“Well, I’m really happy for you Eve, I mean it.” I do. It’s great for Evelyn. I’m just not sure what it means for me.
“I got a call from Harrison today,” I say as I scoop a large ladle full of spaghetti onto Evelyn’s plate. I figure the least I can do for her is cook dinners while I’m home all day and she’s at work. Yesterday I made chicken parm and today is pasta. It’s only Tuesday but I’m already worried about running out of recipes before she leaves, which is why I made enough tonight to have leftovers for tomorrow.
“I’m surprised it took him this long,” she says.
“I think it took a couple days for the news of my return to filter out to him.”
“Did he ask you to get together?”
“Of course.”
“You aren’t, are you?”
“Of course not.”
“Good. Does he know about Chase?”
I pause and purse my lips. It’s a question I’ve been pondering myself lately, not that it matters. “I don’t think so. I mean, not specifically. I think he does suspect I met someone out there. He was asking me all sorts of questions about what I was doing in Vegas this long, he knows I don’t gamble or really have the money to pay for a week in a hotel. I just avoided most of the questions and told him I needed time out there to think. Not sure he bought it, but whatever. If he can lie, so can I.”
“Well, like you said the other day, what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas. I think that’s one of those universal rules. People can’t ask you about it and expect the truth.”
I agree with a laugh as I shovel more pasta into my mouth. It feels good to be home, with Evelyn. It’s comfortable. Unfortunately, that comfort has an expiration date and it’s coming up quickly.
I wash down the pasta with some water. Both of us have sworn off wine for the time being. “So what’s the plan for tonight?”
I’d promised to help her start packing tonight, anxious for anything I can use as a distraction. Any time I have a free moment, her words from the other night echo through my head. It’s true. Not all lies are equal, and I don’t have to judge them as such. Evelyn clearly thinks I was blowing things out of proportion, and I fear she might be right. What if she was? What if I made a huge mistake in leaving? It’s a thought I have no interest in dealing with right now, so much so that helping her pack seems like a fantastic alternative.
“I think we have to tackle my closet first.”
I make a sound with my throat and Evelyn counters with a glare that I know is just a tease. “It’s not that bad.”
“Really? Did you have a team of organizers work on it while I was in Vegas?” Evelyn has the master suite of our apartment and her closet is a walk in. Last I saw it, it was a disaster. Packed so full of clothes and shoes and who knows what else that she could barely squeeze her thin frame through the door to get anything.
“Shut up, you offered to help.” She sticks her tongue out at me right before finishing the last bit of pasta in her bowl.
“I know I did, but I forgot what I was getting myself into.”
“Too late,” she laughs. “You’re committed.”
I open my mouth for another reply but I’m interrupted by a knock at the door. Evelyn leaves to answer it, turning the corner of the hallway as I finish the last of my supper. I hear voices and a weird sound from Evelyn before she comes back around the corner. The look on her face is wide eyed and she’s biting her lip.
“What?” I ask. “Who was it?”
“It looks like Vegas didn’t stay in Vegas,” she replies as Chase Anderson follows her into our dining room, a familiar half smile creeping onto his lips as soon as he sees me.
27
“How the hell did you find me?” My anger at Chase has dissipated a bit, but this is still a big surprise. I hadn’t expected to see him again so soon. Or ever, really.
The smile fades from his lips and he lifts a rose he’s holding, tilting it toward me. I hadn’t even noticed it until now. He ignores my question and surprise. “I couldn’t let you go like that, Lila. I can’t stop thinking about you and I needed to see you again. Can we please talk?”
I stare at the rose that he’s still holding. It’s red and perfect. I don’t know what to say, though. Evelyn finally breaks the silence by clearing her throat to remind me that she’s still standing there.
“Oh, right, Chase, this is my roommate Evelyn Silver. Evelyn, meet Chase Anderson.”
I’m pretty sure that Evelyn is actively trying to keep the drool in her mouth as she shakes Chase’s hand and acts like a total fan girl, letting him know how she’s seen him on television and how he’s such a fantastic player. Chase is very kind in return, but barely takes his eyes off of me as he speaks to her. I don’t think she notices though, as she turns to me with a huge grin.
“So um, I guess I’ll let you two talk for a bit. I’ll go… uh, start on my closet. In my room.” She gives one last fleeting glance at Chase and then leaves us alone.
“Why are you here?” I ask. I’m ignoring the rose, although I do think the gesture is sweet, particularly since he only brought a single flower. I think a whole bouquet is cliché. A single rose is much classier and meaningful. It makes it harder to stay mad but, even still, a flower isn’t going to make up for lies and betrayal.
“I’m serious, Lila. I haven’t stopped thinking about you since you left. I wanted to come sooner, but I thought I should give you some time. And I wanted to finish things with the house.”
“The house that we were trespassing in, you mean? The house that you told me you owned so that I would be a party to your break and enter thrill ride?”
“Lila, please. It wasn’t break and enter. Each time we went I had Denise clear the time with the owners for a walk through. The only part that was disingenuous was that she was supposed to be with us on all of them. Make sure we didn’t break or steal anything. Obviously that wasn’t my intention.”
