Chapter Ten
How did one have a more professional relationship with a man she was sleeping with? Kate pondered this often and decided the only way it would be considered professional was if he were paying her, like a call girl. Right now, she felt like his girlfriend, which was impossible. Almost as hopelessly impossible as it was to hate him, which she reminded herself to do every day.
Somehow, they fell into a routine that smacked of a relationship. Instead of moving down the hall, her things found a way into his drawers. They had dinner together at seven each night. He gave her a hot, fast fuck every morning he woke her with a hard-on, and if he wasn’t exhausted, the sex got kinkier at night. She didn’t mention moving out, nor did he. It was a mutually avoided subject.
Chase was right. He worked so hard he barely had time to breathe, though he did run his prerequisite five miles every night, religiously. Kate ran with him on the treadmill in his finished basement that served as a workout area—he had two treadmills—even though she had already run miles and miles during the day. She would choose a movie, and they’d watch part of it together as they pounded out their distance.
At first, he protested the movie. Kate sensed his inner control freak didn’t do change well. But by the end of the week, he was laying claim on what movie they’d watch, and if she looked exhausted, he’d command her to sit in a chair, next to him, and watch the movie from there while he ran. And though her exhaustion was physical as they upped the tempo of her training, preparing her for her first assignment, his exhaustion was mental, the stress lining his face, the tension stiffening his muscles.
She didn’t understand why this mission was more stressful for him than others, except for maybe there were more deals that needed hashing out. She hoped, once it was done, his life would become more normal again. She hated seeing him this stressed.
But the impending mission meant her life changed, too. Her workouts were more intense—harder, more concentrated on the hand-to-hand stuff so good-natured Jake was less so.
But Jake was also…different. More hands on, kissing her on the cheek, sometimes on the lips, forehead, his arm around her, hugging her. And when she balked, he had firmly told her to get used to it. She’d need that comfort level with him eventually, because she may have to pretend to be Jake’s girlfriend at some point. It was, unfortunately, what partners did. And Chase would be fine with it.
That made her blink. Really? But then, Chase had worked on training her to seduce, so it made sense. Jake had always been a flirt, but this felt…different. As if it was more of a job than him trying to get her into bed. So she allowed it. It was weird to feel like Jake’s girl during the day, then go home to be Chase’s woman at night. Only she went home and made love to Chase if they weren’t exhausted.
Sex with Chase changed, too. It also became more intense, as if making love to her wasn’t enough to satisfy some deeper need. The boss persona seemed to creep into the bedroom, that deep voice of his commanding her to do all sorts of naughty things that gave her incredible orgasms.
As much as she liked tender Chase, this wicked side of him was addictive. He refused to teach her about anal sex, as much as she wanted it. She didn’t understand why it mattered. To her, it was the one thing that he could do to make her totally his.
“I need entertainment,” Chase said as he began running on the treadmill late that Friday evening.
Kate shifted in her chair. She’d already run fifteen miles, so he graciously allowed her to sit this one out. She loved watching him run, though. His long legs flexed gracefully, each step fluid. She wished he’d run without a shirt, as she loved that best, his abs rippled and hard, his shoulder and chest muscles sculpted.
“I’ll put in a movie,” she offered, though she’d rather just sit and watch him pound out his miles, his skin a little damp already, glistening like when he fucked her hard.
“Boring.” He fixed his suddenly predatory gaze on her, his deep brown eyes glittering with purpose. “I want you to masturbate for me.”
“I’m not doing that,” Kate snapped, but her breathing increased as she shifted in the chair. Shocks of pleasure radiated from her core at the mere thought of him watching. Yes, she’d fingered herself for him before, but he’d been deep inside her. She wasn’t…solo.
“Take the chair over there.” Chase pointed a little way from the treadmill. “If you want to go get your vibrator or something fun, go ahead.”
“I’m not doing that.” Embarrassment flooded her cheeks, heating them.
“Then I won’t fuck you later.”
“Maybe I don’t want you to.”
