Electric! (17 page)

Chase grinned. “Nice cut-through-the-bullshit insight, babe.
Seriously spot-on.”

She shrugged playfully. “Sometimes lightning strikes.”

He got to his feet again and rounded the desk, leaning
toward her, kissing her passionately. Her thighs went up in flames—
total
strike of lightning! Damn if he didn’t do the most insane things to her
insides. With just a kiss.

Then again, when it came to Chase, there was no such thing
as
just
a kiss.

He pulled away and she sighed.

With a low laugh, he said, “Good to know I affect you that
way.”

“Please. That’s not even the half of it.”

His grin widened. “Admit we’re sizzling together.”

“Definitely not denying it. But…” She reached into her
laptop bag at her feet and yanked out her own spreadsheet. “It’s your turn to
enlighten
me.
”

She laid the stapled sheets of paper on the desk. He
returned to his chair.

“What have you got there?”

“Meg pulled a list of previous clients who severed ties with
us, along with potential clients we haven’t been able to hook. Big clients, for
the most part. Billion-dollar companies that will make dollar signs flash in
McClellan’s eyes. But also some smaller enterprises that’ll contribute to our
bottom line.”

He scanned the documents and whistled under his breath.
“Lofty goals.”

“My plan is to present a list of potential new business from
a domestic and global standpoint. McClellan and the Board want to go
international, so that’s my second-tier approach.”

Chase eyed her a moment. “Brilliant strategy aside… You’re
actually sharing your tactics with me?”

“Why not?” she asked. “You don’t need to hear this concept
from me. You’ve probably already considered a similar scenario. But that’s not
what McClellan is challenging you to achieve. He already knows you can win
business for him. He doesn’t know that
I
can do it at the same level as
you, so I have to prove myself. This isn’t exactly a top-secret competition,
Chase.”

“No, but it does make me happy to know you trust me.”

“You haven’t let me down yet,” she said in a flirty tone.

“I won’t.

With a nod, she said, “So teach me the ways of business
development.”

They walked through the key things Cassidy needed to do in
order to up her game. She didn’t mention Epperson-Langley. Rather, she had Meg
trying to secure an appointment with Pryce Shipley. So far, his office hadn’t
returned the calls, so there wasn’t much point in saying out loud a tactic that
might never come to fruition.

Later, she and Chase tucked away their paperwork and retired
to the sofa with the bottle of sangiovese.

Admittedly, it felt a bit awkward to shift gears from
romance to work to romance. Cassidy had never been in that position before, and
she was now dating someone she would happily beat out of a promotion. How
conflicting was that?

Chase must have sensed her brooding, because he said, “This
new opportunity at MII shouldn’t overshadow what happens outside those doors,
babe.”

She sighed. “I know. I really enjoyed our weekend, Chase.”

He grinned and it turned his beautiful blue eyes even more
hypnotic. But more than finding Chase devastatingly handsome, Cassidy was drawn
to his magnetic personality. Maybe that was another reason she’d fought the
attraction for so long. He could easily sweep her off her feet and that worried
her a bit.

“I was thinking we should plan another getaway after
McClellan makes his announcement in two weeks,” he told her.

Cassidy laughed, though she heard the slight edge to it and
cringed inwardly. “Sort of a
no hard feelings
trip?”

“If this were any other scenario, Cass—either one of us up
for a promotion at a different company or in different divisions—we’d be
rooting for each other, right?”

“Absolutely,” she said. “But this isn’t any other scenario.”

With a grunt, he said, “Okay, let’s discuss an alternate
scenario.”

Her brow dipped. “Such as?”

Leaning in, his lips brushed hers as he said, “How hard you
make me.”

She smiled, taking herself by surprise. It was incredibly
easy to shed her tension and enjoy his sexy talk. Unexpectedly easy.

And that’s when she realized exactly
how
much she
liked Chase Logan.

Completely ignoring the warning bell chiming at the back of
her head, she said, “Why don’t you show me your bedroom?”

Cassidy breezed into her office the next morning, once more
with Meg hot on her heels.

