Chasing Bad Boys 7_A Bad Boy Romance Series Read online

  Chris ordered a double whiskey, and Stephanie requested a gin and tonic. She began to sip at it and was shocked by the content of the alcohol. It immediately began to take effect as she drank her first round, and they both lingered at the bar until they had finished their first drinks and ordered a second.

  Feeling slightly relaxed from her drink, Stephanie allowed Chris to lead her around the party and introduce her to his coworkers. He was sure to tell them that she had been the one to plan the party, and she blushed as everyone told her how much fun they were having. Stephanie was thrilled that the night had turned out to be such a success.

  Stephanie, though, was also thrilled for another reason as well. Throughout the night, it seemed that Chris never stopped touching her in some capacity. He kept his hand lightly on her shoulder, or on the small of her back as he paraded her around. She couldn’t tell if it was just the alcohol, but she couldn’t keep her nerve endings from tingling wherever his hand brushed her skin.

  She could feel herself getting more and more flustered. She caught herself looking up at him, her breath catching slightly as she watched his expression change as he conversed with someone. He glanced back over at her, and he frowned in concern.

  “Stephanie?” he asked, his brow furrowing. He lifted his hand and pressed the back of his fingers against her forehead as if to check for fever. Stephanie nearly swooned at the contact.

  “I need another drink,” she said and made toward the kitchen.

  She arrived at the bar and ordered her third gin and tonic of the night. The bartender gave it to her, and she immediately downed half of it. She rolled her shoulders and tried to force her body to relax from it's worked up state, though her blood still seemed to pound in her veins.

  Stephanie felt a shoulder on her hand, and she shivered as she realized who it must belong to.

  “Hey,” Chris softly murmured to her.

  “Hey,” she replied, her voice breathy and shaking. Her stomach clenched as she looked up at him, and she was taken aback by the force of her body’s attraction to him.

  “Are you alright?” he asked. His voice was full of concern, and his eyes searched her face.

  “I’m fine,” she answered, her words slightly slurred. Her eyes traveled over his face, and then down his body. Her loins ached fiercely as her eyes centered on his well- fitted pants.

  “I think you’ve had too much to drink,” he said softly, gently removing her drink from her hand.

  “No, I’m okay,” she shook her head, though her lack of articulation belied her words.

  “Here,” Chris gently held out his hand for her to take. Stephanie eyes it speculatively as she took it. She nearly moaned as his fingers interlaced with hers and supported her as he guided her away from the bar.

  Stephanie felt her heart pound as he led her through the living room and down the hallway that she knew led to his bedroom. She felt her body begin to shake. She tried to convince herself that it was a culmination of the alcohol and her relief about the party going so well. Deep down, though, she knew that it was something else entirely.

  Stephanie tried to keep her breathing level as Chris opened the door to his room and led her inside. He gently guided her over to the bed and sat her down on the edge. She watched as he moved across the room and into the bathroom, and he returned with a glass of water.

  “Drink this,” he instructed kindly. Stephanie took the glass and began to drink, slowly gulping at the water until the glass was empty.

  “Wow,” he chuckled. “That was easier than I thought. Then again, you’ve never really had a problem following instructions.”

  Stephanie blushed as she suddenly ached for him to give her another type of instructions, and she shifted her weight slightly as she felt a throbbing between her legs.

  “You’re so quiet,” he noted, gently rubbing her back. Stephanie released a sharp breath at the contact and arched her back away from his touch. He withdrew his hand in alarm and frowned down at her, concerned.

  “Hey, are you alright?” he said urgently. “What’s the matter?”

  Stephanie ground her teeth and shook her head. Her head was spinning, and her heart was racing, not to mention the ache that was building up in her stomach. She could feel the heat from his body. She looked over at him and locked her eyes with his, conveying her lust in a look.

  Chris’s eyes darkened as their eyes met.

  “Oh,” he said. “I see.”

