by T. J. Kline
Gage finished his drink and held up two fingers toward the bartender, signaling for him to bring them a couple of more drinks. “Would you like it if someone was dating your youngest sister?”
“I don’t have a sister, and that’s not it. There’re other issues.” Chase shook his head and stared down at his hands. He hoped Gage would just take his comment at face value because he wasn’t about to start sharing the real concern Justin had, or his feelings about what happened with Lance. “He’s worried about her leaving town and wants me to convince her to stay.”
“Did you tell her that? Because that would explain why she’s pissed. Bailey isn’t the type of woman you can tell what to do. She has to think it’s her idea. If she thinks that you’re doing Justin’s dirty work—”
“Shit. Gage, you’re a genius.”
Gage bobbed his head. “Yeah, we sort of established that a long time ago, though.”
“I’ve got to go.” Chase reached for his wallet in his back pocket but Gage waved him off. “Go, I’ve got this. But if you screw this up, I’m making a move,” he warned. “She’s too good of a woman to let her get away.”
Chase scowled at Gage. “You’re also a real ass, you know that? Now you’re just trying to piss me off.”
“Because I’m right and you know it.”
“That’s exactly why.”
Chapter Eighteen
“BAILEY, OPEN THIS damn door.”
Bailey had been in the bedroom, preparing to slide into a warm shower and let the water wash away the frustration she was feeling, when the very embodiment of her aggravation began pounding on her door. Hurrying down the hall in bare feet, she quickly pulled her shirt back on before she flung open the door to see his fist raised, ready to pound against the door yet again.
“What in the hell are you doing here, Chase? You’re going to wake my neighbors, and the last thing I need is your dad showing up to cite me for—”
He stepped into the entry, towering over her, obviously not caring what her neighbors thought, nor willing to give her a chance to respond. Chase buried his hands into her mussed hair, moving backward so her back was pressed against the wall as his mouth covered hers. All thoughts disappeared, all arguments fled, all future plans vanished at his touch. Lava-like heat melted her bones, making it nearly impossible to stand. Kissing Chase was last thing she should be doing, especially in light of the game he was playing, but her heart had taken control of her body.
She only wanted to feel—the pads of his fingers as they slid over the sensitive flesh at the side of her neck, his lips tasting like danger and dark ale as they plucked at hers, the solid wall of his body holding her upright when her legs wanted to buckle. Her hands ran up his back, feeling his muscles tense under her fingers. She couldn’t focus on whatever plan he might be hatching with Justin or the fact that she was leaving in another week. Right now, she could only think about the man she’d measured every other male against, the man she’d longed to have touch her this way since she was a teenager—the man who had stolen her heart.
Tomorrow she might regret it, but tonight she was going to relish every touch, every caress, and every kiss. But she was going to do it on her terms.
“Bailey?” His lips tickled the edge of her jaw.
“I don’t want to talk, Chase. You talk too much.”
She pressed her lips against his, silencing him. Her fingers worked over the buttons of his shirt, tugging it down his arms as he walked her backward toward her room. His hands were everywhere—cupping her rear, sliding over her back, tugging at the hem of her shirt. He barely released her mouth long enough to pull the T-shirt over her head and cast it aside. Stumbling down the hall, they left clothing strewn down the length of carpet. These weren’t the sweet kisses she’d imagined over the years. This was raw hunger, fierce and clumsy, and so incredibly seductive she couldn’t have stopped herself if she’d wanted to. Her hands fell on his belt buckle as they reached her bedroom doorway and Chase covered them with his own, forcing her to take a step back.
“Bailey, are you sure you want this?”
Her heart responded before she could stop the words from tumbling from her lips. “I’ve wanted this forever.”
His gaze swept over her, taking in her half-naked state, lingering over her breasts, barely covered by her thin bra, and heating her skin without even touching her. The desire she could see in his eyes made every part of her hum with answering need. A growl rumbled in his throat as he grabbed her hips and slid his hands over the rounded curve of her butt, pulling her against him. Feeling his arousal through the denim, a shiver of anticipation heated her core in response.