“Boarding passes and your itinerary,” her assistant said,
handing over the documents. “I checked the weather in Portland and Seattle and
there’s no anticipation of a delay for either of your flights. The vineyard in
Willamette Valley is your first stop at two o’clock. Then your dinner with
Piper Industries is confirmed in Seattle. I made reservations at Cutters
Crabhouse at Pike Place Market.”

“Love that place. Great view of Elliot Bay.”

“They’ve gone through a remodel since you were last there,
so don’t expect the same setting.”

Cassidy smiled. “Thanks for the heads-up. You know how
change throws me for a loop.”

“I do.” Meg beamed. She took pride in her work and that was
one more reason Cassidy appreciated and respected her. “A car will take you
back to SeaTac after dinner and then you’re off to St. Louis. No rain in the
forecast. Mother Nature is smiling upon your whirlwind excursion.”

“Let’s hope so, because I’ll be in two other cities on
Friday, back here Saturday morning, and all the way east on Sunday for seven
stops next week.” She wasn’t used to such a heavy travel schedule, but Cassidy
knew it was critical to get face time with the potential clients she wanted in
her back pocket. Still… A thought tickled her brain. “Hey, since I’m overnight
here on Saturday, do you want to go for cocktails?”

Meg’s head jerked slightly, as though she’d been taken by
extreme surprise. She stole a glance behind her and then returned her gaze to
Cassidy. “You mean with me?”

With a laugh, Cassidy said, “Yes, with you. We can catch up.
I can decompress over a couple of drinks before I hit the friendly skies again.
And you know… We can just hang. What do you say?”

“Be forewarned, the subject of Chase Logan will be on the
table.”

She’d already assumed as much. Cassidy said, “I’ll spill
this time, I promise.”

Meg eyed her curiously. “It’d better
not
be the clean
version. I’ve waited much too long for juicy details.”

“You and me both,” Cassidy said in a droll tone. “But that’s
a convo for Saturday. I’ve got a plane to catch.” She collected the files she
wanted to take with her and told Meg, “Thanks so much for making all of these
spur-of-the-moment arrangements. And for putting me up at the Ritz.”

Meg grinned. “You’ve been well under your travel budget for
five years. If you have to do this new-business blitz, you may as well do it in
style.”

“Yeah, the first-class seats will take some of the sting out
of this impromptu jet-setting. See you on Saturday. Text me your venue of
choice and the time and I’ll be there.”

“Travel safe.”

Cassidy tugged her luggage behind her and left MII. She
drove to the airport, parked in the East Economy lot and took the tram to her
terminal. She wondered how Chase did this every other week. Sometimes he was
gone for three days, sometimes the entire week. Cassidy was more of a homebody.

Again, being a product of her environment, she’d never been
encouraged to hop a plane to parts unknown. Her first flight ever had been from
Connecticut to Phoenix after she’d graduated college. Several other trips had
followed, as part of her job at MII, but never anything as extensive as Chase’s
brutal travel schedule. Or this current one.

Cassidy landed in Portland and rented a car. The drive
through Oregon wine country was spectacular, the landscape lush and gorgeous.
She met with the owners of a midsized winery, sampled their varietals and laid
out a presentation to fit their needs based on the phone conversation she’d had
with them when they claimed they were shopping around for a new insurance
company.

Leaving on a positive note and another meeting scheduled to
obtain all the information Underwriting would need in order to pull together
policy quotes, Cassidy rushed back to the airport and hopped a quick flight to
Seattle.

Piper Industries was a tougher nut to crack, but Cassidy
held the attention of the CFO and the head of Internal Audit throughout dinner
and they assured her they’d be in touch in the coming weeks. She ended her day
with a late check-in at the Ritz-Carlton in St. Louis, caught a few hours of
sleep and then met with two other potential clients. She flew back to Phoenix
on Saturday morning and kept her date with Meg.

On the drive to the Ocean Club at Kierland Commons, she took
a call from Chase.

“Thanks for texting me earlier to say you’d arrived back in
town safely.”

A smile touched her lips. “Thanks for worrying enough to ask
me to text you.”

“Well…you’ve been on my mind.”

