Billionaire's Black Runaway Love (BWWM Romance) (13 page)

Emily shook her head wearily. “Just go,” she said on a sigh. “I don’t want to talk anymore.”

For someone with his height and size Chace moved really fast and almost before she could blink he was before her, grabbing her shoulders. “Fine. Let’s save our breath,” he said with deceptive softness, his eyes pure steel piercing through her. “We have a much better mode of communication, don’t we?”

“What…”

She couldn’t finish because Chace grabbed her face and kissed her.

Emily fought and struggled, but his lips stayed pressed against hers, hungrily. No matter how much she beat against his chest and shoulders, he never let up, eating into her mouth even as she debated if she should bite him simply out of spite.
How could he do this
? He made her so...angry yet so weak, just as if she knew she was fighting a losing battle.

Finally she broke free, but then Chace seized up her wrists. His eyes were stormy and Emily was just as mad. She knew enough self defense to do him some serious harm if she wanted to, so why was she hesitating? Her lips still burned from his brutal kiss.

Suddenly his face softened. The moments ticked into eternity and Emily forced her breathing to reach normal. Then Chace began to pull her to him again.

Emily was sure he was going to kiss her again, but no, this time he simply dragged her into his arms and held on tight, keeping her face buried in his chest.

“Chace…”

“Shh. Quiet,” he said softly in her hair. “Just listen.”

Listen to what
? Emily gave a slight shake of her head, but surprisingly, did as he asked. She went still and simply relaxed – or tried to. Her eyes darted as she tried to get used to the feeling of leaning on someone, something she wasn’t used to. Growing up having never known her real parents, having to try to stand on her own two feet to keep from being a burden to her struggling foster family…Life had been more hard knock than cushy.

All she’d ever really had was herself.

Somehow though, she closed her eyes and suddenly she could breathe. The feeling of simply being an empty, airless room was going away. From out of nowhere she could sense a small window, breaking open to let the light in. Her fists unclenched against Chace’s chest and she exhaled heavily through her lips.

Then she heard Chace speak, his voice gruff, low. “When it’s most quiet, when all around me is still, you’re the only one I think of – the only one I want to be with. The other women I’ve known always made things feel so loud.”

Hands gripping her shoulders, Chace gently pulled her back so he could look into her wide-eyed face. “I used to hate being weak. I didn’t want to be the man chasing after a woman, wanting to know where she was at any given time, wanting to be with her and keep her from being with anyone else. I certainly didn’t want you to think of me as just that guy who only cares about controlling your life. You make me act the fool.”

“No way. I’ve never…”

“But I don’t care,” Chace added calmly. His thumb brushed tenderly over the swell of her lower lip. “I don’t mind if you laugh at me for falling so hard when you didn’t even have to try. I told you, Emily. Whatever it takes – I don’t care what price I have to pay to keep you by my side.”

Emily bit hard on her lip, thinking,
Really? No matter the price?
But she couldn’t voice the question.

“We just need time,” he added, pulling her into his embrace again. Emily felt his hands stroke down her curls, and she tentatively linked her hands behind him. Why did it feel as if she’d never been truly held before? No man had ever made her feel this safe and at peace in his arms.

“Or you could just marry me, and we could let things work themselves out from there,” Chace said lightly.

Emily had to blink a few times before his words sank into her brain. She pushed back to stare up at him. “What did you just say? Marry you?”

“Marry me,” he said, eyes hardening with determination while his lips held a slow smile. “And no, it’s not coming out of the blue. For years I could never really be with anyone. I tried to forget you, but I knew you were the one girl I imagined myself growing happy with. When I thought I’d lost you for good, my world never really got on track. Work, friends, family…I was just going through the motions. I never realized what was missing, though, till I turned and saw you seated next to me at the bar.”

“Anyone listening would think you couldn’t do without me,” Emily said wearily. “But we both know that’s far from accurate. I mean come on, if it wasn’t for that second chance meeting at the benefit, who’s to say you’d have sought me out again?”

