31. Chase
Chase
# Always remember where you left her panties
T he loud banging on the door startles us both.
“Addie!” Brax calls.
She sits bolt upright. “It’s Brax.”
I rub my eyes and try to remember where we are. Oh, yeah. She told me how she’d always had a fantasy about having sex in front of a roaring log fire, so we brought the duvet and pillows and all the blankets we could find out here and then I made her dream come true. Twice.
“I’m coming. Give me a minute,” she calls out, scrabbling around for her clothes, but she’s not going to find them. I undressed her in the bedroom.
She finds my T-shirt and yanks it over her head. “Where are my panties?”
I lie back with my arms behind my head. “In the bedroom.”
She glares at me. “Why are you just lying there so casually? Why aren’t you freaking out?”
“I think you’re freaking out enough for both of us, baby,” I tell her.
She shakes her head, staring at me like I’m insane. “That’s Brax outside. My brother. Your best friend.”
“And we are two very grown adults, Addie. Two adults who are here in this cabin because of him.”
“Ugh!” She jumps up. “Please just put some clothes on.”
“Well, you’re wearing my T-shirt, and you used my shorts to wipe up the pool of cum that came out of you when I made you squirt, because you were too embarrassed to just enjoy the moment.” I wasn’t. I basked in that glory for as long as she’d let me.
Her cheeks flush the most adorable shade of pink I’ve ever seen.
“Addie! Chase! Are you okay?” Brax yells.
“Yeah, we’re coming, buddy. Give us a second,” I call out. Then I jump up and pull her into my arms.
“I will go put some clothes on, baby, but there is no hiding what we’ve been doing in here the past four days. The entire cabin smells of sex.”
She looks horrified. “It does not.”
I nod. “Yeah, it does.”
“I need to crack a window.”
It will take more than a window, but I don’t tell her that because she’s already panicking.
“Brax is going to be fine about this. He loves you. He knows you’re an adult and as long as you’re happy, he’ll be happy.
But in the unlikely event that he’s not, then I will take all the heat for this. I promise you.”
She screws her eyes closed. “I know he’ll be fine, if not a little shocked. I’d just rather it didn’t look like we’d been having sex in here all night when he walks in.”
“Got it.” I scoop up the pillows and covers and carry them into the bedroom. Then I toss her panties and jeans out to her before I pull on some shorts. A minute later, we’re ready to open the door to Brax.
The wait alone means he already knows what was going on. He’s not stupid.
He’s standing beside Eva, each of them holding giant snow shovels. “Busy, were we?”
“Hey, you put us in a cabin together,” I remind him.
He brushes past me and hugs his sister. “Are you okay? Did he make you do anything freaky that you didn’t want to do?”
“What? No!” Addie snaps.
“Then, just know I’m not choosing sides if you ever break up.” He turns to me now, his face serious. “Unless you cheat on her or break her heart, and then I’ll bury you.” He holds up the shovel like he means it.
“I won’t do either.” At least not for a second time.
“I knew you two had feelings for each other. I’ve been saying that all week, haven’t I, Brax?” Eva says, muscling her way in and wrapping an arm around Addie and me. “I’m so happy for you both.”
“That explains why you’re not mad then?” Addie says.
“That and our pact,” Brax replies.
Oh, shit! The pact. The one I didn’t keep my end of.
Addie frowns. “What pact?”
Brax sits on the sofa and grins. “The year after you went to college and I noticed the way Chase started looking at you different?—”
“What? He did?” Addie interrupts him.
Brax nods, grabs a handful of almonds from the bowl on the coffee table and tosses one into his mouth.
“Yeah, he did, and I made him promise that he would never make a move on you unless it was because he wanted an actual relationship. No casual hookups allowed. And he promised, because he would never fuck up our friendship for a hookup, right buddy?”
“Yeah.” Technically, I’m not lying. I had no intention of just hooking up with Addie. After we spent the night together, she was mine, as far as I was concerned. Pity I conveniently forgot that meant I was hers too.
I watch her face going through a range of emotions and wonder if this is when she’s finally going to come clean and rat me out, but she doesn’t. Instead, she flops onto the sofa next to her brother. “So, tell me how married life has been.”
Brax gives Eva a look that makes her blush.
Addie pulls a disgusted face. “I mean, minus the sex, obviously.”
“We just got married and we’ve been snowed inside a fucking cabin for four days, Addie, that’s pretty much all married life has been like.”
I suppress a smirk. Pretty much all non-married life has been like too. And as relieved as I am to get back to the real world, I’m also really fucking sad that this is going to end. Not that Addie and I will end. I’d seal us up inside this cabin forever before I let that happen.
Addie shakes her head like she’s trying to forget what he said. “So, tell me how and why did you get out?”
Brax points to the snow shovels. “Josh and Dad brought us these and then Dad sent us to help dig you and Chase out. The roads are clear, and we’re driving back home this afternoon.”
I see the crestfallen look on her face and I know it’s because she’s thinking the same thing as I am, that this idyllic love-in is over. Her being sad about that makes me happy even if it also makes me an asshole.
“So, everyone is headed home today then?” she asks.
Brax nods. “Mom and Dad are packing up now. Dad said if you couldn’t get your car out and you want them to wait for you, then they will, but I told them you’d be fine.”
“I’m sure Addie and I can take care of her car,” I assure them.
“I guess we should get packing, angel.” Brax stands and holds his hand out to Eva. “I know the shop is bursting with cars waiting to be fixed.”
“You sure you two don’t need any help?” Eva asks.
Addie gives her sister-in-law a hug. “No. We’ve got it covered.”
“The hotel owner told us all the cabins have been freed up until the weekend, so take whatever time you need.”
It takes us at least another ten minutes to say our goodbyes, and Eva, Brax and Addie make plans for donuts and coffee in their favorite bakery on Sunday, and I try not to be too butthurt about the fact that I won’t be there to share it with them.
As soon as she closes the door after them, she spins around and fixes me with one of her infamous glares. “So, you had a pact?”
I slip my arms around her waist. “In my defense, when we slept together, I had every intention of making it much more than that. I never once considered you a casual hookup, even if my actions said otherwise.”
She hums, eyes raking over my face, no doubt she’s considering how to make me pay. But instead, she smiles and leans into me. “I’m going to miss this place. I’m going to miss you.”
I tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. “I’m going to miss you too.”
She sighs, pressing her cheek against my chest. “I guess we should start clearing that snow, huh? And then we can get back to our lives.”
I have never wanted anything less in my entire life. “Stay with me one more night, Addie.”
It takes her a while to answer, and it feels like an eternity before she does. But then she looks up at me, her lashes wet with tears. “Okay.”
I kiss her tears away. I have to make this work, because losing her now would kill me.