A Lot Like You

by Lane, Soraya

  “As much as I’m loath to say it,” he said, keeping her wrapped in his arms as he turned her, “I think you need some clothes on.”

  “Maybe,” she said with a giggle, “but how about we keep you bare?”

  Hope ran her hands down his back, nails digging into his butt before scraping the back of his thighs.

  “Watch it,” he growled, grabbing hold of her hands, “otherwise there’ll be a round two.”

  Hope tipped her head back, eyes trained on his. Even though it was dark he could still make out her face; his eyes had long adjusted and he could just make out the fullness of her beautiful lips, her hair messy around her high cheekbones as she stared up at him.

  “Shit,” she muttered.

  “What?”

  “We, um, we didn’t use protection.”

  Chase stared into eyes that had always been able to see straight through him. “Do you trust me when I say I never go without? This was a very, very rare moment of weakness.”

  “It’s fine,” she said, leaning in to kiss him. “I’m on the pill and I haven’t been with anyone since that night with you except my…”

  “Husband,” he finished for her. “It’s okay.”

  “And I do trust you,” she said. “It just doesn’t make up for the fact that I didn’t even think about it before now.”

  “You’re one of the only people I’ve ever trusted, Hope,” Chase told her, bending for her panties and holding them up, grinning as he flicked them at her. He rose once he’d located her bra and top in the dark.

  She put her underwear back on as he watched her. Chase ground his teeth together—it went against his natural instincts to stand by and let Hope cover up, but it wasn’t like he could drag her into a warm comfortable bed.

  “I’ve missed you, Hope.” It also went against his instincts to talk about his feelings, but he’d fucked up with Hope once and he didn’t want to do it again.

  “It’s funny how things work out, huh?”

  She was dressed in her underwear now. Chase stepped into her space, unable to help himself—he didn’t like the distance between them. He stroked the top of her breast, drawing her back into his arms and holding her close. Chase dropped a kiss into her hair. There was something more fragile about Hope now than there had been years ago, something different about her that he couldn’t quite put his finger on.

  “Maybe things worked out just the way they were supposed to,” he said.

  She wrapped her arms around him, shivering as she tucked closer to his frame. Her breasts were pushed to his chest as she leaned back a little to look up at his face.

  “Maybe you’re right.”

  He kissed her, forcing himself to keep his touch light. He felt differently about Hope, wanted her to know how damn special she was.

  “I know I’m right. Imagine if you didn’t have your little guy?”

  Her body stiffened, enough for him to notice, and she released her hold on him.

  “I think it’s time we went back. You know, just in case he’s awake or something.”

  Chase nodded and turned to pick up her jeans, grabbing his boxers at the same time.

  “Want to have a quick look-through with me first?” he asked. His brothers gave him shit about the house all the time; it’d be nice showing it to a woman to see what she thought. “If he’d so much as stirred I bet Chloe would have called.”

  “Yeah, a look around would be nice,” Hope said, wriggling into her jeans and smoothing down her hair. It still looked untamed, but he wasn’t going to tell her; there was something sexy about how tousled she looked.

  Chase dressed quickly and took a few steps backward, remembering the temporary lights the builders had rigged up now the roof was on. “So you’ve seen the entrance,” he joked, gesturing to where he’d had her pressed against the wall as he flicked a switch. “Not sure if I’ll ever be able to come through my front door without thinking of you naked.”

  “Ha-ha,” she said dryly.

  “Hey, it’ll make the place. Best housewarming gift a guy could ask for.” Chase grinned and grabbed her hand, pulling her through to the next room.

  “And this is…?”

  “The living room and kitchen. All open plan, with big doors that open out to the view.” It wasn’t easy to see with shadows everywhere from the floodlights positioned on the ground, but he could still show her around.

  “Wow. This place is going to be amazing, Chase. You must be so proud.”

  He pushed his shoulders up, shrugging. “Yeah, it will. The guesthouse I used to live in wasn’t half-bad, but I’m looking forward to moving in.”

