Chase, page 29
I giggle as I nudge him playfully with my elbow, to which he laughs with me.
“You deserved it, and you know it,” I tease.
“I did,” he admits, “but now, lift your hand out for me, Izzy.”
Of course, I hold up my right hand just to play with him, so he bites my earlobe. I yelp and then fall into giggles before lifting my left hand out in front of us. Without words, he carefully pulls out a simple platinum band with a solitaire diamond sparkling right in the middle of it. We both stare at it for a moment, marveling in its beautiful simplicity, much like us.
“Marry me, Izzy,” he whispers.
“Yes,” I reply instantly, and without the giggles, “always!”
And then…then he slides it on, making us whole, forever, and unbreakable.
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Other works by Taylor K. Scott:
Learning Italian
A romantic comedy
The Darkness Within Book #1
An enemies to lovers romantic suspense
Gabe
A holiday enemies to lovers contemporary romance
Claire’s Lobster
An age-gap, romantic comedy novella
My Best Friend
A Friends-to-Lovers contemporary romance
Mayfield Trilogy
A dark, suspense romance
The Knight (Carter #1)
A family saga, second-chance romance
Willows and Waterlilies (The Gentleman)
Ellie’s story from the ‘Carter’ series and in connection with the Wild Bloom’s Series
The Fool (Carter #2)
A bosshole contemporary romance
The Devil (Carter #3)
A second-chance contemporary romance
A Marriage of His Convenience (Marriage #1)
A historical romance
A Marriage of His Choosing (Marriage #2)
A friends to lovers historical romance
A Marriage of His Mercy (Marriage #3)
Pre-order now for Autumn 2024 release
Chase (Reawakened #1)
A friends to lovers, second chance contemporary romance
Hunter (Reawakened #2)
Pre-order now for May 2024 release
Phoenix (Reawakened #3)
Pre-order now for August 2024 release
Hunter (Reawakened #2)
Daniel’s story, ‘Hunter’, will be released this May and is now available for pre-order at:
Here is an excerpt from Daniel’s story, ‘Hunter’:
Hunter
Louisa Flynn is an enigma.
A girl in her early to mid-twenties who dresses every day for work like she’s about to attend a retired lady’s tea afternoon. She always, without fail, tucks her hair into a tight bun; I couldn’t even tell you if her hair is short, long, or a clip-on. Her glasses look like a pair she’s borrowed from her grandmother. They’re huge, square, and decorated in a nice chintzy pattern to go with her long, floral skirts and over-sized shirts. And if that ensemble wasn’t ugly enough, her cardigans look like something my grandfather used to wear. If she dressed her age, I’m sure she’d have a line of men following her to the office, however, the way she presents herself screams, ‘Keep far away!’
Her personality pretty much matches her exterior. She’s quiet, meek, and mild; nothing is too much for her to do and she is always polite and kind to everyone, even charmless imbeciles like Trent. All our employees like her, but much like me, they can’t really work her out. I don’t know anything of her personal life, but I’d be very surprised if she ever ventured out. Though, in terms of her professionalism, I couldn’t fault her at all.
All of this makes her the perfect candidate for Trent Walker’s fake fiancée. If anything she might need vamping up a little, but otherwise, she’s our girl. With her tinkering about in the kitchenette, I begin picturing how we can sell this new image of Trent and Louisa to the press, as well as potential directors. She serves our drinks and I smile at Theo; he already knows what’s going through my head, which he shows my shaking his head.
Trent eyes the both of us during this little exchange and turns to study Louisa in more detail. He then glances back at me, and I nod. His eyes burst open over the realization of what I am silently suggesting, and when I turn my head a fraction to the side, which more than confirms my intentions, his mouth drops open in horror.
“No fucking way!” he cries out. “I ain’t pretending to be hooked up with that,” he snaps, now gesturing to Louisa.
At his outburst, poor Louisa looks at Trent like he’s some sort of escaped mental patient from a cheesy horror flick.
“Louisa?” I ask politely, completely ignoring Trent’s inability to see past obvious appearances, “Would you mind taking a seat with us? Don’t worry about the drinks.”
Louisa cautiously walks over to take a seat next to me. I notice her tiny frame folds in on itself after she’s made herself somewhat more comfortable inside of the chair. I feel somewhat guilty for suggesting she goes anywhere near the crassness of Mr Walker and his gauche attire and untactful mouth. Though, not enough to not follow through with my idea. Trent opens his mouth to begin running it off again, so I put up my hand and give him a visual warning with just my eyes. I can look like a murderous son of a bitch if I need to, and right now, I very much need to.
“You will be polite and courteous, Mr Walker, or you can find representation elsewhere.”
