The VIP Room (43 page)

“
S
he’ll be alright
?” I asked the woman at the nurse’s station, gesturing with my thumb toward the room behind me.

The woman looked at me suspiciously for a moment before nodding. “Should be fine. A few scrapes, scratches, and bruises, but she’ll be fine.”

I thanked the woman then walked back toward the door to the hospital room, peeking in from just beyond the doorway. I thought back to how I’d found the woman, being chased by a massive black bear down the mountainside, and shook my head. Had I not been out there exercising my own bear, she’d be dead. Hell, it was a wonder she wasn’t dead anyways. Most people don’t take a tumble down the mountainside and live to tell about it, much less resume consciousness. And yet, here she was. Alive, awake, and surrounded by family.

After I’d chased off the woman’s pursuant, I’d raced after her down the mountain, hoping to stop her tumble before she reached the stream below. I’d figured that, in her condition, she’d probably have drowned in the waters while still unconscious. Through a stroke of ill luck, however, she’d ended up slamming into the solitary boulder along the stream’s bank. By the time I’d gotten to her, she was already unconscious. I’d immediately shifted back into human form and checked her for any life-threatening wounds, before sweeping her into my arms and rushing her as quickly as I could to the local hospital. If I hadn’t been able to tap into my bear’s reserves of strength and speed, I’m not sure I could have made it. The nurses had recognized the woman immediately, identifying her as Andrea Sloane, and had reached out to her family. As far as I knew, the woman was completely unaware of my presence, or of my role in her rescue. Which, honestly, was probably for the better.

I turned away from the room and started toward the hospital’s exit. Ever since arriving in Boone, I’d felt more free and relaxed than I had in ages. My bear seemed pleased for the first time in over a decade, and I could feel the mountain air working its wonders on the stress that had built up so intensely back in New York City. Even one run through the mountains had been enough to detox every bit of pent up rage that I’d been building up over the years. It was, to say the least, satisfying.

Just as I was nearing the exit, a woman’s voice called out to me. “Hey, you!”

I turned to see the woman standing in the hallway, her hospital gown clinging around her body. Even in the gown and with the head bandages, the woman was unmistakably gorgeous - something that I hadn’t noticed in my rush to get her to the hospital. She had brilliant and piercing emerald eyes that almost melted me where I stood, and a body that curved in absolutely the
right
way. My mouth watered a bit as I stared at her, and my bear rumbled a silent roar of desire.

“You think you can just walk away after this?” The woman called out, storming toward me and turning heads all around the hospital’s narrow hallway. A pair of heads peeked out from the woman’s room, that of her parents, and stared at me with widened eyes.

“Excuse me?” I offered, arching an eyebrow as I gazed upon the gorgeous woman before me.

The woman reached me much more quickly than I would have guessed she could in her battered condition. She stood in front of me for a long moment, her eyes drilling up into mine, and her jaw held firm as though in an act of defiance. Then, without warning, she reached forward and wrapped her arms around me, embracing me in a tight and almost painful hug.

I stood there, taken off guard and unsure of how to respond. The warmth of her body send bursts of electricity through my body, and I suddenly felt as though
nothing
in the world could go wrong. Without realizing it, I wrapped my own arms around her, reciprocating her tight embrace, and taking in the fullness of her scent. She smelled just as wonderful as she looked, and the primal nature of my bear threatened to emerge in that perfect moment.

“Thank you,” the woman murmured through tears I hadn’t realized she’d been crying. “Thank you, thank you. Whoever you are, thank you. I thought I was dead.”

I patted the woman on the back, then released her from my arms and she took a step backward. I offered her a hand and my best smile before speaking. “Chase,” I said. “And you’re welcome. I’m just glad I was there to help.”

The woman put her hand in mine, all but devastating my senses as her smooth skin electrified my mind with its touch. “I’m Andrea,” she said. “I don’t know how to begin to thank you. Honestly.”

I shook my head at her, smiling. “It was my pleasure, Andrea. Really. Right place, right time, is all.”

Andrea stared up at me, a smile forming behind her eyes. “Still,” she said, clearing her throat. “You at least have to let me buy you dinner. It’s the least I can do.”

I stared at her for a moment, realizing that her hand was still in mine, and nodded. There was no way I could turn this woman down, even if there were other, more pressing matters, to attend to. I released her hand and grabbed my wallet from my back pocket, fishing out one of my business cards and handing it to her. “Just call me when you get out of here,” I said. “I’ll look forward to it.”

Then, without another word, I backed away from Andrea and started toward the exit before she could read the card. Just as I rounded the corner, I heard her cry out in surprise, obviously recognizing my name.

“
T
he
Chase Hammer
?” my mother asked, her eyes wide with surprise. “What’s he even doing in Boone? Isn’t his company based out of New York?”

