by Jessica Gray
“Uhm…” Chase chuckled lightly. “I like my nephew. So about tonight?”
“Let me check…” She paused to let him sweat it out a bit. “Okay…how about I meet you there around six o’clock?” Even if he was the hottest looking, baby-loving, swoon-worthy guy in the world, she wasn’t ready to give him her address just now.
“Sounds good. Can’t wait to see those gorgeous grey eyes again.”
Pearl hung up the phone, a goofy smile upon her face. Suddenly her day was looking so much brighter.
As six o’clock rolled around, she found herself sitting at a hi-top table with a beer in front of her and a surprisingly funny and witty Chase by her side. The live band played upbeat and catchy music. Not too shabby for a tourist location out-of-season.
Pearl tapped her foot to the rhythm of the music and was thoroughly enjoying herself and his company. Chase proved to be a good observer and asked her, “You want to dance?” as the band started into their second song.
This time it was a slower ballad, and she almost had to giggle. He was a nice guy and she was here to let herself get distracted from reality and all her problems. What harm could a little dancing do?
She nodded. “Okay. Let’s dance.”
Chase pulled her from the stool with his strong arms and escorted her to the small dance floor, his palm pressing against her lower back. The warmth of his fingers sent her synapses flying off in a thousand different directions – all of them ending with her lying beneath him.
While she still tried to get a grip on her attraction to him, he pulled her into his arms; letting his hands drop onto the top edge of her butt, resulting in a wonderful warmth spreading from the location of his hands on her back throughout the rest of her body.
Pearl stopped resisting and leaned closer into him, inhaling his masculine scent, her mouth salivating to taste him. The sensual swaying of their bodies in absolute sync transported her into a dreamland, full of wonderful fantasies.
His strong arms wrapped around her, cocooned her into a safe place, where none of her problems mattered. It was nice for a change to feel safe and taken care of, almost like a baby in his mother’s arms. But after a minute or so into their dance, the slight twisting motion was killing her knee.
Shit. Why do I have to be reminded of reality? She didn’t want the feeling of safety in his arms to end and tried to ignore the increasing pain for as long as she could, but when she couldn’t take it any longer, she pulled away from him. “I’m sorry, but I need some fresh air.”
If Chase was offended by her pulling back, he didn’t show it. He just nodded and led her towards the side exit, his hand never once leaving its spot on her lower back. Pearl did her best not to show the pain, but to no avail.
“Are you hurt? You should have said something?” he said with a genuinely worried face.
Pearl opened the door before he could do it for her. “I’m fine. And no, I’m not hurt.”
He’d noticed. How sweet. But then she freaked out because he had noticed. She’d been doing her best to hide her injury from everyone. No one except the doctors knew about the extent of damage to her knee, and it needed to stay that way.
If someone was to find out and leak it to the press, her career in high diving could be over before she ever got a chance to prove she was healed up.
Just as they stepped outside, her cell phone beeped. She glanced at the caller I.D. and rolled her eyes with a groan. It was her trainer. Again.
He’d been calling her for weeks now, harassing her about the next season, but she’d been avoiding a definite answer. She was afraid to tell him the truth, a truth she hadn’t even accepted herself yet. That she might not be able to compete – maybe never again.
She needed more time to make a decision and sent the call to voicemail. Pearl glanced up just in time to see Chase raising his eyebrow in question at her. Now he’ll think the worst.
“Is everything okay?” His warm and caring voice was like melted chocolate. It warmed the insides of her chest before she quickly pulled her armor of steel around her heart again. She needed someone to capture her heart like she needed another injury.
Pearl shrugged, intending to brush him off, but his genuine worry for her had caught her off guard. With no warning, the weight of her future seemed larger than life. Without being able to stop them, the words tumbled out of her mouth. “No. Everything is far from alright.”
Chase’s eyes showered her with concern and interest, while he guided her back towards the bar. “Let’s go find someplace to sit and talk.”
She followed him back inside, pleased when he snagged their beers and led her over to a quiet booth in the back of the bar. This man surprised her time and time again. He was nothing like the first image he’d given her at the beach.
Considerate hadn’t registered in her mind as one of his character traits. When they’d met in the bar earlier, she had believed all her prejudices confirmed as he seemed to know each and every person, especially females, and tossed out a charming smile and a greeting to everyone.
But once he’d zoomed in on her, he seemed oblivious to the more-or-less-friendly stares the female population in the bar was sending his way. I’m sure any number of them wish they were in my place right now.
A pang of jealousy hit her guts and had her questioning her own sanity. She was so not interested in Mr. Shirtless Playboy. Pushing that unpleasant thought away, she slid into the booth and eyed him over her beer.
He broke the silence, “So, what’s going on?”
Pearl hesitated to tell him the truth. Half of her wanted, yes, needed, someone to talk to, but the other half hated to expose her concerns. Would her concerns become more real if she voiced them? Would he laugh at her if she told him she was worried she wouldn’t be able to be a world-class high diver anymore? Would he roll his eyes like most everyone else did, thinking, ‘Get a life and a real job, girl’?
She sighed. He wouldn’t understand. Nobody understood how world-class athletes ticked. How her sport was more than just a job, how it was her life, her dream, her everything.