  Stephanie released a shaky breath and bent over to hold her head in her hands.

  “I’m sorry,” she said with a laugh.

  “Don’t be,” he said, his voice low. She felt his hand move to massage the back of her neck, and she nearly moaned at his touch.

  “Please don’t,” she urged him.

  “Why not?” he asked gently, even as his other hand joined the first, and moved lower to work on her shoulders.

  “We can’t, it’s not…” Stephanie gasped as he pressed his thumbs against her tense muscles and moved them in slow circles, sending jolts of pleasure through her body. “It’s unprofessional…”

  “We’re not at the office,” Chris murmured into her ear. His hands moved lower, and she felt him flicking at the zipper of her dress.

  Stephanie’s breath came in short gasps as her body’s excitement and arousal reached new heights. She shook violently, and her fists were balled up in his comforter. She couldn’t decide if she should run out of the room, or turn around and pounce on him. Her core ached, and she rubbed her thighs together to alleviate the pressure between her legs. She released a frustrated, conflicted moan as Chris slowly bent to place a kiss on her shoulder.

  “Just relax, Stephanie,” he urged her. “I won’t do anything you don’t want me to. All you have to do is ask me to stop, and I will.”

  Stephanie shuddered. The ball was in her court. She believed him when he said he would stop. But she worried that she wouldn’t be able to ask it of him once he got started. At any rate, she felt his hands moving slowly from her back to gently stroke at her ribs, and she shivered violently.

  Stephanie allowed him to move her to lean back against him as his hands gently traveled over the slight expanse of her stomach. She panted and squirmed a little as she felt his touch through the material of her dress. She released a soft moan as one of his hands moved to gently caress her breast.

  “Shh,” he soothed her, even as his hand moved lower to her thigh, and begin to work her dress up to pool at her hips.

  Chapter Seven

  Stephanie bit her lip and arched her back up into his touch as his hand moved to her other breast and began to alternate between the two. He was creating a thick haze of pleasure with his touch, and yet only increasing her arousal with his gentle strokes. Her mind was torn from the pleasure at her breasts when he began to lightly stroke the inside of her thigh.

  Stephanie whimpered and began to gently flex her hips. She could feel wetness soaking her lacy panties, and she ached for his touch at her most sensitive area. Chris moved his hand from her breasts to wrap his arm about her waist and hold her still. He pressed his lips against the side of her neck in a gentle kiss even as he ran his fingertips over her dripping slit through her wet panties.

  Stephanie’s head felt back against him as she released a breathless moan. She gripped his thighs, which were stretched out on either side of her, and arched her back as best she could within the confines of his hold over her. He made soft stroking motions against her sex, somehow teasing her and bringing her intense pleasure at the same time.

  “Oh, please…” Stephanie whimpered as a tear fell down her cheek. She shivered as Chris collected it with his lips as he brushed a kiss on her cheek.

  “Shh, you’re alright,” he soothed her, and then pressed two of his fingers harder against her clit through her panties, moving them in a slow, languid circle.

  Stephanie gasped and tried to move her hips against his slow rhythm. She felt her muscles begin to twitch and spasm as he picked dup h
is tempo. She panted as he worked her up closer and closer to her edge, and she curled her toes as she felt her climax become inevitable.

  “Chris…” Stephanie breathed out as her body tightened, shaking uncontrollably.

  “Come for me Stephanie,” Chris whispered his command firmly into her ear and pressed down hard against her sensitive nub.

  With that, Stephanie came undone, and her mouth opened in a silent scream as her body jerked with her orgasm, her inner muscles clamping, and fluttering. Chris continued to gently massage her clitoris as she came, gently bringing her down from her peak.

  When she had settled, she took in several shaking breaths, her body whirring from the intensity of what she had just experienced. Chris slipped out from behind her and gently guided her to lie down on his bed, then slipped off her shoes. She watched as he arranged his comforter to cover her where she laid. Suddenly, wrapped in warmth and sexually satisfied, she was finding it hard to stay awake.

