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He strode quickly to catch up with her, grasping her ar?"

She ignored his viperous tone and laid her hand on his chest, gazing into his eyes "To get a drink Would you like one?"

The heat of her touch scalded through the fabric, and Chase stepped back "No Our table is number seven" He turned on his heels and headed to it

Tessato speak with other shop owners, then continuing on to the bar She didn't norive her soht she could soften him, reach past their probleloriously She knew the dress was a terriblyto use, and from his reaction, which was little more than bland, she was afraid it had failed But she at least felt beautiful, sexy Even as much as Chase had insisted she was before, now she felt the power of her feet her figure back

She gave her order to the bartender, feeling the heat of Chase's stare on her spine, its stroke move up to her hair She stole a look at hiaze was like an assault, raking her froed at her long drop earring He turned his gaze elsewhere and she felt the cut like a slap He was tolerating her this evening But she had other plans She accepted her drink and headed back to him

Chase watched her coed step, her dress, that daht he was going to make an absolute fool of hi out every lances It was the "I'd like to see that body naked" look or the "does she ood as she rind, the "I want her now" look He knew them all personally And when several men started to intercept her as she crossed the room, Chase left his chair and met her halfway

"Did you get what you wanted?"

She frowned at his sudden concern, the softness in his voice evoking ht, but nodded

Again Chase placed his hand on her back, guiding her across the floor It was an utterly possessive gesture and he had no right Not now, not after the papers had been served, but the temptation of her skin beneath his palm, its smoothness, was more than he could resist

Tessa sed ahome and she would have moved closer, but three men blocked their path

"Chase? Introduce us," a blonde in his late twenties insisted

God, Chase thought, if he didn't know better he'd swear they were salivating

"Gentlehtfoot, owner of—"

"Tessa's Attic," one man finished "My sister shops there"

"You mean your wife does," another said, and the man flushed red

They were Chase's competitors and she quickly discovered it went beyond business