His words hit me hard, and I felt them deep in my chest. My reply came from my subconscious, but I’d already known they were there waiting to come out. “I feel the same way about you.”
“Oh, thank god.” His lips were on mine in a second. I returned the kiss, tangling my hands in his hair as his hands slipped down my body.
The whispered words in the dark had ignited something in both of us. His lips moved to my neck as his hand slipped between my legs. I stroked him, loving the way he came to life underneath my hand.
We didn’t spend much time on foreplay. He moved over me. “I love you, Cara.” He thrust inside me with an intensity I wasn’t expecting. The sleeping bags and mats below us were no match for the way he rocked me into the ground. I’d be sore the next day, but I didn’t care. All I cared about was having Chase on top of me and inside me.
“I love you, Chase.” My reply came late, when we were already moving together perfectly in synch and his mouth had returned to my breast again.
He groaned, my words seeming to turn him on more. His movements became deeper and faster as he filled me with the length of him over and over until he pushed me over the edge. Then he shuddered, and we both lay there panting and sweaty. The only sound remaining came from the cicadas.
He kissed me lightly. “I’m home.”
I grinned. I knew exactly the way he felt.
That’s when I heard the sound of twigs breaking.
“Chase, what was that?” I sat up, grabbing the first piece of clothing I could find in an attempt to cover myself up.
“Stay here.” He fumbled around in the dark for his underwear and slipped into them before walking out. He grabbed the flashlight.
I pulled Chase’s t-shirt over my head without worrying about a bra.
“Hey, you! What the fuck are you doing?” Chase’s voiced carried through the nearly silent night.
I heard more twigs breaking. Chase’s voice carried from slightly further away. “Give me that. Were you recording us?”
“No. Not exactly,” a young male voice responded.
“Not exactly?” Chase asked incredulously. “Then what were you doing?”
“Just seeing if you were going to play something exclusive or something.”
“You think I came out here in the middle of nowhere with my girlfriend to play exclusive music?”
I saw the illumination of a screen. “You recorded all of that? You fucking videotaped me with my girlfriend?”
“I couldn’t see anything. It was just sound.” The young voice quaked.
“And that makes it okay?”
Chase was screaming by this point. He was loud enough to bring everyone else out of their tents. I searched around until I found my jeans and shoes and left the tent.
I walked around the circle of people. Chase was still out there in his underwear. Poor guy.
Len turned his phone flashlight toward me. “Hey, Cara. I think you’re wearing the wrong shirt.”
I ignored him and turned to the guy I’d never met. The one who had evidently taped us. “You’re an asshole.”
Everyone laughed.
“No laughing. I’m being serious. Taping something like that is so far from cool it isn’t funny.” I grabbed the phone from Chase and stared down the kid who couldn’t have been more than sixteen or so. “You are not getting this back. You look younger than me. Hopefully, your mommy and daddy will buy you a new one. I’m sure they’d love to know what you were doing with yours to lose it in the first place.”
“You can’t take my phone.” He glared at me.
“Yes, I can. You violated my privacy.”
“You can just wipe the video.”
Chase put an arm around me. “Oh, I will, after you prove it’s not on the cloud. And then I need this to make sure I can find you if you’ve already backed it up and this shows up somewhere else.”
“You can’t even see anything!” His nerves had become anger, but his anger was nothing compared to mine.
“Not only did you film us having sex, but you filmed us admitting our feelings to each other. Those things are private.” I was fuming, and I appreciated having Chase’s arm for support.
I left the phone with Chase. I’d let him make sure the file wasn’t backed up somewhere.
I said good night to my friends again and waited for Chase back in the tent.
He came back, zipping the tent behind him. “I’m so sorry about that, babe.”
“Yeah, well. I think that’s an example of how things are going to change.”
He laughed.
“What?”
“Cara? You think that kid was paparazzi? It was just some stoned teenager who obviously followed us here.”
“Yeah, but.”
“No buts. This is our night, and we’re going to enjoy it.”
“You expect me to have sex with you again after what just happened?” I sat down, pulling my knees up to my chest.
“Yes. Yes, I do.” He gently pulled my knees down and eased me down on the sleeping bags.
“And you’re sure you’re feeling okay?”
He laughed. “Come on, babe. We almost had our first sex tape. We’re on our way.”
I swatted at him, only grazing his arm. “Not funny.”
He nuzzled into my neck. “At least I know any tapes will be with you. There will be some consistency for my fans.”
“You’re treading on thin ice.”
“No, I’m not.”
“Yes, you are.”
“Nope.” He unbuttoned my jeans. I let him since I didn’t want to sleep in them anyway.
Once my jeans were off, I slid into the sleeping bag. He followed behind. Still in just underwear, he didn’t have much to take off.
He slipped a hand under the oversized t-shirt I was wearing. I took in a breath.
“If I’m treading on thin ice, then why is my touch getting such a reaction?” He made a gentle line with his other hand down my stomach.
“Because I can’t help it.”
“Because you love me and the way my hands feel on you.”
“That too.”
He paused in his exploration to pull off my t-shirt. “I almost have you naked again. Still think I’m treading on thin ice?”
