Authors: Harper Bentley
Just then Chase saw Julia approaching,
her head down as she adjusted her bracelet. When she looked up, the wind was damn near knocked out of him.
Damn, she’s too beautiful for words.
The dress she wore was classy yet so sexy, he almost had to wipe drool off his chin. He flashed his crooked grin at her. “Hi,” he said as he nervously adjusted his cuffs.
Wow.
Julia stared at Chase, her mouth hanging open and she almost had to physically use her hand to close it. He was so handsome in his tux. How could one man be so absolutely gorgeous? She could hardly take her eyes off him. The way his hair lay so unruly on his head made him look that much sexier as did the five o’clock shadow he wore. “Hi. I didn’t realize you’d be here.”
“Yes. Emma’s helping to run this event.” He took her hand and brushed her knuckles with his lips, keeping them there as he gazed up at her under those dark lashes. “You’re absolutely stunning.”
He took her breath away. Literally. She had to take a few seconds to gain her composure before answering. “Thank you, Chase. You look very handsome.”
They shared a moment, just looking into each other’s eyes before an older woman approached. “Hello, Julia!”
“
Hello! How are you, Mrs. Peterson? You look lovely this evening,” Julia replied, pulling her hand from Chase’s and smiled at the woman.
Chase watched this exchange at first not being able to place the woman, but then it hit him. She was the governor
’s wife. Holy shit. And Julia and she were standing right in front of him chitchatting about normal things such as Julia’s job, the Peterson’s daughter in college, the Governor’s latest fishing trip. Julia introduced Chase at one point, and he, once again, was in complete awe of her. She then smiled and told him she’d see him later as she walked away, chatting with various people also on their way to the dining area.
“I’m off, dude,” Boone said
with a grin, following her.
Chase stood with Emma while she greeted everyone as they came
in, watching to make sure her soon-to-be ex-husband wasn’t lurking anywhere. Emma had told Chase before they’d come downstairs that she was a little nervous because her lawyer had called telling her she’d sent the divorce papers with Emma’s stipulations. And since Keating lived in New York City, it wasn’t against the odds that he might show up.
When Emma
finally went into the banquet room, Chase followed, noticing Julia and Boone standing nearby when he heard, “Beautiful Julia!” in a deep voice ring out. His eyes narrowed as a very good looking guy came up and swooped Julia into his arms. And just who was this clown? Dude had blond hair that was longish in a beach bum type way and eyes even bluer than Gunner’s. Of course, the tan he sported helped to make them stand out even more.
“
Jack!” Julia giggled as he spun her around which made Chase’s stomach knot up.
Keep your fucking hands off of her.
He instantly felt his mood sour.
“
How have you been, baby?”
“
Great! How about you?” She looked up at him with such an admiring look it was all Chase could do to stay where he was.
“Pretty good. Much better if you’d go out with me.” The guy stared down at Julia with clear
adoration while the muscles in Chase’s jaw jumped.
Julia happened to glance
over at Chase just then, doing a double take at the murderous glare on his face. Whoa. She came to her senses and made introductions. “Oh! Jack, this is Boone Streeter, my, um, bodyguard.” Jack looked confused because she’d told him about Chase when they’d talked earlier in the week. “And this is Chase Murphy. Boone, Chase, Jack Moore.” Boone shook hands with Jack then Chase and Jack sized each other up as they did the same.
Ah, here was
the
bodyguard. “Nice meeting you, Chase,” Jack said, an ornery twinkle in his eye, aware the guy wasn’t too happy he was with Julia. When she’d told him about Chase, he’d sensed from her voice that she’d taken a liking to the guy.
“
Same,” Chase replied. Julia was going to be spending the evening with a guy who looked like a fucking movie star. Great.
“Jack and I have known each other practically all our lives,” Julia said. “We usually attend these things together to make our dads look good,” she explained further, trying to lessen some of the tension between Jack and Chase.
Jack played it up by putting his arm around her shoulders, knowing he was being a dick. “Again, nice meeting you.” He nodded at Chase and Boone, a “cat that got the canary” look on his face, and headed toward their table. “So, what’s new with you, gorgeous?” he asked her as they walked away.
Chase watched them go, wanting to put the hurt on Jack with some damn
ed Muay Thai move that’d knock him the fuck out. For good. Dude wouldn’t be so cocky then. He saw that Julia’s table was only two away so at least he could keep an eye on her. Or watch Mr. Smooth as he tried moving in on his girl. Yeah. She was “his girl” now. He let out a breath in a huff, looking down with a small smile and a shake of his head. Guess he’d better give her the memo on that one, huh? Who was the cocky one now?
People
were now seated and the wait staff was milling around delivering meals, drinks or pouring wine, and a famous Hollywood actor was on stage giving a speech about the charity that was being sponsored.
Even while watching out for Emma
, Chase kept an eye on Julia. He clenched his jaw again as he saw Jack put his arm around her chair and lean into her saying something that made her laugh. He wanted to be the one over there making her laugh, his arm wrapped around her as they chatted with the guests at their table, damn it.
At one point d
uring dinner, Julia glanced over at Chase, catching him watching her, and there was that look of his again, the intense, sexy one that made her body respond with shivers. He was thirty feet away, but he could still make her breath catch and now a flush came over her chest and neck. She looked away somewhat flustered which made him smirk. At least he had some effect on her even if she was sitting with another man.
When dessert was being served,
Julia excused herself from the table with Jack following her. Chase told Emma that he’d be right back, that he’d have Boone cover for him. Boone saw Chase nod, and came over to take his place.
Chase
just wanted to make sure that Julia was safe; that’s what he told himself anyway. It couldn’t be that he had to watch Jack, making sure he didn’t try hitting on her or anything. Nope. Couldn’t be it at all.
