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“Come, Reese.”
His voice was so strained and gruff, it was enough to push me over the edge. Just as I began to cry out his name, he smothered my sound with a kiss. By the time the last quake had wracked through my body, I felt as if he’d swallowed my orgasm whole…swallowed me whole.
Eventually, my pants became breaths, and the rise and fall of Chase’s chest, plastered to my back, slowed in unison. He kissed my lips gently before going to his en suite bathroom to clean up and bring me a warm washcloth. I breathed out a sigh of contentment, feeling sated and relaxed.
But all that changed when a knock came at the door.
Chapter 24
Reese
My cheeks were flushed, my hair was a disheveled mess, and I looked exactly what I was. Fucked. I’d scurried into the bathroom so Chase could answer the door to his office. Looking in the mirror now, there was no doubt I’d made the right choice. I was even more certain of that when I heard Samantha’s voice. Great, the VP of human resources had just walked into Chase’s office, and it probably still reeked of sex.
The serenity I’d felt not three minutes ago was long gone—replaced by its evil friend, paranoia.
Were we loud?
Was I loud?
Did the whole office hear?
What was I doing? I’d set ground rules and promptly broken them the first time Chase pushed a little. Had I learned nothing from my mistakes?
Feeling vulnerable, I tiptoed to the door and pressed my ear against it.
“What were you doing in here?” Samantha asked.
“I was on the phone.”
Her voice sounded suspicious. I pictured her squinting her eyes as she spoke. “With whom?”
“A supplier. Not that it’s any of your business. What do you need, Sam?”
Her voice became more distant, and I had to strain to hear. She must have walked to the windows or the seating area on the other side of the room. “Detective Balsamo called me this morning. She said she’s been trying to reach you.”
“I’ve been busy.”
“That’s why I’m here asking the question. It’s not like you to blow off anything related to Peyton. There was a time when they couldn’t get you out of the police station, you were so involved.”
“That was the same time when I blew off my work and spent most nights drunk. Not sure I want to go back to those days.”
“I get that. I do. But I wanted to make sure nothing else was going on. You seem…different lately.”
“Different? How?”
“I don’t know. More jovial, I suppose.”
“Jovial? What am I? A jolly old fat guy who rides around in a sleigh?”
“Something’s going on with you. I can tell. Are you seeing someone new?”
The room went quiet for a minute, and I wondered how he was going to respond. A part of me wanted him to say he was seeing someone, just to hear him declare it out loud to one of his closest friends. Then again, he was talking to the vice president of human resources at my place of employment—probably not the best person to make that declaration to.
“Not that it’s any of your business, but yes, I am seeing someone.”
“Someone you’ve gone out with more than once?”
“I’m not talking about this with you.”
“When do I get to meet her?”
“When I’m ready.”
“So that means you expect her to be around a while?”
Chase huffed. “Did you have any actual business you came here to discuss? Because I was in the middle of something important when you interrupted.”
“Fine. But you love my interruptions, and you know it.”
I heard footsteps move closer followed by the click of the doorknob, but then it went quiet again without the door closing. Samantha’s voice was serious the next time she spoke, and for some reason, I visualized her stopping and looking back over her shoulder.
“I’m glad you’re moving on, Chase. I hope it works out and I get to meet her.” She paused for a second and then spoke softly. “Maybe it’s time you take down the shrine, too.”
I waited a few minutes before hesitantly cracking opening the door. Chase had opened his windows to the outside and was staring at the advertisement on the building across the street.
He didn’t turn to face me when he spoke. “Sorry about that.”
“Things went too far today. We shouldn’t have…” I trailed off.
He was quiet. I assumed his mood shift was because of what I’d overheard. Even though I’d never had one, I imagined talking about a dead ex-fiancée was kind of a buzz kill. So he surprised me when he turned and said, “I want this.”
“Sex in the office?”
The corner of his lip twitched. “That, too. But that’s not what I meant.”
“No?”
He shook his head. “I want this. Me and you. Sam just came in here to talk about Peyton. The lead detective on the case called her, too. It’s time for her annual call where she tells me they’re still working the case but nothing new has come up.”