“His parents had a place over on the Parkway,” my dad replied matter-of-factly. “He must finally be clearing out the place. That, or he’s using it as a vacation home.”

I just stared at the business card Chase had left me with, my eyes still wide with wonder. Whatever he was doing in Boone, whatever he’d come here to do, he’d taken the time to somehow find and rescue me. He’d saved my life, even if I didn’t know how, and I was more than baffled by it. Part of me wanted to call him immediately, set up a time and place for dinner, and dig into how everything unfolded. The other part of me - the saner part - wanted me to just leave it all alone. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t intimidated. In fact, just knowing that I had called him out, clung to, and slobbered all over him was enough to leave me sick with embarrassment.

He hugged you back
, I kept reminding myself. Though, whether that was out of pity or genuine sincerity remained to be seen.

I stepped into the restroom and donned the clothes that my parents had grabbed from my apartment on the way to the hospital, taking small comfort in the feel of my jeans as I pulled them over my hips. They had taken the time to pack me a black camisole and blue-and-black checkered button-down shirt as well, so I climbed into them. The one thing my parents hadn’t thought to grab, however, was a pair of tennis shoes, so I slipped into my well-worn hiking boots once again. I had a new appreciation for the boots, honestly, after having experienced near-death alongside them. If anything, I’d be storing them up in my closet somewhere once they’d finally be worn to extinction, rather than just tossing them out. It’s important to keep mementos of near-death experiences, even if they do smell like dirt and sweat.

Fully dressed, I stepped out of the bathroom and fished my cell phone from the bag my parents had brought my clothes in. I quickly typed in the number on the business card, and hovered my finger over the SEND key.

“What are you doing?” my father snapped quickly, startling me in the process.

I arched an eyebrow at him. “Calling Chase? I told him I would when I got out of here, and I’ve just been discharged. So…”

“Absolutely not!” my mother jumped up, her voice resolute.

That got my attention. I looked away from my phone and toward my mother, somewhat awestruck by her brazen denial. “Excuse me?” I said, deadpan.

“You absolutely
cannot
call him. He’s a
billionaire,
Andrea. And those Hammers are not the sort you want to get wrapped up with. They’re…different.”

“What does his financial status have to do with anything?” I asked, realizing that I was raising my voice. “And ‘different’?
Seriously
?”

My mother shook her head. “I forbid it, Andrea.”

I laughed at that. “I’m a grown woman, mom. ‘Forbid’ isn’t really a word you can throw around any more. And besides, what do you care? He’s obviously a nice guy, and, hey, he might even be
interested
in me. Or is that too hard for you to believe?”

“Andrea,” my father broke in, his voice taking the same hard tone that I’d grown used to over the years. All the memories of my heavy-handed and overprotected rearing were wound up in his voice. “Your mother is right. Chase Hammer isn’t the sort to be trifled with. And it has
nothing
to do with you. There’s a reason he moved away. He doesn’t
belong
here.”

I shook my head in utter disbelief. My parents had always been overbearing, but this was taking things to a new level. I was a grown-ass woman, and if I wanted to have dinner with the man who saved my life, there was
nothing
they could do about it. Shooting my mother the harshest glare I could muster, I snatched my bag and stormed out of the room and into the hallway.

As I exited the hospital, I clicked SEND and raised my phone to my ear. The phone rang twice before a firm voice came on the line.

“Chase Hammer,” the voice said.

“What, too much of a hotshot for ‘hello’?” I teased, a smile crawling at my face.

I heard breathing over the line for a moment, and worried that I’d just cost myself a shot at the guy, before he finally responded.

“Just wanted to make sure you knew who you’d called,” Chase said, and I could hear the grin in his voice. “You hit that rock pretty hard, after all. And I hear memory is a fickle thing.”

“As if,” I snorted. “So, I’m out of the hospital and owe you a dinner. You still up for it?”

“Absolutely,” Chase replied. “Just name the time and place. I warn you, though, I’m a big eater.”

I thought back to Chase’s body, how it had felt hard and muscular beneath the white tee-shirt he’d been wearing earlier. The thought of those muscles sent a shiver down my spine, and I imagined myself being held in his arms again. “As fit as you are, I doubt that,” I stated absently, then blushed once I realized what I’d said.

Chase only laughed and asked again for the time and place. I gave him an address, told him to meet me there at seven o’clock sharp, then got off the phone with him before I dug myself any deeper of a hole.

Checking the clock on my phone, I noted that I still had a good two hours to kill before dinner, so I started walking toward my apartment.

If I was going to be having dinner with a billionaire, I was going to make sure I looked damned good. Two hours was just enough time to prepare.

