Chapter Sixteen
Hannah
I woke up to weird sounds. I bolted to a sitting position, and my vision immediately blurred, so I closed my eyes and then opened them again. Am I trapped in a sexy dream in which Chase is moving around the bedroom buck naked?
"I woke you up. I'm sorry."
"He talks," I murmured.
"What?"
I jumped off the bed, taking quick steps toward him, stopping short right in front of him.
"I'm trying to determine if you're real or not." I tapped my finger against my lips. "Hmm. You talk, and that sexy ass is just as I remember it from last night. Your cock is just as impressive, but then again, if last night and this morning were a dream, then you’d look the same.” I pinched his abs. “Yep, you're real."
He chuckled. "I am."
"Why are you up so early?" I asked, eyeing him with appreciation. That's when I realized I was just as naked too. And yet, I didn't feel at all self-conscious.
“It’s not that early. It’s almost nine o’clock. I looked outside. The weather’s good.”
“Holy shit!”
I opened the shutters on the window to see it was sunny outside. The yard was a mess, branches lying everywhere.
“I assume they’ve already unblocked the road,” Chase went on.
I turned to him, pouting. "Does that mean we'll be free to leave soon?"
He grinned. "No, it just means the safety inspector will be here soon. That’s what you said yesterday. You and I better get dressed.”
"Crap, you're right." I looked around. Where are my clothes? "Ha, my mind is usually so much clearer in the morning. I'm not sure why my head's all fuzzy today." I pointed at him. "I think it's the two orgasms I had last night."
Growling, he stepped right in front of me. "Three."
I gave him a sly grin. "Hmmm. Are you sure? That's debatable, don't you think? You really think you can give me three orgasms, huh?"
"I can prove it to you."
"Yes!" I exclaimed. "But keep that thought for when we're alone again."
He growled again in response.
We both cleaned up and dressed at top speed. I was essentially doing the walk of shame, but what did I care? I didn’t know the inspector from Adam.
***
Chase was right. The inspector arrived ten minutes later, a young guy trailing after him. He was probably an apprentice. Chase and I stood on the porch as they approached, both looking around with scrutinizing eyes.
"Good morning, ma'am," they greeted me.
“Good morning,” I replied.
“Is the road clear?” Chase asked him.
The older man nodded. “Almost. It’s safe to drive. Did you already inspect the property?”
“No,” I replied. “We can do that now.”
“Your husband can show us around,” he said.
I flinched. Holy shit! What's wrong with me? I hoped no one noticed anything.
“Hannah owns the property,” Chase said smoothly. “She can show you everything. By the way, the electricity is back on.”
The younger inspector made a large checkmark on the sheet of paper he was holding.
"That's good. One less thing for us to check,” he said. “You don't have huge trees right next to the building, so there can't be any major damage from fallen trees. But the wind was strong enough that it could have brought on branches from there.” He pointed to the trees at the edge of the yard. “So let's walk around once, shall we?"
"Sure," I replied. I turned to Chase. "You can wait inside if you want."
"I'll come with you."
"Thanks." Just having him with me made me feel safe. I didn't need to face this all by myself.
Of course, the inn was my responsibility. But it was nice to know he cared and wanted to be here for me.
We walked slowly around the perimeter. There was a lot of debris in the garden. My bed of roses was practically destroyed. A few huge branches had fallen from the trees, and the wind carried them around.
When we'd almost finished the inspection, I gasped. A huge branch had flown into the eastern wall. It tore through a part of the porch and even brought down a pole that was supposed to sustain it. How the hell did that get here? The trees really weren’t that close.
"That looks dangerous," the older inspector said. “Don't get too close. You need to have this repaired quickly."
"Yes, I was just thinking that," I said. My voice was robotic. Damn it, I couldn't imagine how much that would cost.
"That was a strong wind," Chase commented in a measured tone.
The inspectors nodded, each filling out a form as we walked back to the entrance.
"Thank you so much for your time," the older one said, handing me both sheets.
“Likewise.”
Chase and I stayed on the porch as they left.
I huffed. "Chase, I’m sorry. I’m in a bad mood. I understand if you want to go."
"I don't want to go. I want to stay here with you and help work things out."
"I don't think you can."
"Then I'm going to cheer you up."
Despite myself, I laughed. "You can definitely do that."
“First things first. We need food. Let’s get breakfast somewhere and then come back and make a plan.”
I shook my head. “I can’t do too much today since it’s a Saturday. But on Monday, I’ll call a few companies and see who can take care of this as soon as possible."
