Roots of the Wicked
By Keta Kendric
Copyright © 2019 by Keta Kendric
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means, without prior written permission of the publisher and author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
*****Excerpt*****
Note: This excerpt is subject to change.
Chapter One
Chase
In and out of focus my hazy gaze spanned the length of a small, pale arm resting on my chest. A curtain of thick black hair kept the face hidden, the length stretching across my body. The rumpled bed, the scent of sex still lingering in the air, and my dry mouth offered hints of how my night had gone.
I squeezed my eyes tight in an attempt to recall any time before this moment, with this woman, but only snatches of memories revealed themselves. I eased up, doing my best to avoid rousing her laying naked and half atop me. The sheets had pooled below the curve of her bare ass. Her blue panties had been slung across the tilted lampshade on the bedside table, the rest of our clothes were spread across the floor in discarded heaps.
A sigh of relief eased my mind at the sight of the used condom, stuck to my thigh. I mouthed a silent prayer, grateful I had been lucid enough to use protection. Once I successfully navigated my way from beneath the woman and out of the bed, I snatched some Kleenex from the box that had fallen to the floor. A touch of shame gripped me while I cleaned myself and folded the condom into the wad of tissue.
A glance over my shoulder showed the woman sound asleep. Grabbing my phone, I dragged my wrinkled clothes off the floor before heading into the bathroom. Condom flushed, bladder relieved, I washed my hands and avoided my reflection in the mirror.
A splash of cold water over my face did nothing to break apart the thick layers of fog still clouding my mind. I dried my hands and face with a fresh towel, before I swiped the shiny surface of my phone. Travis Holmes, my assistant, answered on the first ring.
“Good morning boss.”
“Where am I? There is a long-haired brunette with me. Is she authorized?”
My mind called up choppy pieces of the previous night. I had attended some type of social function before I ended up here.
This wasn’t my first time waking up in a hotel room, with a strange woman I couldn’t recall meeting in any capacity. I slipped my feet into my pants, figuring my boxers were still in bed with the woman.
“You attended the Mayor’s Charity benefit for breast cancer awareness, and Paul, your driver, drove you to the Ritz-Carlton afterward.” I didn’t miss the note of sarcasm in his tone. Travis had worked for me long enough to have earned every bit of the sassiness he dished out. “You called me last night, right before the event to book you a room. Oh, and the woman’s authorized.” He paused, no doubt reviewing my schedule for today.
Authorized meant the woman had signed a nondisclosure agreement that prevented her from speaking to the media about our time together. This was my life. I was one of the richest people in the country, but my personal life was a disaster zone of meaningless purpose.
The world revered me as the well put-together billionaire business mogul. One of America’s most sought after bachelors, and financial guru to the stars. The world saw only what it wanted to see. Through camera lenses, televised and written interviews, and the word of the stars that I worked with, I had the perfect life.
The media had turned me into a larger than life character, but half the time I didn’t even feel human. I was a robot. One who smiled for the cameras and maintained the image that had been built for me. Sit here, wear this, recommend that, date her, go there, and smile. My days were filled with work and tight schedules, performing to intrigue a large-scale audience.
Truth was, I was the loneliest person in the world. The ruthless women I met had turned me into a cynic who no longer cared about an endearing relationship. Alcohol fueled one-night stands with women that appealed as only a means to satisfy my sexual needs, suited me just fine.
The media casted me as the man that had it all, charm, good looks, and wealth, but emotionally, I was starved. My heart wept to be tethered to something meaningful. It was too bad I had yet to figure out what that something was, or how to attain it.
I made every attempt not to complain or appear ungrateful as the media publicity had been the catalyst for me reaching my billionaire’s status. It had also earned me appearances on television shows and cameos in blockbuster movies. I was a businessman who had A-list celebrities on his personal call list. I swallowed the self-pity I rarely allowed to surface, and pushed on.
“How busy am I today?” I asked Travis.
