Chase planned on taking Grace to the outdoor market for the day and letting her peruse while he found some fresh fish and vegetables to cook a fancy dinner later, but halfway there, he received a phone call from his contractors and they had to make a detour. They were having issues with the blueprints for the theater renovations, which had to be taken care of ASAP before any work could begin.

“I’m sorry,” he said again, kissing the back of Grace’s hand in the limo.

“Why? I don’t mind. Besides,” she said, glancing at her cell, “Jimmy is there for some reason. I want you to meet him.”

“Yes, your roommate.” Chase smirked. “Dexter said he was quite a character.”

“He has his moments,” she agreed. “He’s been dying to meet you all weekend, though, so be nice.”

He drew her into his arms and kissed the top of her head, unable to get enough of her sweet scent of cherry blossoms and vanilla. “When am I not nice?”

“This morning when you interrupted my yoga,” she said, poking him in the chest. “I’m only half stretched out now.”

“I thought we finished stretching in the shower, and in bed, and on the floor,” he said, chuckling, thinking of the last one. They’d been recovering when she decided to tackle him again. They’d rolled off the bed in a heap of sheets and limbs before she straddled him.

The drive to the theater district was long enough for hard breathing and flushed faces when Dexter knocked politely on the rear door. After quickly ensuring their clothes were in place—a habit Chase enjoyed—they stepped out and walked to her theater.

“Feels weird being back,” she mused.

“Why? You’ve only been gone for a weekend.”

“Yeah, but it feels like a lifetime already. The woman you met that night… I think she’s different now.”

Chase grinned, his chest swelling because he had caused that change. He remembered the not so happy look on that woman’s face. The Grace beside him now was certainly more carefree, and though she still had that sarcastic edge and kept her secrets close to her chest, a glimmer of hope filled him that one day soon, she’d let him in. Just as he would one day let her in.

They entered the theater, which buzzed with activity, and were barely inside the doors when someone yelled Grace’s name excitedly. Chase glanced over to see a tall man with long black hair run towards her and pick her up in his arms. A sharp pang of jealousy shot through him until he heard Grace call him Jimmy. He relaxed a little, but immediately slipped his hand back in hers when Jimmy put her back on her feet.

“And you must be Chase Valentine,” Jimmy crooned, holding out a hand. “Pleasure to meet you, man.”

Chase took it with a smile. “You too, Jimmy. Grace hasn’t told me much about you, I’m afraid.”

“I’m sure you two haven’t done that much talking,” Jimmy said with a wink as he nudged Grace’s arm. She blushed instantly and smacked his arm, but Chase chuckled. “See? I’m right. The damn man can’t keep a grin off his face or his hands off of you.”

“Why are you here?” Grace asked him quickly. “I thought we were supposed to clear out.”

“We were,” he said, his face darkening. “Bastard hasn’t given us our checks yet, so I’m here with the others, demanding he fork it over. What are you doing here? You didn’t say.”

Chase saw his contractor as he passed Jimmy and waved at him. “My fault, I’m afraid. Issue with the blueprints. Grace, who’s this man who hasn’t paid Jimmy yet?”

“Hasn’t paid her either,” Jimmy told him, “in what? Three months now?”

Chase frowned, crossing his arms over his chest. “Who? Tell me.”

“It’s fine,” she told him, but he caught the anger in her eyes. “Really, we’ll go take care of the asshole director and you deal with your contractor. Promise.”

He didn’t want to but said he would be on the stage if she needed him. He kissed her forehead and hurried over to find out about the problem with the blueprints. He shook hands with his long-time contractor, Devin, and leaned on the table beside him.

“What am I looking at here?” he asked, running his hand over the new print for the theater. After only a few seconds, he mumbled, “What the hell are these measurements? This is all wrong.”

“Good, so you saw it too,” Devin muttered. “They came in like this at six, and I’ve been trying to track down whomever created this catastrophe on paper.”

Chase rubbed his face before scratching the back of his neck. “How long to get them fixed, you think? Couple of days? I don’t want to get too far behind on this.” He glanced around at the theater and its old, slightly decrepit state. His eyes fell on Grace and Jimmy walking to another man who was directing the workers where to move things.

