11. Chase
11
CHASE
I ’m greeted by the most delicious sight of Melody bent over into downward dog, looking like a full snack that I’d like to sink my teeth into. Her black short shorts cling to her round curves and her oversized shirt has fallen giving me a peek at her toned stomach.
“Oh, hey,” she says, head tilted to see who’s just walked in. She looks genuinely happy to see me, and I can’t help but think of that little moment last night where I almost broke down and kissed her. Thankfully, I came to my senses just in time.
Melody steps through her pose with one foot and arches her back, bringing her hands together above her head. It’s an odd feeling of coming back to my place and having someone else occupying it. I can see she’s brought her boxes in, but with nowhere to put anything, they lay in a heap by her bed.
“You can have half the closet if you want. My clothes don’t take up a lot of room,” I say as I pass her, plopping down onto the couch.
She stands up and beams at me. If she doesn’t stop looking at me like that, I’m going to start thinking she actually likes me.
“Seriously?”
“Yeah, why not?”
She shrugs her shoulder. “That just seems like a nice gesture for someone who didn’t even want me to have a bed.”
“Well maybe I’ve had a change of heart.”
Her eyebrows shoot up like she doesn’t quite believe me. And I don’t blame her.
Now that she’s stopped her yoga practice, that oversized shirt of hers covers her shorts, making it look as if she’s wearing nothing at all under there. I quickly adjust myself and avert my eyes from her miles of unblemished skin.
“You free to work on our project?” I ask, changing the subject.
She pads over to the kitchen and grabs a drink of water. “Yeah, I can for a half hour. I’m meeting Rhonda again tonight. Her notes have been invaluable. I think with her help, I might actually have a chance of catching up.”
“Yeah, she’s great. You should hear her play violin.”
“Is she good like you?”
I bristle under the compliment, remembering how intently Melody was watching me earlier. “Rhonda’s talented that’s for sure. She might even rival me if I’m not careful.”
Melody sits next to me on the couch and her vanilla and citrus scent wafts over me. Out of the corner of my eye, I watch her take a sip of the water. Drinking something as simple as water from a bottle shouldn’t be hot, but somehow, I’m acutely tuned into her, wishing her hand was wrapped around something other than that bottle.
I dig out my laptop and open it to where I’ve saved our work. Silence engulfs us as we wait for it to load and a nervous energy courses through my veins. If she were any other girl, I’d have her beneath me by now, then running out the door in the morning. But she’s not just any other girl. She’s the one girl I can’t have. And maybe that’s why I find her so captivating. She’s off limits.
But then I remember how frightened she looked last night, and how I wanted— no, needed to make her feel better, and I know it’s something deeper than just the forbidden aspect of our dynamic that has me fantasizing about her like this. I’d love nothing more than to reach over to her right now and pull her onto my lap and show her how much she affects me, but instead, I flex my fingers and press play.
Notes surround us emanating from my laptop’s speakers. It’s not the best quality, but it’ll do for now. I find listening back to what I’ve already created essential in moving forward so I know where I need to go.
“I can’t believe that’s our song. Like I know, logically, I was here when we were making it, but actually hearing it pulled together like this, it’s something else.”
Those blue eyes of hers are shining with appreciation as she stares down at the computer. Her bare leg knocks against my thigh, and I wish I wasn’t still wearing my school uniform so I could feel her skin on mine. That thought registers in my mind, and I wonder how I got here to this pathetic mess of a man just wanting to feel her skin. Still, I make no move to pull away from her, happy to have this minimal contact.
Yep. I’m officially pathetic.
“Here. I was messing around with some lyrics I thought might fit the song. Can you take a look and tell me what you think?” She tucks her bottom lip behind her top teeth, handing me her phone that’s opened to her notes app, and looks adorable as hell. I can tell this is an insecurity for her, sharing words she’s plucked from inside her brain with me. Reading over what she wrote, hits hard right in that creative part of my soul.
This world came to break,
But you came to build
Alone was my norm,
But now you’re my home
Love was a mystery,
Locked away,
But you hold the key,
Always meant to be.
“This is a good start. Would you mind singing it?”
She closes her eyes and as soon as the song restarts, she sings the words. The lyrics flutter through the air like they were always meant to pair with the notes. A perfect match.
“That was perfect. Don’t change a word.”
Her eyes open and she gives me a shy smile. “Thanks.” She grabs her phone back and grazes my hand with hers. That small touch is nothing short of electric, as if I went and stuck my fingers in a socket. Her eyes fly up to my face and her breathing catches in her chest. Is she feeling it too? This connection? Fuck, I want her to be. I want her to crave me as much as I’m craving her.
“I have to go.” She says, jumping up from the couch. Her body sways off to the bathroom with a stack of clean clothes in hand that she grabbed from her luggage.
I still have her panties stashed away and I wonder if she’ll ever notice that they’re missing. Part of me knows I should put it back and act like I haven’t been jerking myself off to the thought of her wearing them for me. There’s no future here other than heartbreak and rejection. What do I think she’s going to do? Say ‘fuck it, I don’t care what anyone else thinks. I want you?’ Fat fucking chance. She’s got Liam nipping at her heels, and any guy with a pulse probably not far behind.
There’s a possessive part of me that wants to claim her as my own, consequences be damned. But the logical part of me knows that I’m not worth her time. That even if I were to get her to give in, she’d be running for the hills before too long. Which is exactly why I’ve always stuck to one-night stands and short flings. No one stands to get hurt if you know it’s not going anywhere to begin with. That’s why I’ve embraced my reputation rather than fight it. It works for me, and no one gets hurt.
But then, Melody walks back into the room, her pink hair undone, cascading down her back and I decide I’m tired of playing it safe. Before I know what I’m doing, I find myself striding across the room, invading her space. Her eyes go wide as I pin her against the wall.
“What- what are you doing?”
My nose trails up her neck as my fingers dig into her hips. She’s so pliable beneath me. I’m so close that I can see her pulse fluttering against her skin.
“Just remember when you’re out there, who you’re coming home to.” My fingers trail up her side, skirting around the swell of her breast and drags against her collarbone. She inhales a stuttered breath, pupils blown so wide it almost eats up that ocean blue ring she has until it’s nothing but a sliver of color.
“Is this funny to you? Fucking with my emotions?” She asks, anger lurking in her ocean blue eyes.
“Am I laughing, princess?”
She shakes her head no. I run my hand up her neck and settle my thumb on that plump lower lip of hers. Her breath skates over my knuckle. I can feel my cock thickening in my pants at our proximity, separated by only a few centimeters. If I take a deep enough breath, her breasts would be pressing against my chest. And I want it. Fuck, do I want to feel her.
“You’re toying with me,” she whispers.
“And you like it,” I say, and her eyes widen as she sharply inhales. “You like being toyed with, don’t you? That’s why you haven’t pushed me away.” Her fingers find my shirt and they twist in the material. “That’s why you’re pulling me closer to you.”
She looks down in surprise like she didn’t realize what she was doing. Her hand drops and she slides out from my grasp, eyes wild and heart hammering. The door slams behind her reverberating off the walls, her rejection stinging sharp. I knew better than to play with fire, and yet I couldn’t help myself from walking right up to the flame and getting burned.