Chapter Forty-Six
Epilogue
“Ellie Connor, get down off of that coffee table!” I shouted as I rounded the corner and found my three-year-old daughter effortlessly scaling the only living room obstacle she had yet to conquer.
It had been five years since Dax and I first signed our contract, and in that time we’d watched the Storm become NFC champions in their first season only to lose to the Bears in the playoffs. They’d come back stronger and faster then next season, and forged ahead to win the Super Bowl, beating the Seahawks in a nail-biting game that went into overtime.
“No,” she replied stubbornly, pulling herself up to a standing position and putting her hands on her hips. I had to bite my lip to keep from laughing at her adorably defiant pose.
“Young lady, do not test me,” I warned as I walked across the room and lifted her off of the table. She stared up at me for a moment before heading right back to the table.
Dax and I had ended our official contract after that first season when he’d gotten down on one knee in the middle of an empty Storm Stadium and presented me with two boxes. One held the contract and the other a ring, he asked me which one I preferred and when I chose the ring, he tore up the contract and used it as confetti to celebrate our engagement.
“I do it,” she said as she began pulling herself back up. “You not stop me, Mommy.”
“David Connor, get in here and set some limits for your daughter!” I yelled in as stern a voice as I could manage.
“What in the hell is going on out here?” Dax said emerging from his office holding his phone and looking confused.
We’d gotten married in a surpise ceremony the following summer in the backyard of Gram’s house with a small group of close friends. Val, who was pregnant with her first child and finding monogamous married life with Sir Richard much more fulfilling than she’d anticipated, stood up as my matron of honor and cried through the whole ceremony. Dax and Finn had patched things up as much as they could, and had agreed to start a new venture that would provide low-cost groceries and dry goods to the folks in the Back of the Yards on a regular basis. Gus had stood in for my father and proudly walked me up the aisle to meet my groom. After the wedding, Gram’s house had been converted into a community meeting center where neighbors could come and tend the garden, cook meals, and sit on the porch sharing cookies and lemonade made by an older woman who’d agreed to live there rent free.
“Little ears,” I said, reminding him that he needed to watch his language.
“Eleanor Halas Connor, what on earth are you doing?” he asked our curly-haired daughter as she reached the top of the table yet again.
“Want to be tall, Daddy!” she shouted as she stood up and put her hands on her hips again. “Tall like Yonny!”
I’d kept my job at the Storm, but had hired several assistants and a team of scouts that helped keep the workload to a manageable level as I tried to balance my new marriage with my desire to see the Storm succeed. Dax was supportive, but we’d had to work through some rough patches during the draft when he’d felt shoved aside by my passion for the game. All of this had shifted once I had Ellie, but I’d found that since Dax and I had managed to negotiate enough of the difficult things before she arrived, we were better at splitting duties without much trouble. It wasn’t perfect by any means, and I often had to fight my own stubborn impulses, but with help from an adept nanny, we managed to cover all our bases.
“This is all your fault,” Dax said looking at me pointedly. “You passed on the gene and now you brought her to the club house to meet the players. I blame you.”
“Oh, no you don’t,” I laughed as, once again, I removed our child from the dangerous perch she’d chosen. “You’re the one who chose the furniture that demands it be climbed!”
“Mommy, no!” Ellie wailed as I gathered her in my arms and kissed her small head. She was a beautiful child and was the perfect mix of Dax and I, with dark, curly hair and bright-blue eyes. She’d also inherited our risk-taking natures and double the stubbornness.
I hadn’t been able to fully make peace with my mother because neither one of us could completely forgive the other for our betrayal. I’d spent a long time trying to decide if I wanted her at our wedding, but when I finally sent her an invitation, she’d declined. It stung, but I knew why she’d done it, so I tried to forgive her as best I could. The lawyers been unable to locate Dax’s father, so we put his inheritance money in a trust for Ellie with the stipulation that if her grandfather showed up, the money would go to him.
