Chapter Eight #2
And then it hits me—he’s not just amused.
His gaze has shifted, darkened, like he’s seeing me differently now.
There’s a definite hunger in it, the kind of heat that makes my pulse trip over itself.
For one suspended second, I forget about the champagne soaking my knees, the clatter of cutlery around me.
I’m frozen on the floor, staring up at him, breath caught, while he stares back like I’ve handed him all the power without realizing it.
It’s a pull, sharp and undeniable, like we’re locked into some invisible current.
My body hums, my skin prickling, the air charged between us.
My clit is undeniably throbbing as I kneel on the floor, staring up at him, my breath fast and frantic as Chase’s eyes bore into mine.
The way he’s looking at me right now, like he wants to devour me, like he wants to worship me, is making every inch of my body react in a way I never thought possible.
I swallow heavily, suddenly feeling as if he asked me to do anything for him right now, I would do it in a heartbeat.
“Please, Miss,” Sammy’s voice breaks through, firm but kind, breaking me from whatever hold Chase just had over me.
I snap my head to her, drawing in a breath I didn’t know I was holding.
She crouches beside me, plucking the napkin from my trembling hands with brisk efficiency.
“I’ll handle the cleaning. Please go back to your seat. ”
The spell snaps.
My breathing returns, rapidly, as I try to stumble to my feet like a milk-drunk calf.
I blink, my cheeks blazing, heart rattling like it’s trying to escape.
I mutter another breathless apology to Sammy and scramble back into my chair, still too aware of his eyes following me, burning hotter than the fire at our backs.
Sammy sweeps the mess away with practiced ease and slips off with a reassuring smile.
The second she’s gone, Chase finally leans forward, his voice low and thick with amusement.
“Well, Starlight…” he drawls, his gorgeous eyes glittering like the devil himself.
“If I’d known you’d end up on your knees for me this early, I’d have brought a bigger bottle. ”
Heat scorches my face. My brain flatlines, panic clawing for an escape hatch. And out tumbles the first thing I can think of to get us away from the topic of me and my knees. “Do you… do you actually own this place?”
Chase chuckles, low and easy. “No… no, nothing like that. But I come here a lot for work. The staff knows me well.”
I frown, trying to wrap my head around it. “So, you booked out an entire restaurant… just for me?”
His eyes catch mine, steady and certain, the warmth in his smile cutting through my confusion. “Yes, Lyri. I wanted us to talk without interruptions. To have dinner, in private.”
The words coil around me, making my pulse jump.
Too much, too intimate, too intense.
I grab my refilled champagne, thanks to Sammy, like it’s a lifeline, and drain the entire thing, without incident this time.
The cold fizz tickles my throat as I try to swallow my nerves.
When I finally lower the glass, he’s still watching me.
That smile. Those eyes. Like he’s got all the time in the world to wait me out.
My mouth moves before my brain can stop it. “You’re so weird.”
The corners of his mouth curve higher, unbothered. “You’re welcome, Starlight.”
I snort out a laugh. “You took that as a thank you?” He nods. “Well then, your nickname really suits you.”
“Hallmark?”
I grab the bottle of champagne, refilling my glass. “Yes, Hallmark.”
“I like keeping you on your toes. It’s fun to sit back and watch you squirm.”
“You’re an asshole,” I mumble under my breath, which only makes him chuckle.
“Even with my assholery, I’m glad you came.”
Carefully, I place my champagne glass on the table and sit back in my chair, trying to relax, but the butterflies swarm in my stomach.
He’s wearing a suit again. No tie. God, he looks good. His defined jaw, dark hair, and piercing eyes give him that model look. I’ve never known a man like him. He’s definitely nothing like the guys I’ve dated before.
Musicians don’t look like him—they’re rougher around the edges.
Chase’s suave, sophisticated, enigmatic. He seems like he has his head screwed on.
So, why the hell is he interested in me?
A boho florist, who is not exactly in his league of model-worthy women.
“I’m glad I came, too. Honestly, though, why all this expense for me? I don’t get it.”
He leans forward in his seat to be closer to me. “You don’t?”
I snort. Oh gosh, that was incredibly unladylike. “Ahh… no. I don’t.”
He reaches across the table, his fingers closing around mine.
The moment our skin meets, my heart rockets into my throat, breath catching as if the world has tilted.
Heat sparks beneath his touch, racing through me in a cascade of tiny fireworks until every nerve feels awake, alive, trembling on the edge of something I can’t name.
