Tangled Web (8 page)

“You’re better off away from people like that,” he
ranted.
 

I wanted to hit him for getting Dad to give me the job as Account
Manager.
 
That way I wouldn’t be involved
at all.
 
Watching him rant made me realize
there would never come a time where Walkers and Johnsons would get along.
 
It was a stupid fantasy expecting anything
else.

“Chase!” I snapped.
 
“I didn’t come here to talk about them.
 
Are you going to treat me to dinner or not...?”
 

He looked at me and seemed to catch himself. “I’m sorry,
Chloe.
 
I promised, didn’t I?
 
No Walker drama.”
 

I had to smile when he said this.
 
What he didn’t know was I had gone and found
my own Walker drama.
 
I quickly looked
behind me and noticed Nathan.
 
God he was
sexy.
 
Nathan looked over at me and began
walking in our direction.
 
Shit!
 
Please don’t come over here, please don’t
come over here, I silently chanted to myself.

“Well, this looks cosy,” Nathan commented.
 

Chase quickly stood up and came face to face with Nathan. “This
is a family celebration.
 
I’d appreciate
it if you’d leave us to it.” Chase assumed a threatening posture.

“Relax.” Nathan chuckled, clapping Chase on the arm.
 
“Just wanted to introduce myself to the
newest addition.”
 

That angered Chase.
 
I
could see him clenching his jaw from here.

“Miss Johnson.” Nathan turned to me.
 

I extended my hand for him to shake but he took my hand in
his and bent down to kiss my knuckles.
 

“I look forward to our working relationship,” he
whispered.
 

Hearing that sexy voice, I rubbed my legs together.
 

He smirked when he saw this and gently let my hand go.
 
Nathan quickly left our table, pushing in to
Chase’s shoulder as he passed.

“Fucking prick.” Chase seethed.
 
“They think they own everything they
touch.”
 

I’d never seen Chase so angry.

“Relax, son,” Dad said in a calming voice.
 
“They’ll get what’s coming to them soon
enough.”
 

If I thought, I’d made a mistake by sleeping with Nathan
before now I knew.
 
I was an idiot and it
could never happen again.
 
Glancing
across at Nathan’s table, I saw he was with a very beautiful young blonde woman.
 
She looked just the sort of woman that should
be on Nathan’s arm.
 
No clumsiness and no
crazy ginger locks.
 
Looking around I
noticed how out of place I looked to everyone else.
 
Even my own family.
 

“Who is that?” I whispered, looking at the woman he was
with.
 
I turned to look at Chase and
noticed he was openly glaring at Nathan.

“That is our cousin, Sophie,” he said.
 
“She freelances for a few top companies by
offering inside information on shares that have yet to come on the
market.”
 
Chase looked disgusted, like he
could smell something bad.
 
“Looks like
she’s about to close a deal.”

“So it’s strictly business?” I asked.
 
She was beautiful.
 
Long blonde hair, lean body, beautiful
smile... and if she touches his arm again I think I may lose it.

“Sure.” He sniggered.
 
“After her legs close.”
 

I looked at Chase in shock.
 

“It’s a well-known fact that Sophie likes to close her deals
flat on her back.
 
She’s been trying to
secure the Walker family for a while.
 
Kind of feel sorry for him because Sophie is a nympho.”

“You stay away from her,” my father warned, looking at
me.
 
“She may be family but she’s a nasty
piece of work.
 
I don’t want you getting
mixed up with that type.”
 

I nodded quickly. “I won’t.” I smiled.
 
Chase had just destroyed any hope I may have
had for any kind of peace between my family and Nathan’s.
 
My mind was made up.
 
Nathan was bad for me.
 
I put a fake smile on my face.
 
“So are we eating or not?”

“Sure, whatever you want, sweetheart. It’s on me.” Dad
winked.

Once dinner was finished, Chase and Dad seemed to be in a
rush to leave.
 
As they tried walking me
towards the elevator I suddenly needed a pee.
 
This was why I didn’t make a habit of drinking champagne.
 