He frowned at her challenge, his lips firm in disapproval. “I think you do. If I came over there and shoved my hand down your pants, you’d be wet already, wouldn’t you.”
Damn him, yes, her fingers itched to sink into her shorts and take care of the need he’d started with his naughty suggestion. But then he’d get what he wanted, wouldn’t he?
“Are you wet for me, Kate?”
She licked her bottom lip, unable to speak.
He shook his head. “Don’t make me get off this treadmill to prove my point. You’ll be very sorry. Very.”
The boss voice always made her wetter. Her need to please him made her hotter. She closed her eyes and whispered, “Yes.”
“Yes, what?”
“Yes, I’m wet.” She bit back a moan and more juices flowed, her panties drenched, the moisture flowing down to the crack of her ass.
“Show me.”
How could she not obey? She rose on shaky legs, her knees weak, and pulled her shorts down. She kicked them off and then slid a hand into her panties, closing her eyes as she sank first one finger, then two deep inside of her drenched pussy. She dragged her juices up to her clit and rubbed, then sank those fingers home, wishing he’d just get off the treadmill and fuck her, like he promised.
“You haven’t shown me anything, yet,” Chase chided softly as he ran.
“You’ll have to imagine it.” She gave him a slow smile, realizing she didn’t have to give him the power if she didn’t want to. Her fingers delved deeper, finding her G-spot, and she gasped at the sudden shock as she stroked that bundle of nerves. She could come so easily, right here.
“I won’t let you come if you don’t show me.”
“I don’t have to wait for you to come.” She stroked a little faster, as if to attempt to prove her point. Just because she needed his command before, didn’t mean she needed it now. Right?
“Such a bad girl. If you come, I’ll spank you. And then, when I fuck you, it will be a long, long time before I let you come. If ever.” He pounded the track a little harder, thundering. Owning each step, just as he owned her.
“You wouldn’t.” She stroked her clit faster, her orgasm growing, threatening to show him who truly owned her body. Not him.
“Try me.”
Kate swallowed, and took in his hard gaze, now a little frosty. He was part devil, and his voice was a firm promise that she’d pay for her naughtiness in flesh. Did she dare push him? The idea of him taking her over his lap and spanking her, then fucking her was a heady image. She sucked in a breath, holding it, her pussy giving a hard spasm around her fingers. So, so close to the edge of bliss.
“Don’t come, Kate,”
Oh God, how could she stop it? Fear of disobeying the boss voice washed over her in a shudder. She tensed but breathed out, purposely relaxing her inner muscles, her orgasm retreating.
“So light on the trigger, love. Go sit in the chair, over there.” He pointed a bit too triumphantly for her tastes. But she wanted to come. Badly.
“Will you let me come?”
“You need to show me how you play with that pretty pussy first.”
She glared. “I want you to fuck me.”
“Good things come to good girls. Go sit in the chair.”
She obeyed on shaky legs, dragging the chair to where he had pointed. She turned. He ran on, and she hated that he looked so calm and in control when she was a hot mess.
“Take off your panties.”
She slid them off her hips, over her legs, and tossed them in his direction. He caught them, his eyes lighting up with wickedness. “So wet, just like I thought. I’m going to keep these.” He shoved them in the pocket of his shorts, claiming his prize. “Sit.”
She sat on the chair and spread her legs, wanting to come so badly she didn’t care if he charged admission and filled the room. Her fingers trembled as they raked through the neat triangle of pubic hair, edging downward to the top of her slit.
But why make this quick? Why not make him suffer? The fingers changed paths and traced along the juncture of her inner thigh, down to her ass. She trailed one finger from her ass upward, grazing between her pussy lips, jumping over her damp opening, her nail sharp over her clit. So delicious.
“Fingerfuck yourself,” he commanded, his voice a little ragged. He was already breathing hard from running, so that didn’t give her much indication of how aroused he was. She opened her eyes to narrow slits and took in his handsome face. So tense, his jaw tight, the muscles in his neck corded. Maybe he was a little hot and bothered.
