Being Chased (4 page)

And
Chase kept feeling worse and worse about how things had been left between the two of them.

On the Thursday of the fourth
week of their vocal standoff, he made up his mind that he’d initiate a conversation with her on the way to her apartment after she got off work, apologizing to her for his being such a jerk. If that went well, he'd even planned on asking her out for a drink because he'd decided to just say "Screw it" to the whole job situation. His dad would fire him, no doubt, but he could find another job, although that wasn’t a guarantee, and if he did secure one, it probably would be nowhere near as financially secure as this one and the schedule would mess with his classes and studying time. Risky much? Damn.

He was nervous and excited on his way to get her that evening. He hoped she'd forgive his stupidity and give him anoth
er chance. He wanted her to be happy around him again, hear her infectious laughter, see her radiant smile. He even realized he'd do almost anything to hear one of her smartass comments once more and he had to chuckle.

His mood had l
ifted so much and he could hardly wait to see her. He stood outside the car waiting for her to come out of her office building so he could talk to her. She'd texted earlier saying she'd be down at 5:30. He glanced at his watch seeing that it was about that time. Suddenly, he heard that fantastic laughter of hers. He couldn't help but smile.

But
when he looked up, his smile faded. Julia was coming out of the building, her arm hooked through some guy's and they were both cracking up. What the hell? They stopped walking for a second and she leaned into him whispering something to which they both threw their heads back and laughed. Um, okay.

A few feet from the car,
Julia pointed something out on the guy's tie, and when he looked down, she hooked her finger up flicking it to his nose. She guffawed big time at him when he gave her a dirty look, but then he joined in laughing along with her.

Chase
stood in shock. Well, this was just perfect. What great timing he had.

"
Call me later, okay?" she told Funny Dude then kissed him on the mouth, wrapping her arms around him tightly. "I love you," she said as they released their embrace.

"I will, b
aby girl. I love you too," Hilarious Guy said before he nodded at Chase and walked away, a huge grin on his face.

Julia
sighed, watching him leave then turned to get in the car, almost running smack dab into Chase as he held her door open. Upon seeing the scowling expression he wore, her smile abruptly left her face and she got in the car with nary a word.

Damn
straight you'd better wipe that fucking smile off your face,
 he thought, cursing under his breath as he slammed her door shut. Here he'd been ready to put himself out there, and all along she'd had a boyfriend. Wasn't that how things always went?

He got in the car, pulling into traffic to take her home. He thought
he'd felt bad before. This? This pissed him off all to hell and he clenched his jaw to keep any and all rude things from escaping his mouth.

And
wasn't this just mighty friggin’ fine. He decided right then and there that he was finished with Ms. Julia Cooke.

After Julia had said good-bye to Jacob, Chase had gone and gotten all 
someone pissed in my Post Toasties
 on her, which left her totally confused. He’d pretty much shot her the laser stare of death when she’d walked up.

“
Who gave 
him
 an atomic wedgie?” she mumbled to herself after he’d slammed her door and walked around to the driver’s side. Bastard.

He got inside the car and zipped out
into traffic like a lunatic. Helloooo. He was supposed to be 
guarding
 her body not trying to turn it into road kill. Extreme driving in New York City was definitely not a good idea.

Chase
was furious. This right here was the reason he didn't want to get involved with anyone. Sure, he went on the occasional date but he always knew it wouldn't turn into anything serious because he wouldn't let it. But this had been a leap for him. He'd been willing to put it all on the line for Julia. So not only was he willing to risk his life, he'd been willing to risk his heart for her. And she'd burned him. He was so finished with her it wasn't even funny.

Bad thing about his being angry
when behind the wheel was the offensive driver in him came out, and it became all 
hold on to your goddamned hats
 because he was coming through. And, by God, this car was like a fucking tank and people had better haul ass to get out of his way.

Deciding that she
’d rather be blindsided and unaware than actually be alert to Chase’s driving—she envisioned another car ramming into them, where she’d be thrown from the car in a fiery wreck of tangled fiberglass and metal which meant, of course, her bloody crushed-under-thousands-of-pounds-of-automobile-where-she-bled-internally-for-an-hour-before-someone-tried-helping-her-but-to-no-avail death—Julia texted Jacob to distract herself. Hell, it was that or get down on her friggin’ knees and pray. But she’d given up on serious prayer long ago after her mother had died. Besides, she knew Chase wouldn’t do anything stupid. She hoped.

So
text Jacob it was. She’d been so shocked that he was back in town. He’d come to her office surprising her and they’d decided to go out the next night.

--
So what’s up my long lost lovah?

--
Heading to Binghamton since you won’t let me spend the night w/ you

--
Oh, go buy a hooker… I hear they’re cheap up that way too

--
Cheap? Don’t be calling my mother cheap!

