Chapter Fourteen
M uch to Chase’s surprise, the next few hours passed quickly and enjoyably. While Lauren danced her little heart out, he nursed a drink and chatted a bit with her father, Dale, and a few of her male cousins. He honestly thought the time would drag on, or he’d feel out of place, but that wasn’t the case. Lauren’s family was warm and welcoming, and when he wasn’t conversing with someone, his date completely captured his attention.
She spent most of her time out on the dance floor with her single friends, her face flushed from all the physical activity, and her hair a bit of a disheveled mess, which only made her look sexier. But her eyes were bright and she was laughing and smiling as the group of women, along with Ashley, did the Macarena, which involved more of that hip swiveling and an enticing bounce of her breasts as she jumped in place then clapped her hands before starting the choreographed moves all over again.
So, yeah, he was far from bored. In fact, dare he say he even had a perma-smile on his face, that’s how much he was enjoying himself. Shocker.
“A little shy at the garter toss earlier, wouldn’t you say?” her gramps asked, sidling up to where Chase was standing at the far side of the room.
He’d been so mesmerized by Lauren that he hadn’t seen Lee approach, but he turned his head and smiled at the older man, who had a speculative gleam in his eye. Of course the wily old man would notice his reluctance, and had no qualms about calling him out on it.
Chase shrugged nonchalantly. “I don’t need to catch a garter to know when and if I’m going to get married.” Which had always been a hard never for him.
Lee chuckled. “Fair enough.” He glanced out to the dance floor, grinning when he saw his granddaughter now rocking out to the cult classic “Tequila” song, and yelling out the one-word lyric, “Tequila!” with everyone else on cue. “I have to say, my girl looks happier than I’ve seen her in a very long time.”
Chase had taken his suit jacket off a while ago and now he pushed his hands into the front pocket of his slacks. “It’s the whole wedding thing,” he said to explain away Lauren’s emotional and mental well-being. “It puts people in a festive mood.”
Lee scoffed and narrowed his gaze at Chase. “Don’t sell yourself short. There is no doubt in my mind that you’re the reason that smile of hers has finally reached her eyes. I was worried it was gone for good, but it just took the right man to bring it back.”
Chase swallowed hard, hating that tight feeling in his chest, because he was far from being the right man for Lauren. No, he was all wrong for her, because she deserved someone who was whole and complete and not emotionally unavailable like him. A man who didn’t have the first clue how to make a relationship work and last, and would probably fuck it all up if he tried and ended up hurting her.
There was no denying they shared a strong connection, but it was hard for Chase to fathom that he could be responsible for all that joy she exuded, or even a fraction of it. Then again, wasn’t she the reason he felt lighter inside?
Not wanting Lee to start asking questions Chase didn’t have the answers for, he instead diverted the conversation before it became any more personal. “Would you like a beer or something else from the bar?” he asked, watching as Lauren walked off the dance floor with one of her cousins and headed toward the ladies’ room.
“No. Beer is for pansies, and all they have at that bar is the cheap crap that tastes like piss. I brought the good stuff.” Lee reached into the inside pocket of his suit jacket and retrieved a silver flask.
The corner of Chase’s mouth twitched with amusement, because Lee was right. The alcohol the bar was serving was far from the top-shelf premium liquor he was used to drinking. “The good stuff?” he asked, curious to know what the older man had smuggled into the reception.
Lee nodded. “Yep. You can’t go wrong with Elijah Craig, barrel proof.”
Definitely a higher-end bourbon, and one Chase had appreciated more than a few times himself. “You have good taste.”
“Of course I do,” Lee said, and chuckled. “But don’t tell Penny that I snuck some into the reception. A man has to have a few vices to live for.”
Chase grinned as Lee took a swig of the liquor. “Not a word. You have my promise.”
Lee smacked his lips and after recapping the flask, he tucked it back inside his jacket. “So, have you taken Scouty to that fancy restaurant she’s been wanting to go to in the city? In Manhattan, I think it is.”
