Body (20 page)

“Damn!” says a loud unrecognizable voice behind me.

I spring up nearly whacking my head on the cupboard and am caught off guard by the smiling stranger in front of me. His eyes are wide and his mouth opens and closes a couple times but no words come out. I’m certain the look on my face expresses the same shock. The man’s blue eyes travel up and down my scantily clothed body and I pull the shirt-tails to cover as much skin as possible. It doesn’t work; the shirt only covers my naked form to mid-thigh so I jump behind the island to hide more of me.

The stranger and I stare, saying nothing. He has blonde shaggy hair that’s sexy in a boyish way. His blue eyes are really light, almost grey and his smile is bright white as if he’d had a lot of orthodontia to make it so perfect. Chase saunters in as if nothing unusual is taking place. He sets down an empty glass and milk residue pools at the bottom. He grabs a cookie from the dish. He’s oblivious to the crackling tension between the man and I as he pulls me to his side with a firm hand around my waist then nuzzles my neck. He kisses it lightly a couple times. The stranger’s mouth falls open again before a wide grin splits across his handsome face.

“Carson, meet Gillian Callahan.” Oh, thank God! Carson is the cousin, his best friend from what I’ve gathered in conversations. “Gillian, this is Carson Davis.”

“Hello.” I feel weakened by my lack of appropriate attire.

“Red,” he says in awe and shakes his head. “You’re a redhead,” he says again, sounding astonished.

I grab a lock of hair and self-consciously twirl it around my fingers. He was probably expecting a blonde. Chase eases my discomfort by walking over to Carson and clapping him on the back.

“Close your mouth, Carson.” He laughs. Carson clamps his mouth shut but continues to stare. It’s unnerving and rude. First Chase’s bodyguard stares me up and down, now his cousin. What is with these guys?

“Gillian, your clothes have arrived. I set them on the bed,” Chase says.

“Nice to meet you. So nice,” Carson says and turns to follow Chase out of the kitchen.

Thank God!
One more minute suffering this man’s stare would undo me. I scurry out of the room, holding the dress shirt firmly to my bum just in case he turns around. I don’t want the shirt to float up in my hasty retreat. Carson doesn’t need another show. Internally I groan, wondering how much of my bare ass he probably saw.

Several bags and boxes are strewn across the king-sized bed when I get there. What did he do, buy out Macy’s? No such luck. Every piece of apparel is designer. Gucci, Prada, Channel, Marc Jacobs, Guess, Versace…shit. I can’t accept these. I fall to the bed like an elephant and put my head into my hands. Why is he buying me these things? Does he think that will make me happy? Adding up the price tags, there are over ten thousand dollars worth of clothes here, not to mention one long evening gown made by Valentino.
Forty-eight hundred dollars.
For one dress. Tingles of anxiety skitter along my nerve endings.
Breathe.
Deep calming breaths.

I look over the side of the bed and see a plethora of shoe boxes all in my size. How his assistant knew my sizes is beyond me. Maybe he owns a private investigator firm as well as his many other large enterprises. Am I one of his large enterprises? Does he think he needs to buy me expensive things to possess me? The thought makes my stomach lurch and churn.
Whore.
We are going to discuss this later. He’s waiting with his most trusted confidant, besides
Dana
my jealous mind supplies unhelpfully. The redhead comment threw me for a loop. I make a mental note to bring that question up when I broach my discomfort with the money he’s spending on clothes and shoes for me.

Quickly, I pull out a pair of Guess jeans and a tan cashmere Marc Jacob sweater. Probably the most affordable items of the bunch. The jeans are a size six and fit perfectly. They encase my ass snugly and the length hits perfectly on my foot. It will be ideal for a nice bootie with a two or three inch heel.  

I make my way back to the kitchen barefoot and hear the men conversing. I wait behind the entryway wall to eavesdrop.

“Chase! Dude, when was the last time you brought a girl home?”

Chase laughs and I press my ear as close to the entrance as possible.

“I’ve never brought a woman here. You know that. I’m bringing her to the function tonight, too.”

“Seriously? Wow! You like her. You like her a lot!”

I can’t hear Chase’s reply. Dammit. He speaks too softly.

“Aunt Coleen is going to be there. The rest of the family too.”