I handed our squirming girl over to her father and watched as he whispered something in her ear that immediately stopped her active resistance. When he set her down, she made a beeline for the kitchen yelling, “Come on, Daddy!”
“What did you promise her?” I asked as I watched my husband’s gaze follow our bright-eyed daughter’s movement.
“Oh, you know, the usual,” he said, wrapping an arm around my waist and kissing the top of my head. “The moon, the stars, and a huge bowl of strawberry ice cream.”
“You are impossible,” I laughed as I wrapped my arms around him and looked up into his handsome face.
“I’m really not, you know,” he said, smiling as he kissed my lips. “I just specialize making dreams come true.”
Chase
By Claire Adams
This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places and incidents are products of the writer's imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locales or organizations is entirely coincidental.
Copyright © 2017 Claire Adams
Chapter One
Chase
“Another round for everyone,” I hollered out as I walked into Club Kitty.
“Mr. Foster,” the manager, Aaron, said as he pulled me aside. “Your father asked me not to let you buy rounds of drinks for everyone anymore.”
I hated when my father started talking to people and telling them what to do. He thought that just because he had money, he could control me. But I could take care of myself. I didn’t need my father butting into my business.
“My fucking father is not my keeper,” I said to Aaron. “George, I’m buying the round.”
The bartender stood still and looked at Aaron for guidance. George wasn’t prepared to get on my bad side, yet he also didn’t want to lose his job. As he looked back and forth between the club manager and me, it was hard to tell who was firmer in their stance. But I knew that money always spoke for itself, so I simply pulled out a few hundred-dollar bills and flashed them at the two men.
“Fine, Chase, buy your drinks. But if your father asks, I’m going to tell him that you insisted.”
“That works,” I said as I made my way to the corner lounge area of the club.
Club Kitty was my favorite place to hang out at on weekends. Actually, it was my favorite place to hang out on some weekdays, too. It was a dance club where some of the most beautiful people in Atlanta came to hang out. Sexy, young women dressed in next to nothing shook their assets in the hopes of landing themselves one of the wealthy men who frequented the club.
I was one of the most eligible bachelors in Atlanta. My father, Reynold, owned Foster Industries, a high-end manufacturing company that earned a net of over $5 billion dollars the previous year. Everyone in Atlanta knew I was on my way to being the next CEO. In fact, my father had plans to hand over his company at the next big stockholder meeting in a few months.
“Come here, beautiful,” I said as I grabbed a delicious-looking blonde off the dance floor.
“Hi,” she said as she latched onto me. “I’m Lana.”
“Lana, I’m going to take you into the back room and fuck you.”
She tried to look shocked at my proposition. She was sweet, maybe twenty-two years old, and totally my type. I didn’t come to the club for a long-term relationship. I came for fun, and Lana looked like just the kind of fun for me.
Most of the women had to pretend as if they were going to say no. There was a certain honor in not agreeing with my proposition right away. I understood. I didn’t want any woman to feel bad or to do anything they didn’t want to do. But I knew how the routine went.
First, she’d look shocked. Then, we would talk, and I’d flirt with her, tell her how beautiful she was. Then, she would soften up and start to smile more. Maybe she would start to touch me more often. Eventually, she would agree that my proposition was a great idea. She would want me just as badly as I wanted her. There was nothing as exciting as the conquest of a woman.
Yes, I knew it was a game. That was the fun of it. Nothing serious, no strings attached. Just good, old-fashioned fun. We all needed more fun in our lives. Everything had gotten too serious lately, and I was tired of it. I wanted to go back to the days when people just fucked for fun and the freedom of living life was truly still there. The confines of my reality were often too much for me.
“I’ll come back and dance with you, but that’s it,” Lana said as we walked to my favorite private room.
