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“You don’t want to fall for her? Do you think that you’d be betraying Angela if you did?”

He nods solemnly. “Something like that, yeah,” he admits. He’s such an amazing man. He doesn’t want to soil his dead wife’s memory or the relationship they had by allowing himself to love again.

“Phil, Angela loved you and would want you to be happy. She would want you to find love again. Bree’s not trying to be Angela, she knows that she could never be her and she’d never try. She wants to love you in her way, share a relationship with you, one that’s only between you and her.”

“I guess. I just, I’m not ready for marriage again.”

“You don’t have to be. Bree’s not ready either. Just have fun, let yourself enjoy the feeling of falling in love.” He gifts me a small smile. “And for God’s sake get a frickin’ babysitter and fuck your woman already!” I say with as much raunch as I can muster.

He chokes on his soda. I pat him hard on the back as he hacks and coughs. “Jeez Louise, Gigi. Okay, okay!”

“Her birthday is in a couple weeks. I’ll be deeply disappointed if you don’t plan something spectacular for her, and I don’t mean a present.” I nudge him in the side with my elbow.

“Alright already, Dr. Ruth, I have to go back to work.” His eyes are bright and he pulls me into a Phil style bear hug. All arms with a side dose of heavy squeezes.

“Yeah, I’m going to go to the Penthouse and take a long hot bath. I love you.” I kiss his cheek and give him a hug.

“Don’t let “the Bitch” get you down tomorrow at the party, Gigi. Most women pale in comparison to your beauty and brains. And if Chase needs a good ass kicking to remind him of what he has, just say the word.” He enters the elevator and goes down. I hit the button prepared to go up to the Penthouse.

“Where are we going now, Ms. Callahan,” Austin asks as I place my thumb into the LED screen to access the Penthouse. It scans and the elevator lifts.

“I’m heading to the Penthouse for a long bath and a nap. You going to watch me take a bath?” I ask with a wink. He blushes a deep red.

“Um, no Ma’am. I’ll just check the premises and wait in the security viewing room off the entryway. If you plan to leave, you know where I’ll be.” He continues, “You staying home for the night, Ma’am?” The elevator opens to the Penthouse floor.

“Home,” the word dangles on my tongue. The thought of this being my home isn’t altogether unpleasant. It’s downright appealing. I’m getting more used to sharing a space with Chase and rather enjoy waking up next to him each morning. Getting kissed like the Dickens before he’s off to work each day isn’t too bad a start to a new day either.

“Yes, Austin, I do believe I’ll be staying home for the night.”

Chapter 20

I add the finishing touches on my makeup and then take a long look at myself in the mirror. The Gucci black lace dress hugs my curves like a second skin. The slip dress underneath is white and shines through the large lace cutouts. With the white inner layer, my breasts and hips are accentuated, exactly the look I was going for. The boat style neckline cuts across my clavicle delightfully. My breasts look like two ripe peaches itching to be bitten. I turn and view my back. The dress dips really low in a deep u shape, completely open. The scalloped edge does naughty things to the line of my back making the dips in my lower back perfectly visible. Chase loves an exposed back. I can already imagine the tips of his fingers trailing along the bare skin and down my spine.

The dress lies daintily against the top of my knees. I step into my new heels. The heels are platform and add an additional five inches to my height. I plan to tower over “the Bitch” tonight. My hair falls in long mahogany red curls around my face. Very circa 1940’s Veronica Lake. An extra serum adds that much needed dose of shine. One last swipe of “Perfect Peach” lip gloss and I’m ready to dazzle.

I enter the living room and Chase is on his cell phone. I listen for a moment.

“Yeah, we’ll be leaving here shortly. Gillian’s almost ready.” He turns towards me and his mouth drops open. “Uh, yeah. Um, I’ll see ya there,” he says into the phone and hangs up. His eyes roam slowly over my body then settle on my eyes.

“Gill…God, Gillian you take my breath away,” Chase says in a breathy deep timber. The sound fills me with warmth, spreading heat through my veins like a fine twenty-year-old whiskey.

Chase himself looks good enough to eat. He’s wearing a black tuxedo, a white shirt, and a black vest. A black tie is tucked into the vest. He’s incredibly handsome, and not for the first time, I’m reminded how incredibly lucky I am to have him. For a moment, I fantasize that it’s my wedding day and Chase is standing there looking at me like I’m everything there ever was in the world. Except it’s not my wedding day. But he’s definitely looking at me with a reverence that makes my heart pound a heavy beat.

“I’m one lucky, bastard,” he says as he takes my hand and kisses my palm. He inhales the perfume at my wrist. “I love the way you smell,” he says sweetly placing a warm kiss against the tender skin. I smile and he pulls me toward him. My hands land on his finely muscled chest. I adjust his tie making sure it’s perfect. It already is but doing something with my hands makes me feel more at ease. “We’re going to have fun tonight,” he promises.

I doubt it.My mind supplies, but I keep that thought to myself.

“Shall we?” He holds out his elbow formally. I grin and clasp my arm around his. “Since the party is so large, we’ll have Jack and Mr. Campbell attending. That way, regardless of where we are, the bases are covered.” I roll my eyes, but stay silent. I don’t want to think about my stalker right now, but I’m happy he’s taking precautions.

“Any more texts?” I ask and Chase stiffens.

I look at him in warning, silently willing him to just tell me the truth and not keep something so important from me.

“Yes, as a matter of fact there have been one a day since you last received the flowers.”

“And what did they say?”

He stops and places a hand to my chin. “Baby, I’m not going to tell you. Not because I don’t want to be honest with you, but because I don’t want those things in your head. They’re in mine and they are killing me. Okay?” Besides telling me about his mom and dad, this is quite possibly the most honest and forthcoming he’s been with me.

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