"I know it is wrong, that we have told a lie to the government. If they find it out, Chase would be in a lot of trouble. And I know it makes his life more difficult, to keep this secret. But he does it for me and my son. So that we can live here safely. When you showed up this afternoon asking about him... I thought you were from Immigration. They have visited us in the past, asking questions about our relationship to determine if we have a “legitimate” marriage. I'm sorry, I just assumed you were another agent. That's why I told you those things about Chase and me, but they aren't true. I do love him, but not like that. He is a great and generous man, and the last thing I want to do is ruin a chance at a real relationship for him."
I slowly let out the deep breath I had been holding as I listened to her story. Out of the corner of my eye I look up to see Chase come out of Diego's room. He sees me, and I can tell by his expression that he's not sure whether to approach or not. I give him a reassuring nod.
"I'm sorry."
"You have nothing to be sorry about," I shake my head. "I'm the one that should be sorry. I never should have doubted you." It seems like with Chase, no matter how things sound I need to always start giving him the benefit of the doubt.
"I wanted to tell you, but it's complicated. And it's really not only my decision, since it's a secret I share with Mirana. I would have taken the risk for myself, but I couldn't ask her to do that. She's very close to getting her green card and then she'll be in the clear, but until then………”
"It's not your fault. Denise... she was obviously looking for this reaction from me, and I was foolish enough to give it to her."
"Puta," Mirana says again under breath.
Chase gives her a sidelong glance and then nods. "Yes, she has a way of finding the one thing that will get under someone's skin and then twisting it around to turn it into a catastrophe. She knows that Mirana is my wife and that she's from Cuba. I think she also realizes the end goal. She's not stupid. But she doesn't know the details. She found out by accident. I never would have told her. But despite her flaws, I know she wouldn't report us, although she obviously isn't above using it to try to break us up."
"The only reason she doesn't report us is because she knows we're not lovers," Mirana says angrily. "She's always been a jealous and spiteful woman."
"I know," Chase agrees. "I've been hearing that a lot lately. I should have figured it out on my own long ago." He looks at me with an embarrassed half grin.
"So what now?" I ask. I really don't know. I'm such a fool, I wouldn't be surprised if Chase is completely done with me after the number of times I've been so quick to condemn him. But instead of telling me to go to hell, he reaches out and touches my hand. I let his fingers slide against my palm and grasp them hard.
"Once the Green Card issue is done in a couple of months, Chase and I will get a divorce. Then he's free to marry you," Mirana says. My eyes widen in surprise as I look at her, searching her face to see if she's joking at all.
"Uh," Chase clears his throat. "We're not quite there... yet." Then he looks at me with a raised eyebrow.
My eyes are still wide and I shake my head as well. "No, that's right. We're not there. Wait, yet?"
He just shrugs and smiles again, then leans forward and kisses me.
"Now you must stay for dinner," Mirana announces.
I haven't even thought about how hungry I am until she says that. Is it dinner time already? Because of the time change I don't even know how long ago it was since we last ate. I look over at Chase and he's nodding enthusiastically. "She's as good a cook as her mother, Elena," he says.
That's good enough for me. Looks like I'm having dinner with Chase, his wife and his step son. At least there's never a dull moment with this man.
CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN
With Chase on my left, his wife on my right and his step son across from me, I feel like I’m eating in a daze, barely aware of how delicious the food is. Mirana and Chase are talking to Diego, and I get the feeling they're letting me catch up at my own pace as I come to terms with everything I've just learned and how I'm feeling about it all.
If anything, I'm overwhelmed and exhausted. The gamut of emotions I've run through over the last hour has left me drained. It was horrifying to learn of Chase's marriage, and that led to anger. First at Denise, but quickly shifting to Chase. Then fear, embarrassment and shame after talking to his wife and believing that I was contributing to the destruction of their marriage. Finally surprise and shock at learning the truth.
So many secrets were being covered up with lies, half-truths or omissions. Faking a marriage to get a Green Card means they were even breaking the law. It's not even a law I agree with, and who knows how much longer it will even be an issue now that the USA is opening up relations with Cuba? Besides, sometimes the end justifies the means. If it was the only way Chase could keep Mirana and Diego safe from Juan, who am I to judge? And I can't really blame him for not telling me about it even if it did break my heart. But Chase was right, it wasn't only his secret to break and, if discovered, the repercussions to Mirana would be considerably worse than to Chase. The United States government does not take breaking its laws lightly.
Maybe Evelyn was right. Not all lies are equal. I was burned by Harrison and his betrayal, but he's a much different person with much different motives. The old poker player I'd met in Macau was right as well. Even when Chase isn't completely honest, he has a good reason for what he's doing. I just need to learn to trust him.
I look over at him and he sees me turn, giving me a smile and reaching under the table to grasp my thigh. I put my hand on his and squeeze him gently as a sign that everything is okay. His smile deepens as he gets the message.
"This is delicious," I say, turning to Mirana. She beams a smile back at me. "And you have a beautiful house."
