Chapter 51
Morning came too soon because for the first time in what felt like forever... Aria had slept the whole night, really slept, no waking up every hour.
Just sleep.
Heavy. Warm. Safe sleep.
The kind that settled deep into your bones. The kind she had almost forgotten existed.
Sunlight spilled softly through the curtains, painting warm streaks across the bedroom.
For a long moment she didn't move, didn't even open her eyes, because something felt...
Different. Warm. Solid.
Her cheek rested against something firm.
Something that rose and fell steadily beneath her.
Breathing... her eyes fluttered open slowly and there was Chase, beneath her, still asleep.
One arm wrapped loosely around her waist like sometime during the night he had pulled her closer without even realizing it. His face looked softer asleep somehow.
Less tired. Less guarded. Peaceful.
The faint morning light caught the scar near his jaw while the blanket sat low enough across his chest that more old scars disappeared beneath soft shadows.
Something warm moved painfully through her chest.
Carefully, like she was afraid of disturbing something fragile, her fingers drifted lightly against his chest.
She was tracing the history of pain written across his skin.
Not really touching at first, just following. First there was the uneven line near his shoulder, the faded mark near his ribs, and then the one faint scar over his heart.
The stories written across his skin told the story about how life had tried very hard to break him, tried very hard to keep him from coming back to her.
How much had this body survived?
How many times had people failed him?
How many nights had he sat alone learning to hate pieces of himself?
Her fingertips moved softer now, concern in her touch... maybe a little curiosity too.
Because this was her husband... he had always been her husband.
Even when they told her he was gone, even when they said that he was not hers anymore.
Even when the universe had tried damn hard to take him from her.
She let her fingers brush slowly across the scar near his shoulder again.
Gentle and thoughtful with her touch as she tried to not wake him.
Without opening his eyes, a sleepy smile tugged faintly at Chase's mouth.
"You gonna keep touchin' me..." His voice came rough with sleep.
It was deep and warm.
"...or are you actually gonna touch me?"
Her entire soul left her body. "Oh my God." She jerked back immediately, her face instantly hot.
"You were awake?!"
One eye cracked open. "That depends." The corner of his mouth twitched. "You plannin' on admirin' me some more?"
"Chase!"
God, she hated how fast she turned red.
Hated it.
He smiled wider now, still sleepy, still devastating.
"Sweetheart," he said softly, voice still rough around the edges, "you been tracin' my abs like you were studyin' for a final exam."
Her mouth dropped open. "I was not..."
"You absolutely were." That stupid smile widened. "And honestly?" He stretched lazily against the mattress. "I was enjoyin' it."
Oh... no, nope. Absolutely not.
Aria practically launched herself out of bed. "I'm gonna shower."
The words came out way too fast and way too loud.
Chase laughed quietly behind her. "I'll take that as a raincheck," he called sleepily.
She pointed at him while backing toward the bathroom. "Don't start nothin' before coffee."
His grin turned downright dangerous. "Sweetheart." A pause. "I already started somethin'."
She shut the bathroom door so fast it almost rattled, she could not do this before six in the morning and at least two cups of coffee.
Could not.
Could absolutely...
Okay maybe she could... a little.
Twenty minutes later, freshly showered and mostly emotionally recovered, Aria made her way downstairs expecting chaos.
She expected to find Chase half naked trying you finish what he started.
What she did not expect was breakfast.
Real breakfast, eggs, toast, fruit, and glorious coffee already made.
Her lunch was packed neatly beside her purse.
She stopped dead in the kitchen doorway.
Chase stood near the counter in gray sweatpants and a t shirt, focused on wrapping something in foil.
"Um..."
He glanced over casually. "Mornin'."
Aria blinked. "You made breakfast?"
"Yeah." A pause. "You gotta eat." Another. "Packed your lunch too."
God, her ovaries, were screaming at her now about their abandonment.
He was dangerously sexy when he was being domestic.
He nodded toward the counter.
"Thermos has coffee." A pause. "Lunch is labeled."
Her eyebrows lifted. "...Labeled?"
He looked weirdly proud.
"Yeah." He shrugged. "Your trauma packed snacks." Another pause as he clicked his tongue, a sign he was nervous. "I figured I could be a good helpful husband."
God help her, that almost took her out. She walked over slowly, still staring.
"You packed my lunch?"
Chase frowned slightly. "Sweetheart." Like this should be obvious. "You take care of everybody."
His expression softened. "Figured somebody oughta take care of you."
Well... fantastic, now she wanted to cry before work.
She kissed him hard on the cheek.
"You're amazing and so good to me."
He smirked. "You say that like it's new news to you... and if you let me it will be an everyday thing."
By the time she left for work, he had walked her to the door, kissed her forehead, reminded her to text him when she got there, and told her to drive safe like muscle memory had completely taken over.