He watched as Jimmy tapped the man on the shoulder and talked to him, a smile on his face. The man laughed harshly, his lips moved in reply, and Jimmy’s face fell. The man Chase assumed was their director and the man in charge of paying them their dues, shifted his attention to Graceland.

“Devin, have you seen Theodore?” he asked, his gaze on the man causing Grace’s face to turn three different shades of red in a manner of minutes.

“Somewhere, I think, why?”

“He’s the producer for these plays, too, and I think he’d like to know that his actors aren’t getting their money,” he muttered and told Devin to find the man and bring him over.

When the man yelled so loud everyone in the theater turned to watch, Chase gritted his teeth, hopped off the stage, and stalked over to stand behind the director. He didn’t say anything, simply glared at the back of the man’s head, waiting. Jimmy smirked, and Grace’s eyes flickered to him then back at the man.

“What? See? She can’t even pay attention when I’m standing in front of her talking!” the man yelled, waving his arms at Grace. “She’s the worst actress I’ve ever hired, and I want her out of my theater!”

“Excuse me,” Chase growled, making the man jump. “Are you the director?”

“Damn straight I am,” the man snapped and whipped around to face him. Chase smirked when the man had to take a step back so he could look up to meet his green eyes. “Terrance Davidson. Who the hell are you? Another stage hand?”

Grace laughed and Terrance shot her a look, but Chase said, “Do I look like a stage hand? I’m the man in charge of the renovations for this theater.”

“Ah, Chase Valentine! A pleasure to meet you,” Terrance said, and immediately, his tone changed as he held out his hand. Chase declined to take it and stood with his arms crossed tightly over his chest. Terrance let his hand fall and spoke uncomfortably. “Uh… well then, I guess I should let you get to work. No need worrying about the actors. I have them well under control.”

“I highly doubt that,” Chase said stiffly. “I overheard you speaking to this woman. Is that how you talk to all of your actors?”

Terrance glared at him. “How I speak to my actors is not the concern of the man in charge of renovations. You are not the producer, nor are you the owner.”

He shrugged one shoulder. “Maybe not, but you know what I am? I’m that woman’s boyfriend,” he said with a wicked grin, nodding towards Grace. Terrance swallowed hard. “And you know what else? I’m good friends with Theodore, who is the producer and—oh, look, there he is now. Should I tell him or should you, Terrance?”

Theodore ran a hand over his bald head. “Tell me what? Terrance? What seems to be the trouble here? Ah… Grace, Jimmy, so good to see you both,” he said happily, hugging them both. “Grace, I meant to tell you, rave reviews for the last play. Can’t wait to get you back in here once all the work’s done.”

She beamed, and Chase stood straighter, proud of her. “Thanks, Theodore. Too bad you’re the only one, it appears, who wants me on stage.”

“What? Who said that? You’re not leaving me, are you?” Theodore asked quickly. “Terrance, you better not let my actors get poached.”

“That’s not what… no, of course not,” Terrance said, stumbling over his words as sweat broke out on his forehead.

Chase moved around him to rest his arm on Grace’s shoulders. “Then maybe you should explain why your actors haven’t been paid yet, Terrance.”

“They’re lying,” he snapped immediately. “They’re all liars. I’ve paid them. I have!”

“Bullshit,” Grace yelled. “You always say you will, but you don’t! Three times, now, Terrance. Three times I haven’t seen my money until weeks later, and what I get is not what I’m owed!”

“You don’t deserve to be paid! You’re just a washed-up nobody who pisses all her money away!” Terrance took a step towards her, but Chase shoved her protectively behind him, reached out, and grabbed the man by his shirt front.

He shook him hard enough for his teeth to rattle. “I’m only going to say this once, you pompous ass. You will pay your actors everything you owe them, and then you will get out of town.”

Terrance struggled to get away from him, but Chase’s grip was too strong. “You can’t do that to me.”

“No, but he can, and I have friends in very high places in many places in this city,” he warned with a smile. “If you so much as try to direct a street play, I will have your ass dragged out of this city. Understood?”

Chase released him and shoved him backwards. Theodore called for the two security guards to come over as Terrance continued to argue. He didn’t shut up until Chase took a threatening step towards him, sending him in fright back into the hands of the two security guards. Theodore had them drag Terrance away, threatening to sue the man.

