6. Chase
Chase
# Never ever question a woman’s choice of footwear—no matter how inappropriate
T hat went much better than I expected it would.
She didn’t try and stake me through the heart, or the balls, and while the night is still young and there’s time for both of those things to happen, I’m pretty sure she’s more pissed at her brother than at me.
Or maybe it was my shocked reaction to the sex dungeon which really softened the blow for her.
No wonder that guy on the reception desk was looking at me funny when I told him which cabin I was staying in.
A heads up that it was a sex den would have been nice.
The fuck I will be sleeping in there though, and I’m trying my best not to think about her and her fuck-knuckle ex doing anything in that room.
Because then I’ll think of him putting his hands on her, touching her, making her moan, and then I’ll get so angry I’ll probably punch a hole through the sex dungeon wall.
Or I will think about me and her in that room instead, and all of the filthy things I could do to her, and that’s even more dangerous.
So, I stare out of the window and wait for her to get dressed. Not that she asked me to wait, in fact, she specifically told me to go ahead without her, but I’ll be fucked if I’ll let her wander through these woods on her own.
Twenty minutes after she went into what I now know to be the cabin’s only bedroom, she emerges again.
Gone are the jeans and flannel shirt, which she looked cute as fuck in, and in their place are a black dress, the kind that covers her skin but reveals every delicious curve.
I try not to let my eyes rake over her greedily, but I can’t fucking help it.
And then I get to her feet, and the black stiletto heels.
Fuck me! These next four days are going to be torture on so many levels.
“Do you really have to wear those ridiculous shoes?” I ask her, and by ridiculous, I mean I can’t stop myself from imagining what they’d feel like if her legs were wrapped around my waist and those heels were digging into my ass.
“These are Louboutins,” she says, lifting the heel to show me the distinctive red soul. “And they are not even close to ridiculous.”
“They are when we’re walking a quarter mile through the woods.”
She frowns. “There’s a path though, right? The brochure distinctly said there was a path.”
“Yeah, there’s a path, but what if…” I scrub a hand over my face.
I can’t exactly tell her I’m going to spend the entire walk imagining what it would be like to pin her against a tree and fuck her while she’s wearing nothing but those shoes.
“What if we get attacked by a bear or a really angry beaver?”
Her lips lift in a faint smirk and she rolls her eyes. “Don’t worry, I’ll protect you if we do.” Then she struts across the room and I am certain that she sways her hips and ass on purpose. Siren.
“I’m not carrying your ass back here if you get drunk on bourbon tonight,” I call to her already retreating back.
She slips on her coat, flips me the bird and then sashays out of the door.
“Addie!” Brax’s triumphant cry echoes through the bar as soon as she and I walk inside.
He runs over and pulls her into a bear hug, squeezing her tightly.
She squeals with delight, hugging him back with as much force.
Even if she’s pissed at him because of our roommate status, she can’t help but mirror his excitement.
They’ve always been close and I love seeing them together.
It always makes me wonder what my life would have been like if I’d had a sibling, especially after Mom died. “Hey, doofus!” she says.
“Fart-brain,” he murmurs. “I’m so glad you’re finally fucking here.”
He releases her from his embrace and she slides off her coat. “Me too. Although a heads up about my surprise guest would have been nice.”
Brax winces, glancing at me like I can help him out, and I shake my head because I absolutely cannot.
“I’m sorry. I forgot to tell you, and then the cell service was fucking shit, and…
” he blows out a breath. “I didn’t want you out on your own in that cabin.
Eva would never forgive me if some lumberjack came and carried you off to his lair. ” He grins.
She grins back, and he’s already forgiven.
I’ve seen the two of them have some epic fights before.
One time Addie tossed a whole bucket of ice water over him right as he was headed out to a date with Ruby Holland, the girl he’d been asking out for months, just because he’d used the last of the hot water.
But they never stayed mad at each other for long.
They always have each other’s backs, no matter what.
If Brax knew what I’d done—how badly I’d hurt her—I’m pretty sure he’d never forgive me, and that realization has guilt flaring hot in my chest.
“Hi guys,” Eva joins us, carrying two glasses of bourbon. She hands one to Addie and the other to me.
Addie downs hers in one impressive gulp, before smacking her lips together in satisfaction. She and Eva hug like long-lost sisters, and then Eva says something about her dress being perfect and thanking Addie for the shoes, and the two of them jump up and down excitedly.
Brax watches them both with a smile on his face and I realize I’m doing the same.
“Addison Kinsella, did I really just see you inhale that glass of bourbon in front of all these people?” Maggie cuts in.
Addie rolls her eyes and then spins to face her mom. “I was thirsty, Mom. I’ve been driving for over five hours. And then I almost had a cardiac event when I walked into my cabin to find a half-naked man prowling around.”
Again with the half-naked accusations. “Hey, I was not prowling,” I say, my free hand raised in defense, or perhaps it’s surrender.
Maggie pops an eyebrow. “But you were half naked?”
“I was not half naked.”
“So, you were full-on nude?” Maggie gasps.
“What? No!”
“Chase! You hound dog,” Eva chides me, her lips twitching in a smirk.
“Why the fuck were you naked in my sister’s cabin, dude? Do I need to kick your ass?” Brax asks.
I look to Addie for some support, so that she can confirm I’m not some creep who was hanging around her cabin in my birthday suit waiting for her arrival, but her eyes are sparkling with mischief and her lips are pressed together like she’s trying to stop herself from laughing.
And now I realize they’re all yanking my chain, because these people trust me, and they assume I would never take advantage of her like that. And I don’t even have the brain space to unpack any of the guilt I feel over that right now. “Like you could kick my ass,” I tell Brax.
He shrugs, like he doesn’t care that he can’t.
“I had just gotten out of the shower and I was wearing a towel,” I explain.
“What’s going on here?” Now Jack joins our little party.
“Chase was prowling around Addie’s cabin half naked earlier,” Maggie informs him, deadpan.
The man does not flinch at this revelation, not even a little.
He just accepts that it cannot possibly be true or maybe that Addie was okay with it—at least I assume he does, because he once threatened one of his daughter’s dates with his shotgun after he made her cry.
Jack simply gives Addie a kiss on the top of her head and tells her he’s happy to see her.
Then he pats me on the back and ushers us all to a table.
Fuck, they really have no idea, do they? Addison never told any of them a thing about what happened between us, and clearly nothing about what a piece of shit I was after. And for that, I will be eternally grateful to her.
The look Addison is giving me could melt steel, I’m sure of it.
I can’t blame her though, as best man and maid of honor/only bridesmaid, the two of us are almost like celebrities tonight.
After she caught up with her family, she and I were accosted by Eva’s mom, who insisted on introducing us to every person here.
And despite us repeatedly trying to put some distance between us, we seem to end up being drawn into the same conversations.
The only saving grace is that half of the wedding party are yet to arrive, and so we’re only being told we make a really cute couple, or putting up with the best man hooking up with the bridesmaid jokes from fifty or so people, rather than a hundred.
“If one more person asks me if we’re going to hook up, I think I might vomit,” Addie says through clenched teeth.
“Just one more hour and then I’m sure we can call it a night,” I offer.
She groans, expertly dodging her handsy cousin, Kelvin, and diverting him toward her mom. “A whole hour.”
“Would bourbon help?”
“Yes. Very much.”
I give her a mock salute. “Then your wish is my command.”
She flips me the bird again, but she also smiles at me. And this time, there’s a hint of sincerity in it. It’s the kind that could knock a man on his ass if he’s not careful.