by Simone Elise
He shook his head. "I'm not letting you go anywhere until you tell me what I did that is making you want to run from me."
He was determined and focused, and I knew he wasn't going to give up. Maybe I should say something hurtful? Insult his family? Force him to let me go? But as much as it made sense to do that, I couldn't. I couldn't hurt him.
But by the expression on his face, that was exactly what I was doing - hurting him.
"Just tell me the truth, Chloe."
I opened my mouth and words failed me again. How do you tell someone that you loved them so much it hurt and, at the same time, terrified you?
He wiped away more tears. "I hate seeing you cry. Just tell me what I've done, Chloe. I'll somehow make it right. Is it the club? Cause I'll walk from it. Is my family putting pressure on you? Whatever it is, I'll fucking fix it. I just don't want to lose you."
He was clinging to straws, trying to make sense of my actions. Trying to find one solid reason I would be wanting to run.
He cupped my face. "Please baby girl, just tell me what I've done." He was begging, and the expression on his face was pulling on my heart.
"You haven't done anything. This one is all on me," I staggered out. "It's not your fault. It's all mine."
He frowned. "I don't understand."
I didn't know how he was going to react. I didn't know if this is the right time to tell him the reason why I was leaving but I didn't see another option. He wanted to know what had me running, he wanted to know what had me terrified. Well, I could just tell him.
"I love you, Chase." I didn't know it was possible to have more tears, but I did and they were running down my cheeks freely. "That's the problem."
He looked at me harder for a few seconds. "You're running because you love me?" He finally said, saying it out loud as if it was a question.
I nodded my head, and the corner of his lips twitched up into a smile, which made me quickly push him away.
"Don't you get it? I've never loved anyone! Not my parents. Not a pet. No one has ever got that close to me that I would feel love for them, and then you came along and somehow..." I took a deep breath in. "Somehow you got in my heart. And took it! Claimed it as yours!"
His face melted in understanding, like he now knew why I was panicking. "Chloe, I'm not going to hurt you."
I scoffed. "You say that, but everyone in my life has either left or hurt me, so I’m sorry if I don't take your word for it."
"I'm not leaving you, and I'm not going to hurt you." He stepped back in front of me and dipped his head to look me in the eye. "I'll never hurt you."
"How did you get into my heart?" I tilted my head, looking at him with blurry vision from crying. It was the one question I didn't have the answer to. How had I let this happen? How did I go from having an attraction to him to fully loving him?
He smiled and took my cold hands at my side and linked them with his. "Maybe the same way you got into mine?"
I frowned. He couldn't possibly feel what I feel? No way. Not possible.
"Well, now you know why I have to leave," I blew out and went to pull my hands from his, but his grasp just got tighter. Like he was never letting go of me type of tight.
"Last time I checked, you run to the person you love, not from them." His words made sense. And maybe in a romance novel, that would happen, but this was the real world. You don't run to the biker, you run from them. You don't give people your heart in this world unless you wanted it crushed.
And that was exactly what he would do to my heart - crush it.
"I love you Chase, and it is the type of love that is all-consuming. That terrifies me. I have never given my heart to anyone but you got it, and now you have the ability to not just hurt me, but kill me emotionally."
Did he understand now? Did he get it why I had to run before this love got stronger? Hell, I don't think it could get any stronger.
"Chloe, I know you don't trust men but I'm not like the many." He placed my hand over his worn leather vest, right on his heart. "I'm never going to hurt you. The only thing I will do to you is love you. And ability to hurt you, well, you have the same power over me."
I frowned. "You love me?" Surely not. Not the same way that I felt about him.
He nodded his head. "I've loved you for a long time now. And it's the type of love that had me forcing my brothers to watch your every move. That drove me to insanity being away from you." He let go of my hand that was still on his chest and cupped my face. "I love you, Chloe. I know you're scared and you are taking a risk, but I'm not going to hurt you."
The way he said that, with so much love, like hurting me was the last thing he would ever want to do? Well, it had me believing him for a moment.
"You won't mean to, but you will." I went to pull my hand from his chest, but he let go of my face and held my hand there. "You don't do relationships, Chase. You love your family and your club. And that's okay." I blew out. "Just because I love you doesn't mean you have to love me back."