“Oh really? That’s the only part you were disingenuous about?”
“To them. To you, you’re right, I shouldn’t have claimed I owned the house in the first place. I regret that. I just felt like your feelings about poker players being degenerate gamblers would have been justified if you thought I just lived in a hotel. I was trying to impress you. At first because I wanted to prove to you that I was more than that, that I was stable, but then when things got more serious I didn’t know how to come clean. I should have just told you the truth.”
“You’re right, you should have,” I reply, but a lot of the fire has left my voice. “But that wasn’t even the biggest issue, Chase. You were sneaking around with Denise. I get that it’s because she is your agent now, but she’s also your ex-girlfriend and a complete bitch who still thinks you’re going to get back together with her one day. The fact that you were spending time with her… behind my back… that hurt more than the issue with the house.”
Chase sighs and rolls his eyes. “I know. I’m sorry. You’re right. And I didn’t get that at the time, but I should have. I do now. I’ve already told her that as soon as everything with the house is wrapped up that it is best if she and I don’t speak anymore.”
“Really?” I’m surprised. “How did she take that?”
He shrugs, his lip curling up a bit in his familiar grin. “About like you expect. I don’t think she believes I’m serious, but I promise you that I am. As soon as the house closes I’ll even get a new phone number. I’m done with her. You were right about her, I just didn’t see it.”
“Why do you now?”
“She admitted that she was goading you, trying to piss you off. She said she was just trying to help, because she didn’t think you were right for me. I know that’s bullshit. Whether it’s because she wants to get back together or that she’s jealous of you, or just that she’s a complete bitch, I don’t know, but enough is enough.”
I take a deep breath and turn slightly from him, looking at the dinner table with our empty plates and a bowl still filled with pasta
. I’m relieved that he finally sees Denise for who she really is, and it’s hard to stay mad at him. I don’t want to be mad at him. “You hungry?”
“Starving.”
“I’ll get you a plate. Sit down.” I pluck the rose from his hand as I pass him on my way to the kitchen. No sense letting it die just because I still don’t know what to do with the famous blond poker playing hunk that’s standing in my dining room. I don’t have any vases, so I put it into one of the empty wine bottles from the other night which are still sitting on our counter.
“It’s a good thing I made extra,” I say as I come back with his plate and start heaping it on. I’m just talking now, and I know it, trying to avoid saying anything of substance because I have no idea what to say. Chase is sitting in Evelyn’s seat, but suddenly his hand reaches out and closes on mine. It’s warm, firm, and insistent.
“Lila,” he says softly.
“Chase,” I reply, slowly shaking my head. I’m not sure what I’m still objecting to, though. His touch has sent sparks through my body. I’ve missed him more than I’ve wanted to admit, even to myself. It’s taken seeing him again to realize just how much.
“The whole thing with the house, initially, was to prove something.” His voice is soft, just above a whisper, and I stand very still next to him as I listen. His hand is still holding onto mine and I have no intention of trying to break contact. “At first it was to prove something to you - that I wasn’t who you thought I was. That there was more to Chase Anderson than some famous poker player who lived his life out of a suitcase and moved from game to game. But since then I have come to realize that, in fact, for the last few years that’s actually what my life has become. I’ve been living for the moment, fearful of settling down because I thought I’d get bored. But after I met you, I realized something.” His grip tightens, pulling me toward him as he stands and my gaze finally raises to meet his. His blue eyes seem deeper than normal, like an ocean with a tide that is drawing me in to try and drown me in its depths.
“What?”
“I realized that I wasn’t scared of being bored. I was scared of being alone. I’ve never even considered that before you came along, because it was never true until that moment. In the past, people would come and go from my life and it wouldn’t even affect me. But as soon as you left, it became obvious why. I hadn’t ever met anyone I felt this strongly about before. I knew I didn’t want you to leave, but it wasn’t until you did that I realized just how much I really needed you to stay. My life has been empty before you, Lila. And I never even realized it.”
“So you want me back because you don’t want to be lonely?”
His eyes get even bluer somehow, but then I realize it’s just a reflection of the light. Light that is bouncing off the moisture that is pooling along its rims.
“No,” he breathes. “I want you back because I love you.”
28
All pretense of being angry anymore has drained from me. I’m not sure who moved first, but all of a sudden I’m up against the wall of my dining room with my lips locked onto Chase’s as his hands slide along the sides of my body. They travel down my ribs and along my hips, squeezing and kneading the flesh before making their way back up again. His touch is as familiar and welcome as my own, and I’ve missed it a lot more than I had been willing to admit.
Our lips are hungry for each other and his tongue is hot in my mouth as it pushes firmly against my own. I suck on it gently, teasing him with the idea of what is to come.
“Fuck Lila, don’t leave me like that again,” he whispers after pulling his mouth away from mine and moving his attention to my earlobe. I shiver against his hot breath.
“I won’t,” I promise. I really won’t. It was a mistake to leave in the first place. I can’t judge Chase for Harry’s sins.
A gasp escapes my lips as his hand slips between my jean covered legs, pressing against my hot core. I’m sure he can feel the heat coming off of me as he inhales sharply as soon as he makes contact.