“I need to use the bathroom,” I whispered.

“Every time,” Chase complained.
 
“Hurry up.
 
Can’t ever take you anywhere.”
 

The smirk on his face let me know he was teasing.
 
Whenever we go anywhere I always need him to
pull over because I’d need the toilet.
 
I
quickly went to the bathroom and did my business.
 
As I left the cubicle I noticed Nathan’s
dinner partner was touching up her lipstick.

“Hello Sophie.” She looked at me with pure indifference.
 
Then a look of shock came on her face.

“Oh my God, Chloe.” She squealed, wrapping her arms around
me in a hug.
 
“It’s so nice to officially
meet you.”
 

I was so shocked how nice she was.
 
Chase painted her in such a terrible light I
expected her to ignore me.

“Who are you here with?” she asked, holding me at arm’s
length by the shoulders.
 
Before I could
answer she carried on.
 
“If I’d known you
were here I would have come across and said hello.
 
Are you here with Chase?”

“Dad’s treating us to dinner.” I smiled.
 
“And you’re here with...?”
 
I was hoping she’d give up some details.
 

She smirked as I asked this. “I’m here with Nathan Walker.” She
leaned closer.
 
“We’re related so I can
be honest with you.
 
Sexiest man in
London.”

I must have looked shocked because she quickly
continued.
 

“I know what you’re thinking.
 
He’s a Walker.
 
There’s no way a Johnson and a Walker could
be anything besides bitter enemies.
 
Thankfully I’m not Chase Johnson’s little sister.” She laughed.
 
“Which means, for me, Nathan Walker is fair
game.”
 
She quickly tucked her purse
under her arm and walked ahead of me out of the bathroom.

I wanted to smack her head into the wall.
 
I wanted to tell her how wrong she was and
that Nathan wasn’t fair game.
 
But I
couldn’t.
 
Nathan wasn’t mine.
 
Never gave any indication that he wanted to
be mine.
 
Moving to London was supposed
to make things easier.
 
Not make things
worse and ten times more difficult.

As we exited the bathroom, Nathan, my father and Chase stood
side by side.
 
They couldn’t have looked
more awkward.
 
Chase quickly wrapped his
arm around my shoulders and walked me to the elevators. I looked over my
shoulder. Nathan smirked when he did this.
 
Like he knew Chase was trying to protect me from him.

As the four of us travelled down in the lift, Chase and
Sophie began making small talk about some upcoming charity gala event.
 
I was only half listening because Nathan
stood right next to me and kept touching my hand with his.
 
The way his fingers kept entwining with mine
was making me crazy.
 
Just before the
lift approached the ground floor Nathan opened my hand and quickly placed a
small folded piece of paper in it and closed my fingers tightly.
 

Chase turned around and grabbed my other hand and walked us
swiftly toward the exit.
 
As Chase handed
his ticket to the valet, Dad wrapped me up in a massive hug.
 

“Thank you for dinner, Dad,” I whispered.

“Anytime, sweetie,” he said, kissing me on the cheek.
 
“See you at the office, Monday.”
 
I nodded as he said this.
 
“Make sure she gets home safe, Chase.”
 

Chase laughed at this.
 
As if he would drop me off on a street corner somewhere.
 
Within a few minutes Chase’s gorgeous blue Porsche
was waiting at the kerb for us.
 
I got in
and Chase slammed the door behind me.
 
Slam the door, why don’t you?
 
He walked around the car while I quickly
unfolded the note from Nathan.

“She’s not you”.
It shouldn’t have made me happy reading those
words.
 
But it did.
 
I had hope for me and Nathan.
 
Even though I shouldn’t.
 
Even though it was like inviting in a world
of hurt.
 
I couldn’t help myself.

Chase got in and I quickly hid the note in my pocket.
 
Chase sped through the busy streets of London
in a brooding mood.
 

This was why I left.
 
My entire childhood consisted of the war between the Walkers and the
Johnsons.
 
It was also the reason why I
put off moving here for so long.
 