For a second as Chase smiled smugly after the bastard, he worried Grace would be upset with him, but when he turned to face her, she nodded in approval. “Damn, for a man I thought was a stiff, you have quite the temper under there, Loki.”

“Loki?” Jimmy asked with a raised brow. He shook his head and held up his hands. “Never mind, I don’t think I want to know.”

“Does everything with you revolve around sex?” Grace argued and smacked Jimmy in the arm.

“You’ve known me long enough. Answer that question yourself.”

She rolled her eyes and wrapped her arms around Chase, staring up at him with such intense passion in those depths, he wanted to drag her to a secluded corner and have his way with her. But there were far too many people. No one would her hear cry out his name except he himself. He contented himself with lifting her off her feet and kissing her hotly.

“Thank you,” she whispered.

“For what?”

“Standing up for me like that. Not many people do,” she said, glancing over her shoulder. Terrance was being led out of the theater by a yelling Theodore and several security guards. “He wasn’t always a bastard.”

“No? What changed him?”

“Your girlfriend wouldn’t sleep with him for a raise,” Jimmy butted in.

Chase’s arms tightened around her. “He asked you for sex?”

“Asked, coerced, felt up behind stage,” Jimmy muttered, and with each word, Chase’s anger grew until his blood boiled.

“Should’ve decked the man,” he growled and turned to go after him, but her arms stopped him. “What? I just want to teach the man a lesson.”

“And as much as I’d love to see it, I’d prefer you not go to jail today for assault. I’m fine. Nothing ever happened,” she promised, standing on her toes so he could kiss her again. He wanted it to go on forever, but there was still business to attend to, and if he was going to take her downtown, he had to deal with the damn blueprints.

He crushed her to his body, lifting her off her feet until she laughed, and finally set her back down. “Ten minutes, tops,” he whispered in her ear and walked away, hoping the entire theater didn’t notice the growing erection through his jeans. “Damn that woman,” he cursed as he walked back to Devin, picturing all the ways to help her finish her yoga later that night.

Anything to get his mind off the idea of another man’s hands on her body.

* * *

Grace knew since she first met Chase, he held something back, and after watching his confrontation with Terrance, she was excited to see what else she could bring out of the man. There was a tough guy beneath that charming exterior, a man who wasn’t afraid to fight for what he wanted.

“Loki, indeed,” she whispered.

“What was that?” Jimmy asked.

“Nothing. So, looks like we’ll get paid, and I’ll be able to hand over my rent to you,” she told him, relieved that things were truly looking up. “Still no word from Mickey today.”

Jimmy plopped down into one of the old theater seats. “You think your mom really did it, then?”

She shrugged, and with a heavy sigh, flopped down beside him. “I don’t know. I tried calling her, but she didn’t answer and won’t respond to my texts,” she said as she pulled out her cell and checked it again. Nothing.

“That ring on your finger… How long are you planning on keeping it?” he asked with a wry smile.

Grace glanced down at the diamonds and frowned. “I forgot I even had it on,” she said quietly, spinning it around her finger. “I guess I should give it back.”

“Do you want to?”

“It’s not mine,” she said sadly. “I haven’t taken his money yet.”

She waited for Jimmy to get onto her for it. After all, the whole point of the weekend was to get the twenty thousand and make her life a little easier. Instead, she fell in love with the damn man… Grace’s heart thudded. Love? No… it can’t be that, can it?

“What are you thinking about that’s got you all panicky?” Jimmy asked. “Grace?”

“I… uh, nothing. It’s nothing,” she muttered and tried to hide her face, but Jimmy nudged her until she gave in. “I think… I think I might be falling for him—really falling for him.”

Jimmy stared at her long and hard, studying her face, and he burst out laughing so hard he cried, wiping tears of mirth on his arm. Grace could only watch, waiting for him to stop, but he didn’t for a long time and she finally threatened to whack him upside the head if he couldn’t pull himself together.

“People will think you’re on something,” she muttered.

“I’m sorry, but the look on your face. It’s priceless,” he said, still cackling. “Oh, Grace, hon, everyone can see it.”