“You’ve missed me, too,” he growls, noting my arousal as he slides his fingers against me. There are entirely too many clothes between us.
My hands pull at his shirt, my fingers pushing at each button to loosen it. Once I have enough of them undone I slide my hands under the fabric and run greedy fingers along his hard body. I love his chest and abs, but I circle around to his back and rake my fingers along where I know he has his tattoos. Chase responds by biting my ear even harder and I let out a little shriek and then a giggle.
“Hey, everything okay out- oh shit, hello. Sorry!” I look over just in time to see Evelyn’s back as she turns and runs back into her room.
I feel my face redden. “Let’s move this into my room,” I say, grabbing Chase’s arm and pulling him along behind me. My room is hardly prepared to entertain a man, especially one as put together as Chase, but I’m not about to let that stop me. Kicking yesterday’s panties under my bed before he can see them, I swing him around and push him backwards. I watch with a grin as the back of his legs hit my bed and he lands down across it on his back, his shirt half open showing me his chest and his blue eyes sparkling up at me under a raised eyebrow.
I quickly straddle him before he has a chance to get up and pull off my shirt, exposing my braless chest. “I’m in charge today, Mr. Anderson,” I say as I lean down to kiss away any protests he might have. His firm grip closes around my breasts. I doubt he was planning to object.
I can feel him bulging underneath me, the hardness of his cock pressing through both sets of our pants. It’s not enough for me. Reaching below, I flatten my hand and slide in into his pants until I make contact with his burning flesh. Chase groans into my mouth. “Fuck I missed you,” he pants. I silence him with my tongue and lips. No more talking. I need to feel him inside of me.
My hands fumble around at his pants as I try to pull them open. Chase takes the hint and he begins to work on mine. It takes longer than I want, but soon both of them are pushed down along our legs and piled on the floor at the foot of the bed. I reach across his body to my nightstand and yank it open before dunking my hand into the draw and fishing around. Luckily I still have some condoms in here, saving me the embarrassment of wandering over the Evelyn’s room to ask to borrow some.
As quick as I can I rip open the package and slide it down along his length before straddling him again. Then without any more hesitation, I reach behind and position him at my already moist center before sitting down, drawing him inside of me in one hot instant.
We both gasp in unison at our connection. My ass is sitting against his hips, his cock buried as deeply as it can go. I can feel it pulsating within me, waiting for me to take control and start to move. I want to enjoy the feeling of fullness for a few more moments though, so instead I lean forward and kiss him again. Chase’s hands grab hold of my ass, squeezing them as he kisses me back.
Finally I can’t wait any more and start to move my hips, rocking them against his manhood, stimulating him into expanding even further within me.
“Fuck, Lila, you’re amazing,” he whispers. I’m back in a sitting position, using my knees to support my body and lift myself up and down along his slick length. I can feel his urgency, his firm hands trying to lift and pull me faster. I go with it, knowing he needs his release more than I need mine right now. I got what I wanted as soon as I filled myself with him.
My hips move faster as I watch the expression on Chase’s face turn to pure ecstasy even as his blue eyes are shining up, locked onto mine. I believe him when he says he loves me. I can see it.
With a groan, the tips of his fingers dig into my ass as he pulls me down hard against him. His cock explodes inside of my body, and he lets out a roar as he finally finds his release. He’s still spasming inside of me as I bend down along him to kiss him again. My breasts touch the fabric of his open shirt, the only piece of clothing that still separates us. Chase hugs me tightly against his body, slowly rolling until we’re side by side.
“Don’t worry about it,” I interrupt him. “I got what I wanted as well. You’re here.”
“I’m not going anywhere. Not without you, anyway.”
“I’m not sure I’m ready to go back to Vegas just yet,” I say. I promised Evelyn I’d help her pack. She’s leaving in just a few more days and I’m not sure when I’ll see her again.
“That’s okay. We’ll figure out a plan. I’m in no rush, as long as I’m with you it doesn’t matter where we are.”
I smile at the sentiment, but I know the logic behind it isn’t sound. “You’ll need to get back eventually. And I can’t leave forever either. I have to find a job. Evelyn is moving out.” He raises an eyebrow at me and I sigh. “She got a promotion at work, but she has to move to Chicago. She’s leaving Saturday.”
“Wow,” he says.
“I promised to help her pack, and I want to say goodbye to her when she leaves.”
“Of course,” Chase nods. He runs his fingers lightly up and down my body until I feel goose bumps start to rise along my flesh. “Can I help?”
I shrug. “I’m sure she’ll have no objection to an extra pair of strong hands, although you might have to stick to packing things like the kitchen and dining room. I think she’d die of embarrassment if you tried to help pack her underwear drawer.” He laughs. “I’m serious, I think she has a bit of a crush on you, Mr. Anderson. No surprise there.”
“Pots and pans it is,” he smiles. His fingers are still running along my body but have moved from the outside of my thighs to the inside now. It’s distracting.
“Really, though,” I say, shifting my legs slightly. Not to get away from him, but opening my thighs just enough to give him better access. He takes the hint. “What are we going to do?”
Pranked Page 42
