Chapter Twenty-Four
Hannah
Our destination was beautiful, surrounded by palm trees and flowers. But it was the farthest thing from what I’d call a cabin. It was modern with a lot of glass, and the architecture was designed with wood and metal.
"What do you think?" he asked.
"I love it. There's no one around. I love the privacy."
He grinned, putting an arm around my waist and pulling me up to him. I immediately wrapped my arms around his neck. "That was my plan all along."
He kissed above my forehead before stepping back and lifting our luggage, one in each hand.
I purposely walked a bit behind so I could eye those delicious biceps as they bulged from the effort of carrying our bags.
The cabin was impressive inside too, with large windows overlooking the back.
"Wow, we've got a pool," I said.
"There's a sauna somewhere too."
“I can’t wait to ground myself in all this nature.”
I shifted my weight from one leg to the other, so much energy flowing through me that I couldn't stand still.
I could barely believe it. I felt like I was in a dream. Chase had put in the effort to bring me here just because he knew I liked being outdoors.
I opened my bag right there in the living room and put on my bikini, straightening when I heard something that sounded like a growl.
"You're still dressed," I said, walking up to him and moving my hips seductively. "You can't even talk, huh?"
"Hannah," he said on a groan. "I don't know what you do to me, but I can't stop wanting you."
I grinned. "Just putting it out there, but if you have sexy thoughts, I don't mind if we get to them before we go in the pool."
He shook his head. "No. You said you want to ground yourself in nature, and if we go to bed, we're not going to get out of it any time soon."
I stepped back, licking my lips, and then turned around, swinging my hips as I walked outside. "All right. Then let's enjoy this amazing day. And then you can do whatever you want with me."
I swear I could feel testosterone rolling off him. I knew my words were setting him on fire, and I liked taunting him.
Outside, I slipped in the water and closed my eyes, listening to the song of the birds.
I'd never felt more at peace than when I was surrounded by nature. I'd once read about the term "nature bath," and it fit perfectly. I could practically feel myself soaking up the good energy.
I only opened my eyes when Chase slid into the water next to me. He looked at me with the happiest expression I'd seen on him in a long while.
"What?" I asked.
"You seem happy."
"I am," I assured him. "So very happy."
"Good. That's all I want for you."
We stayed silent for a while, just watching the palm trees.
"This is so beautiful,” I finally said, moving so close that our bodies touched, even though there was plenty of space. I turned around and inspected the buttons. I pressed the one that started bubbles, or so I thought. Instead, I seemed to have activated the massage. One shot above my knee, one below my navel, and one straight against my clit.
"Holy shiiiiiiit!" I stumbled backward in the water.
"What's wrong?" Chase asked, gripping my shoulders and looking at me in concern.
I smiled sheepishly. "Nothing. I wasn't expecting the water jets to be so effective."
"What do you mean?"
"It went straight to my clit."
He growled, then unexpectedly pushed me against the edge of the pool.
He cupped my pussy. "This is mine. I'm the only one allowed to bring you pleasure."
I licked my lips. "You're jealous of the underwater massage?"
"Mine," he repeated. "All mine. Only mine."
He captured my mouth, kissing me hard and wet. It turned me on more than I wanted to admit.
I melted into him, feeling like I was liquid fire. He pressed his hips against me, and there was no mistaking he was hard. When he pulled back, I grinned. He immediately moved to the side.
"Want to go inside now?" I suggested.
“No. I made you a promise, and I’m going to honor it.”
“Okay.”
I laughed and closed my eyes, enjoying the sun. I had no idea how long we stayed like that without even saying anything. But then my thoughts drifted back to the inn and the investment portal.
I wondered what Chase would think about it. I opened my eyes and snuck a glance at him. He was resting with his head on the edge of the pool. I kissed his Adam's apple, then straightened up quickly.
"You’re sexy like this, relaxed and with your eyes closed. I'm always torn between letting you enjoy the moment and kissing the living daylights out of you."
"I will never mind you kissing me, babe."
I straddled him, putting my arms on his shoulders.
“You have something on your mind,” he stated.
"I want to ask your opinion about something. I found a platform where they match businesses owners with potential investors, and I want you to look at the profile I set up there for the inn. It looks good to me, but I'd like to pick your smart-as-hell business brain."
There was an instant shift in his body language. He straightened up, pulling his shoulders back, and his eyes became more focused. He went from relaxed Chase to business Chase right away. That was a huge turn-on for me.
"Sure. Hit me up,” he said.
"I'm just going to grab my phone so we can look over it."
"Want me to come out of the water?"
"No, no! You stay here. I'll bring the phone," I said. I got out of the pool, and my skin erupted in goose bumps. It was a bit chillier outside than in the water.
I toweled off quickly and headed inside the house. I grabbed my phone and came right back out, putting it at the edge of the pool before lowering myself into the water.
"It's a bit windy outside."
“Next time I can get out with you, and I'll protect you from the wind."
Yep, this was Chase Sterling. He wanted to protect me from everything, including the wind.
We turned to face the edge of the pool, and I tapped my phone, bringing up the website.
"I don't know this platform," Chase said.
"Why would you? It's for small businesses like mine."
He glanced over the profile and then went to the “About” section of the website.
"All right, this thing's legit," he said, then went back to the inn's profile. "Have you had any bites yet?"
My stomach sank. "No, but I only put it up yesterday. I'm not getting my hopes up, but I want to put my best foot forward." There were several sections to the page, one with general information, one with financial projections. Chase went directly there.
"Your business case is solid," he said, focusing on the screen. Five minutes later, he put the phone down. “This is a very good pitch.”
"You don't have any feedback?" I asked.
"No. Honestly, I would've done the same."
That was the biggest compliment I could get.
"Thanks," I said. "I love this. Exchanging ideas with you, being a team."
He moved behind me, hugging me and kissing my cheek. "Thank you for sharing that with me," he said as he kissed my temple. He knew how monumental this was for me.
Chase kissed the lobe of my ear and then farther down to the side of my neck. He wasn't just kissing me with his lips but also the tip of his tongue. I knew he'd reached the limit of his self-control. I shimmied my ass across his crotch and felt him get hard.
"I think we've been on our best behavior for long enough, huh?" I asked.
He growled in my ear, and I felt the reverberations through my body. It was such a sexy, primal sound that I nearly lost my sense of time and space. "You read my mind."