by LeAnn Ashers
“Anything but that!” I screech like a banshee and kick and squirm, trying to throw him off.
He doesn’t relent, but he moves to the other side.
“I can’t breathe,” I manage to get out. “This is how I die!” I scream with laughter as he hits an extra ticklish spot.
He finally stops and I suck in a sharp breath as the air finally invades my lungs. “Shew! I almost died, I was seeing lights and everything.” Okay, that was probably a bit dramatic, but what can I say? I can’t help it.
“Mhm, sure.” He rolls his eyes.
“I think I know what will make me feel better,” I say slyly. I wiggle my fingers.
He cocks his head to the side. “Oh yeah? What is that?”
I purse my lips dramatically and flutter my eyelashes. “A wittle kiss will make it all better.”
He shakes his head, smiling at me being foolish, but I don’t care. In the beginning I was afraid to be myself around Chase. I was myself around Braelyn and Sydney, but with him I held back. In the end it came down to being scared, because I was. I was scared that no one could truly accept the real me.
I am blunt and highly inappropriate half the time, but that’s me.
He lowers his head and tries to kiss me, but I turn to the side so he misses me. “Ohh…missed, you got to do better than that.” I am totally mocking the insurance commercial I see on TV all the time.
He tries to kiss me again and I turn my head again, but he does something I wasn’t expecting. He kisses my neck, softly and slowly, and it’s oh so amazing. I stop wiggling, and he kisses his way up my neck to my cheek and then my lips. I wrap my arms around his neck. His hand drifts up from my hip to my stomach. I hiss at his touch on my bare side; then his hand stops right below my bra strap.
He pulls away. “Not so fun being teased, is it?”
I gasp in mock anger. “How dare you do such a thing!” I try to push him off me.
He chuckles then kisses my forehead. “Have I told you look beautiful with greasy hair?”
My eyes widen and I touch my hair. I close my eyes, and my hand lands in a huge puddle of olive oil. “That’s great, Karma just bit me in the ass,” I mumble under my breath and sit up. My back is soaked with olive oil.
Chase stands and reaches out for me to take his hand. He pulls me up, and we carefully make our way into the bathroom.
I sit on the counter and turn on the water so I can wash my feet and walk to my bedroom without spreading more oil all over the place.
Chase takes a washcloth with soap and dips it under the faucet. Then he does something that surprises me.
He starts to wash off my legs and feet for me. I am speechless. This is different; it’s very intimate as he slowly, tenderly washes me as if I were fragile. My stomach flips as the butterflies swarm. “Chase,” I whisper.
He looks up at me. “What?” I can tell he is confused at my sudden emotion. He has no clue how amazing he truly is.
“You’re just amazing and oh so sweet.” I touch his cheek, running my thumb across his cheekbone. “I am being spoiled.”
He smiles slightly, just enough for his dimple to pop through. “You deserve to be spoiled, angel.”
I close my eyes as his words warm me to my soul, and I lean forward and rest my head on his shoulder. I take a deep breath. His scent is intoxicating. “You will never fully understand how big of a blessing you are in my life and Hunter’s, words can never express it.”
I feel him stiffen and he pulls me back. I can tell my words really affected him. He closes his eyes and lifts me off the counter, pulling me into his arms and just holding me. I wrap my legs around him, he kisses the side of my head, and we stand like this for a long time, until he sets me down.
“Thank you, sweetheart.” He holds my hand. “I will never forget.” He lets my hand go and I hold my chest as I walk into my room.
I am in deep, deep trouble, because Chase has done something to me, and it’s getting worse and worse every single day.
Chapter 7
Jessica
Six Weeks After the Birth to Be Exact
Yeah, I Counted the Minutes.
* * *
Tonight, for the first time since Hunter’s birth, I’m letting Braelyn and Ethan babysit him for a couple of hours, because Chase wants to take me out a date. To say I am excited would be a major understatement, but I am so nervous. This is different.