She was impressed that I had the private room all to myself. I didn’t need a bunch of my friends to chip in and help pay it. I could afford it on my own. My job with my father allowed me a hefty salary, which I enjoyed spending on a variety of things. None of them very long lasting – booze, women, and trips. My father also ensured I had access to credit cards and bank accounts to pay my bills. Even his recent attempt to have me cut back on my spending didn’t bother me. I had plenty of other ways to get money, if needed.
“Lana, you’re the most beautiful woman in this place,” I said as I pulled her close to me.
She didn’t resist. There was something about a man with money that made every woman agree to things they might not normally do. This was just a fact of life that I had learned over many years as a single man.
“Thank you, Chase.”
“You know my name?”
“Everyone knows who you are,” she said with a shy grin.
It was true. Everyone around Atlanta knew who I was, and at Club Kitty, they knew me very well. I loved the atmosphere at the club. The men were laid back, even though most of them had really high-stress jobs during the daytime. And the women were down for fun. It was a dance club, but it was also a great place to socialize with Atlanta’s elite – at least, the elite men.
“And you still came back to my private room with me. That’s pretty fucking bold of you. So, you know I’m an ass?”
“I guess,” she said.
She just looked down and continued her game. It was all right. I didn’t mind the games. It was fun to play a little with my ladies. It wouldn’t be fun at all if the women just came to the back room and spread their legs for me. I liked the hunt. I liked chasing after them.
I put my finger under her chin and pushed it up so she looked at me. Her bright green eyes glowed in the lights of the room. My other hand moved to her waist and pulled her tight against me. I guided our bodies into a soft dance with the music. There was no need to rush things; I would have her soon enough.
My body reacted to hers up against me, and I felt her uncomfortably shift away from me when my hard cock pressed up against her. But I didn’t let her go. Instead, I held onto her tighter. She needed to know how much I wanted her. I wasn’t making that up. I truly did want her – for the night, at least.
“I should go,” she said, as she looked down at the ground again.
“Okay,” I said and released her.
There was no use in forcing her to stay if that wasn’t what she really wanted. But I suspected it was just part of her game, and she did want me. No girl wants to seem like she is easy. They have this feeling of being a whore. But having a night of safe, protected fun shouldn’t make any woman feel bad. They are human and have sexual needs, just like men.
“Um, well, if you’d like to just sit and talk, we could do that.”
“Sure,” I said.
Five minutes. I’d give her five minutes of talking before she gave into me. I knew girls like her. She wanted me just as badly as I wanted her, but playing coy made her feel better about her desires. I wished I could just meet a woman who went after what she wanted and took it. I’d love to have a woman just grab me and pull me into the back room. I love any kind of woman any kind of way. But I figured that wasn't how most of them operated.
“What kind of work do you do?” Lana asked me.
“My father owns a manufacturing company. I’m in charge of international sales. It’s a great job. Lots of travel, and I don’t actually have to show up at work very often. But if you know who I am, I suppose you know what I do for work.” I grinned at her.
“I know you from your reputation. I don’t know much else. That sounds like an amazing job.”
“What about you? What kind of work do you do?”
“I’m in retail. I work at the mall.”
“Do you get a discount at least?” I asked with my signature grin.
“Yes, I love it. I can buy all of my clothes at forty percent off. I also get to give my friends and family a discount, too. If you are ever in the mall, just stop by and see me.”
“Thanks, that’s really sweet of you, Lana.”
I didn’t care about some mall discount. But I knew that trying to get her to talk was the only way this thing was going to move forward. I let my hand move to her leg as we continued to talk. I had to push her comfort level further. The more she let me touch her, the better it would be for later. She didn’t pull away. In fact, I felt the heat of my touch soften her determination to just sit and talk.
“Thanks, Chase. You’re really sweet, too.”
“Lana, I’d really like to kiss you now. Okay?”
She looked up at me and didn’t say anything. I decided to give it a try and leaned in to let my lips touch hers. Softly at first, just to test out her comfort level.
