by Ciara Cole
What? Emily’s feelings sank like a weighted ball to her toes. Chace had never ever held back with her before, never tried to keep a piece of himself away. Now he was making her know his doubts. Could it be he’d started to question if she merited his heart, his passion?
She hugged her arms around herself in sudden agony that she was barely able to conceal. “It’s fine. I can tell you’re still angry. I just…I’m sorry,” she whispered.
Chace swore harshly beneath his breath, running his hand through his hair. Then he exhaled deeply before grabbing the back of her neck and drawing her in for a kiss. It was less raging than before, but it was raw and blistering, sending passion throbbing between them. Emily moaned, responding by instinct and desire. But just as she thought Chace would take things further, he slowly broke off the kiss.
“Sleep things off tonight,” he said on a labored sigh.
“Alone?” Emily breathed, knowing the answer, feeling her heart shatter.
“I’ll be in the guest room,” came his reply, in that grave tone that rested heavily on her heart. Emily couldn’t speak and didn’t turn around as Chace let her go and headed out the door. She heard it shut behind him before she finally let the constricted breath flow out of her.
She’d never expected her strength to give out also, but there she was, crumbling. She was a heap on the floor, dazed by all that had happened tonight and not sure what tomorrow would bring.
Chapter 7
When Emily woke up, she found Chace in the bedroom, finishing up with dressing. Emily scrambled up from bed, pushing her hair off her face. She knew she must look terrible after a restless night. She couldn’t seem to peel her eyes from Chace, though, who glanced over his shoulder at her.
“Good morning. I didn’t mean to disturb you. Do you have plans for today?” he asked. Emily felt his eyes sweep over her and she looked away, squirming. He was fully dressed in a blue three piece suit, the deep tone fitting him perfectly. His feet were shod in black shoes and the lighter shades of blue of his matching shirt and tie brought out the luminosity in his gray eyes.
Emily bit on her lip and berated herself for feeling a rush of need for him. How possible was it that he seemed all the more untouchable in the space of one night? It scared her to think he might be slipping away from her.
Tugging down the hem of her sleep shirt, she nodded in reply. “I have an autograph meeting. just signing books with fans. The proceeds from the sales will go to a literacy organization, so I don’t want to miss it.”
“Did you expect the book to do so well?” he asked, giving his tie one final tug and then turning to face her. Emily lifted her eyes to his and hoped she didn’t have too much of her agonizing longing for showing there.
“No. But I’m glad. Emails, letters from readers…and then watching the book climb on all the major bestselling lists both digital and otherwise…it feels great.”
“The book sales look good,” Chace said. “I checked.”
Emily looked surprised, but waited for him to go on as he continued, “I assume that’s how you got much of the money you raised for your ex.”
Emily flinched. She should have known the seemingly casual topic would divert to last night. “Yes…but I did also get a loan from Ciara. I didn’t tell her what it was for, though.”
The angry flash was in his eyes again, making Emily want to sink into a hole in the ground. “Chace, I know I was an idiot for losing all that money.”
“Who says it’s lost?” Chace asked almost conversationally, as he picked up a leather folder.
Emily’s mind darted as she wondered what he meant, but before she could pry further, he said, “Keep in mind we have that interview with the lifestyle magazine tomorrow. Still think you’re up for it?”
“Oh, that,” Emily said slowly. The magazine had called weeks ago, asking to do a piece on them before the wedding. There’d be questions and cameras to take photos of them being the perfect couple. It hadn’t seemed like such an ordeal to look ahead to, but now it did – especially when she wasn’t sure anymore where she stood with Chace.
“I believe I am. Are you?” she shot back, lifting her chin slightly.
Chace paused, and Emily had to bear his unwavering regard for several moments.
She stood still as he strode up to her. She could catch the wave of his scent, like ice and fire chilling and heating her in turns – beautiful, alive, and yet almost as unattainable as Mount Everest. Everything inside her pulsated with the wish to be close to him, but Emily daren’t make a move.
“If you’re referring to last night,” said Chace, “nothing’s changed in the way I feel about you.”
Emily let out an inaudible breath she hadn’t realized she was holding. Was he saying he still loved her, wanted her? Hope fluttered like butterfly wings in her heart.
He lifted a hand, and she felt him run the side of his index finger along her face, then down to brush against her jutting breasts. Instantly, her nipples popped hard against the flimsy fabric of her tee. The punch of lust that rammed into her stomach almost made her double over.
Leaning forward, Chace pressed a kiss on her lips before whispering, “Try not to break my trust again.”
He pulled away and stared hard into Emily’s eyes for a breath-stealing second, and then he moved aside heading for the door. “Call Lennox when you’re done so he can pick you up to meet me. We could go somewhere to eat. Or talk.”
One last time, he looked over at her from the open doorway, and Emily nodded, feeling subdued and yet happy enough to face the day now. She watched him leave and then let out a deep, quaky sigh as she wondered what next for them.
Chapter 8
Emily felt a rising surge of excitement as she made preparations for the upcoming trip. Emily and Chace were spending a weekend with Zane and Ciara at an exclusive Malibu resort hotel, right on Carbon beach.