She closed her eyes again and slipped her middle finger deep inside her pussy. She moaned, unable to help herself, because that digit felt so good, igniting shocks as her pussy muscles milked it. They wanted thicker, though, so she withdrew, her finger hot and slick, and added another.
“Jesus, yes. Fuck yourself. Hard.” Chase ran harder, and she pumped her fingers in time to his footsteps. She used her other hand to finger her clit, rubbing it just as fiercely. He slowed his steps and she slowed her hands, taking more leisurely strokes, changing the angle to hit her G-spot.
“I’m going to come,” she whispered.
“Don’t you dare.”
She panted and took her hand from her clit and shoved it under her shirt to pull at her nipples. Zings of electricity shot from the hand on her breast to her pussy, and she arched on the chair and slammed her legs together, stilling the motion.
She bit her lip and thought of something else, anything else, to keep from teetering over the edge he’d placed her on. Stats. He used stats. She breathed and pictured the periodic table, starting at the noble gases for something different.
“Good girl,” Chase soothed. “Go to the wall. Put your palms on it and spread your legs.”
“Will you fuck me?” She rose, unsure how she stood, and did as she was told, her legs quaking. She lowered her head and leaned her weight into her palms, her inner thighs trembling.
Chase stopped the treadmill, and her pussy spasmed with joy. A foil packet ripped, latex rolled, and she sucked in a breath as his large hands found her hips.
“Please, yes, fuck me,” she whispered, rocking back to give him better access.
He nudged his cock up her slit, giving a few thrusts against her clit to gather juices. She tensed, and he curled over her back to bite her neck, his shirted chest sweaty and hot against her damp back.
“Don’t tense up.” His hand slid around to finger her clit, and the shock of contact went straight to her pussy, then to her toes.
“Fuck me before I come.” She rocked backward again, not caring if it hurt a little when he rammed into her. She had to have him inside, now, before she exploded and he spanked her.
He slid his cock down, the head penetrating her core. Kate closed her eyes, and he finally thrust home, sheathing himself completely in one hard shove. She moaned and leaned harder into her palms, wanting to rock with him as he slammed into her, his balls slapping her pussy. He gripped her hip with one hand and strummed her clit with the other, his breath roaring in her ear as if he’d thundered through a marathon.
“Harder,” she cried, and he obliged, thrusting deeper, pausing to grind into her, then went back to pounding again. The orgasm that threatened so many times thundered closer, galloping in time to her labored breathing. Each stroke of his cock was like a crop to her orgasm’s ass. It jumped forward, Chase pounded, and Kate hung on.
“Come with me, Kate.”
He stabbed deep into her one last time, and her orgasm erupted over the crest, flying. She shattered and came, her air whooshing from her lungs as the contractions deep inside her pussy started, the next stronger than the last around his thick cock.
He tensed, his fingers biting into her hips, pounding hard once, twice, and then he shuddered and stilled, panting against her back. He held on tight, his arms wrapped around her waist. Then he withdrew and sank to his knees, dragging her down with him to the floor. He kissed her ear, her neck, her throat, his mouth hot, his breath still coming hard against her neck.
“Did you last your five miles,” she said between gasps, her bones now melted into a puddle in the bottoms of her feet.
“Yeah.” He smoothed the damp hair from her face. “Best five miles I’ve ever run.”
****
The long hours Chase spent at work meant she was home alone a lot. If she was home without him, she’d snoop through his house, looking for intimate details, things that told her more about who Chase was. He caught her every time. One night in bed, he asked, “Did you like my yearbook picture?” He looked at her out of one eye. “Don’t even try to deny it. I know.”
“You were incredibly handsome, though I really think you could have chosen a better shirt.” There was nothing wrong with the shirt. She just had to poke him in the ego some, because he was just too smug for her tastes.
He grinned and closed his eyes, leaning against the pillow. “Learn to be a better spy if you snoop, Kate. It will get you killed one day if you’re so obvious.”
So the next day she paid attention to the details, how he stacked things just so. This time she found a small box of photos in a closet—Chase as a toddler, school pictures, his military photo in a dress uniform, even more handsome than she imagined. And that night in bed, he asked, “Too tired to snoop?”
