took them. I’m asking why you paid them for sex!” The words spill softly from my lips to ensure none of the other patrons can hear.
Chase grins and takes a swallow of his wine. He leans close to my ear. “I didn’t, nor would I ever, pay for sex. I paid for the escort. The sex was completely their choice, optional on their part.” His lips drag along my ear as I hear him inhale deeply then groan before sitting back upright.
Oh thank God! I almost believed he was paying prostitutes, which seems just as ridiculous as his need to hire an escort. Any woman would want to date him. He could literally walk up to a woman sitting alone in the bar and she’d fall all over herself to entertain him. What do you care? You’re bailing on him anyway. I adjust my shoulders readying myself to cut and run.
He brings his hand to smooth down the length of my back. The simple caress is relaxing and I’m still no closer to telling him I can’t see him. My mind races to come up with a way to manage both my job and him. Is it possible?
“Your turn. Where did you grow up?” His hand trails along my spine in flourishing sweeps, almost as if he’s coating my lust like an artist with a paintbrush.
“I grew up in Northern California. Sacramento and the surrounding cities, mostly. Went to Sacramento State, got my degree in Business Administration with a focus in Marketing a little over two years ago. Moved to the Bay Area just out of college and was hired on by the Foundation right away. Been in fundraising ever since.”
“Wow, that was the abridged version. Do you have the spiel memorized?” He laughs.
“I don’t like talking about myself. Where did you grow up?”
His smile fades. “I lived most of my life with my Uncle and four cousins in Beverly Hills. I lived in Boston during my days at Harvard.”
I’m certain my eyebrows are reaching for the sky. He’s an Ivy League boy. What the hell is he doing here with me?
“Before I finished at Harvard, I’d amassed my own small fortune investing in broken, bankrupt firms that cost me next to nothing. My uncle helped, bankrolling my first acquisition. Then I built each company up from the ashes and made them profitable again. After doing that a dozen times, I built my own company and slowly my empire.” He’s proud of his achievements but doesn’t come off too smug.
“A Phoenix rising from the ashes.”
His surprised eyes meet mine. He’s clearly delighted and wickedly handsome when he’s happy.
“Exactly.” He nods and smiles.
“Why did you create the Safe Haven Foundation?” It makes no sense why he would create a foundation when it’s obvious he’s in the business of making money, not giving it away.
“I saw a need. I had the capital, and it was important to me.” He shrugs and looks away for the first time this evening. He swirls his wine, then refills his glass and mine with the remaining crimson liquid. I can tell he doesn’t want to go into additional detail. “Tell me about your family, your parents?”
I go cold. The hairs on my forearms rise. “My Mother passed away from cancer a few years back. I don’t really know much about my Father. He was never around. Once in a while he’d send Mom money to help out, but I’ve only seen him a handful of times. Last I heard, he was working construction for a company that traveled from site to site around the nation. I’m an only child. My parents didn’t have siblings, so I don’t have extended family either.”
He looks at me to gauge my emotions. “I’m sorry.” His hand covers mine and he brings it to his lips and kisses it. It’s an old fashioned gesture for a man so young. It almost lets me forget why I’m here. A deep ache settles into my gut and sets it churning the wine there. I pull my hand away and prepare to stop this pseudo date right here. I have to tell him that we can’t continue to see each other.
Behind me, a sultry voice calls Chase’s name. “Mr. Davis! Fancy seeing
Chase grins and takes a swallow of his wine. He leans close to my ear. “I didn’t, nor would I ever, pay for sex. I paid for the escort. The sex was completely their choice, optional on their part.” His lips drag along my ear as I hear him inhale deeply then groan before sitting back upright.
Oh thank God! I almost believed he was paying prostitutes, which seems just as ridiculous as his need to hire an escort. Any woman would want to date him. He could literally walk up to a woman sitting alone in the bar and she’d fall all over herself to entertain him. What do you care? You’re bailing on him anyway. I adjust my shoulders readying myself to cut and run.
He brings his hand to smooth down the length of my back. The simple caress is relaxing and I’m still no closer to telling him I can’t see him. My mind races to come up with a way to manage both my job and him. Is it possible?
“Your turn. Where did you grow up?” His hand trails along my spine in flourishing sweeps, almost as if he’s coating my lust like an artist with a paintbrush.
“I grew up in Northern California. Sacramento and the surrounding cities, mostly. Went to Sacramento State, got my degree in Business Administration with a focus in Marketing a little over two years ago. Moved to the Bay Area just out of college and was hired on by the Foundation right away. Been in fundraising ever since.”
“Wow, that was the abridged version. Do you have the spiel memorized?” He laughs.
“I don’t like talking about myself. Where did you grow up?”
His smile fades. “I lived most of my life with my Uncle and four cousins in Beverly Hills. I lived in Boston during my days at Harvard.”
I’m certain my eyebrows are reaching for the sky. He’s an Ivy League boy. What the hell is he doing here with me?
“Before I finished at Harvard, I’d amassed my own small fortune investing in broken, bankrupt firms that cost me next to nothing. My uncle helped, bankrolling my first acquisition. Then I built each company up from the ashes and made them profitable again. After doing that a dozen times, I built my own company and slowly my empire.” He’s proud of his achievements but doesn’t come off too smug.
“A Phoenix rising from the ashes.”
His surprised eyes meet mine. He’s clearly delighted and wickedly handsome when he’s happy.
“Exactly.” He nods and smiles.
“Why did you create the Safe Haven Foundation?” It makes no sense why he would create a foundation when it’s obvious he’s in the business of making money, not giving it away.
“I saw a need. I had the capital, and it was important to me.” He shrugs and looks away for the first time this evening. He swirls his wine, then refills his glass and mine with the remaining crimson liquid. I can tell he doesn’t want to go into additional detail. “Tell me about your family, your parents?”
I go cold. The hairs on my forearms rise. “My Mother passed away from cancer a few years back. I don’t really know much about my Father. He was never around. Once in a while he’d send Mom money to help out, but I’ve only seen him a handful of times. Last I heard, he was working construction for a company that traveled from site to site around the nation. I’m an only child. My parents didn’t have siblings, so I don’t have extended family either.”
He looks at me to gauge my emotions. “I’m sorry.” His hand covers mine and he brings it to his lips and kisses it. It’s an old fashioned gesture for a man so young. It almost lets me forget why I’m here. A deep ache settles into my gut and sets it churning the wine there. I pull my hand away and prepare to stop this pseudo date right here. I have to tell him that we can’t continue to see each other.
Behind me, a sultry voice calls Chase’s name. “Mr. Davis! Fancy seeing
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