Page 12 of Giving Chase

"Ms. Kerr," Daniels cuts her off, his tone patronizing. "I appreciate your... enthusiasm, but perhaps you should leave the big picture decisions to those of us with more experience. The market moves fast these days. We can't afford to wait."

I see Eliza's jaw clench, and something in me snaps. "Actually," I say, stepping up beside her, "I think we should listen to Eliza. She hasn't steered us wrong yet."

Daniels looks at me, surprised. "Chase, I didn't see you there."

"Clearly," I say, flashing him my most charming smile. "Now, if you'll excuse us, I need to borrow my manager for a moment. Band business, you understand."

Without waiting for a response, I guide Eliza away smoothly, my hand on the small of her back. The contact sends sparks shooting up my arm, and I have to resist the urge to pull her closer.

"Thanks for the save," she murmurs as we reach a quieter corner of the rooftop. "But I had it under control."

"I know you did," I say, dropping my hand reluctantly. "I just couldn't stand watching that asshole talk down to you."

Eliza looks at me, really looks at me, for the first time in months. "Chase..."

"I miss you," I blurt out, the words escaping before I can stop them. "I miss us, Eliza. The way we were before... before that kiss."

She closes her eyes, pain flashing across her face. "We can't, Chase. You know we can't. There's too much at stake."

"I know, I know," I say quickly. "I'm not asking for... I don't know what I'm asking for." I run a hand through my hair, frustrated. "I just know that I can't keep pretending there's nothing between us."

Eliza is quiet for a long moment, her eyes searching mine. Then, to my surprise, she grabs my hand. "Come with me," she says, leading me towards the exit.

We end up in her hotel room, the door barely closed before we're kissing again with me holding her against the wall. It's even better than I remembered – hot and desperate and full ofmonths of pent-up desire. My hands roam her body, memorizing every curve, as hers tangle in my hair.

When we finally break apart, we're both breathing hard. "We really shouldn't be doing this," Eliza whispers, but she makes no move to pull away.

I rest my forehead against hers, my heart pounding. "Do you want to stop?"

Her eyes meet mine, dark with desire. "No," she breathes, and it's all the invitation I need.

I kiss her again, slower this time, savoring the taste of her. My hands find the zipper of her dress, and I pause, silently asking permission. Eliza nods, and I slowly lower the zipper, revealing smooth, pale skin that I've dreamed about for months.

The dress pools at her feet, and I take a step back, drinking in the sight of her. "God, Eliza," I murmur. "You're beautiful."

A blush creeps across her cheeks, and it's so endearing that I have to kiss her again. Her hands find the buttons of my shirt, deftly undoing them. I shrug it off, then pull her close, reveling in the feeling of skin against skin.

We move towards the bed, a tangle of limbs and heated kisses. I lay her down gently, hovering over her, still hardly believing this is real. "Are you sure?" I ask, needing to hear her say it.

Eliza's hand comes up to cup my cheek. "I'm sure, Chase," she says softly. "I want this. I want you."

Those words ignite something in me, and I capture her lips in a searing kiss. We take our time exploring each other's bodies, hands and lips mapping out new territories. Every sigh, every shiver, every soft moan is etched into my memory.

When we finally come together, it's with a sense of inevitability, like two puzzle pieces clicking into place. We move together in perfect synchronicity, as if we've done this a thousand times before. I lose myself in the feeling of her, in thesound of her breath catching, in the way she says my name like a prayer.

Afterwards, we lie tangled in the sheets, my fingers tracing lazy patterns on her skin. I feel more relaxed, more content than I have in years. But as the afterglow fades, I can sense Eliza withdrawing, see the walls going back up behind her eyes.

"This can't happen again," she says, but there's no conviction in her voice. There’s something in her posture that makes me think she means it, though. It’s as if she’s fighting a war inside herself over me, and I’m losing.

I can’t lose this. Not now.

I prop myself up on an elbow, looking down at her. "What if... what if we made a rule?" The idea forms as I speak. "No strings attached. Just this, when we both want it. No expectations, no complications."

Eliza raises an eyebrow. "No strings attached? You really think we can do that?"

I shrug, trying to sound more confident than I feel. It’s the only thing I could think of off the top of my head to keep her close to me. I don’t want to lose her, and I’ll take whatever I can get at this point. "Why not? We're both adults. We can keep it casual, right?"

She studies me for a long moment, then nods slowly. "Okay. No strings attached. And nobody can know about this. But Chase, the moment it starts to affect the band, or your career-"

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