Chasing the Dream: Dream Series, Book 3 (13 page)

“You’re doing it again,” I warned him.

“Doing what?”

“I don’t know. But you’re doing it,” I insisted. How do I say,
You’re making my panties wet with your eyes touching me!
? “You’re crossing the line. You said we would keep things professional,” I insisted.

He let out a laugh that made my heart nearly burst. “My bad,” he said, putting his hands up defensively in front of him. “I didn’t mean to make you feel uncomfortable. Just didn’t want you marching around Manhattan with your tag waving in the wind.”

“We should go,” I said, glancing at the clock on the wall. “Dinner, then the boathouse.”

“Your hair is prettier down,” he said, ignoring what I’d said.

“I didn’t have time to style it,” I quipped, brushing him off, and finishing my bottle of water.

He set his water bottle down and stepped up to me, practically touching. My heart pounded in my chest as his manly, spicy scent surrounded me and heat from his body scorched me. He reached behind my head and his fingers dove into my bun searching for the band that bound it. He found what he was looking for and, with great care he freed my hair from the elastic. He set the band down on the counter then his fingers went to work on the hair that had been wrapped up for the past twelve hours, fluffing and arranging it.

“Gorgeous,” he whispered, his right hand coming to rest on my neck, his thumb brushing along my jaw. I reached my hand up to my damp and wavy locks. My eyes lifted to his to find him checking out not just my hair but my whole face. When his eyes locked with mine, there was no escape. I heard his breath grow shallow and felt the warmth caress my face.

Swiftly, his hand scooped behind my neck as he brought my face to his, stopping with his lips a fraction of an inch from mine. “I’m sorry,” he whispered before pressing his lips to mine.

My head was spinning. This was not professional. He was sorry? I’m gorgeous? His lips were on mine. And without my permission, my body was responding… nipples puckering, stomach flipping, moisture pooling. My lips moved with his. I felt his tongue touch on my lower lip, causing me to whimper, but I didn’t pull back. I
couldn’t
pull back. In fact, I think I stepped forward—
into
him. This was far from professional, but it felt so good. As our tongues joined, gently, yet eagerly, exploring one another, vaguely, I became aware of his left hand as it came to my hip and started to slide upward. I felt as though I was burning up with a fever as his thumb came across my front and brushed my breast.

This is wrong. Chase is my job. I’m just a conquest for him. But no matter how wrong this was, I couldn’t stop. He tasted of…licorice? His lips…his touch…his scent…his taste…all combined, rendering me helpless. My hands found their way to his back and slid upward along firm, vibrating muscles and I held onto his shoulders for dear life. It was like I’d been drugged with a roofie or something. Only, I knew exactly where I was and what I was doing and with whom.

Chase’s hand that was at my breast swept down and around my waist pulling me tighter into him, and the hand that had been firmly at the back of my neck was now clutched in my hair. He pulled my hair slightly, pulling my head back and tilting it slightly, sealing our mouths perfectly and deepening the kiss. He groaned into my mouth and urgently explored it as my tongue swirled about his. I was completely dizzy and as the arm that was encircled around my waist pulled me in tighter to Chase, and his hips were pressed into mine, I felt the hot and hard effect our kiss was having on him. One of my hands had ventured into his thick, soft hair. I softly fisted a handful, spurring Chase to press up harder against me and drop a hand to my ass and grip tightly.

I had kissed plenty of boys and was far from a virgin, having turned that card in the summer after I turned sixteen. But with all the guys I’d kissed, and the handful I’d slept with, I had never felt this. This all consuming need and hunger. I savored the heat that came off of him, his scent, and his taste as we tangled tongues and practically clawed at one another.

Suddenly a knock at the apartment door startled us and, panting roughly, I took a step back from the powerhouse before me. Chase looked downright frenzied. Dark. His breathing was as labored as mine, if not more. His lips redder from the mashing we’d been giving each other. My trembling hand went to my own lips that were still sizzling.

“Come in,” I called out, rubbing the moisture and vibration from my lips, attempting to erase the yearning that had been so violently spiked. My lips felt as though they had been kissing an electrical outlet, not a man. A gorgeous, famous man.

Chase shot me a strange look. “Do you even
know
who’s at the door?” he asked, his voice full of concern.

“We talked about this, Boots, your mom would not be happy if she heard that,” I heard a familiar male voice as the door opened.

I quickly scurried around Chase and moved around the breakfast bar to see Kevin coming up the short hallway at the front door to the apartment. His dress shirt was rolled up at the sleeves, his tie loosened. He was in his work clothes. He looked good.

“Hi Kevin. I’ve been meaning to call you. It’s been another crazy day.” Kevin and I met up and shared a quick hug. I glanced at Chase whose eyes had grown menacingly dark, and now he was sporting a scowl. I wrapped an arm around Kevin’s waist and brought him toward the tiny kitchen where Chase and his presence took up the entire space. “Kevin, this is Chase Smythe. I’m his personal assistant for this week and next…a crazy development with my internship. Chase, this is Kevin Parker. He’s my neighbor.”

Chase stepped forward and he and Kevin shook hands. I could see the cogs in Chase’s head turning. If I was reading things right, Chase thought Kevin and I were an item. Eureka! Maybe this way, Chase would keep his distance. I didn’t want lose my internship and I couldn’t afford another shitty relationship. Besides, Kevin and I could still hook-up. He was relationship material. Chase was not.

“Loved you in that film last year,
Should I?
” Kevin said.

