Body (4 page)

“Do you have any pointers you want to share? I’m afraid I’m going to make a complete fool of myself. This morning I tripped and almost killed myself on the treadmill.” I chuckle and shovel in another bite.

He shoots me a worried look. “Are you okay, Gigi? Did you hurt yourself?”

“Just my pride. A man caught me.”
Chase.
He keeps popping to the surface of my mind. It’s official; I’m a lunatic. Taye continues to stare, assessing my mood. His head tips to the side in one of his “Tell me, my child” gestures that usually has me spilling my guts. Not this time. “It just rattled me, and I was already nervous about today.” I pat his hand with affection.

“Just do what you always do.” He smiles and sips his coffee. “Dazzle them with your statistics and campaign numbers. You have the Midas touch when it comes to direct mail and tele-fundraising. Just explain what you’ve done differently and the outcomes.” I nod as he finishes. “Just be yourself.”

I roll my eyes. “Oh, come on, Taye. A cliché’, really? Just be yourself? Did you not eat your Wheaties this morning, big guy?”

He laughs and leans back in his chair. “I need to work on my pep talks. You ready? It’s ten to eight. From what I remember, the Chairman despises people who are late.”

Someone else recently mentioned not being tardy. Wonder what Chase would do if I didn’t show or was late to his little 9 p.m. command appearance. We grab our things and shuffle towards the large bank of elevators. The board room is on the third floor with the other convention and meeting rooms.

“At the last board meeting I attended,” Taye says, “the Chairman made a board member wait outside until the first break in the schedule. Then the board member had to apologize to the entire room for being late.” He stabbed button number three on the brightly lit panel inside the elevator and the car rose.

“You’re kidding? The Chairman treats a colleague like an errant child?”

“Well, he’s the founder and Chairman. He’s crazy rich. Donates over half our foundation’s budget each year. Forty million annually.”

I whistle. The elevator dings, signaling we’ve reached our destination. We step into the corridor and a sign on a pedestal states “Safe Haven Foundation Board of Directors Meeting.” An arrow points down the hall.

“Forty million dollars? Damn!” That’s an obscene amount of money. Anyone who can donate that kind of capital to one foundation can’t be all bad. People don’t just hand over millions to a charity without having a huge heart, especially since the work we do is so personal. We protect and help battered women. I shake my head before going back to my indignation. “That doesn’t give him the right to humiliate someone publically.”

“I agree. He’s a bastard for sure; a filthy rich one. You know, he pays for all the board members to stay here in the lap of luxury?”

I wondered how a charitable organization could afford such a swanky location. “Word is, he didn’t want to be seen in a low rent hotel. Would ruin his image.”

I roll my eyes. “Yikes, the man sounds like a jerk.”

Taye laughs. I’m more nervous than before. The Chair sounds like a barbarian. We make our way to the open door at the end of the corridor. Several men and women in dark suits of varying shades of black and grey mill around the entrance. It makes the emerald green I chose pop in contrast to the funeral vibe.

Taye introduces me to four men and two women in the span of fifteen seconds. I shake their hands and smile politely. He ushers me into a large room where more individuals, also in sharp suits, are already seated, preparing for the meeting. We find place cards with our names and take a seat.

“Gigi, I’ll set up the laptops if you get us another cup of coffee.” Taye gestures to the sideboard with the coffee pitchers. “I’ll have decaf.” I nod and head to the table. I’m careful to walk slowly, with my head held high, trying valiantly to hide my nerves. This is the first meeting I’ve been invited to since my promotion to Contributions Manager. I want to make a good impression. My future with the Safe Haven Foundation depends on it.

I fill two small coffee cups with decaf. Each cup has a tiny gold trim along the rim. I’ll bet they’re real china. Everything in the hotel seems top notch. Even if the Chairman is paying the bill, it seems frivolous. Turning, coffee in hand, I take one step into a rock solid chest. Luckily, I’m still holding the two cups out to my side and don’t spill them.

I look up, ready to apologize, when I’m stricken by the distinct, heady smell of sandalwood and citrus.
Oh no!
Aquamarine orbs prettier than an open blue sky bore into mine. The beauty steals my breath. Excitement and fear scream through my veins in equal parts. Rigid hands hold me by the waist. His presence surrounds me and the room fades into nothing but him.

