Chapter 19: Filthy Rich Bosses: Chapter 19

I grip the edge of the kitchen counter, trying to steady my racing thoughts. The cool marble beneath my fingers grounds me, but only for a moment. The house feels suffocating, like the walls are closing in.

Grayson breezes past, briefcase in hand. ‘Have a good day, Tessa,’ he says with a nod, his usual stoic self once again.

I manage a weak smile. ‘You too.’

As soon as he’s out the door, I exhale. At least things with Grayson and Cole have settled back into some semblance of normalcy. But then there’s Chase…

‘Morning, beautiful.’ His voice makes me jump. Chase appears in the doorway, all tousled just-woke-up hair and easy grin. ‘I made you some coffee.’

He sets a steaming mug on the counter in front of me, the rich aroma curling through the air. It’s tempting—comfort in a cup—but I can’t bring myself to accept it.

‘Thanks, but I’m good,’ I mutter, sliding the mug away.

Chase’s grin falters, concern creasing his brow. ‘You okay? You seem a little…off.’ He steps closer, tentative but determined.

‘I’m fine,’ I insist, stepping back instinctively. ‘Really.’

Chase’s brow furrows. ‘You sure? You seem tense.’ He moves closer, reaching out to rub my shoulders.

I flinch away from his touch. ‘I’m sure. Just…don’t.’

‘Come on, Kitten. Talk to me.’ His puppy dog eyes are too much to handle.

‘There’s nothing to talk about,’ I snap, harsher than intended.

Chase recoils slightly, hurt flickering across his face. ‘I’m just trying to help.’

He studies me for a moment, his usually easygoing expression clouded with worry. ‘Tessa, you don’t have to keep pushing everyone away. Let me help. You’ve been through a lot—’

‘Chase, stop,’ I cut him off, sharper than I intended.

His face falls, hurt flickering across his features.

‘I’m just trying to be here for you. If you’d let me.’ The earnestness in his voice makes my chest tighten.

I don’t doubt his sincerity, but the intensity of his concern is suffocating. I need space—space to think, to breathe, to figure out what the hell I’m doing.

‘I know you mean well,’ I say, softer this time. ‘But I just…I need some time alone.’

Before he can respond, I brush past him and head for the safety of my room. As I close the door behind me, I catch a glimpse of Chase’s crestfallen expression. A pang of guilt hits me, but I push it aside.

This is for the best, I tell myself. I can’t let anyone get too close. Not again.

I flop onto my bed, staring at the ceiling as my mind races. Lulu curls up against my side and I absently run my fingers through her soft fur. Zeus pads into the room, his nails clicking on the hardwood floor. He rests his head on the edge of the mattress, looking at me with those soulful brown eyes. I get up and shut my door. I don’t need any other visitors coming in.

‘At least you’re making progress, buddy,’ I murmur, scratching behind his ears. Zeus lets out a contented sigh, and I can’t help but smile. ‘Three weeks ago, you wouldn’t even let me near you, couldn’t even be in the house without wreaking havoc. Now look at us.’

The German Shepherd’s tail wags slowly, and I feel a twinge in my chest. I’ve grown fond of Zeus, but I can’t forget why I’m here.

‘One more week,’ I remind myself aloud. ‘Then I’m out of here. No attachments, no complications.’

A soft knock on the door interrupts my thoughts. ‘Kitten?’ Chase’s voice calls out. ‘Can we talk?’

I groan internally. ‘Not now, Chase.’

‘Please?’ he persists. ‘Just for a minute.’

With a sigh, I slide off the bed and open the door. Chase stands there, looking uncharacteristically nervous, his hands shoved deep in his pockets.

‘What is it?’ I ask, crossing my arms.

He takes a deep breath, the kind you take before ripping off a Band-Aid. ‘I was wondering if you’d go out with me. Like, on a real date.’

I blink. The question hits me like a wave, leaving me momentarily stunned. ‘Chase, I…’

‘Just hear me out,’ he says quickly, his voice earnest. ‘I know I mess around a lot, but this—us—it’s not a joke to me. I like you, Tessa. A lot. And I think you might like me too, if you’d let yourself. This isn’t just sex for me.’

His sincerity is almost enough to break through the walls I’ve carefully constructed, but I can’t let myself go there. Not with him. Not with anyone.

‘I don’t think that’s a good idea,’ I say gently, though the words still feel like a slap.

Chase blinks, his confidence faltering. ‘Why not?’

‘Because…’ I struggle to find the right words. ‘I’m not staying, Chase. This was always temporary. Getting involved would just complicate things.’