These last couple of weeks have been hard, because I have never been so attracted to a man in my life, and I couldn’t have sex so soon after the birth. Now I have been cleared by the doctor, but Chase doesn’t know that. If tonight goes well, like I think it will, then he will find out.
I hear the doorbell ring and then voices as Chase lets them into the house. I stand back and admire myself in the mirror. I look freaking hot, if I do say so myself.
I want to look nice for him; he has seen me at my worst. At like 3:00 a.m., with my hair a mess, covered with pee and spit-up. Yeah, he has been face to face with the beast.
Chase and I have been in a weird place. We are into each other, but most relationships don’t start like this. He met me when I was very pregnant. Most people would have run, but he just took everything in stride like it was completely normal.
But this is so far from being normal.
I unplug my curling iron and leave the bathroom, and all eyes are on me as I walk down the stairs. Chase isn’t even blinking. I felt great before, but the way he is staring at me just makes me feel like I’m the only girl in the world.
Braelyn is grinning ear to ear as she looks at us. She is such a cheeseball but I love her. She is a truly amazing person. Her story is rough. She is so strong, and Ethan’s world begins and ends with her.
Chase walks over and takes my hand. “You’re so beautiful, angel,” he says to me, not ashamed in the slightest.
I smirk. “You’re not so bad yourself, handsome.” I wink and he wiggles his eyebrows like a total dork.
Oh jeez. Braelyn laughs and I join in because I love it. I love that he’s himself and I am the same way. “I have water and formula measured out for you.” My thumb points toward the kitchen. “Diapers on the shelf by the TV, wipes, extra clothes.”
I look at Hunter, who is fast asleep, and my heart is already hurting over leaving him. I just want to tell Braelyn and Ethan I changed my mind.
A hand touches my back, and Chase gives me a look conveying that he knows what I’m thinking.
I huff. “Call me if you need anything.”
Braelyn smiles softly. “I will, everything will be fine. I will send pictures.”
I bite my lip and look at Hunter, who’s starting to wake up in his swing. I’m itching to pick him up. Chase tugs on my hand and I want to pull free, but I let him take me out of the living room. I don’t think I have the strength to do it by myself.
It’s so scary to love Hunter so much. What if I lost him? Lee wanted him and that terrifies me. But Ethan is a police officer, and before that he was a SEAL. I know he and Braelyn will protect him with their lives.
I pull the door shut behind me. When we reach Chase’s truck, he opens my door for me. I sit down and look through a window into the house. Ethan is holding Hunter to his chest and I smile. I knew he would be in good hands, but seeing it in action makes me feel better.
Chase gets in the truck, and he stops and stares through the window too. He grips the steering wheel.
“Having a hard time too?” I ask.
He lets out a deep breath, takes my hand, and kisses the back of it. “Yeah, it’s hard to leave my boy.”
With that I am speechless. We have kind of floated around that, even though Chase signed the birth certificate. He has been so amazing. He has taken care of Hunter and gone beyond all expectations.
I gnaw on my bottom lip as he pulls out of the driveway. Should I ask him about it? I really want to, but I don’t want to cross a line. I also don’t like to leave things unsaid.
I study him for a secon
d, the silence deafening.
“Do you see him as yours?” I am so nervous.
He looks at me like he is shocked that I even asked that. Wait, did I do something wrong? Should I not have asked that? Did I mess up? My mind rushes with all these thoughts.
“Do you not know?” he asks.
“Uhh, I don’t want to assume.”
“Baby, I signed the birth certificate, and in my eyes he is my son. He is mine. I’ve loved him with every bit of my being from the second I laid eyes on him.” His words hit me like a ton of bricks. That is the most amazing thing I’ve ever heard in my life.
“I just wanted to hear those words come out of your mouth.”
“Good.” He smiles and relaxes in his seat, and we make small talk all the way to Raleigh, Texas.
It feels so weird being away from Hunter. I’ve had to stop myself from calling Braelyn like ten times since we left the house.
