17. Masculine Instinct
It was the first time that Krislynn’s heart skipped a beat because of something Chase said, and odd enough, it wasn’t as disgusting as she thought it would be. His hand placed neatly on the base of her spine, he smoothly steered her through the throng of people to their designated table and chairs.
The feeling was completely new to her. She had been with boys – tons of them – but this was the first time she was in the arms of a man. At once she noticed the difference even in the tiny gesture of passing through clumped crowds – when Chase would bring her body closer to his, almost as if to shield her from any possible harm.
She wouldn’t break if somebody accidently brushed against her, that she knew too well. Still, that didn’t stop her from enjoying his sudden possessiveness over her and she was starting to find this protective side of him rather attractive.
Michelle and Seth were already seated and conversing with the four other guests when they arrived at their table. Two of them were older gentlemen, one an elderly lady, and the last, a man around his mid-thirties with a very average looking face.
“Ah Chase!” One of the older gentlemen spoke up when they neared the table. “Who is this gorgeous darling you have here? It’s so rare to see you bring a girl to an event. I thought you picked them up at these things.” He finished with a wink as the well powdered lady beside him swatted him on his upper arm.
“Oh you leave him alone dear,” she grumbled before turning her attention back to Chase. “So then, will you introduce us sweetheart? Who’s your friend?”
Chase hesitated just slightly before obliging. “This is Krislynn,” he said to the lot around the circular table. “My girlfriend.”
Krislynn’s eyes widened in surprise and she turned to stare at him in disbelief. This was the first time Chase had openly admitted that she was his girlfriend and she couldn’t help but think it had something to do with her makeover. Certainly he wouldn’t have introduced her otherwise if she had been wearing her regular clothes!
Tearing her eyes away, Krislynn feigned interest as he introduced the other people at the table, but her mind was still stuck on the topic. Chase Evans, the guy who thought her looks resembled that of a pig, thought she was good enough to be his girlfriend tonight.
“This old fart here is Corbin Parr,” Chase presented the balding gentleman. “He’s retired now, but he was once a famous producer and practically paved my entire career for me when I first started out in L.A.” Krislynn’s jaw fell at his rude introduction, but Corbin only threw his head back and laughed, seemingly pleased with Chase’s speech.
Krislynn quickly learned that the woman beside Corbin was his wife, and the other gentleman was an investment broker and the younger man beside him was his son. Much to her dismay, the introduction didn’t stop there as many others, mostly men, strolled by their table to greet them. Their target of interest almost always seemed to be Krislynn and she was swiftly growing tired of the atmosphere.
The only thing Krislynn thoroughly enjoyed seemed to be the food which was served in tiny portions with waiters coming around the table with new dishes every fifteen minutes or so. Drinks and shots came around every ten minutes, though knowing her own weakness against alcohol, Krislynn only took one Long Island Ice Tea.
“Why are there so many guys coming up to ask who I am?” She questioned as she fiddled with her drink umbrella. “I mean, does it really matter?”
“It’s because he’s got a reputation,” Michelle answered on the other side of Chase. “Always arrive solo and always leave with at least one arm candy. Right slut?”
Chase snorted at Michelle’s remark. “Whatever,” he muttered. “Can I help it if girls flung themselves at me?” A lopsided smirk grew on his face as his eyes filled up with light. “Maybe they’ve heard how good I am in bed. Maybe that’s why they always come around.”
Krislynn rolled her eyes at him before pretending to gag. “Just because you keep saying that doesn’t mean it’s true,” she grunted with weariness. Chase glared at her as Michelle burst into a fit of obnoxious giggles.
“Oh yeah,” he challenged with an angry face. “Want to try me?”
Laughing playfully, Krislynn turned away. It seemed like his previous facade had lifted and now he was back to normal. Never in her right mind would she have thought she’d be relieved, but she was, and more than she wanted to admit to. She much preferred this arrogant side of Chase to the one that made her blush when she met his eyes.
“Well I’m sure Chase’s reputation is half of it, but maybe Krislynn is the other reason.” The three of them turned to face Seth as he spoke and for a moment he stared back at them absentmindedly before nodding his chin forward.
Krislynn turned to the direction Seth insinuated and found herself in the presence of a tall, dark and handsome man. “Chase,” the male bellowed at once, “odd to see you with such a gorgeous beauty at the beginning of the night. Lucky seating or is she a friend? Introduce us.”
Chase sighed very obviously before introducing the both of them in the most unresponsive manner. “Troy. Krislynn. Krislynn. Troy.” He stiffed the rest of his whiskey right after as if to wash down the bad aftertaste in his mouth.
Troy beamed a smile at Krislynn before taking her hand and kissing the back of it. “Stanley,” he added, his voice smooth like the finest bourbon and deep like the darkest sea. “Troy Stanley, underwear model.”
Krislynn stared at Troy cynically before speaking. “So then, you’re gay?” She asked.
Troy shifted his eyes back and forth as Chase, Michelle and Seth stifled their laughter unsuccessfully. “No. No. No.” He said, looking at Krislynn with the most puzzled expression. “Where on earth did you get that idea?”