‘But—’

‘No buts,’ I cut him off. ‘I’m sorry, but it’s not going to happen. I’m leaving soon, Chase. There’s no point in starting something that’s only going to hurt later.’

Chase’s face crumples, and I feel like I’ve just kicked a puppy. His usual carefree demeanor vanishes, replaced by genuine hurt. I open my mouth, wanting to apologize, to soften the blow somehow, but the words stick in my throat. My chest tightens as I watch him struggle to regain his composure.

He looks at me for a long moment, his jaw tightening as he absorbs my words. ‘So that’s it? You’ve already decided how this ends, and I don’t even get a say?’

‘It’s not fair to you,’ I say, almost pleading. ‘Or to me. I can’t…I just can’t.’

Chase exhales slowly, running a hand through his hair. ‘Right. Got it.’

‘Chase—’

‘It’s fine,’ he cuts me off, his voice quiet but firm. ‘I get it, Tessa. I do.’

Before I can say anything else, he turns and walks away, his shoulders hunched against an invisible weight. I lean against the doorframe, watching him disappear down the hall, my heart sinking with every step.

‘It’s for the best,’ I whisper, but the words taste like ash.

Over the next couple days, I catch glimpses of Chase around the house. He’s always at the edges of my vision, hovering nearby but never quite approaching. His usual boisterous laughter is noticeably absent, replaced by a subdued quietness that feels…wrong.

During dinner one evening, I glance up to find him watching me from across the table. Our eyes meet, and for a moment, I see a flash of longing in his gaze before he quickly looks away.

‘Pass the salt?’ Grayson asks, nudging my arm.

I startle, realizing I’ve been staring. ‘Oh, sure,’ I mutter, handing it over.

As I return to my meal, I can’t shake the image of Chase’s sad eyes. It’s like I’ve dimmed the light in him, and the guilt gnaws at me. But I remind myself firmly, You made the right choice. You can’t get attached. You’re leaving soon.

Still, as I lie in bed that night, Chase’s crestfallen expression haunts me. I toss and turn, torn between my resolve to keep my distance and the growing ache in my chest. ‘One more week,’ I whisper into the darkness. ‘Just one more week, and this will all be behind me.’

But even as I say it, a part of me wonders if I’m making the biggest mistake of my life.

I flop onto my bed with a groan, every muscle aching after a grueling day with Zeus and Lulu. Zeus is making some amazing progress, but man, they’re wearing me out. I close my eyes, savoring the quiet moment—

BAM! The door slams open.

I jolt upright to see Cole storming in, his jaw clenched and eyes blazing. ‘What is wrong with you?’ He closes the door behind him.

‘Excuse me?’ I blink, completely bewildered. ‘What is wrong with you?’

He paces the room like a caged lion, running a hand through his short brown hair. ‘Don’t play dumb. You know exactly what I’m talking about.’

I sit up straighter, my confusion morphing into irritation. ‘No, actually, I don’t. Care to enlighten me?’

Cole whirls to face me, his intense gaze pinning me in place. ‘Chase. You’re being cruel to him.’

‘Cruel?’ I echo, my heart sinking. ‘I’m not—’

‘You are,’ he cuts me off. ‘Being mean to Chase is like kicking a puppy. Have you seen him lately? He’s miserable.’

I swallow hard, guilt and frustration warring inside me. ‘I’m not trying to be mean,’ I argue. ‘I’m just…I can’t let him get attached. It’s better this way.’

Cole’s eyes narrow. ‘Better for who, exactly? Because from where I’m standing, you’re hurting him for no good reason.’

‘I have my reasons,’ I mutter, looking away.

‘Oh yeah? Let’s hear them,’ Cole challenges, crossing his arms.

I bite my lip, struggling to find the right words. How can I explain that getting close to people only leads to pain? That it’s safer to keep everyone at arm’s length?

“Don’t act like you know me, Cole. You don’t know shit.”

Cole’s jaw tightens as he watches me struggle. ‘That’s what I thought,’ he says, his voice low and dangerous. ‘You’re just being selfish.’

The accusation stings, igniting a fire in my chest. ‘Selfish?’ I snap, rising to my feet. ‘You have no idea what you’re talking about. I’m protecting him!’

‘From what?’ Cole demands, stepping closer. The air between us crackles with tension. ‘From being happy? From caring about someone?’

I inhale sharply, my fists clenching at my sides. ‘From getting hurt!’ I shout, my voice cracking. ‘People leave, Cole. That’s what they do. I’m not going to stick around and break his heart.’

His eyes flash, and suddenly he’s right in front of me, his breath hot on my face. ‘Is that what this is about? You running away?’

