Page 49 of Playing with Forever
“You look stunning,” he said, but there it was again, in his voice.
“Thanks.” I slid my hand down his white dress shirt, feeling the heat of his chest beneath, and smiled up at him. “You’re not so bad yourself.”
Chase grinned and offered me his arm. “Let’s go.”
“Eager to get there?” I asked, slipping my hand into the crook of his arm as he escorted me down to the car. “You won’t know anybody and it’ll be pretty boring.”
“I’m eager to get there on time so we can leave early. And maybe I’m a little excited to show you off.” He followed that up with a sexy wink.
My breath felt as though it left my lungs in a whoosh at that compliment. “Leave early, huh?” I gave him a playful look. “Sounds like somebody’s making some real assumptions here.”
Chase cocked an eyebrow at me. “Should I not be?”
“Just don’t think you can take me for granted,” I teased.
“Trust me. I don’t.” Chase’s gaze was dark and serious.
My entire body warmed. Honestly, I dared any woman not to feel something for a man when he talked about them like that.
I was grateful for Chase’s steadying arm when we arrived at the venue. My gown was floor-length and I wasn’t used to wearing one, so I needed to hold my skirt up a bit and be careful walking in my heels.
Las Vegas never did anything halfway. Opulence was the name of the game. This ballroom was in our client’s casino at their resort, and everything was glittering and golden. Everyone else was dressed nicely as well. I received a lot of compliments on my dress, and Chase wasn’t shy about securing his arm around my waist like I belonged to him. And tonight, for a while, I felt like I did.
I was always quick to introduce him, although I never used the word ‘boyfriend’ since that wasn’t something the two of us had discussed—even if my stupid heart didn’t seem to be able to get the memo.
My coworkers all seemed delighted to meet Chase, and then I introduced him to my boss, who asked where Chase worked and they conversed for a few minutes.
“Glad to see Andrea’s dating up,” Jones said, because God forbid my boss, who clearly had no filter, not embarrass me.
“I’m the lucky one,” Chase replied easily, tugging me close to his side. “Andrea’s quite the catch.”
“She’s a real asset to the company,” Jones agreed, downing the last of what looked like bourbon in his glass. “The last guy she brought to one of our events was quite…disappointing. We all thought she could do better. Glad to see she’s figured that out.”
I inwardly winced as Jones finally moved on to someone else. “I amsosorry,” I muttered, and grabbed a glass of champagne from a passing tray. “My boss needs to brush up on his social cues.”
Chase chuckled. “He clearly cares, in his own way.”
I sipped my drink, the bubbles tickling the back of my throat. “He’s so used to being in charge that he thinks he can just say whatever he wants without repercussions.”
“Did everyone really not like Heath?” Chase asked, and I knew he was trying to gather more intel on my ex.
I groaned as we continued to mingle. “I did get the sense that they weren’t impressed with him, but nobody said anything to me while we were dating. I think Heath felt a little threatened that I was more successful in my job than he was in his. And this was when we were having problems in the bedroom so it just kind of compounded the issues between us, and his attitude toward me.”
“Everyone here seems to respect you,” Chase said of the co-workers he’d met. “And,” he added with a low chuckle that shivered right down my spine. “Quite a few of the men in this room are attracted to you. You chose a rather daring neckline, you know, and it’s hard not to notice what great breasts you have.” Chase’s gaze dropped down and I could feel myself flush.
I wanted to look good for you,I wanted to say, but I worried that would sound stupid, too intimate and personal. I didn’t want Chase to realize that I’d made the mistake of catching feelings for him and make anything awkward between us.
“Oh, wow.”
At the sound of the male voice, I turned and saw Brandon standing there. He smiled at me. He looked very nice, all cleaned up, but taking in his attire I could see the difference between a rented tux and a suit that had actually been made and measured just for the man who wore it. He looked like a cheap knockoff compared to Chase.
“You look beautiful,” Brandon said, issuing the compliment with a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. Like he was saying the words, but really didn’t approve of how sexy the dress actually was. “The color goes really well with your hair, very dramatic.”
“Thank you,” I said, feeling oddly uncomfortable with him.
“I’m Chase,” Chase said, introducing himself and offering his hand to Brandon, shaking it with confidence, a charming smile on his lips—though I was very aware of him assessing my co-worker. “Sorry, I feel like I’ve been introduced to a hundred people at this point. You are…?”
“I’m Brandon Smith. I work with Andrea.” Brandon smiled tightly. “Sorry, I’m a bit lost. I thought Andrea just had a sister?”