  Chris looked down at her with a soft smile and stroked the top of her head.

  “Goodnight, Stephanie,” he said softly, his voice sending a wave of warmth washing over her.

  A small smile formed over her features, and his face was the last things she saw before her eyelids drooped closed and she fell into a contented sleep.

  Chapter Eight

  Stephanie’s eyes blinked several times as she awoke. Her head felt fuzzy, and she squinted as she struggled to identify her surroundings. She began to recall bits and pieces of the previous night, and she felt a sickness bloom in her stomach as she recalled her activities with Chris. She blushed as she realized that she was still curled up in his bed. She felt a flutter in her stomach as she wondered if he had slept at her side…

  Stephanie stayed still for a moment before she eventually decided that she needed to get up. She groaned as a dull pain made itself known in her head, and she put her hand on her slightly throbbing skull. She glanced to the side of the bed and was pleasantly surprised to find a glass of water and bottle of ibuprofen on the night stand.

  She opened the brand new bottle of pills and took four, just to be sure to really kill the headache before it had a chance to persist. Then, she downed the glass of water. No sooner had she finished that glass did she realize that her bladder was full. So, she rose from the bed and made her way to the beautiful bathroom.

  She finished up her business and washed her hands, taking in the wonderful scent of the hand soap which made her hands feel incredibly soft, unlike most soaps which only served to dry them out. Then, she looked at herself in the mirror, scowling at her disheveled appearance. She wished vaguely that she had a pair of clothes with her, and that she could change out of her slept-in dress. Then again, she was going to go straight home anyway, and she could change there.

  Stephanie let her hair down from all its various pins and then ran her hand through it, making sure that it looked at least moderately decent. She smoothed her palms over her dress. She still looked a mess, but she supposed there was not much else she could do about her appearance. With a sigh, she turned to leave, only to jump in alarm as she saw Chris standing in the doorway as soon as she opened the door.

  “Good morning,” he smiled down at her.

  “Good morning,” she said reflexively.

  “I trust you slept well?” he asked, his blue eyes twinkling with amusement.

  “Um, yes,” Stephanie murmured. “Look about last night…”

  “Stephanie,” Chris stopped her, his voice firm. “You don’t have to say anything.”

  Stephanie looked down at the floor between her feet.

  “I hope you don’t feel that what we shared together was inappropriate,” he said softly. “And I’m sorry if you feel I took advantage of you. You are a very attractive woman, and I find myself having a hard time resisting you.”

  Stephanie laughed and shook her head.

  “I think we both just had a little too much to drink last night,” she said looking up at him, only to blush at his serious expression.

  “I think you did,” he said, agreeing with her partially. “But I didn’t.”

  Stephanie felt a jolt of excitement in her stomach at his words. It was all she could do not to squirm under his gaze.

  “I don’t regret what we did together,” he said. “But I want to know how you feel about it. If you feel that you were violated, I want you to know that I am sincerely sorry and that I will do everything in my power to make it up to you.”

  Stephanie was taken aback by the sincerity of his words.

  “I…” she murmured, somewhat embarrassed. “That won’t be necessary.”

  “I’m serious,” he said firmly. “I know I should never have taken advantage of you in your inebriated state.”

  “You weren’t taking advantage of me,” Stephanie softly reminded him. “I… I wanted you.”

  She saw him visibly relax, and the worry in his eyes abated.

  “I would never want to do anything that would cause you to lose your trust in me,” Chris said, his voice quiet.

  “Well, you didn’t,” Stephanie said, giving him a smile and a very simple pat on the shoulder, wishing for the most part that this awkward conversation was over.

  “I’m glad we sorted that out,” Chris said, giving her a playful smile. “Now, how about some breakfast?”

  “Oh, I think I really should be heading home,” Stephanie shook her head and moved over to the end of the bed where her heels had been placed.