“Trent, zip up that stupid mouth of yours!” his father says, knowing we’re his last chance to keep his son in with a chance of scoring any more roles.
Trent releases a huff of annoyance, much like I would have done when I was thirteen and beginning my torturous journey through puberty. The idiot even folds his arms and throws himself back against the chair.
“Louisa,” I begin, turning to give her my sole attention.
“Yes, Mr Metcalfe?” She looks at me like I’m her parent about to chastise her, so I try to soften my expression.
“We have a proposition for you,” I begin, trying to sound soothing, “Mr Walker, here, is one of our newest clients.”
I hold my hand out toward him as some sort of introduction, assuming she’ll have heard of him. Though, when she turns to look at him, there isn’t a trace of recognition on her face. From the look on Trent’s expression, this has dented his ego…considerably. I would revel in such a reaction if it wasn’t the fact that he has the potential to make us a tidy sum.
“Hello,” she whispers but the bastard says nothing. His father, however, introduces himself and smiles kindly.
“Mr Walker has been a bit…wild recently and we need to do something to neaten up his image…turn his reputation around. We need to make him more appealable to directors and more attractive to women.”
“Right,” she says, drawing the word out as she furrows her brow in confusion. I’m going to have to be more obvious, the fact being more than a little amusing to Theo by the look of the smile on his face.
“We need him to be seen to be linked to someone who can make him look more serious. What I’m suggesting is that we put him with someone who will make him appear to be settling down, becoming more sensible, and…romantic. Someone normal, someone like you,” I explain, pausing to give her a encouraging smile. “A fake engagement as it were.”
She looks between me, a scowling Trent, his father, who is now over-the-top smiling, Theo, who is beginning to look unsure and somewhat protective of her, and finally, me. “What say you, Louisa?”
“No,” she replies without even thinking about it. “No thank you.”
Trent scoffs over the very idea of someone like Louisa not wanting to go out with him; I bet he’s used to girls who would have jumped at the chance without even blinking. I try to keep my expression neutral, even though I must admit, I’m impressed by her dismissal of him.
“I understand, Louisa, but may I ask why not?” I ask, to which she simply shrugs and looks down at her hands. “Actually, let’s talk more privately. Gentleman, perhaps we can adjourn this meeting until tomorrow? Leave a time which is convenient with our admin staff, and we’ll get back to you to confirm.”
Trent rolls his eyes and clucks his tongue before shuffling out with his ridiculous wall of a bodyguard. His father offers us a smile of apology, focussing longer on Louisa in the hopes that she’ll suddenly accept my offer. I stand to encourage him out, leaving Theo and Louisa at the meeting table.
Once they are safely out the door, I turn to look at Louisa with my most charming smile, only to realize from her expression, that that’s not going to work on her.
“Daniel, she’s given you her answer, now leave it be,” Theo says, looking irritated on Louisa’s behalf.
“I am more than aware of that, Theo, but I would just like to give Louisa the opportunity to really consider what we’re offering here.” I walk back over to my chair and turn my body to talk directly to her and her alone.
She sighs in such a way, I think this is the first time she’s actually shown anything beyond compliance and politeness in front of me. I can’t help but smile to myself. Perhaps there is more to Louisa Flynn than the façade she likes to portray to the world.
“Do you have a boyfriend? Because we can talk about it with him. This arrangement would be completely for show only.”
“No, I don’t have a boyfriend,” she says matter of factly, but now with her arms crossed in an agitated fashion. “But this wasn’t in the job description.”
“You’re right, Louisa, now Daniel, drop it!” Theo warns me, but like I said, I’m not one for taking orders.
“There would be a significant bonus in it for you,” I continue, bypassing my partner and best friend altogether.
“Mr Metcalfe,” she begins, being polite but sounding curt at the same time, “your offer makes me feel like some sort of whore and I am not a whore by any stretch of the imagination.”
At first, I’m stunned by her sentence, both because it’s the most she’s ever said to me, but also because she said them with such conviction, I’m even more lost over who she really is. However, to my surprise as well as hers, I end up laughing. This is met with unmistakeable contempt in her eyes. I know I sound like an asshole, but I can’t help myself; the girl dresses like a nun in training and she thinks I’m trying to whore her up.
“My apologies, Louisa,” I eventually reply, “I did not mean to offend you and I certainly didn’t mean to imply you were a whore. I just meant that as an extra duty, you would be compensated well. But if there is something else that would change your mind, then tell me.”
“Is there anything else, Mr Metcalfe?” she asks as she gets to her feet, her lips set tightly in a rigid line of annoyance.
“Think on it…please. I’ll catch you later and talk to you then.”