“You don’t think I should take the money?”

“If you didn’t love the man, you would have,” he told her. “Clearly, you have quite a few feelings for him if you haven’t yet, and that ring on your finger? He hasn’t asked for it back.”

She puffed out her cheeks and cracked her knuckles. “But this is crazy. No one falls in love like that! Over a weekend?”

“Some people do, if they’re meant for one another,” he told her gently. “Don’t overthink it. You’ll only ruin it. Just let it play out, see what happens. I will say I’ve never seen you so happy before. You’ve smiled more today than I’ve seen in the past year.”

There was no arguing with him on that point. She felt happier than she had in years, freer with Chase than anyone else. Watching him work on the stage, she couldn’t help but grin, remembering all the time they spent together and how incredible every minute had been. There were still so many things she didn’t know about him, and she hadn’t even decided yet how she would tell him the truth about why she took his offer in the first place, but given time, she would. With him, there was no rush to figure everything out, no hurrying, really, at all.

“How did I manage to find him?” she asked Jimmy quietly.

“I dunno, but I hope you don’t mess it up with him. That man up there, he’s yours,” he told her sternly. “Don’t let him go.”

As if he’d sensed them talking about him, Chase glanced her way and smirked, those damn eyes heated as they met hers. Grace waved and let herself continue to hope this was her new life.

But as happy as she was, she couldn’t block out the worry that the problems with her mom and Mickey were far from over, no matter what she was told.

* * *

Dinner was interrupted by Chase picking Grace up and tackling her onto the couch when she muttered something about testing out a new yoga pose in the morning, one that stretched all the muscles he had her using in ways she couldn’t even imagine. The more she talked about it, the more his face tightened and jaw clenched until finally he scooped her up and showed her even more ways to use said muscles.

When they finally made it back to dinner, they finished everything on their plates and he told her to make herself comfortable while he found a bottle of whiskey and two glasses. She perused his movie collection, but it was the video games she was more interested in.

“How good at these are you?” she called over her shoulder.

“Pretty decent, why? Don’t tell me you play.”

“You’re not one of those guys that thinks a girl can’t kick ass at video games, are you?”

He chuckled and brought over two tumblers with amber liquid swirling inside. “Are you going to prove me wrong?”

“Hell yes, I am,” she said gleefully. “You are so on.”

“Fine, here’re the terms,” he told her as he turned on the TV and the gaming system. “Pick the game, but we’re playing for something.”

She rummaged through the games and pulled out the original Halo. “Oh yeah? Like what?”

He took the game from her and wrapped an arm around her waist until she was pressed firmly against the hard planes of his body. “Strip Halo.”

“Strip Halo? So what, every time you die, you lose a piece of clothing?” She eyed him up and down, biting her lip and trying to look worried. “Can we play with socks, too?”

“If you must,” he said with an arrogant air before he kissed her until her toes curled. “Socks, underwear—hell, I’ll even be nice and let you use each of your piercings.” He let her go so he could set up the game.

Grace smirked behind his back, shot back the rest of her whiskey, and grabbed two pillows so they could do it like true gamers—sitting on the floor, acting like reckless teenagers. “Oh, you’re so on,” she whispered. God, I can’t wait to see him naked, she thought and couldn’t stop smiling until he sat his tall frame down beside her and they got ready to play.

An hour later, Grace chewed her lip as her character in the game crouched down atop the stone outcropping. She waited… waited… and the second Chase’s guy came into view, killed him with a headshot.

“Damn it, woman!” he yelled as his character flopped dead to the ground and she cackled mercilessly beside him. “You’re cheating. You have to be cheating!”

“You’re not watching your own screen,” she argued through her laughter.

“I am too.”

“Your eyes have been on my half of the screen for the past half-hour,” she accused and paused the game. “Well, go on, take it off, big boy.”

Chase glowered at her and stripped off a sock. He was down to one more and nothing else. Grace, on the other hand, still wore her bra, jeans, panties, all her piercings, and even her socks. “You baited me into this. It’s all your fault,” he muttered, and taking a pillow from the couch, covered himself. “Punishment for you lying.”

