What Happens in Vegas

CHAPTER EIGHT

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CHASE

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My face still tingles where Kate slapped me earlier. While I probably deserved it, who knew that such a little thing could hit so hard? I can't help but replay the brief encounter in my mind. Our little game over the past nine days has had me in all sorts, she's had all the power and I wanted to take some of it back. So I planned on kissing her when she arrived like clockwork in my office. I knew she wouldn't be able to resist me, and for just a moment she didn't. And that kiss... that kiss was dangerous. She tasted as sweet as I thought she would and felt so damn good in my arms. She felt too good. I'm not sure that I would have been able to stop had she not pushed me away. In fact, I'm damn sure of it. My thoughts are interrupted as dad enters my office followed closely by Ryder.

"Hey Chase do you..." he trails off when he sees me. "What the hell happened to your face?" he asks. I'm guessing that Kate's small handprint is still visible on my cheek. I shrug my shoulders.

"Kate slapped me." I tell him. Ryder stifles a laugh.

"That little thing slapped you?" he asks. I glare at Ryder and open my mouth to speak before dad cuts me off.

"What did you do?" he asks, eyeing me.

"Nothing." I say. They both look at me expectantly. They know I did something. But I'm not about to tell them I kissed her without her permission. Or that it was the best kiss I've ever had. "Anyway... dad, what did you need?" I ask, changing the subject. Dad clears his throat.

"Oh, right, the Harbinger file." Dad says. I nod and stand from my desk, retrieving the file from the cabinet and handing it over to dad. He flicks through it quickly before looking up at me. "Where did Kate go by the way?" he asks. I furrow my brows.

"How would I know?" I ask.

"She checked out of the hotel. Thought she might have said she was going home." He tells me. I stare at dad, my mind reeling over this information. She left?

"Did you sign the annulment? " Ryder asks. I shake my head and sink down in my chair. Dad and Ryder share a look before Ryder grins at me. "Oh well, I guess you got what you wanted. Still married with your wife in another country." He says. I shoot him a smile I don't feel.

"Yeah, I guess I did." I say.

The rest of the day my mind keeps going to Kate. Did she really leave? Did I push her too far? I should be happy about this if she did. It's what I wanted. The annulment hasn't gone through, I'm still married and less than 4 weeks out from my 30th. I'm free to go and pick up whenever I want, without Kate cockblocking me at every turn. But for some reason I'm not happy. I think I was enjoying our little game. She was challenging me in ways no one has before, and I liked it. I wasn't ready for it to end. I decided not to go out tonight, telling Ryder I was tired from work, but really I just feel like going home and drinking a bottle of whiskey.

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Opening the door to my penthouse apartment, something seems different... off... I look around trying to see what's changed, but nothing really stands out. It's the same bachelor pad I bought 6 years ago. I shrug it off as just being part of my weird mood and start to remove my coat.

"Honey! You're home!" I sweet Australian accent fills me ears and I freeze as I see Kate walk towards me, the click of her heels on the tile floor a steady rhythm. Her hair is up in an old style bun, she wears a 1950's style dress that's fitted at the bust and fans out from the waist. I know I'm staring at her, and I haven't said a word yet, but I'm trying to comprehend what she's doing here... and what she's wearing. When she reaches me she places a kiss on my cheek then carefully wipes of the lipstick with her thumb before moving to take off my coat and place it in the cupboard. "How was your day dear?" she asks. Her smile is sweet and demure, a picture of innocence.