Demanded by Him (Chosen by Him #7) by Ellie Danes

Summer
    I kissed Chase lightly on the lips and tiptoed out of his bedroom, hoping I wouldn’t wake him. The sun had barely crept up over the horizon as I snuck out for a morning drive to clear my head. An unseasonable chill cooled the pavement as I walked barefoot across Chase’s driveway to my beat-up car, carrying my heels in one hand and purse in the other. I stared at my not-so-elegant-ride as I approached. Small patches of rust along the rear fender contrasted against the dirty white paint. What twenty-five thousand wouldn’t do for me.
    The door quietly clicked shut as I pleaded with my car to start on the first try. It had become a ritual. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn’t. I mashed the pedal to the floor and begged. “Please, please, please.” This time I was lucky. It definitely wasn’t always that way.
    The streets of the city were mostly empty. A few morning joggers pranced down the sidewalk as I slipped into my zone. I needed coffee, but I needed to clear my head more. Brandon and Chase riddled my thoughts. How could I have let this happen? How could I have let that slimy piece of shit back into my life and pull away something I had worked so hard for? He had almost done it once and it wasn’t going to happen again.
    After hitting the drive-thru at the local coffee shop I made my way down to the overlook and stared out toward the city, the flowing river just in front of me. I hesitantly turned off my car and leaned back, sipping my coffee and debating what I was going to do.
    “Damn it!” I slammed my hand on the steering wheel as I thought about the money Brandon had demanded. Twenty-five thousand, or else. “Or else what? You’re going to lock me out of my campus email?” I yelled at myself as I shook my head. No, Brandon had threatened more than that. He threatened to make it so I couldn’t or wouldn’t graduate. I knew what he was capable of, but I wasn’t going to let him get the best of me.
    I had to protect Chase like he would protect me. I turned the key in the car, starting it on the first try and headed home to shower. I knew what I needed to do.

Chase
    I woke up aroused and ready to pick up from where we had left off the night before, but Summer had already left. She’d been a differently person lately, distant, yet driven. I wanted to believe it had something to do with her newfound passion for this investment project.
    The office building was empty, as usual, for this time of day. I had gotten started at my normal time, as much as I wanted a little early morning distraction and to show up late. I sent Summer a playful text, begging her to get to the office early but I didn’t get a response. Work . I laughed at myself. Who was I to criticize when I had done the exact same thing so many times before?
    Sometime around ten, Summer made her way into the office, looking sexy as hell in a black pencil skirt and light green blouse. Her heels clacked on the floor, and I had a sudden desire to see her in nothing except those heels. I only had one thing on my mind: her. Everything else in my world was going to wait. I put my phone on do not disturb and closed the door as she walked in.
    “Come here gorgeous…what do you think you were doing this morning?”
    “Huh? I mean, I was–”
    “No more sneaking out in the morning, got it?” I chuckled as I pulled her close. I felt myself growing more aroused as we pressed against each other.
    “Promise.” She smiled and quickly gave me a kiss before pulling away.
    “Not so fast… you have someplace you need to be?” I wrapped my arm around her waist and kissed her back, but this time, deeper and longer. My own selfishness and need were overpowering any self-control I had. “You know, hardly anyone is in the office, my door has a lock, there’s that couch over there…” I smiled and motioned toward the window.
    “Rain check? I do have that meeting this morning.”
    I let out a deep sigh and released her, my fingers trailing