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“I’m so glad you survived.” Leaning over in her seat, Esmerelda gave her a one-armed hug. “You’re the baddest chick I know, and I couldn’t imagine my life without you.”
“You’ve got that right. And, if you didn’t know, now you know!”
Giggling like schoolgirls, they traded air kisses and high fives.
A steward appeared, gave a polite nod and cleared their empty breakfast plates.
“One last question,” Esmerelda said, smirking. “Have you ever had a one-night stand?”
Demi squeaked then closed her gaping mouth. Heat flooded her cheeks and her pulse pounded in her ears. Her first inclination was to lie, but if she did, Esmeralda would call her out and she’d be embarrassed online. Yesterday, while relaxing poolside, she’d confided in her girlfriends about Chase, and Demi worried if she didn’t answer the question truthfully that Esmerelda would help jog her memory—in front of Demi’s one million followers. “Have you?” Demi challenged, needing a moment to collect her thoughts.
Love shimmered in Esmerelda’s eyes and a grin covered her mouth. “Yes, and I married him! But enough about me, let’s discuss your one-night stand with that fine-ass computer geek. And don’t leave out the juicy parts.”
Demi hesitated. She hadn’t planned on posting about her one-night stand for fear that internet trolls would make fun of her, but now she had no choice. Esmerelda had let the proverbial cat out of the bag and her followers were waiting, probably chomping at the bit for all of the scandalous details, and Demi was burning to share about her intimate encounter with Chase. Deciding to come clean, she leaned forward in her seat, glanced around the cabin, and lowered her voice to a whisper. “I met Chase at Infamous the night of Geneviève’s album release party and the moment I laid eyes on him, I knew I had to have him.”
“Oh yes!” Esmerelda shrieked, snapping her fingers in a semicircle. “Tell us more!”
With pleasure, Demi thought, feeling a rush of excitement. Once she started talking about Chase, she just couldn’t stop and gushed about all of the sensual, romantic things he’d said and done. She wisely omitted the part about Chase leaving the morning after without saying goodbye, and focused on their connection, their amazing chemistry and how desirable he’d made her feel. “I’ve climbed the Great Wall of China, rode elephants in Thailand, swam with dolphins in Miami and gone zip lining in Cuba, but making love to Chase was by far the most exhilarating thing I’ve ever done.”
For effect, Demi licked her lips and fanned her face. In her element, she tried to convey what was in her heart and hoped her followers were inspired by her story—not to have a one-night stand, but to do what made them happy, whether it was learning a new skill or traveling around the world. “I have no regrets, but I wished I’d gotten Chase’s number before he left with his family for Barcelona,” she said with a sad smile.
“Did you have an orgasm? Did he whisper sweet nothings in your ear? And most important, does Chase give as much as he likes to receive?”
“Does. He. Ever.” Demi fluttered her eyelashes. “Girl, Chase needs to teach a workshop on how to please a woman, because the sex was so good I blacked out twice.”
Cracking up at her own joke, Demi tucked her feet under her bottom. Over the years she’d been fortunate enough to meet celebrities, star athletes and even political figures, but none of them could hold a candle to Chase. In the future, Demi wanted to get married and have children; she pictured herself with someone as sincere and romantic as the app developer.
“You need to find him,” Esmerelda advised. “He sounds dreamy, and fine, too.”
Demi was still on the fence about tracking Chase down when she returned to the States, but she nodded her head in agreement. “I know, and when I do, I’m going to jump his bones!”
Chapter 12
An ear-splitting noise that sounded like a cross between a squeal and a howl, shattered the silence inside the Mobile Entertainment office on Monday afternoon, and Chase dropped his fountain pen on the contract he was proofreading. Straightening in his leather executive chair, he listened for a moment. It happened again—three, four, five thunderous times. What in the world? The ruckus was coming from the rear of the building, causing Chase to suspect that Mercedes and Katia had called it a day and were relaxing in the conference room.
After work, they’d often remain in the office until dark, strategizing about potential business deals. Normally he didn’t mind them kicking their feet up and hanging out in the building, but not tonight; he had deadlines to meet, emails to read and codes to debug. There were always new and interesting things to learn in his field, and he loved getting lost in his work, but he was having a hell of a time concentrating.
Chase took off his eyeglasses and dropped them on his desk calendar. A migraine was forming behind his temples. He didn’t know if his head was pounding because of the noise or because he still felt guilty about ditching Demi, but he suspected it was the latter. He’d planned to return to Nobu Hotel Ibiza Bay on Sunday night but Jonas’s announcement had changed everything. They’d grabbed their things, left the park and headed for the airport—
His iPhone buzzed and he glanced down at the screen. A scowl twisted his lips. Reading the text message from Juliet soured his mood. She wanted to meet for coffee at her favorite café, but he had no desire to see her, let alone to talk to her. He had work to do and planned to visit his mom at the hospital when he left the office at six o’clock.
His thoughts returned to the charity event at Parc de la Ciutadella on Sunday afternoon. He’d never admit it to anyone, but when he’d learned about Estelle’s heart attack, his life had flashed before his eyes. Childhood memories came rushing back, flooding his thoughts, and the images of his mom playing in his mind had pierced his heart. Estelle meant the world to him, and even though he wished she’d stop meddling in his personal life, he adored his mom and couldn’t imagine his life without her.
Chase rubbed a hand along the back of his neck. The trip back to New York had been plagued with fear and tension. No one had talked during the eight-hour flight and he’d been too anxious to eat or drink anything. At the hospital they’d learned from their dad that Estelle had collapsed in the kitchen while preparing lunch. Their long-time housekeeper, Ms. Khan, had found her unconscious and called 9-1-1. Doctors expected Estelle to make a full recovery, but her cardiologist wanted to keep her in the hospital for observation.
Chase stared at the contract. He tried to block out the giggling, shrieking and cheering, but he couldn’t concentrate on th
e ten-page document. The words didn’t make sense. Who was he fooling? The noise had nothing to do with it; he’d been distracted all day.
He’d returned from Ibiza last night and headed straight to the hospital. To his shock and dismay, Juliet had been in the waiting area, talking to his dad about his mom’s condition. He’d visited with his mom and, after another heated argument with Juliet in the parking garage, he’d left the hospital, fuming. In bed, he’d tossed and turned for hours. And when he’d finally fallen asleep, he dreamed about having a romantic dinner with Demi, at his estate, but every time he tried to kiss her, Juliet appeared, ruining the moment.
Chase fiddled with his pen. He heard a loud thud, the sound of high heels pounding the tiled floor and female voices in the hallway. His office door flew open and Katia and Mercedes burst inside the room, staring at him with wide eyes. Chase wondered what was wrong with his COO and marketing manager, and returned their stare. “Yes?” he said slowly, his gaze darting between his employees. “Can I help you?”
“It’s you.” Katia pointed at him. “You’re Chase. Holy Hannah. I can’t believe it!”
“Katia, are you okay? You’re not making any sense.”
“Please,” she scoffed, hitching a hand to her hips. “I feel fine, and I bet you do, too, after your sizzling, red-hot night in Ibiza with Demi Harris.”
