Chasing Trust: A Small Town Steamy Romance (Harper Family series Book 3)

by Nancy Stopper

  “A little rough today. I thought I’d made it through my first trimester scot-free, but morning sickness made its appearance earlier this week.”

  “I’m so sorry to hear that. But you look great. Where’s Hayley?”

  “She ran off with some friends from school. I think they’re over climbing on the hay tower.” The entire time Izzy answered Serena’s question, her gaze kept darting to Chase, her eyes asking a silent question.

  “Oh.” She placed her hand on Chase’s arm and he came around to stand beside her. “You remember Chase Foster. From the photo shoot.”

  A huge smile broke out on Izzy’s face. “Sure. Right. Nice to see you again. I didn’t realize you were still in town. I thought the shoot was only that one day.”

  “It was, but I found some other reasons to hang around a little longer.” He snaked his arm around Serena’s waist, like he was claiming her for Izzy and everyone else to see.

  “That’s great.” Izzy redirected her attention to Serena. “Is he coming to the family cookout next weekend?”

  The one with Rachel and all of her brothers and their wives and girlfriends? Serena wasn’t sure she was ready to spring that situation on Chase. She bit her lip and turned to Chase while answering Izzy’s question. “I’m not sure. We haven’t discussed it.”

  He quirked his eyebrow at her. Yeah, she hadn’t mentioned the cookout yet. As long as the two of them existed in their little bubble, not discussing the future, she could tell herself that this was something more than just right now.

  “Well, I hope to see you there, Chase. Serena, give me a call next week and we’ll catch up.” Izzy waggled her thumb and pinkie near her ear. Catch up? What Izzy meant was gossip about the man who couldn’t keep his hands off Serena in front of her family.

  She and Chase spent the rest of the day walking around the festival, hand in hand, enjoying being together. This was the way a relationship was supposed to be. Not cloaked in shadows and certainly not seeing someone else on the side.

  As the sun sank in a sky of bright orange and reds, a band began tuning their instruments on the temporary stage that had been erected near the picnic tables. Serena hadn’t realized there would be music and dancing. Whenever she’d come to Oktoberfest, she’d left with her animals when her time was up. The thought of having Chase’s arms around her, feeling his heart beat beneath her cheek had her body warming, but even better than that would be Chase’s naked body pressed against hers, his muscles taut as he entered her.

  Chase must have noticed her flushed cheeks. He gestured to the band, a heated look swirling in his eyes. “Did you want to stay and dance? I can’t wait to have you in my arms.”

  She shook her head and stretched up to whisper in his ear. “I can think of a better way for you to have your hands on me.”

  He stared at her for a moment and his eyebrows shot up when the words sank in.

  Twenty minutes later, he whipped his jeep into a spot in front of her house. “Get out.”

  He didn’t need to tell her twice. She clambered out of the jeep and practically had to chase him up the walk. She pulled out her keyring and when she went to unlock the door, the keys fell to the porch.

  Chase laughed. “A little anxious, are we?”

  “I’m not the only one. Now stop talking and unlock the door.”

  Roscoe and Rascal started barking from inside.

  A second later, Chase swung the door open and tugged her inside, shoving her against the door as soon as it was closed. And then his hands and his lips were on her, his tongue thrusting into her mouth. He lit every cell of her body on fire and she squirmed against him, needing to get closer to him. To climb inside him and feel him as a part of her.

  The dogs rushed up to them, jumping onto their legs and yipping. Chase broke the kiss and thumped his head on the door. “The dogs. You need to let them out.”

  She pressed her lips to his neck, her tongue darting out to lick at his skin. “Nope. Sylvia let them out for me when she dropped off the other animals.”

  He growled, whether from her kisses or her words, she didn’t know. Then he bent down and wrapped his arms around her butt and lifted her up, throwing her over his shoulder.

  She squealed, her fists pounding on his back, but a laugh escaping her lips. “Chase.”

