“Why not publish it digitally?”
“Because they have the ability to put it on the shelves across the US, and that’s what I want. I want everyone to see it. That’s my dream.”
He’d known her for less than an hour but she’d trusted him with her dream. How many other people of his acquaintance would have shared something so personal with him?
“I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but Chase isn’t close to his brother.”
“You know Chase Adams personally?” Her eyes were wide and hopeful. “Tell me about him. I’ve heard the rumors, of course, that he’s a ruthless moneymaking machine with no heart or soul, but I can’t believe he isn’t even close to his brother. That’s sad.”
Chase thought about his brother and something stirred inside him. “It is sad.”
“You’re not disagreeing that he’s a ruthless moneymaking machine? You don’t like him?”
How was he supposed to answer that? “There are times when I dislike him. Times when I think he has lost his way.”
“And yet you went to his party and drank his champagne.” The disapproval in her tone made him smile.
“You think all the people there were drinking his champagne because they liked him? You think that’s why they showed up?”
“No, I suppose not. I’m not an expert, but it seemed to be mostly fake smiles and schmoozing.”
It was a perfect description. “And yet you were there. Schmoozing.”
“I wouldn’t exactly describe what I was doing as schmoozing.” Color bloomed in her cheeks, as if he’d caught her with her hand in the cookie jar. “And I left.”
“Without tasting the champagne?”
She gave a gurgle of laughter. “Without tasting the champagne. You?”
“Same.”
“So neither of us has reason to feel guilty. We didn’t cost Chase Adams a single cent. So why were you there?”
“Business.”
“But you escaped early, which suggests you didn’t really want to be there, either.” She gave him a sympathetic look. “How long have you known him?”
“Chase?” This was the first time in his life he’d had a conversation about himself. “Forever. We grew up together.” It was easier to keep the lie as close to the truth as possible.
“You knew him before he made his millions? What was he like?”
Chase thought back to the person he’d been then. “He was like everybody else. A boy with hopes and dreams.”
“Has he changed a lot?”
Chase stared down at her, thinking about his life. “Yes. He has changed. There are days when I don’t know him at all.” Why the hell had he allowed himself to be drawn into this conversation? He was about to end it when he felt the gentle touch of her hand on his arm.
“Talking about it makes you sad. You miss the old Chase. It’s hard to lose someone you love from your life, I know.” A shadow crossed her face, and then she smiled. “So where do you think Chase was tonight? I have a few theories, but I’d like to hear yours.”
He wanted to know whom she’d lost. He wanted to know the reason for the shadow in her eyes. “Tell me your theories.”
She glanced around to check no one was within earshot and leaned a little closer.
He felt the warmth of her breath and the whisper of her hair against his cheek.
“I think he was behind a door somewhere, having wild, hot, breathless, mind-blowing sex with a gorgeous woman he met five minutes earlier. And he didn’t even know her name.” Her eyelashes lowered, partially shielding the wicked gleam in her eyes. Heat rushed through his body. Disorientated, he tried to center himself. A moment ago she’d been as fresh and wholesome as a girl from the country, and suddenly she was talking dirty in a voice that was smoky soft seduction, and as for those eyes—
Who the hell was she? He wished he’d paid more attention to the guest list.