Chase pulls up outside one of the new steakhouses in town and walks over to open my door. He is always ready to help me with something. I was carrying a box once, and he snatched it out of my hands so fast. I really like that about him: he is such a gentleman. Another reason I’ve developed major respect for him is that during the six weeks after Hunter was born he never once tried to have sex with me. He respects my boundaries.
The second I walk inside the steakhouse, my mouth waters at all the delicious smells. The only downfall is it’s very crowded. Chase presses my back to his chest so no one can bump into me.
He is so protective. Even the little things are huge, but it comes so naturally to him.
Chase tells the hostess our name, and we are seated at the back of the restaurant, giving us a bit of privacy. We’re right beside a beautiful window that looks out into the town.
Raleigh, Texas, is a growing city, but it still has that country feel. I love it. Chase lives outside of town and I love that too, and I’d rather make the commute into town than live in an apartment again. I am getting quite spoiled. I wake up most mornings with breakfast done, and I usually cook dinner.
There’s one thing I want to ask Chase. He’s part owner of a gym, but he has only left the house once or twice since Hunter was born.
We are seated and I take out the menu, my eyes immediately going to the filet mignon that I am going to devour.
“So Chase, I know that you own the gym—”
He interrupts me. “You want to know why I’m not more hands-on?”
I nod.
He sits back and puts the menu on the table. “Well, I am more of a silent partner because I invested in it. I inherited a lot. My family struck oil a couple of decades ago—then it grew and grew. Now I have more than I know what to do with. It means that money isn’t an issue, and it won’t be an issue for Hunter or his kids or grandkids. Because it’s growing every single day as we speak. I hired a financial advisor to handle all of it. I don’t want to get buried under all of that.”
Well, I never expected all of that, honestly. I knew he had money, but I never knew that it went to that extreme. But none of that matters to me. I couldn’t care less if he had no money at all.
“I see,” I say.
He smiles, shrugging. “Have I told you how beautiful you look?”
I smile. “Yes, but I do want to hear it again.” I wink.
He chuckles and takes my hand. “Jessica, you’re the most beautiful woman in this entire room.”
I can feel my heart beating harder and faster. I can feel it in my throat as my stomach twists with butterflies.
I can’t help myself. I move my chair beside his. I plop down in my seat and kiss him fully on the lips.
He smirks. “Now that just made my evening.”
“You were too far away,” I say sweetly.
His hand rests on my thigh, making me way too aware that he is close to my lady bits.
Throughout dinner his hand rarely leaves my thigh, and it drifts closer and closer to the place that’s screaming for attention.
The check finally comes, and we walk hand in hand out of the restaurant. Then we go home to Hunter.
I am nervous. I have only been with one guy, and that was Lee—but this is Chase. Everything with him is so different, so I just know it’s going to be a whole new experience for me.
Chase helps me out of the truck, and I all but run inside the house to get to Hunter. I push open the door, and Braelyn is holding him. “Ohh my baby,” I coo then take him from her and hold him to my chest, breathing in his baby smell, my eyes closed.
I feel Chase stand next to me. I open my eyes and hand him the baby. Chase does the same thing I did. I smile at Chase, who looks so amazing holding Hunter. I will never grow tired of seeing him take care of my son. My ovaries could explode one day—I just know it. I walk over and hug Braelyn. “Thank you guys, so much, for watching him. I so appreciate it.”
She pats my back. “Seriously, any time I would love to watch him.” She pulls back and I hug Ethan next.
They tell us bye and walk out the door, leaving me and Chase alone.
I turn my attention to Hunter, who is still cuddled to Chase’s chest. “Ready for bed, my sweetheart?" I take Hunter from Chase.
Chase follows me up the stairs, and I walk into the nursery. I change Hunter into his pajamas and put his owl socks on his feet before carrying him back into our bedroom and putting him into his bassinet.
“Want to watch a movie?” I suggest.
A sly smile forms on his face; I guess I couldn’t have been more obvious.
I walk into the closet and change into a baggy shirt and sleep shorts with no underwear underneath. Less clothes, easier access—am I right?