“In an hour, you have breakfast with Randolph Montgomery, Chairman of the Board at Barents Technologies. At nine, you have your bi-weekly staff meeting. Then, a meeting with Mr. Tim Ware, editor of Impress Magazine, to discuss your upcoming photo spread and interview.” Travis sighed. “Should I keep going?”
“No.” I gripped my aching head, my temples throbbing against my fingertips. “Can you ensure Miss—?” I couldn’t recall the name of the woman I had just slept with hours ago.
“I’ll make sure Ms. Delaney gets home okay.” Travis finished for me. “And Paul is already waiting for you downstairs.”
“Thanks,” I called to him before hanging up. I threw on my shirt and eased out of the bathroom. On my way out, I retrieved my wallet from the bedside table, slipped into my shoes, and crept soundlessly across the room.
In addition to my missing boxers, I was also leaving my overcoat. The cold of January would only nip at me for a few seconds, because Paul would have the car warm and ready. The last thing I wanted, was to face the woman I couldn’t remember, nor could I recall her face. She along with my missing clothes were hidden among the broken fragments of a memory nearly faded away.
How much longer would I be able to maintain this lifestyle before my mind imploded? Better yet, how much longer before my lonely heart turned cold?
Chapter Two
Chase
Months later.
If the briefing notes sitting on the table in front of me went up in flames, I wouldn’t have noticed. The moment she captured my attention, it ignited a tingling spike in my pulse that sent my eyes chasing her movements.
Mingling bodies obstructed my view, but my determined focus kept her in my line of sight. My gaze trailed her body, sweeping the smooth brown surface of her skin before stopping on her face.
Frozen, I found myself captured by her untamed beauty. Based on the way she threw her head back in laughter at something someone had said, it became obvious she was acquainted with my staff.
Who was she?
Why didn’t I know her?
Why had she been brought into my meeting?
I wasn’t the only one in the room observing the intriguing woman either. Members of my staff gravitated in her direction. Several of them buzzed around her at once, their faces animated with excitement, as the atmosphere shifted from sluggish to energetic.
Douglas, my tight-lipped senior analyst, and even Travis, my openly-gay assistant, had been yanked into her world. She was approachable, engaging, and projected a strength of confidence I hardly saw in people anymore.
Her neatly arched brows highlighted her sparkling eyes with lashes so long, I swore with one bat of her eyes, she could bring the strongest man to his knees. Her prominent features boasted a rich dark-honey complexion sought after by most sun worshippers.
A spark against the light caught my eye and stretched my focus. A nose piercing? Surprisingly, the tiny diamond didn’t take away from her distracting beauty. My eyes narrowly glimpsed the start of a wicked tattoo peeking from the side of her neck.
Her hair was pulled into a big bun high on the top of her head, the style adding a touch of elegance as much as it opened a doorway to her lovely face. She possessed a treasure trove of interesting features that gripped my attention with an unyielding hold.
My lips hitched into a smile while taking in the contour of her body, her size a nice full-medium that left images of her sexy silhouette swimming in my head. Her body demanded a lifetime of attention.
The group conversated boisterously, but their spirited discussions alluded me. The aroma of the steaming food we enjoyed at these meetings, wafted around the room as it usually did, but today, the bounty did not affect me, because all I craved now was a whiff of her.
Fascinated, I was unable to look away. She lit the air around her, pulling people in, gifting their senses with purpose.
I waved Travis over. “Who is that?” I feigned nonchalance, but he eyed me with a knowing expression.
The woman didn’t appear to be dressed for the boardroom, wearing boyfriend jeans and a ripped T-shirt that showed off her indigo tank underneath. Her clothing choice suggested that she instead was ready for a night out on the town, rather than a stuffy meeting with executives
“That’s Jax Saint-Pierre.” Travis lifted his brow as though asking, shouldn’t you know her already? The name resonated slightly before realization set in.
Jax Saint-Pierre is a woman? I assumed Jax Saint-Pierre, a man, ran the company which negotiated an IT contract with my company.
