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  “Good evening, ladies,” I said, standing next to their table.

  “This was such a good idea,” Harper said, holding up her margarita.

  “I’m glad you’re enjoying yourself.”

  “I am,” she said, her drunkenness obvious.

  “All right, don’t forget we’re going to have karaoke set up soon. I want to see you guys do at least one song.”

  “I don’t sing,” Harper stated.

  “Sure, you do. We all sing. Some of us just don’t sing well.”

  “Hey!” she protested.

  I laughed and walked away before I ended up wearing the margarita. I made my way around the room, talking to every employee. I kept my own alcohol intake to a minimum. I didn’t mind fraternizing, but I couldn’t get too drunk and forget who I was. I grabbed myself a plate from the taco bar and found a corner to sit in and scarf down my food. It was strange to be in a crowded room and yet be alone at the same time.

  I watched one person after another get up on the little makeshift stage and belt out their song of choice in the karaoke machine. My ears were going to be bleeding before the night was over. When Harper and crew took the stage, I cringed, feeling bad for them and the embarrassment they were about to bring down on themselves.

  I heard the familiar tune and slapped a hand to my head. They all looked at each other and murmured the words until the chorus came up.

  “I’ve got you babe,” they all sang together in various keys.

  They belted out the song, clearly feeling mighty proud of themselves. The audience, drunker than the three ladies on stage, demanded an encore. They huddled together before telling the DJ their request. They were all giggling, telling me it was something wild.

  “Oh no,” I groaned when I heard the Spice Girls track cue up.

  It was like watching a train wreck in slow motion. Cori was trying to dance and failing miserably. Parker seemed to be the most coordinated, while Harper seemed to be the best at keeping up with the lyrics. She didn’t sing well, but she was singing about eighty percent of the words on time.

  Once the song finished, they rushed off stage again, giggling like schoolgirls. I watched from my vantage point, slightly out of view of their table. I watched her, studying her every feature. She was beautiful. Now that we had gotten to know each other again, I knew I needed her in my life. She was the total package. Beauty and brains and mine. I had to make her mine.

  When she reached for her glass and knocked it over, I knew it was probably time to intervene. They were all drunk. They were going to be hating life in the morning. I got up and made my way back to their table.

  “Would you like to take a walk with me?” I asked her, hoping some fresh air would help clear her head.

  She wrinkled her nose. “But it’s cold outside.”

  “I have a feeling you won’t notice.”

  She burst into laughter. “I think you’re right.”

  “I have to go check on Fluffy,” Cori said, referring to her kitten. The name was about as cliché as they came, but she was sticking with it.

  “I’m going to see if I can find a certain someone to dance with me,” Parker announced.

  None of us had to guess who that someone was. I helped Harper to her feet and escorted her out onto the patio, where more staff were mingling and appreciating the warmth from the patio heaters. Harper spread her arms wide and stared up at the sky as we stepped onto the path. Snow was falling, little flakes dotting her face and hair.

  “It is gorgeous out here! It smells so fresh. It smells like snow!”

  I had no idea what snow smelled like, but I was going to take her word for it. We strolled around the grounds. She occasionally bumped into me before I righted her and got her back on the path.

  “I should probably walk you to your door before you freeze out here,” I told her.

  “But it’s so pretty.”

  “It will be pretty tomorrow too.”

  “Party pooper,” she pouted.

  “You’ll thank me tomorrow. Besides, I can’t have you coming down sick the day before the opening.”

  “You’re so smart,” she said, looking up at me with admiration in her eyes. It was the way she used to look at me.

  I led her to her door. The temptation to kiss her was very strong. I resisted, knowing it would be too much. The opening was just around the corner. Once all of that was out of the way, I could push for that kiss I craved.

  “Drink some water,” I told her. “I’ll see you in the morning.”

  “Okay,” she sighed.

