Electric! (3 page)

Cassidy’s eyes narrowed. “Why would the word
protective
come to mind?”

Meg’s head cocked to the side. “Please. You are so sweet and
innocent. It’s a natural instinct for an alpha like Chase.”

Cassidy laughed.

Meg did too. “Okay,
semi
-sweet and
semi
-innocent.
You know what I mean.”

“You’re about to mention the fact that I don’t date, either.
You needn’t. I don’t have time, Meg.”

“You’re supposed to
make
time, Cassidy.”

“Can’t. I started at the gym a few months ago, remember?
Stress management. That’s what I do in my spare time.”

Her brow lifted. “
Spare
time?”

“Stop ribbing me about my hours.”

The rest of their tablemates returned and the conversation
shifted to things other than Cassidy’s lack of a social life…and Chase Logan.

A four-course dinner followed. Cassidy was stuffed to the
gills but couldn’t pass up the chocolate crème brûlée. She’d jog a couple extra
miles in a blizzard if she had to, in order to compensate for the decadent
evening.

After the tables were cleared, McClellan presented his customary
State of Affairs address to much applause, because the company continued to prosper.
Then he invited everyone to stick around for more drinks and dancing.

Cassidy hedged. She couldn’t decide whether to stay or go
back to the rented house, so she took her second glass of champagne to the
ladies’ room to freshen up and consider her options. On the one hand, she had
work to dive into. Sooner rather than later would be good. On the other hand…

Noise from the dance floor filtered into the bathroom and it
sounded as though everyone was having a grand time. A DJ had replaced the
pianist and the music was loud and lively.

When was the last time she’d danced? Maybe her high school
prom ten years ago?

Hmm. Sad sentiment. Yet Cassidy didn’t get out and about to
clubs for a reason. She didn’t date for a reason.

Chase had nailed it when he’d said life was one big cliché.
At least, for her it was. She’d always been the girl every guy claimed he
wanted to take home to the parents and then settle down with…but that hadn’t
happened yet. And how could it? She was also the woman who’d only twice gotten
past a first date. That had been a long time ago, in college.

Since then, how many times had she gone through the
I had
a great time. Let’s do it again. I’ll call you.
routine? Only to wait the
standard three days and… No phone call.

It’d actually become an expected thing. The last couple of
dates she’d gone on, she’d barely been able to muster a smile on her doorstep
when she heard those three little words meant to inspire hope, because she’d
known, innately, her number would magically disappear from her date’s contacts
list before the clock even struck midnight.

She’d experienced this so often that she no longer bothered
smiling and batting her lashes to catch a man’s eye. For that matter, she
usually didn’t bother with eye contact, unless working with a client or
colleague and needing to prove her mettle. She did nothing to encourage
romantic attention.

And yet Chase continued to pursue her.

Surely that was only because bad boys liked to fluster good
girls. Get them all worked up, because they enjoyed the challenge of trying to
tease them out of their panties.

Christ, she really was a cliché.

Not that it mattered in the grand scheme of things. Cassidy
didn’t have time for sexy flings. And she especially didn’t have time to nurse
a broken heart when hers got trampled by someone along the lines of
too-hot-to-handle Chase Logan.

She worked hard and was great at her job—it was a natural
calling for her, particularly given her father, three uncles and brother all
worked for an industrial risk insurer in Hartford, Connecticut. A competitor,
yes, but she’d not gone to work there. Cassidy hadn’t wanted any preferential
treatment or cries of nepotism if she were at the same company. She’d wanted to
make it on her own in this profession.

Her personal merit meant more to her than anything. Her
mother had taught her that—a woman who’d had everything handed to her on a
silver platter, first from her doting father and then from her
head-over-heels-in-love husband.

Despite being the apple of both men’s eyes and having so
much offered to her, Christine Reynolds had wanted to be a hands-on, loving mom
and a successful career woman who did not rely on housekeepers, nannies, or
someone else’s finances. She’d been good at life balance. In fact, with her mother’s
steadfast and tenacious personality, Cassidy had been shocked—and devastated—when
her mother had lost the breast cancer battle many years ago. Though, she was still
Superwoman in Cassidy’s eyes.

And she knew that, were her mother alive today, she’d tell
Cassidy to lead a more robust and fulfilling life.

Who says excelling at your profession can’t fulfill you?

She conveniently ignored the pang of loneliness that ripped
through her.

Leaving the ladies’ room, she decided to head to the rental.
As she passed a small group of VPs, one of them flagged her down.

“Have a drink with us!” Blaine Morgan bellowed.

