He straightened, stepped back, and tugged at his collar. I looked up at him, then feeling awkward, I brought my gaze down. That’s when I saw his erection straining his slacks. I didn’t have too much experience with that either. Sure, many of the men who’d tried to get at me had them, but I never paid that much attention. To be honest, I don’t think any of them were as prominent as Chase’s was now. None of them filled me with a desire to touch. My desire to stroke it was so strong, I had to clasp my hands together in my lap to stop myself from reaching out.
“It’s time for my drink with my father. You can head out if you like.” His voice sounded husky.
“I’d like to finish this. It won’t take much longer.” I wasn’t ready to leave yet. I wasn’t sure I’d ever want to leave.
He nodded, but didn’t say anything as he headed out the door.
I took a deep breath to settle my nerves. Then I closed my eyes and replayed the whole scene in my head again. Up close, his face was softer and kinder than I originally thought. His steel gray eyes weren’t as cold. His mouth had been warm, his tongue soft. I could have kissed him all day. And if he wanted more, I’d have given him that too. Right there on the desk, if he wanted.
I’d been aroused and titillated before, but with Chase, I burned with need. If I wasn’t in the middle of his office, I might have reached between my legs and taking care of the need still throbbing there. That would have to wait until after work.
I returned to my job, resorting the data and saving the various analyses. I was getting ready to close up my laptop when Chase returned.
He stopped short when he saw me. “I thought you’d be gone already.”
I shook my head. “I just finished.”
He went to his desk, as I gathered up my things.
“Do you have plans this weekend?” he asked.
Trying to figure out how to survive in the city. “No.”
“None?” His expression was surprised.
I shook my head. “I don’t know anyone in the city yet.” Well there was my landlord/roommate, but he didn’t count. Plus I didn’t have any money for more than ramen and water, but he didn’t need to know that. “I could go out on my own, but I don’t know what’s safe or not.”
He frowned. “It doesn’t seem right that a smart, beautiful young woman will be home alone over the weekend.”
I shrugged. Welcome to my life.
He closed his drawer and walked around his desk. “I tell you what, I’ll take you out. Celebrate your first week here at Raven Industries. It’s the least I can do for such great work.”
I smiled, feeling a bit like a loon. He had that effect on me. “I’d like that. Thank you, sir—”
“Please stop calling me, sir. Call my father sir. And my brothers.” He motioned me to exit the door before him.
“Okay, s— ah… Mr. Raven.” We entered the elevator, and he pressed the button for the ground floor.
He stared at me for a minute and I thought he might ask me to call him Chase, but finally he said, “Give me your address.”
My dumb smile dropped. I didn’t need him knowing the dump I lived in. But I didn’t have much choice. I gave him my address.
“I’ll pick you up at eight, alright?” He let me exit the elevator first.
“Yes, alright.”
“I look forward to seeing you later,” he said when we reached the street. Then he paused. “Would you like a ride home?”
“No, thank you.” I was feeling so keyed up, who knew what I’d try to do to him in a confined car.
“I’ll see you at eight then.”
“I’ll be ready.”
He got into the backseat of a dark sedan that drove away.
I felt giddy, but tried to quash it. This wasn’t a date. This was my smoking hot billionaire supervisor trying to be nice to an intern who didn’t know the city. I rushed to the subway and hurried home.
When I arrived at my apartment, I was glad my landlord wasn’t around. He always seemed to be lurking when I was home. I went into my closet-sized studio, flung open my wardrobe, and groaned. I had nothing to wear that was up to par. All my clothes were plain and drab. Most of them I’d had since high school, so they were conservative to the point of frumpy. When I got this internship, I’d gone to a thrift store to get some professional clothes, but it didn’t occur to me to get anything for a night on the town or dinner out. Except for Glenn, I’d never gone out before. In New York, as at home, I didn’t have any friends to hang out with.