Surprise Seduction (32 page)

And never leave again without telling him first.

His chest tightened, and he forgot to breath.

Discovering she’d left for Chicago had rattled him way too much.
 
He shook the memory from his head.
 
Now wasn’t the time for such memories.

His hand moved to her pubic area, thumb tracing tiny, slow circles over her most sensitive flesh.
 
Moisture and heat greeted him.

“You’re killing me,” she moaned.
 
“Please.”

“Killing you?”
 
The erotic movements of his thumb paused.
 
“You want me to stop?”

“That
would
kill me,” she hissed, wiggling her hips against his motionless hand.
 
“I need you.
 
Oh, please, Chase.
 
Love me.
 
Now!”

Unable to restrain himself, he dipped his fingers into her hot moisture.
 
Steamy dampness surrounded him.
 
A strangled sound rumbled in his chest as he grabbed a condom packet from his wallet with his free hand.
 
He lifted her against him.

Adrienne’s legs wrapped around his waist as she showered kisses over his mouth and face.
 
He carried her the few steps to the wall separating the living area from his bedroom.
 
He pressed her back against the wall.
 
With an unsteady hand and his teeth, he opened the condom while still supporting her with his other hand and the force of his body pressing her to the wall.

“I can’t wait, Adrienne,” he warned the second he donned the condom under her eager eyes.
 
He filled her in one swift, sure thrust.
 
Her wet swollen lips welcoming him, her body melting around him.

“Chase!”
 
Her legs contracted around his waist clasping tighter with each powerful stroke of his body into hers.

Her sweet purring of desire incensed the need to drive deeper, harder.

He’d meant to go slow, to take her to the edge over and over.
 
But, somewhere along the time of when he’d felt her wet heat, he’d lost all ability to rein in his need to pummel her.

He felt wild, out of control, like a raging beast, all man to her woman.
 
Swirling emotion escalated in the pit of his gut, pressure building until explosion was imminent.

Then her orgasm hit, rocked his world.
 
The look of total bliss crossing Adrienne’s face detonated a volcanic explosion.
 
Hot lava erupted as he bombarded her in a frenzy of feral thrusts.

His lungs drug air into his gasping body.
 
Her legs hugged his hips still.
 
Her arms wrapped around his chest, holding him close.

Never in his life had he experienced such an overwhelming, earth-shattering release.
 
Never had he felt so at one with another person.

Never had he felt more in need to run as fast as his feet would carry him, before he made Adrienne promises he was genetically incapable of keeping.

Chase held Adrienne close to him, not wanting to let her go even now that his body’s physical need for her had been temporarily satisfied a second time.
 
At least, he’d had the decency to carry her to bed for that second trip to ecstasy.

Trip.

“Why didn’t you tell me you were going to Chicago?”

She wiggled in his arms, twisting to look at him.
 
“I didn’t want to explain until I had a few things settled.”

“Like what?”

He felt more than heard her sigh.

“There are so many things about me you don’t know.”

“Then tell me,” he encouraged, hoping she’d open up.

“I need to tell you.
 
If only I knew where to begin.”
 
A nervous laugh bubbled from her.

“Once upon a time?”
 
He attempted to ease her stress.

“That’ll work.”
 
She laughed softly, then took a deep breath.
 
Still, she didn’t say anything.

He absently stroked a strand of her silky hair.
 
“Or you could start by telling me exactly what happened to send you to Chicago.
 
And why you failed to mention your trip when you knew all weekend you would be leaving.”

The muscles in her body tensed.
 
Her breathing became uneven.
 
Her face flushed.
 
“I couldn’t tell you because you might have insisted on going with me, or asking for explanations I wasn’t ready to give.
 
It wasn’t as if I ever planned on not returning.”

Refusing to question why her words tugged at his insides, he kissed her upturned nose, ignoring that voice reminding him to run like hell.
 
He had a sneaking suspicion it was too late to run.

“I would’ve flown to Chicago if you hadn’t come back.
 
I nearly went insane when I learned you’d gone.”
 
He hadn’t meant to admit that.
 
Shouldn’t have admitted how much she affected him.
 
What he needed to do was put distance between them before he hurt her without meaning to.

Her body sagged against his.

“Oh, Chase, I’m so glad to hear you say that.
 
It makes what I’m going to ask so much easier.”
 