Our lips touched in soft, small kisses as my hand moved up her thigh. She wasn’t as sweet as she pretended to be, and I just waited for the release of her inner freak. Five minutes of obligatory conversation was over, it was finally all right for Lana to give in to her desires for me.
We continued the slow kissing game for a few minutes before her hand reached into my pants and grabbed hold of my raging cock. That’s how I knew she was ready to bring the evening to a whole new level.
I grabbed her and lifted her up onto my lap, with her legs spread on either side of me. She moaned as I lifted up her skirt and let my fingers play with her wetness. Oh, how she was wet already. I knew she wanted me, and that wetness just proved my thoughts were right.
Her breasts were near my lips already. So, I pulled them both out over her dress and let them look gloriously at me for a moment. They were huge, and perfectly round. My mouth took one of them in, while my hand moved up to play with the other one.
She moaned in delight, and I wanted to hear more of that. I squeezed her nipple hard between my fingers, as hard as I could squeeze it. The pain initially shocked Lana, but then the moan released, and she thrust her tit even closer to me. I moved my mouth over to the left nipple and let my right hand play. Again, I squeezed it hard between my fingers.
“Ouch, Chase. Careful.”
“I’m not a gentle guy.”
Lana contemplated what I had said for a moment and then something changed in the way she looked at me. She leaned down and kissed me roughly, as her hand grabbed my cock and pulled on it hard.
Oh, she likes it a little wild and rough.
She stood up and grabbed her purse. I watched as she pulled out a condom and leaned down to pull me fully out of my pants, so she could put it on me. I loved to watch a woman take control and roll the condom down my cock. There was a delightful mastery that women had which made the act look sexy and mysterious.
Lana straddled me and sat above my cock for a minute as we kissed. Knowing her body was only inches away from me was torture. I throbbed with a desire to be inside of her. I moved my hips toward her in the hopes that she would release me from my torture and slide her body onto my cock.
Suddenly, she thrust herself on top of my cock and threw her arms around my shoulders. Her body moved quickly, and I could tell her clit rubbing against me had her totally wired. My hands gripped her hips and helped her thrust against me, as my hips moved up to fill her up totally.
Within a couple of minutes, I could tell her body was getting ready to explode with excitement. Her hands gripped on tighter to my shoulders. Her face leaned into my neck, and I heard her breathing become more labored.
I reached my hands around and grabbed her ass tightly. While I held onto her, I spread her cheeks and forced her body deep onto my cock. The movement was more than she could take, and I started to thrust in time with her so we could cum together.
Cumming with a beautiful woman riding me was by far my favorite thing to do on a Saturday night – or any night, really. I didn’t have a particular type of woman that I liked. It was different with each one. Blondes, brunettes, redheads – it didn’t matter. I just loved women.
The problem was I didn’t love them enough to want a relationship with them. Most of the time, I kept things to one-night stands only. There were a few women who I felt strongly enough for that I had started relationships with, but those were extremely short lived.
Our movements were fast and hard, and we both released a loud moan as our bodies gave in to the delight of the moment. I pulled her in close and kissed her as she stayed on my lap for a moment while we both recovered. She was a beautiful girl, but I knew I wouldn’t be calling her for another night of fun anytime soon.
It was a sweet moment. It would have been sweeter if it wasn’t in the back room of a dance club and I wasn’t about to blow her off and never see her again. I loved one-night stand sex. It was quick, easy, and didn’t come with a bunch of emotions.
I knew it was different from relationship sex. I’d been in a relationship before, a very long one in fact. But sex was boring in relationships. There wasn’t that element of surprise or excitement when you saw each other. Pretty much from the first night I slept with a girl to the day we broke up, I always thought relationship sex was disastrously boring. And therefore, I didn’t find a need for it in my life.
My life was simpler without a woman. Even the sexiest of women tend to complicate a man’s life, and I didn’t want that. I wanted fun. I wanted to travel with my friends, party all night long, and fuck amazing women. Nothing else seemed like a life worth living.