"Chloe, I love you more than the club. I'd do anything for you. I will never say no. You have all of me." He tucked my hair behind my ear that I had been hiding behind, forcing me to look him in the eye. "All I'm asking of you, Chloe, is to trust me because I won't break your trust. Or your heart."
He was asking something of me I didn't know if I could give. "I..." The words just dried up in my mouth. He already had my heart, could I give him my trust as well?
His other hand ran down my side. "I won't hurt you, Chloe. Ever"
"You can't promise me that."
"No, you will have to trust me." He locked his eyes with mine. "Just trust me, Chloe. I haven't let you down so far."
He was right, he hadn't. He had always been there, even when I didn't know, and sometimes when I didn't want him to be. He was there.
I looked at my hand which was over his heart. He was trusting me right now. Trusting me not to break his heart. He was trusting me.
But when I thought longer about it, I already did trust him. It wasn't like I was just giving him my trust. I think I gave it to him the same time he stole the rest of my heart.
I don't know what was harder to come to terms with, that I had let myself fall madly in love with him or that he was the first man I was admitting to trusting.
I took my hand off his heart, and his expression was covered in pain immediately, but I was quick to close the gap between us, going up on my toes and wrapping my arms around his neck. Looking him in the eye.
"Please don't hurt me." I took a staggered breath in and found myself for the first time ever trusting a man. Not just any man, but a man I loved. When I thought about it, I've trusted him for a long time.
He broke it once, and I never thought I would trust him again after that but here I was, doing it again.
He dropped his forehead to mine. "I know you are putting everything on the line for me right now. And I promise you, Chloe. You won't regret it."
I tilted my head, studying his expression. I saw honesty and love. I smiled for the first time tonight. And then the smile disappeared and a look of horror captured my face.
"Chloe, what's wrong?" Chase noticed immediately.
"You don't think your family heard us, do you?" I could only imagine his sisters and brothers listening. I cringed. "I bet they heard everything." It wasn't like I had been whispering. I had basically been shouting at him. God, I shouted out loud that I loved him.
He smiled and glanced at the house. "I think Oliver is in the bay window and I'm guessing the rest of them are close by."
I groaned. "Great. Everyone watched me freak out."
"If they heard anything, I'm sure they will act like they haven't," Chase said, knowing his brothers and sisters better than I did. He frowned for a second and I picked up on it.
"What?" I asked.
"What made you realize you love me tonight?"
I sighed. "When Marc kissed me."
"HE KISSED YOU!" He let go of me immediately.
"Chase, calm down." I didn't let go of him. "He didn't mention that to you? How did he explain locking me in the room then?"
"He said you were wanting to run. He didn't say he was the one to cause it," he gritted out.
"Well, if you want to look at the positive side, it made me realize I love you." I smiled and kissed his cheek, trying to calm him down. "As much as it terrifies me." He had to know I was scared, right?
He took his eyes off the house and I saw the heat in his eyes, but it slowly softened.
"I still want to kill him."
I nodded my head. "Yeah, well, I went to panic station, so I didn't even get to punch him." I frowned, remembering what Marc said. "He said I was rushing things with you."
"We are going slow."
I arched my eyebrows at him. "I think we've skipped slow."
"I don't want to rush you."
"I said I love you, Chase. You aren't rushing me. Again, it's me rushing us." I withdrew from him. "Don't kill Marc, okay?"
"What did he mean by you rushing things?" Chase hadn't missed what I said.
I chewed my bottom lip. "I don't think you want to know."
"Try me."
"You'll get mad." I knew his temper.
"Chloe," he said firmly. "Tell me before I make him tell me."
"You know what, you get him to tell you." I let go of him completely. "But does it have to be tonight? I'm tired."
"I guess it is after midnight." He glanced at the house and then back at me "And they have had enough of a show for tonight."
He threw an arm around me and we walked back to the house.
"Hey, it's after midnight!" I grinned, what he just said registering.
"I just said that."
I picked up my pace and snuck out from under his arm, standing in front of him.
"Happy birthday."
He rolled his eyes. "I don't see me getting a year older as a reason to celebrate."
I stepped up the porch stairs, blocking his way to the door. "I have an idea for a birthday present for you."
