by A. M. Myers
“Yeah,” he mutters, looking nervous. “Streak found it when I asked him to research you. I only asked though because I was trying to figure you out.” He meets my gaze. “You mad at me?”
“Maybe I should be but no, I’m not. I didn’t exactly give you much of a choice, did I?”
He shakes his head, sitting down next to me again. “That’s no excuse. I shouldn’t have done it and I’m sorry. It won’t happen again.”
“You’re right. It won’t because anything you want to know from now on, just ask me. I love you, Chance, and I’m done taking things slow. I want this,” I say, taking his hand. “If you do.”
“Baby,” he says, kissing our laced fingers. “I’ve wanted you since the moment I laid eyes on you. Just took me a bit longer to convince you.”
I roll my eyes, despite the fact he’s saying everything I’ve wanted to hear since I first realized I was in love with him. “You just wanted to fuck me in the beginning.”
“No, this was more than that from the start and you know it.”
I can’t deny his words. Even when I was fighting with everything I have, this was more than just sex. We were always meant to be more.
“Since I was a little kid, I always wanted a family of my own, a real family where the dad stuck around and the mom wasn’t drunk all the time but no one ever fit the bill until I met you, Carly. Hell, maybe that’ll scare you, but I’ve known since I first saw you standing in Ali’s living room that there was something special about you. You were made for me.”
Biting my lip, I swing my leg over his thighs, my skirt bunching up around my hips, and face him as I press him back into the couch. His expression morphs into one of surprise.
“Are you sure?” he asks and I lay my finger over his lips, telling him to be quiet. After everything that’s happened today, this is exactly what I need and he’s not going to stop me.
His eyes soften as he slips his hand into my hair, cupping the back of my neck as he pulls me forward onto his waiting lips. He kisses me with reverence, spilling the love he’s been holding back into one single kiss and I melt in his lap, finally at peace in a way I’ve never been before. Wrapping his arms around my waist, he stands with me in his arms and doesn’t pull away until he gets to my bedroom and lays me down on the bed.
“I love you,” he whispers, meeting my eyes briefly before he leans in and presses a quick kiss on my lips. His hands slip under my shirt as he starts peppering kisses down my neck. I arch into his touch as he trails his fingers over my skin, caressing me softly instead of going for my tit or clit like he normally would. He’s worshipping me tonight and after all the memories that have popped up over the last thirty minutes, it’s exactly what I need.
“Chance,” I breathe out, gripping the back of his shirt as he moves down to kiss my belly and I pull it over his head. It doesn’t even slow him down. He pushes my shirt up and presses his lips to my belly before swirling his tongue across it and I grip the sheet underneath me, arching off the bed again.
“Princess, I’m gonna have to tie you up if you can’t lie still.”
I glower at him, but it lacks any punch. “Go ahead and try.”
He chuckles, a husky sound that hits me right between my thighs and his green eyes darken as he prowls back up my body and hovers over my lips.
“Now, why would you go and say that when you know I will? Maybe you want me to tie you down.”
I shake my head. “I just want you.”
He steals a kiss before pulling away and sliding back down my body. When he gets to the waistband of my skirt, he moves to the side and slowly slides the zipper down before yanking it off and tossing it to the floor. His hands push my shirt up and he flashes me a look that makes it clear he wants it off. Now. I sit up and pull it over my head, letting it join my skirt on the floor as I lean back on my elbows and he crawls up to me again.
“Please, Chance,” I whisper.
He smiles and reaches behind my back to unhook my bra, sliding it down my arms. When he stands to strip his jeans off, I lift my hips off the bed and shimmy out of my panties, tossing them at him. A wolfish grin lights up his face as he catches them before tossing them to the floor and shoving his jeans and boxer briefs down. As he stalks back toward the bed, he wraps his hand around his cock and strokes it slowly, his gaze locked on mine the entire time. My breath punches out of my body and I couldn’t look away even if I wanted to which I definitely don’t.