Krislynn shrugged as she casted a glance at her friends, unaware of what was so funny. “You introduced yourself as an underwear model. I mean, who does that? It’s so bizarre. I thought it was code for something.”
“It is code for something!”
Krislynn made a face. “For what?”
“For...” Troy let out a grunt as he rubbed his temples with his fingers.
“Oh, it’s okay Troy,” Chase said as he wrapped his arm smoothly around Krislynn. “You don’t have to make up excuses to hide your sexuality. You know we’re all cool with that.”
Troy forced a smile and only stayed long enough to say goodbye. His exit sent Chase and Seth hollering with laughter, but Krislynn felt a tiny bit bad with the realization that he wasn’t gay. “Don’t worry about it,” Chase grumbled as he peeled his arm off of her now that Troy had disappeared. “He’s completely obsessed with me so he’s pretty much half way there.”
Seth chuckled lightly before bringing his wine glass up to his lips. “The guy goes around with the intention of nailing every girl Chase has nailed,” he explained. “That’s like indirect sex, right?”
“And with Chase,” Michelle added, “which is so disgusting!”
Krislynn laughed and the conversation smoothly moved on, but the comment Seth had made earlier before Troy’s appearance managed to tangle itself at the back of her mind. ‘Chase’s reputation is half of it, but maybe Krislynn is the other reason,’ he had said. What did he mean by that?
Her thoughts pausing for a moment, Krislynn looked up at the other tables around the main hall and was less than thrilled to find dozens of male eyes staring back at her. They were like nothing she had ever seen, all of them gleaming with such a ferocious hunger that it gave her entire body Goosebumps.
Was this why Seth had said she was the other reason so many people were coming up to their table – because there was something wrong with her?
Chase must have noticed the look of confusion on her face because he left the discussion Seth and Michelle were having with Corbin and turned to her with concern. “Something bothering you?” He asked and although he sounded uninterested, Krislynn was positive that he was worried even if just by a bit.
She shook her head quickly and to relieve the tension she was feeling from getting so much unwanted attention, downed the rest of her drink. “Is there something wrong with the way I look tonight?” She suddenly asked after a moment. “Michelle keeps telling me I look gorgeous, but I look unnatural don’t I? People keep staring at me.”
Just to show him what she meant, Krislynn looked around her and once again, the male eyes were all in place. Chase followed her gaze and glared at the squadrons of men not even bothering to hide the lust in their eyes for his little piglet. He figured they must think they still had a chance considering Chase liked to mingle solo until just before the end of the night.
“Does it bother you?” He asked. “I can tell you something that might stop them from looking at you so much.”
Krislynn’s eyes lit up immediately. “Oh can you?” She chirped. “Please tell me. I don’t mind people looking, but there’re so many eyes on me, it’s like I’m on stage. It feels awkward.”
“Sure. I’ll tell you. Just come closer.”
Krislynn shifted her chair right up against his and turned her body to face him completely, but that apparently wasn’t good enough. “Closer,” he said.
She nodded and moved her body right to the edge of the seat, captivated with this big, wondrous secret Chase might be hiding up his sleeve. He shook his head though, still unsatisfied with the distance in between them. “Closer,” he said again.
Krislynn wrinkled her eyebrows in fascination and moved forward once more so that her face was only several centimetres away from his. She wasn’t sure if it was just the lighting in the room, but Chase’s eyes glistened suddenly as a smile tugged on his lips. “Just a little more,” he whispered to her, his breath hot against her skin because of how close they actually were. “Just come a tiny bit closer.”
By now Krislynn was thoroughly frustrated, but the tone of his voice was smooth and persuasive and she quickly decided that it wouldn’t hurt to listen to him once more. So chomping down on her lower lip to remind herself to be patient, Krislynn moved closer so that she could no longer see him eye to eye. “Stop playing games Chase,” she said bitterly. “Just tell me already.”
Without warning, his arms suddenly circled around her waist and pulled her right up against him. “What are you–” But oh, the boy was fast! Oh so fast – and before she could even finish her sentence, his mouth, with those delectably soft lips of his, came down and opened to the curve of her neck.
Krislynn’s body went into system overload and her head spun round and round and round. She was going to die! She knew she was. Chase was actually a 100 year old vampire and so were Michelle and Seth and everyone else in L.A. It was like being caught in a really bad remake of Twilight, but in California and not in Forks.
It took her another moment before her thumping heart slowed down and she could finally think a bit more clearly. Chase wasn’t a bloodsucking vampire like she had hallucinated a moment before. In fact, he wasn’t biting her neck at all. Oh no. He wasn’t biting her neck. Instead, it was much, much worst. He was sucking her neck – hard.
Realizing the potential damage this tiny gesture could cause, Krislynn quickly shoved him away with both hands. Chase came loose easily, but he must have known. The damage was already done and it wouldn’t be long now until the little love bite he gave her become as bright as day. Her eyes glaring at him with menacing death threats, Krislynn hissed at him as quiet and as civil as she possibly could in public.
“What the bloody hell, Chase Evans, do you think you’re doing?!”
Chase simply grinned at her while rolling those pretty colored eyes of his that normally Krislynn adored, but currently just wanted to poke out with chopsticks. “What does it look like I’m doing?” He said stupidly. “I’m marking my territory.”