“You couldn’t know, could you…of course not,” Chace was saying as if to himself. “You couldn’t know how many times after that night we first met at the club, I drove past your apartment, wanting to go up and ring your doorbell or hoping to at least even run into you. But then I asked myself what would I say? That I just
happened to be in the neighborhood
? After three of four nights of never quite getting out of the car, yes, I admit I decided maybe it was better to leave things the way they were. I told myself that if we were truly meant to be together, then something would give me a sign. Then I showed up at the Maddox benefit and to my shock, there you were. I think I knew then that I couldn’t doubt things any longer.”

“Chace.” Emily stared at him feeling happy and sad all at once. He was telling her things she’d only dreamed she’d ever hear from him. So why did her heart feel heavy?

“There’s something I need to tell you,” she said reluctantly.

Chace had a quizzical expression, but let her continue. “Earlier today I got a call. Someone, possibly a reporter, said she wanted to talk about you and me and exposing our relationship to the public.”

“
She
?” asked Chace. His confused look was slowly turning to anger as Emily’s words sank in. “Expose our relationship?”

“I know she’s crazy, of course,” Emily said on a laugh. “I mean it’s not like you’re married and I’m your mistress. She was trying to paint things like I’m just some dirty little secret and doing some ‘exposé’ was supposed to be harmful to you. At least, be harmful to your reputation.”

Chace’s eyes narrowed. “Was that why you suddenly decided we needed a break?”

Emily sighed and spun away, arms folded across her stomach. “I’m only going to be a liability to you. I don’t have a wealthy background or a name to speak of. I’m certainly not the type to simply jump because you tell me to. I’m far from perfect and…”

Chace came up from behind and enveloped her in his arms. It was almost as if he could sense how much she needed the warm reassurance of his solid frame, to feel his beating chest against her back as he made her rest against him. He kissed on her neck and silenced her rambling protests.

“As my fiancée, no one would dare bat an eyelid over any stupid exposé or even care. When everyone – especially my family – sees how happy you make me, in the future they might even start to wish they were in my shoes,” he growled in her ear, and Emily couldn’t hold back a giggle as she tried to jerk away.

“Chace, I’m being serious here. You can’t just suggest we get engaged simply to silence some foolish gossip.”

“Well, it’s a start. I can’t have anyone making my baby feel even an ounce of vulnerability. Not when I know she’s the strongest woman I’ve ever met.”

Emily liked the endearment even as much as she liked the compliment.
His baby
? And he thought she was strong? Yeah right. She might put up that tough act all the time, but anyone who really knew her could tell she was hiding a lot of emotional scars. But maybe Chace saw all of that and still believed she’d come this far because of how she hadn’t let those scars hold her back.

Now she had to decide if her heart could stop holding her back from love. She had to let go of the past pain and sense of betrayal and simply open up a fresh page.

If she didn’t even try, then she’d never know.

Chapter 16

“Are you okay?” Chace asked Emily, ducking slightly to look into her face.

Seeing the soft light in his gorgeous flint-gray eyes, Emily nodded and smiled.

“You always ask me that each time we come out to one of these ‘things,’” Emily said, her deep brown eyes teasing him.

Chace let out a chuckle. “I used to think I’d rather face being shirtless in Siberia than have to face an evening like this. But I think you might have it a lot worse.”

Emily had to agree, her smile a little rueful. “Well, I do sort of stick out, don’t I. This is hardly my kind of scene, to be honest.”

She nervously brushed her palms down her floor sweeping dress. It was the most expensive, most beautiful thing she’d ever owned. She’d already picked out what to wear tonight, but found a huge, beautiful box waiting in the bedroom. Chace had bought this dream of a dress for her and wanted her to wear it tonight.

He knew how much she frowned at any kind of frivolous spending. Chace, however, had sweetly asked her to take it as an early wedding present. “I want every single man to be jealous of me tonight,” he’d declared.

Emily had to admit, she loved that she could look good and not have to worry about anyone thinking she’d picked her clothes from a thrift store. Still, she didn’t want to come off looking like a bimbo, dripping in designer apparel paid for by her besotted fiancé.

