by Lane, Soraya
The shots arrived and he ran his tongue over his lips, moistening the skin that seemed to go dry every time his eyes locked on Hope’s mouth. Damn, he wanted to kiss her. Instead he slammed one palm down on the bar, grabbed the drink, and downed it, watching from the corner of his eye as she did the same.
“Not so hard, was it?”
She giggled. Hope only ever giggled when she was drunk, and it was so goddamn cute.
“No more,” she protested. “My head’s going to kill me in the morning.”
“Take Ibuprofen before bed. You’ll be fine.” Chase waved to the bartender that they wanted two more and spun her barstool around so she was facing him. When her knees fell apart he stepped in, knowing he was taking a risk but not giving a damn. They were all grown up now—he wanted her, and if she felt the same then nothing was gonna hold him back.
“Chase…”
“Just pick up your drink.”
Hope did as she was told, gingerly collecting the next tiny glass and taking a shoulder-raising breath.
“For old times’ sake,” he suggested, holding up his arm and waiting for her to link with him so they could drink at the same time.
They knocked glasses and he smiled at her, a long, slow smile that spread across his lips just from being near her. All this time, all these years, and he knew he’d still do anything for her, even if things were different now.
“Bottom’s up,” he murmured.
Hope didn’t miss a beat, drinking her tequila down as fast as he did, only she was gasping afterward like she’d just swallowed fire and he was laughing. Admittedly, he and his brothers drank a lot of straight whisky, so he was used to the burn.
“Have I told you how beautiful you look tonight?” Chase nudged Hope’s thighs farther apart, just enough so that he was standing within the triangle of her legs, up close in her space. He finally gave in and reached for her hair, wrapping a long strand around his fingers. Chase bent his head so he could press his forehead to hers.
“Do you try that line on all your women?”
He pulled back and stared into her eyes. “No. Not all women are beautiful like you are.”
“Too smooth, Chase. Too smooth,” she murmured, only just loud enough for him to hear.
“What would you say if I kissed you?” He couldn’t take his eyes off her lips now, her hair still tangled around his fingers, her lips parted and plump.
“Don’t, Chase.”
“Why not?” He raised his gaze, not letting her look away from him.
“I just…”
Chase waited, but she never finished her sentence. He didn’t waste time, cupping her face with his hand as he brought his mouth closer to hers, her ragged breath only spurring him on more. Chase brushed his lips over Hope’s slowly, the softest of touches to give her every chance to pull away, and when she didn’t, he smiled against her mouth, their lips touching then parting over and over again. If they hadn’t been in a crowded bar, he doubted he’d be so restrained.
He pushed up harder into her, tasting her mouth as he dipped his tongue against hers, his hands still in her long, soft hair as they kissed. Hope’s body was relaxed into his, her mouth matching his, her fingers clenching into his hair now, tugging harder as her lips moved faster. Her moan only spurred him on more, his hands all over her, skimming her waist, resting on her hips. He’d waited a helluva long time for this, and being up close and personal with Hope was every inch as good as he’d remembered.
“Chase.”
He groaned and tugged Hope back when she pulled away, planting his lips over hers again. But he could tell when a good thing was about to end, and in less than a few seconds Hope was wiggling out of his grasp.
“Chase.” This time her tone told him not to push her.
“Mmm-hmm,” he muttered, eyes on her mouth and admiring how plump and pillowy it looked. Her lip gloss was gone but her lips were even pinker than before, rouged from all the kissing.
“Chase, I’m serious,” she insisted, her fingers untangling from his hair as he groaned, trying to keep his pelvis locked against hers. Hope planted both hands on his chest, forcing him back this time.
“You sure?” he asked, his voice gravelly as he ground out the words.
“We’ve both had too much to drink,” she told him, holding firmly on to his upper biceps now as if she was trying to lock him into place. She had no chance of holding him, all he had to do was rotate forward and he could have her pinned against the bar with no chance of escape. But that wasn’t what he wanted to do with Hope. No. He wanted her as desperate for him as he was for her, begging to be held, aching to be kissed. Forcing her into anything wasn’t his style—he liked his women to be every bit as hot for him as he was for them.
“Maybe we’ve had just enough to drink?” he asked.
Hope laughed, her head tipped back again, the delicate skin of her neck on show as she tilted her body before swinging back up again and firmly shaking her head.
“No, Chase.”
“How about yes, Chase?”
She made a delicious guttural noise when he bent and pressed his lips to her neck, opening his mouth and sucking gently, his tongue exploring as he tasted just above her collarbone.
“You wanna get out of here?” he asked when he finally raised his head. It was like they were the only two people in the room, everything else blurring out as he focused every bit of his energy on the exquisite woman in front of him.
She hesitated long and hard, her gaze flitting from his eyes to his mouth and lingering for a long, long time on the latter. “We can’t go back to my place,” she finally whispered against his lips, stepping in closer to indulge in another long, wet kiss like she’d rethought her decision to say no and decided on exactly the opposite.
He chuckled. “But we can go back to my SUV.”
Hope shook her head. “You’ve had too much to drive.”
“Who said anything about driving?”
