Chasing Aubrey Read online

“How would you feel about not going back to the wedding?” He asked.

  I looked back at him, confused. We were hurtling down the road at a more respectable 100MPH and driving was more natural to me than walking at this point, so I took a moment to study his face, looking for any hints of his real intentions.

  “Aren’t you the best man? Shouldn’t you be there?”

  He shrugged.

  “I did my part. They’ll be fine without me. Besides, you don’t really belong there anyway.”

  My eyes grew exponentially.

  “What? How did you know?”

  He smirked, sinking back into his seat and propped his feet up on the dash.

  “I didn’t. But thanks for confirming my suspicions.”

  I clenched my teeth, cursing myself for speaking too quickly.

  “All right. So what did you have in mind?” I didn’t want to invite him to ask any more questions about why I was there.

  Part of me knew I should go back to the wedding to try to figure out who Rex was; I knew that the blowback from not meeting him would be severe, at least on Twitter. I looked at Tanner and couldn’t find the energy to care about Rex any more. I wanted to see where this was going.

  “Let’s go into the city,” he answered.

  “What’s in the city?” I pressed.

  He answered with the cockiest grin I think I’ve ever seen.

  “My place.”

  Chapter 7

  I couldn’t believe she was really going along with this. When I made the suggestion of going to my place, it had been more or less a joke. I mean, I obviously actually wanted it, but I didn’t expect it to be that easy. I didn’t know what was going through her mind. I wished I did, but she didn’t seem to be very forthcoming with that information.

  There was no denying her sex appeal. The woman was a beast behind the wheel. She handled a car the way you should handle a lover, gently and with as much care and affection as possible. Her tenacity impressed me, but even more than that, her casual confidence made me want her more than I’d ever wanted anyone. She knew she was the shit and she wasn’t ashamed of it for even a moment.

  On the dance floor, talking about her life and her family, she was a completely different person. She was still funny and charming, but she also had a sadness about her. The moment her eyes landed on this Jag, that all melted away. She came alive. Her face glowed with pure joy and I was so glad that I was the one that could give her that feeling.

  I only hoped that she wasn’t agreeing to go back to my place because she felt obligated to. I let her drive my car, but I really didn’t care. I loved the gift and was grateful to Marcie and Bryce for their generosity, but I would never get the enjoyment out of it that Aubrey did. It only seemed right to let her drive it. Anything else would be pure selfishness on my part. I learned a long time ago that I didn’t have to be selfish if I wasn’t starving to death. Doing things for other people made me feel much better about myself than doing things for myself. Typically, the person I was doing things for was Bryce — or more recently his daughter — but I could definitely see myself spoiling Aubrey if she’d give me the chance.

  “Where do you live?” She asked, the car slowing gradually as she neared the outskirts of the city. She really was magnificent. I saw the fierce gleam in her eyes when I challenged her to drive like she meant it. I wanted to bring that side of her out in the bedroom. I wanted to make her moan and scream my name. I wanted to do terrible dirty things to that beautiful body and I wanted to kiss those pouty lips until she was dizzy.

  I still didn’t know if I’d have my chance to do any of that. I knew that once I got her in my place my odds would be drastically increased, but there was still no guarantee. Even if we didn’t sleep together, I would be happy to spend the time with her. She was fascinating, intriguing and inspiring. I was lucky to be in her presence. Even more lucky that she seemed to want to hang out with a schmuck like me.

  “Downtown, the Faraday Tower,” I answered.

  “Ooooh, fancy,” she teased.

  I rolled my eyes.

  “Yeah, another gift from my benevolent best friend,” I said.

  “Jeez, where do I get a friend like that?” She joked. I wanted to tell her the truth, but it wasn’t something that I typically offered up to new people… or anyone at all.

  I shrugged instead of telling her the real story behind how Bryce and I had become friends.

  “Luck, I guess.”

  “So… what do you do?” She asked. I figured it was a fair question since I’d asked her the same thing earlier.