They all headed to the bar. She trailed along, always
grateful to be a part of their group, rather than being the outcast “chick” in
their world. The other, older female execs didn’t always play nice with the
men, instead sometimes giving attitude because they knew equality was not the
order of the day at MII. In Cassidy’s opinion, being a stick-in-the-mud didn’t
help their plight any.

They bellied up to the bar. Chase happened to be there.
So
her luck.

He grinned. “Just can’t stay away.”

“I’m not here for you. Blaine invited me.”

He shot a look at the man on the other side of Cassidy.
Blaine instantly engaged in conversation with his cohorts.

Meg had been right. Chase did have a territorial glint in
his eyes, and it actually intimidated Blaine.

How surreal.

And exciting.

“So what are you drinking?” he asked.

“Just champagne. I’ve got some work to do.”

“Tomorrow,” he insisted. “We haven’t gotten stupid drunk
yet. And I’m dying to get you on the dance floor. Slow number, of course.”

“I don’t dance.”

He grinned. A half-assed, lopsided one that sent a thrill
down her spine.

Oh the wicked things he did to her! Did he know? Was that why
he kept coming back for more rejection from her?

Although… She never actually did reject him.

Maybe it was time to set the record straight, for both their
sakes.

She leaned in close, so only he could hear her, and said, “Chase,
I know this game. You want me because you’ve never had me. If you did, you
wouldn’t want me anymore.”

He smirked at her. “Little too easily dissected, Cass.” He
pinned her with a hot look that ignited her insides. “Try this reality instead.
I’ve got a healthy libido, but no one gets me going the way you do. And I
haven’t even laid a hand on you.” His eyes glowed in the most sinful,
tantalizing way as he added, “
Yet…
”

Chase watched as Cassidy seemed to process his words. He’d
stunned her into silence, and it made him want to chuckle. He held it back,
instead saying, “I don’t know what it is about you, babe.” He kept his tone
low, their conversation private. “The tall, curvy body. The dark-chocolate hair
with the plump curls. The hypnotic amber eyes. The vibrant smile. The soft
laugh. The quick wit. The even quicker brain.”

He shook his head. She still didn’t say a word.

Chase continued. “I’ve fantasized about you naked and wet
for me from the first day we met.”

She gasped. He grinned. Albeit a strained one.

His cock sprang to life at the visual in his mind that
matched his previous words. Cassidy Reynolds sprawled across his California
king, her breasts bare, her legs spread. She’d be wet for him. He’d make sure
of it.

“McClellan said you rented a house in this forest.” His tone
was a bit darker from his intense arousal. “Let’s go. No one will know. No one
will see us leave together if we take the back exit.”

“I already told you—”

“Fine,” he backed off. As usual, he planted seeds. But he
never pushed her too far beyond her comfort zone. Rather, Chase always relied
on the flash of heat in her eyes that prompted him to move forward, or the
flicker of fear in them that told him to stand down.

Cassidy was an intriguing and thrilling puzzle to piece
together, and though two years was a hellaciously long time to be infatuated
with someone with no real progress to speak of, Chase couldn’t muster the
fortitude to walk away. He wanted her that much.

And not just sexually, as she’d so inaccurately pinpointed
moments before. He’d honestly never met a woman more compatible, especially
given her passion for the same work he did and her ability to hold her own with
the best of them. Every time she stuck her neck out for a client, he was in awe
of her. And when she went toe-to-toe with him or anyone else in the office…
Well, that just got his adrenaline pumping and his heart thumping.

“Let’s stick with a drink,” he said. “For starters.” He ordered
champagne from the bartender.

“Here you go, sweetheart,” the bartender said when he
delivered a glass to Cassidy.

Chase noted she never cringed over the
sweethearts,
honeys
and
darlings
frequently thrown her way. Particularly from the guys she
worked with. She knew them well, and they respected her—as Chase did. They even
consulted with her on a regular basis, always popping into her office to ask
advice on handling a sensitive loss report, subrogation case, standard recs for
an engineer report, or just to shoot the breeze. He was in there often enough
himself to witness the camaraderie.

He also knew her father, uncles and brother were the same
when it came to the monikers. She’d once told him her dad always called her
sweetie. Gavin, her older brother, called her toots. She’d explained he’d done
it initially to get a rise out of her. But she’d told Chase, with a dismissive
wave of her hand, that given his hard exterior, she’d found she liked the term
of endearment coming from him. And her acceptance of it had helped to soften him.

Chase liked how accommodating she was, yet at the same time,
self-assured when it came to her business practices. She was feminine, no
question there, but also tough as nails when she needed to be.

