The VIP Room(136)

“Excuse me?” I offered, arching an eyebrow as I gazed upon the gorgeous woman before me.

The woman reached me much more quickly than I would have guessed she could in her battered condition. She stood in front of me for a long moment, her eyes drilling up into mine, and her jaw held firm as though in an act of defiance. Then, without warning, she reached forward and wrapped her arms around me, embracing me in a tight and almost painful hug.

I stood there, taken off guard and unsure of how to respond. The warmth of her body send bursts of electricity through my body, and I suddenly felt as though nothing in the world could go wrong. Without realizing it, I wrapped my own arms around her, reciprocating her tight embrace, and taking in the fullness of her scent. She smelled just as wonderful as she looked, and the primal nature of my bear threatened to emerge in that perfect moment.

“Thank you,” the woman murmured through tears I hadn’t realized she’d been crying. “Thank you, thank you. Whoever you are, thank you. I thought I was dead.”

I patted the woman on the back, then released her from my arms and she took a step backward. I offered her a hand and my best smile before speaking. “Chase,” I said. “And you’re welcome. I’m just glad I was there to help.”

The woman put her hand in mine, all but devastating my senses as her smooth skin electrified my mind with its touch. “I’m Andrea,” she said. “I don’t know how to begin to thank you. Honestly.”

I shook my head at her, smiling. “It was my pleasure, Andrea. Really. Right place, right time, is all.”

Andrea stared up at me, a smile forming behind her eyes. “Still,” she said, clearing her throat. “You at least have to let me buy you dinner. It’s the least I can do.”

I stared at her for a moment, realizing that her hand was still in mine, and nodded. There was no way I could turn this woman down, even if there were other, more pressing matters, to attend to. I released her hand and grabbed my wallet from my back pocket, fishing out one of my business cards and handing it to her. “Just call me when you get out of here,” I said. “I’ll look forward to it.”

Then, without another word, I backed away from Andrea and started toward the exit before she could read the card. Just as I rounded the corner, I heard her cry out in surprise, obviously recognizing my name.





Chapter 4





Andrea





“The Chase Hammer?” my mother asked, her eyes wide with surprise. “What’s he even doing in Boone? Isn’t his company based out of New York?”

“His parents had a place over on the Parkway,” my dad replied matter-of-factly. “He must finally be clearing out the place. That, or he’s using it as a vacation home.”

I just stared at the business card Chase had left me with, my eyes still wide with wonder. Whatever he was doing in Boone, whatever he’d come here to do, he’d taken the time to somehow find and rescue me. He’d saved my life, even if I didn’t know how, and I was more than baffled by it. Part of me wanted to call him immediately, set up a time and place for dinner, and dig into how everything unfolded. The other part of me - the saner part - wanted me to just leave it all alone. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t intimidated. In fact, just knowing that I had called him out, clung to, and slobbered all over him was enough to leave me sick with embarrassment.

He hugged you back, I kept reminding myself. Though, whether that was out of pity or genuine sincerity remained to be seen.

I stepped into the restroom and donned the clothes that my parents had grabbed from my apartment on the way to the hospital, taking small comfort in the feel of my jeans as I pulled them over my hips. They had taken the time to pack me a black camisole and blue-and-black checkered button-down shirt as well, so I climbed into them. The one thing my parents hadn’t thought to grab, however, was a pair of tennis shoes, so I slipped into my well-worn hiking boots once again. I had a new appreciation for the boots, honestly, after having experienced near-death alongside them. If anything, I’d be storing them up in my closet somewhere once they’d finally be worn to extinction, rather than just tossing them out. It’s important to keep mementos of near-death experiences, even if they do smell like dirt and sweat.

Fully dressed, I stepped out of the bathroom and fished my cell phone from the bag my parents had brought my clothes in. I quickly typed in the number on the business card, and hovered my finger over the SEND key.

“What are you doing?” my father snapped quickly, startling me in the process.

I arched an eyebrow at him. “Calling Chase? I told him I would when I got out of here, and I’ve just been discharged. So…”

“Absolutely not!” my mother jumped up, her voice resolute.

That got my attention. I looked away from my phone and toward my mother, somewhat awestruck by her brazen denial. “Excuse me?” I said, deadpan.

“You absolutely cannot call him. He’s a billionaire, Andrea. And those Hammers are not the sort you want to get wrapped up with. They’re…different.”

“What does his financial status have to do with anything?” I asked, realizing that I was raising my voice. “And ‘different’? Seriously?”

My mother shook her head. “I forbid it, Andrea.”