“Maybe. Almost naked doesn’t mean you’re getting any.”
“It doesn’t?” His lips tickled my ear as he leaned in.
“Nope.”
He slowly eased off my panties and his underwear. “Now we’re both completely naked. Still don’t plan on letting me have you?”
“Nope.”
“Oh.” His hand slid down my body, teasing me as it drew circles on my inner thigh. “So you wouldn’t want me to move my hand a little?”
“I don’t know what you mean.”
“You don’t? I’ll have to show you then.” He slipped a finger inside me.
I tried to hold back a moan.
“I heard that.” He added another finger, and I didn’t bother to hide my reaction.
“See I think it’s the other way around. You’re the one who’s treading on thin ice.”
“Is that so?” I reached out and grabbed him. I stroked him far less gently than I usually would.
He groaned.
“Just say I won.” I continued my stroking.
“What did you win exactly?”
“Just admit that you’re on thin ice, so I can say I forgive you and we get to have sex.”
He laughed. “I’m on thin ice. You’re right, I’m wrong.”
“Perfect.” I moved on top of him, sitting up, even though it meant exposing myself.
“See this would be a hotter video. You on top.”
“Chase!”
“Sorry, couldn’t resist.”
“And here I thought you wanted me.” I teased him by starting to situate him, but pausing just before allowing him inside.
“I want you so bad it literally hurts right now.”
“Then stop talking about sex tap
es.”
“I will. Lips are sealed.”
“Who said I wanted your lips sealed?” I eased him slowly inside.
“In that case, I’ll find some good uses for my lips tonight.”
“You better.”
Chapter Twenty-One
Saying goodbye to Chase hurt less this time. It’s not that it was easier exactly, I was just less worried. Even though it was going to be a longer period of time apart, I knew I had plenty going on to keep me busy, and I knew he wasn’t going to forget about me.
The next few weeks went quickly. Between a gazillion papers, some tutoring at a local high school I’d picked up, and sorority events, I’d discovered that going alone to a date party wasn’t that bad, and the radio station, I barely had any down time. I found I liked it that way. Of course, I still missed Chase like crazy, but our nightly chats helped ease the pain of the distance, and I’d come up with a plan to make sure I’d see him more over the summer. Jade, Kyle, and I also got an awesome opportunity to broadcast from another local festival. The thought of doing something on location made me nervous, but my excitement definitely won out.
I’d been put in charge of organizing the senior send-off for Delta Mu which meant I had to find a venue that fit our budget. I’d put off actually visiting the restaurants for a few weeks, but the clock was ticking. I decided to head over to a few right before the lunch crowd. I negotiated a great deal at the second place I visited, and I happily headed back toward campus to grab lunch and get some reading done before class.
“Cara! Hey!” I glanced over to the direction from which my name was being called.
“Hey, Rachel.” I smiled, heading over to where she sat outside a café with a middle-aged woman.
“Wait, is this Chase’s Cara?” The women looked at Rachel and then at me.
“The one and only.” Rachel grinned.
My stomach dropped as the possible identity of the woman dawned on me.
“Cara, this is Carol Denton. Riley and Chase’s mom. She’s in town to help with some wedding planning.”
I took a deep breath. “Hi, Mrs. Denton. Pleasure to meet you.”
“What a fantastic surprise to finally meet you. Why don’t you join us? We were just about to order lunch.”
“Oh. That’s all right. I was just running some errands.”
“Have you eaten yet?” she asked.
“No.”
“Then, come on.” She stood and pulled a chair over.
This wasn’t happening. I shot Rachel a look over Carol’s head, and she only smiled. She was in so much trouble.
I took a seat, carefully smoothing out my skirt before unfolding a napkin and placing it on my lap. Luckily, I’d dressed up a little that day. “Thanks for inviting me to join you.”
“Of course. I’ve heard so much about you, and I’ve been waiting for Chase to introduce us. It looks like Rachel beat him to the punch.”
“I guess so.” I wondered if Chase had any plans to introduce us yet. I was getting close to asking him to come meet my parents.
“What errands were you running?” Rachel asked. I’m sure she was just trying to break the ice, but I didn’t feel like explaining.
“Oh. Just checking out some venues for the senior send-off for my sorority.”
“Rachel was telling me you girls are part of the same organization?” Carol’s question made it sound like she hadn’t been Greek in college. Hopefully, she didn’t have an aversion to sororities.
“Yes. It’s a fun coincidence.”
“That’s great. I know Riley and Chase are glad you two are so friendly.”
I smiled. “I feel the same way.”
Rachel’s phone beeped and she glanced at it. “That’s my boss. I have to go take care of a mess with a client. I’m so sorry, but I need to go.” Rachel stood up. “I’ll see you at the fitting, Carol. And call me later, Cara.” She dashed off in a blur.
Carol unfolded her napkin. “Rachel moves quickly when she wants to, doesn’t she?”
“That she does.” I forced down my frustration at Rachel inviting me over and then leaving. She probably had a good reason, but it was still awkward. I couldn’t mess this up. You only had one chance to make a good impression, and this one needed to be great if Chase and I were going to be together for any significant period of time.