  I left her and went down the hall to my own room. That was one of the hardest things I had to do. Walking away from a drunk Harper was not easy. I had a feeling she would have accepted my kiss with enthusiasm. That was not the way I wanted her.

  I kicked off my shoes and pulled off my tie, draping it over the table before unbuttoning my shirt. I was beat. I didn’t drink much, but I felt that pull to lie down and go to sleep. I had just walked into the bedroom when I heard a soft knock on my door.

  I opened the door to find Harper standing there, her cheeks a little redder than they had been. “Harper? Is everything okay?”

  She grinned. “For Parker and Jake, things are very okay.”

  “What?”

  “I walked in on them.”

  “In your suite?”

  She nodded. “On the couch.”

  “Parker and Jake? Were they working?”

  Harper burst into laughter. “No. Where have you been? Haven’t you noticed the sparks flying between them?”

  My eyes widened as I realized what she was getting at. “They were fucking on the couch?” I practically shouted.

  She put her hand over my mouth. “Shh. No, they weren’t doing that—yet. But I didn’t want to interrupt. That would be awkward. Can I hang out here until they are done?”

  I was insulted on her behalf and I didn’t know why. “Do you want me to drag his ass out of there?”

  “No, why would you do that?”

  Because I was jealous as hell he was getting some and I wasn’t. “Come in. I’ll get you some coffee. You’re welcome to stay here for as long as you want.”

  “Thanks,” she said, her eyes dropping to my chest, exposed by the unbuttoned shirt.

  I was only human. How much willpower was one man supposed to have? This felt like cruel and unusual punishment.

  Chapter 19

  Harper

  I sighed with contentment, wrapping my hand around the coffee mug and holding it close to my face. I was snug as a bug under the blanket Chase tucked around me. I was cozy and comfortable and didn’t want to move.

  “Here you go,” he said and handed me a small plate with cheese and crackers arranged on it.

  “Where did you get that?” I asked him.

  He shrugged. “I get hungry at night. I keep a few things in the fridge.”

  “Thank you,” I said.

  “You need something in your stomach or that coffee mixing with alcohol is probably going to make you sick.

  He was right. I was feeling a little nauseated. “Thank you. You’re pretty good at this.”

  “At what?”

  “Taking care of me,” I heard myself say and immediately regretted it. The alcohol had wiped out the filter that usually blocked my thoughts from becoming actual words.

  He smiled and snatched a cracker from my plate. “I like taking care of you.”

  “I’m really okay. Just a little buzzed.”

  “I think there was a little more than a buzz going on. Drink up. I’ll get you some aspirin once you get a few of those crackers in your stomach.”

  “Thank you.”

  He was really doing a great job looking out for me. It had been a long time since I felt like someone was really paying attention to me. Hell, it had probably been when I was still living at home and my father was always looking out for me. Chase was anticipating my needs before I even realized I had them. It was sweet and thoughtful.
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  Seeing him now as a thoughtful man was nice, but it was also difficult. I would never forgive myself if I let him hurt me again. The pain he had caused me ten years ago was very real. I thought he loved me then. I couldn’t fall for the thoughtful act now. The stakes were higher. Back then, I had been young and had the entire world waiting for me. Now, I was older, and I was certain I wasn’t nearly as resilient. I would struggle to get over him. I didn’t want that struggle.

  “What are you thinking about?” he asked, sitting in the chair that faced the couch where I was stretched out.

  “Nothing,” I lied.

  He smiled, and damn if my heart didn’t melt. On one hand, I wanted to stay far, far away from him. On the other, I wanted to explore this new Chase. I wanted to see just what was under that shirt that was hanging open.

  That was the drunk-me side, I decided. She needed to be kept in a box or she was going to get me in trouble.

  I sipped more of the coffee and munched on some crackers. I could feel my head clearing a bit. I sat up and threw off the blanket. “I want a tour.”

  He looked at me. “A tour of what?”

  “Your suite.”

  “It’s the same as yours except there is only one bedroom.”

