Body by Audrey Carlan Read Free Book Online

the Board Secretary rapidly taps out her transcription of the action.
    Taye nudges my shoulder as I sit down. His full pearly white smile beams, the one he says is the only way to find him in the dark. Under the table, he holds out his hand. I smack it lightly. We both quietly snap. It’s our mini-high five, “Won and then done” victory bump.
    As the meeting concludes, I’m thinking of a nice hot bath to end the intense day. I’m about to leave with Taye when Chase grasps my hand and pulls me to his side. I wave off Taye and feel the jolt like two magnets reaching for each other. My body flows towards his so easily. I’ve known him twenty four hours, but the pull is undeniable.
    “Gillian, I’d like to introduce you to someone.” He guides me to the burly man in black. “Gillian, this is Jack Porter. My bodyguard, driver, my safety net. He will be picking you up this evening.”
    “Good to meet you.” I hold out my hand. Instead of taking it, Jack looks me up and down. I’m not sure if he assessing me as a woman, or checking to see if I have any conspicuous bulges that could hide a concealed weapon. I tilt my chin defensively and place my hands on my hips. “Take a picture, it will last longer,” I say to the huge man.
    He grumbles, but doesn’t respond.
    Chase laughs a full bellied laugh as he leads me away from the mob boss. The man didn’t say two words to me. Strange company Chase keeps.
    “He didn’t even shake my hand. And it’s rude to stare like that.” Chase continues to laugh as we walk briskly out of the room, his hand at my lower back. A girl could get used to being led by Superman. Maybe Lois Lane purposely put herself in all those dangerous situations so she’d be saved by the man of steel.
    We’re a good distance from everyone else when I realize I’m being propelled into another small meeting room. Jack comes and stands in front of the door and guards the entrance.
    “Chase,” I say in warning, not altogether comfortable with being guided into a dark room.
    “Trust me.” He ushers me further into the room. And without question, I do trust him. There’s no rhyme or reason to it. The man has done nothing but put me off kilter since the moment our eyes met across the bar last night. I should be more circumspect, but the prevailing feeling I have near him is “cherished.” I’m not sure why or where the feeling comes from, but it’s filling the doubts that usually control all my decisions with something other than fear.
    As my eyes adjust to the dark, I notice a normal sized conference table with a bunch of cushy leather office chairs. I’m about to ask what we’re doing here when Chase grasps my arms, whirls me around, and pins me against the closed door.
    A protest sits on the edge of my lips until his mouth envelops mine. The moment our lips touch, it’s magic. I lose all thought. His fingers intertwine with mine, palm to palm. Electricity sizzles between our clasped hands as he holds them over my head, pressing his large body against mine. The power behind his kiss, the wet heat, fingers clutching, chest pinning me to the door is exhilarating. It’s like a fast car racing around the track, going the distance right before crossing the finish line in an explosion of excitement.
    The forbidden nature of his passion has my mind in a drunken tizzy. The realization that I’ve allowed him to control me is disconcerting, but it feels too good to stop. His lips nibble and pluck and a delicious sensation ricochets through every pore as sparks of lust race through me. I need more. Of him. Of his mouth. Just more.
    I suck his tongue greedily and am rewarded with a guttural groan. Chase pulls away to catch a breath, then delves in deep, leaving no space uncharted. God, the man knows how to kiss. He tastes of coffee, the tiramisu we had for dessert, and something darker, richer. My entire body is on fire. Every nerve ending is hypersensitive, anticipating his next touch. He lets go of