Bounty (42 page)

"
E
x
," Chase corrects her quickly.

Denise throws her head back and titters with a shrill little laugh. "Of course, ex, ex. I'm just teasing Lila here." Her eyes meet mine as her head comes back but they show no sign of mirth.

Denise looks older than me, probably in her early thirties. Her hair is pulled up into an expensive and professional looking updo and her eyes are framed with more than a hint of eye shadow. She purses her full red lips as she looks me up and down. "Lila," she says my name again slowly, making it sound as if both syllables are separate words. "You must be a new... friend... of Chase's? He hasn't mentioned you before."

"Funny, he hasn't mentioned you either," I respond. I get more of a reaction from that statement than she did, which satisfies me. There's a flash of anger in her face, but Chase is quick to step in.

"Ladies, ladies, let's be civil here. Lila, Denise and I have been broken up for a while but we're still friends. Denise, Lila and I just met but I really like her and would love it if you two could at least act friendly to each other."

Denise laughs again, putting her hand on Chase's chest and letting it slowly slide down. "Of course, I'm just teasing, you know me. Why don't we all get acquainted over a drink?"

Chase looks over at me and I force a smile onto my face. "Sounds great."

He turns and hands me the drink he had originally left to get. From the corner of my eye I can feel Denise watching. Judging.

Before any of us can say another word, two men approach and step between us, rudely separating Chase from Denise and I.

"You're Chase Anderson!" one of them accuses. "No fucking way."

"We watch you on TV all the time!"

Great. More fans.

"So you're Chase's new distraction?" Denise has taken Chase's diversion as a chance to launch a new attack.

"Excuse me?"

"Oh don't be so sensitive, darling. I'm sure you know that a man like Chase doesn't stay around long. There are always plenty of younger, prettier things to distract him. The dangers of trying to tie yourself to a celebrity."

I'm caught off guard by the accusation and I don't even know how to respond, so she continues.

"Trust me, Chase is a free spirit. You won't be able to drag him to the alter no matter how good you are in bed."

I can feel the heat in my face and wonder whether the night is hiding my flushed skin or if the club lights are betraying me. "What are you talking about?"

"Please, honey, you don't think you're the first weekend tourist to try to win the heart of Chase Anderson, do you?"

"I didn't even know who he was," I protest, before I can hold my tongue. I shouldn't even respond to this woman, she's obviously just trying to get a rise out of me. Not to mention that I had planned to leave in the morning anyway. Monday at the latest. I have a flight, after all.

"Oh, of course," she says sarcastically. "You just happened to flirt with a famous, wealthy millionaire without a clue who he actually was."

"He picked me up, I didn't even want to go with him." I have to stop explaining myself to her.

She pauses at that and a look of anger passes quickly across her face, almost too fast to recognize. But it makes everything clear to me immediately. "He dumped you, didn't he?"

This time she doesn't mask her emotion.

"You think you're better than me, you little slut? Mark my words, you're nothing special. Chase will move on within a week and you'll go back to whatever little hick town you're from, and he and I will still be here in Vegas, living the high life."

"Oh, I get it," I say slowly. "You actually think he's going to get back together with you eventually, don't you?" I shouldn't be continuing to poke her with a stick, but she's a bitch and deserves it.

Her mouth opened to reply, but I cut her off by turning to Chase and speaking over his fans. "Can we get out of here?"

"Definitely," he immediately agrees. "Sorry guys, gotta jet. But yeah, give me those and I'll sign them for you." Chase takes something from the men and turns to the bar to give them an autograph.

"I'm so sorry you have to leave so soon," Denise smiles at me, the lie coming easily to her lips. "The party is just getting started."

"That's okay, I'm sure you'll have plenty of fun all by yourself," I reply. "Besides, I think Chase and I are going to have a lot more fun at our own private party back at his place."

Denise's eyes narrow. "You mean his hotel room, of course? I'm sure he isn't taking you back to his house."

"Wherever he and I can be alone is fine with me."

"Oh, I understand. Men always keep their girlfriends at hotels. Oh wait, no, sorry, I'm thinking of hookers. They always keep their hookers at hotels."