  “Mostly I find people that don’t want to be found.”

  I saw her visibly tense at that answer and it made me wonder if she was hiding something. That was ridiculous I reassured myself. Aubrey was classy, well-off and insanely talented. Then again, she was crashing a wedding with no explanation… maybe there was more to her than meets the eye.

  As much as I wanted to dwell on the matter, I couldn’t. I couldn’t take my eyes off of her and the practiced ease she implemented when handling this magnificent vehicle.

  “So, you’re like a private investigator?” I wasn’t sure why she sounded nervous suddenly. Her driving was even less fluid, jerkier. Something was up.

  “Not exactly? Bryce keeps me on payroll in case he needs to know something about someone. Maybe it’s more akin to corporate espionage. I don’t really have a title. I’m just good at finding paper trails that others can’t. Is there something wrong with that?” I didn’t mean to sound as defensive as I did. I didn’t want this to make our night take a turn for the worse.

  She shook her head, though she didn’t appear to be relaxing any.

  “No, nothing wrong with that. It’s interesting. I’m sure it’s always different.”

  She wasn’t looking at me and it made me suspicious.

  “What aren’t you telling me Aubrey?”

  She turned to me, the look on her face the same as a deer in headlights. Something spooked her and I wanted to know what it was. Despite my new apprehensions, I wanted to take away her fears and soothe her worries.

  “Me? Oh, I’m just trying to remember the way to the Faraday,” she answered with a lie. I knew it was a lie because it was my job to be able to see those things: the subtle tremble in her voice, her fidgeting hands, the way she wouldn’t look at me – all tell-tale signs.

  I noticed the way her knuckles were white on the steering wheel. I noticed the tension in her jaw and the way she avoided making eye contact. I saw the slight nervous jitters in her leg and noticed how her breathing quickened when I pressed her for answers. Something was definitely up, but she wasn’t going to tell me anything so I decided to drop it for the night. She’d made me suspicious enough that I knew I would have to look into it more tomorrow, but for tonight, I just wanted to look at her. I’m fully aware of how cheesy that makes me sound, but I didn’t care at all. She captivated me, invaded my brain and wouldn’t let go. Her presence was all consuming and I was certain that if I could just sleep with her, it would get her out of my head.

  “Left on Elm and a right on 29th,” I answered, pretending that I believed her.

  “Oh, right. How could I have forgotten?”

  After a few minutes of silence, we pulled into the parking garage and I directed her to my permanently reserved parking spot.

  She pulled in, parked and heaved a big sigh.

  “Aubrey,” I whispered, “whatever it is, it’s okay.”

  She turned to me and I could see the fear and sadness in those gorgeous honey eyes. I wanted to take all of her troubles away. I understood what it was like to feel like you didn’t belong. I started to wonder if maybe she wasn’t as well-off as she seemed. Maybe she was trying to hide the fact that she wasn’t from a wealthy family and that’s why she got so nervous about my particular trade.

  I decided that had to be it. It made me feel a lot better to think she was just someone that was poor, rather than someone with a real secret. I k
new I was jumping to conclusions, but I only had so much to go off of.

  She shook her head, and I could see her eyes were sparkling with emotion that she refused to let out. She was stronger than I even thought and it still just made me want her more.

  “No, it’s not. I’m sorry. I really shouldn’t do this. I know that’s terrible to say at this point. I’ve really loved spending time with you, but I can’t…”

  I frowned, sensing yet again that there was more to the story than she was telling me.

  “Are you dating someone? Are you married?”

  She looked down at her lap and examined her manicured fingernails closely, not making eye contact with me.

  “No, not exactly.”

  “Are you secretly a man? In love with someone else? On the run from the law?”

  She laughed and I had to give her a smile of encouragement.

  “No, nothing like that…”

  “Then what’s the problem?”

  She lifted her head and looked me in the eyes. The intangible connection I felt with her was incredible, monumental and completely foreign to me. Without another thought, I leaned in for a kiss.