“Spread your legs, Darlin’,” he rasps and I release a breathy moan as my head falls back and my knees part. His answering groan feels almost as good as his touch… almost. Kneeling on the bed, his hands slide up my thighs and he pushes them further apart as he lowers his face to my pussy. My chest rises and falls rapidly as I wait for him to touch me where I need him and he doesn’t disappoint, trailing his finger down my slit.
“Oh, God,” I whisper, lifting my hips as I try to get more and he laughs again. Before I can yell at him to give me what I need, he slips a finger inside me and his tongue flicks against my clit, making me cry out as I hold a death grip on the sheets beneath me. He moves slowly, taking his time dragging his finger out before slowly sinking it back into me and it’s pure torture. Just when I think that he’s never going to give me anymore, he pulls his finger out and hooks both hands over the tops of my thighs, his tongue diving into me.
“Chance!” I scream, my hips bucking up against his face hard and his grip on my thighs tightens as he moves back to my clit, sucking it into his mouth and I moan, fisting my hair as I grab my breast. He develops a rhythm, flicking my clit before sucking on it and ending with dipping down to my entrance as he holds me still with his hands on my legs. It drives me out of my mind with need and I’m dripping but it’s not enough.
“More,” I moan, reaching down between my legs to fist a chunk of his hair and he groans against my pussy. Pulling away, he wipes his mouth with his hand and I wonder if it would be possible to come from looking at the fire in his eyes.
“Are you on birth control?” he asks and I blink as I try to process his words.
“Um… yes.”
He leans over me, one hand cupping my cheek. “You’re mine, Carly, and I want to take you without anything separating us but it’s up to you.”
“Yes,” I breathe out because it’s exactly what I want, too. He grins, sealing his lips over mine and I taste myself on his lips as he lines the head of his cock up with my entrance. Just when I think he’s going to thrust into me, he drags it up, teasing my clit and I let out a frustrated moan. He pulls away, chuckling as he does it again and I shake my head from side to side.
I’m certain he’s going to torture me forever instead of actually giving me what I want when he plunges into me and I gasp, gripping his arms as my hips rise up to meet him.
“Fuck, Princess,” he grits out. “That feels fucking incredible.”
He props himself up on his elbows and claims my lips, kissing me with so much love and passion that I don’t know how I’m not a pile of ash at this point. The steady pace of his cock sliding in and out of me builds me up slowly, letting me enjoy every moment with him as we get lost in each other. Hours could pass by and I wouldn’t know or care because the only thing that’s important is already right here in my arms. With a groan, he reaches down, grabbing my hip as he drives into me harder and my release builds.
“Shit. I’m gonna come, baby.”
I nod, digging my fingers in his ass cheek to urge him to thrust harder. “Me, too. Give it to me.”
Groaning, he pushes up to his hands and then runs a hand down the center of my body as his thrusts become more urgent. His hand slips between us and he circles his thumb over my clit slowly, giving me just what I need.
“Yes,” I hiss, arching into his touch and he shoves off the bed, both hands gripping my hips firmly as he holds my hips up off the mattress and powers into me. He drives into me again and again, sweat dripping off his brow and my body lets go, clenching around him as he
buries himself inside me one last time with a low groan before we both collapse to the bed.
A smile lights up my face as I bask in the glow and when I run my fingers through his hair, he pulls back to look at me.
“I swear to God, woman. I’m never letting you go,” he says and I roll my eyes despite the growing smile on my face.
“Promises, promises.”
Chapter Twenty-Five
Carly
Dark clouds roll across the sky, blanketing half the city in darkness as the sun shines bright on the other side and it represents my mood perfectly. On the one hand, I’m happier than I’ve ever been because of Chance but as soon as I feel an ounce of that happiness, I feel guilty for even daring to be carefree for a moment. My sister is trapped in a hell I can’t even imagine and there is absolutely nothing I can do for her. Except worry.
Chewing on my thumbnail, I sigh and press send on my phone, hoping Mercedes will be as understanding as she has been for Ali recently. Although, it doesn’t look good when your two newest hires suddenly need a bunch of time off.