"You're worried. Tell me why." He pushed a strand of hair behind my ear. The wind blew it right back in my face, and I laughed.
He pulled me around the corner so we were out of the wind’s way.
I shrugged. “I’m afraid the repairs will be expensive.”
“Your insurance will cover it.”
“Maybe. But my deductible will be huge.” After Chase first showed up here, I looked at the grants the local council gave for renovations, but as I’d feared, the inn wasn’t eligible. God, I love this home to bits, but why is it eating up every penny?
"Anyway, thanks for coming on the tour with me."
"What happened earlier? When he thought I was your husband. You flinched .”
“Honestly, I'm not even sure why I reacted like that. It just brought up bad memories, I guess. My ex never came to the inn when things like this happened.”
“What do you mean?” Chase asked sharply. “He wasn’t here for emergencies?”
"No, far from it. He hated the inn and that I came to see Grandma so often. He wanted us to do other stuff on the weekend. Eventually he started doing his own thing whenever I was here. With someone else.”
“For fuck’s sake,” he growled.
I waved a hand. “I don’t want to talk about him. There’s no point. Maybe I should start making a list of companies today.”
Chase stepped closer, putting both arms around my waist. "I'll make you a deal. First we have breakfast, and then we make a list together. And then we’ll have the rest of the day open for fun.”
I grinned. “You just became my favorite person.”
“That was my plan all along. Now, where do you want to go for breakfast?" he asked.
"There's a great diner not too far away. But first, I’d like to check in on my neighbor and see if she needs any help. I’d call her, but my battery died.”
The wind blew again, pushing my hair into my eyes. Chase stepped closer, running his hands through my hair, keeping it at the back of my head.
"You’re incredible. I can’t believe you’re worrying about your neighbor right now.”
“I hope she's doing fine," I said. "But, Chase, honestly, this is going to be a very boring morning for you. I can do everything on my own."
"It won't be boring because I'm with you," he said in a tone that brooked no argument.
"All right, if you’re sure, then let’s pay her a visit. We can walk over there and come back for the car after.”
“Sure. Lead the way.”
Ms. Adams lived next door. Her house was much smaller than the inn but very cozy. I’d always loved it. It was Victorian-style as well, painted white with blue shutters. All of them were still closed as we stepped up on the porch.
"I really, really hope she's doing well," I murmured, my heart beating fast as I knocked at the door.
A few seconds later, I heard footsteps, and my heart slowed down again. The door swung open.
Ms. Adams was in her eighties. She'd colored her hair jet-black for as long as I could remember and always pulled it back in a bun. She was petite and slender, though I couldn’t tell that right now because she was wearing an oversized black robe.
"Good morning, Hannah," she said. Then she glanced at Chase. "You're the inspector? I already told your boss that there's no need for anyone to come."
"No, I'm with Hannah,” Chase said, and I sighed at the implication.
Ms. Adams beamed at me. She reminded me so much of Gran. Maybe because they used to spend a lot of time together. She was at our place a lot while I was growing up.
"Hannah, darling." She clucked her tongue. "You've been keeping secrets from me."
"Um, we just wanted to make sure you're okay," I said.
"I walked around the house once this morning and everything seemed fine. I told the inspector there was no need to come, but they said they might send someone anyway. That's why I thought it was you," she told Chase.
"Hmm, I don't think they're stopping by. They just went to my place," I said.
"Is everything okay with Loma House?"
I shifted my weight from one leg to the other. "I'll have to repair a few things."
Chase put his hand at the back of my neck, and I instantly relaxed at his touch.
"Do you have electricity?" he asked Ms. Adams.
"Yes, it came back this morning, thank goodness." She eyed Chase with interest. One thing Gran and Ms. Adams had in common was that they were both huge gossips. I was sure all our neighbors would find out about him soon enough. Not that I minded—I kind of wanted to brag about this sexy man.
"Do you need our help with anything?" Chase asked.
"Would you like to come in for coffee?"
Ms. Adams was very sneaky.
"No, we actually need to leave. We just wanted to check that you're okay after the storm," I said.
She gave me a knowing smile. "I'm good, darling. But whenever you two are here, feel free to stop by for a coffee."
"Will do," I replied. “If you need anything, call me. Oh, wait. My phone died.”
Chase took his phone out. “Tell me your number, Ms. Adams.”
“Sure.” She rattled it off, and he immediately gave her a call.
“Now you have my number. Call me if you need anything.”
“Will do.” Her smile was even wider than before.
I touched his arm. "Come on, Chase, let's go."