I had taken control of my father’s multimillion dollar investment company five years ago and turned it into a billion-dollar empire. As the CEO of Swift Capital, I should’ve been acquainted with her before now. My staff sang the praises of her skills every chance they got. She expertly solved our computer issues and kept our network purring like a kitten.
New Generation was the company that had been recommended to set up our new network. They had been instrumental in pinpointing the root causes that had allowed our network to become vulnerable to hackers. Firewall breaches, and weak credentials had cost us millions. Jax had proposed the idea of us keeping her company on, under contract, to manage our network.
The pitch couldn’t have been an easy feat. The chances of getting hired by Swift Capital wasn’t an easy task. The candidate background checks, the qualifications, and experience required, intimidated most and left us selecting the best of the best to join our company. New Generation, was chosen because of their previous work with Lexifour, another titan in the investment arena, and Northwest Global, a dominating force in the marketing world.
I snapped my fingers in Travis’s direction to regain his attention before she walked out.
“Introduce us,” I urged. The team must have assumed we had already been acquainted, otherwise, we would have been formally introduced already.
Travis stood across the table from me, but was close enough to the exit to reach forward and grab her attention. His lips hovered near her ear, I hoped, convincing her to return. When she turned away from the door, she scanned the clock above my head before her eyes fell to mine.
I was rewarded with a snapshot of a full-frontal view and realized I had missed the tiny circular barbell through the right corner of her bottom lip. How many piercings did she have? I never liked facial piercings, especially not on a woman. However, on this woman, they made sense.
Finally, I was able to see her free and clear without interruption and paused at the full force of her radiant beauty. Shaking off the trance, I forced myself to stand, reach across the table, and take the hand she offered.
This was the first time I found myself stunned by a woman’s presence.
Chapter Three
Jax
My resistance to the light tug on my arm was downplayed with a fake smile. One of Swift Capital’s executives was determined to Geek Squad me into their meeting to provide answers to their never-ending technical questions.
Curious male eyes found me the moment I crossed the threshold of the door. After a short round of small talk, I was ushered to one of their laptops that sat in front of the empty seats most of them hadn’t taken yet.
Even the handsome man sitting behind the table stared. He sat while others stood socializing and enjoying refreshments. Although I typed into the laptop, an unwavering connection kept pulling my attention from the group tossing IT questions at me.
“The issue is actually an easy fix. The only thing I found, was that you hadn’t properly added your certificates,” I told the man whose computer I sat behind, but my mind was on the one who kept flirting with my curiosity.
Chase Taylorson?
He dropped his gaze as soon as mine zeroed in on his. Chase’s face graced the covers of every money magazine I had come across. He was all over the Internet too. Although his company employed their own in-house network administrators, my company took care of their network engineering concerns.
At twenty-nine, Chase fell into our country’s young billionaire’s club, and was stamped as one of the most sought after bachelors. He had rarely been seen with the same woman twice since assuming the role as CEO of Swift Capital. He kept the media in an uproar as they angled for stories of his personal life, but he’d only ever disclosed the business side.
Those Internet and magazine photos didn’t hold a candle to Chase in person though. He was as hot as dripping wax from a flaming candle and even managed to make his glasses look sexy.
Popular blogs gossiped he’d found a way to keep the details of his love life hidden from the public. Some presumed he was too busy raking in billions and had no interest in fostering a long-term relationship. Of course, he had been labeled gay a time or two as well.
A tech question interrupted my mental reel of Chase’s history. I responded while continuing to rectify the problem at hand. “Yes. Something as simple as doing a green shutdown can solve that issue. All you need is the newest software updates. If that doesn’t work, put in a trouble ticket, and one of the administrators can help you.”
Another question followed, which was expected whenever technical support showed up unexpectantly. It appeared the group would hang on to their concerns until they saw you in person. “It sounds like we may have to replace your thin client. No worries though, it should be an easy fix,” I said, solving another issue, all while sneaking peeks at Chase, who I’d caught sneaking looks in my direction.