  “Nate wasn’t kidding when he said it was a family home.” Hope looked sideways at him. “You’ll make some lucky girl a great husband one day, Chase.”

  He was about to laugh when he noticed her tears, just moist enough to make her eyes swim. Chase pulled her closer, didn’t like seeing her upset.

  “I can’t say I’ve thought about it,” he told her. It was the truth. It might be a big house but he’d built it all for himself—an awesome bachelor pad and nothing else.

  “And through here?”

  He walked a few steps to the right. “The lounge. I’ve got plans for a big, kick-ass screen for watching football.”

  “Sounds heavenly.”

  “Hey, your place isn’t half-bad,” Chase told her.

  Hope gave him a wry look. “I don’t want to sound like a spoiled bitch, but it’s hard coming to terms with it. I know I should be grateful to be living in a nice house, but when I think about my ranch house it kind of pales in comparison.”

  “You want to tell me about it yet?” Chase asked.

  Hope shook her head. “Do you have all the bedrooms upstairs?”

  Chase took the hint. “Most of them. I have a big one downstairs with its own bathroom, just in case I’m ever some old invalid and I can’t make it up.”

  “Or you could have just put in an elevator,” she joked.

  “Yeah. I thought about it.”

  “You’re unbelievable.” Hope laughed.

  “I’m just lucky I have a good interior designer. She’s been fantastic at telling me very diplomatically when I should pull my head in with my stupid ideas.”

  “I doubt you’d have many stupid ideas.” She laughed. “Or not that many of them anyway.”

  Chase looped his arm tighter around Hope. His head was spinning right now. There was no part of him that wanted to settle down, but he also didn’t want to let Hope walk out of his life again. And now that they’d had sex it wasn’t like they could go back to being friends, even if he wanted to.

  “Chase?”

  He turned to face Hope, smiling as she reached to touch his face, her fingertips light against his cheek.

  “You’re a really good guy,” she said, her face impossible to read. Her smile seemed sad, her eyes moist again. He didn’t know what the hell was going on with her, and she’d made it pretty clear she didn’t want to talk about her troubles, so he didn’t ask again. “I meant it when I said you’ll make some woman very happy one day. There’s not many men like you in the world, Chase.”

  “Oh yeah?” He chuckled, but he knew she was being serious and he shouldn’t have joked. “I’ll take your word on that.”

  She rose on tiptoes and kissed him, both of her palms to his cheeks. It was like a last kiss, her hold on him so tight.

  When she finally pulled back, he caught her around the wrists, slowly letting her arms down and taking her hands in his. “Maybe there’s only one woman who could ever make me settle down.” His voice sounded gruff, the words coming out of his mouth so foreign he could hardly believe he was saying them. “You’ve always been the one, Hope.”

  “Don’t say that, Chase. Just”—she blew out a big breath—“don’t.”

  “Why not?” He’d said it now and there was no point in backing down and pretending like he didn’t mean it. “I’m not saying I want a wife and two point five kids, but if there
was one woman I’d put before anything else, it’d be you. Always has been, Hope.”

  Her eyes dropped, the connection broken. Dammit. He should never have opened his big mouth.

  “I need to get back to Harrison,” she said, her voice low.

  “No, Hope, I was talking to you, goddamn it.” Chase was pissed off now. He stood in front of her, blocking her way.

  “What do you want me to say, Chase?” she asked. “There’s always been something between us and there always will be, but everything’s changed. It did the second we left college.”

  “You’re talking about your money?” His laugh sounded cruel even to his own ears. “I don’t give a crap whether you’re as poor as a church mouse, Hope. I trust you no matter what.” He might not have thought quite like that when she’d first told him, but he’d quickly realized how stupid that was. Hope would never lie to him, and if she needed money he was pretty sure she’d just come out and ask him for help.

  She was silent and he was pissed with himself for upsetting her.

  “Come here,” he ordered, forcibly tucking her under his arm and holding her close. He dropped a kiss into her hair.