The older man was looking at him expectantly, like Chase ought to know what he was talking about, but of course he didn’t. “Which restaurant would that be?”
The lines between Lee’s brows crinkled as he tried to remember the name, and then his eyes lit up and he snapped his fingers. “Elysian Heights,” he finally said. “Some top chef on a cooking show runs it. She said it just opened in the past year but it’s nearly impossible to get a table. Just thought you would have been able to pull some strings and make that happen. I mean, you are a partner in an investment firm in New York City, so that ought to come with some kind of perks.”
At least the old man hadn’t called him a fancy pants this time, but the inference was there just the same. And there was no way Chase was going to admit that he’d taken a client to Elysian Heights just a month ago because Chase had an “in” with the owner of the restaurant, another client of his. “I didn’t realize Lauren wanted to go there,” he said, which was the truth.
Lee frowned at Chase, eyeing him speculatively, considering he was supposed to be her boyfriend and know these things. “Huh. I’m surprised she didn’t mention it. She’s talked about it the few times she’s been home this past year.”
Much to Chase’s relief, Lee let the subject go and glanced away, his gaze scanning the last of the wedding guests at the winding-down reception. “Well, would you look over there,” he said suddenly, rocking back on his heels. “I think that’s the first time I’ve seen Greg and Lauren standing that close together since everything went down a few years ago.”
That caught Chase’s attention, and he followed the direction to where Lee was staring. The lights in the room were still dimmed, but he could see that Greg had probably caught Lauren as she’d come out of the ladies’ room, and while Ashley was still on the dance floor. Lauren had proven more than once that she was capable of taking care of herself, but there was no denying the possessive feeling that stirred inside of him. He wanted to be by her side and offer the kind of support she’d given him earlier that afternoon.
“Excuse me,” he said to Lee, not missing the other man’s amused look before he strode across the room, reaching the pair in less than a minute.
Lauren sucked in a startled breath as he slid his arm around her waist and pulled her close to his side. “Everything okay here?” he asked in a commanding tone. Yeah, interrupting them was probably a dick move, but he didn’t give a shit. What he did care about was Lauren, and making sure she wasn’t subjected to anything that might upset her or hurt her in any way.
Greg had a deer-in-the-headlights look in his eyes, clearly not sure what to make of Chase and his territorial gesture. Or his presence in general. “I… uh, just wanted to talk to Lauren. Privately,” Greg added.
Chase didn’t budge, waiting for Lauren to decide what she wanted.
She lifted her chin and leaned in closer to him, accepting his silent encouragement. “He can stay,” she said in a confident tone. “Whatever you have to say to me isn’t anything Chase doesn’t already know.”
“Okay.” Greg nodded, his complexion ruddy with embarrassment. “So, Ashley told me she came over earlier to the inn to apologize, and I know it’s been two years and this conversation is long overdue. I wanted to say that I’m sorry, as well, for the way things happened. It was wrong, and if I had the chance to do it over again, I definitely would have handled things differently between you and I.”
“How so?” she asked.
The fact that Lauren didn’t just let Greg off the hook with immediate forgiveness surprised Chase, and he was proud of her for holding the man accountable for his part in what had transpired between them.
Greg shifted anxiously on his feet. “I think we both knew that our relationship wasn’t as strong as it should have been, that we’d been… growing apart,” he said, echoing what Lauren had told Chase, as well. “But the bottom line is, I should have ended things with you before starting anything with Ashley. I hate that I hurt you.”
“Thank you. For your honesty and your apology,” she said, standing firm beside Chase. “Finding you and Ashley together did hurt at the time, because I was blindsided, but I can look past all that and know that things worked out for the best. You seem very happy with my sister, and I never would have moved to New York and found a job I absolutely love.”
Greg’s mouth quirked in a smile as he finally started to relax, and his gaze flickered to Chase. “Or a man who clearly appreciates you, the way you deserve.”
