Page 36 of Degrees of Innocence
He looks at me with amusement. “Everything?”
“Well, aside from all this,” I gesture with my hands…“I took the liberty of jumping into the shower and all my brands were on the shelf, not to mention a new toothbrush and robe. Oh, and not to forget the great tuck-in service. You just seem to think of everything.”
His eyes are alight and his jaw quirks. “You think something as simple as making sure your brands are available is thinking of everything? Katarina, I have a difficult time thinking about shampoo and soap being things that please you.”
“I love that you think of the little things. It makes me feel special,” I reply.
“You’re so refreshing, Katarina. You find my lifestyle and possessions overwhelming and love that I buy you shampoo. I am definitely a little out of my league here,” he says grinning.
“I absolutely love that you notice what types of shampoo and conditioner that I use and care how I feel in the bedroom. It’s something I’ve never had, Chase.”
“Baby, it still amazes me,” he says, kissing my lips gently. The water is refreshing and we spend time talking about some of his business ventures in Aruba and different countries around the world. He glances at his cell phone and scowls before tapping out a response.
“What’s the matter, Chase?”
He shakes his head. Just a little situation with one of our business deals. It’s not moving as quickly as we would like and I may need to travel to get it resolved,” he says.
“Don’t you like to travel?” I ask.
“Actually, I do, but would prefer it be for pleasure. Brian typically travels for the business more than I do. Once negotiations are finalized he’s more hands-on and in charge of developing structures and resources to support operations in the facilities,” he says.
“Unlike the Prestian Medical facility venture, in which you seem to be very hands-on,” I say.
His mouth turns up in a quirk attempting to hide his amusement. “This particular one requires my personal attention on many levels. In fact, why don’t you relax, dry off under the cabana and I’ll get the salads and wine. They’ve stocked the refrigerator with grilled chicken, vegetarian, and seafood salads for dinner. Do you have a preference?” he asks.
“They all sound delicious, but the grilled chicken sounds good tonight,” I say as he heads to the kitchen. Left to my own thoughts Mark’s callousness comes back to me, and I wonder if soon I will be the laughing stock of the industry. I ponder briefly if this is the way my mother felt when she was dating her boss years ago. Chase has come to mean too much to me, far too quickly, and I know I can’t possibly give him up simply because I work for him, but can’t help dwell on what that choice cost my mother so many years ago.
We watch the sunset, as we enjoy the grilled chicken salads that are accompanied with an orange vinaigrette dressing and a glass of white wine. The view is just as magnificent as promised with bursts of fiery orange streaks of color, merged with the blue and purplish hues that shimmer on the horizon. We watch as the great orange ball that is the sun, seemingly so near, descends and continues to reflect off the ocean from our seats on the Caribbean.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
I know I should tell himabout my past and about what transpired with Mark. He’s a good man and has a right to know why I ran off and why it’s so hard to trust.It’s now or never.“There’s something we should talk about, Chase.”
“What’s that Katarina?” he asks, taking a sip of his wine.
“I told you that I haven’t dated much, but there’s more to it than what I’ve shared. You asked me why I have issues with dating someone that I work with, so I should probably tell you,” I say pausing, wondering if it’s too soon.
“I’d like to hear that very much,” he says.
“My father wasn’t a part of my life growing up and my mom fell in love with someone she worked with when I was a young teenager. While I can’t remember all the details, the ones of her crying herself to sleep after it ended have stayed with me over the years. We had to relocate shortly after that and I vowed never to let that happen to me… but, I find myself not wanting to give up what we have,” I say, watching his expression for some clue as to what he’s thinking.
He lifts my chin and captures my eyes with his own. “Katarina, I won’t let you walk away from this. We are both consenting adults and your professional career is not in jeopardy as a result of our relationship, either now or in the future.”
“It’s not that easy. My career is already in jeopardy. There’s more that I haven’t told you, but I’m scared that if you know, you’ll react rashly and make it worse,” I say hesitantly, gauging his response.
“What is it you are not telling me, Katarina?” I try to avert my gaze, but to no avail. “Tell me, Baby,” he urges.
“Thursday you left the conference and I stayed to finish some work. I walked down to the restrooms after I got done and Mark was in the lounge. I stopped to say hello in hopes of getting back on the right foot. He was on the phone and I overheard a conversation he was having,” I explain.
The firm set of his jaw and darkening of his eyes is intense.Maybe I shouldn’t tell him what he said… “What did he say to you, Katarina?”Too late…
“What did that man say to make you so distraught, Katarina?” he asks again as I hesitate.
“It was vulgar. He had been drinking and said something like,‘should’ve seen the bitch today, she clearly has Prestian by the balls. Fucking him hard, too.’”
“Dammit!” he explodes. The anger on his face is palpable and the glint in his eyes is unmistakable. “Why didn’t you tell me?” he asks.
“Because I don’t want you to make it worse,” I say.