I had
refused to be a part of it the way Chase was.

“Chase,” I whispered, “I refuse to get involved.”

“What?” he snapped.
 
He looked at me out of the corner of his eye.
 

I widened my eyes.
 
That was the second time today Chase had snapped at me.
 

“Sorry.
 
Didn’t mean
to snap at you.” He shrugged.
 
“I just
don’t like you near them.”
 
He looked
genuinely frustrated.
 

If only he knew how near a Walker I actually had been.
 
As Chase pulled up to the apartment I
couldn’t wait to get in and close my door.
 
I went to reach for the door handle but noticed Chase wasn’t getting
out.

“Aren’t you coming in?”
 
I looked at the clock on the dashboard.
 
10:30. Where the hell was he going at this time?

“No.”
 
Chase shook his
head and nodded his head to the back seat.
 
“I have a business trip to New York.
 
I have an overnight flight.”
 

I was shocked.
 
He
hadn’t even mentioned it.
 
I knew he was
busy and we wouldn’t be seeing each other all the time but for him to just up
and leave without even mentioning it.

“O-Okay,” I stammered.
 
Some warning would have been nice.
 
I gave him a quick kiss on the cheek.
 
“Be careful,” I whispered, hugging him.

“I will.” He chuckled.
 
I went to reach for the door but Chase grabbed my arm.
 
“Stay away from him, Chloe,” he
demanded.
 

I nodded my head.
 
Thankfully he didn’t ask me to promise.
 
I’m not sure it’s a promise I could have kept.

Chapter Six

The following morning, I woke up to a wonderfully empty
apartment.
 
I loved Chase to death but it
was nice to have some time to myself.
 
Getting
out of bed, I planned to have a relaxing day and maybe check out the local
market later.
 
I planned to have a
cooking session with Chase’s wonderful kitchen now he was out of the
picture.
 
As I put the kettle on I
couldn’t help but wonder whose bed Nathan was climbing out of.
 
I hated myself for thinking it but I couldn’t
help it.
 
I was jealous and there was no
stopping it.

I had just put sugar in the cup when there was a swift knock
at the front door.
 
Probably the
mail.
 
As I made my way towards the door
I realised that answering the door in a pair of shorts was probably not the
best way to greet someone.
 
I thought of
grabbing my dressing gown from the bedroom but decided I’d just use the door to
block my legs.

As I opened the door I didn’t even have a chance to worry
about stupid things like modesty.
 
I
barely had the door open and was knocked backwards by Nathan pushing himself
in.
 
He was in the same clothes from last
night.
 
No prizes from where he came
from.
 
He had some nerve.
 
Spend the night fucking my cousin and then
come barging into Chase’s home.

“Well, hello there.” He smirked, staring at my legs.
 

I stormed into the kitchen.
 
It was too early to be dealing with this shit.
 

“I have to say, I’m liking this view.”
 

Why did I have to wear a t-shirt and shorts to bed?!
 
I quickly hid myself around the other side of
the worktop and grabbed an extra cup.

“Coffee?” I offered, looking across the worktop at him.

“Yes, please.” He took a seat and rubbed the back of his
neck.
 

Must have had a great night with Sophie.
 
Why was he here?
 
Did he come here to rub my face in it?
 

He saw me looking and gave me a tense smile.
 
“I fell asleep in the car.”
 
I rolled my eyes as he said this.
 
“You don’t believe me?” He frowned.

“I’m not stupid, Nathan.” I poured us a cup of coffee.
 
“I know you stayed with Sophie…”
 

He made a sound of disgust when I said this. “I dropped her
off and drove over here to see you.” He looked straight at me.
 

I froze with the cup halfway to my mouth.
 

“I had to see you,” he whispered.

“Why?” Suddenly his words sunk in.
 
“Do you mean you stayed outside all night?” I
shrieked.
 
I ran to the window and saw a
stunning grey BMW parked at the curb.
 
“Why didn’t you just knock the door?” I was completely confused.