Cassidy’s heart fluttered. “I was thinking about your
proposition to get away after all of this is said and done. How about Oregon
wine country?”

“Whatever you want, babe.”

“I’ll even bring your goody bag.”

With a hearty chuckle, he said, “That might cause a bit of
trouble if we’re staying at some quaint bed and breakfast. We’d shake the
rafters and get tossed out.”

“Where’s your sense of adventure?” she teased.

“Be careful what sort of challenges you issue,” he warned.
“I was only thinking of how embarrassed
you’d
be. I’m okay with being
cited for disturbing the peace with screaming orgasms. But I know how sensitive
you are about things like that.”

“Yes, that actually would embarrass me.”

“So, are you still having drinks with Meg tonight?”

“And dinner. I’ve been craving the Ocean Club’s Scottish
salmon fillet.”

“At least tell me you’ll come over afterward.”

“I’d love to,” she said, though regret tinged her voice.
“But I’m already exhausted and I’m pretty sure conking out will be the only
thing on my mind once I’m done with Meg. I’d hate to disappoint you.”

He groaned. “Yeah, it’d be a bitch keeping my hands off you.
How about tomorrow morning? I have a nine a.m. softball game. Come watch me
play.”

“That sounds like fun. Text me the info and look for me in
the stands.”

She had an afternoon flight back east. She intended to stop
in Hartford for dinner and an overnighter with her family. Then she’d head to
Boston first thing Monday morning for a meeting.

As she turned into the restaurant’s parking lot, she said,
“I’ll be gone all week, not back until the weekend. How about we get together
next Sunday night?”

“That’s too far away when I want you so damn bad.”

Heat lit her insides. “Anticipation can be very sexy, you
know.”

With a low grunt, he said, “It’s cruel to give me exactly
what I want…and then take it away.”

Cassidy was inclined to agree. “This isn’t anything I
expected, Chase. But I can’t pass up this chance we’ve got at work.”

“I know. I wouldn’t ask you to. It’s important to us both.”

“Yes.”

Chase said, “Enjoy your dinner with Meg. But be sure to call
me when you get to Hartford.”

She smiled again, despite the tension she inherently felt
over their predicament. “I will. Have a nice night.”

“Yeah, I think I’ll hit a pub with friends.”

“Stay out of trouble.”

“You don’t have to worry about that, babe.”

She prayed he was right. Chase was one seriously
good-looking man, after all.

Though, considering how hard he’d been on himself over
sleeping with a woman who looked like her when she and Chase weren’t even
together reassured her she had nothing to worry about.

She hung up, snatched her small clutch from the passenger
seat and climbed out of the SUV.

The Ocean Club was a trendy hotspot and she was surprised to
find that Meg had snagged two prime seats at the bar. The place was packed.

“What are you drinking?” Meg asked.

“Dirty martini, extra olives.”

“Excellent choice.” She did little more than bat her long
eyelashes and the bartender swooped in, all but drooling over Meg in her red,
strapless minidress.

Cassidy didn’t miss the offense other women took at how
attentive the hunky bartender was with Meg and how quickly he served her,
whipping up the martini before moving on to take other orders.

Actually, it wasn’t so much offense… It was pea-green envy.

Sliding onto a stool, Cassidy asked, “Personal friend of
yours?”

Meg waved a manicured hand in the air. “I might have had sex
with him once or twice.”

Cassidy laughed. “That memorable, huh?”

Leaning in close, Meg said over the music and animated
conversations, “He’s an animal! Like, stud-of-the-century amazing. But not
exactly a man you can trust when he’s got more than half the women in
Scottsdale panting over him.”

Cassidy’s brows narrowed. “Now hold on there. You claimed at
the party in Flagstaff that no man has ever devoured you with his eyes. Totally
wrong, because this guy just gobbled you up.”

With a shake of her head, Meg said, “What I told you is that
no man has looked at me the way Chase does you. Not just lustfully, but with
intense longing that goes far beyond merely wanting to fuck. Which is all Jared
wants, trust me.”

“I don’t know…” She stole a glance down the long line of the
bar and found that Jared the Bartender kept stealing his own glances. At Meg.
Returning her attention to her friend, she said, “I think he’s a bit more into
you than you suspect.”

