I bite my lip, swallowing hard as he continues. The pressure inside me is building up. My body tenses. Chase puts an arm across my breasts pressing down on one nipple, while his fingers curl around the other. He leans down for a kiss, swallowing the sounds I can’t seem to keep inside. I’m holding on to him as best as I can, on the verge of having someone come through the door to check on the noises I’m making.
His tongue goes into my mouth just as he pinches my nipple and sends his fingers deeper inside me while this thumb pushes down on just the right spot. I close my legs, crushing him to me, grateful for the fact he’s swallowing the scream that would likely bring down the building.
My body relaxes, and my breath leaves me as I try my best to focus.
Chase is leaning over me with a pretty satisfied smile on his face. Yes, I may have to reevaluate “the most relaxed I’ve ever been.”
12
Chase
The quiet knock has me glancing over my shoulder at the door then down at my cell. If this is right, and it should be, it’s six fifty. I check the peephole and find Jasmine at the door. My perfect little coed is prompt.
“Hi there.” I step back, issuing a silent invitation for her to come in.
“Hi.” She smiles, walking past, seemingly more confident than she was the last time she came through the door. She’s wearing a forest-green dress that does all the right things for her.
“You’re beautiful.”
“Thank you.” She quirks her lips, cheeks blushing prettily. “As much as I’d like to take the credit, this is all Nina.” The pleated neckline on the dress is more modest than I would have expected, considering what Nina’s pushing. But the skirt ending at mid-thigh makes the overall look damn near perfect.
“She chose well.” I check the time, more out of habit than any chance of running late. “Are you ready to get going?”
“Yes, of course.”
I hold the door, letting her pass.
“I hope I didn’t keep you waiting,” she says, concerned.
“Not at all. We’re actually right on time.” I offer her my arm.
She does a double take and slips her hand through, letting out a sigh of relief. “I’m a little steadier than I was yesterday, but I still feel like I’m going to end up facedown on the carpet.”
I push the button for the elevator and glance down at her feet. “Do you need different shoes?”
“I just need to get used to them.” She chuckles. “Nina has a thing for skinny heels. I’m glad she didn’t bring in skyscrapers like she wears.”
The elevator arrives, and I escort her in. I reach out to push the button, and her grip on my arm loosens. I straighten and set my hand over hers.
She blushes again. “I didn’t want to crowd you when we have room.”
“You’re fine.”
She takes a deep breath and looks straight ahead at our reflection. A pleased smile stretches her lips.
“You see, I told you you’re beautiful,” I point out.
“We both do,” she agrees, her smile turning radiant.
We step out to the lobby and she tightens her hold on me. I shorten my stride so she’s at a more comfortable pace. If I was a gentleman, I’d tell Nina to get her more practical shoes. However, I’m enjoying the way she’s holding on to me.
I lead her along the edge of the lobby to the in-house restaurant. There’s more than one guy turning to admire my beautiful companion. “I think the steakhouse is over here.” She glances over at me with apprehension, and I stop. “You don’t eat meat?” Damn, I never thought to ask.
She swallows and tucks in close enough to whisper, “It’s more like I grew up on a Cup-a-Soup budget.”
Even though I’m privy to her finances, I didn’t get just how much she’s had to deal with. “They have an Italian restaurant in-house. Would pasta be better?”
“Yes, if that’s all right.” Her eyes are huge, prompting the protective instincts in me.
“Let’s see about switching.” I nod toward the hostess at the entrance to the restaurant.
“It won’t be a problem?”
I grin. “We pay enough to stay here; they should be able to accommodate us.” I shrug. “If not, this isn’t the only place in town.” We continue the last few steps.
“Good evening.” The hostess greets us with a smile. “You have a reservation?”
“We do, but it turns out she’s craving Italian.” I smile down at Jasmine.
The woman turns to Jasmine. “Let me arrange that for you.” She presses a button at her ear and makes the change. “Kayla will meet you at the door.” She motions to the other entrance, down from where we’re standing.
We follow Kayla across the dining area to the table she selected. “Your server will be with you momentarily.”
“Thank you.” I turn to Jasmine and lose track of what I was about to say. Seated, only her torso is visible, and the dress does its best to center the viewers’ attention. Each pleat leads down to her breasts, calling attention to her assets.
If half the men in here have that same reaction, the evening is going to be a test of my patience. A possessive streak shoots through me, widening across my chest. The last thing I need is to have every fucker here staring at her.
Damn that Nina. She’s fucking brilliant.
13
Jasmine
Somewhere between the angel hair pasta with chicken breast and the tiramisu, he started up on his favorite topic, hacking.
“It’s exploiting the vulnerabilities in personal systems,” I point out. “The fact it includes the word exploiting says something about it.”
He puts his hand at the back of my waist. His fingers spread out to cover the curve of my hip, sending a swarm of butterflies through my tummy.
“It’s an existing weakness, not one that’s being created,” he says, taking us back to the elevators. “The word weakness illustrates it.”
If there’s one thing I hate, it’s having my own words thrown back at me. “That doesn’t mean you have to be the one to push the boundary.” I press the button for the elevator a little harder than I should.
“If I found it, why wouldn’t I be the one to push the boundary?” he asks, as if it’s an obvious conclusion.
Another couple joins us just as we step into the elevator, so I hold my tongue during the ride to the top. Chase is standing behind me, his hand at my waist again. The reflection shows his gaze centered over my breasts.
How many times have I wondered if he enjoys taunting me? He knows hacking bothers me to no end. Yet we end up having this kind of argument, in some form, over and over.
The elevator stops, and the couple leaves. As soon as the door closes, I step to one side and pick up right where I left off.
“You’re doing this on purpose, aren’t you?” I ask, annoyed. “What some people do,” I say, avoiding outing him in case there’s a camera in the elevator, “is illegal.”
He has the gall to feign a shocked expression. I press my lips together, glaring in his direction with disapproval. While he hasn’t actually admitted to doing anything that’s against the law, these moments are telling.