Free Killer: A Bad Boy Romance by Heather West Page B

someone, but fuck him. I deserved to have fun, too.
     
    “You’re charming,” Seth said. He kept grinning at me, showing his rows of even, white teeth. “You wanna take a little walk with me?”
     
    “Uhm,” I hesitated, looking down. “I’m not sure that I should,” I admitted. “I’m waiting for someone here.”
     
    “Boyfriend?”
     
    I shook my head. “No,” I said after a pause. “I don’t have a boyfriend.”
     
    Seth grinned at me again. I felt the little hairs rise up on the back of my neck. I was glad that I hadn’t said yes, but suddenly I found myself wishing that I’d lied about Chase being my boyfriend. Seth slid off the stool with a feline grace and stood next to me. He wrapped his arm around me, and even though he smelled good, I still felt uneasy.
    “I should go,” I said politely. “It’s been a long day.”
     
    Seth locked eyes with me. I watched as he reached up and knocked his drink over in my lap. It was wet and freezing cold and I yelped, jerking backwards but not falling off the stool. Seth grabbed a bunch of napkins and dumped them in my lap, rubbing them in with his hand. There was an uncomfortable pressure on my groin and I tried to push him way but he kept touching me there.
     
    “I have to clean up the stain,” he said. “I have to—”
     
    Suddenly, I watched Seth jerk back as if yanked by invisible force. A second later, I saw that Chase had grabbed him by the back of his collar and thrown him to the side. In an instant, Chase swooped his arm under my legs and lifted me off the stool. He carried me out of The Pink Diamond and over to Freddie, the doorman.
     
    “Watch her,” he growled to Freddie. Chase disappeared back inside and I cringed. Freddie looked down at me sympathetically. He took off his black tux jacket and wrapped it around me and my wet dress. It didn’t do a lot to block the cold, but I felt more protected already.
    “Are you okay, Miss Lacey?”
     
    I nodded hastily, feeling tears start behind my eyes. “I’m fine,” I said in a shaky voice. “Just some jerk guy, that’s all.”
     
    Freddie nodded. He kept his hand on my shoulder and stood right next to me until Chase burst out of the building. I watched him shoot Chase a furtive look, but Chase just gave his head a quick jerk to the side. With growing disappointment, I realized that meant Seth had gotten away.
     
    In the car, I broke down in tears. “I’m sorry!” I wailed. “I’m sorry! He came up to me and started talking and I didn’t think anything bad would happen!”
     
    Chase softened. “You can’t put yourself in those situations, Lacey,” he growled at me, his knuckles white from clenching the wheel. “You have to be smarter when it comes to your safety.”
     
    I took a deep breath, trying to calm down. “I know,” I said tearfully. “I’m sorry. I don’t want you to leave me alone.”
     
    “I won’t,” Chase said through gritted teeth. “Believe you me, I’m not letting you out of my sight.”
    That night, Chase slept on the floor of my bedroom. I didn’t even resist when he brought up the idea. Sex was the last thing on my mind at this point; I just wanted him to protect me. Still, when I fell asleep, I had raunchy dreams about him all the same. I dreamed of Chase carrying me out of the club and fucking me across the hood of his car. I dreamed of Chase following me into the shower and ripping my towel off, having his way with me as the water soaked us both. I dreamed of Chase pinning me down on the couch and fucking me raw with abandon until I cried out and pleaded for him to stop.
     
    The next morning, Chase was snoring on my floor when my alarm went off. I quickly disarmed it and went into the bathroom, staring at myself in the mirror. My skin was flushed and sticky and I realized with horror that I looked like I’d just been making love. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw Chase kissing me, Chase spanking me, Chase making fierce love to me. I had