Page 9 of Just A Little Chase

“That’s fine,” a familiar female voice replied, and there was no mistaking the determination in her tone. “I have nowhere else I need to be for the rest of the afternoon, so I’ll just sit right here in this reception area and wait until he is available, because I’m not leaving until I’ve spoken to him personally.”

Yep, there was only one woman in his recent memory who’d shown such tenacity when it came to dealing with him. Lauren Connelly. Except he had no idea why she’d shown up at his office, when he’d instructed Victoria to call Lauren with what he felt was a very generous offer, in lieu of any weekend with him.

A minute later, his personal assistant walked into the conference room, her face flushed. “I know you said not to bother you, but Lauren Connelly is here,” she said, keeping her voice low.

“I heard,” he said wryly. “Why is she here? Didn’t you get in touch with her earlier about compensating her for the bachelor auction?”

She nodded, wringing her hands together. “Yes, but she wasn’t very happy about the offer, and now she’s insisting on speaking with you personally. She’s adamant that she’ll wait for however long that takes.”

If it had been anyone else who’d been that forward and making demands, he would have been annoyed, but it didn’t escape his notice that he was more curious, than irritated, when it came to Lauren.

He glanced at Gary, a young up-and-coming advisor in their firm, who had a few financial tabs open on his computer. “Let me handle this issue, and then we’ll finish our discussion,” Chase said, standing. “In the meantime, come up with some viable stock options for our client, and we’ll analyze those opportunities when I get back.”

“Will do,” Gary replied, and began tapping away on the laptop’s keyboard.

Chase followed Victoria to the reception area, and as soon as Lauren saw him, she popped up from where she’d been sitting on one of the couches. Her chin lifted stubbornly, and her back straightened, as if she was squaring off to do battle. With him, apparently.

“I know you’re a busy man, but I’m here to tell you that I’m not accepting your bribe.”

Her word choice made him blink in surprise. “My bribe?”

“Isn’t that what that big, fancy weekend package was all about?” she asked, bristling as she strode toward him, then stopped a few inches away. “A bribe so you wouldn’t have to spend a weekend with me?”

She clearly wasn’t happy with the arrangements he’d told Victoria to make, and whatever Lauren’s reasons, he’d rather not have an audience while they discussed them. “Why don’t we finish this conversation in my office, where it’s more private?” he suggested.

“I think that’s a good idea,” she agreed with a decisive nod.

Trying to be a gentleman, he touched his hand to her lower back to guide her down the hall to his office. The silky fabric of her blouse was cool against his fingertips, which quickly gave way to the warmth of her skin beneath. He could have sworn he heard her suck in a breath as he increased the pressure of his palm and ushered her into the room. And that reaction gave him a great sense of satisfaction because he found he liked shaking up this woman’s composure and throwing her off-kilter.

As soon as they were inside, she bolted away, severing the connection between them. But when she turned around to face him, her cheeks were a pretty shade of pink and her eyes reflected that same attraction they’d shared the night of the charity event.

He moved to the front of his desk and instead of sitting behind it, he leaned his backside against the edge, affecting a casual air. “Have a seat, please,” he said, waving his hand toward the two chairs a few feet away.

“I’d rather stand, thank you,” she replied, moving closer, refusing to give him a superior position.

He tipped his head at her. “So, was the weekend package not to your liking?” he asked, because that was the only reason he could think of why she was there. “I would have thought the shopping spree at Oscar de la Renta would have clinched the deal, but I’m more than willing to negotiate the terms.”

In his experience, most women could be very happily incentivized by the things his money could buy. Chase honestly thought it was a generous offer, and far more pleasant than an unromantic weekend spent with him. Though she was a beautiful woman, he didn’t do relationships, so he didn’t think there was any reason to go on a date with her at all. Despite the fact that her willingness to stand up to him intrigued him. Not to mention, now he was curious about the kind of woman who turned down the extravagant weekend he’d offered.

Her chin lifted a fraction, and irritation flashed in her eyes. “This isn’t a business transaction, and you don’t get a free pass by trying to buy me off,” she said, shocking him by jabbing him in his chest with her index finger to make her point. “I don’t need a fancy, ridiculously expensive dress, or an extravagant spa day, or a stay at an exclusive, hoity-toity hotel. I need a goddamn date to my sister’s wedding and—”

The frustration in her voice rose as she spoke, and he grabbed her wrist, cutting off her tirade before she could poke him in the chest again. He should have let go immediately, but couldn’t resist caressing his thumb over that pulse point at the base of her palm, which had the interesting result of momentarily distracting her. Her lips were parted mid-sentence, and he took advantage of the interruption to speak before she did again.

“Well, that’s unfortunate, because I hate weddings, and I’m not boyfriend material,” he said, and finally released her hand.

He was surprised to see the fire in her eyes flicker with the barest hint of something more vulnerable. “You owe me a weekend. You, Chase. I won you, fair and square.”

Stalemate, he thought, as he stared back at her, both of them refusing to back down.

Her gaze narrowed ever so slightly, and what appeared to be a sly smile curved her kissable lips. “Of course… I could mention to Billie that you tried to buy me off?” she asked in a challenging tone.

He groaned, because this woman had somehow managed to find his one weakness. Pleasing his half-sister. As far as Billie was concerned, Chase was slated to go on a weekend getaway with his winner sometime in the future, and he’d been fine to let her believe that ruse.

“Why is this so important to you?” he asked, crossing his arms over his chest. “That you want me, a complete stranger, to accompany you to your sister’s wedding?”

She glanced away and exhaled a deep breath, shedding more of that earlier bravado. When she met his gaze again, she drew him in with her now open and earnest expression. “Because my sister is marrying my ex, and I don’t want to show up alone and endure looks of pity from the guests,” she revealed.

Shock rippled through him. That was the last reason he would have expected, and he could see how much that confession had cost her by the pained look in her eyes. Despite wanting to remain unaffected, he found he wasn’t immune to this vulnerable side she’d given him a glimpse of, because it was real.

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