Chapter 36
thirty-six
Chase sets his keys on the kitchen counter and gestures to one of the barstools. “Have a seat.”
I have full intentions of doing exactly what he says, but I stop short when the sight of something small, green, and decorated with tiny candy canes stares back at me on the countertop. A miniature Christmas tree—probably only two feet tall—sits like an unsuspecting houseplant.
“Chardonnay?” Chase asks over his shoulder as he reaches for a bottle tucked away somewhere.
“You got a Christmas tree.”
“What?” he asks, turning to face me with a bottle of my favorite wine in his hand.
I look from the tiny tree to him. “You got a Christmas tree,” I say again.
“Oh.” Chase sets the bottle on the counter gently as he looks from me to the tree. “Yeah. I did.”
“I was here four days ago, giving you a hard time for not having any decorations.”
“You were.”
“And now you have this tiny Christmas tree. ”
“I do, and it’s already left pine needles all over the place. Do you see this?” He walks over and lifts the tree with one hand to reveal a mess of needles underneath. “I hope you’re happy,” he adds with a weak smile.
My lips twist, but it’s impossible to fight my smile. He went out and got a tiny tree for me? “I am,” I say, nodding toward the bottle he set down. “You have the wine I like, too.”
Chase sets down the tree and goes back to opening the bottle. “It came with the tree. They called it the Candace Special.”
I laugh. “That was convenient.”
His lips lift. “It was.” He gets two empty glasses from the cabinet and sets them in front of us. “Especially since I had no idea you’d ever be back here. It definitely wasn’t planned.”
A slow smile pulls at my lips as I take a glass from him. “Of course not. You wouldn’t try to seduce me with wine and an adorably short Christmas tree.”
Chase clinks his glass with mine. “I would do no such thing.”
I let out another light laugh before taking a sip. “Despicable.”
Chase grins and leans his elbows on the counter across from me. “Well, we survived the Christmas party.” He pulls out his phone, staring at the screen for a moment before he turns it face down on the counter.
“Did someone realize you left?”
He blows out a breath before saying, “Yeah. She isn’t very happy with me.”
I sit up straight. “We can go back if you need to. Or you can go back on your own if having me there wasn’t helpful.”
He nods toward me. “Drink your wine, Candace. Neither of us are going back to that party.” He rubs a hand over his face. “She’s just upset that I won’t be there to accept their little plaque for signing the most accounts this year. ”
I clap a hand over my mouth. “I totally forgot that guy mentioned you were getting an award!”
He chuckles. “Calling it an award is generous. It’s not a big deal. She’ll just have to accept it on my behalf and put it in my office, which she finds . . .” He turns his phone over. “Disrespectful and embarrassing.”
I put a hand on my chest. “Oh, that poor woman.”
Chase shakes his head with a beautifully relaxed smile. “She’ll manage.”
I tilt my head, my curiosity getting the best of me. “Has anything ever happened between you two?”
His eyes stay fixed on his glass as he swirls its content. “The short answer is no, but that’s not for her lack of trying.” He points a finger at me. “She did land a kiss on me at last year’s party. But other than that, she just sends ridiculous emails or calls me late at night, claiming it’s about work when it’s not.”
“Okay.” I nod and hope the relief I feel isn’t too obvious. “Ridiculous emails?” My voice comes out small when I ask. I’m not sure how much he’s comfortable telling me.
Chase rolls his shoulders before rubbing the back of his neck. “She likes to comment on how I look and what I’m wearing. Sometimes she asks me to wear certain shirts she knows I own, or to button them a certain way.”
By button, I can’t help but wonder if he really means unbutton. A frown pulls at my lips as I study him, but before I can say more, he continues.
With a shake of his head, he adds, “But nothing physical. I would never sleep with someone I work with, and I’ve told her that. That’s a good way to make things awkward and . . .” His eyes lock with mine. “Messy.”
I smile at his use of the word. “Avoiding messes is good.”
“I know. That’s why I’m standing over here,” he says before holding up a finger and walking to the furthest corner of the kitchen, where he leans his back against the cabinets. “Actually, this is probably safer.”
Laughter tumbles out of me, and I try not to think about how good he looks, gripping the edge of the counter with one hand while he holds a glass of wine in the other. “You haven’t been that far from me all night. What’s different now?” As soon as the words are out, I swallow down the fear of him being done with our agreement. The Christmas party is over. He was able to use me to put Nicolette in her place. Maybe this is his playful way of making sure nothing else happens between us. Sure, he invited me back here, but that might be because he feels bad that I just got berated in front of a room full of people. It doesn’t mean he wants anything more. He might not even want another kiss. My heart sinks, but I guess there would be no need for it now. We’ve done everything we’ve agreed to do.
“The difference now is that I know you aren’t wearing anything under that dress, and if you think I’ve stopped thinking about it for a single second, you’d be severely overestimating my self-control.” His eyes trail over me. “And you’re still wearing my jacket, which somehow makes you look small and innocent even though you’re not wearing any panties, and the whole thing . . .” He shakes his head. “I’ve never wanted to mess you up more.”
My entire body stills, and heat flushes to the surface of my skin. “That’s why you’re standing over there?” I ask quietly.
“That’s why I’m standing over here.”
I hold his gaze. Everything I’ve learned about him over the past few weeks has made me like him more. I like him too much to casually sleep with him, and I like him too much to not sleep with him. The thought of never being with him is already heartbreaking. The thought of tonight being the last time I’m sitting in his kitchen, watching him drink wine has me missing what’s right in front of me. At this point, the damage is done, and I don’t want to miss a single opportunity this night gives me. Getting to my feet, I make my way toward him. “Because you’re afraid I’ll say Jack Frost?”
He tracks my every movement. “Terrified.”
When I reach him, I’m careful to leave some space between us. “Want to know something?”
His eyes dip to my mouth for a fraction of a second before meeting my stare again. “When it comes to you, I want to know everything.”
My lips pull into a smile as I set my glass down and reach for his tie. My fingers slide over the silk-like fabric as I delicately loosen it. “I won’t.”
He doesn’t move. He just watches me as I undo his tie and place it neatly on the counter next to him. “Two days ago, you said you would.”
My fingers work to undo the buttons of his dress shirt. “Two days ago, you were against getting a Christmas tree.” I shrug. “Things change.”
His eyes stay steady on mine, but the hunger in them is unmistakable.
With the last of his buttons undone, I push up on my toes and press my lips to his. Chase’s body relaxes at my touch, and without hesitation, he takes control of the kiss. He sets down his glass and weaves his hands into my hair as he walks me backward through his apartment. I would have been happy to stay in the kitchen, but I let him lead. I’d let him do anything.