Big eyes searched his.
 
“Everything changed today.
 
I learned things that are forcing my hand.
 
I have responsibilities I can’t ignore any longer.
 
I have to take charge of my life, go after the things I want.”

“That sounds like a good plan.”
 
As long as she wanted him.
 
At least, until he could stand the thought of being without her.

She rose on her elbow, the palm of her other hand cupped his face with tenderness.
 
“Will you marry me?”

“
What did you say
?”
 
Fire roared in his ears.
 
He hadn’t heard her right.
 
He shook the buzz from his head.
 
She’d told him she didn’t expect anything beyond sex.
 
He didn’t have anything else to give.

A nervous laugh bubbled from her lips.
 
“I want to marry you, Chase.”

“You mean I heard you right?”
 
His mouth dropped.
 
He’d known.
 
Known Adrienne wasn’t a good time girl.
 
And he’d had to have her all the same.

Her expression became a bit leery.
 
“Yes.”

“No.”
 
The sole word immediately popped out of his mouth.
 
“I won’t ever get married.”

Her face twisted with pain.
 
“I have to get married.”

She had to get married?
 
She’d been a virgin only last week.
 
What the hell happened in Chicago?
 
Then another throat strangling thought tethered him.

“Are you pregnant?”

Surprised wide eyes gave him the only answer he needed, but her head’s shake of denial was welcomed all the same.
 
Panic still held him in a death lock.
 
Marriage.
 
She wanted marriage.

“I was afraid this would happen.
 
I knew you weren’t my type of woman.
 
That you’d want more, that you’d want a damn ring if I took you.”
 
He jerked away, sitting up on the side of the bed.
 
Her hurt expression cut him to the quick.
 
He wanted to hold her, love her, but he couldn’t.
 
He’d only hurt her more if he tried.
 
“I’m sorry if I gave the impression I’d be willing to take our relationship further.
 
This is all I want.
 
All I’ll ever want.
 
For however long it lasts.
 
Take it or leave it, but it’s all I have.”

The bed creaked as she sat up behind him.
 
Her hand reached out to touch his shoulder.
 
He pulled away.
 
Her touch messed with his mind.
 
He needed every ounce of reason.
 
She enticed too much.
 
Hell, she made him want to risk everything and beg her to spend the rest of her life in his arms.
 
But he couldn’t risk destroying her the way his mother’s life was ruined.

He cared about Adrienne too much to ever betray her as her father had betrayed his mother.

“You don’t understand,” she began, but he cut her off.
 
It would be too easy to let the warm feelings she stirred within him bury the fear.
 
He wouldn’t put her future happiness in jeopardy that way.
 
He wasn’t a happily ever after kind of man.

“There will be no wedding in my future.
 
Not ever.”
 
He stood from the bed.
 
Better to remove himself from temptation before he forgot all his good intentions and did everything within his power to erase the look of disillusion from her eyes--even if it meant promising her the world.
 
Better to focus on those long nights he’d listened to his mother’s sobs.

Shattered by his words and strained expression, Adrienne failed to tell the reason for her proposal.
 
Not once as she watched Chase dress did she mention Morrigan’s or her father’s trust.
 
Instead, she used every bit of her wavering strength to keep her unshed tears at bay.

When he was fully clothed, he faced her.

“Hurting you is the last thing I ever want to do.”
 
He raked his finger through his already ruffled hair, swallowed, then met her gaze with cold eyes.
 
“No rush, but I’d like you to be gone when I get back.”

He turned and disappeared before she could utter a single word.

Obviously, she meant nothing to him.
 
His touches and pleasure had given her hope, but then what did she know about such things?

She’d believed he cared, possibly returned her love.
 
Maybe every man reacted to a woman the way Chase reacted to her.

Maybe he reacted to every woman the way he had with her.

The tears spilt.

She buried her face in his pillow.
 
The scent of him mocking her, making sobs rack her body.
 
When the tears stopped, she dressed, went to her suitcase, still sitting on the inside of the apartment door.

Averting her eyes away from the section of wall where Chase had taken her, she withdrew a business card from the side pocket.
 
She stared at the scrawled cell phone number on the back.

With a weary heart, she walked over to Chase’s phone, picked up the handheld unit and dialed the number.

“Hillington,” the male voice answered.