As he
rounded the corner, he saw them down the hallway, Jack with his back to him leaning over Julia, obviously kissing her. He felt the blood rush to his face as his head started pounding with the adrenaline that was now charging through his veins. His breathing sped up and his fists clenched, preparing to beat the shit out of the guy.
But
standing there watching them, he realized he really had no claim on her. She was free to do what she wanted and be with whomever she wanted. He turned and went back to the dining area, told Boone where she was, then took a seat at his table.
****
Toward the end of the night, Emma told Chase she was excited that the dinner had gone as well as it had. She said seventy percent of those invited had made an appearance, which was an extremely good showing. Chase was happy for her, but of course his mood had gone down the shitter after what he’d witnessed in the hallway. As he was helping Emma out of her seat so she could go to the back to thank the guests for coming, a man started yelling in the lobby of the hotel. Chase saw Emma tense up and all the color left her face.
“That’s Keating.” She now looked panicked as if trying to find a quick escape.
“You stay here, Emma. I’ll take care of it.” Chase walked quickly over to Boone, telling him what was up and asked him to watch Emma.
“
Lemme in there! Do you know who I am?” the man in the lobby roared, his words slurred somewhat. “Need to teach that fucking cunt a lesson!”
Chase
made it through the curious crowd and entered the lobby seeing a drunken Keating Wells being escorted away by two security guards. Good. Looked like they had things under control. But then he heard a whimper behind him. Goddamn it, Boone! Emma was standing at the ballroom door, hand over her mouth, eyes wide as tears fell down her cheeks.
Wells happened to see her then, and somehow broke loose, running toward her yelling, “You fucking bitch! Who the fuck do you think you are?”
Chase clotheslined the guy, knocking him on his ass, then rolled Wells onto his stomach, locking the guy’s wrists behind his back with his hand and put a knee in his spine to hold him until the guards came running up to handcuff him.
“Thanks, man,” one of the guards said to Chas
e, who nodded.
Chase
turned to see Emma still watching, her tear-stained face in shock as Wells continued yelling obscenities at her. “Come on,” he said, putting an arm around her shoulders and leading her back inside the banquet room.
“Oh, my God,” she cried, grabbing Chase by the lapels and
sobbing against his chest as he wrapped her in his arms, soothing her by whispering that it’d be okay.
Julia had watched
in horror as the events unfolded with Emma’s husband. She didn’t know Emma, but knew that she’d worked hard to make this dinner happen and that she didn’t deserve what had just occurred. She approached them, wanting to help, but when Chase cut her a look that pretty much said, “Back the fuck off,” she stopped in her tracks. What was up with that? She couldn’t turn away, practically gawking as he pulled back and looked down at Emma, still talking softly to her, holding her face in his hands and gently smoothing her tears away with his thumbs. Did he have something going on with her? Is that why he’d given her that look? Oh, God.
*
***
A
fter leaving the banquet, Chase had taken Emma back to the suite where he quickly retrieved their things, neither taking the time to change. He wanted to get her the hell out of the place as soon as possible as she’d been only capable of crying silent tears after what’d happened. He took care of getting her checked out and they were now on their way to have her fly back to her parents’ home.
Emma sat in the backseat of the car still too stunned to talk. As they drove to the airport, Chase called her
father, telling him what’d gone down. Jay, of course, was furious. And speaking of being furious, Chase wished he could go back and make Wells pay for the shit he’d just pulled. Preferably with his face. Or ribs. Six of one, half a dozen of the other, yeah?
T
hey arrived at La Guardia, got her luggage checked then he walked her to the security gate. At first he wondered at the looks they were getting from people, thinking they might’ve recognized her as the wife of a big shot, but when he realized they were still in their evening attire, he knew they must’ve looked like some reverse Cinderella story, the prince coldly sending her on her way instead of taking her back to his castle for a happily ever after. He hoped she’d get hers some day.
“Thank you, Chase, for everything,” she said
, looking up at him through puffy eyes.
“Emma, it’ll get better. If you ever need me for anything, please don’t hesitate to call.”
She tiptoed up and kissed his cheek thanking him again before getting in line. After she’d been scanned, she turned and waved, trying to put on a brave front before she disappeared into the boarding area. Chase nodded and smiled grimly, truly hoping things worked out for her.
And
that was why he knew love sucked. Relationships were toxic. Nothing ever worked out. Well, wasn’t he just the poster boy for singlehood?
*
***
Arriving back at the apartment, he walked in to see Julia and Boone having a drink and laughing about something. Boone and his goddamned jokes. Julia offered Chase some scotch, which he gladly drank down, refilling his glass immediately. God, what a night.
Boone asked Chas
e how things had gone afterward with Emma. They talked for a bit, but sensing Chase’s darkened mood, Boone left after finishing his drink. Julia took a seat at the bar, still wearing that fuckhot dress, still looking stunning, crossing her legs and showing tons of sexy thigh with that fucking slit. He stared at her over the top of his glass.
She cleared her throat uncomfortably as she watched him. “In spite of that last bit, did you have a good time?”
"Loads. As I'm sure you did while you were making out with Brad Pitt."
Julia frowned at him, having no idea
what he was talking about. "What?"
"I saw you down the hallway when you two left
right as dessert was being served. What, couldn't keep your hands off each other any longer?"
Julia was clueless
as to what he was saying, but then she remembered that Jack had escorted her to the ladies' room, and because a piece of her hair had gotten caught in her necklace, he'd leaned down helping her to get it out. She guessed Chase had seen them and it had maybe looked like they were kissing from his angle. She had to chuckle at this.