Chase and Seduction (2 page)

Too many people were staring, nudging each other, and grinning. Breathless from the embarrassment, her head started to spin. And, weak woman that she was, she shook with lust. God, how she wanted this man. He was pure temptation, and her hands itched to grab his thighs and give him a wicked grinding in return.

But she snapped back to reality just in time.

He was coming on strong. Strong enough to make her wish she could get her friggin’ moral compass to point another direction, just for one naughty night.

The band's lead guitarist started a blaring, wailing solo on stage, which drew people's attention away from her. Chase bent his head and said into her ear, “My trailer. Ten minutes,” then released her and walked away.

She nearly fell backward. His trailer. Alone with him. A chill of desire shuddered through her, puckering her nipples into tight points, and forcing blood down low to swell her tingling, needy lips. She wanted to lie on his bed and watch him kiss a path down her body, settling between her legs, his cowboy hat brushing her thighs as his tongue flicked...

"Oh, no you don't,” she whispered. What was she thinking? If she had a car here, she'd leave the party now. How else could she avoid temptation?

Beatrix came back with their beer. “Your face is as red as this cup. What did I miss?"

Tracy beamed. “Chase stopped by for a visit."

Beatrix squealed. “Oooh. What did he say?"

Reno shook her head and took her beer from Beatrix. “Nothing. He was just working the crowd."

Tracy laughed. “Reno, I saw his lips moving. What did he say?"

She shot her a warning look. “He asked why I hung out with such annoying women."

Beatrix and Tracy laughed, and Tracy asked, “Did he give you his room number?"

Reno rolled her eyes, anxious to end this conversation. She sipped her beer, looking at the stage where Chase finished the set with some wild gyrations and jumps.

"Thank you,” he said to the cheering crowd, and the band took a bow while their sound guy put in a CD.

Chase left the stage and disappeared through the door leading to the next soundstage, where the actors’ trailers were housed. Where he'd be waiting for her to join him.

She looked at her friends, desperately needing a distraction to keep her from thinking about him. But they were both grinning.

Beatrix sang, “You liiiiike him."

Reno stared down into her light beer. Yeah, she did like him. Too much. She could easily fall for him and start dreaming of a happy ever after. But she was a farm-raised, small-town girl. A man like Chase would use her up and stomp on her self-esteem like a ton of Brahma bull.

Right then, she resolved to ignore him. And pretend she wasn't horny for him. And convince herself she didn't want to run after him, pin him to the bed in his trailer, and ride reverse cowgirl on him all night...And damn it, these two matchmakers weren't going to help her get her mind off him.

She smiled. “I should say hello to James. I'll see you later.” She walked away to join another group of partiers who were waving her over.

Standing in the circle of directors, producers, and studio executives, she gritted her teeth and set her backbone. She could do this. She could easily disregard her body's cry to answer Chase's summons. But at five minutes, she'd already checked her watch eight times. At ten minutes, her hands began to sweat, and people asked if she was okay. At twenty minutes, she started shaking, and someone brought her a bottle of water. When thirty minutes hit, her stomach felt hollow and her heart...Broken?

Reno imagined Chase sitting in his trailer, waiting for her. He would have taken those first ten minutes and cleaned himself up a little, straightened his place, maybe lit a candle, or opened a bottle of wine. He'd check the door every few minutes, hoping to see her.

She sensed something good in him. All those long talks, sharing their life stories, discussing their plans for the future. She'd grown to appreciate him as a friend. Her lip quivered when she thought of him in his trailer, alone, waiting for a woman who would never show up.

She didn't want to hurt him. “Crap!” she blurted, interrupting the director's story. Everyone looked at her. “Sorry, um, my phone startled me. Excuse me.” She pulled her phone from her pocket and used it as an excuse to walk away.

Maybe she should call Mitzi, and get some moral support for her weakening resolve. What time was it in South Dakota? Late, but she dialed anyway. Mitzi didn't mind late night calls if it involved Reno telling her stories about L.A. so Mitzi could ooh and aah over them.

The phone rang once, and her friend picked up. “Hi! What glamorous thing are you doing right now?"