We turned around as she closed the door.
"She seems friendly," Chase said.
“She's a bit like a surrogate grandma for me ever since I lost mine. She keeps saying she's getting far too old to live here and that she wants to move into something much smaller. She couldn't find a buyer for her home, though. I once toyed with the idea of buying her place to live there and just rent out the inn, but—" I laughed nervously. "—I've got other things to worry about now."
On our way to his car, I explained to him where Fanny’s Diner was.
During the drive, I charged my phone. Ten minutes later, we parked in front of the main entrance. Fanny’s Diner was in a small building off Catalina Boulevard. There were two jacaranda trees behind the place, and both of them had tumbled, thankfully not on top of the building.
As far as I could see, Fanny had a full house. When Chase and I stepped inside, she turned around and smiled at me, then hurried toward us, a giant coffee pot in her right hand.
The place smelled like sugar and coffee. The sound of patrons talking and forks clanking against plates filled the air.
"Hannah, good morning. How is the inn? How—” She stopped abruptly, pressing her lips together, looking up and down at Chase. Fanny had known me for a long time. In contrast to Ms. Adams, she was far more subtle. “I’ve spoken to Ms. Adams,” Fanny said. “She insists nothing was damaged at her house.”
“We’ve been to her place. She’s fine.”
“And you?”
“Nothing I can’t fix.”
“Great. Why don't you two sit down? Pancakes on the house."
"No, we'll pay," Chase said.
Ah, damn it. I didn't have a chance to warn him.
Fanny pulled herself to her full height. "No, you won't, mister. Not in Point Loma. Not after a storm. Everyone's had a rough night. The least I can do is give them some pancakes on the house."
"Don't argue with her," I fake whispered to Chase, knowing Fanny was within earshot.
"You tell him," she said. "You two sit down there." She pointed to a table next to the window, then turned on her heels.
Chase and I sat down, and he looked around. "She's literally giving free food to everyone? How is she running a business?”
"Honestly, I'm not even sure how she does it," I admitted. "She's had a few difficult times over the years, but people chip in with donations every time."
Chase looked perplexed. "Right," he said. He glanced out the window beside him. "She's lucky those trees fell the way they did."
"I agree." I couldn't imagine what would've happened if they had crashed onto her building.
Point Loma was one of the most beloved neighborhoods in San Diego. It was certainly affluent. But there was a sizable community that had lived here for generations, and Fanny liked to cater to them. I knew most of the patrons around us.
"Do we get to order?" he asked.
I laughed. "Uh, no. Fanny will give you food on the house, but on her terms."
"Fair enough," he said.
A few minutes later, Fanny's youngest daughter, April, brought us two plates with pancakes and coffee.
“Nice to see you, Hannah. Thanks for checking on Ms. Adams.” She winked at me before turning around on her heels and heading back to the kitchen.
"These are excellent," Chase said after his first bite.
"Fanny makes hands down the best pancakes. She used to make an amazing baklava, too, but hasn’t in ages. I miss it, and I haven’t found any other place that does it."
I saw quite a few of the customers sneaking glances at us. Chase only seemed to notice after we ate.
"Is it just me or are people staring at us?" he whispered.
I laughed softly. "I think they’re curious about you. I'm betting word spread that you spent the night at the inn."
He stared at me. "How?"
"See, Fanny didn't ask me anything, but I bet you that she called Ms. Adams after we came in, and she would've told Fanny all about our visit to her place. You know how she didn't seem shocked that you were here? She just sized you up."
"I didn't pick up on that."
“That’s understandable. You don't know Fanny as well as I do. Then April winked at me, so I'm betting she's spreading the word around other tables."
"I'm not even sure how to react to that."
I laughed, shrugging. "It's just how Fanny’s Diner works. It's a bit of a world of its own, especially among neighbors."
"You don't say."
We finished our pancakes quickly, and even though April offered free coffee refills, we didn’t linger. New customers kept coming in, and they needed somewhere to sit.
As soon as we stepped out of the diner, all my worries slammed back into me. I felt Chase's hands on my shoulders, pressing slightly into the crook of my neck as he led me to the car.
"What are you doing?" I asked.
"I could practically feel you getting stressed. Thought this might help relax you."
"It really does," I said, leaning into his touch. I had no idea how he found my stress points, but I instantly relaxed. I was usually a positive person, except when it came to the inn. I’d had so much bad luck that I couldn’t maintain my usual optimism. But right now, I wasn't in any danger of spiraling out, and I knew it was because Chase was there.
I sighed as we got back in the car. He looked at me with a proud smile.