One of the execs off to my left leaned into his neighbor, firing off rapid Spanish. Unaware I was fluent in the language, I easily translated one telling the other, what he wouldn’t give to get me in his bed.
My late mother, Danella Ramos, was an Afro-Venezuelan, born and raised in Venezuela, before her family relocated to the US when she was a teen. My mother had communicated in Spanish as much as she did in English. My Haitian father, Alexander Saint-Pierre, made sure I learned French, expanding my multilingual resume. Due to my parents, I had been doubled dipped in chocolate and had a cultural history I was proud of.
After explaining to the group the difference between a network engineer, and a network administrator, I pointed at the clock on the wall above Chase’s head. “Your meeting will start soon, and I have another appointment to attend.”
Because Swift Capital paid me for my network services, I didn’t mind answering their questions all day long, but I wanted no part in their meeting.
“Yes!” I mouthed in silence when my feet edged closer to the exit. I was fully aware that some of the men had interest other than the IT services I provided, and I didn’t intend to stick around feeding the flames of their dirty desires.
My eyes slammed shut, when I was stopped in my fast moving tracks. It was Travis, Chase’s assistant. He was who I often interacted with on Chase’s behalf, if, or when any issue came up.
“Jax. A moment please.”
When I glanced up, his face was set with determination, letting me know my escape attempt was over.
“I would like to introduce you to Mr. Taylorson.”
The smile I forced on my lips was a shaky one. “I’m sure Mr. Taylorson has more important things to do.” Truth of the matter was, I didn’t want to get closer. Although I wasn’t one to shy away from something or someone I was interested in, I knew that being attracted to someone like Chase Taylorson was trouble, with a capital T.
“Please, Jax. It will only take a minute.” His begging eyes softened my hesitancy.
I turned back into the office of chatty executives, who, based on the wall clock should be starting their meeting in a few minutes. The lively murmurs around the room lowered as I approached the table, and I wasn’t sure if it was because of me.
A few lingering steps led me back into the room where Travis stopped me, opposite the table as Mr. Taylorson. He didn’t sit in the traditional place at the head of the table like most CEOs. Instead, he sat in the middle of the opposite side, facing the exit I’d failed to escape through. An energetic view of the city sat behind him displayed through a wall of windows.
He drew me in, his pull on my senses unnervingly strong, despite the hesitancy I clung to. The moment our eyes connected, the sound around me dwindled, and every other soul in the room turned into shadows in the background. The air grew thicker, like feathery kisses against my skin. Each breath I drew boomed loud in my ears, my senses going haywire and I hadn’t even shaken his hand yet.
He stood and reached across the table before taking my hand, his gaze imprisoning mine. His chiseled jawline and his dark handsomeness was a feast for my eyes. Cleanshaven, dark-haired, and olive-skinned, he was the kind of good-looking that stopped a woman in her tracks, made married women stray, and turned single women into side-pieces.
“Chase Taylorson, meet Jax Saint-Pierre.” Travis sounded like he talked from a distance although he stood next to me.
“Chase, nice to meet you.” I took his outstretched hand, attempting to downplay my attraction. I noticed the way his right brow shot up after I addressed him so informally, calling him by his first name. I wasn’t immune to letting a little puerility sneak out when I was met with situations I wasn’t accustomed to confronting, namely Chase.
His warm hand gripped mine in a hold so tight, my glare shot to our connection. A quick glimpse of a tattoo flashed when his sleeve inched up, making my brows hike with intrigue.
“Jax, nice to meet you. Have a seat please?” The edgy timbre in his tone insinuated this was a command rather than a request. He had taken my lead on the informal greeting, addressing me as Jax.
The group was set to start their meeting, so why was he asking me to sit in? I wanted no part of this corporate, boring-ass shit that excited them, just as they didn’t want to know the intricacies of my work.
“It’s time for your meeting. Please, don’t let me disrupt your timetable.”
