I glance back at him but don’t really look at him. “I’ll see you in a little bit.” And, with that, I walk away from him, and I head upstairs.
Once I’m in the guest room that will be my new home until my place is fixed up, I lean against the door, close my eyes, and let myself have a minute to breathe and sort through the angst of that painful conversation.
Once I’m unpacked and I’ve calmed down somewhat, I decide to make good use of the incredible bathtub. While it takes a century to fill, I search for bubble bath. When I come up empty, I just throw some shower gel in with the water. When it’s almost filled, I begin to remove my clothes. As I peel my bra from body, I hear a knock at the door. Before I have a chance to tell Chase I’ll be a second while I cover up, the door swings open. Startled, I turn away from him, desperately searching for my discarded shirt.
“Shit, I’m sorry!” Chase exclaims with surprise, but he sounds anything but sorry.
I shove my shirt back on as I turn around with a tight smile. “Hi,” I greet with a lame wave.
His eyes fall down my shirt, and my nipples pebble as his eyes linger there, my breasts more prominent without my bra. I let out a fake cough for his attention, and his head shoots up.
“I’m sorry for just barging in. I didn’t know you’d be getting undressed.”
“It’s fine. Everything okay?”
He gives me solemn look, and he steps closer to me. “I’m sorry about earlier, downstairs. I was being a jerk. You didn’t deserve the way I spoke to you.”
“No, I didn’t, but I probably didn’t need to be that harsh,” I admit, crossing my arms over my chest.
He shakes his head. “You weren’t harsh. You were just speaking the truth. I needed to hear it.”
I give him a gentle smile. “Still, I spoke out of turn. I just hate what you’re going through. I wish I could take it all away.”
“I know, and I love you for that.”
I can’t deny it; the way the words I love you fall from his lips is like being handed the Holy Grail. I know he’s not saying it in the way I crave, but it still makes my heart beat double time. I smile, and without another word, I fill the distance, and I wrap my arms around his waist. He envelops me in his arms, and I just melt against him.
“So, are we okay?” Chase asks against my head.
I pull back and look up at him. “Yes. We’re both just super sensitive today. Yesterday was hard on us both.”
My eyes flutter closed when his hand lifts and strokes against my cheek.
“I don’t know what I’d do without you. Don’t be mad, but I’m glad you’re here.”
A breathless laugh unintentionally escapes my lips. “I’m not mad. Hell, how can I be when you live in this palace?”
He laughs, pulling his hand from my cheek, and I immediately miss his warmth.
“And you haven’t wasted any time in making yourself a queen in my palace. Is that water running in the bathtub?”
My eyes almost pop out of their sockets when I remember the running water. “Shit!” I rush into the bathroom and turn the water off just in time. I return to the room and give Chase a sheepish grin. “That was a close one.”
He chuckles. “If anyone could overfill a huge-ass tub like that, it’d be you.”
“Hey,” I argue, “you distracted me.”
He just shrugs his shoulders, shoving his hands into his jeans pockets. That’s when I realize he’s changed out of his clothes from yesterday. His hair’s also a little wet, which tells me he must have grabbed a shower.
“As well as to apologize for before, I came up to tell you that I need to head to the ice rink for a little while. I’m not scheduled in, but one of the coaches called in sick, so I need to cover for him. And I need to check in at the hospital, too. I owe Kennedy an apology for yesterday, and I want to make sure she’s okay. I might be gone for a while. Will you be okay on your own this afternoon?”
I nod. “Yes, I’ll be fine. I’m just going to relax in the bath for a little while and then meditate.”
“I don’t want to leave you without a car, so I’ll leave my Ferrari here and call for a cab, and then I’ll pick your car up from your parents’.”
“Chase, you don’t need to do that. It’ll cost you, like, sixty dollars just to get to my parents’.”
“It’s fine. We’re in the middle of nowhere, and I don’t want to leave you stranded in case of an emergency. If you get hungry, there’s stuff to make a sandwich but nothing for dinner. I can bring some dinner home though. What do you fancy—Chinese, Italian, pizza?”
“Um, Italian,” I say, suddenly having a hankering for pasta.