  Our lips met in a fiery embrace; it’s probably cliché to say that there were sparks, but there’s no other way to describe the sensation that coursed through me when we kissed.

  She didn’t resist me. Instead, she was pliant and willing. Her mouth parted on a moan and I took the opportunity to slip my tongue past her perfectly aligned teeth into the welcoming depths of her mouth. Our tongues tangled in an erotic dance; stroking, caressing, tasting and exploring one another as much as we could. I couldn’t get enough of her. She tasted like fine wine and chamomile tea. It was an odd combination but it somehow worked. Her tongue was timid, tracing over my lips, teasing the edge of my tongue. Her inexperienced kisses drove me wild. I’d been with some of the skankiest kinkiest girls California had to offer (and that’s saying something) but none of them compared to this shy naive girl.

  I finally broke the kiss, not wanting to finish this in the car — even if it did need a christening.

  “Let’s take this upstairs, shall we?”

  She nodded without a word and I escorted her to the elevator that led up into the tower.

  Chapter 8

  I knew this was wrong. I knew I shouldn’t be doing this with Tanner. I was engaged! Maybe it didn’t matter if it was a sham wedding. At the very least I was being dishonest with Tanner. I didn’t tell him about Chester or about my real identity. I didn’t know why I was so hesitant to reveal myself. I didn’t want him to think any less of me for being a Van der Poole, or even worse, have a ton of expectations of me because of it.

  My best option was just to forget about everything for the time being. I didn’t want to think about my fiancé. I didn’t want to worry about disappointing my parents and I certainly didn’t want to think about the missed opportunity with Tanner. One night was all we could have and I would have to make the best of it.

  He walked me to the elevator with his hand on the small of my back. That simple touch was enough to make my entire body alert to his presence. I noticed every small movement, every steady breath, and every sideways glance. My mind wandered back to our kisses; they were unlike anything I’d ever experienced. Tanner obviously knew what he was doing. I didn’t, but he had enough skill for the both of us. By the time his lips left mine, I felt drunk, dizzy and craved so much more.

  There was no way I could turn back now. Like Alice falling down the rabbit hole, I had to see how far it went. I had to test the waters; I had to know what it was like to be with someone that wanted me. Chester wanted the attachment to my family. He couldn’t care less about me. I couldn’t be angry at him; he was just a carbon copy of his parents. By all accounts, I should have been the same way. Somewhere along the line, my wires got crossed and I wasn’t nearly the perfect daughter I was supposed to be.

  My phone buzzed in my pocket. I wanted to ignore it, but I knew I couldn’t. Tanner was already looking at me with a curious gaze. I glanced at it and saw it was a text from my mother. Of course it was. I wasn’t at her party and she was probably worried that it was going to make her look bad. Well mom, that’s too bad. I didn’t even open the message.

  “My mother,” I answered Tanner’s silent question.

  “Are you expected to be somewhere?”

  I rolled my eyes.

  “You could say that. That’s okay though, she’ll get over it…” Or she wouldn’t. Either way, I wasn’t going to be heartbroken about it.

  His hand slid further down my back, cupping my ass with a firm squeeze.

  A surprised yelp left my mouth and I was shocked to hear it. I’d never been treated this way. It wasn’t a bad thing; I felt desired. I felt beautiful and wanted. It was addicting.

  My experience with men was limited. I’d never really dated. I went to all girls’ boarding schools and never had much opportunity to interact with the opposite sex. By the time I was out of school, most of the girls in my grade were already being married off to wealthy bachelors or going to finishing school. I wanted none of that. My parents tried to introduce me to a few suitors, but I always managed to convince them that I wasn’t a good match. It wasn’t in my power to refuse a match, but it was in my power to make them refuse me. That was always my secret weapon.

  As time wore on, there were less and less men interested in me. My mother was convinced I would be a spinster at twenty-four. I thought that was ridiculous. Just because the 1% still treated their children like property didn’t mean we were actually in the middle ages. I wasn’t too old to be marriageable by any stretch of the imagination. That wasn’t good enough for my mother though.