“I wasn’t sure if you were alone.
 
I knew Chase was going away on business but I
wasn’t sure when his flight was.”
 

That didn’t sound like the troublemaker I’d heard Nathan
was.
 
I was really confused as to what he
wanted.
 

“I wanted to run something by you,” he said, standing up.

“This should be good,” I muttered.
 

Nathan slowly walked around the worktop to me which caused
me to tense up with every step he took closer to me.
 
“First, did you get my note?”

“I did,” I whispered.

“Do you believe me?” He tucked a strand of hair behind my
ear.

“I do.” I couldn’t focus when he touched me.
 
I looked up to see him biting his lip.
 
I stared at his lips for so long that when
his tongue ran across them I leaned up on my toes to get closer.
 
Just as his head dipped down I pulled
back.
 
I couldn’t be doing that.
 
Especially not in Chase’s kitchen.
 
I pushed away from him, turning so I wasn’t
looking at him.
 
“I can’t.
 
I told you...” I shook my head.

“I understand,” he whispered, shakily.
 

Did I affect him as much as he affected me?
 

“That’s why I’d like to try something,” he said, putting his
hands on my shoulders.
 
As he rubbed his
thumbs slowly over my shoulders I shivered.
 
He gently leaned down and slid his nose along the crook of my neck.
 
He gently kissed my shoulder once and leaned
back up.

 
“I have an offer for
you.” He rested his chin on the top of my head.
 
“I’ve had one night with you.
 
One
night inside you and it just isn’t enough, angel.”
 
He gently bit my neck and immediately soothed
it with his tongue.
 

As his lips pressed against my pressure point I moaned out
loud, unconsciously rubbing my ass against him.
 
This caused Nathan to press me forward against the worktop.
 
I could feel I had excited him as he pressed
his hard length against me.
 

“One chance,” he whispered in my ear, grabbing fistfuls of
my hair.
 
“Just give me one chance and I
swear I’ll be good to you.”
 

I had a feeling if I said yes I’d regret it.
 
If I said no, I’d always be wondering what
if.

“Please Chloe.” He wrapped his arms around my waist and rocked
us from side to side.
 
“Say yes.
 
One chance,” he pleaded.
 
“I promise you won’t regret it.”
 

Looking at him I was torn on what to do.

“I have thought of nothing but you.
 
All.
 
Night.
 
Long.” He leaned down and
placed a kiss over my pulse point.
 

I moaned out loud as he did this.
 
I instantly went to pull away which resulted
in him tightening his grip on my waist.

“Don’t.”
 
He slowly
turned me around so I was looking at him.
 
The way he was staring at me made me rub my legs together.
 

“Don’t pull away from me again.”
 

I frowned when he said this.
 
He grasped my hand in his and placed it against his chest over his heart
and squeezed gently.
 
It felt like his
heart was beating double-time.
 

“Whenever we’re together, you pull away from me.
 
Hell, you even run away from me.”
 

I looked down.
 
I
hated that he was right. What other option did I have?
 
What we were doing was destined to hurt our
families.
 
What kind of people would we
be if that happened?
 
“Nathan, I’m not
deluding myself into thinking we’re more than... whatever we are.”
 
This caused his hold to loosen and I quickly
took my hand back.
 

He frowned, shaking his head.
 

“Look, we met, we had a great time together, but I know what
this is.
 
Sophie told me.”
 
His eyes darkened when I said this.

“So what did the wise Sophie say?” He cocked an eyebrow.
 
He looked and sounded pissed.
 

I didn’t know Sophie that well, but it angered me the way he
was talking about her.
 
Angered me that
he was trying to treat me like a fool.
 
I
knew the most attractive thing about me to Nathan was my last name.

“She said that you were fair game and insinuated you and she
were... involved,” I whispered.
 
No need
to tell him how envious that made me.
 
He
started laughing out loud when I said this.
 
I looked at him, startled.

“The only thing I find interesting about Sophie is the share
profit she can bring to Walker Enterprises,” he stated.
 