“Miss Callahan. We meet again,” A smug grin adorns his chiseled features, and I’m disheartened that he didn’t use my first name.

Chapter 3

“You’ve got to be kidding me!”

Chase grabs the coffee cups and gives them to a hotel steward who hovers nearby. “Put these next to Miss Callahan and Mr. Jefferson’s name plates,” he instructs. Based on his obvious knowledge of Taye, and now me, he had to have known who I was when we met at the bar last night. He never said a word. Frustration and anger war within me.

Chase grasps my hand and brings it to those plump lips. Electricity zaps me the second his lips touch my knuckles. His expressive eyes darken, pupils dilating. I swear I feel the lightest sweep of his tongue in between my middle and ring finger with that kiss. I gasp, and his eyebrows rise. He watches me intently, sending me crazy mixed signals.

I hear the softest “Mmm,” and I’m lost in the sensation of his nearness. His body dwarfs mine by a good half foot, even in heels. My focus zeroes in on the bit of flesh still pressed against my hand. The air around us is sizzling, and I’m once again breathing in his woodsy fruity love potion concoction. Finally he lets go as Taye joins us.

“Gigi, I see you’ve met Mr. Davis, the Chairman of the Board,” Taye says. The. Spell. Is. Broken.

I look at Chase, certain my bafflement shows in my widened eyes.
I am so screwed!

“You’re the Chairman of the Board?” I close my eyes and attempt to piece the puzzle together. How the hell did I not know this? Recognition slaps me against the forehead. The company letterhead has “C. Davis, Chairman of the Board” listed prominently at the top. I sigh.
So stupid!
 I should have been smart enough to put two and two together. Now the joke’s on me.

Chase shakes Taye’s hand. “Mr. Jefferson, good to see you again. I trust you’re well?” 

“Yes, Mr. Davis. Thank you. I’ve brought along Gillian Callahan, our Contributions Manager,” he says with pride.

Chase looks at me. His eyes discreetly skim me from head to heeled toe. A flicker of heat fills his blue gaze. “We’ve met, briefly. I look forward to your presentation this afternoon, Miss Callahan.” He acts as if nothing happened between us. Technically, nothing has…besides a few caresses and a near kiss. Now that I know who he is, that kiss will never happen in this lifetime, and neither will the ‘non date’ only ‘drinks’ that was supposed to happen tonight.

I cannot believe my luck. My mystery man, my tall dark and handsome, is the Chairman of the Board of my Foundation. I want to crawl under a rock and die. Instead, I pick up my bootstraps. This is not the time to crumble. I’ve been through much more embarrassing and harrowing days over the past several years. This is but a bump in the road. A sexy-as-sin-man is just gum on the bottom of my shoe. I’ll scrape off the feelings I have for him and move forward with my plan to secure my future.

A lovely blonde woman taps Chase’s shoulder. “Excuse me, Mr. Davis. It’s eight o’clock.”

He clasps his hands together. “Excellent. Let’s get started then.” He winks and turns toward the head of the table.

Taye grasps my elbow and leads me to our table, closer to the end of room. I fall into my seat rather clumsily. Chase starts the meeting and I hunker down, taking notes and trying desperately to clear my foggy mind of all things sexy–man-in-nothing-but-workout-sweats-and-washboard-abs-you-could crack-a-tooth-on.

The rest of the meeting is spent paying close attention and doing my best to avoid looking at Chase. I already feel better about my decision to blow him off. We break for fifteen minutes, and I rush out of the room. I need the space.

Entering the solace of the women’s restroom, I lean against the cool, multicolored tile. The washroom has a quaint sitting area with large puffy couches. A mirror spans an entire wall. A large square sink fills the space, almost like an ornate trough. Turning on the water, I chill my hands, wrists, and the crook of my elbow like my Mother used to when I was child. The cooling of my pressure points does wonders at calming rankled nerves. He’s the fricking Chairman of the Board. I refrain from slamming my head against the mirror to knock the stupid out of me.
Break all ties and run.

Behind me, I hear two women enter the sitting area giggling.

“Did you see how perfectly those slacks fit that tight ass?”

“How could you not? Makes you just want to wrap your legs around that cowboy and ride him into morning!” the other woman drawls with a southern accent.