  “I’m sorry,” she muttered.

  “For what?” He slipped his hand into the pocket of her jeans as they started walking. “The only thing you have to apologize for is if you dial me out of a rematch. Because there’s no way in hell I’m gonna let that be the last time I see you naked. You hear me?”

  Her laugh made him smile. Chase walked them back out into the open, heading toward Ryder’s place again. The lights were like beacons in the dark, welcoming them over. He knew some people would hate living so close to their siblings, but he loved it. The ranch was his life—nothing came before family—but he was slowly starting to see that Hope had been as good as family to him, too. Because the kind of friendship they’d had had been too important to lose. He should have jumped on their plane and turned up at her ranch when she hadn’t returned his calls. So they’d had sex? So what. It had been great and they’d just proved that for a second time.

  Maybe there was a reason no woman had even been able to hold his attention for longer than five minutes. Maybe he’d just blamed his ex, Stacey, as a convenient excuse, because he’d never felt about her like he felt about Hope.

  Maybe it was Hope who’d ruined it for every other woman he’d ever met, and he was just the stupid fuck who’d not realized what he could have had.

  “You still gonna stay the night?” Chase asked as they walked, breaking the silence between them.

  “Am I still invited?”

  “Hell yes. My bed’s been waiting a helluva long time to meet you.”

  “Chase,” she groaned. “You know I can’t.”

  “Even if Harris is asleep on the sofa? He won’t even know what his naughty mama’s up to,” Chase joked.

  She bumped her body against his. “I’m sleeping with him, Chase. Don’t go getting any ideas.”

  “Of course you’re sleeping with him,” he said with a laugh. “I’ll carry the little guy over to my room and you can both sleep on my bed. It’s the comfiest in the house.” His grin was wicked. “But don’t think for a moment that I’m not jealous of him snuggling you all night.”

  “You’re sure?” Hope stopped walking, looped her arms around his neck. He scooped her body to his and kissed her, her pillowy, soft-as-heaven lips matching his. “That we can have your bed, I mean?”

  “Yes, just like I’m sure that I want to make love to you again,” he said when he pulled back, just enough so that he could speak. He kissed her again. “Sweet, sweet love.”

  “Come on, cowboy,” she whispered. “It’s getting cold out here.”

  He reluctantly let her step back, but he didn’t let her go. “If you change your mind and get lonely in the night, I’ll be…”

  “You get an A+ for trying,” Hope interrupted.

  “So long as I get an A+ in the bedroom, too.”

  “Has anyone told you you’re an arrogant son of a bitch sometimes?”

  “Yeah, just when you thought I was a new-age, sensitive kind of guy, right?”

  “Something like that.”

  They walked hip to hip the rest of the way back. He might have sunk a shitload of money into his new breeding program, but if it meant having Hope on the ranch for the next few months, then he was ready to pray that things didn’t go perfectly to plan. Because once it was over, he was going to have to think long and hard about how to keep her in his life, and he wasn’t sure if he was ready to make that kind of decision or commitment any time soon.

  <#>

  “Hope, wake up.”

  Hope groaned and pulled the covers up higher, not ready to open her eyes. She was so warm, Harrison’s little body tight against her as she pushed her face deeper into the pillow.

  “Hope.” This time the words were accompanied by a gentle shake.

  She peeked out, diving straight back under when she came face-to-face with Chase. The night before came rushing back to her; Chase carrying Harrison over to the main house, her snuggling up in his bed, sleepy and sated, and Chase kissing her goodnight before leaving them to sleep in the adjoining guest room. He’d insisted his bed was the nicest, than his room would be better for them, even though she’d thought all the rooms looked pretty incredible.

  “I need you,” he murmured.

  Hope ran her tongue over her teeth, wishing she could use a toothbrush. She pushed the covers back and gently extracted herself from her son, making sure he was tucked in still, then swung her legs out of bed and straightened. She glanced down, saw her breasts were dangerous close to spilling out, then heard Chase’s low groan.

