Sunlight spilled through the slits in the shades, blinding Chase. He hadn’t slept well that night, but he was still ready to get up and get his day underway. He had been busy over the past few days, attending the mandatory meetings at the club and going out with the guys.

It was true, he didn’t have to go out with the guys, but he did have to admit that he was glad he did. Though their antics could get out of hand from time to time, the night before had been fun for all of them, and he was glad they had cut it short when they did. Though it was hardly a surprise for Jax to been so grabby with the waitress, Chase hadn’t realized he was so drunk and sloppy so quickly. He wondered if any of them would remember that he lost the bet.

But then again, so had Jax. He hadn’t gotten close to taking her home any more than Chase had, and it was clear that the girl really wasn’t impressed with the way Jax was treating her. Of course, he couldn’t say much more for himself, though he did get the impression that she was happy with the way he had stepped in and stopped Jax from grabbing her.

It was far better for both parties than getting any of the bouncers involved, and Chase knew it. He was disappointed that he didn’t get her number, but he did get her name. Though he didn’t frequent that nightclub, he knew that it was something he could change. Perhaps he would make an effort to get in there and see that girl every few days. He wasn’t that much of an idiot to make it seem so obvious, so he’d have to come up with legitimate reasons to go there.

There was no doubt in his mind that if he were to see her often enough, she would eventually warm up to him and want him just as much as he wanted her. But he could think about her later. Right now, he had other things on his mind and other things that he needed to get done.

He went downstairs to the gym in his apartment complex. Chase made an effort to frequent the gym weekly, making sure that he stayed in good shape. Though he was only twenty-nine, he knew if he started to let himself go, it wouldn’t be long before he didn’t like how he looked, and it would be difficult for him to find enough time to get back into shape.

It was far better for him to stay in shape in the first place than to lose it and try to get it back again. After going through his routine on the treadmill and weights, Chase went back upstairs and stepped into the shower. He liked living just above the gym. It meant that he could work out when it was convenient for him, and it wasn’t going to take a lot of time out of his day.

Though he could work from really anywhere he wanted to, it didn’t change the fact that he spent a lot of his time running around from one meeting to another. Whether he was meeting with a client who was interested in the furniture he was selling or if he was doing something for the club, it wasn’t unusual for him to be on the move nonstop from the moment his feet hit the floor in the morning to when he finally went to bed at night.

Chase stepped out of the shower and ran a towel over his head. He draped it around his shoulders and stepped into his boxers, then he headed out to his living room. He didn’t have anywhere to be that morning, but he did have some sales calls to make. But, since he wasn’t leaving the house, Chase made the call in the comfort of his boxers.

It was brief, but he closed the deal before the man had the chance to change his mind. “Thank you, Mr. Greeton. I know you aren’t going to be disappointed with your choice.”

He hung up the phone and smiled to himself, proud that he had managed to close another deal in such a short amount of time. His father had started the business, sure, but even his father hadn’t been able to close deals or make sales with the same kind of success that Chase did. It was as though once Chase decided he was going to make a sale, there wasn’t anything anyone could do that would change his mind.

He picked up his phone once more and called his father, eager to tell him that he had closed on the deal.

“What do you think of that?” he asked, triumph in his voice.

“I want to know how you did it,” his father replied.

“It’s easy, Dad, you just gotta make it sound like it’s something they can’t live without. Then, when they sound a little bit interested, you’ve gotta bring it home before they have the chance to change their mind.” He laughed at the sound of his father breathing on the other end of the line. It was a rare thing for him to render his father completely speechless, but it had happened once more.

“You’re doing better at this than I did when I was your age. Think about where you could be when you get to my age,” his dad said at last. It was a compliment that was given begrudgingly, but it was a compliment nonetheless, and it was one Chase would gladly take.

“I know. I’m doing damn well for myself as it is, I can only go up from here,” he said with a laugh. His dad joined in, but there was a strain to his voice. Chase knew that it was difficult for his father to see him do better than he was doing, but it was also something Chase was proud of. He wasn’t going to hold back because his father wanted him to. He was going to rise to the top and keep going.

Or die trying.

He hung up the phone and poured himself a cup of coffee, sipping on it and thinking. He knew his father was proud of him in some way, but he wasn’t ever going to drag that out of him. His father just wasn’t wired the way most were, and Chase wasn’t going to lose sleep over it. He accepted it long ago. There were plenty of things to focus on instead. Penny, for one.

He had thought about her off and on throughout the morning, but now that he finally had a few minutes to himself, she was all he could think about. She was so intriguing. So captivating. Even though he barely knew her, she was already so endearing. He had to get to know her better, but he didn’t know how he was going to do that.

He had to find a way to get close to her, even though she was resistant to all of his advances the night before. There had to be some way to crack the code. There had to be some way to get into her life. Chase was always up for a challenge, and when it came to winning over a woman, he knew that he had to make it happen. It would eat at him until he finally did, and he wouldn’t be able to concentrate on anyone else. Until her, he hadn’t encountered a woman who didn’t want him, much less a waitress of all people. He welcomed this challenge, and he knew it would be so satisfying when he finally had her.

He sipped his coffee, thinking about her beautiful body. There was nothing he would change about her. Nothing at all. As far as he was concerned, she was the definition of perfection, and he had to know what it was like to be inside her. Until that moment, he would make her his goal. He was a hunter, and she was his prey.

And he absolutely loved the hunt.