Travis strolled away like he knew I was going to take the seat. In my peripheral, I spotted him talking to the group huddled near the table of food. Chase leaned toward me; his light-green eyes intense. Hypnotically powerful, they sparkled as yellow and brown flecks danced over a sea of brilliantly canvased green. His voice broke me out of the trance.
“Please, have a seat. They won’t start this meeting until I’m ready.”
Well hell, that settled it. If there was one thing I didn’t like, it was being told to do something I didn’t want to do. It made my other personality come out. The one who would have enjoyed using Chase’s tie for a choke collar, while planting a five-inch heel so deep in his back, it scraped his spine.
Only because he captured my interest, did I take the seat as directed, checking him out as much as he checked me out. His gaze traveled along my hands folded in front of me on the table and zipped up my chest until our eyes reconnected. A sliver of a smile danced across his eyes but avoided his lips. His lips were so sexy it made me speculate if he’d dished out money for them.
“I’m sure you’ve heard it before, and I apologize for being presumptuous, but I assumed you were a man.”
“I get that often but I’m not offended by it. The mistake works in my favor. Having the world assume I’m a man, in a male-dominated job gives me an advantage.”
A small smile softened his features. Having the world assume I was a man also kept people from digging deeper into my personal life. I purposely used my male sounding nickname as my business name. My past was rooted in enough wickedness, I preferred hiding behind the fake male persona.
“Also, I must compliment you on your services to my company. My staff openly brags about your technical skills and expertise.”
“Thank you.” I wasn’t expecting his compliment. However, his pensive expression gave me the impression that it was more than a compliment?
Chase let his gaze settle on me for a moment. His eyes fell to my piercings, lingered on my lips, and traced across my neck before returning to mine.
“I understand you have contracts with other companies. Would you consider working exclusively for Swift Capital?”
His job offer blew me away, forcing me to hide the fast moving shot of energy coursing through me.
“As much as I appreciate your offer, I enjoy the freedom of being able to freelance and choose my clients. I wouldn’t have the freedom to expand my skills in the ever-changing conditions of the open market.”
Although he attempted to hide it, my comments caused his face to twitch with surprise before a smile glided across his sexy lips.
“I felt inclined to ask, although I was certain from the moment I saw you, you weren’t easy…easily persuaded. However, I’m certain I can change your mind.”
Well, fuck. It sounded like he was flirting with me and it was starting to turn me on, especially since I noticed how attractive he was up close. The whole tall, dark, and handsome with a nerdy vibe must have been created by him.
“Consider you, and your staff having your own wing in this building with access to state of the art equipment, rights to manage the development and beta-testing of new software systems, and opportunities to take classes and obtain advanced skills paid for by Swift Capital. I would make it so you don’t need the open-market. The market will come seeking you. It is an excellent opportunity to take your business to the next level. Take my offer Jax. You should be concentrating on developing new technologies, not fishing around in the open market.”
My smile slipped. How the hell was he going to sit there and tell me what I should be concentrating on? Jax, remember where you are at and who your talking to, the little voice in my head warned.
Chase was attempting to make it impossible for me to say no. However, his underlying tone implied he wasn’t used to hearing that word.
“Chase, may I be frank?”
“Please.”
“I’m sure you can tell by my appearance, that not only am I not easy, but I don’t like being told what to do. It’s one of the reasons I work for myself and do my job well. Personally, I prefer to stay behind the scenes, and peek my head out only when it’s necessary. Your offer is tempting, and I’d like the opportunity to think about it for the sake of my employees. I would also like to point out that I prefer to achieve my goals at my pace and on my own accord.”
Another smile surfaced but was brushed away by the defiance that sharpened his gaze.
“Something we have in common,” he added. He adjusted his glasses, which enhanced the intensity of his already penetrating gaze. “In front of the cameras, I play my role, use my acting voice, but behind them, I despise being told what to do, even if it’s for my own good. I give commands and expect them to be followed and, although I may come off as arrogant to some, my commands usually lead to both parties getting what they want.”