“Oh, thanks man. It was a good job. No Oscar nods, but,” Chase shrugged.

“How do you do that? The accents? You must have used six in that film.”

“A gift,” Chase said, relaxing into his ‘fan mode’ that I’d witnessed several times over the past two days. Just like a switch with him. One minute he’s one thing, the next, something completely different.

“So, what’s the story, Phoebe?” Kevin asked, releasing my arm and heading in to sit on the small sofa, as if he were staking a claim on the room. “Your mother left two voicemails for me already.”

I followed Kevin into the living room, but sat in the oversized comfy chair instead. “No story, really. Yesterday I got assigned the
honor
of being Chase’s personal assistant. The paparazzi got some photos and Chase decided to play with the media on
Jimmy Fallon
last night. It’s just work,” I tried with my best nonchalant delivery, even though I was still completely rattled about it inside, and the recent kiss Chase and I just shared had very much to do with my rattled insides. I inhaled. I could smell Kevin, and God, did he smell good. Man and soap. I wondered what he smelled like good and sweaty. I glanced up at him and adored the way his hair, which was slightly longer in back, curled on his neck.

“Oh, never underestimate the accuracy of the paparazzi,” Chase interrupted, taking a seat on the opposite end of the sofa. He leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees. He folded his hands and extended his fingers. Lifting his hands and pointed fingers, he dragged those fingers along his lower lip deliberately and stared at me squarely in the eye. Oh those lips. The lips I could still feel pressed to mine. Inadvertently, I raised my hand and rubbed my own lips trying to squash the sizzle that still loomed. Chase grinned as if he was reading my mind.

I swallowed trying to assess the situation at hand. Chase was clearly throwing out messages. He was back to player mode, although I had to wonder if he’d ever left player mode.

“So, what do I say when your mom calls? And she will. What did you tell her?” Kevin continued, looking between Chase and me.

“I haven’t talked to her yet today. Like I said, it’s been busy. I’ll call her tomorrow. If she gets to you first, you can tell her it’s just media hype, that I’m fine, and
nothing
,” I said shooting a look at Chase, “is going on.”

Kevin continued to assess Chase’s posture and my own. I couldn’t tell if he believed me or not. Chase sat back and looked at me like I was an open book, and he already knew the ending. Feeling the pressure mounting, I sprang off my seat and went in search of the clipboard.
Professional. Keep it professional.
I double-checked the times and the clock.

“Chase, we have just less than an hour before you need to be back on set. Kevin, dinner this weekend? I’ll cook?” I offered him, flashing my most charming smile. “Chicken parm? Or I make this really fabulous roasted butternut squash and pancetta dish?”

“A home cooked meal? Saturday? I’m in. I’ll smooth your mother over, but please call her,” Kevin said, standing and walking over to me, Chase close behind him. The stark difference between the two was breathtaking. Chase’s light hair and vibrant blue eyes to Kevin’s almost black hair and dark green eyes. Kevin was a few inches taller than Chase, and more muscular. My mouth was watering at the sight of both of them, and they were both in my apartment. Of course, I’d only kissed one of them to this point, and it wasn’t even my choice.

“Speaking of dinner, where shall I take you to dinner tonight, Phoebs?” Chase interrupted, getting in on the game.

“I’m fine with whatever you want, Chase,” I said casually. I was
not
going to let him charm me. “So, Kevin—around seven?”

“Sounds good, Boots.” Kevin leaned in and gave a quick hug before heading to the door. Just before he left, he turned and looked at me and Chase, “Be good,” then he turned his eyes to me and said, “Be sure to lock your door, okay? It’s still New York.”

“Yeah, okay,” I replied sheepishly.

Kevin shot me a wink then headed out.

“So…
Boots,
” Chase said, his voice dripping with mockery. “What’s the story?”

“The story is, you’re going to be late to set, and it’s going to be
my
ass.
Professional
, Chase. Remember that.”

O
h, but what an ass you have Phoebe. Firm. And attached to the rest of that amazing body. The way she kissed. It was more than I could have imagined. There wasn’t any pretense to it. It was natural and unbridled. It was…terrifying. Here it was a solid ten minutes since there was the knock at the fucking door stopping that kiss, and my heart was still beating irregularly on my ribcage from the inside. My lips could still feel her soft lips and tongue. My nose still held her soft floral and vanilla scent. My hands were still vibrating from touching her body, her breast, and her ass.

And
Boots?
What kind of nickname is that for someone like Phoebe? Phoebe was… she was… What was she? Why was I letting any of this get to me? And I’d gotten sucked into some weird pissing match with that southern guy. But somehow, his familiarity with Phoebe, nicknames, and talk of dinner had me aiming to jump higher and run faster.

O
nce we were in the car, Chase told the driver an address and we were off. He sat back and looked me over.

“What?” I sighed heavily. I was so tired already, and he was going to keep up with his player-ways, I was sure of it.

“Just trying to figure Kevin out. You won’t tell me, so I’m making up a story in my head,
right now.
”

“Oh, this ought to be good,” I groaned and sat back, folding my arms in front of me.

“Well, I don’t think he’s your lover, because if he were, he would have walked in on us and lost his mind. We had that room pretty charged up—”

“Chase…” I cautioned.

“What? It was the truth. And I
did
apologize.” Yes he did.
Before
we kissed, which was odd. But I chose not to address it. He continued. “He talked about your mom. So, I’m thinking he’s a family friend of some sort. You seemed to want me to think otherwise, and I can’t figure out why.”