He quickly unbuttoned her jeans. He slid his hands inside, and his fingers skimmed over the warm flesh of her rear bared by her thong. “Holy crap, woman, I think you’re going to kill me.”
“Only if I don’t die first.”
She smiled as his lips moved over her shoulder and her head dropped backward. Bailey arched into him, unsure which she wanted more—his mouth or his hands on her. She was rewarded with both as his mouth covered the lace of her bra. His tongue swirled over the nipple, peaked beneath the material, while his thumb trailed over the lace at the front of her underwear. Fire exploded from her, heating every inch of her from the inside out. Chase played her like an instrument, stroking her to the point of ecstasy, every flick of his fingers sending her spiraling into an abyss of sensation. Instinct controlled her and her fingers slid through his hair, holding him to her. Chase slid one hand up to cup her breast, burying his face between them, his breath heating her skin.
She tugged at his belt, then the button of his jeans, sliding her bare foot up his calf to pull them partway down his legs. His low rumble of laughter fell over her skin, triggering a sizzle of excitement centered deep inside her, making her want him even more.
“You’re unlike anyone else, Bailey Hart.” His voice was low and husky against her skin.
She knew he couldn’t possibly realize how those words filled her heart, making her love him a little more. Bailey froze at the thought, her heart stopping midbeat in her chest.
Did she love him?
Admitting her infatuation with him, growing up with a girlish crush, wasn’t the same thing as love, but she knew her feelings for Chase had never been that simple. It had always been an all-encompassing devotion, leaving her too weak to fight it, and unlike any feelings she ever had for other men. She was hopelessly, undeniably, and devastatingly in love with Chase.
And she was about to leave him behind.
CHASE FELT BAILEY stiffen as tension seemed to steal the oxygen from the room. One moment they were sharing something passionate and beautiful and the next she was . . . different. Not cold but somehow less present, less Bailey. She reached for his wrists and backed him against the wall, pressing his arms up before sliding one hand down the middle of his chest and giving him a feline smile, licking her lips as she looked him up and down.
“These need to disappear.” She reached for the loops on the sides of his jeans and pulled them the rest of the way down his legs. She looked up at him, her blue eyes dark pools of desire. He’d never wanted a woman so much in his life. But this didn’t feel right.
“Bailey, wait,” he began.
She stood, sliding the front of her body up the length of him before her hand cupped him as she pressed him into the wall, the peaks of her nipples brushing against his chest through the lace of her bra, sending jolts of electric need straight to his groin. He immediately swelled in her palm.
This wasn’t Bailey. At least, not the woman he knew. Her eyes glittered like the sapphires they resembled, and Chase could feel a wall rising between the two of them, thick and impenetrable. It was going to take every ounce of willpower and self-preservation he possessed to break down this barrier that had somehow been thrown between them. He wanted to make love to her, but not like this. And, he realized, not tonight.
Running his hands down her arms, Chase slid the str
ap of her bra off her shoulder before reaching his hand behind her to unclasp the thin barrier between them. His thumb traced the edge of the lace, over the swell of her breast, and he let the garment fall to the floor. When his palms covered her breasts, toying with the taut peaks, she sucked in a sharp breath. Chase drew her against him, sliding his hands down her silken back and under her thighs, lifting her legs around his waist to carry her toward the bed. He could see the victory in her eyes, but he was content to let her assume her success. Bailey bit her lower lip with anticipation and he felt the coil of need tighten in him as he laid her on the mattress. Running his hands over the slight curve of her stomach, he hooked his fingers into the sides of her underwear, sweeping them down her legs and dropping them on the floor.
“You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.”
