Being Chased by Harper Bentley Read Free Book Online

courted, directors sought and actors being cast. Of course, most details of the mission were obscured because of its highly classified nature, but Hollywood loved that shit, so everyone benefitted.
    Chase couldn’t be any prouder of him.
    “ Hey, Lay. How’s everything going?”
    “ Good, can’t complain. Well, I could, but I won’t.” Layton chuckled. “How’s everything there? How’s school going?”
    “ School’s going fine. Tougher than shit at times. But I’m hanging in there.”
    “ Good deal. So what’s the problem?”
    Layton always knew when something was wrong. He was six years older than Chase and somehow had always read him like a book. When Chase was twelve and had snuck into Layton’s room, stealing one of his girlie magazines   to show his buddies, Layton had immediately known just from the look on Chase’s face. Nothing got past the guy. Chase had ended up doing a month’s worth of Layton’s chores, including having to clean out the attic in the middle of July and missing the Yankees-Red Sox game, just so Layton wouldn’t tell on him. Chase knew it was only fair because if their dad had found out, he would’ve lit him up. He’d taught his sons to respect women, not objectify them, and he knew his punishment would’ve been a lot worse from his dad. Too bad he hadn’t been smart enough to blackmail Layton right back with telling their dad. Oh, well. Live and learn, sucker.
    “ Well, you know the girl I’m contracted out to, right? Julia?” Might as well get it all out there. “We, uh, we kissed a couple weeks ago but we haven’t talked since and now I think she has a boyfriend and I don’t know why but I keep thinking about her and I got so mad tonight I almost wrecked the fucking car and I kissed her again and she hates me even more now but I probably didn’t stand a chance anyway.” As he’d said all of this in one breath, he sucked in some air after baring his soul. And, damn it, this blew big time having to rehash all the details.
    “ Slow down, Chase,” Layton said, knowing this was a big deal if Chase was getting involved with a client. Layton had worked for their dad a few times before he’d left for Los Angeles so he knew the ins and outs of the business. Knew this was serious shit. “So what led to all this?” Layton asked.
    “ I don’t know. I mean, the first time I had to take her to a club and she looked so damn hot. She tripped getting in the car and I caught her, and we kind of had a, hell, I don’t know, a moment or something. Then we flirted all night while she was dancing, and when I dropped her off at her apartment building it just happened. Then today I’d decided to just say ‘Fuck it’ and she walks out with this guy, and she was acting so smug and full of herself, that it just pissed me the fuck off, and I couldn’t keep my big damn mouth shut but when she smarted off back at me, I couldn’t help but kiss her again.” He needed to remember to breathe.
    “ So what’s the problem? Why don’t you just ask her out?”
    “ Well, fuck, Lay, I need this job, it fits perfectly with my schedule and you know about the no-fraternization policy. Pop would fucking fire my ass, so it’s probably not a good idea to be macking on my goddamn client, ya think?”
    “ It depends. What’s she like? You’ve never really talked about her before now.”
    Chase sighed. “She’s great. She’s a damn smartass but she’s so intelligent. Quick-witted. Gorgeous. Shit. I don’t know. I mean, I thought she was worth it. I was going to ask her out tonight then she comes out of her office hanging all over that fuckwit. What the hell?”
    Layton also knew this was a big deal because Chase hadn’t talked to him about a girl since he’d been with Tracy. They’d dated for two years, and Chase had even told Layton he thought she was “the one.” But they’d broken up because Tracy had wanted to “find herself” which Chase found out really meant she’d found