And God, the man was domestic. Dangerously domestic.
By the time she got home early that afternoon, she was exhausted.
Emotionally and physically, but the second she pulled into the driveway, she froze.
Because...
Oh. Oh no. No no no. Absolutely not.
The backyard gate stood open. Fresh cut grass was scattered along the driveway edge and coming out of the garage... was a shirtless Chase Hale with his baseball cap turned backward and a light sheen of sweat across visible sun warmed skin.
In one hand he was carrying a bottle of water while the other dragged a rag briefly across the back of his neck.
The scars.
God, the scars somehow made it worse... better... and worse.
His chest moved steadily up and down from the work he had obviously just completed, while faded lines crossed skin she suddenly wanted to stare at way too long... skin she wanted to taste.
And then, like he felt her watching, he looked up and stopped walking. He smiled at her, that damn dimple was working overtime.
It was so obvious he was completely unaware he had just ruined her entire afternoon.
"Well hey there, sweetheart."
God, this was going to be a problem. A serious problem.
Because nowhere, absolutely nowhere, had anyone warned her that healing Chase Hale would apparently involve him becoming offensively attractive.
Aria stayed sitting in the car for a second too long.
Completely still.
Brain buffering.
Because this man... this same man had spent months confused and emotionally unavailable and quietly devastating in a sad way.
But this same man was now different.
This was still Chase, only now he was confident without trying.
Comfortable.
The sun now sat low enough now that golden light caught against damp skin while sweat traced lightly down his chest. The backward hat somehow made it worse. Boyish and unfairly attractive at the same time.
The scars.
She hated herself a little for it, but the scars did something to her.
Not because she loved what caused them.
Never that.
But still it lent to him a rugged and slightly dangerous appeal that was aimed right at her ovaries.
Chase frowned slightly when she still hadn't moved.
"You good?" His mouth twitched. "Or did work finally break you?"
That snapped her out of it immediately. "Huh?"
Oh, great that was smooth, real smooth.
He took a drink from the water bottle, eyes narrowing slightly now.
"You've been sittin' in the driveway for like..." He glanced toward the house dramatically. "...an uncomfortable amount of time."
Aria blinked once, twice then immediately reached for her purse like she had absolutely not just been objectifying her husband from the front seat of her car.
"Nope." The word came too fast, too high. "I'm fine... totally fine."
Chase's eyebrow lifted slowly.
Dangerously slowly.
"Oh?" A pause. "Cause from where I'm standin'..." His grin tugged slightly. "...you looked real focused."
She climbed out of the car so fast she almost dropped her keys.
"I had a long day."
Good recovery, solid recovery.
Except, Chase was still looking at her like he absolutely did not believe a single word coming out of her mouth.
And worse?
Now he was walking toward her. Slowly.
Towel tossed over one shoulder, water bottle dangling loosely from one hand.
The man had no business looking like that in broad daylight.
None.
"You sure your okay?" he asked, softer now when he got closer.
Concern replacing amusement.
God, there was that sweet side of his and she could not handle that sweetness mixed with the sex appeal he was exuding.
Because now he smelled like sunshine and grass and soap mixed with sweat, and she suddenly understood every romance novel she had ever judged.
"I'm fine," she said quickly.
Chase tilted his head slightly, studying her.
Then, something changed in his expression.
Subtle but there, like realization clicked into place.
A slow grin spread across his face.
Oh no. No no no.
"You were starin' at me."
Her soul left her body. "No, I was not."
"You absolutely were."
"I was not!"
"Sweetheart." He stepped closer, way too close. "You forgot to get outta the car."
Her face went nuclear. "I was tired!"
"Mhm." Clearly not buying it, his grin widened just enough to become dangerous.
"You know..."
He reached up casually, dragging the towel across the back of his neck again.
"If you wanted a better look, you could've just said somethin'."
Her mouth actually dropped open.
Chase Hale was flirting. Openly flirting.
"You are bein' obnoxious."
He looked weirdly pleased by that. "You think I'm sexy. It's okay babe I like it."
The confidence in his voice should've been illegal.
And honestly?
The worst part was that he sounded almost surprised by it like maybe he still didn't fully believe it himself.
She stepped closer before she could overthink it reaching up slowly, her fingers brushed lightly against his chest, right over one of the faded scars.
"You're ridiculous," she said quietly. "But..." Her voice softened. "You ain't wrong, I do think you're sexy."
The confidence vanished from his face instantly.
Gone, replaced with something quieter, more vulnerable.
Like he genuinely hadn't expected that answer.
Her fingers moved softly against warm skin.
"And for the record?" She glanced up at him. "The backward hat thing?" A tiny shake of her head. "Absolutely unfair."
The way he looked at her after that was like she had just handed him something he didn't know he needed.
