A Debt Repaid (1) (2 page)

CHASE LEANED BACK IN his seat and stared at the man in front of him with distaste. "Do you have any idea how much money you ‘owe’ this company, Douglas?”

Douglas ran a hand through his hair, nervous. He
couldn't even bring himself to stare Chase in the eye.

He had the balls to steal from Chase, but the fucker
couldn’t be a god damn man now that he’d been caught.

Matthew, Chase’s right-hand man, shook his head in disgust before speaking. "And I find it ridiculous that we’ve had to come and pay you a home visit. How you’ve found a way to avoid us beats me, but it ends here.
”

Chase nodded in agreement,
barely holding in a sneer as he stared at the weasel of a man in front of them.

"I haven't been hiding—
” Douglas began in a feeble tone.

"Bullshit
." Chase’s patience was running thin. "And it seems you're going to lose your house." He raised an eyebrow when Douglas looked at him in shock.

"How did you—"

"We now know everything,” Matthew stated in a bored tone. “Every last bit of the bullshit you try to hide.”

Sweat glistened on Douglas’ brow. "Guys, I'll find a way to pay the money back, I swear.
”

"How, Douglas?" Matthew asked.

"I—" Douglas was
interrupted by the sound of the door slamming shut, the loud noise vibrating throughout the house.

They
all turned to look at the door leading into the living room, waiting to see who it was.

A dark haired woman stepped through it, blazing with fury. Chase’s mouth went dry.
He stared at her. At her flushed face glowing beautifully, her long, sinful hair that was all over the place, and her blue, molten eyes flashing with—

She was looking back at him.

She was fucking magnificent.

Chase swallowed the lump in his throat. His eyes fell to her chest, her small waist,
and her perfect hips. He started to wonder who she was, but then it hit him. And he was beyond incredulous.

The piece of shit of a man in front of him owned the gorgeous creature before them? How?

She turned away from Chase, staring at Matthew. For the life of him, Chase couldn't bring himself to look away from her. He was shaken; flabbergasted by the sheer amount of lust that was flooding his system. He had never, in all his life, had such an instant reaction to a woman.

A woman that
was married to another man.

Fuck.

She was staring at her husband now, her hands on her hips. The way she tapped her foot and stared Douglas down had Chase aching.

And confused.

What the hell?

She growled Douglas’ name, her anger
evident, and it took everything in Chase to stop himself from biting down on his lip. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Douglas’ mouth fall open. Chase waited, curious to see what excuse Douglas was going to dish out—the sound of his own voice surprised the hell out of him.

"Douglas, aren't you going to introduce us to your wife?"

Again, what the fuck?

Even worse, Chase
had gotten to his feet. Her eyes snapped back toward him. She seemed almost… frightened. His stupid legs began moving in her direction. He told them to stop, but they just wouldn't listen.

There was astonishment in her eyes, a touch of fear, but it was the undercurrent of heat in them that had him reaching for her hand. It was small, dainty, and her skin was soft. A jolt went through him at the
feeling of it, one that left him fighting back a shiver.

She, on the other hand, trembled at his touch.

Chase’s heart took off in his chest, all the blood in his body heading downward. Slowly, as if not to frighten her, he brought her hand up to his face. His eyes locked with hers. Hers were wide, her perfect mouth hanging open, and her breaths were coming out in short gasps. He lowered his mouth toward her hand and brushed his nose against it. He took a moment to breath in her luscious scent before pressing a small open mouth kiss to the back of it.

Delicious.

She gave a tiny a gasp, one Chase was sure only he heard, but it sent his blood into a frenzy. He looked back into her eyes; didn't let go of her hand. The urge to seduce the air out of her, right in front of the man she was married to, was overwhelming.

He wanted her.

In a way, he couldn't remember ever wanting a woman.

And she
was married.

Shit.

"It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Chase Blaine, the CEO of Blaine Medical Technologies. The company your husband works for."

She blinked, that delicious looking mouth still open. Her cheeks darkened more and he
could do nothing but stare, battling the animalistic hunger taking over him.

"Aria," she squeaked, her eyes still locked with his.

"Aria," Chase said, rolling the name around on his tongue.

A throat cleared behind them and he turned, ready to stare
down her good for nothing husband for even thinking of interrupting the moment.

But it was
just Matthew, who had stood as well and was making his way over to them.

Chase let go of Aria's hand, took a step away from the temptation she posed, and tried to regain
some control.