  He headed for her bedroom, kicking the door closed behind him, and threw her on the bed. She fumbled for her shirt and pulled it over her head, her bra following quickly behind. Chase ripped off his flannel and then pulled his T-shirt over his head. A minute later, the rest of their clothes had been discarded and Chase came down over her, skin to skin. The feel of his heat on her had desire flooding between her thighs. She felt like she was going to explode. It wouldn’t take much for Chase to tip her over the edge tonight. It was like she hadn’t been with him in months when they had spent the night together almost every day this week and she had the deliciously sore muscles to show for it.

  “Oh, God, Serena. I need you.” Chase pressed his cock against her, teasing her but not quite entering her.

  “I need you, too.”

  He reached for the nightstand and sheathed himself, before entering her in a single movement.

  She clung to him, her fingers digging into his back, as she met him thrust for thrust, his cock stretching her and his sweaty body rubbing against her clit each time he drove deeply into her. She felt the tension building deep inside, and her breathing shallowed as she grasped for the orgasm that was out of reach. Chase shifted and lifted her hips, driving into her further, and she exploded, lights flashing behind her eyelids as she gave herself over to the intensity.

  Chase held her tight, thrusting a few more times before he grunted his own release. He collapsed over her, his body slick with sweat, his chest heaving. “I don’t know how, but with you it gets better every time.”

  She clung to him, afraid to let go for fear that he would slip away. That he would decide that he couldn’t handle the intensity of what they had become. The one thing she knew for sure—if she never had another night with Chase, she wouldn’t regret a moment she’d spent with him.

  He eventually rolled off her, disposed of the condom, and then laid on his back. His arm circled her and she rested her head on his chest, just like in those romance novels she’d snuck from her mom’s nightstand growing up. She’d always dreamed of finding a man like that, but over the years, had come to realize that maybe they didn’t exist.

  She was wrong. They did.

  After a long time, Chase inhaled deeply. “What’s up with the family cookout next weekend?”

  She stiffened. She couldn’t believe Izzy brought that up in front of Chase but she must have seen something in Serena’s eye that betrayed the seriousness of their relationship. She wanted Chase there, but she wasn’t sure if she had the right to ask him, because that would mean he would be staying that much longer.

  He lifted her head so she was looking him in the eye. “Serena?”

  She lowered her head back to the security of his chest, the heat of his body warming hers. “I’m sorry. We have family cookouts and dinners pretty often, but this one is different. You know how I told you about my half-sister Rachel? We met her earlier this year and then she came to Izzy’s wedding. Now, we’re having a cookout and she’s bringing her brothers and their wives. We’re all getting together like we’re one big happy family.”

  “Are you upset about that?”

  “Upset? No. Nervous? Yes. I mean, Rachel is here because Dad cheated on Mom. I’m having trouble getting beyond that simple fact.”

  “But that isn’t Rachel’s fault. And I have a hard time believing that you’d let that affect your relationship with your sister. If I know you, I think you’d be looking for a way to fit her into your family. Like you are with the animals, you want everyone to have their place in the world.”

  She was amazed at how well he knew her after such a short time. “I guess you’re right. I was excited to meet her the first time, despite
what my dad had done. It sounds like she’s had a good life and I’m happy for her. It was like she filled a hole in my heart I didn’t even know I had until I found out I had another sister in the world.”

  “This cookout sounds like it’s the next step in getting to know Rachel. Did you want me to be there with you?”

  She lifted her head to look him in the eye. Was he really offering to go? “If you want to come, I’d love to have you with me. You can get to know my family better. There’ll be so many people that it’ll be less stressful than spending any time with them one-on-one. Although you’ve done that with Alexis and look how that turned out.”

  Chase pinched his fingers over her lips. She couldn’t help babbling when she was excited… or nervous… or both. “It’ll be great. I’d love to go, but…” The smile fell from his face.

  “What’s wrong?” She hardly needed to ask. She almost heard the words in her head before he said them.