She un-paused the game and stalked him on the map. “You never outright asked me if I was good or not. You simply said girls could not play as well as boys.” When she slid a sideways glance at him, her heartbeat spiked at the dark promise in his eyes for sweet payback later.

They ran around the map a few more times, but Chase managed to evade her next few attempts to kill him. She was so focused on the game and ridding him of that last sock she didn’t even notice he moved until his hands gripped her hips and he slid her back into the cradle of his lap. His very naked, warm lap. She shivered as he surrounded her with his broad body but didn’t look away from the screen.

“Your distractions will do you no good,” she said, the words rough as she tried to stay focused on the screen and not his breath at her neck or the erection pressing against her back.

“Is that right?” he mused quietly. “We’ll see.”

Every nerve was on high alert when he nuzzled her neck and his tongue flicked out against her earlobe before he drew it into her mouth and sucked hard. Grace cursed and her eyes slipped closed for a moment before she snapped them back open.

“Nope, not going to work,” she said but knew it was only a matter of time.

Chase scooted even closer, his legs pushing against her thighs. Grace’s finger slipped from the controller, and he nailed her. “Looks like one more for me,” he growled. “Let me help you with that.”

His fingers undid the hook of her bra, and she let him push the straps down her arms before she took it off and tossed it with the rest of their clothing. Her breasts heavy, Grace did her best to stay focused on the game, but with every passing second, his teasing kisses and tantalizing whispers of seeing her naked and splayed out before him made her pant with longing.

“I bet you’re wet already,” he whispered as he smoothed along her stomach and lower to her jeans. Slowly, far too slowly, he undid the button and worked at the zipper. “Graceland.”

Each word that fell from his mouth was a caress laced with a promise that sunk deep into her heart and filled it with his love, his lust, and all his desires. His fingers twirled in the curls before slipping to those warm lips and yes, they were already wet. She felt her panties soaked the second he moved behind her, and when he discovered it, he cursed.

“Do you concede?” he asked.

She gasped when he ran one finger along her clit, causing her to flinch with pleasure. “Never.”

He set down his controller completely and held her breast in his hand, massaging her soft flesh, kissing her shoulder as his other hand shifted in her jeans, searching for that warmth. “You will, soon enough.” He tugged her nipple, and when his hand moved in an easy rhythm across her swollen lips and clit, the controller finally fell from her hands.

“Chase,” she whispered as her head rolled back onto his chest.

That one whisper was all the invitation he needed for his hands to move across her body, turning her to face him in his lap and capture her mouth. Grace clung to him, needing to be as close as she could get to this man who turned her inside out so easily with barely a touch or a look. His tongue explored the depths of her mouth, claiming every last bit of her as his hands roamed across her skin, sending goosebumps of want throughout every cell.

If this wasn’t love, she didn’t know what could feel better or be more right than having her heart taken by a man and cared for so well.

He laid her back against the soft, plush rug and kissed his way down her neck, his hair tickling her chest and nipples. Her jeans were snug, but it only took him one hard tug to free her body from the rest of her clothing, removing her socks and his with a dark laugh, and inched back up her body. His lips stopped every so often as his tongue swirled across her skin. When he nipped the back of her knees, Grace gasped, desperate for more of him, but he stayed well out of her reach.

“This is not fair,” she whispered hoarsely, hands digging into the rug. “Chase.”

“Payback is never fair,” he mused, his breath hot on her inner thigh.

Grace’s eyes closed, and she struggled to breathe when his hands gently pushed her knees further apart and glided up her inner thighs, each touch more erotic than the last. Her arousal slammed into overdrive with each touch. Her nipples hard and breasts hungry to be touched, she reached up to hold them, unable to resist the urge not to, but when he cursed she opened one eye and saw him watching intently.

With their eyes locked on each other, he lowered his mouth and licked a trail of pure fire up her thigh to her soft lips crying for his attention. When he found her clit and sucked it hard into his mouth, she cried out, tugging at her nipples at the same time and relishing the rush of insane pleasure shooting through her body.

His mouth worked against her while his hands massaged and caressed her thighs and hips, dragging her even closer to him. As his tongue entered her, her hips bucked and she shivered with wanton need coursing through her veins. Chase was everywhere inside her, filling her heart and soul with his hunger to be part of her, and Grace took him in. With every stroke of his tongue, he reached deeper into her soul until she knew there was no getting rid of him. He was a part of her and forever would be. He broke her apart and remade her with him attached. In his hands, her body melted and she cried out from the sharp ecstasy threatening to consume her whole.