And yet emerging fully dressed from the bedroom and seeing the heartwarming look of pride and awe on Chace’s face, Emily decided she could bend her rules every once in a while.

“Mother would at least expect us to spend an hour or two, and then if we’re lucky we can make a clean getaway,” Chace said, his eyes suddenly scanning the crowded room.

Emily wondered who or what he was looking out for. The annual Green Ball was an event hosted by the Hammond family to support their major charities. It was taking place within the palatial Hammond mansion, which looked like something Rockefeller would own. It had rooms as big as her apartment in LA, champagne flowing like water, and notable celebrities everywhere you looked.

Emily was one of the few faces that weren’t of the white variety. And almost everyone was famous or at least, recognizable. But she had stopped feeling out of place in such surroundings long ago. She didn’t mind about the stares or any of the whispers because no one dared say anything right up to her face. What she did care about, and was all in a twist over, was doing something to embarrass Chace in any way.

She managed to spend the past three months since they got engaged keeping a low profile and ensuring she made the best impression as much as possible. It wasn’t like she’d been selling crack on a street corner growing up. She’d had a normal enough childhood, though not of the rich variety. Her family had been comfortable and she’d learned to make her way singlehandedly and without having to give up her principles.

So she wouldn’t take to anyone looking down their nose at her or thinking she could only bring Chace down.
I am a beautiful, strong, and independent woman soon to be a published author
, she reminded herself with an inner smile as she circulated the room with Chace.

Just last month, she’d submitted her new manuscript to a publisher. She hadn’t really been expecting anything. The book had taken her less than a month to write, but she’d felt it was her best work. After her blog took off splendidly and she started getting feedback from readers, they’d egged her on to get something published soon.

Emily got up one night and started on a fantasy thriller. She’d had to quit her other jobs and just focus on her writing because she couldn’t seem to be useful for much else. Thankfully, she’d moved in with Chace and he was quite understanding and even happy to support in any way to her writing – mostly just being encouraging, giving tips, and letting her know she was on track any time she lost her groove.

Only Chace and Ciara saw the finished book before she sent it off. Both had identical assessments: the work was perfect and the publishers were going to love it.

Turned out they were right. In a week, she got an email and then a phone call. Next thing she knew, she was in a meeting with the publishers and now she was weeks away from having her story out in all major formats.

“Don’t be surprised if it ends up being made into a TV series or even a movie,” Ciara had said as all four of them – Ciara and Zane, Emily and Chace – had gone out for dinner to celebrate. “
I just have a good feeling about this
.”

Emily had smiled internally at those last words, her eyes shining with humor as they met Ciara’s. That was the same thing Ciara had said about Emily and Chace, as Emily recalled. Wouldn’t it be great if Ciara’s intuition turned out positively once again?

Emily had a lot to preoccupy her during the wait, thankfully. She had a wedding to plan, for one. Meeting Chace’s parents again after ten years had been bittersweet. Emily wasn’t sure how far their acceptance really went, but it was obvious that they had to go along with Chace’s intentions simply because while he obviously wished for their approval, he made it clear he didn’t
need
it to go ahead with the plan – to have Emily’s hand as soon as possible.

Emily knew she had her homework to do. She didn’t want to come between Chace and his family. She could only try her best and ensure they had no cause to find fault. At least, not too much cause.

Emily’s attention was caught as just then, Chace brought them to stand next to another couple. He rested his shoulder on the woman closer to him and she turned in surprise. Emily’s eyes fell on the woman with interest – especially when the woman, a petit, beautiful, and slim honey blonde smiled brilliantly at Chace. She instantly turned and embraced him, kissing his lips affectionately.

Emily’s eyes climbed, but that was before she noticed the man standing next to the petite blonde. He was built like a linebacker, his face heavily bearded and his hair was peppered slightly with gray. Still, he looked quite young and handsome, and he smiled at Chace while slipping an arm around the petite blonde.