"Well," he said quietly, voice rougher now. "That's good to know." A pause. "Cause I been tryin' real hard not to scare you off."
Aria actually laughed soft and disbelieving.
"You survived war, you found your way back to me." Her hand slid lightly up his chest again.
"I think we'll survive flirting." She joked, while heading past him towards the front door.
They stepped through the door together, the cool air inside meeting their sun warmed skin.
Chase tossed the towel over his shoulder and glanced back at her with a teasing glint in his eye.
"Sweetheart," he said, leaning slightly against the staircase railing, "I'm gonna grab a quick shower. You're welcome to join me... if you want to."
He winked before turning to head upstairs, leaving her standing there with a flush of warmth not entirely from the sun.
Aria hesitated, that playful invitation lingering in her mind, but she shook her head, laughing softly at herself.
Instead, she ordered some food for later and slipped away to take her own shower, the anticipation still buzzing under her skin.
When they met back up, dinner had already arrived, and the easy banter flowed as they ate.
Afterward, they drifted into the living room, where Chase settled into a large, comfortable armchair.
As Aria made to sit on the couch, he smirked and shook his head. "Uh-uh," he said, tapping his leg. "There's only one seat you're sitting on tonight."
She raised a brow, but curiosity got the better of her.
Slowly, she crossed the room and settled across his lap, feeling his arm slip around her waist as he gently pulled her closer.
The warmth of his chest met her back, and as they settled into the show, she felt his fingers absentmindedly tracing soft circles on her thigh.
At first, it was subtle, almost unconscious, but as the lazy pattern continued, a familiar heat spread through her.
She hesitated only a second before leaning in, pressing a soft kiss to the spot just beneath his ear, just like she used to.
The second her lips touched the warm skin beneath his ear, Chase froze.
The lazy circles his fingers had been tracing against her thigh paused for half a second before starting again... slower now.
Good, he remembered this.
The way she always kissed him there when she wanted affection. When she wanted comfort. When she wanted him close.
Or, lord help him, when she was flirting.
A slow breath left him as his head tipped back slightly against the chair.
"Well..." His voice came quieter now. "That feels amazing."
Heat crawled instantly up Aria's neck. Good, at least she wasn't the only one feeling completely unprepared for this.
"You remembered this?" she asked softly.
Chase turned his head just enough to look at her. Really look at her. Those blue eyes were oh so much softer now. Warmer.
"Sweetheart," he said quietly, thumb still moving lazily against her thigh, "I think my body remembered you long before my brain caught up."
How was she supposed to recover from hearing him say something like that?
Her hand lifted hesitantly to rest against his chest, fingers brushing lightly through the fabric of his t shirt while the show played quietly in the background completely ignored.
Neither of them were watching it, both were not even pretending anymore.
"You're gonna have to stop sayin' things like that," she muttered.
His mouth twitched slightly. "Oh?" A pause. "Why's that?"
She looked away immediately, because absolutely not when he was using that tone.
Not with him looking at her like that.
"Because," she said quietly, "I'm already havin' enough trouble bein' good around you."
That got him.
"You?" He looked genuinely amused. "Sweetheart, you forgot to get outta the car today... was that you being good or a stalker?"
Her eyes narrowed back on him immediately. "You're never gonna let that go, are you?"
"Nope." No hesitation. Not even a little.
His arm tightened slightly around her waist, pulling her back more firmly against his chest.
Aria relaxed a little more without meaning to, her body finally settling into him. She missed this.
Behind her, Chase let out a quiet breath. "You know somethin'?" he said softly.
"What?"
"I like this." he paused. "Us, flirtin' and touchin'." He leaned down to nip at her lower lip with his teeth. "I want to kiss you sweetheart... so damn bad."
He shifted just enough beneath her that she could feel the warmth of him through the thin fabric of her shorts. She could feel the bulge of his length growing and she had to fight her urge to wiggle against it.
One arm stayed loosely around her waist, steady and familiar, while the other drifted upward, fingers brushing a strand of damp hair back from her face. The touch was unhurried. Thoughtful. Like he still hadn't quite gotten used to the fact that he could reach for her whenever he wanted.
"Like I said, I want to kiss you, sweetheart... so, so damn bad."
The confession settled between them softer than she expected.
Her pulse skipped embarrassingly fast.
Because she wanted that too, she wanted it in a way that made her suddenly hyperaware of every place they touched.
The warmth of his hand against her thigh.
The steady rise and fall of his chest at her back.
The way his thumb absentmindedly brushed slow circles against her skin, and the length of him just there under her hip.
"You know," she said quietly, trying and failing to sound unaffected, "for somebody who spent most of the afternoon teasing me..." Her gaze flicked briefly to his mouth. "You suddenly seem really nervous."
A small smile pulled at the corner of his mouth. "That obvious?"
