"Why the hell would I..."To Chase’s delight, Amaya blushed, her gaze lingering on his chest for a few too many seconds.Oh, this just got better and better, he thought to himself. "Come on, Miss Patterson, it's not like you have another choice. My farm house is the most modern dwelling here in the town.""That won’t be necessary—""There is an inn there, but surely you’ll hate the bed bugs there. My extra rooms have all the amenities of a hotel."Amaya sighed, "Of course, it’s super modern; what did I expect?" Yes, she never expected mundane things with her boss; of course, he'd make his stay like a five-star one. But could she stay? After the kiss? Could she stay in a house with him alone?"Mocking becomes your hobby, I see. I like that." Chase leaned closer, her awareness of him evident in the widening of her pupils, the tip of her tongue darting out to moisten her bottom lip, and his gut clenching with how badly he still wanted her.Maybe he should tell her the truth now and be do
"So let's talk about signing the papers," Amaya said. Memories slammed into her: snuggling in the crook of his arm under their sheets, lying on top of him along her fake dark wig, nuzzling his neck as they made love... She gulped a lungful of air—or several—to ease her breathlessness.Chase's scent was so evocative and rich in memories that she struggled to remember what he’d just asked her.Casting a curious glance her way, he sat opposite her, his knees in close proximity to hers, and she surreptitiously sidled back to avoid accidental contact."Come on, Amaya. We can talk about that later, but for now, enjoy the wine."That was all she needed. As if she hadn’t made enough of a fool of herself already."So what do you think of my little farm house?" Chase asked her with a little tease in his voice, to which Amaya knew so much; he was trying to get on her nerves again."Little? Seriously?""Well, considering that it had three bedrooms, I consider it little by my standard."She manage
"What?" Amaya’s eyes widened. "Are you kidding me?""Do I look like I know how to joke around?" Chase smirked. With their lips so close, so tantalisingly close, and the ever-present heat shimmering between them like an invisible thread binding them despite their time apart, it took a few seconds for his words to penetrate.What the hell is wrong with him? How could she play her like this?When they did, she jerked back, shock rendering her speechless.Her mouth opened and closed as her mind spun with confusion. She could’ve sworn he’d just proposed."Miss Patterson, you heard me."He straightened, and while half of her wanted to clobber him for the ludicrous statement he’d just made, the other half irrationally missed his proximity.He perched on the desk, towering over her."Marry me. That’s my condition.""Are you out of your mind?"She leaped to her feet and stood toe-to-toe with him. "What sort of stupid condition is that? Like I’d ever marry you, like I’d agree to—"The idea didn
Amaya shook her head.Why a man like him with charm to spare would choose her for his insane idea had been bothering her since he'd first laid out his outrageous proposal."Surely the great Chase Johnson would have a slew of babes waiting to tie you down?"His eyes sparkled as she hated her choice of words and raced on. "I mean, why me specifically? What do I have to offer?"Chase smiled and asked, "Do you really want me to answer that?""Yes.""For the fact that we have history, and I know that you aren't after my money; otherwise, from what happened six years ago, you can trick me into—""Why on earth would you bring up such an incident again? We already made a deal to never talk about it, remember?""I'm just stating a fact—I'm just answering your question. The obvious one." Chase bit her lips and looked at her.Amaya's breath hitched at the clear intent in his loaded stare, and she took a step back. "The obvious one is that I don't want to—""Are we going to argue again about this
Chase couldn’t stand it—he just couldn’t stand it!For weeks, Donna had been ringing every day, then every hour, and now even here on the farm, she’s been bugging him.He picked the mobile up and threw it across the room, but still it rang.He picked up his landline phone and tossed that too.Ah, but soon the emails will come...So with one swoop, he cleared his entire desk of its contents: the computer, papers, his lamp, his coffee, everything, crashing in one swoop, a smash of glass, and chaos, with no relief or reprieve because Amaya walked in."Out now!" he roared at her, but Amaya just stood there, frozen. "Get out!" "NOW!"Except she didn't; she just stood there, eyes wide in shock and then, worse, with tears in them, refusing to leave, refusing to go. So he stormed out of his office.Inside the office, Chase began to pace. Shocked. He would explain.He must explain the sudden outburst.He hadn’t wanted her to see him like that. Chase turned and walked back, calmer now, together
What the hell was he doing? She thought to herself.Was he out of his mind? Changing the subject, Amaya frowned before saying, "Just as well, because I absolutely do not fancy you!" Amaya turned to go, her face burning. She’d heard enough and lied enough, but she hadn’t actually said enough.She turned back. "You’re right, Chase—I do get you. And, yes, I get your good looks and your sentiments where women are concerned. I get that you have no desire to settle down and that women want more—I get it all. Well, enough to know that you rarely sleep alone, and no matter how you introduce me to your family or what you think may or may not happen between us while we’re away, but you and I, sharing a bed, well, it wouldn’t work!""But it did work before?""Are you out of your mind? The past is the past. Stop bringing it up.""Come on, Miss Patterson, I think it would work rather well!" he retaliated.And just then there was a tiny shift, a brief moment when they were both imagining it, both t
From the moment Amaya left Chase's office, she called the forbidden number of her father after receiving a message from her best friend Mary. Mary insisted on saying hello, but the moment it rang, Amaya knew she’d be recalling old memories. She’d been bracing for this confrontation.However, no matter that she told herself it was ridiculous, no amount of deep breathing, steeling her nerves, or trying to remember how far in the past it all was could calm her in any way as she called her father for the first time in years. She could feel her hands shaking.She paused at the entrance to her own room.Not that her father would ever admit to his seventy years. He’d had work done on his face several times, had hair plugs to arrest a threatening bald patch, and continued to wear designer clothes better suited to a man half his age.But pots of money, cosmetic work, or fancy clothes couldn’t buy health, and that was one thing he didn’t have these days.Five years ago, he tried to guilt her in
The next morning, after a shared breakfast, Chase knew Amaya would knock on his library door.And yes, he wasn't wrong.Chase squinted at Amaya between the spokes of his step-sister’s wedding, trying to read her expression but coming up empty.Last night, she’d left a message on his phone, requesting a meeting after breakfast, and he had suggested meeting at the library instead, which is basically almost like his shared library slash bedroom in the US, where they made love all night long, hoping that the memories might throw her off balance—make her vulnerable and more easily manipulated.Chase hadn’t anticipated that those very same memories might unsettle him as well, but with Amaya standing there, dressed in a flounce white skirt and yellow tube-top, gnawing at her full bottom lip, an action he remembered all too well, attending to his step-sister’s call was the last thing on his mind.He waited for her to speak and continued listening to Donna’s nonsense, an action he found soothi