I feel the heat rise against my face again.

"Ready?" Chase is standing beside me now, the two fans having finally left him alone.

"Absolutely."

He turns back to Denise. "Have a good rest of your night. We're going to head out now."

"Of course," she smiles. I can already tell how fake her smile is and I've only known her for a few minutes. "And I'll let you know about tomorrow." After she says that she turns her smile toward me. "Lila, such a... pleasure."

I nod noncommittally and turn quickly away, unwilling to even give her a fake smile of my own. Chase's hand on my back leads me through the crowd, back inside and then out the door. He's on his cell phone, calling his car to come back and pick us up.

If I wasn't so annoyed I'd be impressed at how quickly it arrives. I wait until we're inside and away from other ears before I turn my gaze to him. I know it's none of my business, and I have no plans to see this man after Monday, but the fact that she said it in front of me was clearly meant to piss me off and the fact that it worked pisses me off even more. Since I can't hold my tongue any longer, I at least try to sound nonchalant. I have no idea if I'm successful.

"So... you're seeing Denise tomorrow?"

"
W
hat happened between you two
?" Chase asks, raising an eyebrow and squinting at me. I can see the sides of his lips struggling not to curl up into his little half smile. Is he really amused that we were fighting over him?

"You really dated that woman? She's a complete bitch." I'm not sure if he changed the subject on purpose, but I wanted to get my feelings out about her anyway and it seems like he wasn't as completely oblivious to the tension as I thought.

"She's not so bad," his smile finally breaks through. "I think she was just jealous of you."

"Because she wants to get back together with you?"

He raises an eyebrow again. "What makes you say that?"

"Are you kidding me? Chase, it's completely obvious. Why would you think she'd be jealous if you don't think she still wants you?"

"I just meant that she was jealous of how beautiful you are."

I turn my head to look out of the window, feeling my cheeks get red for what feels like the millionth time tonight. I stiffen as I feel him put his hand on my knee, but I don't move it off. It feels comforting to have it there. "I doubt that's what she's jealous of. She's gorgeous. Why did you two break up, anyway?"

"We just aren't compatible. I mean, I know what you're saying about her being a bitch. She wasn't that way to me, but she can be that way to others. We just weren't a good match."

"But you like her enough to remain friends?" I turn my head back to look at him, interested in his response.

Chase shrugs. "We're not as close as she might have led you to believe. We've remained friendly, and we talk occasionally, but it's not like we hang out with each other socially. It was just a coincidence that I ran into her tonight."

I consider telling him what she said about him treating me like a hooker, but I'm too embarrassed by the comment. Still, I can't help but feel like there might be truth to it. "She knew you'd never taken me to your house..."

Chase sighs and shakes his head. "She's just being a bitch. She knows I don't spend time there. She's just trying to get under your skin."

I can't wait any more so I circle back to my original question. "So then what's happening tomorrow? What was she going to let you know about?"

"It's nothing, she just said that to annoy you. A friend of mine has an extra seat on his jet tomorrow, he's flying to LA for a few days with a few other players for a tournament. Denise has friends there so I asked if she wanted to go." Chase's hand feels warm as he slides it along my skin, moving up my thigh.

"Were you supposed to go to LA? Was that seat supposed to be for you?"

He shrugs. "I can go to LA any time. I'm hoping to be busy doing something a lot more fun with someone a lot more interesting." His hand moves even further up my leg and his body follows as he leans towards me, coming closer with each word. "And gorgeous. And funny. And smart-"

"Just shut up and kiss me," I breathe. H's already so close to me I can feel each compliment brush against my skin.

As his lips finally touch mine, I melt against him and get lost in the smells and tastes of his mouth until we feel the car stop. We make it up to his room in record time and our clothes find the floor just as quickly.

"I need to feel you. To taste you." Chase pushes me back against the bed and I have no willpower to stop him. I want him as much as he wants me.

