Page 64 of Eye Candy

“Summer? I believe this is yours.” My champagne taster was holding out the glove I had discarded. He was an affable and well-dressed white man. Setting boundaries with audience interaction was challenging, so I typically chose people based on how biddable they seemed rather than to make their friends jealous. Fortunately, Chase’s friend had proven to be an excellent scenepartner; he played along with the act and never got handsy or tried to turn the scene into something it wasn’t.

“If you’re interested, I’d love to take you out for a drink sometime. Maybe from a glass this time?—”

Chase appeared behind him. “Cut it out, Rob, you know she’s with me.”

He said it like it was the most obvious, natural thing in the world. She’s with me. My inner voice screamed,toxic masculinity! Possessive nonsense!but my clitoris was screaming too, and it was louder.

I wanted this man.

As if he could read my thoughts, Chase offered his hand. “You made your point, Caroline. Will you come with me?”

I was done with the party and exhausted from all the roles I’d been playing. In the face of Chase’s unyielding hold on me, I succumbed, intertwining my fingers with his.

“Where are we going?” I asked as he led me from the room.

“Somewhere with less Rob.”

Back in theroom I’d claimed as mine, someone had lit the fireplace. The room enveloped us in its warm embrace, which made me think of cedar and old money. The fire crackled, casting a warm glow across the room, and nestled before the hearth was an almost comically overstuffed armchair on a plush fur rug.

Much to my surprise, the dress Chase had bought me hung on the door in a dry-cleaning bag, all remnants of champagne gone. Jessica must have given it to housekeeping. But now wasn’t the time to marvel at the modern wonders of dry-cleaning—I couldn’t take my eyes off Chase.

He hadn’t said a word since we left the ballroom.

As he crossed to the elegant gold drinks cart, I dragged theplush chair back from the fire so I wouldn’t melt like one of Lyssa’s crayons, and settled in it. Chase sipped his wine without bothering to unlock the bouquet, but I swirled and sniffed like a proper fancy pants.

“I want to apologize for earlier,” Chase said. He was leaning against the wall, his expression unreadable. “I didn’t express myself well.”

“But you were right. I know what I did was wrong, and I’m sorry. I just… didn’t like being confronted with it. You weren’t seeing the whole picture.”

He nodded and took another mouthful of wine. The flickering firelight and the gentle crackle of the logs kindled a sense of intimacy that was hard to resist. And I didn’t want to.

“Do you believe me now?” I murmured, my voice husky.

His eyes were locked on my leg, in particular the place where the fabric split, showing my thick thighs. Leisurely, I stretched one leg over the round arm of the chair. Chase’s eyes followed the movement.

“About what?”

“I wasn’t pretending to want you, Chase.”

His eyes darkened and I wet my lips.

“Prove it,” he said.

“What?”

What did he think the whole show downstairs had been about? I opened my mouth, but when he shook his head, I closed it again.

“Prove it for me. No Summer, no Teddy, no performances. Show me you want me, Caroline. Only me.”

“I do.”

“Then show me.” He sat down on the edge of the bed, his wineglass swinging loosely from his fingertips and his expectant eyes locked on me. “Come on, Floss. I know you’re not shy. Show me.”

My blood surged through my veins like a wild current. Desirelicked at me, heat suffusing my skin. It wasn’t the fire. It was him. His eyes, his gruff instruction, his demanding gaze. Sweet Chase and all his contradictions.

Under his watchful eye, I threw my other knee over the other arm of the chair, holding my legs wide open for him. The silk of my borrowed gown spilled down between my spread thighs, protecting my modesty.

“Don’t be coy now, Caroline. Show me if your pussy is wet.”

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