“Italian it is. I’ll be home around sixish, but if you need anything, just call me.”
“Chase, I’m a woman in her thirties. I’ll be fine for a few hours. Just leave, so I can soak in that magnificent tub, please.”
He smiles. “Okay, I’m going.” He goes to turn but then halts in his steps. “Oh, actually, just one last thing.”
I frown when he heads into the bathroom. I follow him inside, and my eyes light up when I spot the television integrated in the wall facing the bathtub.
Huh, I didn’t see that earlier.
He switches it on with a small remote control and throws it over to me. “It has both Netflix and Amazon Prime, plus all the cable channels, so you can relax and watch whatever you want. Just not The Big Bang Theory,” he adds, grinning.
“I promise no Big Bang Theory without you, but now, you really need to leave,” I say, beginning to push him out of the bathroom. “This tub is speaking to me like a beacon.”
“Catch you later.”
I watch his retreating back walk out of the bathroom, and finally, he clicks the bedroom door closed. Checking the temperature of the bath with my hand, happy that it’s perfect, I strip out of my clothes and immerse myself in the tub. A sigh leaves my lips as I relax against the warm water, and having my entire body under the water is glorious. Taking the remote from the side of the tub, I load up Netflix and search for Grey’s Anatomy. Then, I spend some quality time with McDreamy and the gang.
She Isn’t Mine
Chase
It’s just a little after seven when I return home. I set the take-out bag on the counter in the kitchen and search for Kaelyn. I head up the stairs and halt in my steps at the top step when I see she’s lying on the sofa with her Kindle and a pair of eyeglasses resting on her chest, sleeping soundly. She looks incredibly peaceful, and not wanting to wake her, I turn to go back downstairs when she calls my name.
“Chase,” she says in a croaky voice.
I turn around. “Hey,” I greet softly. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you.”
She shakes her head while removing the Kindle and eyeglasses from her chest. She sits up and sets them both down on the coffee table.
“You didn’t. I was just dozing.” She sniffs a little. “Hmm, is that Italian I smell?”
I take the final step up the stairs, and I let out a disbelieving laugh. “How can you smell that all the way from the kitchen?”
She taps her nose. “I have a nose like a hound. Smell things for miles. Plus, I’m starving. I didn’t eat lunch.”
I frown. “Why? I told you there was stuff for sandwiches.”
She stretches her arms over her head, and my eyes immediately land on her tits that’s only being covered by a tight racer tee, one that’s a little loose at the sides, meaning I can see all kinds of side boob.
Jesus.
I avert my eyes when she speaks, “I was having too much of a good time in that bathtub earlier.”
I cock a brow, a smirk pulling at the corner of my lips. “What do you mean, having too much of a good time?”
She chucks a throw pillow at me, laughing. “Dude, head out of the gutter. Not that kind of fun. I watched three episodes of Grey’s Anatomy in that thing. I was way too comfortable to move once I got in the tub. I’ve only just got rid of my prune fingers,” she says, wriggling said fingers. �
�Whoever came up with the idea of putting a flat screen above a huge-ass bath tub like that was the worst kind of genius. It was just what I needed though. Again, thanks for letting me stay.”
I wave her off with a shake of my hand. “It’s nothing really.”
“So, everything okay at the hospital?”
I lean against the wall, digging my hands deep into my pockets. “Yeah. I managed to speak to Kennedy, and we worked through yesterday. I apologized for being an ass and explained that yesterday was a difficult day. I think she’s finally started to let it all sink in, that no miracle will bring her sister back.”
“I’m sorry, Chase,” Kaelyn whispers painfully, and the sorrowful look she gives me is exactly how I feel inside.
I just nod, looking down at my sneakers. A few seconds later, I look up and change the subject with, “So, are you hungry?”
“Hell yes.”
She begins to stand, but I tell her, “Stay here, and I’ll bring the food up. Do you need a drink? I grabbed a bottle of wine at the restaurant.”
She points to a bottle sitting on the coffee table. “I’m okay with my water. I’m still trying to replenish my water after all that alcohol yesterday.”
“I’m just going to quickly change, and then I’ll be back up.”