Julia
barked out a laugh at this and felt the car jerk hard to the left before Chase corrected it. What the hell? He’d better keep his eye on the road or she was going to have to share her thoughts with him and they weren’t going to be all warm and fuzzy.

Chase’s
mood now took a huge nosedive. She could sit back there laughing, probably texting Hyena Boy, yet he had to keep himself together. Real fair. She’d distracted him so much with her sudden laugh, he’d almost run into a car to his left. All right, damn it. Enough of this emotional roller coaster bullshit. He had to get focused. Get her to her apartment then get his ass home, drink a beer then study.

--
You know I wouldn’t talk about your momma that way. I know she only charges high-dollar

Julia
couldn’t help but snicker out loud at this as she hit “Send,” and damn it if Chase didn’t swerve the car again.

“
You know those driving lessons they offer down at the DMV? The ones that keep you from driving like some just-got-his-license-taxi-driver-who’s-probably-going-to-kill-you-right-before-you-say-hey-buddy-you-might-wanna-watch-out-for-thaaaaaa?” She paused dramatically. “Might be worth looking into.”

Smartass. He had to focus on his breathing, making himself stay calm because he was about to release a salvo on her that
’d rock the ages. His hands gripped the steering wheel, he clenched his jaw and he counted to ten. Fifteen times.

As they pulled up to the Tower, they both thanked God the trip was over.
Julia seriously thought of getting on her knees and kissing the ground when she got out, but she knew Chase was already in a bad mood for some reason, and she didn’t want to push him, so she let him off the hook… this time.

But
Chase wasn’t about to let this go. Not now. Not after he’d planned to put himself out there on her account.

“
Last stop, 
Princess
,” he said, narrowing his eyes at her in the rearview mirror.

Julia’s
head snapped up. Oh, he did
not
 just go there. “I’m not a fucking princess,” she said, glaring back at him.

“
Oh, no? Could’ve fooled me.”

She kept the glare going. “Whatever,” she mumbled, turning to get her briefcase in hand.

“Yeah.
Whatever.
I guess that’s your usual M.O.… you’ve got a boyfriend, but can’t help yourself  by trying to seduce the hired help, huh? That give you some kind of thrill?”

What?
She was fuming now. “I did 
not
 try to seduce you! As a matter of fact, I think it was 
you
 who grabbed 
me
!” she seethed at him.

“
Really? Of course. Yeah. I do that shit all the time… hit on all my clients ‘cause that’s how I roll. Hell, I’ve known you’ve wanted me since the first day you saw me. But you were too high and mighty to give me the time of day, 
Princess
. What? Afraid to get your hands dirty by slumming it with poor college boy?”

“
Well, I never!” Julia hissed. She got out of the car, slamming the door.

He followed her lead, getting out of his side and slamming his door as hard as she had.
“Yeah, that’s the word around the garage,
Princess
,” he spat, walking around to her, sneering, knowing he was pushing it but too pissed off at himself and her to care.

The sting of her palm connecting with his cheek shocked the hell out of
him, stunning him.

“
Who the hell do you think you are? I’ve wanted you since the first day I saw you? Ha! You could only be so lucky! Fuck you!” she hissed, her chin rising up in defiance, as she glowered at him. By God, she was holding her ground. No one was going to talk to her that way, and seeing that she’d made her point, she turned to go inside the Tower.

Man, s
he was such a little spitfire. And damned if he didn’t just love it. He reached out and grabbed her arm, jerking her back to face him, pulling her roughly against him, his mouth coming down hard on hers.

He felt
Julia’s hands push ineffectually against his chest as she tried extracting herself from his embrace. As his tongue slid between her lips, he felt her stop trying to shove him away, and then she surrendered to him, a low moan coming from her throat. God, he loved her moans. Her hands moved up, fingers tangling in his hair pulling his face closer to hers as she kissed him back just as fervently. They fit perfectly together, her soft curves molding into his hard angles, and he felt the lust pounding through his veins. God, he wanted her.

Holy crap
. Oh, she loved the way he kissed, the feel of his mouth on hers. His hard body against hers as he clutched her tightly to himself. Wow. She could kiss him for hours, days even. This man just made her melt with his touch. God, she wanted him.

But
wait a minute. What was she doing? He’d been an asshole to her for weeks and she was rewarding him by throwing herself at him? She didn’t think so.

She
broke herself away, pushing off of him, both of them breathing heavily, her lips swollen and red from the kiss, her cheeks flushed as her chest heaved up and down. Suddenly, her hazel eyes turned dark, flashing lightning strikes as she looked at him.

“
This!” she spit out, moving a finger pointing from him and back toward herself several times quickly. “This is 
so
 not happening! I’m
not
going through this shit again just to have you ignore me! 
Not 
happening!”