“I think your prom date was lovely, but that shade of pink for her dress was heinous.” Again, there was nothing wrong with his date, but he didn’t need to know that.
He smiled and hugged her, and she thought it odd to be rewarded for her snooping skills. “You’re getting better. I’ll have to take you to Jake’s and see how far you get. If you can snoop without him knowing, you’ve graduated.”
Snooping at Jake’s was much more fun, because he had lots of personal things to glean information from. Lots of pictures, a lot of her, and that surprised her. A lot of the English chick and Chase as well. Her favorite was him as a toddler with a cowboy hat on a pinto pony, grinning from ear to ear. She put everything back in its place, and Chase rewarded her with two huge orgasms when Jake hadn’t a clue that she’d been there.
One afternoon they had lunch with Chase’s Aunt Sophie, which was fun, because she got to see an entirely different side of Chase. He adored his aunt, and it was wonderful to see him without the mask of doom, just a young man doting on the equivalent of his mother.
That was, until his uncle called Sophie, who handed the phone to Chase. And then the mask returned. He bit out, “Yes, sir,” handed the phone to Sophie and looked a little ill as he excused himself for a moment, to use his own phone in private.
Kate watched him weave through the tables, the women gawking. He didn’t notice, or if he did, it was hard to tell from the back of him.
“Don’t worry, dear. They’re not getting along at this moment—something with work. Chase will be fine.” She leaned in and whispered, “I think you’re wonderful for him.”
“I am? I mean, thanks.” But then she shrugged. She wasn’t his girlfriend. She was supposed to hate him, which was damned hard to do when he made her have lunch with him and his mother-equivalent. “We’re just friends, Mrs. Sanders. Nothing more. He doesn’t want anything serious.”
She smiled and patted Kate’s hand. “Then he needs more friends like you.”
Chase returned and actually looked…happy. Relieved. And her heart sang when he kissed her cheek before sitting down.
“You okay?” she whispered as Sophie discussed desserts with the waiter.
“I just got the best news on Earth. I couldn’t be happier,” he whispered back. He grinned then, that dimple out in full force, breaking hearts across the restaurant.
“Can you share? Or is it confidential.”
He hesitated, the grin fading, and in that moment, she knew it had to do with her. Her mission. And no, he wouldn’t tell her. She knew it better than her own new, fake name. He looked a little sad before he hid his emotions. Not behind a mask. Just…gone.
“This doesn’t change how much you’ll hate me, love. It just means…” He sighed and looked away. “Just keep hating me.”
****
The next morning, Kate looked up from recovering from her last lap around the field to see Jake talking to a tall woman with the most gorgeous deep red hair. The same one who had left Chase’s office that first day, when he propositioned to take her virginity. She narrowed her eyes. Jake was a player. He wasn’t playing with her, not on Kate’s watch. She wouldn’t allow it.
Kate titled her head, studying English with a jealous eye. She was dressed in black—black leggings, black tank top. Even her sneakers were black. It was a sharp contrast with her pale skin, not a freckle in sight. Jake had his arm around her waist and was talking animatedly with her, his handsome face almost boyish.
She’d never felt possessive of Jake before even though he was the work husband. If Jake wanted to be noticed, he would turn on the charm and the women would flock in droves, like seagulls attacking French fries in a fast food restaurant parking lot. Kate had plenty of opportunity to see him in action, and it never bothered her a bit.
But for some reason, seeing him touch that woman the same way he would touch her made her seethe a bit. Which should be very wrong, because she loved Chase, right?
“Hey, Kate. Come here and meet Charlotte.”
Kate obediently jogged over and eyed the tall redhead with new purpose.
“Charlotte Smith, this is Kate Wells. Chase’s new…agent.”
Kate glared at Jake, not liking the way he stressed agent, as if it were something dirty, even though what she did with Chase was pretty dirty. The redheaded witch didn’t need to know that.
“Really.” Charlotte narrowed that violet gaze on her, that English accent throaty and sexy. “A pleasure to meet you, love.”