Reno sighed, put a finger in her other ear, and said, “Trying to keep myself from doing something really stupid."

"Hun, you're only there for another couple days. Do something stupid. Do it twice!"

She laughed, but had a hard time hearing her friend over the noise. She walked to the door and pushed it open, but rain poured down and lightning zip-lined across the sky. She closed it, and slid through a door into the next studio. Where his trailer sat among a dozen others at the far end, only about a football field away, but a whole lot further than she was willing to go.

"How's everything back there, Mitz?"

Reno heard a catch in her friend's sigh. “I didn't want to tell you this until you got home, but I guess you should know—Jane lost the baby."

"Oh, no. What happened?” Reno strolled along the wall.

Mitzi went into detail about the miscarriage.

"I'm glad you told me, Mitz. I was going to call her tomorrow.” Reno stopped walking. She was too damn close to the trailers. She should turn around...

Was that smoke?

Chase's trailer, fronted by lawn furniture set on a piece of artificial grass, glowed with a long string of tiki lights running along the top. The trailer door stood open and small puffs of smoke curled up out of the trailer.

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Reno jogged toward Chase's trailer, fearing the candle she'd visualized him lighting had caught the drapes on fire.

"Mitzi, I've got to call you back—"

"Is everything all right?"

Reno skidded to a halt at the trailer door, her cell phone at her ear.

Chase sat in an upholstered chair, smoking a thick cigar, one booted foot resting on the opposite knee. His hat sat in the middle of the end table, next to the still-lit candle, and she stared at the rare sight of his wavy auburn hair. God, how she wanted to touch it, touch
him
—all over, all night. A shiver of desire trickled through her.

His gaze pierced her and his voice rumbled, “Doll, you're a bit late."

Her friend's voice bellowed from her phone. “Reno! What's going on?"

"I'm fine, Mitzi. I'll call you tomorrow.” She hung up, stuck her phone in her pocket, and backed up a step. How was she going to get out of this mess?

"Whoa there, Miss Reno. You're going the wrong way.” He set his cigar in the crystal ashtray, planted his feet flat on the floor, and leaned his elbows on his thighs. “Come on in."

"I...I don't mean to be here. I mean, I saw the smoke."

He grinned. “You came to save me?"

"Yeah. No. I'm...” Scared? Horny? Jumpy? Tempted?

"Confused?"

"Yes!” What a relief. He understood her. Evidently, during all the talks they'd shared, he'd been listening to her.

"I'll admit, I'm puzzled, too. There's this crazy-strong pull between us, and I want to see where it goes."

He was right, there was something burning between them, besides the smelly cigar. But was it a flame that would smolder out after one night? She dropped her head and scuffed the turf with her sandal, not sure how to answer him.

"Reno.” He waited until she met his gaze. “I didn't think you were coming.” His eyes told the story of his disappointment. “And you wouldn't be here right now if you didn't think I was trapped in a burning trailer, right?"

"I don't know.” Was she subconsciously working her way over here while she was on the phone? She looked at his handsome face. Would it be so terrible to spend a little private time with him? “Maybe I just move a lot slower than you do."

He perked up, and the look in his eyes turned hopeful. “Listen, it's been a real ball buster for me, too, Reno. There's something goin’ on with us. Every time I see you, and damn it, when I touch you, it's—"

"Chase, wait. I think you're reading more into this than you should. You know the type of person I am. I'm not interested in one night, and you're not the type to offer more.” So there they were, staring at each other, waiting for the other to make a concession.

He shook his head. “You still think that I...” He ran a hand through his hair. “Aw, hell, you aren't coming in, are you."

"I don't think I should.” What she should do was back up a step, then another, then turn and run as if prairie fire licked at her heels. But she wanted just a few more minutes with him. To soak him in, and let his desire fill every inch of her.

"Just...come and sit with me. Have a beer. Let's talk."

No. If she stepped foot in that trailer, she'd become a victim of her own lust, and neither of them would be coming out until they did everything she'd been dreaming of. Her voice wouldn't work, so she shook her head.

He must have recognized the wistfulness in her eyes, because he stood and walked to the edge of the two steps leading into his RV. “Reno, I can be a gentleman.” He put one booted foot on the step and reached out his hand.

