Love in the Afternoon Read Online Free

Make a wish and we’ll toast to a happier year for you.” I smiled.
    “ I don’t need to wish for anything but what I have right now. Cake, champagne, good company, a successful business and a scheming, unfaithful opportunist out of my life.” He clinked his glass against the rim of mine.
    I hadn’t moved, just stared at him. “I’m sure you’re not the first man to be fooled by a pretty face and hot body.”
    He shook his head then downed more than half his glass of alcohol. When he set it beside his cake, he said, “I’m not even mad at her for being who she is. I’d heard the rumors about her just wanting to catch a big fish. People told me the only sincere affection she had was to money and status, however, I still got caught up.” He shoved his hands through his short, wavy dark hair.
    “ We all make mistakes of the heart.”I gulped down the champagne and felt the bubbles tickle my nose as the intoxication rushed to my head. I reminder that I hadn’t eaten since breakfast that morning. I’d worked through lunch on a new presentation after I’d gotten the call from Kalan about the celebration being moved to tonight.
    Chase grunted. “The heart. I should have left it at sex and stuck to the women I was normally attracted to instead of forcing this .” His gaze rested on my face.
    I felt uncomfortable under his observation. I knew his last girlfriend had been thicker in form than Leeza, just like the women prior I had met. Most of them were nurses and school teachers, average working class women. Not sure what to say, I picked up my fork and took two bites of the dessert. I focused on the moist cake and thick butter cream on my tongue. “The cake is delicious. You should try it.”
    Looking away, he grabbed his fork and lifted a big bite to his mouth. “Really good,” he said after swallowing the piece. “My family really loves having you around, Oriana.”
    Smiling, I said, “I’m glad. I like being with them too. My family is so estranged we don’t have the closeness of the Henderson clan. I’m just glad you all let me hang around.”
    He chuckled and drank more champagne then lowered the glass. “You say that like you're some stray dog we feed occasionally.”
    “ A well fed one.” I ate another forkful of cake.
    “ After all these years, you’re like family…but not.” His voice picked up the normal deep husky tones I was used to hearing.
    Raising my glass to my lips, I shrugged. I wasn’t sure if Chase was trying to tell me that I would never be family, always an outsider, or something else. I didn’t need anyone to remind me that at any moment the Hendersons could tell Kalan to stop inviting me to gatherings. However, I was happy to be there until that happened.
    “ I know I’m not family.” I guzzled more alcohol, taking the liquid beyond the halfway point in my glass.
    “ Don’t take offense. I don’t mean it in a bad way.” He set his glass down and leaned forward with his hands folded on top of the table.
    He was closer now and that made me more nervous. There was only so much space between us and with his new position, I could smell the scent of his cologne. It was the combination of sage, mandarin, vanilla and French clary sage. I knew the notes. It was the cologne I’d helped Kalan choose for Chase for Christmas. Blended with his natural musk it was more potent on his skin than it had been in the bottle at the store and additionally more intoxicating than the champagne saturating my blood stream.
    “ Look, Chase, I know who I am and my place in the world and I’m okay with it.” I was a confident, successful business woman and I knew I wasn’t the hottest thing on heels but I caused more than a few heads to turn in my direction when I was out and about.
    “ I’m glad you are.” He still held the same position. “I for one have some serious doubts about where my life is going. My personal life, case in point…tonight’s event.”
    I just wanted him to sit