He pushes my thighs apart with his hands and then slides forward, keeping them spread with his broad shoulders. I'm leaning forward on my elbows, watching him. His tattoo covered back swirls with designs I had been too distracted to examine yesterday. Today proves no different as I'm distracted once more when his tongue finds the wet folds between my legs.

"Fuck, Chase," I cry out. I close my eyes to concentrate on the pleasure.

"You taste so fucking good, I could do this forever." He breaks only to tell me that and then returns his attention to my body.

"That would be too much. Forever." The pleasure is already pounding against me, my pussy feels swollen and ready to explode against his mouth. He doesn't stop, though, doesn't even slow. Instead, he begins to make hot circles with his tongue, focusing on the center of my pleasure before dipping down and pressing into my dark core.

"It's too much," I hiss, putting my hands in his hair and gripping tightly. I can't bring myself to push him away.

Chase continues to ignore me. His expert tongue has found places I'd forgotten existed in my time with Harrison and now that they've been rediscovered they're too intense. There's no more holding back. I scream as an orgasm is ripped out of me. At first I pull Chase even harder against my quivering wetness, but then I use my grip to yank him away just as the stimulation becomes too much.

"Fuck," I pant. "I need... you to fuck me. Now."

Chase doesn't waste time. He reaches across my body to his nightstand and the hairs on his chest pull against my engorged nipples. My hands slip down the contours of his back and over his hips until I grab two handfuls of his ass. I only begin to squeeze before he finds what he was looking for and moves back down between my legs. It only takes him a moment to slip the condom on his already hard cock and then he's positioned at my swollen entrance, his blue eyes shining down into mine as he thrusts forward to immediately fill me.

I reach forward, wrapping my arms around him and pulling him down and tight against my needy breasts. I want to feel his chest pulling against my nipples again with each thrust of his powerful hips.

"You're so fucking hot," he moans as his dick pushes deeper. "I want to fill every inch of your body with mine."

My mouth finds his as the stubble from his face burns my chin with each urgent kiss. I let his tongue invade my mouth, giving truth to his promise of invading me fully. My hands reach down to find his hard ass once more, and I dig my nails into the flesh just as he thrusts one final time before shuddering to his own hot conclusion.

His lips fall away and I feel his panting breath against my neck even as his hips slow their frantic pace. They continue to slowly grind against me for a few more moments before he pulls himself off and slips down next to my body.

I listen to his breathing slow and then fall into a pattern indicating sleep. The clock beside the bed reads well after midnight, which means it’s Sunday. Only one more day here before my Monday morning flight.

All of a sudden I'm not quite as anxious to get on that plane.

I
t took
me a while to fall asleep and so it didn't surprise me that it was so late in the morning when I finally woke up. Sleeping in hotels is always so much easier because of the blackout blinds. I've never been able to find something as good for my room at home.

It takes me a few moments of yawning and stretching before I realize I'm alone in the bed, and this time there's no smell of coffee to let me know that Chase is still around.

"Chase?" There's no sound coming from the other room, so I slip out of bed, just as naked as when I went to sleep last night, and chance a peak outside the bedroom door. The room is deserted, but there's a plate with a chocolate croissant sitting on the coffee table by the couch and a bottle of water. I walk quickly through the rest of the suite, but Chase isn't there. He didn't mention having a tournament to play, but perhaps he just left on an errand.

I pick up the croissant and eat it on my way to the bathroom. I'm hungrier than I thought, so it's gone in minutes. Not surprising since I slept right through breakfast.

I have a quick shower and when I come out, Chase is sitting on the bed smiling at me.

"You have an incredible body," he notes, his eyes taking as much of it in as he can as I scrub a towel through my hair to dry it.

"Sorry I slept so long. What have you been up to?" I finish drying my hair but I don't cover my body. I like how much he seems to be admiring it. His attention makes me feel sexy.

He takes a moment before answering, his eyes distracting his mouth as they feast on my still damp body. "I didn't want to wake you. You looked so peaceful. I just went downstairs and had housecleaning do me a favor." He nods toward the door where I see my clothes from the night we met cleaned and in a clear plastic bag, hanging over the doorknob. "I had them wash them this morning. One of the perks of pretty much living here."

