Tessa's Temptation(22)

"I thought you were going to get a quick shower."

"I am." He quickly stripped out of his clothes and entered the stall. "How was your evening?"

"Good," she said. "What about your trip?"

"It was uneventful but I had to go. I have to start the plans for  development and I wanted to make sure the client and I were on the same  page before I made the investment."

"Do you always buy the land or just this time?"

"Not all the time, but sometimes I'll start the ball rolling, especially  if I think the project will be a good investment in the long run. Other  times the client comes to me with the land and I just design the  structures."

"This is a sound investment?"

"Yes." He liked her curiosity. "It's going to be a classy downtown area  in an up and coming neighborhood. Business is booming in this community  and there is a proven need for these shops and restaurants."

"This is different for you. Not houses this time."

"You're paying attention." He let the hard spray of the shower jets hit  his back for a few minutes. "I'll show you the specs and let you see my  initial ideas if you'd like."

"Of course."

He heard the excitement in her voice. He didn't have to see to know she  was smiling and her head was swarming with tons of ideas. He'd  experienced her thought process when he'd helped her with some research  papers and again when he'd showed her some house plans he'd been working  on. She had a lot to learn but she had a knack and an interest in  design that couldn't be ignored. "We'll look them over later tonight.  After we've had a chance to eat and unwind."

"Do you want me to get you a drink or something to eat?"

"Not yet." He smiled when he thought about her wanting to take care of  him. "You didn't stay on campus last night?" He lathered the soap over  his body. "Plans fall apart?"

"I was going to meet up with Kelly from my political science class but  she got back with her boyfriend. I didn't want to be the third so I  bailed. I had to study anyway."

"Sorry."

He rinsed his hair under the stream of the showerhead. He hated to think  of her alone all night but he hadn't had the best night either. He'd  been forced to have dinner with Audra and the client and his wife. Audra  had made it a point to act sweet, like she and Chase were a couple or  something. She must have cornered the wife because after dinner they  went to the hotel bar for a drink and the woman kept telling him how  lucky he was to have such a brilliant, attractive and caring attorney in  his life.

"It wasn't a total wash." Tessa interrupted his unpleasant memories of the night before.

He was going to have to find a way to make Audra back off before things got out of hand.

"Tanner stopped by and had pizza with me."

"What did you just say?" He turned off the shower, convinced he had  misunderstood what she'd said. Opening the stall door, he reached for a  towel.

She stopped brushing her hair and turned to face him. "I said Tanner stopped by to check on me and we-"

"What the fuck, Tessa?" He wrapped the towel around his waist and  stepped out of the shower. Rage dominating any rational emotion. "Why  would he checkon you?"

"Tanner thought you might be upset but I told him I would let you know everything was cool."                       
       
           



       

"Cool?" Was she out of her mind? "That is definitely not cool. Have you  been texting him since that night you pulled your little stunt?"

He had made it very clear to Tanner that Tessa was never to be a  consideration. The thought of Tanner touching her made him want to get  in his car and go find him. It wouldn't be good. For either of them.

"No, this was the first time I talked to him since your company picnic."

He tried to keep his temper in check, but the more he thought about the  two of them spending time together the more enraged he became. He'd  warned Tanner that night. He'd specifically told him there would never  be a chance. Why would he come here weeks later? What was he up to?  "When were you going to tell me about this?"

"I'm telling you now," she challenged. "You don't need to make a big deal about it."

"You don't think so?"

"No, there's no reason to."

"Tanner came to my house when he knew I wasn't here. He's a guy. He  remembered how you treated him the last time he was here. Don't play  naive. You know what he wanted."

"I'm not going to discuss this any further." She walked out of the bathroom and through the bedroom.

"Don't you walk away from me." He followed close on her heels. "I'm not done."

She whirled around and glared at him. "Don't you tell me what to do."





Chapter Thirteen



How could they have had the most arousing sex Tess had ever experienced  ten minutes ago and now they were fighting over who she ate pizza with?  There was a possibility Chase would be upset about it but she didn't  think he'd flip out over it. The look in his eyes told her he wasn't  playing.

"We're going to settle this now," he said.

"You can be as alpha as you want to be when we're in there." She pointed  to the huge king sized bed. "But I won't let you tell me what to do or  dictate who I can be friends with."

"Did you honestly believe I would be okay with you and Tanner having pizza here?"

"You said I could have friends over."

"I meant girl friends!" he shouted. "And when did you and Tanner become friends? What the hell was he even doing here?"

"You told him I was here alone so he came to check on me. If you didn't  want him showing up here you shouldn't have told him you were worried  about me."

"I'll make sure that never happens again."

"Don't you dare take this out on him. You want to be mad? You can be mad at me. He wanted to leave but I invited him in."

"Why would you do that?"

"Because I didn't see anything wrong with it." Tanner was polite and  funny. He seemed totally okay with the act she'd pulled the night of the  picnic. There were no hard feelings. "We have a lot in common. He  shared his knowledge about architecture and what he's learning."

"I'm the architect. He's my intern. He needs to learn his place."

"What's the big deal? He stayed an hour." The evening was completely  uneventful. While Tess found Tanner easy to talk to, she didn't feel  much of a connection to him. And he seemed downright uncomfortable in  her company. Nervous and jumpy, but almost like he had to be there.

"Do you really need me to tell you what the God damned problem is?" He  moved toward her, but stopped when she stepped back. He wouldn't hurt  her, but he seemed too pissed off to be close to her. "Every time I  think about the two of you, I see you licking the chocolate from his  hand. I hear you giggling louder than you needed to right in my fucking  backyard. In front of my colleagues."

"You know why I did that." He was upset that night, but she thought they  had resolved the issue. It was a stupid move on her part but it finally  got Chase to admit he wanted her.

"It doesn't matter. It's not just Tanner. It's every waiter in every  restaurant. It's the hospital staff when we visit your dad. Guys can't  stop drooling over you. You are a walking wet dream. You're so fucking  beautiful that men can't help themselves."

"Chase, I don't do that on purpose." She had no idea he felt that way.  With the exception of that night with Tanner, she didn't do things to  intentionally provoke him or make him jealous.

"That's the only thing that makes it bearable when some stranger eyes  you up. You have no idea how tempting you are. You make men want to drop  at your feet." He ran his hand though his damp hair as he paced the  room. "Look what you've done to me."                       
       
           



       

"What does that mean?"

"The other night at the restaurant, before we came home and made love, I almost killed that waiter."

"I don't even remember what he looked like." That was the truth. The  only man she would ever want was wearing out the hardwood floor and  ranting like a lunatic. "What did he do?"

"When you went to the restroom, I pulled him aside and told him I  wouldn't tolerate the way he looked at you anymore. He was ridiculously  obvious and it was insulting. He got the message. He sent another waiter  over to settle the bill."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"I'm not pleased with the way I acted. I'm not accustomed to threatening  strangers." He stared out the bedroom window before turning and sitting  on the edge of the bed. "I can't play games. I won't play games with  you."