Chapter 16
ALANNA
The morning light slipped through the blinds. For a minute, I just lay there, listening to the soft rhythm of waves and the low hum of the coffeemaker drifting from the kitchen.
Chance had slipped out of bed before sunrise, but the pillow beside me still held his heat.
I’d already learned his habits in the few days since we started sleeping together.
The way he moved quietly through the morning and how he never said good night but always brushed a kiss against my shoulder before he turned off the lights.
For the first time in days, I didn’t wake up to dread. No texts from Ethan waiting to twist my stomach into knots. Chance had walled that chaos off without saying a word, and somehow I knew he’d do it again if he had to. Every time I reached for my phone, I remembered he’d disabled it.
He’d even kept me from worrying about school, which wasn't a huge deal since my brother had made sure I could safely access my assignments while we were here. And I had no doubt he’d hack the university’s system if that was what it took to make sure I kept my spot in the research program.
Between the two of them, I was protected on every side.
The beach house had become its own little bubble. Safe with just Chance and me here.
But I couldn’t help but wonder what would happen when the real world started knocking again.
Rolling over, I stretched beneath the sheet and smiled despite my thoughts. For now, the rest could wait. The scent of coffee was calling, the sun was bright, and the man who’d claimed my heart was around here somewhere.
I padded into the kitchen and found Chance leaning against the counter with a mug in his hand.
He looked up as I entered, his gaze dragging slowly from my bare legs to the hem of his shirt hanging loose around my thighs. The corner of his mouth kicked up. “Morning.”
“Good morning,” I echoed with a grin.
He reached for another mug on the counter and handed it to me. Cream and sugar already stirred in—exactly how I liked it.
I took a sip, smiling over the rim. “You even got the ratio right.”
“Learned a lot about you…these past few days.”
His voice was a low rumble that brushed along my skin, like always.
“Oh yeah?” I teased, tugging at the hem of his shirt. “And what’s your favorite discovery?”
His eyes followed the movement, that faint smile deepening. “How good you look in my shirts.”
My pulse skipped as I quirked a brow. “Better than you?”
His gaze deliberately raked down my body. “No contest.”
“We’re gonna have to disagree.” I laughed softly, shaking my head. “You look damn good with this shirt stretched across your chest and shoulders.”
In two steps, he closed the distance between us. His fingers brushed the edge of the shirt, tracing my hip before settling at my waist. “Keep talking like that, and I won’t make it to breakfast without tasting you first.”
“Who said I wanted breakfast?” I whispered.
That was all it took for his mouth to capture mine, the kiss starting soft before deepening and growing rougher.
His coffee mug hit the counter with a quiet clink, mine following right after.
Then his hands slid down to grip my thighs.
He lifted me effortlessly, setting me on the counter, his body fitting between my knees like it belonged there.
Which made sense because in my mind, it did.
The kiss quickly escalated—his hands exploring, and my fingers tangling in his hair as if I wanted to fuse us.
When we were together like this, there was no past, no danger, and no brother who’d lose his mind if he saw us like this.
Just us.
Chance pulled back slightly, resting his forehead against mine, his breathing uneven. “You have no idea what you do to me.”
“Pretty sure I do,” I quipped, brushing my lips against his again.
He laughed, the sound rough, as though it had been a while since he’d let himself. “Guess you do.”
“There’s no guessing about it.”
“Doesn’t mean you don’t need another demonstration.” Chance’s hand slipped beneath the hem of the shirt, his palm rough and warm against my skin. When his thumb brushed the underside of my breast, I couldn’t hold back the soft sound that escaped me.
He caught it with another kiss, stealing my breath until nothing was left but the heat between us.
Then the front door opened.
“What the fuck?”
Jaxton’s voice. Disbelieving and deadly.
Oh shit. I froze. Chance stiffened instantly, every muscle in his body going rigid before he lifted me off the counter and set me on my feet. Then he moved in front of me, his body the only thing between me and the explosion building in the doorway.
The door slammed shut behind Kane and my brother, the sound ricocheting through the house.
I peeked around Chance’s side to stare at Jaxton. He stood there, his chest heaving. Shock flickered in his eyes first, then betrayal. And finally, pure fury.
Behind him, Kane’s presence filled the space, steady and immovable. His expression was harder to read, but his jaw was tight, and his eyes carried that same unspoken warning I’d seen too many times in my brother’s gaze.
“Jax.” Kane stepped forward like he meant to contain the blast before it happened.
“Don’t.” Jaxton’s glare never left Chance. “He’s got his hands all over my little sister—”
“My woman,” Chance cut in, his voice dangerous in a way that made the air go still. “Watch your tone.”
“You were supposed to be protecting her!” Jaxton accused.
“Stop it.” My voice trembled, but I forced the word out anyway. “Please, just stop.”
Kane finally stepped between them, his tone edged with command. “Take a breath, both of you. This isn’t helping her.”
Jaxton’s nostrils flared, but he took half a step back. His gaze cut to me, the anger in it laced with something far worse—hurt. “Alanna…”
I swallowed hard, my throat burning. “I’m fine, Jaxton.”
“Doesn’t look that way.”
“Outside,” Chance growled, jerking his chin toward the door.
Kane’s gaze shifted between the two men before he wrapped his hand around my brother’s bicep. “He’s right. We’re not doing this in here.”
A muscle jumped in Jaxton’s jaw, and he gave a jerky nod.
Chance reached behind him, his fingers brushing mine in a wordless reassurance before he instructed, “Stay in here, Alanna.”
Something in his voice made me obey. I stayed where I was as he followed Kane and Jaxton out the door.
But it didn’t take long for me to decide that I couldn’t just stand there and listen from the safety of the house. The door hadn’t even closed before I was moving.
By the time I reached the porch, Chance stood a few feet from my brother, the two of them locked in a standoff with both refusing to yield.
He didn’t flinch when Jaxton got in his face, and I knew it was only his loyalty that held Chance back. And he didn’t back down even when my brother’s hands curled into fists. He just stood there, solid and unmovable, protecting me even when it meant standing against his best friend.
And that realization hit me harder than any shouted word could’ve.
“Jaxton, stop!” My voice came out sharper than I expected.
All three of them turned at once.
My brother’s gaze dropped to the shirt I was wearing. Chance’s shirt.
His expression shifted from furious to murderous in a single heartbeat.
He took a step toward me, his expression tight. “Alanna.”
Before he could say more, Chance moved—a deliberate step in front of me, his arm half extended like a shield. “Go back inside, Alanna.”
“No.” My pulse hammered so loudly, I could hear it in my ears. “I’m not hiding while you two—”
“Please.”
That one word broke something in me. It wasn’t an order or a demand. It was a plea. His voice cracked, the sound carrying more weight than any fight could.
My throat ached as I nodded and stepped back toward the door.
When it closed behind me, the last thing I saw through the glass was Chance—his shoulders squared and head high, facing down my brother like a man ready to fight for more than just his life.