I head back downstairs, change into a pair of sweats, a T-shirt, and a hoodie before returning upstairs with the takeout, two plates, cutlery, and a beer. I place the takeout on the table and sit beside Kaelyn, noting The Big Bang Theory is all ready to go on the TV.
“It’s seems I’ve trained you well,” I tell Kaelyn, nudging my head in the direction of the flat screen.
She gives me an amused grin. “Well, this ain’t my first rodeo. So, what did you get? It smells amazing.”
I take the four containers out, spread them on the table, and begin to remove the lids. “Well, I couldn’t decide. I never can when it comes to Italian food, but I picked up some spaghetti with meatballs, chicken Alfredo, ravioli di portobello, an appetizer sampler with calamari, Parmesan zucchini bites, lasagna fritta, and fried mozzarella. What would you prefer?”
“You expect me to choose? Are you kidding? Why don’t we just share, and then we can have a little bit of everything? It all looks incredible,” she says, looking at the array of food in front of us.
“I can share,” I tell her with a small smile. I would share just about anything with her.
I hand her a plate, and we begin to pile them up with food.
She sits back on the sofa with her plate on her lap and presses play on the TV before plopping a full zucchini bite in her mouth, moaning while she eats. “Wow, that is really good.”
I sit back and begin to dig in, inhaling pretty much my entire plate. One episode down, we set the empty plates on the coffee table. I grab my bottle of beer and sit back. I turn to Kaelyn, laughing a little when I see her rubbing her stomach.
“Thank God I’m back at work tomorrow. I’ll need to spend the next week burning all the calories I’ve consumed.”
I poke her with my elbow, giving her a once-over. “You look great. A little food isn’t going to hurt you.”
My eyes fall on her hair, and that’s when I notice her hair has a natural wave to it. She usually keeps it straight.
I take ahold of her hair and run my fingers through it. “I like your hair like this,” I compliment, and I swear, I see her blush.
“It goes like this when I leave it to dry naturally. I prefer it straight though.”
“I like it. You should wear it like this more often.”
She smiles before leaning over to grab her water. Resuming her position, she takes a sip. “How was it at the ice rink?”
“It was good. We just did a shootout, and it was a kid’s birthday, so we had a half hour of skating disco.”
Kaelyn’s eyes light up. “You’ll have to take me again sometime. I had so much fun. It was like being a child again. Hopefully, I’ll be better on the ice next time.”
“Well, we’re doing a New Year’s session, and we’ll definitely have a little skating disco. You could come.”
She nods. “Yes, I think I will.”
We watch the TV for a few minutes when she suddenly jumps from her seat. “Oh my God, I almost forgot.”
I watch with confusion as she runs to her room and returns shortly later with a small box in her hand.
“I totally forgot to give you this yesterday.” She resumes in her seat beside me and hands me the box.
I take it, curiously eyeing it. “What is it?”
She rolls her eyes. “If the Christmas wrapping didn’t give it away, it’s a gift.”
“Yes, I know, but what is it?”
“Just open it,” she says impatiently.
Placing my bottle of beer on the coffee table, I begin to unwrap it.
“It’s not much, but as soon as I saw it, I knew I had to buy it for you,” she tells me as I open the box.
Inside sits a keychain with the word Bazinga written across it.
I chuckle as I pick it up. “This is awesome.”
She shrugs her shoulders. “Like I said, it’s not much, but I know how much you’ve come to love The Big Bang Theory and how it takes your mind off everything. So, I thought you could take a little bit of goofy Sheldon with you wherever you go, especially with how hard this next month is going to be for you.”
“Thank you. I really love it.”
I pull her in for a hug and press my face into the sweet aroma of her hair, allowing my body to melt into hers, losing myself in the gentle warmth. When I pull back, it takes everything in me not to press my lips to hers, express my gratitude in a way I crave whenever I’m in her presence. It’s even harder when she looks the way she does—her face free of makeup, her hair natural in loose waves, and that goddamn racer tee that tells me she isn’t wearing a bra. She’s sexy when she’s not even trying to be, and that ironically makes her even sexier.
