Page 18 of Body

“Gigi, are you okay? Are you still in the hospital?” His voice is thick and gritty. “Do you need me to fly out and come get you?” Oh, how I love this man. He’s one of the good guys. A lightness fills me. I’m so very thankful.

“No, no, I’m fine. Really. I’m being taken care of.”By Chase,my mind adds wickedly, and I smile. “It was scary though. He held me at gunpoint.” A shiver spirals down my spine, and I stiffen it. This willnotbreak me. I’ve been through worse.

“Oh my God, honey, what happened?”

I tell him the entire story, leaving out the part about coming back to the hotel with Chase, my boss. Phillip and I have very few secrets, but I want to explain the situation with Chase to him in person when Phillip is not distraught.

“Phil, I’m fine. Just shaken up.” I put on my brave girl voice.

“I’ll feel better the second I see you, Gigi,” he says softly. I know it is hard for him to hear I was hurt. We’ve been there for one another since he lost his wife Angela. He’s seen me through what Justin put me through and then again, after Daniel and I broke up six months ago.

“I’m looking forward to seeing you, too. I’ll call you when I get home, I promise.” I press my head against my arm, the pain meds make it feel like a bowling ball.

“Call me when you land, I’ll pick you up,” he suggests. He won’t rest until he sees that I’m fine. Only I’m not, and he’ll know it. The bruises and marks ringing my neck aren’t going to help. At this point I’m not sure what will.

“I’ll let you know. I have to go to the police station and make my statement today.” I sigh into the phone loudly. So much for the board meeting. It dawns on me then that I’m going to have to call Taye before I head to the station. I need to update him on what occurred last night and why I won’t be present at the meeting today. He’s going to be furious that I didn’t call him last night.

“I’ll be thinking about you. Anabelle misses you. She drew you a picture.” He laughs lightly. Phillip’s angelic daughter, Anabelle, is such a light in a dark world. Her blonde curly hair and crystal blue eyes can make any day brighter. I take my duty as her Godmother very seriously, especially since her Mother died in a car wreck two years ago.

“I miss her. Send her my love and tell her that I have a present for her.”

“I love you, Gigi.” I hear the fear in his voice. Part of me wanted to hide what happened to me from him, but the stitches and bruised cheek would lead to more questions and hurt feelings. Besides, I promised him I’d never lie to him and always be upfront.

“I love you, too. I’ll see you when I get home, Phillip.” I hang up and exhale. With great effort I stand and turn around.

Chase is standing halfway across the expanse of the room. His gaze is searing, jaw clenched so tight he could break a tooth.

“Who do you love?” comes out demanding, unforgiving.

I’m caught off guard by the rage pumping off him. I slump against the chair at the angry tone. My hackles rise, and I lift my chin, irritation setting in at his accusatory tone. “Phillip. My best friend.”

“Not your lover?” His eyes blaze, searching for an answer.

For a moment I’m lost. He has a white towel slung low over his waist and tied at one hip. Water drips down his muscled torso, rivulets trail down the square bumps of his tight abdomen, disappearing into the cotton of the towel at his pelvis. Oh what I wouldn’t give to be one of those droplets right now. I lick my lips and bite down on the bottom one.

“I asked you a question? I expect an answer.” His voice is cold.

“No. He’s not.” I leave out the part that he once was. Somehow I don’t think that tidbit of information would ease Chase right now. Besides, it was a lifetime ago. Almost as if it was something that happened in a long forgotten dream.

“I will not share you with another man.” His jaw is tight, the muscles flicking with tension like a rubber band being pulled at both ends, just on the cusp of snapping. “Once I have you, you will be mine, Gillian. Think about that before we go any further.”

His anger infuriates me. Who does he think he is? My knight in shining Armani? “Phillip is my best friend. We’ve been through a lot together, and I will not give him up for any man.” I hold my chin up and cross my arms. He watches me, detached, his gaze frosty. I don’t care. He doesn’t get to control me. No man does. “I love him dearly, but I’m not “in love” with him, nor will I ever be.” Now I’m pissed off. “You know what? I don’t need to explain my relationship with Phillip to you. I don’t even know what this is.” I gesture between the two of us.

His towel drops to the floor as he stalks to me.

Holy-Naked-God-Among-Men.

His body is incredible. Tall with broad muscled shoulders that narrow into a tight chest, lean waist and hips, thick muscular thighs, tight strong shins and calves. But nothing is quite as beautiful as his cock. It’s semi-erect, long and thick, bobbing as he makes his way across the room. It’s as if it’s straining to reach me. My mouth waters at the sight, and I want to fall to my knees and wrap my lips around the perfect knobbed head in complete adoration of its beauty.

“You see what you do to me?” He pulls me to him, tightly pressing his naked body against me. The ridge of his now fully erect cock digs into the tender flesh of my belly. My hands grapple for purchase on all the slick yummy male skin surrounding me. I whimper. My intense response is carnal, animalistic. I lick his peck, pulling in the taste of fresh water, a hint of soap and blessed man.

Chase closes me in between the wall of windows and the chair. Standing next to this wide window with a gloriously naked man pressing his tight body to my half-naked one feels electric and exhilarating.

He grasps my nape and kisses me passionately, pressing me against the chair back. Strong hands pull at my thighs, roughly hiking me up to set my bum on the edge. I wrap my legs around his lean waist as he presses his erection against the tiny triangle of fabric covering my sex before deepening the kiss. Chase is all around me and everywhere at once. His sandalwood and fruit scent strong from the shower surrounds me, pulling me into the vortex that is Chase. He wrenches his mouth away roughly. My lips feel prickly and swollen.

“Christ, I could come just from kissing you.” His forehead crinkles and he locks his gaze with mine. There’s a raging fire of lust that I desperately want to put out. Preferably with my body.

“Chase,” I say breathless, nipping at his lips, tugging on the bottom one. He groans and bites back. God, this man makes me insane. One minute he’s scolding me, the next he’s driving me wild with need.

---