"Chase's house," she nods.
"Yours as long as you want to stay," he corrects her. "I've told you that many times."
"He's very generous," Mirana seems to be embarrassed. "He lets us live here and never takes rent."
Chase shrugs. "The house belonged to my father. It became mine when he died and it's all paid off. Why would I take money for it?"
Mirana shakes her head and sighs but I just smile at her. "If there's one thing about Chase I've learned in the brief time I've been with him is that he's generous with his money and there's really no point in arguing it. He's very stubborn."
Mirana laughs. "You do know him well after all."
"Uh, I'm right here," he protests with his own little grin.
The little bit of humor breaks the tension I've still been feeling and all of a sudden our conversation begins to flow much easier. We talk through the rest of the meal before Diego leaves to go play in his room.
"He's a nice kid," I note as he politely excuses himself and runs off. "It must be hard to raise him on your own."
Mirana nods. "It's easier now that he's in school. I have my days to myself again. Mostly, anyway."
"So what do you do with your time?"
"Oh, it always seems to get filled," she shrugs.
"Mirana volunteers at a woman's shelter," Chase says. "She helps a lot of people."
His wife shrugs again, looking embarrassed. "I just try to help women who were in the same situation as me. I know how hard it is to leave. I couldn't have done it without Chase, and if I can give back by helping other women then it's my pleasure."
"That's wonderful!"
"Chase got me in there; it's another thing I owe him."
"Now wait, that one isn't completely altruistic, you know that." He looks over at me. "It's really on the job training as far as I'm concerned."
"How so?"
"Poker players are always looking for a cause," he says, leaning back in his chair and taking a sip of wine before continuing. "Once I realized how hard it was for Mirana to get away from Juan, it got me to thinking about other women in similar situations. I couldn't help all of them the way I helped her, but there
are ways I can make a difference. So I got some of my colleagues together and we started a foundation. We're opening up a women's shelter next year, and Mirana is going to run it once she gets her Green Card."
"Wow. That's amazing Chase."
He shrugs. "Mirana will be doing all the work. I just gathered together the money to get it started."
"You did more than that," she adds.
"A little bit. There’s work involved in the foundation itself aside from the actual shelter. But once everything is setup and the shelter is operating, it's all yours to run. That's why you have to soak up as much knowledge as possible while you're volunteering."
Although I don't doubt the cause or Chase's desire to help women by opening the shelter, I suspect a lot of the reason he's doing it is to ensure that Mirana will have secure employment. ”Anyway, let's help you clean up before Lila and I get out of your hair so that you can put Diego to bed."
The three of us clear away the plates from dinner and help Mirana wash them. It's very hard not to like the woman, and I'm very happy that Chase helped her get away from that bad situation. The man continues to impress me at every step.
"Thank you so much for dinner." We're standing outside the house and Mark has pulled the car up into the driveway to wait for us.
"I was happy to meet you," Mirana says, honesty showing through her smile. "Chase deserves someone like you. He's spent too much time alone or with... the wrong people." We both know who she's talking about. "Come back soon. Both of you."
Chase gives her a hug and then leads me to the car where he slides in next to me. His arm slips around my shoulder and I lean against him, much more content now that I'm not angry with him.
"Where to?" he asks.
"Wherever you're going," I say as I snuggle against his warm body. "That's where I want to be, too."
CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT
The ride back to Chase's hotel is quiet. We're sitting in the back of the limo and I'm happy to just hold his arm tightly against my body. Relief and fatigue after a day of travel have led both of us to exhaustion and now that I no longer have anger pumping me full of adrenaline, I'm ready to collapse. I can tell by the way Chase is riding with his eyes closed that he feels the same. By the time we get back to the room, we pull off our clothes, stumble into bed, and fall asleep immediately.
But hours later I wake. It's the middle of the night, and I'm disoriented after dreams of Chase and I being ripped apart, quite literally, by a Denise like demon. I reach out and find his chest, rising and falling in sleep but then stirring at my touch.
"What's wrong?" his voice is heavy and groggy but I'm happy to hear it.
"Nothing," I whisper back. "I just needed to feel you near me."
"I am. I always will be." His voice is getting stronger, more alert. His hand comes up to mine and closes on it, giving it a little squeeze. I appreciate it, but I need more right now.
Rolling to face him, our lips find each other in the dark as he pulls me into a warm embrace. Our kisses are shallow and quick at first, and soon Chase breaks away to kiss along my cheeks and neck before returning to my mouth. He takes one of my lips within his own, sucking it into his mouth and then finally his tongue presses forward and our kiss deepens. I sigh against him as his hand skims along my back and up into my hair, pulling me closer against him as he pushes in deeper. His cock is laying against my thigh, and without looking I can feel it harden. It stiffens even more as my fingertips lightly brush against it, but neither of us make any move to get there yet. Our kisses are all consuming at the moment, and their urgency is leaving us both gasping for quick breaks as we seek out each other's neck or shoulders before continuing.
