Chapter Thirty
Hannah
Gran, please send some zen vibes my way .
Ever since I'd arrived at the inn, I'd dusted off my bedroom and put on sheets, then decided I wanted a different set. So I made the bed yet again. But I was still restless. I couldn't remember a time when coming here didn't calm me down. Maybe I needed to stop moving around and simply sit. Ideally, I’d do so with a glass of wine outside on the porch, but I didn't have any. Still, I grabbed one of the cozy blankets and headed outside, sitting on the porch floor since Chase and I had taken the rattan couch back to the basement last time after using it. I didn’t want to leave anything on the porch, fearing another storm.
I took in a deep breath, looking up at the sky. It was clear and gorgeous tonight—exactly what I needed. I could feel the adrenaline draining from my body as I sat here surrounded by the sounds of night and the rustle of trees in the wind.
Does Chase know by now that I know? It was entirely possible. He hadn’t messaged me or anything.
I reached in the pocket of my jeans and grabbed... nothing. I didn't have my phone on me. Who knew where I'd misplaced it? Maybe it was for the best, because I still wasn't sure what to say to him. I was in shock.
I closed my eyes, enjoying the blissful silence until I heard a crackling sound and bolted from the porch. It was definitely fire, and it didn't seem far away.
My heart leaped in my throat. The last thing I needed was for something to be on fire.
I ran to the other side of the porch, looking sideways. There was light at the back of the building. "Crap. How did I manage that?" I sprinted there, already forming a plan in my mind. I didn't have an extinguisher outside, but I could put together a bucket of dirt and throw it at the flames.
When I rounded the corner, I let out a breath of relief. The building wasn’t aflame. The blaze was in the designated pit, and—
"Chase! Holy shit! You scared me."
He held up his hands. "Sorry, that wasn't my intention. I just wanted to surprise you."
I looked at the flames and then at him. "Wait, when did you get here? And why didn't I see you?"
He tilted his head to one side and then straightened up again. "It required a lot of stealth. I parked at your neighbor's. And she showed me a connecting path at the back of the property."
"How did you know I would be here?" I asked.
"Lucky guess. You told me once that this is the place you come to when you have a problem that doesn't seem to have a solution."
I nodded. "I do.”
“My brothers told me everything."
I rubbed my hands over my arms to give myself something to do. I was nervous. "So the SEC—"
He shook his head, stepping closer. "I don't want to talk about the company or the SEC. I want to talk about the inn. You're cold," he said, taking off his jacket and putting it over my shoulders.
"Yes. It's getting chilly around here," I said. Then I noticed he was holding a metal rod with... "Are those marshmallows?" I asked incredulously.
"Yeah."
"But I didn't have any. I checked earlier."
He lifted one corner of his mouth. "I bought some on the way. Didn't dare show my face without them. Thought it might increase the odds of you listening to me."
I sighed. "Of course I would listen to you," I said. "Chase, why didn't you tell me about... I don't know... anything? How did you even get the idea?" I couldn't even form coherent questions, mostly because they weren't clear in my mind either.
"I don't have much to say in my defense, except that I love you and, apparently, that makes me do extremely crazy things. I know how much this place means to you. I also knew you'd say no if I proposed it to you."
"Absolutely. But why not even discuss it?"
"Because then you'd be suspicious if an investor offered money so quickly after I talked to you about it."
He cupped my cheeks with both hands, and something magical happened. While I was completely wrapped up in him, with his jacket around my shoulders and his hands on my face, my heartbeat calmed down, and my entire body relaxed.
"I was going to tell you," he murmured, staring straight into my eyes.
I couldn't help but laugh. "When?"
"After we'd signed the papers. I was going to wait for an appropriate time, probably after you'd used the money so you couldn't give it all back."
My jaw dropped. "You actually thought about this a lot."
"Yes, and I'm not proud of it, but you have to know something about me, Hannah. I love you, and I can't see you go without something. Especially when it's in my power to take care of it—to take care of you . That's all I want."
"Chase, you can't just pave your way through life with a sledgehammer."
He grunted. "I'm working on that."
“I know you want the best for me, but I can't accept that. You know that, right?"
He groaned. "Now that you know, I'm going to work on convincing you to accept it as a token of my affection."
"Hey, you can’t blackmail me."
His mouth curled up in a grin. "That's not what I said."
I scoffed. "Oh really? You think I don't know what you're doing? You didn’t bring the marshmallows for nothing. You’re not just trying to apologize. You’re trying to convince me, and it won't work."
"You've changed my life in ways I can't even count or explain, Hannah. You’ve changed everything. You simply tilted my world upside down."
Oh my goodness. He was getting at me. When he was swoon-worthy like this, he could talk me into anything.
I rose on my toes, placing my mouth on his, taking him by surprise for once. I kissed him so deeply that he groaned, and he kissed me right back with fervor. It was such a dirty kiss. He moved his tongue in precise strokes, moving his hands under the jacket to my waist and then to my back.
He tilted his pelvis, and I felt him. He was semihard. I was sure of it. It wasn't the zipper of his pants; I could tell the difference between that and his cock.
With a groan, he stepped back. "Hannah, let's talk it out first."
"Nope," I said, kissing his jaw and then going down to his Adam's apple. It was one of the most vulnerable parts of his body.
"Why not?"
“Because you're saying swoon-worthy things. You're very convincing."
He laughed. I felt the reverberation against my mouth. "I think you want to distract me with sex."
I smiled against his skin "Yes. How does it feel when I use your own tricks against you?"
"It's a fucking turn-on," he growled.
I tilted forward, leading the kiss this time, and oh my. I tugged at his polo shirt, but what I actually wanted to do was take it off him. I wanted to touch his skin and feel whenever a groan rocked his body.
Lowering my hands to the hem of his shirt, I slid them inside. I was immediately rewarded with a loud, delicious groan. He was coming undone right here.
He moved to kiss my temple and murmured, "Let's go inside."
"No one can see," I protested.
"No, but they'll hear you."
A bolt of heat coursed through me, gathering between my thighs. His promise was oh-so-delicious, and I knew he would deliver on it.
He moved his hands everywhere: on my ass and upper thighs, then up my rib cage, touching the side of my breast. But I wanted more. I had to be his tonight, utterly and completely.
When I left the office building, I wasn't sure what I needed. Even after coming here, I couldn't find the answer.
But it was simple. I needed Chase. That was all.
He started moving us toward the back door, and I didn't attempt to stop him. I wanted him too much to think straight.
Thank heavens he was taking the lead.