“He’s been a nice little bonus,” she agreed in a teasing tone, meeting Chase’s gaze for a few seconds, looking truly grateful that he was there with her, before glancing back at Greg. “As for you and Ashley and I, I just want us all to move forward with a clean slate.”
Relief etched the other man’s features. “I would like that, too. Very much.”
“Consider it done,” she said easily.
He exhaled a deep breath, probably glad that the discussion was over, and glanced over Lauren’s shoulder to the dance floor. “I’m going to go and find Ashley before the evening ends.”
Greg left the two of them, and Chase turned toward Lauren, tipping her chin up with his fingers so he could get a good look at her face and see her eyes, which were bright and clear. “How are you doing?” he asked, just to check in with her. He didn’t want to assume anything after a difficult conversation like that.
She stepped closer and slid her arms around his waist, her smile as authentic and real as the woman herself as she looked up at him. “I’m doing great.”
“Good.” He was truly glad that things would be much easier for her and the entire family moving forward.
The DJ announced the last song of the night, encouraging the people who were still at the reception to join the bride and groom on the dance floor as he played a final slow, romantic ballad.
“Come on, let’s go dance,” Chase said spontaneously, watching as her eyes widened in surprise, then happiness at his suggestion.
Before she could say anything, he grabbed her hand and led her out to the wooden platform, where even her mom and dad were enjoying the final melody. He pulled her into his embrace, securing one arm tight around her waist and lacing his fingers with hers.
Lauren arched a playful brow at him. “I thought you said you didn’t dance,” she accused him in soft tone.
“I don’t fast dance,” he clarified, bringing their bodies together as intimately as possible in a public setting. “This, though, is easy. All I have to do is hold you close and shuffle around the dance floor.”
She smiled up at him. “I like being this close to you,” she said, then laid her head on his shoulder.
Those words unraveled something deep inside him, and he swallowed hard, because he liked being this close to her, too. So damn much. To the point that he never wanted to let her go.
He closed his eyes and breathed her in, imprinting this moment in his memory as they moved together slowly, their thighs brushing and other body parts rubbing intimately as they swayed to the slow beat of the music.
Each moment that passed, the awareness and sensual tension between them climbed. He could feel Lauren’s breathing change and escalate, and those damp gusts of air that slipped past her parted lips warmed his neck and aroused him. He couldn’t ignore the way she subtly, but deliberately bumped her pelvis against his, wreaking havoc with his self-control as she slowly gyrated her hips, reminding him of just how uninhibited this woman was when it came to sex.
Right before the song ended, she lifted her head from his shoulder and whispered in his ear. “I’m ready to head back to the inn. How about you?” she asked, her meaning obvious.
“Yes,” he agreed, because he was beyond desperate to be alone with her.
She pulled back just enough for him to see the seductive smile on her lips. “Then what are you waiting for? I believe you promised to dishevel the fuck out of me, and I’m so ready for that.”
He groaned at those filthy, unfiltered words coming from her mouth, completely turned on that she could be so straightforward with him about what she wanted. “So am I,” he growled in a low voice.
She bit her bottom lip, the desire in her eyes unmistakable. “Then take me home and fuck me.”
A surge of lust rippled through him, and much to his relief, moments later the song ended, because he was this close to hoisting her over his shoulder and carrying her out of the venue like an uncivilized caveman. They made the rounds and said their goodbyes, which was the right and appropriate thing to do, but all Chase could think about was getting Lauren naked and burying his cock inside her, as deep as he could get.
The drive back to the inn was short, thank God, but that didn’t stop Lauren from leaning over the console as much as her seat belt would allow so she could slide her hand up his thigh and trail her fingers over the fly of his slacks. She whispered dirty things in his ear that heated his blood, then kissed and licked the side of his neck while palming and stroking his hard-as-a-rock dick through his pants. She was so bold and brazen and shameless, and he fucking loved it.