One part of me knows that it can be amazing, otherwise women wouldn’t gloat about it. But I haven’t experienced that part of it—well, besides what I can do, if you get my drift.
I walk back into the bedroom. Chase is lying in bed with the blanket up to his waist, and he is shirtless. Oh bless my heart—his abs, his chest, and those arms are just out-of-this-world amazing. They are just begging to be rubbed, kissed, and…gah!
I pull back the blanket and sink into bed next to him. I look at the TV, blinking.
Well, shit.
He bursts out laughing, holding his stomach, and I eye him like he is batshit crazy. He laughs and laughs, and he looks at me and starts laughing again.
I lie back in bed with my arms across my chest, kind of getting pissed off at him.
He finally stops laughing, and he wipes his eyes and smiles at me.
“I just don’t gets what’s so funny,” I sass.
He laughs again but manages to contain himself. “Angel, you are absolute shit at trying to seduce someone.”
My mouth pops open. What? How in the world did he know I had plans of jumping his bones? Then I laugh too, because this is utterly hilarious. I am a mess and he just called me out.
“You’re so fucking cute, baby.” He cups my jaw, his eyes connecting with mine, and it’s like we’re connecting deep within my soul.
I lick my lips, my stomach hurting with the anticipation of what he is about to say.
“You’re mine, angel. Tonight, I show you you’re mine. The second I saw you, I knew you were it for me, Jessica. I knew shit in your past was bad. I wanted you to get the chance to get to know me. I wanted to show you how much you meant to me.”
I close my eyes as his words rush over me, shivers moving up and down my spine because it’s hitting me hard.
I open my eyes, which are full of tears. “Thank you so much for giving me this. You have shown me how a man is supposed to treat his lady. You have been so amazing to me and Hunter. You don’t know how much you mean to me.”
He gave me a part of him. He let me in and showed me how he truly felt. I wanted to give him that piece of me too.
His thumb catches a tear that has fallen, and he leans forward and rests his forehead against mine. “You don’t know how much that meant to me,” he says softly. He holds my face, a
nd I place my hands over his.
“I have wanted to tell you this for so long, the way you are with me, the way you are with our son. I don’t have the words.” I feel him jolt as I say “our son.” I know that meant a lot to him, and it’s true. Hunter is his just as much his as he is mine.
Chase presses his lips to mine—kissing me deeply, devouring my mouth—and I shiver all the way down to my very soul. My hands are shaking as I touch the side of his neck, and I run my fingers down his bare stomach, loving the way he feels beneath my hand.
I pull back, and I decide to throw caution to the wind and tell him how I really feel. I look him dead in the eye. “I love you, Chase. I am not sure when it happened, but I do.”
He looks away for a second. When he looks back at me, he says, “I love you too, Jessica.” He shakes his head, smiling.
He grips the bottom of my shirt and rips it over my head, and I am exposed to him fully. I am not wearing a bra. I lift my hips and he takes off my shorts.
“Lie back, angel,” he demands and, right before my eyes, Chase changes. His eyes are filled with heat as he takes me in.
I smirk and do as I am told, my arms above my head.
“You’re fucking beautiful.” He touches my neck and drags his fingers down my body, goose bumps popping up on my skin in their wake. His fingers stop at my thighs.
“Open,” he demands.
I open my legs and his nose flares. I should feel self-conscious, but with the way he is looking at me, I have never felt as wanted as I do right now.
His hands glide along my inner thighs, teasing me. My arms, still above my head, are shaking. I close my eyes. I am so close to just begging.
“Eyes on me.”
I open my eyes and see that he has moved further down the bed; his face is really close to my pussy. He wraps his arms around my legs, with his hands resting on my inner thighs, and dips his head. I feel his tongue and jump at the sudden shock of it.
This is the first time someone has ever done this. “Oh god,” I moan and I grip the sheets. He shakes his head from side to side, causing me to jump. He latches onto my clit, pulling hard and sucking. My hands flair and I grip his hair, loving the feel of his head moving as he pleasures me. That shit is intoxicating as I feel myself getting wetter and wetter.
