Damn her. That little black skirt was killing him. It had stretched over her ass like he wanted to cup it with his hands. And that little flip of fuller material that ran down the back had been like a dare. A challenge to lift it and reveal the sweet, soft flesh he would find beneath.

He’d had her the night before, more than once. But he’d found that the more he had her, the more he wanted her. And he wanted her damned bad.

“I think we need to rethink this shift then,” Kia stated as she rose from her chair. Chase had to clench his teeth as she moved to the side of the desk, bent just a little, and pointed out something on the file as she turned it so it was right side up for both of them. “Sales and quicker delivery to the area could increase the productivity and gain that bonus Dad got into the contract for higher shipments into the area.”

Marion moved closer, causing Kia to lean in more.

Chase swallowed tightly. Damn her. Damn her to fucking hell and back, he hadn’t seen her put on those stockings that morning.

He had assumed the soft silk covering her legs was pantyhose. He had convinced himself they were. Hoped and prayed they were, because stockings on Kia’s legs were a particular weakness of his.

And these stockings had a delicate lacy edge that had the tips of his fingers itching to touch them, to caress the smooth skin above them.

Hell. He shifted in his chair, trying to drag his eyes from her ass and focus somewhere else. He just happened to meet Harding’s gaze and saw the glimmer of amusement in his eyes as he obviously caught Chase looking.

Kia straightened then and moved back around her desk. When she sat down, she turned sideways just a bit, crossed her legs, and there was that peek at stockings again. Chase let his eyes narrow, retaliation rising up inside him as arousal began to bite into his balls.

What the hell was it about her? He should have been past the first, hard surges of lust where she was concerned and moving into that place where the sex wasn’t that important. It was a normal progression. He’d been through it several times over, hadn’t he?

The need for the sex dimmed simply because it was readily available. He’d had her last time until he was pumping his cum inside her with a force that left him exhausted. Yet he woke just as hard, just as hot for her as he had been the first time he had taken her.

“Alright, I’ll get these ideas back to my office and rework the projections.” Marion sighed. “You’re killing me on this one, Kia.”

“Don’t feel bad. I had several e-mails from the rest of the sales force informing me of the same thing.” She smiled as she leaned back in her chair and watched Marion walk to the door.

“Yeah, now I remember why we breathed a sigh of a relief when you left five years ago,” he grunted. “You’re a slave driver.”

The door closed behind him.

Chase turned back to Kia, catching that smug little feminine smile she tried to hide when he caught her watching him.

His lips were parting to inform her of just how much trouble she was in when the door to the office slammed open.

Chase was on his feet, in front of her desk, his hand on his weapon jerked from the holster and leveled on the other man. Drew slammed to a stop and stared at the handgun with wide eyes, his face paling. Behind him, Kia’s cry warned Chase of her shock, her fear. Her warning that he wasn’t to go after Drew. He wanted to go after the son of a bitch right now.

Instead, he slid the gun carefully into its holster and taunted the other man. “Want something, Stanton?”

“Ms. Rutherford, he just rushed right on in,” Liza was protesting. She was in shock as well, her face pale. “I told him Mr. Rutherford wanted to talk to him first, and he ignored me.”

Chase stayed in front of Kia’s desk as Drew glared at him, hatred surging in his eyes as Kia moved cautiously from behind the desk.

“What are you doing here, Drew?” she asked him carefully.

“It doesn’t matter why he’s here, he can leave,” Chase said coldly. “Get the hell out of here, Stanton.”

Drew’s fists clenched at his side, his eyes moving from Chase to Kia.

“My God, Kia, how can you actually think I’d hurt you? I just spent the morning at the police department. I was being interrogated, for God’s sake. Where the fuck is your mind?”

“Where the fuck is your common sense?” Chase’s muscles bunched, tensed to move, when he felt Kia’s hand on his arm.

He stopped and glared down at her. “Don’t try it,” he warned her. “Don’t even try to protect this little bastard.” He turned back to Drew. “Get the hell out of here before I throw you out.”

“You don’t have the right to throw me out, Falladay,” he sneered, before turning back to Kia. “They accused me of attacking you. How the hell do you know you weren’t attacked because of him?” His finger stabbed in Chase’s direction. “The son of a bitch manages to piss off everyone he comes in contact with. And it’s not as though it’s a secret you’re fucking him and Khalid both. That Middle Eastern bastard is a walking target himself. You don’t know what he’s capable of, Kia. I wouldn’t doubt if he arranged it.”

Chase moved. He jerked his arm from Kia’s hold and jumped for the bastard. And would have had him if she wasn’t in front of him just as quickly, her hands pressed to his chest.

“Get out of here, Drew,” she snapped. “Dammit, Chase, stand back. This has gone far enough.”

“Far enough is when he thinks he has the right to talk to you like that,” Chase said coldly. “Get out of my way, Kia.” His hands were on her arms, firm, pushing her away.

“Damn you, you and that bastard Khalid are the reason I was dragged into interrogation,” Drew snapped furiously. “Do you think I’m running from you, Falladay? Fuck you, we can finish this here.”

Chase grinned. He stared down at Kia, saw her pale face, the fear that flashed in her eyes, and bit off a curse. Dammit, she would never let him slug that pitiful little bastard while she was standing here.

“Dammit, Drew, you’ve lost your mind.” Kia turned, bracing her back against Chase as she faced her ex-husband.

“Have you lost yours?” Drew accused, his fists doubled up at the seams of his immaculate gray slacks, and sneered at them. “I’d never hurt you, Kia. You know that. I’d do anything to protect you. Just look what leaving me got you. If you had just stayed with me, just stayed faithful, none of this would have happened.”

“If she had just let you rape her?” Chase growled as Liza closed the door behind her, evidently deciding it was best to leave them alone in this fight. Chase agreed with her.

“Chase, that’s enough,” Kia argued as she pressed her back more firmly against him.

His arm moved around her, holding her to him, daring Drew to make a comment.

Drew’s face drew into lines of shock. “She was my wife, Falladay. It wouldn’t have been rape.”

Chase saw red.

“Chase, stop!” Kia yelled out the order as he tried to push past her.

The thing about pushing past Kia was that it was damned hard when she was wrapping herself around him like a vine and digging those sharp heels into the carpet. If he pushed too hard, there was no way he would get past without hurting her.

“Stanton, I’m going to kill you.” Chase said it coldly as the door opened and Timothy Rutherford stood in the doorway, his jowls creased with rage.

“What the hell is going on here?” Timothy boomed.

“You’re about to lose a security and sales associate,” Chase drawled menacingly. “As soon as your daughter stops imitating a vine.”

Timothy took in the situation quickly. Liza’s call had been frantic, her voice quavering as she reported Chase’s drawing his weapon on Drew. Rushing to the office, Timothy had expected to see blood until he saw his daughter holding on to Chase with a force he hadn’t known she had.