What the hell was wrong with him? He’d
almost seduced a married woman. In front of her husband, no less. All because of how she was making him feel.

And there was no doubt
about it. He was
feeling.

"Hello, Aria. Pleasure to meet you. I'm Matthew, Chase’s friend and the vice president." Marcus smiled at her.

Aria swallowed and held out her hand.

It was obvious that Matthew had more common sense than Chase at the moment. He
gave her a small handshake before stepping back, still smiling.

Chase breathed in deep, trying to control the need and confusion coursing through him.

Douglas stood from his seat.

"Douglas, why didn't you tell me your bosses were coming over?" Aria asked, her annoyance returning as she turned to stare at her husband.

Chase couldn't deny that a sick amount of satisfaction ran through him.

"It was a last minute visit, hon.
Would you mind? We're going to take this into my office." Douglas stepped forward and leaned down to give her a kiss.

Chase’s nostrils flared as Douglas’ face got
close to hers and he almost stepped forward to stop him. The look Matthew threw his way reminded Chase of his place. Impulses were firing off, at a speed he’d never had to deal with before. This new lack of control was aggravating. More than he could keep up with.

Still, when Aria turned her head away from Douglas and gave him her cheek, Chase
couldn't hold back the satisfaction that broke forth.

Fuck it
all. He was being
territorial
over some other man’s woman.

"Fine, go.
But you and I have to talk when this is over." Aria stepped away from Douglas and stared him down impressively before turning to leave.

She peeked over her shoulder at Chase one last time before walking out of the living room.

"Shall we?" Douglas asked, glaring at Chase.

Chase raised an eyebrow.

Matthew rolled his eyes.

The three of them walked out of the living room, Douglas ahead of them. Matthew took the opportunity to nudge Chase in the side and give him a
stare that said, "What the fuck?"

Chase scowled at him.
Even if he had wanted to give Matthew an answer, he had no idea what he would say.

Douglas waited until they were inside the office, shut the door, and turned to glare at Chase for
all he was worth.

Which wasn't fucking much.

"Did you think I wouldn’t notice? Who the hell do you think you are?”

"I know who I am." Chase took a step toward him, but Matthew put his arm between them. "I'm not
only your boss, but I am the man who owns the company that you’ve been stealing thousands from, in order to continue living your ridiculous lifestyle."

Douglas swallowed, his eyes shooting daggers at Chase. "I told you, I will find a way to pay you back!"

"You have no way to pay us back. We all know that. You're losing your house, you piece of shit. Did you ever think about your wife?” Chase asked in a low voice.

The investigation into Douglas’ life had brought up a lot of info.
Lots of shit, the type that most women wouldn’t put up with.

"What happens to my wife is none of your business!"

Chase almost couldn’t hold back his desire to punch Douglas right in the nose. "It is now," he heard himself say. A plan was beginning to take hold in the back of his head. One that had him smirking, even as the bigger part of him began to panic.

What the fuck?

"What the fuck?" Douglas and Matthew echoed, both looking at Chase like he’d gone crazy.

And fuck, he had.

Douglas took a step toward him. "What does that mean?"

Chase stared him
down, daring Douglas to give him an excuse.

"Chase, what..." Matthew trailed off, shaking his head in confusion.

"I said, it is now," Chase repeated, the decision solidifying itself in his head. It was wrong, it was cruel, and it was low.

She was going to be one hundred percent against it.
But he had the power now and nothing was going to stop him.

Was he a bastard for what he was about to do?
Yes. Six ways to hell
yes
, yet the needs coursing through him would not let Chase do it any other way. He knew how to recognize an opportunity.

And how to take one.

Chase sneered at him. "Listen to me. I cannot just have you fired; you are facing time behind bars if I choose to press charges on you. Now, I'm willing to let what you've done slide...and I'm willing to help you pay off the bank so that you don't lose your home.”

The new
found hope on Douglas’ face became anger and understanding when it clicked in his head.

Not such an idiot after
all.

Douglas’ expression darkened with fury. "You want something from my wife.
”

"Chase," Matthew warned, his eyes wide with disbelief.

Chase looked at Matthew, silently telling him to shut the fuck up. "Yes. You avoid jail and you keep your house. I, in return, get one date with Aria, Douglas. Just one.”

"And you'll get to sleep with her, right? She'll never let you!"

"I just want to take her out to dinner. If she chooses to take our date further, that is up to her." And he sure as hell planned to do everything in his power to convince her to do so. Nothing would be sweeter. He’d have her, and he’d have the perfect revenge against the man before him.