“Hello?” she answers, sounding breezy and uncomplicated. I envy her.
“Hey, Mercedes. It’s Carly.”
“Hey, Chick. What’s up?”
“I was wondering if it would be all right if I worked from home, today?”
There’s a pause and I hold my breath, waiting for her reply. “Yeah, sure. That shouldn’t be a problem. Is everything okay, though?”
No.
My world is falling apart.
“Yeah. There is just some stuff going on with my family I need to deal with and I’m afraid I would be too distracted to work if I came in.”
“Of course, Carly. Whatever you need.”
I let out a sigh of relief. “I want you to know this isn’t going to be a regular thing for me, either. In fact, I can’t remember the last time I called into work.”
“Hey, don’t worry about it. We all need to take a day to deal with shit from time to time. I get it. As long as the page goes live on time, I’m good.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll make sure we’re on schedule.”
“Perfect. Let me know if you need anything else, okay?”
“I will. Thanks.”
We hang up and I toss my phone on the couch, turning back to the window to watch the clouds swallow up the last few rays of sunlight. That’s fitting. My thoughts drifts to Ivy again and what she’s doing right now. Even if Julian’s not there, she has to be terrified and I hate that I have no way to reach her to tell her that I’m coming to get her as soon as the guys come up with a plan, which could be any day now. Whenever I ask Chance, he just tells me Streak is on it, but each day moves slower than the last. I hope she can feel it, though. I hope she knows I’ll do whatever it takes to make sure she’s safe.
“Hey, Princess,” Chance says, strolling out of the bedroom after his shower and I glance over at him for a second before turning back to the window. “You hungry?”
I shake my head and he sighs as he walks over to me. He slips his arms around my waist and pulls me into his body. It’s the only piece of comfort I can find these past couple of days.
“You’ve got to eat something, baby.”
I shake my head again. “I can’t.”
“Look at me,” he whispers, stroking his thumb across my cheek and washing away some of my stress. “We will get your sister out of there as soon as humanly possible but you not eating or sleeping isn’t going to help her. I know you’re worried, but you are starting to worry me.”
“How am I supposed to eat when she’s stuck at that house, scared out of her mind and waiting for me? She came to me for help and I’m useless.”
Sighing, he pulls me tighter and I bury my head in his neck, his familiar scent relaxing me further. I know he’s right but it’s not that easy. I’ve spent the last two days worrying that Julian found out she sent Rosie to me and hurt her again or worse. Thinking of my baby sister going through the same thing I did kills me, but the thought has crossed my mind that he may be forcing himself on her. My breathing stutters and Chance’s hand slips into my hair, massaging the back of my head.
“Let’s go do something today.”
Prying myself out of his hold, I shake my head. “No. I have to stay here.”
“Why?” he asks and I whip my head around to glare at him.
“She might need me.”
He nods, taking a tentative step toward me. “And if she does somehow find a phone, she’ll call your cell, right?”
“Yeah.”
“And if Streak finds anything, he’ll call my cell so what exactly is keeping you locked up in your penthouse all day long?”
I open my mouth to argue with him, but I can’t think of anything keeping me here. He’s right. If Ivy manages to get her hands on a phone, the number she knows is my cell number and with Rosie unwilling to help us, no one will come here. But how can I go out and do something when she’s in trouble?
“It feels wrong to go live my life when she’s in trouble,” I admit and he nods his head.
“I know, sweetheart, but what would Ivy tell you to do if she were here right now?”
I think back to our lunch date not so long ago and how much she was pressuring me to find someone. If she were here right now, she’d yell at me for letting a perfectly good man go to waste. I fight back a smirk.
“She would tell me to lock you in the bedroom and stay there until we were too weak to walk.”
He chuckles. “I like the way she thinks but I have something else in mind first. Indulge me?”
“Yes,” I whisper, nodding. How could I ever say no to him anyway? Especially when he gives me those pleading eyes. He grins, smacking my ass and I jump.