"A little."
He huffed out a laugh, low and quiet, his forehead dropping briefly against hers.
"Can you blame me?" he murmured. "Feels a little like I'm dating my wife."
Something warm and painful twisted in her chest. She shifted in his lap, turning toward him a little more until one of her hands rested lightly against his chest.
The steady rhythm of his heartbeat grounded her.
"You don't gotta be nervous," she said softly. "You don't have to ask permission either."
His brow lifted. "No?"
"No." Her fingers curled lightly into his shirt. "You're my husband."
The words came out quieter than she intended, but something about saying them, really saying them, made her nervous.
His hand moved to her cheek then, rough fingertips brushing softly against warm skin.
"You sure?" he asked again, quieter this time.
Instead of answering, she leaned forward first, slow enough for him to stop her if he wanted.
Close enough that his breath warmed her lips.
The moment stretched.
His gaze dropped to her mouth then back to her eyes. Like he was making absolutely sure.
"Quit overthinkin'," she whispered softly.
The smile he gave her then was soft and crooked and so unfairly handsome it nearly ruined her.
"Yes ma'am." When he kissed her, it wasn't rushed. Wasn't desperate.
His lips brushed across hers seeking her permission, when she opened her mouth he didn't hesitate.
The kiss was all passion mixed with a slight battle for dominance, she could feel the faint scrape of his stubble against her skin and the sensation drove her wild.
She moaned and shifted against his length once more, she enjoyed the long groan of pleasure that escaped his lips and was swallowed by her kiss.
She was enjoying her control over him until he ground his length up against her heat.
She melted before she even realized it was happening.
One hand sliding instinctively up into the soft hair at the back of his neck while the other curled against his chest.
He kissed her like a man starved for her touch.
The hand at her waist tightened just slightly, pulling her closer without thinking.
A quiet groan escaped him when she shifted nearer, settling more comfortably against him.
"Well," he murmured softly when they finally pulled apart, forehead resting lightly against hers, "that definitely lived up to expectations."
She laughed before she could stop herself. "You had expectations?"
"Sweetheart." His thumb brushed lightly against her cheek then down over her now swollen lips.
"I've been thinkin' about kissin' you since the day you yelled at me in a hospital hallway."
Her eyebrows lifted. "That's romantic."
"You were hot when you were bossy."
She rolled her eyes immediately, but warmth bloomed anyway. "You're ridiculous."
"Yeah," he said quietly, looking at her in that soft way that still made her chest feel too full. "But you still climbed into my lap, still kissed me all sweet and honey like, you still rubbed..."
She slapped her hand over his mouth before he could finish that sentence, her face red and flushed with the heat of her embarrassment and excitement.
"Oh my God."
His laugh vibrated against her palm. "Mmph..."
"No," she said, already shaking her head, laughing despite herself. "Whatever embarrassing thing you're about to say? Keep it to yourself."
The look in his eyes turned impossibly smug.
Taking a moment to compose herself, she looked into his eyes and then smirked at him.
His right brow raised in question, his lips kissing the palm of her hand that still covered his mouth.
Scooching off his lap she stood in front of him, he widened his legs giving her room to move as he looked up at her, he was completely happy to let her take control.
"Kiss me here." she said, as she pointed to the exposed skin above her camisole top... right above her left breast.
His breath left him in a gasp, but he sat forward quickly, then he stood to do as she asked.
Looking into her eyes, he leaned forward and for a moment she thought he was going to ignore her command, she thought he was going to take her mouth, yet he just hovered there a second before breathing his hot breath across her now slightly opened and ready lips.
He then leaned down further, turning his head slightly so he could keep his eyes on her, then he kissed the spot she had pointed out, his tongue tracing along the skin as he moved his mouth over her heart.
"Now here." she order, pointing to the spot beneath her ear and he followed her command, his lips now tracing the sensitive skin causing her to tremble under his lips, causing her skin to break out in goosebumps.
She felt his hand come up to control her neck, as he tried to pull her closer to his mouth.
She jerked free from his touch wiggling her finger back and forth, ".... no, no, no." she chided him as she stepped back from him.
She then pointed to the ground and said, "On your knees."
Smiling at her, he moved closer to her and dropped to his knees slowly before her dragging his hands down her body as he went.
His eyes never left hers, she had his full attention now.
"Kiss me here." she lifted her shirt with her right hand and pulled down the band of her shorts with her left.
She then pointed at the hollow of her hip bone to indicated where she wanted his mouth.
He wasted no time kissing and licking the spot, his hot tongue causing her entire core to clench, her toes to curl and her head to fall back from pleasure.
Just when she thought she might fall, he wrapped both his hands around the back of her thighs and pulled her closer to his mouth, his grip anchoring her.
"My turn." he whispered against her skin.