Chasing Alex

She offered a shaky hand to him, a gesture to seal the deal. He took it readily and shook it, intimately brushing a gentle thumb across the back of her hand before letting go.

She sighed heavily, "He's at the Hotel Principe di Savoia."

Chase pulled his phone from his back pocket, and held it up to frame Olivia's face. Through the lens he could still see the desire in her eyes, and her swollen lips from where he'd kissed her. She was an absolute vision. He took a quick photo and sent it through to Gabe.

Hotel Principe di Savoia. Get a message to Fontaine - if he wants to see his sister again, the money hits my account within 24 hours.

He tossed his phone aside and moved hungrily toward her. "Now, where were we?"

She held a hand up, stopping him in his tracks. "Do you mind if I have a sip of that?" She pointed to the glass of whiskey beside him and raised her other hand to the injury at the back of her head. "My head is pounding."

He cursed himself for forgetting about the poor girl's head wound. "Of course." He passed the glass to her and watched as she took a delicate sip from the glass, scrunching her nose up at the taste. He smiled in amusement. Whiskey certainly wasn't for everyone. "Let me grab you some pain killers."

He opened the cupboard across the room and pulled open a few drawers until he located a packet of aspirin, and grabbed a fresh bottle of water from the bar.

"Thank you," she smiled sweetly as he placed them on the bedside table for her, and she handed his whiskey glass back to him. "You can keep that one for yourself."

He laughed lightly, and downed the liquid in the glass as Olivia washed down two aspirin. "Better?" He asked.

"Mmm," she murmured, the lust returning to her eyes as she left the bed to stand beside him. Her hands stroked lightly up the length of his arms, exploring his biceps and then coming up to wrap around his neck. She stood on tiptoe, her head tilted upward, reaching for his mouth. He smiled and met her halfway, his mouth melding firmly into hers. She sighed into him, her tongue dancing delightfully with his. He'd never wanted anyone so badly in his life. His hands found her waist, and gripped the silk of her night gown, dragging it slowly upward, eager to feel the softness of her skin. He felt dizzy with desire, and led her back to the bed, his weight falling heavily onto the mattress, dragging her down with him. "S-so b-beautiful," he stammered, his brain foggy. He looked up at her sleepily, his vision blurry, and his eyes heavy...

***

Alexandra watched Chase's eyes droop closed and his limbs slacken as the sedative finally hit his bloodstream. She smiled triumphantly. It hadn't been difficult to add a generous dose of the drug to his whiskey while he'd been fetching her some pain killers, and then quickly return the vial to the secure space amongst her cleavage. Especially when the man was so easily distracted by her.

"No different to any other man," she muttered to his comatose body. She pushed the hair back from his eyes. He was certainly handsome, she couldn't deny that, and his kisses truly had left her breathless. Her fingers brushed gently against his lips, and she fanned the heat from herself. She'd be lying if she said his touch hadn't affected her, but then, it had been a while since she'd allowed a man to touch her the way he had. Flaunting her body wasn't a technique she liked to draw on, despite its effectiveness. She was, after all, a professional, not a common street whore. But Chase had left her no choice.

She'd spent a full month working as a maid in his household, although she'd looked quite different during that month. Her deep brown hair had been concealed beneath a blonde wig, and her green eyes hidden behind blue contact lenses and a pair of thick-rimmed spectacles. During her time as a staff member, she'd familiarised herself with every room, wall, and crevice of his house, seeking out his most-prized possessions. Yet the one possession she desired the most, a priceless antique diamond necklace, was nowhere to be found. She'd researched it thoroughly and knew it existed and that it was located somewhere within the walls of his home, but she'd quickly realised it had to be located in the only suite the staff weren't able to access - the master bedroom. Chase only allowed a select few senior employees to enter that suite. She'd tried beyond measure to break through that door, before realising the only way in was by invite. Poised as a maid, she had no hope in hell of getting in that room.

So, of course, she'd done the only thing she could do. She'd hacked into his computer system while 'cleaning' his study and transferred the entire contents of one of his bank accounts to one of her own private accounts. It was a measly million and a half; nothing to her, and certainly nothing to Chase Bradbury who was worth billions, but she knew he was a proud man. He wouldn't stand for someone taking what was his, no matter how small the amount was. He'd want to hunt the thief down and ruin the bastard's life. And so her Trojan Horse plan had come to fruition.

He'd played right into her hand, following the one trace of herself she'd left for him - the address to one of her holiday homes, and a name. She had disclosed her real name, but it was just one of many that she went by, and given the majority of her assets were under her various alibis, it mattered very little to her.

She smiled deviously and turned to the antique tapestry on the wall above the bed. It was a picture of two lovers, entangled in one another, both of their mouths agape in the midst of pleasure.

"Beautiful," she mused, before pulling it from the wall. Just as she'd guessed, a small safe was hidden behind it, with a complex rotary lock in place. She glanced down at Chase's unconscious body and grinned. "Challenge accepted."

***

Chase woke, groggy and disoriented. Had he fallen asleep? He remembered Olivia's face, her arms around his neck, his hands against her skin, the softness of her full lips as he'd kissed her... Fuck! Where was Olivia? He bolted upright, ignoring the dizziness that instantly hit him. He scanned the room for any sign of her, but nothing remained except for the faint floral scent of her hair. A note, propped up ever so neatly on the bedside table, caught his eye and he plucked it into his hands, taking in her stylish handwriting.

Dearest Chase,

A kiss may be grand, but diamonds are a girl's best friend.

Until we meet again, which sadly won't be in this lifetime.

Yours,

Alexandra Olivia Fontaine xx

"No..." He read it over five times before the reality set in. He tossed the note aside and reached for the tapestry above his bed. She couldn't have... Only a select few knew the necklace even existed, let alone that it was hidden away in this very house. And only he knew its exact location. His hands shook as he worked the rotation of the device. The lock released and he pulled the door open desperately, a wave of nausea hitting him instantly as he realised the safe was bare.

Keeping his breath steady, and his lips pursed, he collected his phone and dialled in Gabe's number.

"Hi, Chase. Look, I called the hotel you sent me, but they have no records of Fontaine staying there. Can you check that Olivia gave us the correct name of the hotel?"

"Call Spencer and get over here now." His voice was dangerously low.

"What is it?"

"Bring your gun."

He didn't care how long it took, or how much money it cost him. He was going to find that fucking woman. And when he did, he was most definitely going to kill her.