“Go change into something you don’t mind getting dirty.”
My brow shoots up. “Where the hell are you taking me?”
“You’ll see soon enough,” he says with an evil grin on his handsome face. “Now, go change.”
With a sigh, I march into my bedroom and fight back a smile as I dig my favorite jeans and pink V-neck t-shirt out of the dresser. After changing, I slip on a pair of sneakers and meet him back in the living room. His gaze travels down my legs before slowly trailing back up as his grin grows.
“You look cute as hell, Princess.”
I roll my eyes and he holds his hand out to me with his truck keys jingling in his other hand. “Ready?”
“I suppose.”
He scoffs, opening the door as I lace my fingers with his. He locks the door behind us and glances over at me as we head toward the elevator. “Are you going to pout all damn day?”
I shrug, turning away to hide my smile. “I might. You’ll just have to deal with it since you forced me out today.”
“Oh, yeah?” he asks with a hint of something in his voice that draws my attention to him. We stop in front of the elevator and he presses the button before winking at me. Before I can do anything else, he pulls me into his arms and starts tickling me.
“Chance!” I scream, wiggling in his arms as he tortures me.
“Are you done being a brat?” he asks, his fingers digging into my side and I nod as I try to shove his hands away.
“Yes! I promise.”
His hands fall away and I bend over, breathing heavily as the elevator doors slide open. I flash him a glare, but he just grins as we step into the car and the doors close. I hate to admit it, but I do feel a little bit better than I did in the apartment. If I ever tell him that, though, he’ll never let me forget it. I lean against the back wall of the elevator and Chance stands next to me, wrapping his arm around my shoulders as he presses a kiss to the side of my head. I soak up the affection, letting it warm me from the inside out. God, why did I fight this for so long? It feels so right that I can’t imagine what I was thinking before.
When the doors slide open on the first floor, Chance takes my hand again and leads me out to his truck, opening my door and helping me hop up before he walks to
his side and slips behind the wheel. He fires up the engine and grins in my direction, earning a puzzled look from me that makes him laugh. Whatever he has planned must be good if he’s this excited about it. I remember the haunted restaurant he took me to on Saturday and I’m fighting back a smile of my own, feeling a little of his excitement. Chance isn’t a dinner and movies kind of guy. He puts time and thought into anything he does, even something as small as showing up with pizza and ghost hunter shows on DVD to distract me from the issues with my sister like he did last night. He’s the kind of guy that would insist on writing his own vows or bring his wife flowers just because. Underneath that cocky, sarcastic, devil-may-care exterior is one of the sweetest, most caring, loyal men I’ve ever met, which is just one reason why I felt safe enough to trust him with my heart.
“What are you thinking about over there, baby?” Chance asks, breaking through my thoughts and I smile over at him.
“You.”
His brows shoot up in surprise. “Me? Good things I hope?”
“Always.”
“You seem to be feeling better,” he comments and I eye him warily.
“I’m not going to tell you that you were right.”
He throws his head back and laughs as he reaches across the seat and grabs my hand. “I expect nothing less from you.”
Before I can ask him what that means, we pull into a parking lot surrounded by tall pine trees and I scowl as I study the sign above the door.
“An animal shelter?” I ask, my gaze flicking to Chance. “What are we doing here?”
“You’ll just have to wait and see.”
Curious, I bite my lip as he parks the truck and watch him walk around the front to open my door. He helps me down and laces his fingers through mine as we walk toward the entrance, the sound of barking growing louder with each step. Chance opens the door and we step inside as the woman at the front desk looks up.
“Can I help you?”
Chance turns to me. “Stay here and I’ll be right back, okay?”
I nod and he releases my hand to jog up to the front counter. He starts whispering something to the woman and she glances over at me and smiles. What the hell is going on? Finally, the woman nods and points down a hallway before Chance turns and motions me over. When I reach him, he grabs my hand again and starts leading me in the direction the woman pointed.