“I guess I’m worrying about nothing. Just someone bugging me to make a decision about my career.”
Chase leaned forward, a spark of interest in his chocolate brown eyes. “So what’s your profession?”
She gazed into his beautiful eyes and told a half truth. “A few years back I took on some coaching work. I started working with girls between the ages of eight and fourteen, teaching them the ropes of diving. And about the discipline and strength needed for the sport. It’s amazing to see how these girls transform from shy and introverted little things into self-reliant, confident people once they start having their first success.”
She didn’t go into the more technical aspects of what she did. She didn’t tell him that while she had made a name for herself diving from sixty-six feet above the surface of the pool, she only worked with these girls from the three-foot springboard.
“I want these girls to see that women can do incredible things. I guess I want to be a role model for them and that’s putting a lot of pressure on me.”
Pearl finished talking, looked up, and then froze. She could instantly tell that her talk about being a role model was an error.
“A role model?” Chase asked, looking skeptical. “That’s a lot of pressure.”
“Yeah, well. Enough about me and my made-up problems. What have you been up to?”
She breathed a sigh of relief when he easily slid into a conversation where he wowed her with his accomplishments. Such a guy thing to do. Get them talking about themselves works every time.
“Kitesurfing is my life. It’s more than just a sport; it’s everything to me. But the funny thing is, most people don’t understand this.”
She did.
“I’ve never done that before.” Pearl leaned back and took a big sip of her beer. So he was a professional athlete. Another surprise.
“You’ve got to try it sometime.”
“I’d love to. So, are you from around here, or just up for vacation?”
Chase smiled at her. “My parents moved here when I was in high school. What about you? I haven’t seen you around here and there are much better places to take a winter vacation.”
Pearl didn’t like where the questioning was going and tried to appear nonchalant. “I’m just here to relax.”
“Really?” he questioned, searching her eyes for more information.
“Really,” she assured him with a smile. “So, who was that guy with you yesterday?”
Chase grinned. “The one you shot down?” When she inclined her head with a smirk, he said, “That was my much older, much less attractive brother. Ethan.”
“You have one brother?” she asked, trying to keep their conversation all about him. It was safer that way.
“I wish. I have three brothers and two sisters.”
“Wow! I would hate to be them.”
His face softened when he said, “They can hold their own, believe me.”
They continued to chat about his family, and life in Sandy Beach. When her beer was empty, Pearl glanced at her watch, surprised at how late it already was. Time had flown by and she’d thoroughly enjoyed herself with him. She’d even forgotten to worry about her knee for a while. There was definitely more to him than she’d given him credit for yesterday.
But what did she care? She had no intention of getting involved with him or any other man for that matter. No, Pearl Davids wouldn’t get trapped by a man. Her plan was to have a good time with Chase – maybe even some hot and naughty sex included – and never worry about seeing him again.
She had a life and a career to get back to, and needed to do so quickly before the life she knew was gone. If she missed one season, who knew if her sponsors would still be there waiting for her the next year. She needed to get back into the game pronto.
Before her mind could go down that sorry path, she locked her worry-thoughts away. It helped that Chase moved closer in that moment and placed his warm palm on her thigh. Flames rushed through her body and she could swear his big hand burned a hole through her jeans.
She looked up at him from beneath her lashes and licked her bottom lip. Game on.
Chapter 5
The woman sitting next to Chase aroused his interest. Not only physically.
Pearl.
An unusual name, and yet it fit her.
She was holding something back. Something she was either ashamed to tell him, or afraid. He wanted to find out the secret of Pearl.
But what do you care? She’s just one more in a string of women. You’ll have some fun with her tonight, maybe it will last for several nights, and then you’ll never see each other again. That’s how it works.
He glanced at her, his eyes taking in her features. The soft smile behind the steeled façade and the depth of her wonderful grey eyes. Grey like the ocean on a clouded day. The dark, short hair.
His brothers had always teased him with his preference for short hair. He didn’t know exactly why it turned him on like hell. Perhaps the long lines of exposed neck begging for a man’s lips. Earlobes to nibble on. Or simply the strength and confidence most short-haired women exuded.
She wore her black hair in a short, tousled bob. Cut in layers so that it fell around her head, framing her face in a manner that was both chaotic and refined. His fingers itched to run through her hair and he averted his eyes to look at the rest of her.
Gorgeous. Simply gorgeous. Her well-toned body with the refined and sculpted muscles visible through the stretchy material of her bright red top spoke of much more than a mere kids' diving coach.
He’d be damned if she wasn’t some kind of professional athlete. Being one himself, he knew those kind of muscles. He also knew the absolute level of control, both over her body and her mind, she’d exhibited on the beach resulted only from years of daily training. Hard, grueling workouts.
Damn, that woman turned him on, like no other had before. A hot rush of desire moved through him, combined with a feeling he couldn’t understand. And didn’t want to.
He laid his hand upon her thigh, the urge to touch bigger than his self-control. He half expected her to push it away, but she didn’t. Instead, she glanced up at him and soaked him into the deep grey pools, and the chemistry between them rose to a new level.