From under her thick lashes, Meg peered at the strapping
dark-haired, blue-eyed man and then shrugged. “Doubtful, but it doesn’t matter
anyway. I’d go out of my mind if I dated a guy who looked like that and had all
these women throwing themselves at him.”

“Do you know for a fact he’s the Don Draper type?” she
challenged.

“Oh come on!” Meg laughed. “You’re going to throw
that
in my face when I just set a record for getting the fastest martini delivered
at one of the most popular bars in town? He’s just greasing the
let me sex
you up
wheels.”

“I don’t know. You gave me a hard time when I thought Chase
was the type to do up all the ladies in town. He’s not.” Unable to fight a
grin, she added, “In fact, he was at home when he called me on my way over
here. Since I had plans with you, he decided to go have a drink with friends.”

Meg’s green eyes twinkled. “You passed up a date with Chase
to hang with me?”

“
We
made a date,” Cassidy reminded her. “I’d never
back out on a friend to be with a guy.”

“Wow.” Meg sipped her cocktail and then said, “I’m not
really sure what to say to that, Cassidy.”

“Cass.”

Meg laughed softly. “Cass. Right. Some new leaf you’ve
turned over.”

“I believe they call it character development. You getting
on my case at the party was actually pretty helpful. And Chase enlightened me
as well.”

“Yeah, about that…” Meg’s expression turned downright
wicked. “
What
is going on between you two? He left the shindig shortly
after you did. To meet up with you at the house you rented?”

Her cheeks flushed at the memory of the weekend she’d spent
with Chase. “It was sort of an accident. Yet kind of fated, I guess. I was
scrolling through your texts and saw one asking if I wanted company. I said
yes, but I thought I was replying to you. Next thing I know, Chase is on my
doorstep, looking devilishly handsome as usual and I don’t know… I was shocked,
but I couldn’t send him away. I seriously could not resist him.”

“Oh. My. God.” Meg’s eyes widened. “You fucked him?”

Cassidy cringed. “Not so loud!”

“Please. No one’s paying attention to us. But I am
definitely going to need another drink for this conversation.” She drained her
glass and didn’t even have to place an order for a second one, because Jared
kept an eye on her and was already pouring her a cocktail before she’d even
finished the first.

He set the glass on the bar and leaned toward Meg. “Let me
know if you need a ride home tonight.” Then he turned away to crack the tap on
an amber brew.

Cassidy gave her friend a pointed look.

Meg smirked. “What can I say? The man makes house calls.”

“I believe there’s another term for it.”

“Whatever. As many times as he’s been over, he might as well
move in.”

“Ha! So much for
a time or two
.”

“I will concede that when he offers, I have trouble turning him
down. But again… It’s just sex.”

“Right. Just sex.” Cassidy’s tone dripped playful sarcasm.
“I tried that one out myself with Chase. And ended up in a relationship with
him. Well, of sorts.”

“So you’re dating?”

“Yes. Although, this huge competition for Tom’s position has
left skid marks in the road. Just when we were driving fast and furious toward
something, I suddenly have to fly all over the damn country. To top it off,
we’re both vying for the same job. Pretty much a romantic buzz-kill, you know?”

“I can see where that would create some problems.” Meg
sipped, then asked, “But you’re still going to try to be together, right? I
mean after all this time—after two years of flirting—for you to
finally
hook up… Shit, how depressing it’d be to walk away from that just because of
your job.”

“I want this promotion,” Cassidy told her.

“And if he gets it instead? Seriously, Cass, are you telling
me you’d stop seeing him because he’s a VP and you’re not?”

She sighed. “It’s not exactly like that, Meg.” Popping an olive
into her mouth, she chewed, then tried to explain as best as she could. “It’s
not that I’d begrudge him beating me out. I mean, I’d certainly feel the sting.
But I’d also have to accept that I clearly didn’t do
everything
in my
power to land that job.”

“But wouldn’t you want to do everything in your power to
keep Chase?”

Glancing away, she said, “That’s kind of extreme, don’t you
think? This is all very new, Meg.”