The Pawn (Shattered Series Book 1) by Chloe D. Ashton Page A

the forbidden feelings that her intriguing lover evoked.
              When she was within reach, he grasped her hand.
              His six feet frame towered over her, and she barely reached his chin.
              “W-what are you doing?” she stammered, staring into the wall of his chest. “I don’t understand---”
              “Look at me.”
              Holding her breath, she raised her eyes to his.
              Again, she was taken aback by their attraction.
              Within his green depths, his own awareness swam, and she saw her own mirrored within them.
           “I’m afraid,” she whispered.
           “Of what?” he rasped. “Me?”
           “Yes,” she said breathlessly. “But, not for the reasons that you think.”
           “What reasons would that be?”
           “I know that you’d never hurt me. Don’t ask me why, but, I can easily sense that,” she admitted, staring at his chest. “And while we are engaged---right now, you’re a stranger to me. I don’t want to rush things.”
           His voice was husky. “We won’t rush things. However many steps you want to take, we’ll take them,” he muttered, grasping her chin, and directed her troubled gaze to his. “I won’t push you into anything that you don’t want. I want you to be the one to decide how things proceed between us. No pressure, ok?”
         Smiling shyly, she nodded, “Ok.”
         As he stepped back, the empty air brushed against her, and she fought to hide her disappointment.
         “Why don’t you go in for the night?” he suggested, giving her a fast smile, sliding behind the desk. “I’m sure that you’re exhausted.”
        “You’re right,” she sighed, though she didn’t make any move to leave. “I am.”
        “Well, I don’t want you to think that you have to stand around and entertain me,” he muttered, raising a brow. Folding his arms behind his head, he leaned back in the chair. “Besides, I’m going to be up for quite awhile.”
         She stared at him. “It seems that you’re a very busy man.”
         “Very busy, indeed,” Jarrod muttered, now leafing through the papers on the desk. “And these ledgers can’t wait any longer than they have.”
          “I didn’t mean to take up so much of your time,” she said, blushing. “It’s just that---”
          “Olivia, you’re not taking up my time. As a matter of fact, I enjoyed your company.”
          A deep flush stained her cheeks. “So did I. Well, goodnight,” she stammered, heading for the door.
          “Goodnight.”
           When the door closed behind her, he ended all pretenses as he dropped the pen. Releasing a pent-up sigh, he leaned back in the chair, and he could no longer deny the inevitable.
           From the moment that they’d met, a dangerous attraction had breathed, and now, it was just as potent.
           Tonight, as the bait had been lured before them, one thing was certain.
           They’d both taken it.
     
     
     

 
    Chapter 5
     
         Early the next morning, the waves crashed upon the shore. Breathless from the 5:00 am morning run, dressed in nothing more than a pair of black running shorts, Jarrod doubled over and drew in a sharp breath before dropping down to a spot on the sandy beach.
         The break of dawn…
         Always at this time, he loved watching the new day as it arrived, and always, he held secret hope that he’d find a different beginning.
         In the distance, as the morning sun shone upon the ocean, the liquid water shimmered like a sparkly azure abyss.
         Distracted, he stared ahead.
         Last night, what in the hell had come over him? 
         And at what point, had the illusion blurred with reality?
         The woman evoked feelings him that he long thought buried, he thought, skipping a rock