“Maybe you should make a go for Davis, Claire. He seems to like tall blondes.” The other laughs.

Peering around the wall that separates the two spaces, I see Claire Dalton, the board member from Texas. The other woman I haven’t met yet. They adjust their hair and makeup in the vanity mirror. I plaster myself along the wall staying out of sight and listen.

“I think I will. Maybe at tonight’s dinner I’ll make a move on him,” Claire drawls.

No, no, no, no! I want to scream! Wait? If he goes for the blonde Barbie doll, he’ll forget about me. My job won’t be at risk and my sanity will stay intact. It’s a win-win.

My job at the Foundation is more than just a position or somewhere I pull a salary. The past few years have been rife with hard work while trying to piece my life back together after the
Justin Period
. I’m not letting anyone take me away from my goal. Especially not a man. Even if he’s disarmingly handsome and makes me quake with desire. Nothing matters except securing my future. The two women leave the sitting area. My fifteen minutes of freedom are up. Sighing, I square my shoulders. I can do this.

Outside the bathroom, I see that Claire doesn’t waste time. She and Chase are standing not ten feet from the bathroom door. His back is to me and Claire is laughing, batting those long eyelashes of hers. I inch my way around the two of them, careful not to interrupt.

A firm hand grasps my wrist and tugs me to a halt.

“Miss Callahan, may I have a word?” His eyes pierce mine and I nod.

“Claire, it’s a very nice offer, but I have plans after dinner. I’ll be just a moment.”

Claire looks deflated at his dismissal. I have an evil desire to stick my tongue out at her retreating form.
He doesn’t want you! He wants me.
Not the frame of mind I need to have right now.

I pull my hand from Chase’s grasp. “Don’t manhandle me,” I whisper in an irritated voice. The man is constantly touching me. It needs to stop.

“I didn’t want you running away.” He takes a deep breath. I knot my fingers together and look down at my heels to calm my nerves. “I just wanted to remind you about this evening.”

My gaze shoots to his. “You still want to meet me?”

“More than anything,” he says with confidence.

I fully expected him to come to the conclusion I had. Our pseudo date was a no-go. I inhale sharply and shake my head.

His eyes graze over my body like a caress. “Nothing’s changed.”

He looks around the hallway. The rest of the group has returned to the meeting room, leaving us alone. The pace of my heart picks up. He leans, and his lips lightly stroke the shell of my ear. A tremble runs from my head to my toes. A warm wet sensation tickles the curved flesh of my ear. His tongue. Liquid fire spreads from my ear down my neck, through my chest, settling in my belly. The tender space between my legs feels heavy, aching to be touched. I clench my thighs, zings of pleasure shoot through my body.

“You’re stunning in green,” he whispers. “Brings out the color of your eyes. I could easily get lost in them.”

Chase’s words, his nearness, the breath against my ear, all compound to make me dizzy. I steady myself against the solid wall of his chest with a shaking hand. My fingers curl around his tie and I tug him toward my mouth. All rational thought is gone. I want him more than I want my next breath. I reach up on my toes to bring our mouths closer. He pulls away, the silky fabric slipping through my fingers.

Reality crashes in and once again the spell is broken.

I was going to kiss him! Right here. Right where anyone could see us. Jesus, what’s wrong with me? This is not who I am. It’s him. He makes me feel needy, wanton, and sexually depraved. I can feel the prickles of embarrassment coating my skin scarlet.

“Another time,” he says, though his smile is wicked and would drop the panties of any female in his presence. Thank God one of us has their wits about them. I must have left mine in the box marked “Private” under my bed.

Chase sets his hand against my lower back as he leads me towards the board room. “Nine o’clock,” he reminds me. His hand falls away as I enter the room to take my seat.

The meeting continues and the Business Development Director drones on and on about the new affiliations and business arrangements he’s negotiated this past year.

“Thank you, Mr. Howe, for your update.” Chase cuts off the Director somewhat abruptly, noting the allotted hour he was given has passed. “I believe we have lunch, and then the Contributions Department will give their presentation.” He looks at Taye, then me. Taye smiles confidently. I’m trying in earnest to snag the confidence I had before I learned my Superman is the Chairman of the Board. Taye notices my mood and pats my shoulder. “You’re going to do great,” he whispers. I nod and smile.