“But what?” His wicked tongue swirled around the shell of her ear and down her neck.

She broke free of his hold and trudged towards the greenhouse but Chase reached for her wrist and pulled her in the opposite direction. “I want to show you something.”

She looked at that smug smile and thought, I’ll bet. “What, your etchings?”

His laughed disturbed the birds, causing them to fly out in every direction. “Not quite but maybe later.” He found the door covered by ivy and overgrown grass. “Here we go,” he opened the door and Brooke gasped.

“A wild English garden! It’s gorgeous!” She ran past him through the doors and soaked up every detail. The rainbow of purples, reds, greens, yellows and oranges were a sight to behold as the sun’s angle cast them in perfect light. “It’s beautiful,” she whispered reverently.

“No you’re beautiful Brooke,” he whispered in her ear and wrapped his arms around her body from behind. “So fucking beautiful. I ache for you,” his hands roamed up her hips and over her waist, not stopping until they were cupping her perfect breasts.

“Chase,” she moaned. “Yes.” Brooke knew she should be saying no to him. There was a very good reason to say no. But she couldn’t remember the reason at the moment, could barely remember to breathe as his hands found her nipples and his tongue played that sensitive spot behind her ear. She felt his hardness pressing against her ass and she wished they were somewhere, anywhere else naked so she could bend over feel him thrust into her from behind over and over and over again.

He twirled her around, his mouth eager for another taste of her. “Come here Brooke. Let me taste you.” He pushed her shirt up and her bra cups down and wrapped his tongue around the perfect pink tip of her breast. Her swift intake of air went straight to his cock and he ground against her.

“Chase.”

“I’ve got you sweetheart.”

His whisper caressed the skin between her breasts, torturing her as he switched to the other. “No. Chase,” she patted his shoulders. “I heard something.”

He chuckled. “Of course you did, this garden is practically a forest.”

“No, dammit. Someone is over there,” she pushed him away from her and pointed to the trees beyond the garden. “I saw the glint of a camera or a gun.”

“A gun Brooke? You watch too many movies.”

She tucked her shirt back in, glaring at him. “The guy who says that usually ends up shot first.”

He groaned at the flirty smirk on her kissable mouth and looked closer. He did hear rustling that was too careful to be wildlife and then he saw it. The glare Brooke saw was a camera lens. “Sonofabitch!” He grabbed her arm a little roughly and practically dragged her all the way to the house.

***

“It could have been paparazzi.”

Ethan shot Jackson a look that said are you kidding me. “If it was a tabloid photog they wouldn’t let something as insignificant as being caught stop them. Hell that would just encourage them.” He turned his gaze from the rolling grey clouds falling over Silver House and looked to his brothers. “This is personal.”

“Overreact much?” Jackson finished off his drink and stood. “People are always trying to get pictures of us, of Vance and of Silver House so what’s the big deal?”

They both took in the look on Chase’s face. “Shit Chase, you’re doing Brooke?” Ethan shook his head, disbelief evident.

He shook his head. “No but we were having a conversation that was…personal in nature. On film it could easily be misconstrued.” Both brothers nodded knowingly. “Besides they were on our property and it could have been Brooke out there alone,” he turned to Jackson, “or Galina. Look this could be some overzealous photographer or it could be a crazed stalker.”

The tense silence hung in the room as they thought about the stalker who broke into the house when they were children. They had come home from school one day and a wild eyed woman was cooking in the kitchen and telling them ‘mother made cookies’. When they politely reminded her their mothers were dead, she pulled a large kitchen knife and wouldn’t leave until the police showed up.

“I’ll get Cade on it.” Ethan said, referring to the private investigator retained by SE. He was the best and he would get to the bottom of this soon. Ethan said nothing else and abruptly left the room.

Chapter Four

Two days later Brooke and Chase had finished looking over the contract changes recommended by the lawyers. Well she had finished looking them over and Chase was still nibbling her ear, his arms a muscled rope around her middle. She’d tried—in vain—for the last few days to keep her distance. She knew that getting involved with him was bad for her heart and her future, and she tried, she really did, to stay away from him. But Chase was like his billionaire brothers and their billionaire friends. He didn’t just walk away when there was someone or something he wanted. He fought and he was relentless until the easiest course of action was surrender.

Brooke would not surrender to him. She’d lusted and longed for him for five long, painful, heartbreaking years and nothing. Not one heated glance or sexually tense moment, not even a little light flirtation with Jeanne the seventy year old receptionist even got. So she knew this was convenience. None of his socialites, models or actresses was available while he was at Silver House. She was. That thought made it easier to steel herself against his advances, his sweet masculine scent and that magic mouth. “This isn’t going to work Chase. You’re my boss.”

“I was your boss yesterday in the pantry. I was your boss last night in your bed, your shower. I was your boss this morning when you let your honey drip over my face and into my mouth.”

She flushed feverishly at his words. Damn that was hot! “That may be true,” she began.

“It is,” he cut her off. His voice less playful than it was a moment ago.

“Okay so I’m attracted you and my body doesn’t know any better. But Chase my mind does. So does my heart.”

“Since your body is already convinced, let me convince the rest of you. Let’s date and see how it goes.”

She crossed her arms and turned to face him. “And if it doesn’t go well, then what? Am I out of a job?”

His expression turned cloudy. “Is that what you’re worried about? You must think I’m some kind of ass if you think I’d fire you for breaking up with me.” Chase cupped her cheeks gently, eyes focused completely on her own. “If it doesn’t work out we obviously can’t work together. But I’ll move you to another department so you can keep your job.”

Brooke was seething. So he thought he could just displace her like a piece of inconvenient furniture. Of course he did, he barely thinks about you beyond fetching his coffee and making his dates. “So I’ll get demoted which means I’ll never move up in SE and no place will ever hire me. That’s your solution? I have to say Chase none of that is all that enticing.”

“So you’d be okay working for me even if we don’t work out?”

She nodded slowly. Would she be okay with that? “Yes.” I think. “But I think it’d be callous to have me make reservations for your dates and buy break up gifts for your girlfriends.”

Chase nodded. He could agree with that, even if it did make his life a bit more difficult. But he didn’t care, dammit. Everything he wanted at the moment was sitting a foot away from him with fiery green eyes, flushed cheeks and eyes glazed over with desire. For him. “Deal.” He smiled and leaned his weight onto her until he was cradled between her sweet spot, his lips on hers. After he kissed her silly he pulled back and looked at her gorgeous heart shaped face. “I’ll pick you up for our first date at eight.”

“Where are we going?”

He smiled at her breathless voice, pleased that he was the one to make her feel that way. “It’s a surprise. Wear a skirt.”