A memory of the two of them laughing themselves stupid as they fell into the bed of Chase’s old Chevy hit her like it was only yesterday. His big body over hers, teasing her, tempting her, but still she said no. Every part of her had screamed out to let him touch her, but she’d fought the feeling, even when his full lips had been less than an inch from hers.
But that was then, and this was now.
Chapter 4
Hope was starting to think her heart was going to beat out of her chest, it was thumping so hard. Adrenaline surged through her, excitement curling like a snake in her belly as she clasped Chase’s hand and hurried for the door. What the hell was she doing? The sensible part of her brain was screaming at her to stop, to dig her heels in, stop walking, and get into a cab back to her place. Alone. But the heat flooding her body, the ache deep inside her at the thought of having Chase’s hands all over? That part was telling her to hold him as damn tight as she could. The past few years had been rough and forgetting everything and giving in to him was tempting.
Chase let go of her hand and slipped his arm around her waist instead, tugging her close, their hips bumping together then sticking like glue. He glanced down at her, eyes like flames for all the heat his gaze fanned through her. His dimple, the confidence in his stare—it was no wonder so many women fell into bed with him. Every inch of him, from his big, strong frame to the way he ran a hand through his hair—he didn’t give a damn what anyone thought of him and he was sexy as hell. But he’d always given a damn what she thought of him, which was why they’d kept their clothes on for so long. And here she was desperate to peel them off now she had the chance again.
“Hey,” Chase murmured, stopping abruptly and sliding his other arm around her so his hands were locked around her waist.
“Hey,” she whispered back, pleased she had so much alcohol surging through her. Without it she’d never have been so bold, brazenly staring back at Chase and sliding her hands under his shirt, eyes half closing as she ran her fingers over his toned, taut abs.
“Come here.”
Hope went to hesitate but Chase didn’t give her a chance to breathe, let alone change her mind. His body was hard up against hers, pushing her back into his Mercedes, her back against the cold metal as he pushed one of his legs in between hers. She wrapped her arms around his neck, wanting him closer, loving his chest against her breasts, her fingers in his hair, stubble brushing her cheeks. The stubbled hair grazed but she hardly felt it. The only thing she cared about was making sure his lips didn’t have a second to leave hers. Screw worrying about doing the wrong thing. This was one night, just one night of indulging in being with the man she’d fantasized about every night for years.
“You,” Chase muttered, slamming his hands onto the car on either side of her, “are incredible.”
Hope grinned and reached for him again, angling her body to lock her pelvis against his. She’d never wanted a man so badly in her life. Damn. She couldn’t have sex with him in a car in a parking lot. No matter how badly she wanted him. Or could she?
Bleep bleep.
Chase managed to unlock the car at the same time as he slammed her up against him, scooping under her butt and lifting her, one arm holding her weight, the other yanking open the rear door of the car. The look on his face was pure sin as he dipped her low and put her on the seat, his laugh a deep rumble as she scrambled backward and he pounced, his body so close to hers before he leaned back and pulled the door shut behind them. He was like a panther poised above her, ready to feast on her body.
“I knew there was a reason I ordered tinted windows.” Chase’s mouth was turned up into a wicked smile, one eyebrow arched triumphantly at her.
“So you could strip women naked on the backseat?”
“No.” He chuckled. “So I could strip you naked on the backseat.”
“Don’t make out like I’m the first.” Hope’s breath was starting to come in ragged bursts as Chase straddled her, knees on either side of her hips as he shuffled forward, hands spread over her belly, caressing her bare skin as her top rode up.
“You’re the first,” he said simply, “and you’ll be the last. No other woman will ever look as good as you do splayed out beneath me, so I’ll be keeping this backseat as a delicious memory of you and you only.”
Hope didn’t believe him for a moment, but it didn’t stop her from arching her back to let him push her top up higher, sucking back a gasp as he dipped his head and pressed a wet kiss to her stomach, running his tongue all the way up to her bra.
“Chase…”
“I’m not letting you say no,” he ground out.
She laughed. “More. I was going to beg for more.”
The surprise on Chase’s face was priceless, his eyes crinkling at the sides as he looked down at her. “Oh, there’s plenty more where that came from.”
The Chase she’d known way back had been confident and cocky, but this Chase was different. He was slower, so obviously sure about what he was doing. The practiced way his hands skimmed her skin, the delicious dark glint in his eyes… She groaned as he lowered himself and dipped his tongue into her mouth, his lips following close behind in a kiss that left her grinding into him, digging her fingernails into his shoulders as she kissed him back.
Hope grated her nails down Chase’s back, irritated that she wasn’t connecting with bare skin. She’d been celibate since her marriage had ended but suddenly sex was all she could think about.
“Off,” she said when Chase’s mouth relented for a moment. She grabbed the hem of his T-shirt and pushed it up. She couldn’t stifle her groan when she ran her hands over his abs and then slid them upward, fingers closing over his nipples and garnering a sharp gasp from him. Hope tweaked, hard.
“You want to play dirty?” he murmured, licking his lips as he pulled back to look down at her, his body pushed up as he raised his arms and let her force his T-shirt up. He finished the task for her, discarding it and throwing it away.
