Only Pleasure(11)

They stepped inside, Chase's narrowed gaze raking over the small foyer and luxurious living room that opened out onto a balcony overlooking one of the larger parks.

"I've been looking for another place," she said, feeling his gaze on her.

"What's wrong with this?"

The apartment was too large for one person. She'd known this for years, but had held on to it anyway. It had been awarded to her in the divorce agreement. With the bank of windows that looked out on the park, the large rooms, and the spacious layout, the penthouse would be easy to resell.

She turned to him, staring up at him. "I could fix some coffee. There's wine."

He could stay the night. He could curl in that large lonely bed with her that she never slept in and hold the cold at bay.

His expression was brooding as he stared down at her, and she knew the answer that was coming.

"But I'm certain you need to get home." She moved away from him, allowed the warmth of his coat to fall from her shoulders and handed it back to him. Reluctantly.

He took the coat slowly, glanced at it, then with his free hand touched her cheek.

"Are you going to be okay?" he asked.

No, she wasn't. She was going to curl up on the couch, and she was going to try to remember the comfort of his arms holding her, perhaps try to convince herself he was still there with her.

"I'm fine." She smiled back at him, aching inside, wondering why it was so hard not to beg him to stay.

He nodded slowly, his fingertips sliding over her cheek before his hand dropped, taking the warmth with him.

"You're an incredible woman, Kia Rutherford," he told her.

"Not hardly," she whispered as he left the apartment, closing the door behind him.

She stared around the open, too large rooms before walking to the glass doors that led to the balcony. Opening them, she stepped out, shivering at the chill in the air, watching as the snowflakes created a curtain of white before her.

"Not hardly, Chase," she whispered into the night. "Unless we count incredibly stupid."

She sighed as she wrapped her arms around herself and rubbed at them, unwilling to step back inside just yet. Here she felt cocooned in the icy wind and the snow falling and she wondered if she could freeze out the suddenly bleak darkness surrounding her.

She had thought one night with Chase would ease the loneliness. She hadn't expected it to only make it worse.

Turning, she reentered the apartment, closing the doors behind her as she reached back to slide the zipper of the dress below her hips.

The phone rang on the table in the foyer. Picking up the cordless headset she stared at the number displayed and shook her head. Drew's cell phone. She had no desire to talk to him tonight. Or this morning. Why destroy the memories she wanted to wrap around her by allowing that intrusion? She placed the phone back in the cradle and moved into the bedroom.

Stepping out of the gown she laid it over the bottom of the bed and slid her shoes from her feet. She rolled the silk stockings from her legs as the phone continued to ring, and after tossing them to the bed with the dress she took off her bra.

She had forgotten her panties. She tried to smile at the thought, but a tear whispered down her cheek instead.

Unpinning her hair, she dropped the diamond-tipped pins to her dressing table and moved to the bathroom. Adjusting the water in the large Jacuzzi garden tub, she waited for it to fill the bottom as she stared into the steamy heat.

The night had ended too soon.



Chase settled himself back into Khalid's limo as his friend gave the chauffeur the order to drive to the building Chase and Cameron had made their home. The snow was falling harder now, blowing colder, and the chill seemed to have followed him into the vehicle.

"She's a beautiful woman," Khalid murmured. "Gracious and proud. There are not many of those left, my friend."

Chase propped his arm on the rolled leather edge of the bar's counter that stretched behind the driver's seat and stared back at the other man broodingly.

Khalid was nursing a drink, slouched back against the other, shorter seat, his gaze still heavy-lidded with a surfeit of sexual satisfaction.

Six hours. They had driven around in the snow for six fucking hours.

"The chauffeur needs to stop for petrol before we continue into Squire Point," Khalid told him. "We're running on fumes."

Chase nodded. "I can get a cab."

"Let the old man pay for the gas," Khalid said, waving the offer away. "It's the least he can do for allowing his father to steal me those many years ago." His lips turned up in a semblance of mockery. "There isn't enough petrol in the world to make up for that bastard's crimes, I believe. But we weren't discussing petrol or myself. We were discussing Ms. Rutherford."