Chapter 38
thirty-eight
We must have fallen asleep at some point because when I wake up, the room is still dark. I reach for my phone on the bedside table to find it’s only a little after one in the morning. The sight of Chase sprawled out on his stomach with the lines of his muscular back and shoulders visible in the dark has my chest aching.
I care so deeply for this man I didn’t even know existed less than a month ago. In a matter of weeks, he’s managed to sneak his way into my life and completely turn it upside down. He’s become an unmistakable force, and I don’t know how deep this goes for him. I know he feels something for me, but I can’t shake the fear that he made this fake from the start for a reason.
I stare up at the ceiling and let out a slow breath. I shouldn’t have crossed that line, but at the same time, I don’t regret it. How could I regret sex like that? And that was with me mostly in control. I can’t imagine what sleeping with him would be like when he’s the one who calls the shots. Glancing at him again, I swallow at the thought.
I should go. It’s still early enough. Miles wouldn’t question me walking through the door before two, but he’ll have plenty of questions if he wakes up and I’m still not home. I try to move as slowly as I can, my arm gently pulling the blanket back, so I can slink out of bed and leave without him noticing. Finding my dress might be a little challenging, but I think he threw it somewhere near his dresser.
I sit up on the edge of the bed and try to locate my one skimpy piece of clothing in the dark.
“Candace,” a sleepy Chase murmurs behind me.
I close my eyes, disappointed I woke him, and look over my shoulder. “Yes?”
He reaches for me, his hand landing on my hip, and his thumb brushing across my lower back. “Stay. I’ll take you home in the morning. Let me wake up next to you . . . just once.”
Just once.
I close my eyes and drop my head. How can I say no to that? How can I say no when a huge part of me doesn’t want to leave at all. “Okay.” I breathe out the word without a fight, even though his last two words cut into me deeper than any of the others.
I lie back in bed, and Chase pulls me to him. His body is warm, strong, and safe. He gently brushes his fingertips over my skin in soothing patterns until I drift off to sleep, knowing being awake with him here is far better than any dream.
The next time my eyes flutter open, soft sunlight peeks through the windows, and I stretch my arms overhead. The first thing that hits me is the feeling of the bed being too big—the feeling of being suddenly alone. Sitting up, I hold the blanket to my chest and look around the room, but it’s empty. Only then does the quiet sound of cabinets closing catch my attention .
Getting to my feet, I wrap his soft comforter around me and head into the bathroom for a mirror. To my surprise, I don’t look as rough as I thought I might. My curls have fallen, and my lips are back to their natural color, but I don’t look bad. I look like a slightly faded, washed-out version of the girl I was last night. With the pad of my thumb, I gently rub away some of the eyeliner that smeared overnight.
Looking around, I take in the dark slate that covers the floor and bottom half of the wall. His entire walk-in shower matches, and it all beautifully compliments his black cabinets and white countertop. I pick up a tube of toothpaste neatly set on the counter and put a little on my finger as a makeshift toothbrush to freshen up.
Feeling ready to face him, I grab my phone and head back the way I came. There are four messages from Miles, but each is only one word.
Miles:
BITCH
WHERE
ARE
YOU?!
I let out a breath of laughter and quickly send him a text.
Candace:
Yes, I’m still with him. Yes, it was that good. Yes, I will tell you about it.
My phone buzzes in my hand, but I ignore it. With my hand on his bedroom door handle, I breathe to try to get rid of any lingering nerves. Please don’t let this be awkward.
The door opens, and the sight makes me pause. Chase is shirtless, wearing nothing but navy sweats as he cooks breakfast with his tiny Christmas tree perched on the counter like a loyal assistant. I don’t think I’ve ever appreciated anything more. Everything about him, from his bedhead hair to his bare feet makes me want to pull him right back into this bedroom and repeat what happened last night.
He looks up, and relief fills me when that easy smile pulls at his lips.
My own smile stretches across my face, and it’s only then that I realize I was biting my bottom lip. Crossing the room, I head into the kitchen and stand next to him so I can peer into the pan. There are eggs, bacon, toast, and fruit. All sliced, cooked, and prepared. My eyes widen. “You’ve been busy.”
“I figured this was the most productive way to distract myself from you being naked in my bed.”
I give him a sideways glance and steal a blueberry from the bowl on the counter. “If I wasn’t so hungry, I might complain about that.” We’re flirting. It’s the morning after our deal has expired, and we’re flirting in his kitchen. Maybe it’s just hard to break the pattern we’ve fallen into.
Chase lifts his brow as he turns off the different burners. “Does this mean you haven’t had enough of me yet?”
My heart pounds in my chest, but if I don’t put myself out there now, it will never happen. Turning him toward me, I push up on my toes and kiss him.
Once I pull back, I dare to look up at him. His eyes are wide like I’ve surprised him. How can he not know I’m completely at his mercy? “Chase, you could fuck me in every room, and I still wouldn’t have enough of you.”
In an instant, his mouth is on mine, and I’m overwhelmed with the taste of mint from his toothpaste. He hoists me onto the counter, and the blanket I’ve been holding falls open. He pulls back and lets his eyes drag over me. “God, I love seeing you naked.” He kisses my neck. “Never wear clothes around me again. ”
I tilt my head, leaning into him, and the blanket falls free, collecting around my hips. Chase lets out a groan, his hands palming my breasts, and my legs fall open. Too soon—too abruptly— he pulls back, and I watch in shock as he spoons some scrambled eggs onto a piece of toast.
“What are you doing?” I ask with wide eyes, suddenly overly aware of how naked I am.
He holds the toast up to my mouth. “Eat, beautiful. I can’t fuck you when I know you’re hungry.”
With a light laugh, I take a bite, my eyes widening. Covering my mouth with my hand, I say, “Chase, that’s good—like really good.”
“I know,” he says, holding the toast for me to take another bite. “I’m not much of a cook, but I’ve mastered breakfast.”
My lips twist, and I roll my eyes. “So modest.” Nodding toward the toast, I add, “You have to eat, too.”
The corner of his mouth twitches, and he takes a bite where I left off. “I think you’re underestimating how badly I want to watch you come again.”
My phone buzzes on the counter somewhere nearby, but I ignore it and keep eating. I laugh as he misses my mouth and some of the egg lands on my upper thigh. My phone buzzes again as he leans down to eat the food off my skin, his tongue slowly trailing over the spot after, licking me clean. Chase reaches for a blueberry, popping it into my mouth, and my phone buzzes again when I take his fingers into my mouth and suck. I palm him outside his sweats, feeling him hard and ready, and my hands grip his hair as he slides one finger inside me, then another.
Buzz.
Buzz.
Buzz.
Chase takes a break from devouring my neck to pull back and look at me, breathing hard. “Maybe you should check that.”
I kiss him, not wanting any of this to stop. “It’s probably just Miles,” I say against his lips between kisses.
Chase pulls his fingers out of me, and I whimper in protest. “Well, tell him I’m not done with you yet.” A dangerous smirk flirts at the corner of his mouth as he sucks the same two fingers.
He has me in a trance because that might be the hottest thing he’s ever done. When I don’t move right away, he nods toward my phone. “Go on, gorgeous. We’ve got things to do.”
I blink, remembering where I am. “Right.” Reaching behind me, I locate my phone face down on the counter. It’s weird for Miles to text me this much, but if he’s excited about this, I wouldn’t put it past him.
Turning my phone over, my face falls. Yes, a few messages are from Miles earlier, but the bulk of the notifications are from Nicolette. I swallow hard before swiping my phone open. This can’t be good.