Free Trust by Aubrey St. Clair Page B

them back to
him.  I watch as he turns the phone on and flips through it briefly, presumably
checking his messages. 
     
    "My bike is
ready."
     
    "What?"  I'm
not sure what he's talking about.
     
    He looks up at me. 
"My motorcycle.  It's been in the shop all week.  You ever been on
one?"
     
    I shake my head.
     
    "Really?  Never? 
Well then that's what we'll do tomorrow."
     
    "I don't know,"
I protest.  "Motorcycles seem pretty dangerous."
     
    "Oh, Lila.  You
gotta live a little, babe!  There's nothing like riding really fast in the
desert, the wind wiping against your body and the scenery going by you in a
blur.  It gets your heart pumping, the blood in your veins will feel
alive."
     
    "I thought that's
what sex is for," I smile and wink.
     
    Chase laughs.  "I'm
not going to argue with that.  But if I can't keep you naked and sequestered in
my room 24 hours a day, then there are other ways to feel exhilarated."
     
    "I guess."
     
    "You'll love it, I
promise.  You have to live a little, Lila.  You don't always have to be so
safe!"
     
    "I'm not.  I
do!" I protest, but he has me pegged.  I've always lived too safely,
afraid to take chances.  In fairness, I think it's probably easier to live a
little closer to the edge when you're rich than when you're struggling to make
rent each month.  It's not like I have friends with motorcycles or the money to
go diving with sharks in Australia or anything.
     
    "We'll see," he
says.  "Tomorrow."
     
    "Tomorrow," I
agree.  I'm not exactly looking forward to it, but at least if he's making
plans with me for tomorrow then he isn't planning on ditching me for Denise. 
I'm feeling better about that situation already.
     
    We arrive at the house
and he lets us in after telling his driver to go for lunch but to bring us
something on his way back.  We'll have a later lunch so that we can get in the
pool right away.
     
    I haven't been out in his
backyard yet, and it's gorgeous.  I note how well manicured the lawn is,
considering he's never here to take care of it.
     
    "I have a service
for that."  Of course. 
     
    The fence around the
property is high enough that he doesn't have to worry about any of his
neighbors watching us, giving us the privacy that we lack whenever we go to the
pool at the hotel.  Or whenever we leave the house at all, really.  I've never
understood the complaint about celebrities being bothered by people until I
started seeing Chase, and he isn't even known outside the poker or gambling
world.  I can't imagine what it would be like for a movie star.
     
    I follow him to the side
of the yard where there is a little small hut with a couple of doors used as a
changing area.  He goes into one side after motioning me to go into the other. 
Once inside I pull my bathing suit out of the bag I brought and strip off my
clothes.  As I'm about to put it on, a naughty thought creeps into my head. 
Instead, I drop it onto the floor and wait until I hear Chase exit the other
room.  I step out completely naked and watch as his jaw drops, and he lowers
his shades to let his eyes roam over his body.  He's wearing a shorts style
swimsuit himself but lets out a low whistle as he sees me.
     
    "I think you forgot
something," he smiles.
     
    "Well, you said I
don't know how to live dangerously..."
     
    Chase laughs.  "This
is your idea of living on the edge, then?"
     
    I put my hands over my
breasts and pretend to turn back to the changing room.  "If you don't like
it, I can go put my suit on."
     
    "Definitely
not!"  He grabs my arm and pulls me to him.  "I have no complaints
about what you're... not wearing."
     
    "You're over dressed
for this party, though."  I hook my fingers into the waistband of his trunks
and yank them down to his feet.
     
    "Hey," he
exclaims as I straighten up and kiss him quickly on the lips.
     
    "Shut up," I
reply.  I put my hands on his chest and push him backwards.  The surprised look
on his face as he hits the