  I got to my feet and put my hands on my hips. “Chase, I know you. When you designed this place, I know you would have reserved a room for you and you alone. You would want a few extras, things the other rooms don’t have, like the cheese and crackers.”

  He chuckled. “We can get cheese and crackers in your room too if that’s what you want.”

  I walked around the couch and opened a door. It was a standard bathroom, which told me he would have a luxury bathroom in his bedroom. “Show me or I’ll show myself.”

  He got up and opened the double doors that led to his master bedroom. “All right, all right. You’re right. I did have a few things changed from the other rooms.”

  “I knew it!”

  He opened another door that led to a rather large bathroom with marble floors. It looked like a spa. “I had the shower made a little bigger and I wanted extra jets installed.”

  I nodded, checking out the gorgeous shower done in granite that was a light gray color. “It’s nice.”

  “As you can see, the bedroom is a little bigger and I wanted an actual bed and not just a couple of mattresses on a bed frame.”

  I nodded, noticing the bed that dominated the space. “California king,” I commented.

  “I’m a big guy,” he reasoned. “I also had my balcony made just a little bigger with some privacy shades around the one side to keep other guests from peeking.”

  “I want to see.”

  “It’s cold out there. We just got you warm again.”

  “Fine, I’ll show myself,” I said and walked out of the bedroom. “Here?” I pushed back the feathery white curtains that spanned a good portion of the wall.

  “Yes,” he replied.

  I opened the French doors and stepped out onto the balcony. It was cold, but living in Colorado most of my life gave me a slight immunity to the chilly weather. “This isn’t so special,” I said, a little disappointed.

  He smiled as he walked past me. “I had to create something that wasn’t too obvious.”

  He turned a corner. I thought it was just an extension of the balcony, but I was so wrong. It was like walking into his own private oasis. “Wow.”

  He reached over and pushed a button on the wall. The hot tub bubbled to life, steam rising immediately. He stepped forward and pushed another button, soft lighting illuminating a seating area complete with a couch under a canopy and a big patio heater tucked nearby. There were pretty plants that provided more privacy while adding to the ambiance.

  “I told you I might have added a few things.”

  “I would say so.”

  He turned on the patio heater, and warmth spilled into the area. He lifted the top of the coffee table that doubled as a storage bench and pulled out a fluffy blanket. “Here. Have a seat and get warm.”

  He sat down on the couch and gestured for me to join him. I settled in next to him, the warmth from his body permeating the knit weave of my sweater. He tucked the blanket around the two of us, making sure every inch of me, minus my head, was covered. “Good?” he asked.

  It was a little too good. I rested my head against his shoulder. “Yes.”

  I closed my eyes, reveling in the feel of his hard body behind me. One arm was draped around me, tucking me against him. I was in a dangerous position. He was making me feel things I didn’t want to feel. I didn’t want it to feel right in his arms.

  “You are the most beautiful thing I have ever seen,” he whispered close to my ear.

  I shuddered. It was what he used to say to me when we were alone together. I wanted to go back in time. I had been so happy before that horrible day. Why? Why couldn’t we have our happy ever after?

  I turned to look up at him. He looked at me, those piercing blue eyes staring right into my soul. We looked at each other for several long seconds before I threw all caution to the wind. He was Chase, my first love. The only guy that had ever made me feel truly cherished. My eyes dropped to his lips and then back up to his eyes. I saw the want. I saw his need for me. I suspected I had the same look in my eyes.

  I leaned up just enough to brush my lips over his. He kept it light, barely moving his mouth over mine. The butterfly kisses were sweet and probably what I really needed, but they weren’t what I wanted. I wanted the real kisses. I wanted the kisses I knew he was capable of giving. The kind that curled my toes.

  I turned in his arms and deepened the kiss. It was like pulling the cork out of a fizzy bottle of champagne. It was an explosion of need and lust that flowed through me and directly into him. He kissed me back the way I was craving. I moaned as my hands slid up to his head, holding his face against mine.