Chase acted instinctively to the magic she exerted over him and leaned forward, sealing her lips with his. When she touched his bottom lip with her tongue and then parted her lips, it was all the invitation he needed.
He swooped in, learning her taste and her mouth with his tongue and teeth, rejoicing when she gave as good as she got. His kiss turned more demanding, ravishing her mouth and soaking up her passionate response. Her body reacted in such a strong way to his, his mind instantly filled with dozens of naughty things he wanted to do to her.
Gasping for breath, he broke their kiss, the need to feel her body pressed into his overpowering every other thought. He slid from the booth and pulled her up and into his arms. His hips rested against the table, while he let his hands mold her to his front. Breasts to chest. Hips to hips. His hands learned the curves of her gorgeous body, sliding down her back until they rested on her cute ass. He squeezed her ass tight, which earned him a heady moan. Fueled with passion, he slid one hand around her hip and down the front of her thigh.
Her reaction was like a cold shower. She instantly caught his hand, and removed it from her thigh, even as she put some distance between them. The spell was broken.
Chase searched her eyes for an explanation of the sudden mood change. What had happened? Had he misinterpreted her signs? The air was now filled with a tension that had nothing to do with sex, and he didn’t have the slightest clue as to what he’d done wrong.
He grabbed her hand and pulled her from the bar. “Let’s get some fresh air, shall we?”
She nodded, relieved, and followed him outside. After a few moments of silence, she faced him, licked her bottom lip and asked. “Your place or mine?”
Chase cringed inwardly. This was one of the reasons he’d never had a serious girlfriend. Too much trouble. Women changed their mind like a leaf on a tree. But he was always game for a night full of hot and wild sex, no strings attached. “Well, unfortunately we can’t go to my place. I’m staying with my parents.”
She looked at him and raised her eyebrows, and her face gave away her thoughts. How pathetic is that? He’s almost thirty and still lives with Mommy and Daddy?
Chase placed his arm around her shoulder, surprised at her underlying strength and explained. “Yeah, well, I don’t spend that much time here so it works.”
“Okay. Then my place. It’s right over on the beachfront.” Pearl started moving into the direction of the beach.
“Really?” he asked. Beachfront apartments cost a fortune to rent.
“Yeah. I was surprised how cheap it was. During summer they charge almost ten times the amount.”
Chase leaned down and met her eyes. “That’s because all good tourists know you don’t come to Sandy Beach during the winter.”
She grinned. “Well, I never said I was a good tourist.”
He wrapped an arm around her waist and they walked to her place in silence. When they arrived at her apartment and she searched for her keys to unlock the door, he engulfed her for a moment in his arms. She felt so good. But as she looked up he could see pain in her eyes and he memorized all his actions to find out if he’d done anything to put it there.
The fact he was worried about her hidden pain caught him unawares. He actually cared about her feelings, something that was highly unusual for him. In fact, it had never happened before.
Family, sure. He cared about them. But the women he took home from the bars and the sporting events – never. He never felt an emotional connection to them, so why now? And why her?
The moment she opened the door, she threw herself into his arms and the chemistry between them exploded once again. Chase was
already hard and all other thoughts were pushed aside by the raw lust and desire for her.
He pushed her inside and back against the door, using his hands to hold her head still for his open mouthed kiss. Tongue met tongue, and he feverishly ravaged her mouth, taking in her sweet taste mixed with a hint of beer. His fingers delved into her hair, pulling on it slightly to turn her head to the side.
When their eyes locked, he saw untamed passion. It was like adding gasoline to a fire. A fire that was burning up his insides. He shoved a hand down her front, pulling her shirt from her pants and then pushing it back up, touching bare skin along the way.
Her soft curves felt awesome under his hands. He broke their kiss and stripped her of her top and bra in one swift movement, before he lavished her breasts with teasing little kisses, circling in on the taut nipples. Soft pink nipples begging to be inside his mouth. And he happily obeyed. Pearl squirmed under his touch, thrusting her hips against his, digging her nails into his back. When he grazed her nipple with his teeth, a scream left her mouth and he was about to back away, but she held his head in position and moaned, “No. More.”
Chase grinned. She was exactly the type of woman he went for. Hot. Wild. Naughty. Pearl was all that and more. “You like when I bite your nipples, babe?”
“Yes,” she panted.
“What else do you want? Tell me.”
“Take off your shirt,” she demanded and he obeyed. Then she traced her fingers along his pecs and abs all the way down to the waistband of his jeans. Chase believed he’d explode if she moved even one inch further down.
He stepped back to take her in and groaned at the sight of her bellybutton ring. God, can she become any sexier than this? I’m on the verge of exploding and haven’t even fully undressed her.
His fingertips grazed the metal at her bellybutton and he dropped to his knees, groaning. He wanted to feast his eyes on her adornment and the tattoo that swirled around her bellybutton and her stomach.
“Pearl, you are so hot.” He leaned forward and traced the tattoo with his lips while she squirmed in his hold, breathing heavily. His hand dropped to the zipper of her jeans, and when she swayed towards him, he put a hand on her left thigh to hold her steady. It was like pouring water on a fire.