‘I’m not—’ I start, but he cuts me off.

‘Oh, I think you are,’ he growls. His hand comes up, cupping my cheek roughly. ‘And I think you need to be taught a lesson about hurting the people who care about you.’

My heart races, a mix of fear and anticipation coursing through me. ‘What are you going to do?’ I whisper, unable to look away from his intense gaze.

A slow, wicked smile spreads across his face. ‘I’m going to punish you, spitfire,’ he murmurs, his thumb tracing my lower lip. ‘And by the time I’m done, you’ll think twice about pushing us—him, Chase—away.’

Before I can respond, his mouth crashes down on mine in a bruising kiss. I gasp, my body instinctively arching into him despite my mind’s protests. This is wrong, I shouldn’t want this, but God help me, I do.

His lips are demanding, coaxing a response from me that I didn’t know was buried so deep. I try to resist, to push him away, but the strength of his embrace is overwhelming.

As quickly as it started, he pulls back. The hand in my hair grips tighter as he turns my head and shoves my chest down onto my bed.

Cole’s hand connects with my ass, sending a sting through my entire body. I cry out, more from shock than pain. His voice is low and dangerous as he speaks.

‘This is what happens when you push people away,’ he says, his hand smacking down on my other ass cheek. ‘You hurt them.’

Tears prick at the corners of my eyes as his words hit home. I knew deep down that pushing Chase away would only cause him pain, but I couldn’t bring myself to face that reality. I don’t want to hurt him. I don’t. But, the alternative…I just can’t.

Another smack lands on my ass and I bite back a whimper. Cole needs to be in control. But this…this feels different. There’s an underlying anger in his actions that frightens me more than anything else.

He pauses for a moment before sliding his fingers under the waistband of my pants, tugging them down to reveal my bare ass. My cheeks flush with embarrassment and arousal, knowing he can see all of me.

‘Such a little tease,’ he sneers, trailing his fingers over the now exposed flesh.

I squirm under his touch, trying to push myself up off the bed but he holds me firmly in place. His fingers trace patterns over my skin before landing another hard slap on my vulnerable backside.

‘You think you’re so tough,’ he growls. ‘But look at you now.’

Tears flow freely down my cheeks now. For so long I’ve held everything inside, bottled up until it threatened to consume me completely. But here, with Cole punishing me, I have no choice but to let it all out.

I don’t know what comes over me, but I suddenly push back against his hand, and he lets out a grunt of surprise. I wiggle out of his hold and roll over, grabbing a fistful of his shirt and pulling him down.

‘You think you can just take what you want?’ he snaps.

‘Maybe you need to learn a lesson too.’

I yank him closer and press my lips against his, our breaths mingling as we struggle for dominance. It’s a messy, heated kiss. I need him to feel what I’ve gone through, even if only for a moment. As our lips part, I see the confusion in his eyes before his anger transforms into something else—understanding.

My heart races as Cole takes control once again, pulling off my shirt and tossing it to the floor. His lips crash onto mine with even more force than before, and I can’t help but melt into his touch.

But before I have a chance to catch my breath, he flips me back over and roughly tugs down my pants and panties down further until they’re bunched around my ankles. The cool air hits my exposed skin, sending shivers down my spine.

He’s not gentle as he positions himself between my legs and rips open a condom packet. Without another word, he slams into me, causing me to cry out in both pleasure and pain.

He doesn’t hold back, his thrusts hard and unforgiving. But I welcome the roughness; it’s almost a punishment for everything I’ve been holding inside. With each penetration, I feel myself losing control more and more.

His grip on my hair tightens as he leans down to press his lips against mine once again, his tongue demanding entry into my mouth. Our bodies move together in a frenzied rhythm, sweat dripping from our skin as we surrender to the primal desires that have consumed us.

“That’s a good little girl. Take it. Take all of it.”

I’m lost in the moment, unable to think of anything else but the overwhelming sensations coursing through me. And for the first time in what feels like forever, I feel alive.

Our moans mingle together as we both approach our release. And just when I think I can’t take anymore, Cole bites down on my shoulder hard enough to leave a mark before groaning out my name and finding his own release.

We collapse onto the bed in a tangled mess of limbs and heavy breathing. Cole rolls off of me but pulls me into his arms, his chest rising and falling rapidly against mine.

But as the adrenaline fades and reality sets back in, he pushes me away and stands. He doesn’t even look at me as he puts himself back together.

“You’re hurting him. Make things right, spitfire. The next punishment won’t be so…pleasurable.”

And with that, he leaves me alone with my thoughts.