by J. Lynn
“Bullshit.” Chandler propped his hip against the railing and glanced over his shoulder. “Mitch will probably beat the shit out of you.”
Like I don’t know that already, but thanks for pointing it out. Chase’s gaze swung back to Maddie. There was still some space between her and the tool, but she was smiling at the guy—the kind of smile that was innocent and sexy as hell all at the same time, and Chase’s gut clenched.
Chandler clasped his shoulder. “But I think after he knocked the crap out of you, he’d probably thank you.”
Doubtful. “For what?”
His brother stared back at him like Chase was an idiot. “Maddie could end up with someone worse.”
“Wow. Thanks.” A wry grin tugged at his lips.
“You know what I mean. Once he gets over the idea of you and her, he’d be more than happy about it. He knows you. Trusts you.”
Yeah, and that was the bitch of it. Mitch trusted Chase, so doing anything with Maddie was spitting in Mitch’s face, ’cause there was no doubt in Chase’s mind things would end badly. “Yeah, it’s not going to happen,” he said finally.
Chandler was quiet for a long moment as his gaze fixed on the swaying grape trees. “You want to tell me why?”
“Do I need to?”
There was another pause and then, “I just don’t get it. Maddie has always loved you—don’t give me that look. Everyone knows it.” His brother flashed a rare grin. “You two would be good together—she would be good for you.”
He refused to even think about that.
“And you’re good enough for her,” his brother added quietly.
Chase thrust a hand through his hair. “Why are we having this conversation? Hell, if anything, her brother should be taking her little ass back to her cabin before she gets into trouble with what’s-his-dick.”
Chandler chuckled. “Looks like Mitch is taking his fiancée out behind the bushes.”
And hell if Mitch wasn’t, not that he could blame him. Chase blew out a long breath, considered heading back to the cabin…or sleeping in the car for the night. It was getting late and standing here, watching her—
Maddie’s laughter rang out like wind chimes as she was lifted into the air, wineglass long forgotten. The guy had his arms around her waist, pulling her closer to him.
And that was it.
Chase stopped thinking. Pushing off the railing, he barely registered his brother said something taunting to his retreating back as Chase prowled across the deck and came up behind the guy, ignoring his brother’s distant laughter.
For a moment, the two before Chase didn’t seem to notice him, but then Maddie’s glossed over gaze drifted beyond the guy’s shoulder. The tool stiffened and then turned around. One look at Chase’s face struck the idiot speechless. Good.
“Maddie,” Chase said, voice surprisingly calm. “It’s time to go back.”
She stared at him, her cheeks flushed prettily. “Why?”
His look should have said he really didn’t need to explain but it was obvious she just wasn’t seeing things clearly. “I seriously think it’s time to call it a night.”
Maddie pouted and then turned, searching for her glass. “It’s still early. And I’m not ready to go back. Bobby, did you see where I put my glass? It’s around here, I swear.”
Her refusal must’ve given the little twerp courage because he planted himself in front of Maddie and Chase. “I’ll make sure she gets back to her room safely tonight.”
“Yeah, that’s not going to happen.”
Bobby-Dipshit held his ground while Maddie peered into the shadowy corners, searching for her lost glass. “She’s cool, man.”
“She’s nothing to you.” Chase brushed past the guy, leaving him standing there with his ruined plans for the evening. No way in hell if he was alive and breathing was some guy like that going to end up making Maddie a one-night stand.
Chase gently wrapped his fingers around Maddie’s arm and pulled her away from where a bottle of wine was chilling in ice. “Come on, let’s go back to our room.”
He gave Bobby a pointed look, satisfaction settling in Chase’s belly as his words sunk in and Bobby’s eyebrows shot up, his hands raised in surrender as he backed away. Yeah, game over, asshole.
She started to protest, but then she swayed way to the left, pressing her hand to her mouth and giggling. “I may be a little tipsy. Not too much, but I think I might be well on my way.”
