Surprise Seduction (30 page)

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

What a wonderful April Monday, Chase thought, staring out his office window.
 
The sun shined, beckoning him to take the afternoon off and take Adrienne back out on Sinbad.

The weekend had been perfect.
 
Magical.

Adrienne was the perfect lover.
 
Maybe her virginity had been the key.
 
Because he was her only lover, her body tuned into his wants and needs without another man’s preferences imposed.
 
Whatever, she did things to his body no other woman had ever come close to accomplishing.
 
From the intensity of his climatic release to his crazy desire to make her laugh, she was all he could think about.

He cocked his mouth in a half grin.
 
She’d been all he could think about for over a week now and, even before, he’d spent more time thinking about her than he preferred to admit.

Several cruisers floated down the Charles.

He felt better than he’d felt in years.
 
Maybe his whole life.

It wasn’t just the great sex.
 
It was Adrienne herself.
 
The way she’d shown up at his apartment naked as a jay bird under that coat, the way she’d laughed at herself so easily when he’d tried teaching her to navigate Sinbad, the way she’d looked when he’d awakened yesterday morning to find her curled against him.

A protective instinct he didn’t really like, but had rationalized was a small price to pay for the best sex he’d ever had, had smacked him over the head.
 
So what if he’d gotten more emotionally involved than he’d meant to.
 
As long as Adrienne stuck to her promise that she didn’t expect more from him than sex, things would be just fine.

Despite her words, a flicker of doubt nagged.
 
Adrienne didn’t fit the good time girl mold of the women he usually dated.
 
Even beyond her virginity, there was something white picket fence about her.

For the first time in his life, he wished he could be the kind of man to give a woman like Adrienne what she’d eventually want--commitment.

If ever there was a woman who could tempt him into the ‘happily-ever-after’ set, Adrienne would be that woman.
 
Intelligent.
 
Sexy as hell.
 
Sensual.
 
Creative.
 
Innocent, but eager for adventure.
 
Energetic
.

Everything he’d want in a life long partner.

If he wanted one.

Which he didn’t.

Memories of his mother’s pain provided constant reminders of why he wasn’t marriage material.
 
He’d never risk causing a woman he cared about that kind of pain.
 
Not that he’d mean to cheat, but sooner or later, it would happen.
 
His mother had told him he was his father’s son, and he had no reason not to believe her.
 
Just look at how many women he’d dated in the past year.
 
In his lifetime.

Out of all those women, not a single one had made him question his decision to never commit.
 
Yet, with Adrienne, he didn’t want anyone else.

Hell, he hadn’t even been able to get a hard-on when Starr slipped her hands down his pants while he drove her home after the charity auction last week because of the unwanted image of a mouse.

Adrienne sure wasn’t mousy anymore.
 
When he did move on, she’d have no problem finding someone to take his place.

The sunshine sprinkling down on Boston disappeared as a cloud appeared out of nowhere, blocking the bright rays.

He frowned.
 
The thought of another man touching Adrienne,
his Adrienne
, plunging into her honeyed softness evoked an almost violent reaction in his gut.

Hell, he’d have to be sure to get his fill of her lush body so he wouldn’t care when she moved on to someone else.

A shadow of doubt remained, but just like the cloud in the sky had passed, so did his darkened mood.

He slapped his hand against his thigh.
 
He wanted to see Adrienne.
 
The president of the company didn’t need an excuse to check on an employee.
 
He’d just stop by to see how she was settling into her new job as George’s PA.

When he knocked on Adrienne’s open office door, nervous anticipation smarted his insides.
 
She didn’t answer.
 
He strode into the empty office and looked at her empty desk.

Where was she?

She’d probably just stepped out for a minute.
 
He’d wait.

“Looking for Adrienne?” George Weston’s booming voice startled him.

Chase recognized the knowing gleam in George’s eyes.
 
The older man knew exactly why he was here.
 
He grinned, not bothering to pretend otherwise.
 
“Yes.”