  “What’s the rush?” Chris shrugged over at her. “Come on; it’s the least I can do after you arranged such a spectacular party for me.”

  “That’s my job,” Stephanie protested.

  “Well, don’t all jobs come with a few perks?” Chris flicked his eyebrows. “Come on; I actually made it myself.”

  Stephanie sighed. She knew that this was not an incredibly good idea, but she had to admit that she was quite hungry, and he seemed intent on having her stay.

  “Alright,” she agreed.

  “Excellent!” Chris clapped his hands together. “to the kitchen.”

  Stephanie rolled her eyes, but couldn’t help but catch some of his enthusiasm. Her eagerness only increased as she followed him, and the rich aromas of breakfast food and coffee filled her nostrils. She gasped as she rounded the corner into the large kitchen, and an array of food was laid out on the island.

  “Eat as much as you want,” Chris encouraged her.

  Stephanie didn’t know where to begin. There were all manner of juices for her to choose from, as well as coffee. Then there were eggs, bacon, sausage, and biscuits, as well as hash-browns. Then, there were waffles and pancakes by the stack. She couldn’t help but look over at Chris as though he had lost his mind.

  “I don’t get to have company very often,” he said with a shrug and a lopsided smile. “Please, eat!”

  Stephanie blinked and shook her head before finally complying. She piled her plate with the delicious food and then moved over to the large table in the dining room. She took her first few bites of food just as Chris sat down in front of her. Each item was delicious, and she looked up at Chris in amazement as he sat down in front of her.

  “This is incredible,” she said, her mouth still partially full, and Chris smiled broadly.

  “Thank you,” he said, taking a bite from his own plate.

  “Where did you learn to cook like this?” Stephanie pressed, still in disbelief that he had actually done any of this by himself, much less all of it.

  “Well, when you live on your own, you generally pick up a few skills,” he said with a chuckle. Stephanie shrugged and helped herself to some more of the food she had gotten for herself.

  As she ate, Stephanie looked up and around the house. If she hadn’t known any better, she would never have guessed that just the previous night, this place would have been the home of a very lively party.

  “I guess the cleanup crew came early,” Stephanie noted with a sigh. “I really should have been
there to help out.”

  “I think we can all agree that you have already done more than enough work on this whole event,” Chris said, looking down at her. “The party was a wild success. People will be talking about it for years. Some of them haven’t had such a good time since college.”

  “We’ll, I’m definitely glad they had a good time,” Stephanie smiled as she took a sip of her coffee.

  “That’s definitely an understatement,” Chris scoffed, shaking his head.

  Stephanie merely looked down at her food and picked up selections of it with her fork. She felt herself growing full and couldn’t help but feel a little sad that she couldn’t partake of more of the delicious meal in front of her. At last, she had eaten more than was even remotely reasonable, and she sat back in her chair with a sigh.

  Chapter Nine

  “Thank you,” she said. “That really was amazing.”

  “I’m certainly glad you enjoyed it,” Chris said, moving to stand from his seat at the table.

  Chris gathered up both of their plates and moved toward the sink in the kitchen. Stephanie stood and followed him. She held her cup of coffee in her hand as she watched him move to wash the dishes. For the first time, Stephanie really got a good look at him.

  He wore a white t-shirt that clung tightly to his muscular frame, and she could see every one of his muscles ripple as he washed their dishes. His blonde hair was not combed and had no gel in it, and it fell into his face a bit as he leaned over the sink. He wore a pair of light wash jeans and some worn brown loafers. She could smell his spicy, masculine scent wafting off of him.

  Stephanie could not help that her mind wandered back to the previous night. She relived the sensation of being held in his arms. She shivered as she remembered the feeling of his fingers brushing against her sex, and she bit her lip at the thought. She couldn’t help but rub her legs together under her slept-in dress. She saw Chris turn to look at her, and he raised an eyebrow.