  “I may have to leave.” He was quick to continue. “Not forever. Just for a job. My publisher talked about another shoot. I don’t know exactly when yet, that’s the problem. I’m going up to New York to meet with him and go over the final proofs for the calendar. I’ll get more details about the job then.”

  She didn’t say anything. She didn’t know how to respond. In her mind, she knew that they couldn’t live in this bubble that they had created for themselves. He had a job to do… and it wasn’t in Cedar Hill, but she’d chosen to ignore that aspect of this relationship, hoping to delay the inevitable as long as possible.

  “I actually debated telling my publisher I didn’t want the job.”

  She drew in a breath. Had he really said that? Was he considering staying in Cedar Hill longer? With her. “You don’t have to say that just to make me feel better.”

  The words sounded hollow as she said them. He never said anything he didn’t mean, but was his reluctance to take the job more about being burned out from his last assignment, or truly about building a relationship with her? She didn’t ask because she was afraid of the answer. Why couldn’t she have fallen for a banker or an accountant… or anyone with a routine nine to five job.

  This job could be like a test for them. To see if they could maintain a relationship while he was away. To prove to her that he wouldn’t stray like her father did. Would Chase pass the test?

  She shook her head. That wasn’t right. It wasn’t Chase that had to pass the test. It was her. She had to prove to herself that she could trust a man to be faithful to her.

  “I don’t know where I’ll be on the day of your family cookout, but if I can be there, I will.”

  He said the words like he had no clue of the turmoil that raged in her mind. He probably didn’t. She knew her fears were unrealistic and in Chase’s case, unfounded, but she couldn’t stop the little voice that insisted that a man must be cheating. “That sounds good.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chase collected the stack of photos that he had been pouring over for the last thirty-six hours. He hadn’t called or texted Serena yesterday for fear that if he talked to her, he’d run over to her house and they’d spend another glorious day in bed, which would only delay the inevitable.

  He had grown attached to Serena. No, it’s not like she was an animal. She was a living, breathing, vibrant woman and his feelings ran deep for her. Deeper, likely, since she had been the one he’d dreamed about for years. He’d turned her into a fantasy in his mind, the ideal woman that was never meant to be.

  Until the day he walked into her animal shelter.

  Much like he would today. He’d put this off as long as he could. He had to get her approval on the final photos before his trip to New York.

  He stepped into the shelter twenty-minutes later and found Serena talking with a couple and their two small children. As he stood back and watched, she spoke to each of the family members, crouching down to engage both the boy and the girl in conversation, asking about their favorite kinds of dogs. She was kind and compassionate and perfectly suited to the role she’d chosen for herself.

  And he was lucky to have found her.

  She smiled when she spotted him, but the shadow that dwelled in her gaze when he first met her was back. It didn’t take but a second to realize he’d screwed up. Even if he couldn’t see her yesterday, he should have called. Texted, at least. To let her know he was thinking about her. She’d been open about her trust issues and instead of reassuring her, he’d been selfish and only worried about himself.

  For the first time in his life, he didn’t know what to do. To stay in Cedar Hill meant changing who he was, but to go would leave a piece of his heart behind.

  He stayed out of the way, watching Serena work, until she handed the family a stack of paperwork and ushered them out the door.

  “They’re not ready to adopt today?”

  She shook her head. “This is their first visit. I often encourage families to come more than once, not to make a snap decision until they’re really sure. They have all the paperwork to fill out so when they meet the dog that was meant for their family, they’ll be ready to process.”

  He lifted his portfolio. “I’ve got the final proofs for the calendar. I thought we could go over them before I take them to the publisher.”

  She nodded and gestured. “We can use my office.”

  He followed her into the small space that had papers stacked floor to ceiling, two overflowing filing cabinets shoved in the corners and a variety of animal paraphernalia hanging on the wall and piled on every horizontal surface. He wasn’t sure how she had managed to wedge a desk, let alone two chairs, into the space, but somehow, she made it work.