"You're happy," he stated.
"Yeah. I had a delicious breakfast with a delicious man. What more could I want?"
But I couldn't keep the worries at bay as we drove inside the inn’s yard.
"Want to hang out a bit on the porch?" I asked once we got out of the car. “It’s so nice outside. The calm after the storm.”
"Sure. Do you have any furniture?"
"I’ve got a rattan couch and pillows in the basement.”
“Let’s bring them up.”
I led him through the house and to the basement. He carried the couch on his own, as it wasn’t heavy at all. He looked hot lifting it up the stairs. I brought all the pillows, and once he set the couch on the porch, I arranged them on the rattan. We sat down next to each other and immediately started googling restoration companies.
"You know a few, right?" Chase said.
"Yes, I've already been in contact with some of them for repairs."
"Tell me which ones you want to contact," he said, scrolling through the results on the first page of Google.
After emailing ten companies, asking for a cost estimation based on the inspector’s observation, I took off my shoes, putting my feet up, and he took them in his lap.
"You're stressed," he said.
"How can you tell that?"
"Because your entire body is on edge." He put a hand on my calf. "These muscles are clenched."
"I'm trying to calculate how much this will cost, and I'm imagining the number will be much higher than what's in my savings account."
"I can loan you what you need for the repairs."
I instantly tensed up. "Thanks, but no."
"Why not?"
"Taking money from anyone...changes things. I don't want that to come between us."
He shifted closer. "What do you mean, come between us?"
I gritted my teeth. "I just wouldn't feel good taking money from you, okay? Not even as a loan."
When I didn't say anything for a few seconds, he took one of my hands, pulling me toward him. I knew exactly what he wanted, so I rose on my knees and then straddled him, facing him. He placed both hands on my outer thighs. I was happier than ever that the trees around the property were so high. You could see the upper levels of the inn from the street, but not the porch. No one could see us. It was a bit chilly, though. I should bring out blankets.
"I want you to know that option is always on the table."
"No, really, I'm not seeing that as an option. You could resent me later, or throw it in my face that—” Crap. Why am I running my mouth? “Never mind.”
"He hurt you," Chase murmured. "That fucking moron."
I felt small and ashamed, but for some reason, I didn’t want to hide from Chase. My ex made me feel insignificant in the end, like I didn’t matter, and it really did a number on my self-esteem. Blair thought I was nuts for taking to heart what that asshole said, but for some reason, I hadn’t been able to shake it off.
"He did, and I know I shouldn’t let it bother me...." I let my words trail off. I wasn’t sure this was a good idea, sharing my innermost secrets.
“Do you want to tell me what happened?”
I hesitated. It was one thing for him to assume certain aspects but another altogether to know .
But I didn’t want to keep anything from him. Not even the parts that were still raw and hurting. Telling him felt right.
"I told you that he’d been pushing me to sell the inn after Gran passed away. He didn’t like it at all that I wanted to keep it. And then when the insurance thing happened, he became vicious. Said it was a good thing we'd never combined our finances, that he was going to divorce me before I could ruin his savings too. He made me feel so insignificant, like what I wanted or needed didn’t matter. Like I didn’t matter. I never asked him for anything, you know." I stopped there because the rest could be shared another time. I was enjoying the day too much to dive into all this or I’d get emotional.
"You didn't ask me either. But I'm offering."
"Chase, don't insist, okay?"
He took in a deep breath. "Fine."
He feathered his fingertips up and down my thighs, then moved them to my ass and groaned. "Fuck, you're commando?"
I smiled sheepishly. "Obviously. I wasn't going to put on yesterday's panties. Aren't you?"
"It's different. I’m wearing pants." He all but growled when he asked, "What if someone saw you?"
I rolled my eyes. "That's your concern?"
"Yes. And the fact that I'm hard for you and don't have a condom."
"Chase! When did that happen?"
"Right now."
I grinned, shimmying on top of him. "Is it bad that I feel super proud about this?"
"No, it's not.” He grinned and then cupped my face with both hands. “What are you doing to me? I have so little control over my body when I’m with you. Over how I feel."
My breath caught. "I feel the same," I confessed.
I’d been married for two years, yet Chase made me feel things I never had before.
I felt appreciated, safe, alive with him. My wants and needs were important to him. I was important to him.
"Tell me, what do you want to do for the rest of the day?" he asked.
"Hmm, I wouldn't mind if we stayed just like this." I shimmied some more on top of him.
He groaned again and kneaded my ass cheeks. "Your wish is my command."