her neck and for a second, Erin thought he was going to kiss her. His lips traveled upward, with a teasing motion that left her skin hot and wanting. When he reached her ear, she felt his own breathing shudder.

“Because I don’t share…ever.”

Demanding, arrogant, full-of-himself asshole.

Sexy asshole.

Her body halted, though the music continued to pound. “I would have to be yours, first off. And that is never going to happen,” she said.

“Are you absolutely certain about that, Erin?” Erin tried to step back, but he was too quick. His hands encircled her waist and she was flush against his chest. “Kiss me. If you feel nothing, I’ll walk away.”

The desire, the heat between them, was too intense. And it wasn’t like Erin was going to see him on Monday; she had quit her job at his company. There really wasn’t anything to lose. One kiss and she would walk away. One kiss to help inspire her when she was alone and pleasuring herself.

“No.” Erin shook her head. “You kiss me,” she said.

He didn’t hesitate. She felt his lips on hers. His breath was a heady mixture of mint and Scotch, and she welcomed his tongue as it eagerly explored her mouth. His hands had taken the liberty of cupping her ass. It felt like he didn’t just want her, but needed her. It intrigued her that she didn’t tremble in fear at the thought. Erin heard him groan and it only fueled her desire to go even further, right there on the dance floor. Erin tried to care about how many people had to be watching them but could think of nothing beyond Chase. Erin heard herself whimper as his kiss drew deeper. She reached down and felt his cock through his pants.

He grabbed her hand and groaned. “You will make me come if you continue to touch me.” Erin loved how powerful she felt. It wasn’t the alcohol that was giving her the courage. It was the sudden realization that she hadn’t died that night in the cemetery, though her current day-to-day routine ever since suggested otherwise, that prompted her to seize this moment and take control of it. It was an aphrodisiac just watching him come dangerously close to losing control as she cupped his balls. “Erin, we can’t do this here.” His voice was firm and dark.

Erin wanted him more than she wanted anything. “Yes,” she whispered. He took her hand and led her through the club and out the front door, where a limo was idling. The driver opened the door and they both got in. For Chase, it was probably a daily occurrence to be driven around in a stretch limo, but Erin she could count on two fingers how many times she had found herself seated in such luxurious surroundings: once on the way to the club just this very night, and back when she was eighteen and going to her senior prom with a guy Paul had threatened to castrate if he didn’t behave himself. But she didn’t feel intimidated now; rather, her confidence soared and she was determined to live out the fantasy she had started on the dance floor.

Chase pushed the button for the intercom and told the driver to take them to the penthouse. Chase blacked out the glass with the push of another button. They picked up right from where they left off, but this time Erin kissed him. He laid her on her back and within seconds, Chase undid the two snaps that were holding her bodice intact and exposed her bare breasts. Her nipples were already hard and needy. He caressed one while he took the other in his mouth, sucking on it ravenously. Erin groaned, as the pain was intoxicating.

“I need to taste you…and I will not wait.” His voice was gruff and wanting.

Chase pulled up her dress, her black silk thong in full view. He looped his fingers under the smooth fabric of the waistband and shuffled the undergarment down her legs. The action was gentle but determined. He started to kiss her thighs and as he reached her entrance, she felt her juices flow shamelessly down her legs. Each heated kiss left her begging for another. He wasn’t just kissing her thighs, but tasting her with his lips and tongue.

“Oh my God, you’re so wet for me, Erin. I need to make you come. It’s all I’ve thought about.”

Erin saw what looked like desperation—that need for her—in his eyes, which only made her own desire to be claimed by him mount with each passing second. She was panting for him. “Please Chase…touch me.” Her legs fell apart, giving him the personal invite to satisfy her feverish need.

He slid his tongue into her tight slit and she instantly jolted and cried out. Chase parted her folds to gain greater access, which almost did her in. He ate her greedily, and she let him know how good it was. Erin moaned, begging for more, pleading for him to stop because she didn’t think she could possibly stand it any longer. Erin was on the verge of the most powerful orgasm of her life when she felt him slide a finger into her, and she immediately clamped down around his finger. “Erin, you’re so fucking tight. So snug. I need to get inside you.”

Erin froze. It was as if someone had transported her back to that cemetery, her body exposed and being penetrated. “No…stop!”

He ceased immediately and she sat up in her seat. Her heart was pounding and her fingers trembled as she pulled her dress down and attempted to snap her bodice shut. Due to her shaking hands, she couldn’t grasp the final snap between her fumbling fingers and out of frustration, she yanked at the material and ripped the snap clear away from the fabric. Without that final snap tucking the girls in for the night, she would definitely be giving off that slutty vibe now. Erin was so mortified that she couldn’t even look at him. But it had nothing to do with her boobs. She was angry at herself. That one fucking phrase could put her back in that dark place she’d foolishly thought she was crawling out of.