I swing the keychain around my finger, and we both relax back on the sofa and continue watching the TV. A while later, I feel Kaelyn begin to shift in her seat. I glance to her and see she’s holding a cushion in her hands.
“Do you mind if I rest my head on your lap?”
I shake my head, wanting any excuse to have her near. “No, have at it.”
She throws me a grateful smile. She bundles the cushion against my thigh and lies on her side with her head nuzzled against the pillow. A few minutes later, she begins to shiver.
“You cold?” I ask her.
She glances up at me. “A little.”
Too comfortable to move and grab the blanket that’s draped on the other side of the sofa, I peel the hoodie from my back and hand it to her. I don’t miss the way her eyes light up at my offering, and she takes it from me and pulls it over her head. Even though she isn’t even touching me, goose bumps erupt all the way up from my soul, knowing my residual body heat is wrapped around her. Seeing her in my hoodie is such a turn-on, much preferring her wearing mine than anyone else’s, including Nate’s firefighter hoodie. It sends a primal and feral bout of endorphins through my veins. It makes me feel as if she were mine even though she isn’t.
She lies back down, bundling the arms of the sleeves up to her chin, getting as cozy as possible. The TV plays in the background, but I’m unable to focus. Instead, my attention is solely on Kaelyn, listening to her soft breaths, the way her shoulders shake when she finds something amusing, the beautiful hum of her laugh that vibrates through me. For at least five minutes, I fight the urge to slide my fingers through her hair, the sweet scent of her citrus shampoo overwhelming my senses in a way that makes me crave her even more.
Then, I think, Fuck it, and slowly begin to caress my fingers through the softness of her hair, starting with a few strands. Then, when she moans a little, I delve a little deeper and caress her scalp before allowing my hand to follow the cascades of brown curls. Now, she’s shivering again, but it’s not because she’s cold.
“Hmm,�
�� she moans before saying quietly, “I love having my hair played with. So relaxing…”
I watch intently the way my fingers look while brushing through the strands, and that leads to dirty thoughts invading my head of fucking her from behind on all fours and grabbing a clump of her hair and pulling her head back before I attack her neck with my lips, devouring her hot skin while I plow my cock deep inside her.
Shit. Now, I’m getting a hard-on.
I shift my hips a little, thankful I have a cushion between us, or she’d know how turned on I was getting from simply playing with her hair. You know it’s been a long time when the tiniest traits of a woman can give you a full-blown stiffy. Although, with Kaelyn, she could make me hard just by glancing in my direction.
My heart jolts within my chest at the tingling sensation I feel against my knee. Oh, dear God.
Kaelyn’s fingers begin to caress my knee in gentle circles, and even though I’m wearing sweats, her touch sears into my skin. I let my head fall back, close my eyes, and allow her touch to fill me to the brim. I never knew my knee could be so sensitive—my knee, for Christ’s sake—but the way my body is reacting, it’s as if she’s giving me a full-body massage. That’s how fucking amazing she feels.
Leaving my eyes closed, I blindly stroke her hair while she slays me with her own caress.
Eventually, we both fall asleep like this. I’m not sure how long I sleep, but a while later, I wake up, surrounded in darkness with the only light coming from the TV, the message on the screen asking if we’re still watching Netflix. I glance down, and I see Kaelyn sleeping soundly with her head in my lap. She must have shifted in her sleep because, now, she’s on her back, and I have the perfect view of her face.
Taking advantage of her sleeping, I let myself stare at her, my eyes taking in her sweet face, the way her long lashes fan below her eyes, the faultless slope of her nose, the scattering of freckles along her cheeks, and the luscious plump of her lips, lips that beg to be kissed, deserved to be worshipped. This woman, this goddess, is so damn close, literally in kissing distance, but she’s not mine, which means I can’t do a thing about it. I can’t pursue her, and it sucks because, God, do I want her. I want her in a way that I’ve never felt in my entire life, not with Olivia, not with anyone. I’m falling in love with her. I can feel it with every inch of my soul, with the beat of my heart, and how it feels like I’ve died and gone to heaven whenever she’s in my arms. I knew the moment I met her that she was the forever kind of girl—my forever.
My Forever (Our Forever Book 3) Page 24