Chase was flirting with me so smoothly, I found myself edging closer for more. The billionaire wasn’t who he let on to be for the public’s eye, the sharp businessmen that could turn pennies into millions.
This was the side of himself Chase hid from the public, the few parts I was arrogant enough to believe he had reserved for only me. Those delicious parts were also the very reason I needed to stay clear of him.
I was bold enough to be a danger to myself, but my employees and responsibilities, where it concerned my growing company, kept me tame. My contract with Swift Capital was more important than my need to satisfy my personal interest.
I sprang up, feigning a stern expression before reaching across the table.
“Nice to meet you, Chase.”
My gaze landed on our hands because he didn’t let go right away.
“Let me walk you out,” he offered, before loosening his grip and starting around the table. Why the hell was this man so determined to keep me in his presence?
He came around the long table and stood at my side. No one uttered a word when he held the glass door open and followed me out.
We walked side by side in silence as charged currents guided our movements. His closeness caused an unnamed tingle to sizzle on my skin as my mind fought to absorb the enormity of him. The raw energy flowed into my body and licked at my blood before it pushed through my veins, an introduction of a different kind. One that had nothing to do with our minds, but everything to do with our bodies.
“Mind if I ride down with you? I can use the break.” His tone was so low, deep, and husky it vibrated against my exposed skin, adding a little extra spice to the tingle already there. My gaze followed his finger to the down arrow he pressed, and I found his eyes waiting on mine when I lifted my head.
“No, I don’t mind,” I finally replied, taking in his tall, fit body. He was mountainous, at least six-four, and I noticed his dark suit made him appear leaner than he was. His hair was slicked back and tapered around his face and neckline. At close view, his body was manly, full, cut and. . . Leave it alone, Jax.
Riveting silence gripped us as we waited on the elevator. Why did it feel like the billionaire was stalking me? I’ve had my share of men checking me out to the point of creepy, but this was something else. I was caressed in waves of warmth that sent ripples along my skin, and rained desire down on me. Chase could touch me without his hands.
When I met his stare again, I smiled, but the probing glint in his eyes was plucking at more than my sexual desire. He was doing things with his eyes most men wished to do with their tongues.
The ding of the elevator’s arrival dragged my attention away from him. I stepped inside, hit the button that would take us to ground level, and backed myself against the wall. When Chase stepped in, he didn’t stand beside me as I assumed he would. He stepped straight ahead and into my personal space.
He towered above my five-six frame, but his gaze managed to sweep my body and outline my figure before he took my hand. His thumb swept across the thorny vine tattooed on the back of my hand. Did he know his boldness was turning me on? The fact that he was my boss was a dwindling memory as my lust had been set loose.
His free hand slipped up the side of my neck, sending a chill racing over my fevered skin. His soft stroke and the warm press of his hand around mine, kept me in place. With keen intensity, he examined my vine tattoo, stroking my neck with a light touch. He leaned in so close his warm breath feathered over my skin.
Although most of the tattoo was covered by my top, he traced the portion on my hand. He continued to trace it up my arm until he reconnected with the part visible on my neck. It occurred to me that he hadn’t just been talking to me at the table, he was studying me like I had been studying him.
His domineering behavior had my impulses revved, and my heart thumped a chaotic beat to keep pace with the tone we had set. Anyone else would have gotten a knee to the fucking balls for touching me like this. I didn’t know what the hell it was about Chase, but his daring touch kept me in line as I enjoyed the feel of his hands on me.
“There is something I have been dying to know,” he stated, allowing his bold cockiness to come out and mingle with his heated tone. Again, his fingers slid across the tattoo on my neck, at the same time his thumb pressed into the tattoo branching the span of the back of my hand.
“How much of your body does this tattoo cover?”
My words floated above my tongue, and I held them there because it was smart not to let this go any further. I glared at him with a devious smirk. There was no damn way I could let this man know, a man who I had barely shared a conversation with, that he had me on the verge of hitting stop on the elevator, so I could shove my pussy in his face.