“She’s not here, you know.”

“Running an errand?”

“No, she left early this morning.
 
She flew to Chicago to take care of some family business.”
 
George stared at Chase curiously.

“An emergency?”
 
That would explain why she hadn’t taken the time to call.
 
Still, it irked him that he hadn’t known.

“No, she scheduled the time off last week.”

Chase frowned at George’s words.
 
“Last week?”

“Yes, asked me about it on,” he paused in thought.
 
“Wednesday morning.”

Wednesday.
 
The day after she’d had sex with him.

“Damn,” Chase cursed, forgetting George watched with interest.

“She didn’t tell you?”
 
His boss asked curiously.

Chase mentally pulled himself together.
 
He’d play it cool.
 
“Why would she?”

“No reason.”
 
Now it was George’s turn to grin.

Damn.
 
The old man really didn’t miss a trick.

Adrienne arrived at Logan International late that same Monday evening.
 
Streaks of red and orange from the setting sun filtered in through the 747’s small window.
 
She stretched her travel weary body before pulling her small carry-on luggage from the overhead compartment.

Nervous energy licked through her despite the day’s journeys.

Would Chase be here?

She’d called him earlier in the day to ask if he’d pick her up from the airport.
 
He’d been away from his desk and Kelly,
who had she had to sleep with to get back into Chase’s office?
, had forwarded her call to Chase’s voice mail.
 
She’d left a message.
 
Hopefully, he’d be waiting.

The trek from her plane through the airport seemed to take forever.
 
As she neared the security checkpoint, Adrienne’s heart began to drum loudly in her ears.

I do. I do. I do.
 
It teased.
 
The pulsing beat reverberated through her entire body.
 
Everyone in the airport must hear its booming wedding march thump?

Wedding march
.
 
Her knees turned to sand.
 
Heavy and offering little support.
 
But, she forced them on.

Chase might be just the other side of that checkpoint.
 
He’d have no trouble singling her out.
 
Not with her hot pink suit.

Immediately upon crossing through the security checkpoint, she spotted him.
 
Leaning against a large railing, he stood away from the crowd of people anxiously awaiting their loved ones.
 
His sharp green eyes met hers.

He’d come for her.

Her heart fell to her stomach.
 
Or maybe her stomach had leapt into her chest.
 
Either way, her insides shook.

He straightened, his tailored khaki slacks and white oxford hugging his body as he walked toward her with purpose shining in his eyes.
 
Her feet quit working.
 
The black luggage she pulled bumped against her leg painfully.
 
She scarcely noticed.

Love for Chase overflowed.
 
How could she have missed him so much in the short space of a day?

Her eyes never left him, but she didn’t miss several women’s heads turning for a second look at the tall, handsome man crossing the baggage claims area.
 
She didn’t blame them.
 
He was gorgeous.

She loved him.

When he reached her, he didn’t say a word, just pulled her into his arms and covered her lips with his.
 
His mouth awkward and demanding.
 
As if he hadn’t seen her in weeks.

As if he’d missed her.

She opened her mouth and her heart.
 
He kissed her thoroughly.
 
Like a man should kiss a woman.

“I missed you,” she breathed when his lips lifted.

He didn’t answer, but pressed another kiss to her mouth.
 
A gentle, soul-searching kiss that melted her insides and required every cell in her body pay utmost attention.

“Welcome home,” he greeted, his mouth only millimeters above hers.

Home.
 
Home is where the heart is.
 
Yes, she was home.
 
Home with Chase.
 
Her heart constricted.

“Do you have more luggage?”

She shook her head, not trusting her vocal cords.
 
She’d only brought the suitcase in case of an unforeseen delay.

“My car is out front.”
 
He took the handle of her bag from her and kept his other hand at her waist.
 
Possessively.

Hope soared.

Her trip to Chicago had gone well.
 
Within forty-eight hours, everything would come to a head.
 
Chase would know the truth before sunrise.

Tonight, she would put everything on the line for love.