Chapter 3 #2
He smiles as he tilts his head toward me. “You deserve better than a burger.” With a wink, he opens the door to his shiny black Maserati.
“Holy shit!” I gasp as I stare at the car. “This is—wow, a really nice car.”
“It was my one indulgence.” He grins.
I can barely afford my Buick Encore, and it was used.
I slide into the front seat, sinking into the soft leather.
The smell of his cologne fills the car, and I take a deep breath after he shuts my door.
My eyes stay transfixed on him as he climbs in the driver’s seat and starts the car.
A deep roar comes from the engine, and Tyler gives me a playful smirk. “I never get tired of that.”
I giggle as I watch him shift into drive. This is so exciting.
“Hold on,” he warns as he slams his foot on the gas, and we take off, wheels squealing as we exit the parking lot.
***
The restaurant is everything I imagined it would be. Elegant, classy, and way out of my price range. The food smells like heaven, though, and Tyler told me to order whatever I wanted.
He studies me from across the table, his radiant green eyes making my skin warm. “You have no idea how beautiful you are, do you?”
“That’s very nice of you to say.” I twist the wine glass around as I drop my gaze to the table.
He leans forward. “Leah, you are absolutely stunning.”
My throat goes dry. “Thank you,” I mumble. Determined to change the subject, I lift my head and meet his gaze. “So, how long have you been friends with Mr. Stone?”
He leans back in his chair with a sigh. “About six years. But I’m not interested in talking about Aaden.” He points his finger at me. “I wanna talk about you.”
“There’s not much to talk about.”
“I don’t believe that. You have a bit of an accent. Are you from here?” he asks.
“Yes. Well, Maryland, but yes, I’m a local. I just moved back. I went to college in San Francisco.”
“Really? What—”
“Tyler, what’s up, man?” Both of us turn our heads to look up at the man standing beside me. His dark eyes are intense as he stares down at me. “Who’s this pretty lady?”
“Chase, this is Leah,” Tyler says. His tone carries a hint of annoyance.
I watch Chase’s fluid movements as he takes my hand, lifts it to his lips, and presses a soft kiss to my knuckles. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Leah.”
“Oh. Uh. Thank you.” I smile.
Tyler clears his throat. “Leah, this is Chase Carter.”
“Chase Carter?” I repeat. “As in the CEO of Core Industries?”
Chase puts his hand over his heart and gives me a wide smile. “The lady has heard of me.”
Tyler folds his arms across his chest. “I’m sure your reputation is well known.”
Chase gives Tyler a sly grin. “So, how do you know my boy Tyler here?”
“I don’t really. I mean, we just met this morning. I work at Stone Investments, and Tyler was there on business.”
Chase glances at Tyler, a smirk on his face. “So, you know Aaden as well then?”
“Yes, he’s my boss. But I only started working there last week. I don’t really know him yet.” I squirm in my seat. I’m not comfortable talking about Aaden with his friends.
“Well, looks like both of my boys have been holding out on me,” he says.
My head begins to swim. This morning, before work, Aaden was the only hot guy who had been creeping into my thoughts, but now, there are suddenly two more?
How is this my life? I need to catch my breath.
I lay my napkin beside my plate and push away from the table.
“Will you excuse me for a minute? I need to go to the ladies’ room. ”
Tyler stands. “Of course.”
I rush off to find out where my sanity is going because this cannot be happening.
As I exit the ladies’ room, I come face to face with Chase. He grabs my shoulders before I slam into him. “Oh my God! I’m sorry.”
“No need to apologize. I was actually hoping to bump into you. Not literally, though.” He chuckles.
He sighs as he leans one shoulder against the wall in front of me.
His eyes give my body a once-over, which makes my stomach flip.
“I have to admit,” his low voice rumbles, “I’m a little jealous of Tyler right now. ”
My heart jumps into my throat. “Oh?”
“He got to meet you first before I had a chance.” His eyes settle on my lips, and heat creeps into my cheeks. “Is it serious with you two?”
“No,” I respond. “I mean, I just met him.”
He leans in a little closer. The spicy scent of his cologne hits my nose and sends a charge of heat to my panties. I find myself wishing he would touch me. “Does that mean you’ll have lunch with me tomorrow then?”