Chase took a moment and let his eyes devour her, taking in every valley and curve of her body, before letting his hands trace the birthmark on her collarbone shaped like a teardrop, the indentations of her rib cage, to the seam where her thigh met her torso. Chase followed every sweep of his fingertips with his lips, letting his tongue trace the same path. Every breath and gasp, every mew of delight, every sigh wound his body tighter as he realized each one was another brick coming down from the wall she’d built. He knew Bailey better than she knew herself, knew what she needed more than what she thought she wanted.
When he pressed a kiss against her hip, she tensed, her hands reaching for his shoulders. “Wait.”
Hoping his eyes reflected every bit of the emotion he was feeling, Chase looked up at her and smiled. “Bailey, let me love you. You have no idea how long I’ve wanted to do this.”
There was a flicker of trepidation in her eyes, a fear he couldn’t quite identify, before it disappeared, replaced by the passionate yearning he prayed she saw in his own. She closed her eyes, whispering his name on a sigh, but not before he saw her relief.
Chase took his time, savoring every moment, cherishing her body the way he’d only dreamed of doing. His hands caressed as his mouth worshiped. His fingers played as his tongue swirled over her. Bailey writhed under him, begging him, crying out his name until she found the sweet heights of her release, her hands clenching in the sheets on her bed. Chase slid up the length of her body, his body crying out for satisfaction, throbbing painfully, but he fought the ferocious desire to take her as he curled up behind her, willing his body into painful submission while his fingers trailed lightly over her breasts.
“That tickles,” she murmured.
Had it not been for the satiated smile on her face he might have wondered if it was a complaint. “Do you want me to stop?”
She curved herself more firmly into his embrace and turned her head slightly to look at him over her shoulder. “Not unless you want me to hurt you.” She wiggled her rear and he felt longing surge in him again, hot and hungry.
Bailey rolled over and slid one leg between his, her hand gliding down the ridges of his abs. He groaned as he reached for her hand and brought it to his lips. “Not tonight, Bailey.” He tried to soften his voice, to temper what he knew would sound like rejection to her.
“What?” she asked, pulling back and trying to scoot away from him on the bed. He saw the immediate emotional retreat she tried to make.
“Oh, no you don’t.” He moved across the mattress until she had no choice but to curl into him or fall off the edge of the bed. “Trust me, I want you. More than I’ve ever wanted to make love to anyone in my life.” Chase brushed her long bangs back from her forehead. “But there was a point there when it wasn’t you, not the real you.” He felt her stiffen in his arms, the tension settling in her shoulders. He ran a finger over her cheek and looked into her eyes. “Why are you trying to hide from me?”
Her gaze dropped to his chin. “I’m not. This is just . . . weird.”
“Weird? I hope you mean in a good way, otherwise my fragile male ego is going to be crushed.” She sighed and tried to move away from him. “Whoa, I was kidding. Bailey, talk to me.”
“I don’t think I can do this. I don’t want this to be some part of a plan you and Justin have to keep me here. I am leaving, Chase. Next week, packing my things and moving to LA.”
“Okay.”
“That’s all you have to say?” Her fingertip traced circles over the center of his chest and he wondered if she realized she was doing it.
“No, but you’re talking and I’m letting you have your say. Which, if you would have done last night, you’d have found out that I don’t have any plan with Justin. He asked me to convince you to stay. That’s it.”
She pulled the sheet around her, using it to shield herself from him. “And you just decided to use whatever means you needed to? Toying with my feelings was all your idea?”
“No.” Chase sighed and ran a frustrated hand through his short hair. How was he supposed to explain what he wanted to her without sounding like a lovesick fool? “I would never do that to you. You should know me better than that.”
“I thought I did.”
It hurt to know she thought he was capable of manipulating her to serve Justin. Somehow, instead of gaining her love, he’d lost her trust. “Why do you want to leave so badly?”
“I already explained that.” She started to slide off the bed but he reached for her hand, pulling her back toward him. “This is my chance to make a name for myself.”
“What if what we could have here is better than what you think you’ll have in LA?”
“Chase, don’t.”
“I’m serious.”