He’d seen her take on Legal over a subrogation case that
would have crippled a start-up company if she hadn’t convinced the powers that
be to extend a measure of goodwill following an explosion in one of the newly
built plants and cover damages that fell into a gray area of the policy. Getting
the big wigs to concede a technicality here and there had resulted in notable
loyalty on her clients’ behalf, and even more business through referrals.

Despite her desire to take a stand when she deemed it
warranted, she’d also told Chase that, for the most part, she avoided the Legal
division like the plague. He knew why. Ironic as it was, those old goats were
the worst offenders when it came to sexual harassment. Then again, they knew
their way around the system. And women who worked for MII knew what they were
walking into when it came to that branch of the company. Industrial risk
insurance was still a man’s world.

Chase didn’t subscribe to the “little misses” mentality. He
liked that Cassidy had a feisty side in addition to her professional side. She
could be a bit too formal at times, sure. But then she’d let her guard slip and
she’d sparkle with charm and sheer wit. He could tell she wanted to belong—but
on her terms. She was willing to put up with the double standard but had a
strong constitution.

Chase wasn’t the only one who held her in high regard. The
guys currently seated at the bar did, certainly. But so too did the senior
management team, and the head honcho himself, Archer McClellan.

Maybe it was all these idiosyncrasies and her steadfast
nature that made him absolutely nuts about her.

A dangerous thought, because they worked together. And
because she didn’t seem inclined to move their association past friendship. After
two years, he’d be a fool to not see he was headed for heartache, but that didn’t
stop him from wanting her. Big time.

To cool his engine, Chase said, “Let’s do a shot.”

She laughed. “Not a chance in hell.”

“You say that all too often.” He winked at her. “What, can’t
hold your liquor, tough girl?”

“Please,” she smirked. “Our boss still believes in the
two-martini lunch. I can suck ’em down.”

Chase groaned. “Careful about your word choice,” he
whispered in her ear.

“Get your mind out of the gutter.”

He let out a hearty guffaw. “Impossible when I’m sitting
next to you.”

The bartender came their way after sprinkling the infield
with fresh cocktails.

“What else can I get you?” he asked Chase.

“Shot of Patrón. And for the lady…” He eyed Cassidy a
moment, then said, “Amaretto with a cherry in it.”

The bartender busied himself with the order. Cassidy punched
Chase in the arm. It actually stung. Not that he should be surprised, given her
upbringing.

“Amaretto?” she demanded, though her eyes danced with a
playful glint. “That screams
puff.
”

He merely shrugged.

“And what’s with the cherry?” Her gaze narrowed on him. “You
don’t think I’m a virgin, do you?”

He laughed again. “I wouldn’t be sitting here with you if I
did. That’s not my thing.”

Heat colored her cheeks, and it was a damn pretty sight. She
didn’t shy away from the saucy banter, and he liked that about her as well. She
gave back as good as she got.

When her shot arrived, Cassidy popped the cherry in her
mouth and twisted the stem into a pretzel with her tongue, then presented it to
him.

“Cheap and passé party trick, babe.” He snickered.

“You were the one who ordered it.” To the bartender, she
said, “Take this girly drink away, please, and pour me tequila as well.”

Chase eyed her skeptically. “Don’t get too wild on me.”

She shot him a sassy look, turning up the heat because she
had a safety net he recognized—the guys gathered on the other side of her. “Thought
I was the wicked type? Kinky with fetishes, even.”

His gaze locked with hers. “Are you?”

“No.” She didn’t glance away, just continued to stare into
his eyes.

His cock twitched. “You wanna be?”

Her breath hitched. “I don’t know.”

“Scared?”

“Maybe.”

“Hmm.” He dragged his gaze from hers and reached for his
shot. “Little shake of salt on the hand, slam the shot, suck the lime.”

“You don’t make any sense to me,” she said. “One minute I’m
risqué in your eyes, the next I’ve just fallen off the turnip truck.”

She licked the skin in the crook of her hand between the
thumb and index finger. Sprinkled some salt on it. Licked it again…slowly,
making him groan as he thought of her doing that to his dick. Then she drained
the tequila in one quick gulp. She held up the lime, a sardonic expression on
her face, and dumped it in the empty shot glass without sucking on it.

“Smartass,” he said, though he heard the hint of admiration
in his voice. Okay, it was more than that. Not only did he think highly of her,
he was seriously aroused by her. In Chase’s mind, Cassidy Reynolds was the
complete package. Well, except for that
all work and no play
thing she
had going on. Although…she
finally
seemed to be cutting loose this
evening. With him.

He downed his own shot and ordered another round.