Chase's strong hands are rubbing the back of my head, massaging my scalp and neck and pulling a shudder of relaxed pleasure from my body. I pull my lips away again and wrap one of my hands around his head, pulling his lips back to my neck. He responds by covering it in light kisses and then biting gently, not stopping until I'm covered in goose bumps and moaning in excited pleasure.
My hand wraps around his cock which is completely erect now, but his other hand closes against me just as I start to try and guide him between my legs. He stops me and then moves his hand between them instead, searching out my hot core and honing in immediately against my clit. A sound escapes my lips as my legs open wider. Chase wastes no time in slipping against my moistness and pushing in with his fingers, and I grind against him as he does. It's not ultimately what I want, but it's a great way to warm up.
His fingers continue to rub and my ass is grinding against his bed in response. His touch is quick but not rough, and his mouth has left my neck again to return to kissing me deeply. I'm breathing heavily into his mouth, and my hand is wrapped tightly against his cock. It's throbbing in my hand, and hotter than I remember it ever being. I want to rub it and give him some extra stimulation, but his fingers are too distracting. It feels wonderful, but I need the closeness of his body on mine. I want to feel him fully inside of me, and not just with his fingers. I tug him again, breaking away from his mouth again so that I can whisper against his ear.
"I want you inside of me, Chase."
He nods, knowing immediately what I'm talking about. He reaches across me and grabs a condom from his side table, ripping it open and slipping it on in record time before rolling over on top of me. The heaviness of his body against mine, even as he rests most of his weight on his elbows, is immediately comforting. My hands drop down to his firm ass and I squeeze his cheeks while pulling him forward at the same time.
His cock enters me easily, the moisture from my insides providing a slick and ready passage.
We both let out a groan as his hips touch mine and he bottoms out. I'm stretched by his girth. It almost feels as if he's bigger today than ever before. Maybe I'm just more sensitive, but I think he feels it too, and his body slides slowly back and forth as if he's savoring each inch of stimulation as he draws his shaft along my wet flesh.
Chase pulls my leg up by the knee, raising my behind off the bed just enough so that he can push even deeper into me with each thrust. I let out a satisfied moan as he does, and then another as I feel his hand slide down along my ass and squeeze it. His chest is sliding along my nipples and I wonder if he can feel how hard they are. To me, it feels like they're little diamonds, trying to cut through the hardness of his chest. Each movement of his body stimulates me in a different way, and yet another moan of pleasure is only cut off as his mouth descends back onto mine to resume our earlier kiss.
The whole experience is an assault on my senses and I'm happy to let myself be overwhelmed by him. I can taste the masculine flavor of Chase's tongue as it works against mine. I can smell the sweat of his body as he pulls and pushes against me. I can hear the grunts coming from low within his throat, and I love watching him move up and down against my body. But most of all, the feeling of him inside of me is what I'm focused on the most. The merging of our bodies, the complete invasion of his cock within me, the sensations have taken me away to a world of pleasure that I have no desire to escape.
The feelings today are different than they ever have been, with Chase or anyone else. What we're doing isn't just trying to get off. We aren't just two strangers or casual daters trying to fuck and make each other come. This time isn't about having sex. This time is about making love. And each time Chase looks down at me, I can see in his eyes he feels the same way.
His blues are shining, and he tilts his head a bit as he gives me his little half smile right before kissing me again. His speed has increased, and the pleasure within my core is at its height. There is a tension within me that I can't hold back any more. I let out a scream and my body tightens around Chase. I wrap my bent knee up and around his body, pulling him deeper against me.
Chase goes with it, only pulling back a couple more times against my grip before unleashing a roar of his own. His hips slap against me and push deep as he shudders with his own release. I can feel the tension in his back w
ith my arms that are also draped around him, hugging him close, but after a few more twitches I feel it relax. He finally sinks down onto me, and I pull him even tighter. I don't want him to roll off just yet. I want to feel his weight just a little bit longer. I want to feel his cock inside of me for just a few more moments.
"Wow," he breathes into my ear. His breath is hot and fast.
"Wow," I agree.
CHAPTER FORTY-NINE
By the time we wake the next morning it's almost noon. Chase heads to the shower and I pick up my phone to check my messages. There are a few texts from Harrison. He's asking how I'm doing, if I want to get together for coffee. He heard about Evelyn and wants to know if I'm okay.
Of course, he has no idea I'm in Vegas, and still doesn't know about Chase. There's really no reason for me to keep things from him anymore. It's been long enough, and I owe him some truth. As shitty as I think it was for him to wager our relationship, Harry's main problem is gambling. People say it’s an illness. Maybe I can forgive him now that I've moved on. Maybe he couldn't help himself, and I've been too hard on him. Not that it means I want to be in a relationship with someone like that, but after the ups and downs I've had with Chase and the understanding I have now, that each lie, half-truth or omission can't be judged the same and there are always two sides to everything, it might be time to give Harry a break.
Betrayal Page 18