Jail was too good for him. The shame of living with this,
however, was perfect.

"She would never cheat on me," Douglas said with a certainty that was pathetic.

Chase had meant what he said. He would never force her. Though he was planning on seducing her until the word “no” was erased from her vocabulary.

He
would have her somehow.

Morals be damned.

“SHE WON’T SLEEP with you.”

"
Then there you go. Nothing to worry about.” Chase’s tone was calm, but on the inside, he was a raging sea of emotions. “Simple. Your wife goes out on one dinner date with me. One. And you get your freedom, and the money you need to save this house," Chase finished, tone a bit harsher than he intended.

Douglas’ nostrils flared but he didn't respond right away. Chase
could see the wheels turning in his head.

Douglas gave him a grudging stare. "
Just a dinner date? And she isn't forced to do anything she doesn't want to do?"

Chase
nodded. Matthew was shocked into silence, staring at Chase like a wide-eyed statue.

"One. Next week. Speak with her, set it up, and the morning after you will have the money to continue your life and the freedom along with it." Chase turned to get the hell out of there before he destroyed Douglas.

It wasn’t lost on him that his anger wasn’t
just
directed at Douglas. He wanted Aria too bad to stop himself, but it didn’t mean he was incapable of realizing how fucked up this all was. He’d done twisted things in his life. Owning a company had left him with no choice. Being a
human
had left him with no choice.

The world
was a fucked up place and it was survival of the fittest.

But thinking of her big, blue eyes was filling him with a guilt he’d never
felt before. Even worse, he was doubting himself.

Chase never doubted himself.

"And keep my job?" he heard Douglas ask behind him.

Dear lord, he was p
itiful. "Don't push your fucking luck, Douglas. Have Aria call me in two days.” Chase stormed out of the office. He knew that Matthew was trailing behind him. Could feel the stare Matthew was leveling him with on the back of his head.

Chase wondered where Aria was as he stomped through the hall toward the entrance.
Was she in her room? Hiding from him?

Was
she doing it because she’d been just as affected as he was?

She
had
been affected. There was no way he could mistake that.

"Chase, what the hell was that?" Matthew hissed once they were
outside.

"I don't
know, I—"

"You want her. That was obvious the moment you saw her.” Matthew ran his hand down his face, aggravated. “But do you realize what you
just did? This is going too far, even for you. What is wrong with you?"

"That bastard owes us three point six million dollars. Money he helped himself to because as our financial manager, he had access. For what? To party, to gamble, to whore around while she sits at home. We’ve
heard the rumors. He cheats on her every damned weekend, why should it matter if I want her?” Chase said, his tone louder than it should have been.

He
heard a tiny gasp.

His head flew up, eyes searching for the source of it, and he saw the curtain on one of the upstairs windows falling back into place.

The
open
, upstairs window.

Matthew stared at him in frustration. "You asshole,
that was her. She heard you."

"Good." Chase’s jaw twitched. "She deserves to
know about the many whores he loves to spend his business trips with. It’ll make it easier for me to get what I want."

"Chase, what if she loves him?
” Matthew began to question him. “Is there any bit of humanity left in you? Do you have any idea how much this will break her heart?"

Shit.

And there was that spark of guilt, slamming into his lower stomach like a hot pike piercing through.  He hadn’t felt it in so long that it almost made him lose his breath.

Chase rubbed the top of his head. "Fuck, Matthew, I'm sorry."

"I'm not the one you should say that to."

He was right.

Didn’t change anything. Chase’s need for revenge against Douglas had been minimal before. Now, he was fixated on the idea of getting back at him by having his woman.

And it must’ve showed on his face.

"You're still going to go through with this, aren't you?"

Chase looked at Matthew. He nodded and
silently dared him to say anything.  "Yes."

Marcus shook his head. "You're an asshole.
”

"You're right. But I'm done talking about this, what's done is done." Chase turned to get into his car.

"And what if she doesn't agree?"

His stomach tightened at the thought. He wanted her to agree. More than anything
. He was going to have to sit down and fucking analyze justwhat was happening
.
Later. When he was alone.

Not that it would change anything.
Knowing why he felt
the way he did wouldn’t alter his course.

And damn it
was the main reason he had to explore her. Have her.

She was making him
feel
.

He hadn’t
felt anything in so long. Not that he remembered, at least. 

"If she doesn't,
then I won't force her. I'll still pay off her house, but her husband is fucked. And then you won't have to worry about me taking advantage of her.”

