Page 77 of Rainstorm

But if he wants to play hard, then that’s how it’s going to be.

Get ready, Chase, this was just the first round.

And I’m winning.

The score is: Rose 1 - Chase 0

Chapter 18

Chase

Six years ago

The moment the boardroom door closed behind me after a forty-five minute meeting with the board of directors, it felt as if a truckload of heavy stones had been thrown on my shoulders.

Fuck.

The good news was that they hadn’t called me in to fire me, in fact they were offering me a promotion, along with a nice pay rise and extra benefits.

Life is peachy, you might say. As I would have done just a few weeks ago, in fact I’d have bitten their hand off.

But of course it wasn’t that straightforward. The promotion they were offering came with strings attached. There’d be a price to pay, and I wasn’t sure it was one I was willing to pay. Not now that I had Roselynn in my life.

I didn’t want to act too hastily though, so I asked for the weekend to come to a decision before giving them my answer. When I didn’t immediately jump at their offer, the partners were taken aback and looked at me as if I’d lost my mind, but I needed time to think. The ground had been knocked from under my feet, and I felt drunk without even opening the bottle of whiskey I kept hidden away in a drawer of my filing cabinet.

I think even Kelli realized my confused state of mind as she offered me just a sympathetic glance and a nod without saying a word as I left.

Thank God.

My head was in a whirlwind and, although I wanted to get home to where Roselynn was already waiting for me, I still had a shitload of work to get through.

Roselynn. Just thinking about her made my chest tighten and my breathing quicken.

How were we going to sort this out? I was already aware of our complicated lives and crazy opposing schedules.

While I worked more or less normal hours, Rose’s day began at an hour that many would consider insane. The little free time we shared together had become sacred to us, and luckily we had a lot of shared interests. We both loved to head to the beach, where Rose would read and soak up the sun, while I surfed the waves. Then we’d return to my house, which she’d already made her own, and lose ourselves between the bedsheets. Or any other convenient place we chose to get caught up in our passion.

My previously dull, empty abode had come alive since she’d moved in, with her clothes filling my walk-in closet, her shoes lining the—until then—empty shelves, and her make-up spread over the granite countertop in the bathroom. She made the house feel like home as we added bits and pieces we found after venturing into flea markets and antique stores.

When I finally reached the privacy of my office, the first thing I did was send a text to my darling girlfriend, inviting her out to dinner, hoping to first sweeten the pill a little. Besides, the idea of seeing her in one of those sexy little dresses she liked to wear as I took her out to some glamorous place made the caveman in me gloat with pride.

Some elegant place?

Roselynn asked me seconds after receiving my message.

Only the best for you, doll.

I answered and in response dozens of emojis of kisses and hearts filled the screen of my phone.

Yes, I had become pussy whipped and who could blame me. I was happier than I’d ever been and that was precisely what was tormenting me.

My future plans were held in balance, and it was Roselynn who could tip things either way.

A job was replaceable.

She was not.

The light she brought into my life was unique.

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