“You don’t have to be so nervous. I’m so excited to meet you. Chase has never talked about a woman as much as he talks about you.”
“Really?” I had no idea he’d been discussing me with his mother.
A waiter came over with water, and I quickly scanned the menu to pick a meal. I settled on an apple walnut salad.
“Yes. You seem to have him captivated. I’m sure you’ve realized this already, but Chase is pretty strong headed when it comes to getting what he wants. When he sets his sights on something, he does everything to make it happen. He was that way with school, and his music, and now he seems to have turned that single-minded determination to you.”
“It’s not as though I tried to stay away.”
“Is that so? I heard quite the opposite about your first meeting.” She watched me as she sipped her water through a straw.
Oh my god. Had Chase seriously told her what happened? “Oh. I didn’t think you’d heard about that.”
“Len was the one who mentioned that detail. Don’t worry, it didn’t change my opinion of you.” She seemed to be reading my mind. Or maybe she just understood that it’s the last piece of information a girl wants her boyfriend’s mom to know.
“It was out of character for me. I wasn’t sure what I was doing.”
“But it all worked out in the end.”
“It did.” I smiled, thinking about how well it had worked out.
“Have you decided whether you’ll be joining us at the lake in May? Chase said you’d be out of class and exams in time.”
What? The lake? “Oh. We haven’t discussed it yet.”
“Really?” Carol looked surprised. “I told him to invite you over a month ago. We have a place up on Lake George. We usually go for a few weeks every summer. Chase loves it there. He practically grew up best friends with the kids next door. Especially Ariana. Those two were inseparable.” Then she must have realized what she’d just said. “But that was ages ago.”
Ariana? The ex-girlfriend? My stomach dropped, and I could feel the tears stinging. Here we go. The beginning of the end. But why bother talking about me to his mom if he didn’t want me to spend time with his family? Maybe it was just to pacify her. She’d been on his back about dating. “I guess it slipped his mind.”
“That doesn’t sound like Chase, but he has been busy lately.”
Our salads were delivered, and I picked at mine. I had absolutely no appetite, and all I wanted to do was get away from that table. Things had gone from somewhat awkward to overboard with the revelation that he’d “forgotten” to invite me.
As soon as the waiter approached, I took out a credit card, cursing myself for not having cash on me so I could leave faster.
“I have this.” Carol handed her card to the waiter.
“No, we can split it.”
Carol smiled. “My treat.”
“Thanks so much for lunch, Mrs. Denton. It was nice meeting you.” I stood up and grabbed my purse.
“Oh. Call me Carol. And it was a pleasure meeting you. I look forward to seeing you again soon.”
“Same here.” I forced one last smile before taking off down the sidewalk. Seriously? Had that just happened?
I walked two blocks before whipping out my phone to send Rachel a quick text. I hate you.
Yeah, it was probably immature, but I was angry for being put in that situation. But then again, wasn’t it good to know at least? With Aaron, I wasted over a year of my life. Did I really want to do the same thing again? I texted again. Hate was a strong word, and it wasn’t her fault that she had to leave. Still I wished she’d never called me over. I take it back, I’m just not happ
y with you at the moment.
She didn’t reply right away, so I continued my walk home.
The house was mostly empty, so I went right up to my room. Juliet was at her desk.
“Hey, how’d the venue shopping go? Find anything that worked?”
“Oh, yeah. We’re all set.” I’d completely forgotten about the reason I was away from campus to begin with.
She spun her chair around to look at me. “Are you okay?”
I sighed and took a seat on my bed. “I will be.”
“Uh oh. What’s up?”
“I met Chase’s mom.”
“Uh, what?”
“She was having lunch with Rachel and I ended up joining them.”
“Was she awful?” Juliet sat down beside me.
“No, it’s more what I learned.”
“And what’s that?”
“Chase was supposed to invite me to this family vacation thing in May.”
“Isn’t that good?” She pushed some of her dirty blonde hair behind her ear.
“It would have been if he’d actually asked. It turns out he was supposed to ask weeks ago, and she assumed I was the one who wasn’t giving a response.”
“Oh.” Juliet pursed her lips. “What did Chase have to say about it?”
“Nothing.”
“Nothing meaning he denied it, or nothing meaning you haven’t talk to him?”
“The second one.”
“Cara.” She put a gentle hand on my arm. “You have to ask him. What if he had a good reason?”
“I don’t want to deal with it right now. I have so much work to do it’s not funny.” I also didn’t mention the ex-girlfriend. She’d just tell me I was uber sensitive to the topic.
“Well, between eighteen credits, tutoring, and the radio show, I can’t imagine why you’re falling behind. Overextended much?”
I leaned back on my bed and groaned. “I know. I did this to myself.”
“It’s not that being busy is bad, I just don’t want you overdoing it.”
“You sound like my mom.”
“Well, I’d want you worried about me if I overextended myself.”
“You’ve worked part time since freshman year.”
She lay down next to me. “Yeah, but my boss lets me get my school work done while on the clock.”
The Hazards of Sex on the Beach Page 18