As they rushed into the inn after that bit of foreplay in the car, Chase was grateful it was late and that Betsy, or anyone else, wasn’t up to watch the way he grabbed Lauren’s hand and impatiently dragged her up the stairs with him. He heard her soft, sultry laughter, but she didn’t lag behind, clearly just as eager for this tryst as he was.
The second they stepped into their room and the door was closed and locked behind them, Lauren reached behind her to unzip her gown, while he toed off his shoes. They’d left the bedside lamp on when they’d left earlier so they’d have some light when they returned, and that’s all the illumination they needed.
When the silky lavender fabric dropped to the floor, she stepped out of the dress and approached him in a sexy-as-fuck lacy bra and matching panties that were a shimmering beige, those crystals heels still on her feet. It was all he could do not to bend her over the bed, strip her underwear to her thighs, and slam into her from behind, taking her right then and there.
She eagerly shoved his suit jacket off his shoulders while he loosened his tie and tossed it aside, the haste to get each other naked a wild and uncontrollable thing. He got rid of his cuff links as she started unfastening his shirt, her movements hurried, but a small sound of frustration escaped her lips when she kept fumbling with a particularly stubborn button.
She glanced up at him, her impatience obvious in her expression. “God, I just want to rip your damn shirt off.”
He found himself grinning as he remembered what she’d told him, how she’d had no urge to tear off her ex’s clothes because of the lack of passion between them. This moment spoke to her unbridled need and the urgency between them , and he wasn’t about to deprive her of something so provocative and sexy.
And fun , he realized. Something he’d never indulged in during sex, but felt so right with this woman who was always so playful and spirited.
He grabbed her fumbling hands and positioned them where the shirt was open right above that stubborn button. “Go ahead and do it,” he urged her huskily. “Rip my shirt open.”
He eyes widened in shock at his command, and then she quickly shook her head, sending her silky hair cascading across her bare shoulders. “I can’t do that! This shirt probably cost a small fortune.”
The garment had been pricey, but he didn’t give a damn. “Yeah, you can,” he said, and curled her fingers around the fabric so that she was now gripping it in her fists. “I want all that passion, baby. Give it to me.”
She bit her bottom lip, and he loved the way her eyes lit up as she gave in to temptation and pulled the sides apart, hard and fast, sending buttons flying in different directions and shredding his shirt apart in less than three seconds.
She laughed in delight as she shoved the shirt off him. “Oh, my God. That was so hot.”
He chuckled, too, as he quickly unbuckled his belt and shucked off his pants and boxer briefs. Once he was naked, she placed her hands on his chest and guided him back a few steps, bypassing the bed and continuing toward the small couch situated in the sitting area a short distance away.
“Sit down while I get a condom,” she ordered.
Her bossy tone amused him, and for now he let her take control. He settled on the sofa, watching as she retrieved a few condoms and came back, tossing them onto the seat beside him. When he reached for one to put it on, she stopped him.
“Not yet,” she said, a wicked gleam in her eye as her gaze lowered to his erect and already aching cock.
He arched a brow and gave an order of his own. “Take off the rest of your lingerie. I want you just as naked as I am.”
“I’m getting there,” she chided playfully, then proceeded to give him a slow, tantalizing strip show.
First, she unclasped her bra and let it slide down her arms and drop to the floor at her feet. He stared at those small, firm, perfect breasts, his mouth watering for a taste he knew he’d soon get, before he let his gaze drift lower, to where she was shimmying out of her panties. When they pooled around her ankles, she stepped out of them, but didn’t proceed to remove her sparkly, crystal heels.
“I love the shoes, so they stay on,” she said, almost impishly.
He raised his eyes back up to her face, enjoying the view along the way. He didn’t argue because after she was done running this particular part of the show, he planned to fuck her with those sexy heels on, with her legs over his shoulders and those spiky heels dragging across his back.
He expected her to climb onto his lap, but instead she lowered to her knees in front of him. She pushed his legs apart and moved in between, her eyes on his stiff cock. The muscles in his abdomen clenched as her palms skimmed up his thighs and she leaned forward, momentarily closing her eyes as she licked a slow, gradual path up the length of his shaft until she reached the tip.