"Oh god, thank you," I exclaim, smiling at the thought of finally being able to put on my own clean clothes. "That was very thoughtful of you. I guess I should take that as a hint that you want me to get dressed. Is that really what you had in mind?" I walk forward playfully so that I'm within reach of his arms, and he doesn't waste time grabbing a handful of my bare flesh and pulling me forward onto his lap.

"Actually, I have a couple of things in mind, and neither of them require you to get dressed..." he grins as his hands brush against my breasts. "But honestly, I thought maybe we'd pop over to my place today? Maybe have some lunch there?"

"Really?"

"Don't look so shocked! You'll see that there's no big secret, I just hardly spend any time there. The casino is much more interesting."

"When do we leave?"

"As soon as you're ready." His hands close on my nipples, rolling them in his fingers. "Unless you want to stay for a bit..."

I squirm out of his grip and spin off of his lap and onto my feet. "I can be ready in 10 minutes. I'm not giving you a chance to change your mind. There'll be plenty of time for that later."

Chase flashes me his version of puppy dog eyes, but I respond by sticking out my tongue.

"I can think of something you can do with that tongue," he quips.

"So can I, but later!" I call back, disappearing into the bathroom.

True to my word, I'm ready in ten minutes and we're in his private car in twenty.

"Nice neighborhood," I mutter as we pass mansion after mansion. I can't imagine having a house like this and not wanting to spend all of my time in it. Chase is quiet, staring out the window as we pull up to a broad Spanish style bungalow on what seems to be a very large property. The car pulls around the circular driveway and up to two massive and ornate wooden double doors.

"Here we are." Chase doesn't seem that excited, but I'm glad he decided to bring me. Regardless of how much time he spends here, I'm interested to see what he calls home.

With a plastic bag filled with the lunch we picked up on the way, Chase turns to me one more time. "Now again, I don't spend a lot of time here so try not to judge me too harshly." He turns to the door and presses a code into an electronic keypad. Apparently rich people don't need keys anymore. With a little electric whir I hear it unlock and Chase pushes the door open, ushering me inside.

The house is spacious inside, with Spanish arches separating an open concept area that includes a well-designed kitchen that flows into a family room. It’s furnished exceptionally well, but everything looks like it was purchased out of a catalog and barely ever used. As we walk through, I'm surprised by the utter lack of personality. "Where's all your stuff?"

"What do you mean," he asks, looking around. "There's a couch, TV-"

"No, you're stuff. Pictures. Knickknacks. Personal belongings?" I walk through a hallway and find the master bedroom. It's just as barren as the rest of the house. It has a big and gorgeous four poster bed in the middle of the room, some dressers and side tables, but nothing personal at all.

"I dunno, I'm not really into material stuff. Everything important to me is at the hotel. I have a few boxes of other stuff in storage, but I never really felt the need to unpack any of it." He shrugs, looking sheepish. "Like I said, I don't really spend time here."

"Then why do you have such a big place?" I walk over to the window and look out across a well-manicured and fenced in yard. There's a huge pool, glistening in the midday sun with a waterfall cascading against rocks behind it.

I hear him sigh and I turn back towards him. Chase is looking sullenly at the floor. I suddenly feel guilty for giving him a hard time about this place after he warned me. I pushed him into bringing me, I shouldn't be so judgmental about it. "I'm sorry," I say, approaching him. "It's a beautiful place. I guess I just come from a different world. I can't imagine having this much space and not wanting to fill it up with my stuff and spend every minute here."

Chase looks up at me, the blue of his eyes sparkling at me. "I guess I wasn't expecting to have an empty house forever. It's just depressing to have a big place all for one person. At the hotel, I'm at least surrounded by other people."

"I get it," I nod. I sort of do. I can see how living here alone would feel very empty. Of course, I probably wouldn't have bought such a big place for myself in the first place, but then again, I don't have millions of dollars.

"Let's go eat lunch," he said, pulling my hand as he tries to guide me out of the bedroom. I pull back and he looks at me quizzically.

"Hold on," I say with a grin. "I believe I promised you the use of my tongue..."