Chase arched a brow.
Maddie giggled again as she peered up at him through thick lashes. “You look like you’ve sucked on something sour. What’s your problem? I was just dancing and…”
“And what?” he growled lowly.
She scrunched her nose. “Well, I was…huh, I don’t know.”
He rolled his eyes. “Come on, let’s get you to bed.”
“Oh, listen to you! Ordering me to bed. For shame,” she said, giggling as she wiggled free from his light grasp. “What would people think? The controversy, Chase.”
“Maddie…”
She flounced off ahead, and he sighed, trailing after her. Surprisingly, she was heading for the stairs that led to the pathway and away from the wine, which was a good thing, he guessed.
Passing Chandler, he cut his brother a look before he could make some smartass comment. And it was on the tip of his tongue, too. One thing Chandler didn’t do was relationships of any sort. His brother dated, sure, but it would be a good day in hell before the eldest brother settled down.
“Have a good night,” Chandler called out, laughing.
Chase flipped him off.
She made it down one step before he swooped in, getting an arm around her narrow waist. She leaned against him, and he led her down the stairs without her falling and breaking her neck.
Getting Maddie back to the cabin was an experience in patience and reluctant amusement. Several times she broke away from him and started to roam off to God knew where. He doubted she knew. Halfway back to their cabin, she kicked off her heels. Near the cabin next to theirs, she sat down in the middle of the pathway illuminated by the pale glow of the moon.
“What are you doing?” he asked.
“Taking a break.”
Shaking his head, he walked up behind her. “You haven’t been walking that far.”
“It seems like we’ve been walking forever.” She tipped her back against his knees and grinned. “I’m one of those drunk girls. You know, the kind who sits down in the middle of the street? God…it’s like I’m in college again!”
He frowned. “Did you sit in the middle of the street a lot when you were in college?”
“More times than I remember,” she replied with a chuckle.
“I don’t remember that.”
She raised a hand and pointed at him, but her aim was wobbly, so she ended up popping herself in the face.
He winced and grabbed her small hand, steering it away from her face. “Ouch.”
Maddie didn’t seem to notice that she’d almost knocked out her own teeth. “You weren’t always around, you know.”
Chase fought a grin as he bent down, got his hands under her arms, and lifted her back up. “Am I going to have to carry you? If so, it would complete my badass knight-in-shining-armor act with you today.”
“You are not a knight.” She stumbled forward and then spun around, patting him on the chest hard enough to make him grunt. “But you kind of are. You have a good heart, Chase Gamble.”
Wow. She had blown past ‘just tipsy’. “Okay. I think I might have to carry you.”
She huffed. “I can walk, thank you very much. I was just tired.”
“Thought you weren’t tired.”
“I’m not,” she argued.
He stared at her.
“You’re such a bore.” Maddie staggered ahead and then stopped, tilting her head back on her long, graceful neck. When her hair was loose, it hung clear to her hips when she did that. “The moon is so big.”
There
was something big growing in his pants. And he was pretty sure that made him the worst kind of bastard. But he couldn’t help it. Chase was still a man and, off limits or not, Maddie was…she was just Maddie.
Looking over her shoulder, she smiled. “I’m really happy for my brother,” she rambled on. “They’re going to have babies, and I’ll get to be an aunt. I can take them to the Smithsonian, teach them about history and…and stuff.”
“You’re going to turn those kids that don’t exist yet into nerds.”
She held up her finger, placing it an inch from his face, and he had an urge to lick it. “Nerds are cool. You are not.”
Chase laughed as he took her hand, gently pulling her down the pathway. “What kind of stuff will you teach them?”
“Oh, you know, stuff…like the Civil War and how important it is to take care of our battlefields, preserve history…and I’ll get them to volunteer.”
“Will you?” They were almost to the door. Just a few more steps.
She pulled her hand free and pushed him lightly. “Yes, I will. I’m good at my job.”