Her tongue flicked over the crown and he groaned, his cock pulsing as she did it again, returning to the base of his erection and teasing him with another leisurely taste. He caught the mischievous smile she was trying to hide, and the next time she licked him like a lollipop and reached the top, he slid a hand into her hair, tightened his fingers around the strands, and took back a semblance of control.
“Open your pretty mouth so I can fuck it,” he rasped.
Eyes on him, she wrapped her fingers around his erection and parted her lips over the head of his cock. He inhaled a sharp breath as she enveloped him in her warm, wet mouth, taking him all the way to her throat, then back up again. Her hand followed in firm strokes up and down his shaft, and it wasn’t long before he was guiding her head a little faster, a little deeper, while she sucked him harder, squeezed his dick tighter, and pushed him to the brink of insanity in no time flat.
He swore out loud, and gripping her hair, he pulled her mouth off of him. She made a disappointed sound in the back of her throat, as if she would have happily sucked him off, and he shook his head and exhaled harshly.
“As good as that feels, I want to come inside you while you’re riding my cock,” he rasped, untangling his fingers from her hair, now completely disheveled from his manhandling. “As deep as I can get.”
Desire sparked in her eyes, and while she stood, he quickly sheathed his cock with the condom. Then, grabbing her hips, he pulled her forward. She straddled his lap and reached between them, dragging the head of his shaft through her slick arousal before positioning the sensitive head right against her core, taking him one excruciating inch inside of her before stopping.
Her hands moved to his shoulders, and her eyes met his. “Do it,” she whispered on a sultry dare. “Fuck me, as deep as you can go.”
Jesus. With his fingers still digging into her hips, he jerked her down, hard and fast, until he was seated to the hilt inside her. She gasped at the initial shock of him filling her full, then as her body adjusted around him, she dropped her head back, moaned and started to move on him.
He watched her, enraptured by the sinuous way she arched her back and gyrated her hips, and the tempting bounce of her breasts as she rode his cock before grinding down on him to create friction against her clit. He skimmed his palms along the indentation of her waist and continued upward, until he reached her breasts. Taking them in his hands, he squeezed the soft flesh and plucked her stiff peaks, eliciting a soft cry of pleasure from her lips. Then, he soothed that sting with his tongue, licking then lightly, sucking her nipples until whimpers of need filled the air between them.
He raised his hands to her face, tipping her head forward and watching as she opened her eyes, meeting his gaze and giving him a glimpse of warmth, affection, and so much passion. The connection between them was raw and real, unlike anything he’d ever experienced, and his heart thundered in his chest at the knowledge of just how much Lauren meant to him. Physical pleasure was a given between them, but he hadn’t counted on the emotional component of how this woman made him feel. More alive than he had in years.
But knowing that realization changed nothing after tonight, he focused on this moment with her and the way she moved on him a little faster as she chased her own orgasm. Her lips parted as her breathing escalated, along with the frantic way she fucked herself on his cock, and then her lashes fluttered closed as he felt the tension inside of her begin to unravel.
“Look at me, baby,” he ordered huskily, still holding her flushed face in his hands, his own body taut beneath hers and ready to follow her over the peak. “I want to feel it all, and I want to look into your eyes as you come for me.”
She opened her eyes, staring into his as the last tendrils of her release broke free. Deep and intense, the orgasm quaked through her and pulsed around his shaft, the pleasure almost unbearable as she splintered apart with a soft cry of bliss. He grunted as he thrust up into her, bringing her mouth to his. He claimed her with a deep, possessive, tongue-tangling kiss as he surrendered to his own explosive release, coming long and hard, until she’d wrung him dry and he had nothing left to give.
Especially not the kind of promises she deserved.
She collapsed against his chest, and he wrapped his arms around her and held her close, his hands stroking up and down her back while he imprinted everything about her to memory.
Because by this time tomorrow evening, she would no longer be his.