Mitzi's voice echoed in her head—
Do it. Do it twice
. But she wasn't that brave. She glanced up into his eyes, and in an instant...

Everything changed.

His brow furrowed, his jaw clenched, and he stood frozen, waiting for her decision. The look in his beautiful blue eyes startled her: pleading, unsure, and it darn near charmed the shorts off her. It drew her in completely, made her breath catch in her throat, and her blood run hot. He didn't just want her, he needed her.

Maybe she'd misjudged him. She just assumed from the movie set gossip that he was wild. But she hadn't seen him with any women on the studio lot, or at their hotel, or at any of the parties. He'd been attentive only to her. Oh, God, was he falling for her, just as she'd already fallen for him?

She stepped forward and put her hand in his. Lightning shot up her arm and all the way down into her pussy as she let him tug her up the steps and into his life.

He stood close to her, holding her hand, tipping his head down to look into her eyes. “That first step is always the hardest."

She blinked, then broke eye contact before she gave in to the temptation to walk straight into his arms and kiss him senseless. Looking around at the cozy trailer, she smiled. He had neatened up. A messy stack of papers hid behind a chair, and his boots were lined up like soldiers against the wall.

He asked, “Beer?"

She shook her head. She'd ingested enough alcohol tonight. Glancing at the seating options, she turned to the chair opposite his. But when she tried to pull her hand from his, he held on and picked up a crystal glass of clear liquid.

"Here.” He offered it to her. “Tequila."

"No, no.” Her lip curled. “I haven't done that bad stuff since I was a kid."

"Well, Miss Reno, I got some news for you. I'm still a kid."

She looked away. Yes, he was a kid, and he was also rich, famous, and spoiled. A hazardous combination.

Chase held out the glass. “One sip, just to make me think I'm not the only immature thirty-year-old in LA."

She smiled, even though he reminded her of the bad boy who'd talked her into doing tequila shots in high school. “I'm only twenty-eight."

He laughed, his deep voice rumbling out of his big chest.

She scanned his face. “You're thirty?"

He nodded. “I'm older than I look...” His southern accent flowed thick again. “...'cause when I was a kid, every time I did somethin’ wrong, momma would knock me into next week."

She grinned, unable to resist his charm. “Cute."

Chase said, “Let's get you loosened up a bit."

She stared at the clear liquid, bit her lower lip, and sighed. Oh, why not. She wasn't driving tonight, and one taste wouldn't affect her much.

Reno sipped cautiously. It wasn't as rough on her throat as it had been in high school, and she took a few more swallows. Good God, what the heck was she doing? Standing in Chase's trailer drinking tequila. The unreality of the situation made her dizzy. He was such a bad influence on her.

He winked and took the glass, finished the tequila in one gulp, and set the empty on the table. “That wasn't too terrible, was it?"

She shook her head, but the last swallow went down wrong, and her eyes watered and squinted as she cleared her throat.

Chase laughed, then sobered. His fingers slid under her hair, caressing her neck softly as he said, “You are a beautiful woman."

She'd often been called beautiful-but-healthy, which referred to those extra forty pounds that made the difference between being a model, and being just plain Reno Linden.

He ran his fingers up the back of her head. “Your hair is like satin. And I've never seen eyes that color. Amber."

Trying to keep from grinning, she teased, “Reno."

He laughed. “No, your
eyes
are amber.” Seconds slipped by before he tipped his head and brushed his lips over hers.

She closed her eyes and parted her lips to breathe in his essence.

With a groan, his arm came around her waist, and he pulled her closer. His tongue danced with hers, the unexpectedly sweet taste of tequila and tobacco making her hungry for more of him.

Chase ended the kiss then pressed his lips to her temple and began swaying them in a slow dance. Quietly, he sang, “You're the one I've been looking for, You're the light behind that hidden door, Can't figure out where you've been all my life, but I don't wanna be without you anymore."

Something melted inside her as he sang the song he dedicated to her from the stage. This was where she belonged, in his arms, where she fit perfectly, a lost puzzle piece at last finding its place.