Page 24 of Body

“Is that all of them?” he questions.

I shake my head. “You know about Phillip, now.” His eyes darken, almost slamming a shutter down over the easy conversation but I forge on, determined to bring it back.

“Last, but most certainly not least, is Kathleen Bennett, otherwise known as Kat. She’s reserved, quiet and the most talented costume designer in the business. She does the costume work for the San Francisco Theatre. I met her through Maria. I like to think of her as my tree-hugging comrade because she cares so much about the earth and the environment. We both do, but she’s very green.”

“Being green is excellent,” he says. I nod in agreement. “Is that all of them?” he asks with the most stunning smile.

“Those are my soul sisters.” His eyebrows knit together. “I don’t have any siblings or family besides my biological father. I don’t see him much. They are all I have. We support one another through everything.”

Chase sips his wine. “They sound wonderful. I’m looking forward to meeting them.” His tone is sincere and I wonder if he will really be around long enough to be introduced.

“Wait until they get a load of you. You might want to go after those three beauties. Two hot blondes and a brunette. More your speed?” I venture.

He frowns. “Don’t compare yourself to any woman. I. Want. You.” His eyes are heated, daring me to comment.

“Why, Chase?” I hate how small my voice sounds.

“A woman hasn’t caught my eye in years. I don’t date, never bring them to my home.” My mouth drops and he looks away. “Hell, most women I meet I bed within hours.”

I can imagine how any woman would fall willingly into bed with him. Also explains why he assumed what he did when we met. He’s the real living version of Superman. Hell, bedding him is all I can think about right now. I squeeze my legs together, relieving a bit of the throbbing ache he’s left me with since waking me.

Chase continues, “Gillian, I take women to one of my hotels, fuck them and go home.”

My mind processes this information and I shake my head. It doesn’t make sense. He took me to his room last night. Laid in bed with me. Took care of me through the night. That’s the sweet, Knight in Shining Armani I know. Not this callous womanizer.

Chase takes a deep breath. “All I can think about with you is bringing you to my penthouse in San Francisco and locking you away with me for a week. I’m not sure what is between us, but I’m committed to finding out why I’m so drawn to you.” He frowns as if he doesn’t like what he’s said.

“And then what? Are you going to love me and leave me too?” My voice is meek, so unlike the strong person I’m trying to pretend to be.

He shakes his head. “I haven’t yet, and I’ve had ample opportunity.” His gaze is intense, daring me to argue. He could have had me several times and didn’t. What does that mean? “I slept better next to you last night than I have in years, even waking every couple hours to take care of you. I’m still trying to understand it.” His hand covers mine; his thumb caresses the pale skin, tracing smooth circles. I shiver and pull away, feeling a bit awkward and insecure.

Jeffery comes in with our pasta dishes. They’re beautiful. The pasta has a crème or white sauce with sprinkles of fresh herbs sitting in a square plate. A perfectly white orchid nestles at the side with a sprig of rosemary. It’s almost too pretty to eat but I twirl a long noodle around my fork and taste anyway. It’s out of this world good. I moan around the cheesy goodness. The food is indescribable.

Chase watches me intently. “I love watching you eat. The sound coming from those ruby lips makes my dick hard.” He licks his lips solicitously. Will I ever get used to him, his candor, and the intensity? I feel like I’m standing on the edge of a cliff. A subtle gust of wind will topple me over the edge at any moment.

“Tell me about your family, Chase?”

He wipes his mouth with his napkin, sips his wine and rests his elbow on the table. “I spent most of my childhood and teen years living with my Uncle Charles on my Mother’s side. He was a widower and taking care of my four cousins, Craig, Carson, Cooper and Chloe.”

I giggle and he stops, that sculpted eyebrow going into a curious point. “You all have a name that starts with “C”?”

“Yes, and we all share the surname of Davis.”

That’s odd. He said that was his mother’s brother. Wouldn’t he have his Father’s name?

“My Uncle and his nannies raised me from the time I was seven until I was eighteen and went off to Harvard. My cousin Carson was already there. He’s two years older than I am.”

“So what’s the difference between the ages of the five of you?” I take another bite of the creamy pasta.

“Craig is thirty five. Carson, thirty two, Cooper is thirty. We’re about the same age. I turn thirty this year. Then Chloe is the baby. She’s twenty seven.”

“Are you close to them?” His large family sounds interesting. I’ve never known the love of a big family. It was mostly just me and Mom growing up. Now, it’s me and the girls, and of course Phillip.

“I respect them. I’m close with Carson. Craig is married and living in New York. I see him when I’m traveling for business or checking on one of my companies. Chloe is a fashion designer and in and out of Europe so I don’t see her as much as I’d like. She has an incredible eye for detail. I have a couple suits she designed for me when she was dabbling in menswear. Mostly, she designs for women.”

“I’d love to see her work.” He nods. “What about Cooper?”

He looks away, his teeth clench and his jaw muscle starts to tick again. “Coop and I used to be very close, but not any longer.” He twists a large amount of noodles around his fork and eats it.

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