“I know.”
Chase’s voice is strained. “
I want Gillian by my side.”

“Cooper will be there,”
Carson warns.

“I don’t want her anywhere near that fucker!”

Whoa. He’s got some serious issues with his cousin Cooper. I knew from the conversation at dinner last week that there was something there but this gets more interesting by the minute.

“She’s a redhead.”
I hear Carson mutter in a hushed tone.

“I noticed.”
Chase says and that’s when I decide to make my entrance.

“You noticed what?” I ask as I saunter in completely dressed, pretending I didn’t hear a thing.

“How beautiful you are,” Chase says without missing a beat. Nice save. I blush knowing that’s not what they were saying. I appreciate his compliment anyway. “I was just telling Carson that I was bringing you to the Houses for Humanity charity event this evening. The San Francisco Chapter is hosting quite the posh event to raise money.”

“That sounds wonderful, I’m happy to attend. It’s always great when I can attend a charity event and make mental notes of how they organized it, what they offered in way of food, how the presentation was done and such.” Both men smirk at me.

“Gillian, this is not work. This is you going as my significant other. You will be meeting my family.” Chase shocks me with that. His significant other. I hadn’t realized we reached an official status. I don’t really know how to respond.

“Why would you take notes at a boring ass charity event?” Carson asks. It reminds me that he doesn’t know what I do for a living or anything about me really.

“Gillian works for the Safe Haven Foundation. She’s the Contributions Manager there. She makes us a great deal of money.” Chase beams with pride. “Her campaigns have been incredibly successful.”

“You work for Safe Haven?” Carson clarifies and I nod. “So…Chase is your boss?”

“You could say that.” I answer honestly then hang my head. My hair falls in front of my face, hiding my embarrassment.

“Dude, that’s, well, I didn’t know you had it in you to break rules like that.” He laughs. “Damn, you’re smitten!” He chuckles.

“Shut up, you bastard.” Chase laughs, too.

Bentley makes his appearance, rushing in with a pretty young blonde in tow. Must be his assistant. Are all the women around Chase blonde and beautiful? It’s enough to give any woman a complex, especially being a redhead, against a sea of shiny, perfect, blondes.

“So, I don’t need that extra seat at the event tonight.” Carson picks at a piece of invisible lint on his shirt.

“What happened to the girl you were bringing?” Chase asks.

“Didn’t work out. She wanted to get married and have babies…yesterday!” Carson cringes. “So I’m going solo.”

I immediately think of Kat. She’s available and can be ready at a moment’s notice. The show she’s working on doesn’t open for a couple more weeks. Her Saturday should be free and Carson is just her type. Tall, good-looking, laughs a lot. “I know someone I could invite to be your date,” I venture into unchartered territory, wondering if I’ve suggested a double date too soon. I barely even know Chase, let alone Carson.

“Really?” Carson seems hopeful. “Is she hot?” I nod. “No, I mean, is she hot like you?”

Chase punches Carson in the arm.

“Ouch! Damn Dude! What the hell?” Carson rubs his arm and looks like a sad little puppy.

“Don’t hit on my woman and you’ll live life with a lot less bruises.” Chase’s hint of humor holds a note of warning.
His woman?
  I like the sound of that but choose not to let it go to my head. I’m still unconvinced this will go further than a few weeks and a few rolls in the hay once he learns how weak I am.

“I’ll call her now! Her name is Kathleen, we call her Kat. She’s tall, blonde, thin but curvy in all the right places,” I tell Carson. He waggles his blonde eyebrows. I think he might be perfect for Kat. She has a soft spot for big, hunky blondes. Carson fits the bill perfectly. Hell, I may get BFF of the year award for this set up. Now I just have to pull my get out of jail free card in order to get her to go on a blind date. Every woman hates a blind date. Once she’s there and sees his fine ass she’ll be thanking me! 

“I’ll be back in twenty.” I tell the men. Chase catches me as I turn to leave. He grasps my waist and pulls me against him. I fall into his lap. One hand strokes my thigh and the other holds me close. He inhales my scent at the crook of my neck. Carson gets up and leaves the room. I’m not sure where he’s going nor do I care. When Chase’s arms are around me everything and everyone ceases to exist.