T
he subtle chatter
of the restaurant’s patrons was almost numbing. The constant barrage of voices, mixed with the various scents in the room, was enough to set my bear on edge. I typically wasn’t a fan of crowds or noisy restaurants, but, in hindsight, it wasn’t as if the town had much more to offer. Still, the restaurant - or, the
Hanging Rock
, as it was named - wasn’t without its charm.

The lighting was somewhat dimmed, allowing for sense of privacy and intrigue, while still retaining enough light to see. In part, the lighting was due to the natural mechanics through which the room was lit. Namely, the massive window that stretched from one side of the restaurant to the other, offering up a magnificent view of the Blue Ridge Parkway for what seemed like miles. My table was positioned adjacent to the window and in one corner of the restaurant, allowing me to see straight out and down at a several hundred foot drop. The restaurant, it seemed, had been built
over
the ravine in some places, leaving it literally hanging above the massive chasm. Maybe that, then, and not the crowd is what had my bear grimacing. Predators, after all, don’t like to feel cornered.

I checked my watch for the dozenth time, noting the time as it inched closer to seven o’clock. I’d arrived fifteen minutes early and, to my surprise, found that a reservation had already been placed under my name. Andrea hadn’t arrived yet, though, in her defense, she did say seven
sharp
. I just have a habit of showing up everywhere early.

I was in the middle of sipping at my wine when I saw her coming. Or, more accurately, I
smelled
her coming. My bear picked up on Andrea’s presence several seconds before I did, and I immediately jumped to my feet as she came into view. My bear let out a low, guttural growl as I saw her, and I couldn’t help but let my jaw drop slightly.

Andrea looked a far cry from the battered and dirt-covered woman I’d rescued from the ravine, and it was all I could do to keep from staring. She was wearing a strapless black dress that clung to and accentuated her deliciously shaped curves, rippling over her large, voluptuous breasts, and hugging her down to her mid-thighs. Her gorgeously tanned legs looked stronger than I remembered, and they were only enhanced by the six-inch heels strapped to her feet. Her hair was done up in a style that seemed intentionally messy, as though she’d just climbed out of bed looking unbearably gorgeous. The scent of her perfume wafted toward me, and I felt my cock harden as the intensity of my bear’s lust threatened to over take me.

Calm down, Chase,
I told myself.
It’s just dinner.

“So,” Andrea started, breaking the awkward silence. “Are you just going to stare or are we going to have dinner? I had a near-death experience today, and, honestly, I’m quite famished.”

I felt a slight wave of embarrassment pass through me, but I quickly dismissed it, instead moving around to the opposite side of the table and pulling the chair out. I then gestured for Andrea to have a seat and gawked helplessly as she approached. “After you,’ I managed, offering her a smile.

Andrea returned my smile, a slight sparkle igniting behind her eyes, and stepped toward the chair, turning and taking a seat. I gripped the chair and slid her up to the table, doing my best to not stare down the top of her dress and into the valley between her luscious breasts. It was all I could do to walk away and return to my seat, a slight bulge beginning to tighten against my pants. Thankfully, the dim lighting hid my forming erection.

“You look incredible,” I said as I sat down, my eyes still tracing every curve and detail of Andrea’s body. There was no doubt that my bear wanted her, wanted to take her and claim her right there and then. More importantly, I found that
I
wanted her just as badly as the bear. Fortunately, though, I’m a bit more civilized.

Andrea glanced at the table, raising a menu to hide the early onset of a blush. She obviously hadn’t expected me to be so forward, but I didn’t dare back down now.

“Honestly,” I said. “You look stunning.”

“Thank you, Chase,” she murmured from behind the menu. “You look quite handsome yourself.”

I scoffed at that and waved a hand dismissively. If anything, I looked like a mess. I’d returned to the cabin after leaving the hospital, but had spent the majority of the time dodging phone calls from Sarah and cleaning out boxes of old junk that my parents had left behind. I’d managed to throw on a clean pair of clothes - some dark jeans and a black button-down shirt that I’d rolled the sleeves up to my forearms on - but my hair was a complete mess, and I knew that I smelled of dirt and sweat. To be honest, I hadn’t expected Andrea to show up dressed like
that.

The waitress showed up then and took our order. The restaurant had a an old, southern style menu, and I was more than willing to try something new. Andrea recommended the battered barbecue brisket, and I took her up on the suggestion.

“So,” I said after the waitress had left, “How does it feel to be alive?”

Andrea snorted, catching me off guard, and reigniting the flushed appearance in her face. This time, she didn’t have a menu to hide behind, and I couldn’t help but smile at the change in her complexion. Even embarrassed, she looked absolutely ravishing, and it seemed like every twitch and move she made had my bear ready to spring into action.

“Gracious,” Andrea said finally. “I still can’t find the words to thank you enough. I don’t know how or why, but I am completely in your debt.”