  It didn’t matter; there was no point in dwelling on that now. I considered making Chester hate me, but he seemed like the type of man that would still go through with the arrangement. It wasn’t worth the effort of making myself unappealing if he was going to marry me anyway.

  Because of my parents’ designs, I never had the opportunity to date anyone of my own choosing. For that reason, I was still very much inexperienced. That was partially why I was so surprised with myself for agreeing to this whole thing with Tanner. I didn’t know what I was doing. He was probably expecting someone much more versed in bedroom antics than me. Surely, a man as handsome and charming as Tanner had his fair share of women falling over themselves for him. The thought gave me a little twinge of jealousy. I didn’t want to think about Tanner with other women. Was that strange? I had no claim to him. I had no right to be upset about his past dalliances. Hell, I was just going to be another notch along with the rest of them.

  The elevator went up and up and up.

  “What floor do you live on?” I asked as we passed the 10th floor.

  “The very top,” he answered.

  His answer surprised me. I knew that the price of apartments in this building went up in accordance with the height off the ground. You paid a premium for the views. I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised, he said that it was a gift from his friend.

  Tanner’s hand pressed against my back and brought me closer to him.

  “I have to tell you something,” he whispered, his mouth only inches away from mine.

  I looked up at him through my lashes, a strange tingling in my belly at the remembrance of our earlier kisses.

  “What’s that?” I whispered back, my lips nearly touching his now.

  “I have never wanted someone as badly as I want you, Aubrey.”

  My heart thumped in my chest. I wished I could believe him. Maybe I did believe him, but he couldn’t want me when he didn’t even know who I was.

  Our lips met in a blazing embrace. He was demanding. Insistent. Unrelenting as he plundered my mouth. His hands roved my body as he devoured me. My response was automatic, burning, unbearable need. An involuntary moan escaped my lips and he captured it with his possessive tongue. There was no escaping the draw of this man.

  He pressed me in
to the wall. My blood boiled in my veins, raw desire careened through me unlike anything I’d ever felt. His hand slid up my thigh, toward my aching core. His persistent fingers found the edge of my silk thong and brushed it to the side like a discarded rag. There was no time for hesitation, no time for pauses. His eyes were darkened with a wild primitive gaze. He was starved and I was on the menu.

  A strangled cry escaped my lips as his fingers separated my slick folds, delving into my saturated core. I needed him. I needed this. I’d never needed anything so badly. Only one thought echoed in my head, over and over.

  Tanner. Oh, Tanner.

  He was all-consuming. His touch, his lips, his tortured groans into my mouth only drove my need higher. Demanding fingers entered me and lightning shot through me to my toes.

  The elevator continued its ascent, climbing higher and higher.

  White-hot pleasure shot through my body from head to toe as he possessed me. I was his for the taking, ripe for the picking, I couldn’t deny him, couldn’t deny this boiling need. I didn’t want to deny it. If this was my one shot, so be it.

  He overwhelmed my senses; he invaded my mind. All I could smell was Tanner. All I could taste was Tanner. All I could feel, think and focus on was Tanner.

  His expert fingers stroked my insides, bringing me closer and closer to a peak that I’d never before reached. His tongue matched the strokes of his fingers without mercy. I was coming unglued at the seams. There was no escaping the rising tide inside of me.

  My core clenched tightly with the coming onslaught. I clung to his shoulders for support as he coaxed my orgasm from me.

  Ripples of erotic pleasure made my body shudder and stars burst before my eyes as his unrelenting fingers carried me through wave after wave of ecstasy.

  The elevator dinged and the doors opened to his apartment. His fingers slipped out of me, slick with my own arousal. I noticed that he wasn’t unaffected either, the straining bulge in his pants told me that he was just as taken with all of this as I was.

  He broke the kiss finally and we were both panting as if we’d just run a marathon. He grabbed me by the wrist and pulled me into his home on wobbly legs. This was going to be one hell of a night.