“I have no doubt.” And he didn’t. Granted, he’d never told Maddie he was proud of all she’d accomplished or how in college she’d always been on the dean’s list.
Maybe he should’ve.
Confused by that, he followed her to the door. Once inside, she made her way to the edge of the bed and sat down heavily.
He turned on a small lamp with a fuchsia shade in the corner and then flipped the switch off on the wall. Less light was probably a good thing.
“So how are we going to do this?” She glanced at the bed and then at him. “Are we having a real sleepover?”
Chase hardened painfully at the thought of just being in bed beside her. “I’ll be taking the couch.”
She stared at him but said nothing. Needing to distance himself, he went over to his luggage, pulled out a pair of lightweight lounge pants and a shirt. “I’ll get changed in the bathroom.”
“Why?”
Was he seriously going to have to explain this to her? By her wide eyes, that would be a yes. “Get changed while I’m in there, Maddie.”
Her lips thinned. “I might have drunk one…or four…too many glasses of wine, but I’m not drunk or stupid.”
Chase was on the fence about the first. Sending her one last meaningful glance, he went into the bathroom, closed the door, and quickly changed. That was when he noticed her little bag of personal items open on the sink.
Toothpaste, hairbrush, a few items of makeup. Little stuff, but all hers. He reached out, running his fingers over the handle of the brush. A weird, totally inappropriate image of her stuff spread across the sink in his condo filled his head. An ache sprung in his chest, tight and familiar.
Man, he needed meds or something. It was a nice fantasy, but it was only a fantasy.
When enough time had passed, he went back into the main room. Maddie was still on the bed where he’d left her, staring at the bear rug on the floor.
He sighed. “Maddie, what are you doing?”
“That rug is really creepy, don’t you think?”
Moving to the center of the room, he folded his arms over his chest. “It’s not something I’d put in my place.”
She winced. “I’m going to have nightmares about the thing coming alive and gnawing on my foot while I sleep. Totally ruin my pedi.”
His gaze dropped to her dainty feet. He wouldn’t mind gnawing on one himself. “Maddie, you should get changed for bed.”
Standing up, she picked at the edge of her dress. When he’d seen her earlier, he had thought that shade of the blue had been the perfect color on her.
Maddie sighed. “I sleep naked, so I didn’t bring any night clothes. Didn’t think it would be a problem…”
Oh, for fuck’s sake.
Images of her glistening skin, flushed and smooth like satin, sliding under the sheets, filled his head. His body had been strung taut as a bow all night, but now his cock was throbbing. He hungered for her on a primitive, raw level. The things he’d do to her…
And that was why he wouldn’t do anything. Not to Maddie. She was too good.
Turning away from her, he frantically searched for a resolution. “I have some shirts that will be long enough for you to wear.” He started toward his luggage, the swollen member between his thighs making it hard to concentrate on anything other than what it wanted, which was to spread those pretty thighs and plunge deep inside her, over and over again. Not gonna happen, boy, so just settle down. He grabbed a dark shirt and turned.
Maddie stood behind him. “I’m sorry.”
“Sorry for what? Getting a little tipsy?” Chase shook out the shirt. “Hold your arms up.”
She obeyed, lifting them into the air. “I’m sorry about all of this.” Her voice muffled as the cotton shirt got stuck for a moment over her head, and he couldn’t help but grin as he tugged it down. “You must hate this,” she said as her head popped through.
“Hate what?” He yanked the shirt down, and thank God, it was just as long as the dress. Sneaking his arms under the shirt, he fumbled for the zipper in the back. The sides of his arms brushed the swell of her breasts, and he stepped closer without realizing it.
“Being stuck with me,” she said, tipping her head back to meet his stare.
He frowned. “I’m not stuck with you, Maddie.”
She didn’t say anything.
His fingers found the zipper and he pulled. The dress eased down, pooling around her feet, and his hands… God damn it, his hands were on the bare skin of her back. Like he remembered, her skin was as soft as satin.