“What do you want for breakfast,” he whispers into my ear. His tongue slides up the curve of my neck. I lean to the side giving him better access.

“Mmm, you?” I breathe seductively against his lips.

He laughs. “Seriously, whatever you want. It’s yours.” His hands slide up the front of my shirt and cups my breasts. I increase the pressure by pushing his hands against me and sigh with pleasure. He tweaks the peaks through the fabric. “Jesus, I want you again,” he says through clenched teeth, thrusting his ridged length against my ass.

I flip myself around and put my legs on either side of the chair, straddling him, then plant my lips over his. He deepens the kiss and we spend a few minutes groping and kissing like two hormone driven teenagers.

“Chase! Today!” Carson yells from somewhere outside the kitchen.

Chase pulls away. “If that bastard wasn’t my best friend I’d throw him out on his ass.”

I laugh and shimmy out of his grasp. I mouth the word “Later,” and he grins and heads out of the kitchen.

After heavy cajoling and pulling out every trick in the book, Kat agrees to go to the charity function as Carson’s date. I’m thrilled. I tell her that I owe her one. She reminds me that I owe her plenty more than one. I squeal in excitement and then compose myself once more.

Kat is going to evaluate her closet. The woman has more dresses than a bridal shop, though many are in various stages of creation. I’m sure one of them will do. I remind her that she’s the most talented designer I’ve ever known and she should wear something already finished. I also inform her that Chase’s cousin is a designer. I hear her intake of breath when she puts two and two together and realizes that Chloe Davis is Chase’s family. Apparently she knows who the young designer is and groans saying she can’t possibly wear anything old. I hang up leaving her talking to herself and freaking out. She could care less about the date now. She’s more interested in meeting the designer.

I go back into the kitchen and realize Chase and Carson are no longer there. I look around perplexed.

“They are in the garden,” Bentley informs me.

A garden? We’re on the fifty first floor of a skyscraper. Where the hell would they put a garden?

“Take her to the garden,” Bentley tells his assistant.

“Come with me, Miss Callahan,” she says.

“Call me, Gigi.” The young girl smiles shyly and nods her head.

We walk through the length of the apartment to a spiraling black staircase. It reminds me that I haven’t really had the tour of Chase’s home. I’ve seen the dining room, kitchen, his bedroom and bathroom. I smirk realizing that Chase and I have been too busy pleasing each other to have a proper look around. I shrug, not really caring.

“Just go up the stairs and you’ll be there,” the young blonde says.

“Thank you. What’s your name?” I ask.

“Summer,” she says looking down and gripping her black dress.

“A beautiful name,” I tell her. She smiles and rushes back to Bentley and her tasks.

The staircase is wrought iron and very intricate. The spindles are swirled metal with curling ends that encircle the railing like a claw. I reach the top and open the heavy metal door. Bright light blinds me as I put a hand over my eyes.
OH MY GOD!

The garden spans the entire rooftop. It looks like a huge courtyard with a greenhouse, trickling fountains, shrubbery, pretty much everything you would find in an upscale mansion’s backyard but on top of a roof. There’s even a lap pool and a hot tub. I let out a wolf whistle as Chase grips my shoulders.

“You like?”

“I like,” I say, barely able to speak.

I’ve never seen anything quite like it. It’s out of this world. We’ve escaped the city and landed in the book,
A Secret Garden
. I feel worlds away from concrete and the city, though if you look across the horizon you can see the entire cityscape in all its glory. There’s the magnificent view of the ocean and the bay. It spans the horizon in a perfect line as if the world just clips off and ends where the line stops. The view is incredible.

Chase walks around the garden, holding me close, pointing out different plants, telling me names and whether they bloom or are seasonal plants. His knowledge is telling and I ask about the greenhouse. He explains that he believes all buildings need greenhouses and that Americans can lessen our carbon footprint by placing them atop every city building across the nation.

Being green is something we have in common. I make a mental note to bring it up at dinner tonight. Kat could go on and on about it. Between her and Bree, I’ve been completely brainwashed. I buy organic regardless of the price because I’m convinced that if I bought otherwise they would know and I’d suffer the consequences. I choose to pick my battles with the lovelies. Then again, I make them feel guilty about not giving to charity every chance I get so it evens out.