The moment of satisfaction only lasted a moment though. Searing hot anticipation rocked her body when Chase undid his belt buckle and then the top button of his jeans. His grin was wicked as he tightened his thighs around her, not letting her lower half so much as wriggle as he pushed her top up high, somehow stripping her while she was still lying beneath him. His fingers traced a light, tickling trail across her collarbone, his head dipping slowly. Hope raised her mouth, parted her lips to accommodate him, but he just chuckled and ran a hand through her hair, his touch firm as he dipped his head to the top of her breast and sucked, softly at first and then hard, his other hand palm down on her stomach.
“Damn.” Chase’s soft curse against her breast as he flicked his tongue inside the lacy fabric pulled her out of the moment.
“What?” she whispered.
“Phones,” he muttered. “They always ring at the worst times, huh?”
Hope’s body arched as Chase stopped talking and he pulled her bra down low, exposing her breast and covering it with his mouth, the attention his tongue was giving her nipple sending waves of pleasure through every inch of her, but…
“Chase, stop,” she murmured, clenching her fingers in his hair and trying to tug him up.
He didn’t stop. Instead he switched to her other nipple, her toes curling as he continued to tease her, tongue flicking around and driving her crazy. But now she’d heard the phone, knew it was hers, and she needed to check, no matter how amazing Chase was with his mouth.
“Chase,” she said, more firmly this time, yanking his curly hair harder.
“No.” His mouth finally left her skin so he could stare into her eyes, his own glinting like he’d just been caught out doing something wicked but didn’t give a damn anyway. “I’m not letting you go until…”
“I have to check my phone.” She didn’t need him telling her why she needed to stay where she was—her body was telling her everything she needed to know already.
“Screw the phone.”
Chase went to dip his head again but she yanked him back up, hard. The moment was gone, for now anyway.
“I have to,” she told him, grimacing at his groan. “I’m a mom, Chase. It could be the sitter.”
She hadn’t often seen defeat in Chase’s gaze before, but she saw it now. He dropped a slow, simmering kiss to her mouth, plucking at her lips before pulling away and releasing her from between his thighs.
“I can’t argue with that now, can I?”
Hope pulled her top back down and watched as Chase reached around for his T-shirt.
“I’m sorry,” she said, sitting up and grabbing her purse. She unclasped it and found her phone, checking the missed calls. Damn, there had been two. She scrolled through.
“Your kid okay?” Chase asked.
“Um…” Hope blew out a frustrated breath and put her phone back in her purse. “Would you believe that it was just someone from work?”
Chase laughed and she joined in. He reached out and put his arm around her, both sitting side by side on the backseat. She dropped her head to his shoulder.
“You’re a mom, Hope. There’s more important things than making out with me in the back of a car, I get that.”
She giggled, biting her bottom lip and glancing at Chase. “Making out?”
“Hey, it sounded better than anything else that came to mind.”
Hope knew Chase would be up for it if she forgot all about the interruption and just climbed back into his lap and locked lips with him again. He was a man—he’d have sex on the brain again in seconds. But she couldn’t. As fun as it had been before, she should never have gotten caught up in the moment and ended up in the back of his car. There were things he deserved to know, things she needed to tell him, and instead she’d pretended like nothing had happened between back then and now.
“I’d offer to drive you home, but I think I should my vehicle here for the night.”
She nodded, reaching for his hand and squeezing it. The mood between them had changed, the sizzle replaced with something closer to friend
ship, even if her body was still tingling from where he’d touched her, her nipples still hard nubs in memory of his tongue laving over them.
“Tonight was fun,” she said, not sure what else to say.
“Damn right it was.” Chase turned his head and pressed a kiss to her cheek. “Any chance you want to…” His finger started at her other cheek and ran all the way down her neck to her chest, stopping in the hollow between her breasts.
“No,” she rasped out, when what she really wanted was just to scream yes at him.
“If you’re sure?” Chase’s fingers made their way back up, stopping at her cheek and nudging her face sideways. His mouth moved closer to hers, hovering over her lips.
Hope might have good intentions, but even she wasn’t that strong. She let him caress her lips, matching his every move until his mouth opened wider and his tongue touched hers. So much for self-control.
A loud voice from outside, muffled laughter, and a bang jolted them both from the moment. Chase looked pissed, moving sideways and flinging open the door.
“Sorry! Didn’t mean to disturb ya.” A loud voice and some drunken laughter followed.
“And that’s my cue,” Hope said, putting out a hand to stop Chase coming any closer. “You’re a bad influence, Chase King. This is me saying no a second time, and meaning it this time.”
“Hey, I behaved myself around you for years.” He was in full charm mode, one eyebrow raised as he grinned. “Shouldn’t now finally be the time to misbehave?”
“No, you were always a bad influence,” she corrected, clasping her purse to keep her fingers busy. If they weren’t, she didn’t trust them not to go wandering back to Chase. “I just resisted your charms.”
“Our problem,” he said, sliding closer, a wolf seducing its prey, “is that now we know what we were missing out on.”
She shook her head and slid in the opposite direction, pushing open her door and stumbling out, trying hard to stay in control.
“Goodnight, Chase,” she said.