“Well,” I said with a wink, “I think the extent of your debt depends on the quality of the brisket.”

“Oh. In that case, you’ll be owing
me
by the end of the meal.” Andrea shot back with a smile.

I honest to God liked this woman. Not only was she unbelievably sexy, but she was quick-witted and smart. Not only that, but if her previous endeavors in the mountains were any indication, she had a bit of a wild and adventurous side to her. That, in and of itself, had my bear absolutely groveling for her affection.

“So,” Andrea said, mocking my tone from earlier. “What’s a guy like you doing in a dump like this?”

Ah. There it was. I’d wondered how long it would take before she brought that up.

“Family stuff,” I said. “My parents had a cabin out on the Parkway. Due to work, I’d never been able to find the time to get down here and clear the place out.”

Andrea arched an eyebrow at me, and the look in her eye told me that she wasn’t buying the half-truth.

I growled inwardly at myself then. This woman was, as best as I could tell, absolutely perfect. It wouldn’t serve her justice to lie to her face. And besides, what harm could the truth do?

“Well, there’s that,” I continued. “And the fact that my company is falling apart and I needed some time to decompress and clear my head.”

“Oh,” Andrea started. She hadn’t expected
that
. “I didn’t know. Is everything going to be okay?”

I shook my head and shrugged. “Not unless I can figure out a way to stop Hammer Industries from digesting itself. Too many moving parts, not enough brains to run them.” I thought back to the encounter with Collin at the board meeting, and felt my bear beginning to seethe beneath the surface.

“My parents seem to think you’re Frankenstein’s monster,” Andrea said, changing the subject.

I cocked my head to one side and stared at her for a moment to see if she was joking. She wasn’t.

“Depends on who you ask.”

The waitress arrived then, stilling the conversation for a moment as she sat our plates down on the table. The aroma from the brisket had my mouth watering almost instantly, and I quickly dug into my meal. We ate in silence, each of us savoring the deliciousness of the meal. I had almost finished my plate when my phone chirped obnoxiously in my pocket.

“Excuse me,” I said, rising from the table and pulling the phone from my pocket. Sarah’s name lit up on the screen along with a notification of thirteen other missed calls from her. Sarah was intelligent and a great secretary. She knew, more than anyone, that when I needed alone time,
I needed alone time
. The fact that she’d been calling me so persistently meant something was wrong, and alarm bells started screaming in my head. “I have to take this,” I told Andrea apologetically, and she gestured for me to go.

I made my way to the exit and stepped outside the restaurant before answering the phone. “Sarah?”

“Mr. Hammer!” Sarah barked, urgency in her voice. “Thank God, I’ve been trying to reach you all day.”

“I know,” I apologized. “Been busy.”

“Well, sir, you might want to be busy getting back to New York. Collin has gone off the reservation.”

“He’s what?” I asked, not taking her meaning.

“He’s flipped his lid, sir. Lost his mind. Gone psycho!” Her voice grew more frantic with each word.

“Calm down, Sarah,” I suggested. “What’s going on?”

“Apparently, after you left, Collin decided that he as going to unseat you, sir. He’s talking with investors and the rest of the Board. They’re going to shut you down, sir. They’re taking over Hammer Industries.”

My jaw all but hit the ground as my bear raged inside. Collin was a dick, but I’d never thought he’d go so far as to try taking my company from me. Everything inside of me screamed for me to head back to New York immediately and utterly destroy the man.

“Sir? Did you hear me?” Sarah’s voice sounded over the phone.

“Yes,” I said flatly, forcing my inner predator to subside. “Loud and clear.”

“Should I charter a flight, sir? I’ve already checked. We can have you home by midnight.”

“That’s not necessary, Sarah. I’m not ready to come back just yet.”

“But, sir!” I heard Sarah say as I ended the call. Despite my better judgment, Hammer Industries could wait. The company wouldn’t fall apart by morning, and I still had plenty to do here.

I heard footsteps walking up behind me and I turned to see Andrea exiting the restaurant. “Everything okay?” she asked, obviously concerned.

I nodded and flashed her a smile. “Would you be interested in continuing our evening elsewhere?” I asked, hoping she’d say yes. I wasn’t about to let an otherwise decent night be ruined by Collin and his schemes.

“What did you have in mind?” Andrea responded, an eagerness in her voice that I hadn’t noticed before.

“Well,” I told her, “There’s a dusty old cabin a few miles from here in desperate need of some attention.”

Andrea gestured toward her dress and arched an eyebrow at me. “Really? I get all dressed up, buy you dinner, and you want me to help you
clean
?”

“Something like that.”

“Well,” she said playfully, “I don’t suppose there’s anything else to do around here.”