“Are you jealous?” He smirked, arching an
eyebrow.
 

Is he crazy?
 
Of
course I was.
 
Listening to Sophie say he
was fair game and imagining the two of them together.

“Yes,” I admitted in a whisper.
 
His face dropped when I said this.
 
“I hated that it would be okay for her to be
with you.
 
Where I would have to sneak
around.
 
I hated it.”
 
He went to open his mouth and I quickly
continued on.
 
“I’m not saying I want to
be with you.
 
I’m just saying that I
didn’t like it.”
 
The way he was looking
at me made me vulnerable.
  
Like he was
seeing things no one else ever had.

“I’ve had many women.” He tucked a strand of hair behind my
ear.
 

My eyes widened when he said this.
 
Of all the things he could have said, I
wasn’t expecting him to start talking about all the women he’d been with.
 

“I’m sure your brother has told you.
 
I’ve had various women.
 
I’ve fucked lots of them.”
 

I looked away as I felt my cheeks flood with colour.
 
I wanted out of this conversation.
 
Like right now.
 

“However,” he said, turning my face back in his
direction.
 
“I’ve never been with the
same woman more than once.”
 

I didn’t know whether to believe him.
 

“Ever,” he reiterated, staring straight into my eyes.
 
“But you….” He took my face in between his
palms.
 
I placed my hands over his and he
tightened his grasp gently.
 
“….You
bewitch me.
 
Completely.
 
Like no other.”
 
He bent his head and tenderly kissed my lips.

Feeling him make love to my lips, I desperately wanted to
accept what I felt he was offering.
 
But
I had to be clear.
 
“Nathan, I don’t
understand what you’re saying.” I snatched my hand back.
 
Nathan began biting his bottom lip which was
sexy as hell but I also realised it was a nervous habit.
 
It was strange seeing Nathan nervous.
 
Why did he have to be nervous?
 
Was he offering me what I hoped he was
offering me?

“I am offering you nothing. Nothing at all,” he said, while
looking at me.
 

I could feel the hope inside me deflate.
 
I closed my eyes and tilted my head
away.
 
Was this a joke?
 
Seduce me?
 
Make me want him?
 
Suddenly his
fingers were tilting my chin up so I was looking at him.
 

“I am asking you.
 
One
chance.
 
One chance to give this a
try.
 
Get to know each other and see what
we can be.”

“But our families...”

His hands shot up once again and grasped my face while threading
his fingers in my hair.
 
“I don’t care
about our families.” He seemed urgent.
 
“Our families are so busy being enemies that they can’t see any other
way.
 
That’s all people see is the
Walker-Johnson feud.
 
When I look at you
I know you see me.
 
I want you to see
me.
 
Me and you.
 
We can show them another way.
 
Just say yes, Chloe.”
 
Nathan tilted my head back in his
direction.
 
“Say yes and I won’t make you
regret it.
 
Please.”

I loved the way he was looking at me.
 
He looked so truthful.
 
I’m sure he’s used the same routine on many
women but in everything I’ve heard he’s never made a habit of going after the
same woman and it’s always been for business opportunities.
 
This feels different.
 
It feels like some part of Nathan is
searching for something different.
 
It’s
up to me to show him a better way.
 
Maybe
in return he can show me a better way for our families.

“Yes,” I whispered.
 
The smile that lit up his face was so worth it.
 
His lips were on mine so fast I didn’t have
time to resist.
 
His hands crept around
to my back and crushed me to him.
 
“Wait,
Nathan.” I ripped my lips from his.
 
“What will people say?”

He sighed heavily. “I’m not going to tell you our families
will understand.
 
They won’t.” He stroked
his thumbs across my cheekbones.
 
“All I
know is I can’t get you out of my head.
 
One night gave me a taste of you and I’m craving more.”
 
He gently kissed my lips.
 
“I crave your taste, angel.”
 
His eyes darkened as they travelled down to
my lips.
 
“And I’m ready for more.” He
growled, pulling my lips to his.