“If you think you’re going to get me sloppy drunk and take
advantage of me,” she said in her provocative tone that drove him wild, “think
again. I have lots of experience in this arena. A multitude of male relatives
who taught me how to drink with the big boys. I’m more than capable of keeping
up, my friend.”

He couldn’t stop himself from leaning toward her and
murmuring, “I want to be more than your friend.”

“Chase.” She stared at him unwaveringly. Though he didn’t
miss the twinkle in her eyes.

“Cass.”

She sighed. “You are never going to give that up, are you?”

“What? Calling you Cass or trying to talk you into my bed?”

“Both.”

He shook his head. “No, I am not.”

She laughed softly. “You’re a huge pain in the ass. You know
that, right?”

“So are you. But I keep coming back for more.”

They slammed another shot. Then he handed her the glass of
champagne the bartender had poured earlier. “Follow me.”

“Absolutely not.”

He chuckled at her obstinate nature—and the fact that she
didn’t want to give up her security blanket. Also known as Blaine Morgan. “Don’t
worry, beauty queen. I’m not going to molest you in some dark corner.”

“Beauty queen? Really? I always feel like such a tomboy.”

“You’re kidding?” His gaze slid over her. “That’s not what I
see at all.”

She eyed him with skepticism. “A man who looks like you
could do
much
better.”

Chase smirked. “Do you own reflective surfaces in your home?
If so, try stepping in front of one sometime.”

He led her away from the bar and all the noise. They found a
quiet corner. Dark, yes, but that hadn’t been his intention. Turned out to be
convenient, though. He propped a shoulder against a patio door and stared out
at the post-winter wonderland now covering the country club’s event lawn and
all those amazing pine trees.

“Damn pretty, isn’t it?” he asked.

“Yes. The moonlight makes all the powdery white glitter. I
miss the snow sometimes.”

“Why’d you leave Connecticut?”

She shrugged. “I wanted to land a job on my own. Not use my
family name to get my foot in the door.”

“You would’ve proven your worth in gold no matter how you
got your start.”

She stared up at him, a soft smile on her glossy lips.
Christ, she made his chest tighten and his cock throb.

“You don’t have to sweet-talk me, Chase.”

“I’m not. I respect you. And I think you bring a shitload of
value to MII.”

Her head inclined to the side. “You’ve never said that to me
before.”

“Do I really have to?” He gave her a direct look. “You put
your heart and soul into the job. Everyone knows that, Cass. Including
McClellan. The question is…”

Pushing too far, Chase.

He shook his head, averted his gaze.

“What?” she asked, sounding unnerved. Then she let out a
harsh breath. “Oh right. This always comes up.”

“
This
what?”

“I have boobs in a profession dominated by penises.”

His gaze snapped back to her. “That’s not at all what I was
going to say.”

“Really?” She challenged him with a raised brow. “Because
everyone else seems to think the same thing. Why am I wasting my time, busting
my ass to be someone in this field when I could be content with a husband who
works hard so I don’t have to?”

“Wow.” He whistled under his breath.

Cassidy sighed. She was quiet for a moment as she seemed to
collect her thoughts.

Chase waited patiently.

“Sorry. It’s just that, my mom’s father and then my dad
wanted to do everything for her. Give her everything her heart desired. Treat
her like a princess or a queen. And while she didn’t discount their desires—and
their generosity certainly didn’t go unappreciated—she wanted to be able to
give something in return. I found that a very noble notion.”

She seemed to contemplate this further, then added, “My mother
wanted to buy them gifts with money she’d earned—not with
their
money.
She wanted them to be proud of her. She wanted Gav and me to be proud of her
too. It meant something to her to be somebody, to contribute not only to her
household, but to society.”

She sighed and turned away, as though she thought he didn’t
understand what she was saying to him. Not the case at all.

“Hey,” Chase said as he lightly touched her arm. The most
intimate contact he’d ever ventured because, despite his inescapable desire to
flirt with her, he respected her boundaries. Yes, he was upfront with her and
he pushed her sometimes in hopes she’d finally see the attraction between them
was mutual—and undeniable. But he also knew she liked to maintain a certain
distance. A certain professionalism.

Tonight, however, was different. Maybe it was the alcohol,
although they’d consumed more than that on other nights and he hadn’t ever laid
a hand on her. He wasn’t sure what drove him this evening, but he felt they’d
reached a pivotal moment. He felt it to the core of his being.

“Let me ask you this,” he said in a quiet voice. “Are you
afraid to get involved with a man for fear he’s going to eclipse you and make
you inconsequential?”

She stared up at him. “I never thought of it that way.”