Chase needed to remove his hands pronto and step back, but she swayed forward, placing her smaller palms on his waist, her bare thighs brushing his. Then she placed her cheek against his chest and sighed.
“I’ve missed you,” she murmured.
He felt something in his chest lurch. “Baby, how can you miss me? We see each other every day.”
“I know.” A tiny sigh leaked out. “But it’s not the same. We’re not the same. And I miss you.”
God, wasn’t that the truth? Ever since that night in his club, things had been different. And right now, he was frozen, caught between knowing he needed to put distance between them and wanting to hold her in his arms. And how many times had he held her like this? Not in recent years, but when she was younger, many times.
The odd, empty spot in his chest he usually ignored warmed. As a kid, he and his brothers couldn’t stand to be in their cold house, surrounded by their mother’s crushed dreams of marriage and their father’s absence, so being around Mitch, Maddie, and their family had always eased that loneliness.
Especially Maddie. She had this way of hers, wiggling herself around his heart. Even during the times they hadn’t really talked, she existed in the back of his mind like a constant ghost, haunting him.
Closing his eyes, he rested his chin atop her head. “I…I miss you, too.”
She lifted her head and smiled sleepily, staring up at him with so much trust in her beautiful eyes, and God, he bet she’d let him do anything to her, right here and right now. His body screamed for it, demanded it, really.
With more willpower than he knew he had, he guided her over to the heart-shaped bed, pulled back the covers, and gently sat her down. In a surprising turn of fate, she didn’t argue with him but slid those curvy, sexy legs under the blanket and laid down.
“Where are you going to sleep?” she asked, lids lowering.
Chase hovered over her, drinking in the sight. He knew exactly how many freckles she had across her nose and cheeks. Twelve, to be exact. Knew that the tiny scar under her full bottom lip, a shade whiter than the rest of her skin, was from a bike accident when she was seven. Knew those lips, depending on her mood, could be so expressive.
He looked over his shoulder. The couch was long and narrow, no doubt as comfortable as sleeping on a pile of boards.
“Chase?” she whi
spered.
Forcing a smile, he brushed a strand of hair off her face and then, without meaning to, his hand lingered along her cheek, cupping it. She turned to the gesture and another soft sigh leaked from her parted lips. “The couch has my name on it,” he said.
“There’s more than enough room here.” She rolled onto her side, facing him. “I don’t bite.”
The problem was, he kind of hoped she did. “I’m fine.”
Remarkably, she was asleep before he could say anything else, which was a good thing, because if she offered the bed to him again, he wasn’t sure he could refuse a second time.
Chase lowered his lips to her cheek and pressed a kiss there before backing away. Turning off the light, he went to the couch and stretched out, doing his best to get comfortable. That ache was back in his chest again, and this time, he knew it wasn’t for the lack of her hugs.
It was for the lack of her in his life.
Chapter Five
With half a bottle of Tylenol trying to work its magic on the wine-induced headache, Madison winced behind her sunglasses as she shuffled alongside her mother. Touring the vineyards sounded fun, would probably have been pretty interesting, too, if she wasn’t certain a psychotic drummer had taken up residency in her head.
God, she really drank a little too much last night. Dancing on a bench? Having to be escorted back to the cabin by a surprisingly rational Chase? Shamed and more than a little frustrated with herself, she kept close to her family as they piled onto the seats in the back of the bed of a cattle truck, where they’d view the vineyard up close and personal.
Bobby? Robby? Whatever his name was, he’d ended up in the other car, thank God. She couldn’t even look at him without wanting to hide herself under the hay covering the bed of the truck.
Every bump went straight to Madison’s temples. She gripped the seat, jaw clamped tight as the vehicle swayed along the narrow road.
Under the brim of her mother’s wide straw hat, she grimaced. “You’re looking a little peckish.”
Before she could respond, Chad cut in with a grin. “She drank, like, twenty glasses of wine last night.”
