Chase (Resisting Love #1)(31)

I slip outside the door and find my first problem. Chase is sleeping on the floor outside my door. Either he knew I was going to do a runner or he was just worried about me. He looks so young like this, black locks falling on his face. He looks so hot with the stubble too, damn him. And that dimple. I’m gonna miss that damn dimple. I sneakily step around him, my bag on my back, and tip toe to the front door.

Before I can exit something occurs to me. Is Chase not in his bed because someone else is? New mission accepted. I head to his room and peak inside. The bed is empty.

I turn from his room and come face first into a hard chest. Looking up into curious blue eyes, I thank my lucky stars it’s the easiest going of the group. I wrap my arms around him and watch his eyebrows rise and his eyes widen. He takes in my attire causing his lips to twitch.

“James,” I whisper, “I’m going to Nikki’s, I just need some time alone, away from him.”

James puts his arms around me and sighs. He leads me outside to my car. “What happened last night Layla?”

I jump in my car and he gets in the passenger side.

“Short story is. I came home early, you guys were having your orgy, I see a girl on Chase’s lap and there was a girl in his bed.”

“Aubrey.” James whispers to himself.

“Who is she?” I demand. James plays with his lip ring, and avoids my question. “Oh and Chase is friends with my cousin, Ryder, who is not happy we were together,” I sigh dramatically.

“He’s going to kill me if I just let you drive away, you know. Last night he came storming out of your room, and kicked everyone out. Aubrey included. That was a first, that’s for sure. He and Ryder had a long ass chat, Ryder said he will be back to talk with you tomorrow.” He sighs, “Come home tonight Princess, don’t let him kick you out of your own house.” He gets out of the car, and makes his way back inside, as I’m pulling away from the house.

I decide to check into a hotel, paying with my emergency credit card. If this wasn’t an emergency, I don’t know what was. I text Nikki and let her know what’s going on, avoiding all of Chase’s numerous texts and calls. I have a shit load of calls and messages from Ryder too. I reply to him and let him know I’m perfectly fine.





Chapter Seventeen


An hour later I’m sitting in bed, surrounded by various orders of room service. I randomly decide to google Chase Jackson. I’m surprised when various articles and pictures pop up; Chase with a man, I assume is his father, and Chase with various women of all ages, at rich people functions. I click on a popular article and read through it. One line catches my eye and my eyes must have popped from my head. It says, ‘Chase Jackson, the only child of Wayne Jackson, CEO of Jackson Enterprises, has hired popular Vegas showgirl, Aubrey Belle, to headline at his popular strip club ‘Heat.’ There was so many things wrong with that sentence. First of all, he owned a strip club? Since when? Aubrey was a Vegas showgirl? I read a text from Chase.



C: I’m giving you a couple hours then I’m coming to get you. Enjoy your hotel stay.



Smug bastard. I forgot about his phone tracking abilities. I text back.



L: don’t bother. I’m sure your showgirls and strippers will keep you busy.



C: I’m coming now.



I contemplate running, but what’s the point. This confrontation is going to happen at some time. He arrives twenty minutes later, making me think he was lurking nearby because this hotel is at least an hour away from the house. He knocks lightly on the door and I open it and stare at him. He looks like hell, and I know it makes me a bad person, but I feel slightly satisfied that he does. His hair is not fashionably messy like it usually is, it just looks messy. He looks tired, exhausted even. I gesture for him to enter. He takes a quick look around the room and sees my laptop open to the google search of him; he grimaces as he sees it, and then sits on my bed.

“Just let me talk, Layla, okay? Just listen before you say anything.” I nod, I can give him that.

“I haven’t lied to you. I am an architect; I do own my own business. I decided to expand so I designed and built my own club. I decided to make it a strip club after the profits weren’t as much as I had hoped. I hardly ever go there anymore; I have people to do all the work for me. As for Aubrey, she was a famous showgirl in Vegas, and I brought her down to perform at Heat. We dated for a while. Almost a year, then we broke up. That was over a year ago. Now we are strictly friends. And about Ryder, he and I were friends, and yes I saw you at his house one time. I couldn’t explain it; I was just drawn to you. You were so beautiful, graceful and I couldn’t take my eyes off you. Ryder noticed and told me to stay away, which I agreed. Until I saw you at the club, and I knew it was our time.”

I almost laugh at how nonchalant he makes it sound.

“Do I still have a place to live?” I ask abruptly.

He looks shocked, then angry. “Of course you have a place to stay. No matter what. Fuck, Layla, I’m not an *.”

I’m pretty sure evidence is saying otherwise.

“What about James and Kade? That article says you were the only son of Wayne Jackson. You told me you were brothers.”

“We are. My dad had an affair with my mom. Resulted in me. Later on she married and had James and Kade. We are brothers, just different fathers.”