  She rounded the desk, as though wanting a barrier between the two of them. As much as it pained him to see her pulling back, he understood her reluctance. He’d screwed up in not contacting her yesterday and he had to find a way to make that up to her.

  He lowered himself into the chair, lowering a pile of papers onto the floor in the process. He pulled out his portfolio and withdrew the photos, sliding them across the desk to her.

  She studied them for a moment, like the stack would reach out and bite her if she touched it. But then she eyed the photo on top, his favorite shot of Daisy jumping for a ball thrown by one of the models. “This is really good.”

  She flipped to the next photo, a smile returning to her face as she studied the image.

  He couldn’t stand this. Not sharing the experience with her as she reviewed the photos. Being this far away from her and not touching her. He rounded the desk, snatched her out of her chair, sat down himself and then slung her on his lap. “There. Much better.”

  “You could have dragged the chair around. All you had to do was ask.” A bit of levity penetrated her words.

  “Yeah, but then I wouldn’t get to hold you in my arms.”

  “If you insist.” She didn’t fight him as he snuggled her deeper into his lap, her ass pressing against the ever-present erection when he was around her. Or thought about her. Or remembered her face, washed in bliss as he made her come.

  She flipped through the photos, each featuring one of the animals here at the shelter. Some more reluctant than others, but he’d captured an ideal shot for each of them.

  “Oh, I love this.” She turned a huge smile his way. “I can’t believe you managed to show each of their personalities in their picture. I didn’t think anyone else saw that in them but me.”

  He remained silent as she flipped to the last photo in the stack. It was the one he’d taken of her and Charlie that first day he was here for the test shoot. The one he’d included in her original stack. “I thought it was important to include that image. Especially after getting to know you. That picture is a perfect representation of what this shelter is. A woman reaching out, sharing her love with an animal who doesn’t have anyone else.”

  “What else do you see?” Her voice was husky, as though she were afraid to interrupt his words.

  “I see a woman wh
o lost her faith but found herself. A woman who has a huge heart and a lot of love to give but is afraid to for fear of the pain. Much like the animals you save.”

  “I can’t believe you see all of that from a single photo.”

  “Not just this one. I’ve been looking at that first picture I took of you on the boardwalk for years. Your face is the one that got me through the rough times. I saw hope in your eyes that day. Hope for the future, for the life you hadn’t yet begun to live.”

  She wiggled into him, her arms snaking around his waist and the photos falling to the desk. Their breathing steadied until they almost shared a single breath between them.

  “I’m sorry I didn’t call yesterday. I had to get these final proofs edited and I was afraid that if I spoke to you, I wouldn’t.”

  He felt her body relax, as though his explanation soothed her hurt feelings. “This was well worth the wait. These are amazing. I can’t wait to see the final product.”

  He tightened his grip around her. “I’ll take them to New York tomorrow to go over with my publisher.”

  “How long will you be gone?”

  “I hope only a couple of days, but I never know. He may have a short-term assignment he’d like me to complete like he did the last time I went to New York.” And the photos he’d taken on his own that trip had been the ones that prompted his potential assignment but he didn’t want to bring that up with her again. Not yet. Not until the details were finalized.

  Regardless, she couldn’t hide the fact that her body tensed as he spoke. He didn’t know what else he could do to reassure her and frankly, he hadn’t given her a reason to worry. He got that she had trouble trusting people after those she loved the most betrayed her. But he hadn’t. And he wouldn’t. She had to give him a chance to prove that. That would be one positive outcome from this trip. He could demonstrate to her that not all men cheated. That he could, and would, be faithful to her as long as they were together.

  If only he knew how long that was. He had been surprisingly comfortably in Cedar Hill since he arrived. He hadn’t felt the itch to rush to his next assignment, to seek out the most dramatic events of the world to capture on film. Was that a sign that he’d found where he was meant to be?