Chapter Fifteen
When he's in the middle of shooting a movie like the Project Lyonheart sequel, Chase usually sets aside time on Sundays to get a gym workout in, drink another gross green shake, and do things on his personal to-do list before getting back on set.
But sometimes he just needed to decompress and today was going to be one of those days after the convention. To be fair, there was something on his to-do list that he did plan to check off later: Emma Colton.
When he took on this assignment to spend money with Emma, he didn't expect to know that Emma's shampoo smelled like strawberries and her skin was soft and she liked to sleep with two pillows, which is why his head was propped up on the corner of just one of them right now.
This wasn't the first time he had woken up in the guest house instead of sleeping in his own bed, but none of those times included going to sleep next to a gorgeous woman, and definitely not a woman like Emma.
She stirred next to him in the bed, almost pushing him from his small perch on her second pillow, a teasing smile pulling at the corner of her lips as her leg casually ran along his.
"You know, you would be more attractive if you shared the pillows just a little bit."
Her eyes flew open as if she was stunned and just now realized that she was lying next to Chase and wearing his black t-shirt that she put on last night after their more enjoyable activities. But then she took a breath, using that beat to try and casually pull away from him.
"Leaving so soon?"
She turned to him sarcastically. "This is technically my place."
"This is technically my place," he replied.
"I'm paying rent."
"Yes, yes, at market rate so you can get credit for it or whatever," he said, waving his hand flippantly in the air. "Can you just come back here? I'm getting cold."
The tension in Emma's shoulders seemed to drain a bit as she rolled towards him again, pushing the extra pillow in his direction.
It felt so good to be next to her in the same bed even if she wasn't totally convinced to pull herself closer to his body.
It was fine. Her leg and sharing her pillows would have to do for now, but at some point he would convince her that he was worth getting closer to, both physically and emotionally.
Besides, he didn't mind her being on her own pillow because it gave him space to stretch his neck a bit and look at her from a bit farther away, taking in her dark hair and dark lashes and a few little freckles on her cheeks.
"You're staring," she said with a teasing smile.
He knew it and he wasn't going to hide it. He couldn't help himself. So instead, he reached over and tucked a few random strands of hair behind her ear, his fingers lingering on her skin, tracing her neck and her shoulder. He took it as a good sign that she didn't pull away.
He tucked that hand under his pillow, his eyes still on Emma. "So what should we do today?"
"I have to unpack and get some things organized here."
Chase groaned. "Why do you have to be so responsible?"
"Because I don't have an assistant like the cocky actor I know," she said with mocking sweetness.
"You didn't seem to complain about my cock last night."
Emma's cheeks flushed and she pulled her hand up to cover her eyes. "You're the worst."
"You told me that I was the best you ever had after the second time you had me."
"Yes, yes," Emma said as she flippantly waved her hand aimlessly in the air.
She was cute when she was still waking up in the morning and hadn't put her armor on yet for the day.
It seemed obvious now as he watched her that she was a different person this morning.
That perhaps she had been carrying so much on her shoulders that it was getting in the way of their relationship as whatever it was they were with each other.
But things were different now. She had exposed herself to him in more ways than one. There was a vulnerability to her now that wasn't better or worse than before — just different.
This woman who had been on her own after the death of her grandmother, who barely had any support from the rest of her family, who was stuck with a cocky rich actor was a woman who made his heart race when her armor was on and also when she let him peel it off.
"You're staring again."
"Just let me stare," he said in a chastising voice.
"Fine." Emma rolled onto her back and stretched out, the sheet threatening to uncover her naked body underneath. "If you're going to stare, can you at least do it over a plate of toast or something? Because I'm starving."
Chase reached under the sheet, his hand grazing Emma's belly and causing her to shiver to his touch. He liked knowing that he had that kind of effect on her.
"I'm hungry too." He pulled himself closer. "Maybe we can help each other out with our hunger."
His lips lingered on her neck as his hand wandered lower and lower until he heard her sharp intake of breath when he found the wetness between her thighs.
"What are you hungry for first, Emma?"
"You." Her hand reached for his wrist, keeping it where she wanted him to be as he drew circles between her thighs with his fingers. "I'm always hungry for you."