And
with that, she turned on her heel, stomping away, while he watched her disappear into her building.

Him
ignore
her?
Jesus. It was then that Chase knew he was in over his goddamned head.

****

As Julia entered the building, her hands went to her face as she tried to calm herself down. Her eyes had filled with stinging tears, and as they fell to her cheeks, she angrily wiped them away hating that she cried when she was mad. Stupid estrogen! But, God, Chase could kiss, she mused, running her fingers over her lips.

Crap!
She snapped herself out of that thought and vowed that 
she’d
 be in control from here on out; she wasn’t letting him mess with her head anymore. After pulling herself together she headed toward the elevator.

“
Ben-efit!” she said knocking her knuckles to Ben’s as she entered the lobby.

“
Julus. What’s up?” He snorted.

“
What?” She narrowed her eyes suspiciously at him, twisting her head to the side. “I don’t even know what that means!” Shaking her head when he just grinned, not answering her, she made for the elevator. Just as it opened, she hopped on then hollered back at him with a giggle, “I’m out before I decide to go on a Ben-der!”

*
***

Chase
parked the car and got into his own, ready to drive back to his apartment. But instead of backing out and driving home, he sat there letting the engine idle, his forehead resting on the steering wheel. He needed to get back in the game. He had tests to study for and this speed bump he'd hit was making him crazy. If he were honest with himself, he’d admit that he’d never been so attracted to a woman as he was to Julia, and that he had no idea what to do with this fact, no clue how to figure it out at all. Obviously, the way he’d handled things earlier was not the answer. He’d been such an ass, and she probably hated him now. Great. He'd have to call Layton when he got home. His brother always knew the answer to his problems.

****

As Julia rode the elevator up, she smoothed out her jacket, checking her hair and makeup in the mirrored wall. Damn him. If Chase thought he was pulling this again, he was sorely mistaken. Just, seriously, who in the hell did he think he was? Like she was just his little plaything he could come on to whenever he wanted. Not. Happening. But damn it if she wasn’t attracted to him. Yet he made her so mad she couldn’t even see straight. Jeez. What was this, some sort of sick masochistic phase she was going through? Ugh.

“
Hey, Allen!” she yelled as she walked into the apartment.

“
How’d work go?”

“
Fine!” Wow. He’d let it slide that she’d called him Allen. Hm.

“
And that’s ‘Dad’ to you!”

Of course. She rolled her eyes.

“Can you come in here a minute?”

Rolling her eyes again, she walked to his office then came up short as she entered, seeing a woman sitting at his desk as if they’d been having a meeting. “Oh! Hi,” she said
.

The woman appe
ared to be older than Julia but was very attractive with long, black hair and big green eyes.

“Julia, I’d like you to meet Maggie Devlin. Her father was a good friend of mine.”

“Very nice meeting you,” Julia said, shaking the woman’s rigid hand.

“A pleasure, I’m sure,” the woman replied.

Huh. Had this Maggie chick just insulted her? Julia couldn’t quite tell. Whatever. She reminded her of her spoiled cousin Hadley who she couldn’t stand anyway. After that awesome little encounter, she excused herself. She showered then changed into a tank top and pj pants, heating up the lasagna that Peggy had made for dinner. As Julia waited for the lasagna to bake, she opened her laptop to check her email.

****

Chase was pissed at himself, at the situation, so instead of waiting he called Layton on his way home. They usually talked to each other once a month or so just to check in, and though they’d just talked two weeks before, he needed Layton’s advice now. He would’ve talked to his brother Gunner, but Gun would’ve just given him the same advice that Brock had—fuck her then move on. Lay was the oldest, more career oriented, not still being led around by his dick, and he’d know how to help.

“
What’s up, little bro?” Layton answered with a smile in his voice, which automatically made Chase feel better. He missed his older brother.

Layton was a former Army Delta Force soldier who’d received an honorable discharge after being injured on a mission while serving in “parts unknown.” When he and their dad got to talking shop, Layton always teased Hank that while Delta did all the covert work (read as the
real
work), the SEALs took all the credit. There’d been some pretty tense moments over the years when Layton had been deployed, the family not knowing where he was or if he was okay since what he could tell them amounted to exactly jack shit, but the whole family had given a collective sigh of relief when he’d returned home, albeit injured. The bullet he’d taken in his left thigh from an enemy sniper had shattered his femur in three places, just short of nicking the femoral artery, and had led to an eighteen-hour surgery, a titanium rod and many screws being used to replace the bone. He’d had over a year of rehab, not to mention some killer scars. Layton downplayed everything, but he’d damn near died. If he’d been just two minutes away from the closest medic, he would’ve bled out and not lived to tell his story. But he had, and he’d persevered with the help of his family and now only walked with a slight limp.