He’s standing close, and the thought of slamming my lips against his has me taking a step back. Control yourself, Leah. This is not you. I open my mouth to let him down, but my words betray me. “That would be nice.”
“Perfect, I’ll pick you up tomorrow. Noon?”
I nod, unable to say anything else. He takes my hand and kisses the back of it once again. I stand there in shock, watching as he smiles, then turns and leaves me standing in the hallway to the ladies' room. I think I might need to go back in and splash some water on my face.
Once I return to the table, Tyler and I order our meals.
We talk for what feels like hours about his business, California, and his apartment in New York that he uses when he wants a change of pace.
Conversation between us is easy, and once my nerves settle, I find that I really enjoy spending time with Tyler.
As we head out of the restaurant, he slips his hand into mine then gives the ticket to the valet.
“I can’t believe you trust anyone else to drive it,” I comment as we wait for the car.
“It’s just a car.” He turns to look at me, and in the dim light emitting from the restaurant, his green eyes sparkle. “I wouldn’t trust him with you.”
I try to hide my smile by looking away, but Tyler grabs my chin and turns my face back to his.
His eyes are dark and intense as he leans forward and presses his lips to mine.
His mouth parts and his soft tongue brushes against my lips before I open.
My body sizzles and comes alive. Now, I know I’m dreaming.
I pull away, breathing heavily as the car stops in front of us and the valet driver jumps out.
He walks around and hands Tyler the keys, whose eyes are still on me.
He wipes his bottom lip with his thumb. Luckily, the valet opens my door, and I manage to climb in, looking composed and relaxed even though I’m anything but.
My heart is pounding like a jackhammer, and my thoughts are racing a mile a minute.
Tyler climbs in, and without a word, we pull away from the restaurant. After a few awkward moments, he reaches over and lays his hand on my knee. “Should we head back to my place?”
I squeeze my eyes shut, knowing it would come to this. Every inch of my body is screaming yes! But my head is yelling too soon, too soon. His hand slides up my thigh, and I stiffen. My body wants him to continue, but my head and common-sense win.
“I think it would be better if you took me back to my car.”
The moment of silence between us feels like an eternity. “Are you sure?”
No. Yes. Ugh, I have no clue. I nod anyway. “I don’t want to rush things.”
“I get it,” he sighs and removes his hand from my thigh. “I just couldn’t help myself.” He glances at me with a crooked smile. “You make me hard by simply looking at you.”
My eyes fall to his lap, and sure enough, he’s sporting an impressive bulge. He gives me that dimpled grin when my eyes lift to his again. My face feels hot, and I know my skin must be a deep shade of red.
“Can we do this again soon?”
“Really soon.” He winks.
I bite the inside of my cheek as I turn to stare out the window.
Twenty minutes later, we arrive back at the parking lot of Stone Investments.
Tyler jumps out and runs around to open my door.
He walks me to my car, and as I’m searching for my keys, he turns to face me again.
Pushing me against my car, he presses his body against mine, making me gasp.
His lips are close enough that I can feel his breath.
“Are you sure I can’t take you home with me? ”
I sigh as I rest my forehead against his. “You have no idea how badly I want to say yes.”
His hand slides around to grip the back of my neck. “Then say yes.”
I open my mouth to respond, but he kisses me, a deep, hungry kiss that has me moaning into his mouth. No, Leah, not tonight. “We can’t,” I pant after breaking the kiss.
“Yes, we can.” His lips trail along my jaw, and I shiver with excitement. It’s been way too long since I’ve been this intimate with a man.
My rationality overrides my need, and I push against his chest, needing the space between us. “Tyler, we really need to stop. Please.”
He places his hands on the car, trapping me in between his arms. With a deep breath, he bows his head.
I sigh. “I just—I don’t know you. We met this morning. I’m not like that.”
He lifts his head to look at me. I thought I’d see rejection or maybe even anger, but instead, I see understanding and remorse.
“No, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t be pawing all over you like this.
You’re just so damn sexy, and the fact that you don’t realize it makes you even hotter.
” He cups my cheek. “I won’t pressure you, Leah. ”
With a soft press of his lips to mine, he opens my door, and I slip my hand into his as he helps me inside, then leans in. “Drive safe, beautiful. I’ll call you soon.”