Chase was turning on the ignition when he
heardMatthew walk by, heading toward his car and mumbling
.
"Let's hope she doesn't agree, then."

Chase flipped him off before pulling out of the driveway.

Marcus was an asshole.

Chase was considering firing him.

He should've known the man wouldn't leave things well off alone.

"What the fuck?" Chase’s brother, and CFO, Brent yelled. He stood before Chase’s desk with his massive arms crossed, blue eyes blazing, and dark hair all over the place from running his fingers through it.

Marcus just had to tell his brother what was going on. God damn it. "Brent—"

"No. Shut the hell up. Do you have any idea what this will do to the company if this gets out?"

"It won't get out." Chase stood up and leaned on his desk, staring his brother in the eye. "That asshole has too much to lose to dare utter a word."

"I
knew you were fucked-up before, but this is a new level. Even for you. And what about her? Don’t you think she’ll say something?" Brent asked.

"If she wants to save her husband, she won't say anything, either," Chase
answered in a low voice.

Brent turned red, opened his mouth to no doubt remind Chase of what an asshole he was, when a commotion outside the office caught their attention.

"Miss, you can't just walk in there without an appointment. At least let me announce you!" Cynthia, Chase’s secretary cried out.

"I don't need an announcement. Now move out of my way."

That voice hit Chase like an electric shock, the anger in it setting him on fire from the inside out. The door to his office flew open and there was his little sexpot in all her glorious fury.

Instant
arousal, that's what it was. He was aware,
alive
, every cell on alert.

Fucking
addicting.

For a man like him, who hadn’t
felt in such a long time, the reaction she caused in him was like a lifeline. One he planned to grab onto, no matter the cost.

To
her. To himself. To anyone around them. It didn’t matter. Nothing did. He didn’t care about the consequences. He
couldn’t
care. All that mattered was experiencing more of what she was making him feel.

"You," Aria growled, as her fists clenched at her sides.

Cynthia came in behind Aria, looking scared. "Sir, I tried to tell her, tried to..."

"I told you, he’s
expecting
me," Aria snapped at her over her shoulder, before turning to sneer at Chase.

Chase dared her with his eyes to unleash the full force of her anger on him. He wanted it; he wanted to see the passion in her.

I’m a sick motherfucker.

He’d been one for a long time.
Apparently, now he was diving off the deep-end.

Brent stared at Aria with a cautious stare.

"You," Aria said again, her tone dangerous.

Chase’s eyes flickered toward his secretary. "Cynthia, leave us. It's okay.
”

Cynthia turned without another word and ran out of the office, closing the door behind her.

"Aria, this is my brother Brent. Brent, this is Aria Colton..."

"Save the formalities, asshole. I came here to speak with you."

Brent had the nerve to chuckle and throw Chase an “I told you so” look.

Aria walked further into the office. "How dare you?"

"You know what? I think I'll just leave." Brent began making his way toward the door.

Traitor.

"Yes, leave. I don't think you want to be around to watch your brother die," Aria hissed, still walking toward Chase.

Brent raised an eyebrow at him behind her back before exiting the office as well.
His thoughts had been very clear.
Fix this.

Brent didn’t understand what was happening to Chase. Chase
barely understood it.

And he had no plans of stopping.

“Hello, Mrs. Colton," he said, not moving from his spot behind the desk.

"How dare you?" Aria cried, her face turning red.

"Aria—"

"No! You listen to me. You might be rich, you might be powerful, and you might be used to getting everything you ever wanted, but I'll tell you right here
: I am not one of those things!"

He
held onto the edge of his desk, fighting the urge to get closer. Touch her. "Aria, please, lower your voice and perhaps we can come to an understanding."

She faltered for a second, then squared her shoulders. "What the fuck is there to come to an understanding about? You blackmailed Douglas to get to me!"

Chase exhaled, his heart thumping hard enough to almost distract him. Fucking hell, the affect the woman had on him. “Need I remind you of what your husband has done? To this company and to you?”

Her tiny gasp twisted something inside him. The sensation left him c
hilled and blinking in confusion.

“You…” Aria blinked, her bright blue eyes glistening.

The cold inside him spread down his arms and into his hands. He clenched his jaw. "Your husband faces jail time for what he's done.”

She stared at him with those wide eyes. "And that makes what
you're doing right?"

He shook his head, but didn’t break their stare. "No. It doesn't. What I'm doing is wrong on many, many levels. I am aware of that."

"Then why?" she asked.