She gives the slightest movement of a nod before marching out the door and closing it with a small thud behind her. I take a long inhale before turning toward Theo, bracing myself for his onslaught.
“You fucking asshole!” he snaps.
Ever since he found out about Izzy and her years of abuse, he is particularly sensitive. What he doesn’t realize is that I will protect Louisa with everything I have in me, but she is still the answer to our Trent Walker problem. The fact she has no clue as to who he is makes her an even better option.
“Theo,” I sigh, “she is perfect, and I will personally make sure she is kept safe and comfortable whilst in this role. You know I wouldn’t ever put someone in a vulnerable position, or leave them unprotected.”
“She doesn’t want to do it,” he positively growls at me. “End of, now leave her alone,”
“If by the end of the day she still says no, then I will drop it, agreed?”
“Not really, but,” he begins with his own sigh of frustration, “only if you let her come to that decision by herself. In fact, keep clear of her for the rest of the day. I am not going to risk losing Louisa because of some fucked up prick like Trent Matthews!”
He then strides out the door and slams it. He’s no doubt going to phone Izzy and bitch about me. I can accept that, especially if it means getting my own way.
By six o’clock, most of the office has left. I’ve bided my time, purposely avoiding both Louisa and Theo, but now is the time to go and coax her into playing fake happy families with Trent. Unfortunately, Theo catches me first, and he’s clearly still pissed with me. I don’t bother to say anything when he stands up tall and foreboding in my doorway, for I know it will further annoy him. Theo is all kinds of patient with Izzy, but when it comes to mostly everyone else, he can’t bear not having the last word.
“Don’t do this, Daniel,” he says, not hiding his anger at all.
“I thought you said Trent was my client,” I reply casually, “so I can do what I think is best for him. It’s my decision, right?”
“Look, you’re going to end up costing us the one decent PA we have, and if that happens, I’ll be fucking pissed off with you-”
A small but purposeful cough interrupts him mid-rant. He turns around in the doorway, then steps aside to reveal a very small and quiet-looking Louisa.
“Excuse me, Theo, Mr Metcalfe,” she says softly, “I’ve made a decision.”
“Please, come in,” I say perhaps a little too eagerly before gesturing to the seat front of my desk. She eyes it sceptically, as if second guessing whatever decision she’s made, but eventually, takes the seat.
“Before you give Daniel your answer, Louisa, please don’t do anything you’re not comfortable with,” Theo says before I can stop him. She turns and smiles at him briefly, only to then train her face back into neutral when she faces me again. Something tells me I’m not the favorite.
“There is something I need,” she says before shyly looking down at her hands. “If you can help me get it, I’ll do it…just for show.”
“Of course, no one would expect you to do anything more than that,” I tell her, hoping she knows I am genuine when I tell her this.
“Ok, well, then, I need one of you to co-sign on an apartment lease for me,” she says, lifting her chin and staring back at me with an air of confidence.
“Is that it?” I ask, not quite believing this is all she wants. But sure enough, she nods in confirmation.
“You know we would do that for you anyway, Louisa,” Theo and his big mouth says, ignoring my glaring at him.
“I know,” she says with a nervous smile for him, “but this way, I’m sort of earning it.”
“Where are you living now?” I ask, even though it’s none of my business.
“With my brother and his…family,” she replies with an anxious shrug of her small shoulders.
“Can’t he sign it for you?”
Theo shifts on his feet, eyeballing me because now I’m just being plain nosey.
“Do you want my help or not, Mr Metcalfe?” she says with an air of confidence I’ve not heard her use before. Theo smiles at this new-found bravery, whereas I throw my hands up by means of an apology for prying.
“Sorry, yes…yes, I do and I appreciate it,” I rush out. “I’ll also sort out that bonus for you-”
“No thank you,” she says politely, “the co-signature will be all.”
“Are you sure?” Theo chimes in with the same curious expression as I’m sure I have.
Though, she merely looks at her watch and gets to her feet.
“I have to go, or I’ll be late for my bus,” she declares before walking over to the door to leave.
“Thank you, Louisa,” I tell her with as much restraint as I can, given I’m mentally fist- bumping the air. “Bring us any paperwork you want us to sign, and we’ll see you tomorrow.”
She nods, picks up her bag, and shuffles out.
“Again, you’re a fucking asshole!” Theo says when we’re both sure she’s left the building. “I can’t believe you’re going to make that sweet girl pretend to be with that ass!”
“That’s exactly why I’m asking her to pretend to be with that ass,” I laugh, “she’s perfect!”
He flips me the bird over his shoulder and leaves for the day. I don’t delay in calling Trent Walker’s father to give him the good news. As I could have predicted, the old man is delighted but I’m sure Trent’s going to be less so.
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Taylor K Scott, Chase