  His hands ran down my thighs covered in the thick leggings I’d worn for the casual employee party. I felt the pressure of his fingertips digging into my flesh as he slid his hand up and down my leg. The seated position on the couch was not conducive to what either of us was going for.

  He got to his feet and pulled me up with him. I didn’t say a word as he took my hand and led me back inside his suite. He walked directly to his bedroom without pausing for a second. In a flash, he was on me. He was all hands, pulling off my sweater and undoing my bra without me even feeling him do it. Thankfully, his shirt was already unbuttoned, making the removal quick and easy.

  Our clothes dropped to the floor in a messy heap. His mouth was on mine as he pushed my leggings down my legs, taking my panties with them. I fumbled with his belt, anxious to get the pants off him. I growled in frustration before he swatted my hands out of the way and did the deed himself. The moment his pants were undone and sliding down his body, I reached for him.

  I groaned into his mouth as my hand wrapped around his hard length. It was definitely bigger than I remembered.

  “I’ve wanted you for so long,” he whispered, reaching up and grabbing a handful of my hair and gently tugging.

  I looked up, baring my throat to him. His mouth immediately moved to the exposed flesh, kissing and nibbling before sucking tiny bits into his mouth. I whimpered, squeezing his thick cock in my hand. His hand slid between my legs, finding the most sensitive part of me and brushing over my folds.

  I gasped, jerking forward and squeezing him tighter.

  “I want you,” he growled.

  “I need you,” I answered honestly. In that moment, I felt like I would die if I didn’t get him inside me. My body hummed with sexual need, making me tremble.

  One finger slipped past the folds guarding my entrance. He massaged over my clit before pushing one finger inside. I cried out, the ecstasy too much to contain. “Yes,” I moaned. “More.”

  I squeezed his dick, tugging him to show him where I wanted him. I knew he didn’t need directions, but he was taking too damn long. I pressed my body against his, suc
king his finger deeper inside me. He cursed, moving to suck at my earlobe while moving his finger inside me. I wanted to cry with pleasure. It felt too good. I was melting against him, my body turning to mush.

  “More,” I demanded. “This. Give me this.”

  I didn’t have to say the explicit word. I tugged on his cock, making sure he knew exactly what I needed. He began to walk, moving me backward with his finger still pushed high inside me and my hand still wrapped around his dick.

  I felt the bed against the back of my legs. He pulled the finger out and lifted me up, depositing me on the bed before climbing up to join me. I looked into his eyes, feeling things I wished I didn’t feel for him. I told myself to check the emotions at the door. This was sex and nothing more.

  He slid over me, nudging my legs open before guiding himself to my opening. He looked at me one last time, giving me the chance to say no. My answer was another searing kiss. His tongue darted inside my mouth just as the head of his cock probed my opening. He pushed once, penetration successful before pushing again and sliding inside me.

  A cry escaped my throat as an orgasm burst through me without warning. I gasped, my hips bucking and my back arching as I dug my nails into his back, holding on for dear life. He stayed still while I rode him through the orgasm.

  Once my head cleared and the spasms subsided, he began to move again. I just knew I was going to have another orgasm. I could feel it building on top of the first one as he moved inside me.

  Chapter 20

  Chase

  I was going to die of pleasure. I didn’t know if it was a real thing, but my heart was squeezing in my chest as one beautiful sensation of ecstasy followed by another and another jolted through me. The feeling of being electrocuted with every pussy spasm clamping down on me was very real.

  I moved, trying to be smooth and have some kind of rhythm, but I felt like a rutting animal. I couldn’t get deep enough. I dug my toes into the bed, driving myself deeper inside her. I loved the little whimpers and gasps that escaped her throat with each thrust. It drove my own pleasure higher and higher. She bounced off the bed, meeting every one of my thrusts with one of her own.