He ran his fingers over the side of her hip to cradle the curve of her breast. He brushed his thumb over the sheet covering her nipple and watched her eyes darken into deep pools of blue. Goose bumps broke out over her and he fought the victorious pride filling his chest. She might deny it but her body came to life in his arms. He knew her well enough, after all these years, to feel certain she didn’t react this way with anyone but him. He knew what they had was special and that was what scared her. He wasn’t about to let her throw this away without trying.
“Why now?” she whispered. “I’ve been here for years. Why when I’m already committed?”
“We are similar creatures, you know that?” Bailey sighed again, but he wasn’t ready to give up just yet. “You think I’m wrong?”
“I know you are.”
“Neither one of us knows a good thing when we have it. We’re both so damn stubborn that we won’t consider anything else once we make a decision.” Chase shook his head, trying to figure out how to make her understand.
“You should probably go.” Without warning, she jerked the quilt from where it lay crumpled at the foot of the bed and wrapped it around herself, moving as far from him as the small room would allow. She turned her back to him and walked the few steps toward the bathroom, reaching for the door handle.
Chase jumped from the bed. “Why do you keep running away from me? Why do you keep pulling me close and then pushing me away?”
She spun on him and he could see the surprise in her face, but beyond that, he could read the pain in her expression. “I’m not the one who showed up banging on your door at two in the morning.”
“No, but you didn’t turn me away, did you?” He saw the blush rise over her cheeks as she tipped her head down, away from him, embarrassed. He moved around the bed and reached for her arms, pulling her closer to him, tipping her chin up so she was forced to meet his gaze. “Damn it, Bailey, I’m not saying these things just to get you to stay. I’m telling you now because I can’t let you leave without knowing how I feel, how I’ve always felt about you.”
She looked up at him, the longing in her eyes clear. She wanted this relationship as much as he did. He could read the need, the desperation, the yearning for more between them. It was as clear to him as his own desire for her. She leaned toward him and he thought she was about to admit her feelings. Instead, she laid one hand against his chest.
“I can’
t,” she whispered. Failure rang in her voice, fear giving it a slight tremor as tears shimmered in her eyes.
It was all she needed to say. There were no apologies, no halfhearted pleas for more time. It was as simple as she could make it. Bailey had made her choice, and he wasn’t it.
Chase tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, his fingers trailing over the outer shell, and she shivered in response. He’d been rejected before, felt the dull ache many times over the years, but he’d never quite felt this emptiness. He’d known falling for Bailey was dangerous. Admitting it was an even bigger risk, and he’d lost.
There was a hollowness that seemed to echo within his chest. His heart continued to beat, his lungs continued to pump oxygen, but he felt absolutely nothing. Just like the night Lance had died.
Chase took a deep breath. “Bailey, you’re going be amazing. I can’t wait to see what you’re able to accomplish,” he assured her, pressing a tender kiss to her forehead. “But I’m really going to miss you.”
Chase slid his jeans over his thighs and pulled his shirt over his head before he tucked his wallet into his pocket and walked out her door without another glance, without another word. What more was there to say?
Chapter Nineteen
BAILEY WOKE THE next morning still wound in the blanket she’d wrapped around her body and still just as confused as when she’d collapsed into a heap of emotional rubble on her bed after Chase left. What in the hell had she been thinking?
She hadn’t been. That seemed pretty clear at this point.
Her body still hummed, heated from Chase’s touch, aching for more. Last night had been incredible, and Chase made her feel things she hadn’t even realized were possible. Just the thought of his hands—or mouth—on her sent a sizzle of heat coursing through her veins, lighting a fire in her that was bound to consume her if she let it. That was the problem, she couldn’t allow it. If she did, she’d fall prey to the same trap her mother had—giving everything up for love. But being logical about her decision didn’t stop her heart from aching. It also didn’t make it any easier to catch her breath or to try to force the tight band constricting her lungs to lessen its death grip. The pain remained.