“Likewise,” Kate responded, not feeling the least bit pleasured at meeting her. She had never been sized up on the playground as a kid because she’d been homeschooled or had tutors. But Charlotte was obviously doing just that, weighing what Kate had to bring to the table or even what Kate had to bring to Chase’s bed.
“Charlotte is here to be your playmate for the day. We’re going to see exactly how much you know, and Charlotte will be putting your skills to the test instead of me.”
Jake couldn’t be serious. “I have to fight her?”
The look on his face couldn’t get much more serious. “I have to hold back with you, Kate. I’m bigger and I’ll hurt you. Charlotte doesn’t have to hold back. She can just kick your ass the way you deserve.”
She eyed Charlotte’s slight frame. A runway model had more meat on her. “Thanks for that vote of confidence.”
Charlotte shot her a frosty smile. “You ready for me to hand you your ass, love?”
Kate assessed her again. One-fifteen maybe, soaking wet. Only an inch taller. This could be fun, if she believed she had a chance in hell. “Maybe I’ll hold my own.”
Charlotte tilted her head at Kate. “Can you take down Jake?”
“No.”
Her smile became canary-eating cocky. “Well, I can.”
Kate sucked in a breath and stared at Jake. “Can she?”
“Yep.” Jake leaned up against his truck and crossed his arms over his chest. Jake who had so much to say usually, reduced to a one word answer.
Kate stared at him. That latte he had for breakfast had to have been laced with something illegal because he had to be higher than a kite. “And you want me to fight her? Are you insane? I can’t do that.”
“Of course you can. You have the tools. Get out there and make me proud, darlin’.”
Make him proud, indeed. Kate swallowed and walked out into the middle of the grassy area to stand in front of Charlotte, her heart hammering a million miles a minute. If they were in the lab, she’d show the English bitch. Wire her a little something special with her favorite explosives.
But they weren’t on her stomping ground, and Kate’s stomach sank as she looked over at Jake and he nodded encouragingly. He was going to be sorely disappointed, which meant eventually, Chase would be horribly disappointed, too. She sighed and presented herself, hands up, leading with her shoulder. But she didn’t believe, not for one second, that she was going to do more than sink like a stone in the river.
“So you’re fucking my favorite spy, are you?” Charlotte asked with a nasty smile as she took her place.
“I don’t think that’s any of your business.” Kate glowered at Jake. How dare he? And then the world spun. She hovered upside down for what seemed an eternity and then she slammed down on her back, the air forced from her lungs in a loud whoosh.
Deep violet eyes blinked innocently down at her. “Don’t take your eyes off the enemy, love. Not if you want to live. Now get up.”
Kate rose on shaky legs and tried to catch her breath as she picked grass from her hair. She didn’t look at Jake, not when she’d see disapproval on his face. She had to try harder, find a way to outsmart Charlotte. She had the advantage there, because who was smarter? Not many people.
She and Charlotte circled each other in a crouch position, and Kate decided two could talk trash. “Did you enjoy fucking him, too, English?”
“Which one? Maybe I’ve done them both.”
Kate wanted to look at Jake, but she didn’t. She didn’t want English fucking Jake, either. “Chase.”
“My dark and dangerous spy is fun to play with.” Charlotte gave a throaty laugh. “He loves spy games. But maybe he wouldn’t have played those with you, because you’re a rookie. He wouldn’t want to hurt little, new you.”
“Do you want to hurt me?”
“Oh, yes.” And Charlotte attacked.
Kate blocked a kick, feinted left, and returned with a kick of her own. Then she faded back and waited for Charlotte to make the next move. She fought a lot like Jake did, which meant he had to have had a hand in teaching her.
That also meant she’d make the same mistakes, mistakes that Kate knew too well. She’d almost taken Jake down a couple of times when he failed to block her properly. It was a technique thing, but she wasn’t strong enough to follow through. However, if she could get Charlotte to make the same mistake…
“So, back to Chase,” Kate said as Charlotte circled again. “I would assume you’re old news, since I happen to be in his bed, and you’re…not.”