"I don't want anything." His hands went to my hips, and a sly smile appeared on his face. "Well, apart from one thing." His hands ran up my sides, and he leaned in. "To touch you again."
"How about I think about it?"
He groaned. "Can you stop torturing me?"
I leaned in, being level with him because I was a few steps up. "I'll think about that too."
A squeal left my lips when he picked me up.
"I'm sick of waiting."
"Really, I hadn’t noticed." I laughed and wrapped my arms around his neck.
He paused, his hand on the door. "Say it again."
"What? I hadn’t noticed?"
"No, not that."
I frowned and then knew what he was talking about. I smiled and leaned in to his ear. "I love you."
"I'm never going to get sick of hearing that." He kissed my forehead. "You done running from me now?"
As much as it terrified me, as scared as I was, I nodded my head. I just hoped he wasn't going to break his promise. I hoped I didn't end up heartbroken, because I don't know how I would get over that. Physical abuse I can take, but heartbreak - I didn’t think I'd survive.
Chapter 67
Chloe’s Point of View
Chase’s plan of going slow disappeared last night. After I told him I loved him, it was like it snapped his willpower and he gave in to me. I didn’t even have to seduce him.
All I had to do was repeat those three words, and he caved. I never thought that three words could snap Chase’s strong and firm need to be in control. He was so firm on us going slow. But those three words cast a spell on him, and he couldn’t control his reaction.
My memory of sex with him didn’t do him justice. I was reminded of that, last night, over and over. Yeah, it was official. I wasn’t just in love with Chase, I was addicted to his touch and the need to be his.
“Okay, last time I checked, it is your birthday?” I said with a smile on my face as I watched Chase dish up dinner.
He somehow had convinced everyone to leave the house. We were home alone and, considering it was his birthday, I expected him to want to be around his family. I didn’t expect him to be cooking me dinner.
Chase had always been a good cook. I remember when we first met, he would always make sure I ate.
“You saying you don’t like my cooking?” Chase said, but he wasn’t looking at me, he was too busy dishing up dinner.
“I’m just saying it’s your birthday. I should be the one cooking. In fact, are you cooking because you don’t like mine?” I arched my eyebrows at him. I had told him I would cook dinner over and over as soon as everyone disappeared and it was just Chase and me.
I saw him roll his eyes, but he didn’t answer.
I reached for my wine. “So, have you decided what you want for your birthday yet? Because I told you, I’m getting you something.” For some reason and I didn’t know why, Chase had been acting weird all day, like there was something important on his mind and he wasn’t sharing it with me.
So, instead of questioning him on it, I was keeping the conversation light.
But I noticed how tense he was. I noticed how he seem guarded around me, like he was keeping his emotions in check.
“I did decide on something.” He walked toward me with two plates.
I smiled. “So, you are letting me get you something?” My face lit up. He had been so firm on me not getting him anything.
He placed the food in front of me. “You mightn’t want to give it though.”
“If it’s sex, you have me agreeing a hundred percent.”
He looked nervous all of a sudden, like seriously nervous - I had never seen Chase nervous before.
“Okay, what is it?” I asked, because I couldn’t come up with one reason why he was so nervous. It was me, after all! He knew I loved him so what could possibly have him thinking I wouldn’t agree to whatever he wanted?
“Eat. We can talk about it later.” He said as if I was letting him get out of it that easy!
“Nope. Tell me, what it is you want?” I was not dropping the subject. He had me - all of me.
“Eat.”
“Nope.” I pushed my plate away from me. “Tell me what it is you want.”
He sighed. “I wanted to wait until after dinner but, seeing as I can’t stomach anything, might as well jump right to it.”
I frowned and watched his nervous expression. Chase, nervous? That just didn’t happen!
He pushed himself away from the table and got up. I watched, a little confused on why he would be getting up. I watched him reach into his back pocket.
He was looking more handsome than normal, and my eyes ran over his leather vest. He screamed bad boy and my body screamed I was all his. He ran a hand through his hair, and then I noticed the box in his hand.
That wasn’t what I think it was, was it? My eyes widened as he lowered to one knee in front of me.
“Chloe, I promise to always put you first and I promise you all of me. Will you marry me?”
My mouth fell open and, for once in my life, I was speechless and my mind went blank from shock. What the hell do I say to that?