Chase has this impossible way of igniting me with so little.
A glance.
A brush of his hand.
And now—this.
I’ve never known anything like it.
The intensity, the certainty, the sheer electricity of him. It steals my words and leaves me staggering in wonder.
“You’re different, Lyri. You’re not like the women I’m used to.” Funny, that’s just what I was thinking about him. “And I want to get to know you. The real you.”
My eyes fall away from his. He noticed that, did he?
Chase’s thumb gently rubs across the back of my hand. It sets a fire burning inside of me again, so hot that it sends a wave of heat over my skin.
“You don’t have to hide from me, Lyri.”
My eyes slowly lift to his again. His face is stoic. Serious. He wants more than to be fuck buddies, I can tell.
He wants the real Lyric Griffin.
He’s into me.
It’s obvious.
I can try to deny it all I want, but by the way my body’s reacting to him, I’m totally into him too.
I need to let go.
Let it all go.
My past.
The hurt.
The anger.
The betrayal.
Chase is not Zane—he’s nothing like him. I can’t judge Chase based on something Zane did. I need to give Chase a chance.
His eyes gleam. “Your brain’s working overtime.” His hand comes up, swiping a stray piece of hair away from my face, his finger grazing the side of my cheek.
I relish in his touch. “You’ve given me a lot to think about.”
Chase drops his hand, sitting back in his chair, giving me some much-needed distance. Not because I need space, but because if he stays close to me like that, I might throw myself at him. And lunging at a guy across a table before the appetizer is even served is not a good look.
“Well, take your time. I’m not going anywhere, Lyri,” he offers.
A comfortable conversation falls over us as I observe the fire, the orange and yellow flames flickering against the dullness of its confines. It sends shadows dancing across the walls like little ballerinas. It’s beautiful and exceedingly relaxing.
“You seem calmer now, your mind more at ease.” His voice is low, gentle, as he gazes at me.
I glance back at him. “Yeah, I’m enjoying this. This place is… beautiful.”
He stares right at me, full of lust. I see it, the way his eyes wander over my body and face, making my insides turn to mush. “It’s stunning.”
Heat flames my cheeks. I can’t help but feel intoxicated by this man. I grab my champagne to try and break the moment. “You never got around to telling me more about your job?”
Chase sits back in his chair slowly, like he’s assessing the situation as if he’s trying to think about what to say. He’s calculating, taking the moment in, working out his next play, his next words.
It intrigues me.
“Well, as you know, I work for my father in the family business. A thankless job, really. Lots of time spent in the office doing paperwork, contracts, boring stuff like that. My best friend, Dax, works with me. Nothing of any interest, to be honest—”
“Wait, your best friend, Dax. This is the first I’m hearing about him,” I offer, wanting to know more.
Chase snorts out a laugh. “Because he’s a boring little shithead.”
I giggle. “Sounds like a great guy… but, let’s be serious, Chase. No more beating around the bush. What do you actually do? Accounting? Attorney?” I raise my brow. “Personal assistant?”
He smirks at the last one but sits back in his chair while he thinks it over.
Surely it can’t be that bad.
“My family’s business deals with clients who want to investigate their spouses. We’ve opened a new branch here in LA, and we have a manager, Soren, who’s running everything. Dad and I find the clients who need specialized investigative work.”
I sit back in my chair, letting out a long exhale. “Like… detectives?”
He shrugs. “Kind of. Wives hire our female staff to put their husbands in compromising positions, and then our photographers are there to catch them in the act.”
I open my eyes wide. “Catch their husbands cheating?”
“Close enough, yeah.”
I let out a long breath. “Wow! That’s some next-level shit right there. No wonder you didn’t want to tell me.”
He tenses. “Does this change things?”
I smile. “You working for detectives? Hell, no! This is the coolest thing I think I’ve ever heard.”
His smile falters slightly as he shakes his head. “You can’t tell anyone, though.”
I make a motion of zipping my lips. And he exhales like a weight has been lifted, but there’s still a heaviness surrounding his eyes.
“Let’s talk about you.” His eyes narrow in on me. “You look goddamn amazing in yellow.” His brows wiggle suggestively.
A slow smile spreads across my face. “Thank you, Aria.”
His face scrunches, confused. “Sorry… what?”
I open my eyes wide, realizing I’ve said that out loud. “I mean, think we should order?”
His brows draw together like he’s not convinced, but then he signals to a hovering waitress.
I smile as she comes over, but her eyes don’t even acknowledge me. This woman has been focused squarely on Chase.