“I have a lot more sway than you do, love. Don’t think because he’s between your legs that you have any claim on the man.”
Charlotte attacked again, and Kate defended, blocking, then kicking. But then she hesitated as a vehicle pulled in. Charlotte took her down again by swiping her feet out from under her in a totally unJake-like move.
“Good one, Ginger,” Jake called from the truck.
“Whose side are you on?” Kate snapped as she stood.
“I love you both equally. I’m impartial.”
Charlotte shook her head and circled her again. “He’s lying, love. They both love me best. Get used to it. You’re nothing better than second best.”
Well, that stung, probably because a part of her sensed English was right about the love. They treated Charlotte very differently. Plus she called her love, Chase’s pet word for her.
Kate shook her head. No, she had to believe in Chase. Charlotte was the past. She was his future. “If you’re so first in their lives, then why is today the first day I’ve ever heard your name?”
“Spies don’t talk about each other. The more you love someone, the more you keep them a secret. You wouldn’t want them getting killed, now would you, love?” Charlotte attacked again, driving Kate backward. “And I’ve heard all about you, Kate Wells, collateral damage. I would guess they both want you to die.”
Chase didn’t want her to die, did he? He said she’d hate him. Sending her to die would definitely be a deal breaker. Still, she had to believe. It was just trash talk. Kate took a deep breath and centered herself. And decided if she could kick Charlotte’s ass, she could come back from whatever Chase sent her to do and make him love her.
“How’s she doing,” Chase asked as he walked over to Jake and leaned next to him against the door of Jake’s truck. Charlotte was driving Kate downfield with a series of moves that would make a Ninja envious. Poor Kate blocked the best she could, and Chase felt a little sorry for her. Charlotte was damned good.
“Well, not so good.” Jake looked over at him. “She’s taking the trash-talking a little harder than she should. If Kate just attacked instead of listening to Charlotte, she’d be better off. She doesn’t believe in herself, and if she doesn’t suck it up and start believing, she and I are dead in a few days.”
Chase sighed. Charlotte was the queen of trash talk. “What’s Ginger trashing her with?”
“You.”
“Christ, what did you tell her?” Charlotte adored him and was incredibly protective. She’d eat Kate for breakfast and spit her out as nails.
“The truth. That you were sleeping with Kate.”
“Inappropriate.” He was the boss, damn them. Kate was his, only in his bed. Not here. Not anywhere else. They had to respect that.
Jake grunted. “You think the guy who attacks her is going to be polite and nice? You have to trust me on this. She’ll rally. Our Kate doesn’t believe in herself, but she believes in you. She has spunk. She’ll rise and claim you.”
“Jesus, I don’t want her to claim me.” But he did, and he resented Jake referring to her as our Kate. She was all his the last time he checked. Or maybe she wasn’t, since he’d made it quite clear he didn’t do girlfriends.
“Wait, here she goes. That’s my girl,” Jake murmured with approval. And sure enough, Kate was finally attacking, driving Charlotte back, not with any finesse or fancy moves, but she was finally holding her own. “You watch—she’s setting Char up. God, she’s so smart. She just waits for an opening. She’ll do that with me. Just wait. She’s got your patience, buddy.”
Kate drove Charlotte left with a kick, and then when Charlotte feinted right, Kate grabbed Charlotte’s arm and flipped her. Kate dropped and pinned Charlotte’s shoulders to the ground. And then stared down at a panting Charlotte with surprise.
Jake stepped forward and said over his shoulder, “Don’t hate me for what I’m about to do, buddy. You know it has to be done, or she’ll never get through this in a few days. We don’t want Paris, take two. Take a deep breath and just let it happen.”
Chase stiffened because he guessed what Jake was about. Jake started toward the two women, applauding. Kate squealed, leapt to her feet and ran to Jake. She catapulted against him and wrapped her arms around his neck. Jake spun her so she faced away from Chase. He stopped breathing. Swore his heart stopped because what would he give to have her run to him like that?