  “You’re sure a nice sight to see first thing in the morning,” he said, reaching for her hand and pulling her so fast toward him than she landed against his chest with a thud. His lips closed over hers, not giving a damn when she tried to protest. He kissed her long and hard, both hands on her butt. She was only wearing her underwear, and his fingers had slipped past the fabric of her panties to connect with bare skin.

  “Was this why you needed me?” she asked, pushing him back with both hands and peeking behind him to make sure that Harrison was still asleep. “You know I hate being woken, right?”

  “No,” he said, clearly distracted as he dropped his mouth to the top of one breast.

  Hope yanked him back up by his hair, not giving in to how damn good his lips felt. She was in the same room as her son and it wasn’t going to happen.

  “Chase!” she scolded.

  His grin was shadowed with his dimple on one side. “Sorry. You distracted me.”

  Hope extracted herself from him. “So the reason you’ve roused me…”

  “You slept in,” he said. “I’ve already been up and done the rounds, and some of the girls are definitely getting close. I think we’ll be inseminating by this evening at the latest.”

  “Shit, really?” Hope grabbed her clothes and hurriedly put them on.

  “Darlin’, I wouldn’t be waking you for nothing. You looked cute all snuggled up with your boy.”

  She gestured for him to walk out of the room in front of her and she followed. “It’s been just the two of us for a while now. We’re kind of used to cuddling up in bed together.”

  Hope excused herself to use the bathroom, letting Chase go on without her. She quickly went to the toilet, then made the mistake of looking at herself in the mirror. On second thought, she turned the faucet on and splashed her face, trying to freshen up. She glanced up again. Useless. She was at least pleased she’d wiped most of her makeup off before crashing, but she still could have used some help to look better.

  Ugh. She didn’t have time to worry about how she looked, and besides, Chase had seen her bare faced plenty of times in college. If she was going to scare him off for not looking cute, she’d have done it years ago.

  Hope turned the faucet off, ran her fingers through her hair, and headed into the kitchen.

&nb
sp; “Oh, hey,” she said, averting her eyes for a second when she almost walked smack bang into a bare-chested Nate. He was wearing running shorts and shoes, but his chest was slick with nothing but sweat.

  Nate grinned. “Morning.” He shrugged into his T-shirt and Hope turned to Chase.

  “I’m going to head straight out. I don’t want to miss an opportunity,” she told him.

  “You hungry?” Chase asked, palms down on the counter as he leaned forward.

  “Starved,” she admitted, hand over her growling belly. “Are you offering me breakfast on the go?”

  His smile was infectious. “You go, I’ll follow with bagels.”

  “And coffee?” She gave him her sweetest smile as she walked backward.

  “And coffee,” he promised, shaking his head.

  “I’ll babysit,” Nate chimed in, grabbing an apple and taking a bite as he watched them. “I’m sure I can distract him with Autobots versus Decepticons.”

  “Thanks,” she said. “I’ll check the heifers, monitor them for a little while, and then if I need to stay I’ll arrange a sitter and get Harrison back to my place.”

  Nate shrugged, like he had nothing better to do than look after a kid. “Don’t sweat it. I’ll feed him and then we might head down to see the pony. Is it okay if I take him out for a ride?”

  “Absolutely.” Hope hurried toward the door then stopped. “Damn. I don’t have any boots.”

  “There’s a pair Chloe wears sometimes at the back door,” Chase said, already slicing into a bagel. “And no taking him to the pony. I’m the one who made the promise and I want to see the look on his face when I introduce them.”

  Nate just shrugged, but she didn’t have time to hang around and listen to them banter. So long as someone was looking after Harrison, they could fight over the honors.

  “Thanks.” Hope might be insanely attracted to the man making her breakfast, but she was also excited about her work. And if she was honest with herself, she liked the idea of showing Chase just how good she was at what she did. She might not have a lot of money anymore, but she was a damn good vet, and she was going to make sure every single one of his herd got in calf if it was the last thing she did.