Chase’s touch set off sparks within me, that I had yet to experience with anyone else. He was enjoying indulgences that I never before allowed. He was bold, confident, and didn’t appear bothered by my dominating nature.
My tongue slid across my lips, wetting them, tasting the desire blazing through my blood.
“No one has gotten the full view and, believe me, it’s more than a tattoo. It’s art, precious and untainted by undeserving eyes. Truth is, Chase”—I inched closer making the little space we had between us smaller—“I’ve never found anyone interesting enough to share it with.”
He leaned in, his hand tightening around mine, as his other held firm against my neck, adding just enough pressure to fuel my desire.
“I’m going to be the first.” The determination set in his expression and his tone made me aware that he believed every word he spoke.
My nipples tightened into aching peaks while my pussy quivered, leaking wetness into my panties.
He spoke with an authoritative edge. Almost like he stated a truth I was unaware of. No one had seen my full tattoo because it was for me. I would dim the lights, take off only what was necessary, used blindfolds, you name it. I took control, all of it, only allowing my lovers to see what I wanted them to see.
I didn’t respond to Chase’s arrogant comment because he had managed to get me so turned on my fevered mind was chanting, fuck him, fuck him, fuck him. All I could do was glance up at him, as I fought to contain images of fucking him across the table of the boardroom we’d just left.
Contrary to what I assumed, his history in the media and his smart appearance, led me to believe he was soft and easily influenced. My assumption had been dead ass wrong. He was hot as fuck and dripped the kind of sin I liked dipping into.
He was like the beautiful darkness that bent light, the shiny edge of a razor before it cuts, the flare of a flame before it burned. I wanted to breathe in his darkness, get nicked by his sharp edges, and get licked by the heat of his flames.
Jax! My inner voice was calling, but I was ignoring her ass. I wanted to play with this fire.
I twisted my wrist from his tight grip and pulled apart the cufflink at his wrist. The ping of it hitting the floor echoed in the small space but didn’t break our intense connection.
“You first; how far does your tattoo go?” I raked my nails across the area at his wrist, letting him know I had spotted his ink. My action caused him to hiss in a shot of air, but his gaze never wavered when he reached up to finger his tie.
When he unfastened the top button on his shirt, the ding followed by the elevator door opening snatched us from the heated fantasy we had been engulfed in. Was he planning to take off his shirt to show me his tattoo? I guess I’ll never know, but I’d be damned if I wasn’t curious.
People didn’t wait until we exited before they piled into the elevator. Chase turned and placed a firm hand on the elevator door so I could exit, his caressing gaze keeping me inflamed.
“It was nice meeting you Jax,” he said. Chase kept the elevator door open, knowing full well no one would say a thing about being held up.
“You too Chase.”
Without looking back, I strutted away with a soaking wet pussy, and the knowledge that Chase Taylorson, was nothing like he presented himself to the rest of the world. Like Clark Kent, I think the glasses were a prop to help hide his true nature.
The June heat outside had nothing on him. Chase had me so fucking hot and worked up, my damn titties were dripping sweat like I was strolling through the Mohave in black leather. I thrived on control, and he was the first man I’d ever met who could make me lose it.
I sensed his eyes on me as I marched closer to the spinning golden glass doors, wanting to sever our connection and be released onto Fifth Avenue. I focused on the view of the busy New York City street, eager to be swallowed by the crush of swirling bodies, the noise of honking horns, roaring engines, and the scent of excitement mixed with fumes of every kind.
It took great effort, but I used every part of me to aid in my refusal to look back. Too stubborn to give Chase the satisfaction of seeing how he affected me. He was smart, there was no denying that, but he was a powerhouse of masculinity hidden under those suits and glasses. I knew it as well as I knew information technology. This was our beginning, if Chase had anything to say about it.
*****End of Excerpt*****
Coming November 29, 2019! / Special Release Day Price of $.99!
Thank you for reading!
KK
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