Jake met his gaze over her shoulders for a moment in warning. Then he smiled down at Kate and dropped a kiss to her lips, one that was too much to be just friends but not enough to be lovers. That kiss was a sucker punch in the gut, stealing Chase’s air, sending shards of pain through his chest, to his heart. Jesus, did it hurt, because Chase knew it wasn’t the first time he’d kissed her. Or held her.
He breathed in, around the pain. Soon, she would be Jake’s for the day. This was Jake’s way of getting her ready, used to him, so when it happened she wouldn’t freeze and get them killed. But fuck it hurt, his chest squeezing tighter around every breath, his heart feeling as if it would rip in two.
It hurt because it was out of his control. If he were offering her, for a ménage with him and Jake, it would be different. He’d feel different. He knew this. But it was out of his control, and it fucking sucked.
“Are you proud of me?” she was asking Jake.
“Yes, darlin’. I’m so proud.”
“What about Chase? Would he be proud?”
Those questions hurt almost as much as the kiss. She believed in him, the devil that was going to destroy every shred of belief and trust she’d ever had in a human.
Jake brushed a lock of hair from her cheek and glanced up at Chase with a look of warning. Feed her need, or she would kill them both. “Why don’t you ask him? He’s over by my truck.”
She froze in Jake’s arms, every muscle stiffening. It stung as much as seeing her kiss Jake. He didn’t want her to be wary of him, ever, not like his uncle scared the shit out of him. Chase knew he was a cold bastard sometimes. He’d be a cold bastard to her again, and he hated that. But right now…
She turned and met his gaze, her eyes wide, needing his approval. A part of Chase wanted to turn away, the pain unbearable. But her eyes trapped him, the blue depths so conflicted, full of love for him, so unsure.
Guilt gnawed his insides. He had done this to her, making her feel loved because he held her all night, only to dash that away when he became cold at work, driving her harder, just like his uncle drove him.
Chase glanced from Jake to Charlotte, both staring, waiting. If he were to have an equivalent of siblings, these were his, Charlotte more than a sister, Jake more than a brother. He loved them both. There was no one else here to see, and if he let his guard slip, just a little, it wasn’t anything these two hadn’t seen before. He loved Kate, and right now, he didn’t want to be her boss.
He took a step away from the truck and opened his arms, welcoming her, wanting her to run to him like she had run to Jake. Her face lit up like Christmas morning, and she ran to him, launching herself at him, her arms around his neck, legs around his waist.
He hugged her, inhaling the scent of sunshine and grass mixed with Kate’s sweet skin, allowing himself to bask in her joy, just this once. “Good job, love.”
“That’s what she calls everyone,” she said against his neck.
“Don’t let Charlotte get to you. She was just talking trash to get you riled.” He called Kate love because he could say it, mean it, and she’d never know the truth, and it satisfied a deeper need he couldn’t name. But he couldn’t tell her that.
However, he could ease the jealousy he’d heard in her voice because though he liked the idea of Kate claiming him, being possessive, she didn’t need that stress right now. He might be a cold bastard, but he wasn’t cruel. “She’s like my sister, Kate. Just like Jake is my brother. You have nothing to fear from her. Not now, not ever.”
“Okay.” Kate pushed away from his chest. “I know it’s stupid to be so excited about this. But you know this physical aspect isn’t my strong suit.” She unwrapped her legs from his waist and struggled out of his arms, looking anywhere but at him. “I’m sorry if I embarrassed you.”
“I think it would take a bit more than a hug to embarrass me. I’m a big boy.”
“You’re not mad that Jake—”
“No,” he lied.
She met his gaze, again unsure and conflicted, and he couldn’t help kissing her in a possessive way that was more than work appropriate. To remind Jake who she really belonged to, even though she technically didn’t. He broke the kiss and wrapped his arm around her waist. “Charlotte still won, though.”
Kate sighed but couldn’t seem to keep the wicked grin from spreading. “I know. I’ll buy your pseudo-sister lunch to make friends. Okay?”
“Me, too?” He wanted lunch with her more than anything. He was the boss. He could take the time.
She smiled up at him. “You, too.”