“Chase,” she moaned as he sucked her clit and slid his fingers inside her, moving swiftly. When he stopped, she glanced up, worried something happened. “What’s wrong?”

He smirked mischievously as he asked, “Do you trust me?”

“Course, why wouldn’t I?” she replied, half dazed from the almost insane orgasm.

Taking her hips, he rolled her over gently and slid up along the back side of her body. “Don’t worry,” he whispered, “I just want to hear you scream my name in pleasure.”

“I thought I already was,” she mused, wondering what could be better than what he already did to her. His fingers quickly resumed their place inside her, thrusting in hard and deep as he kissed her neck and shoulder, nipping here and there until she couldn’t see straight. She was soaked from his touch and wondered how much more she could take when his hand shifted and she stilled, but only for a second.

The next second, her hands dug into the rug and she screamed. Pure ecstasy couldn’t even begin to describe the way he tore her body apart so beautifully. Her voice became hoarse as the pleasure continued unabated, and he didn’t relent, never giving her a chance to catch her breath. When he wrenched the last ounce of the orgasm from her, his hand slowly pulled out. He chuckled in her ear as she collapsed against his chest.

“What… what the hell… did you do?” she mumbled, trying to catch her breath.

“That? Something I was curious about,” he said absently. “I’m going to assume by your screams that it was well worth it.”

Grace nodded, unable to articulate as her body tried to recover. His fingers, while inside her, had pushed back and his thumb slipped up somewhere else she never thought she’d be comfortable with. But when he pressed his fingers together, it was mind-blowing. Every nerve still tingled from it, and when he lifted her leg and let his erection glide along her wet, swollen lips, a moan escaped her mouth.

“I think I can get used to your kind of payback,” she said, trembling as he continued to move his hips and let her feel his swollen length, begging for entrance.

“And I’m not finished yet,” he promised, and with a quick adjustment of his hips, he thrust hard and deep inside of her, filling her until Grace thought she’d burst. He groaned behind her and moved forward slowly, each time sending her closer to an edge she thought she couldn’t tumble over again. “You see what you do to me?”

“What I do to you?” she muttered, laughing. “God, don’t stop.”

The room spun and Grace lost herself in the moment. Chase’s hand closed tightly around her hip as he thrust harder and faster, but she wanted to see him, to watch him as he came with her. Carefully, she pulled away and rolled him over until she straddled him. Before she could settle herself against him, he laughed and rolled them back over, sliding home in one swift movement.

“No, not tonight,” he muttered darkly, growling as he moved. “Tonight, I’m claiming you as mine, Graceland. Forever.”

He kissed her, his tongue in time with his plunges into her. “Forever?” she gasped against his lips. “Chase, what are you… what are you saying?”

“I’m not letting you leave my side. I don’t think I could get by without you.”

She glanced at the engagement ring on her finger and back at him. “Chase?”

“Yes?” he asked as he held himself steady inside her, arms shaking with the effort.

“I’ll be yours, forever,” she told him sincerely and stretched up to kiss him.

He groaned against her mouth and took her hard and fast, covering every part of her body with his, filling her until there wasn’t room for anything except him and her and their passion for each other. Their love fueled them on until she cried out, her nails digging into his back as he groaned, burying himself inside her warmth.

This was home, what she felt in that moment. It wasn’t just sex with Chase, she knew that from the first time they did it on the yacht but had denied it. Now, in his arms so securely, so tightly, she knew she couldn’t deny it any longer. He was hers, and she would always be his.

Gently, he lifted himself off her body and scooped her up into his arms, kissing her cheeks, her nose, and her forehead as he carried her to his bedroom. By the time he laid her down, their hearts beat as one against their chests, and Grace laughed as they burrowed beneath the covers to discover what else they could about each other and the insatiable hunger filling them both.

While their laughter and moans of pleasure filled the penthouse, neither heard her cell go off multiple times in the other room nor saw the picture sent with a desperate message to reply ASAP.