It was one of the plans they’d made weeks ago, long before the whole Devan mess.
For Emily, this looked like a great opportunity to get back that spark. Though things seemed ironed out between her and Chace, she couldn’t help thinking that taking some time away before the wedding would do them some good.
Ciara had made for a perfect partner in crime as they’d spent the whole day waxing, pampering, and shopping. Emily took Ciara’s initiative and got a new lingerie set and swimsuit. Emily could just imagine how they would look on her nicely toned pear shape.
She’d been working on her figure all the way up to the wedding. She’d always be curvy, but she’d made sure to always stay supple and constantly fought off any flab. For a pair of big girls, Emily and Ciara usually turned heads because they looked so comfortable in their skin and knew how to definitely “work” it.
Thinking back to that night Chace found out about Devan, Emily remembered hitting rock bottom. Now there was no place to move but up, especially with Chace proving they’d put it behind them. They were back to sleeping in the same bedroom, much to Emily’s relief.
It had been three days since Emily flung wine in Jan’s annoyingly smug face. In that time, Emily had did some reflecting on herself. Chace, too, seemed preoccupied and though the chemistry sizzled between them every second they were close, sex had taken the backburner for now.
Emily would have panicked at that status quo if not for the fact that each night, when Chace slipped in next to her, he held her close in his arms. She’d feel his maleness throbbing hard against her, and she’d shiver. Didn’t he want them to…? As if reading the questions in her mind, he’d simply snuggle her closer, his face nestled in her curls. “I just need to hold you. Go back to sleep,” he’d say.
These days, she woke up feeling beautiful and empowered because she felt safe in having the heart of the man she loved. She just needed to bring things back to the beginning. She had to let Chace believe she’d never abuse his trust or feelings – and that he never needed to hold back from loving her.
When they arrived at the luxury oceanfront resort
, Emily just knew she was right about this being a perfect spot for some couple time. It actually felt like being on vacation, as they seemed transported from the chaos of city life with all its hustle and bustle, to the serenity of Malibu surf and sand.
They’d certainly planned a lot of rejuvenating activities for their little couple retreat. There were hiking trails aplenty, romance-themed driving tours, golf for the guys and for the girls the on-site spa treatments beckoned. Most of all, there was all that delightful outdoor dining promising an ocean view on the terrace while the Executive Chef created exclusive beachfront gourmet dishes.
Emily was determined to make this two-night stay one to remember.
Each couple picked one of the many luxurious bungalow suites the resort provided, and Emily thought it was awesome they’d be doing everything together. The bonds between the four of them had grown stronger over the past months, making Emily glad things had worked out between her and Chace. The foursome’s friendship was one of the many reasons she felt that being with Chace was so right and the best choice she could ever have made.
On arrival, Emily walked into their spacious suite she gave a loud gasp. It was beautiful and had an inviting, residential setting. Gorgeously bathed in light, the suite opened onto a wide balcony and from their ground floor suite they could stand and view the unparalleled vista of the resort’s lush gardens and in the distance, the Pacific Ocean.
“This feels just like a honeymoon drill, doesn’t it?” Emily murmured, sending Chace a smile over her shoulder. He was leaning against the doorframe, his eyes not on the scenery, but on her. Emily’s cheeks warmed in shyness and she caught his stirring gaze. She never wanted him to ever stop looking at her like that.
“Chace?”
His intense gaze eased as he slowly smiled in response to her questioning look. “Sure it does. There’s no such thing as too much practice, so I suggest we make the most of this weekend.” So saying, he eased up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. Emily hummed in contentment, feeling him nuzzle her neck. “You give the best back hugs,” she purred.
Chace chuckled. “And?”
“And no fishing for compliments,” she said in a reprimanding tone, which got Chace tickling her in the sides in retaliation until she gasped and begged. Running inside, she was soon toppled to the bed, squirming beneath Chace as he relentlessly continued his tickle assault on all her weak spots.
Out of breath and almost sobbing with irrepressible giggles, Emily then felt Chace seize both of her wrists in one hand and pin them high above her head. Being much stronger and heavier than she was, it was no effort for him to have her trapped and helpless beneath him.
Emily thought she was in for more tickling, but thankfully that was not the case as she felt the air around them turn steamy. Their mirth faded while their eyes held in unspoken mutual desire that almost made it hard to breathe.
Emily knew that look in those gray eyes too well. “Chace…we have to get ready to join Zane and Ciara for dinner.”
“That’s in over an hour. We have time.”
The last thing Emily wanted to do was stop him. It felt like so long since they’d shared their mind-blowing intimacy. She loved everything about the way Chace made love to her, even the way he took charge most times. Not asking, just taking the lead in ways Emily knew would be pleasurable for them both. His hard body felt so good atop her soft, giving frame. In this amazingly designed suite, it did feel like the honeymoon had already begun. When he lowered his head and fused their lips together, she eagerly responded with every fiber of her being.
She moaned and submitted to his kiss, his passion. She could hardly wait for the day two weeks from now that they would be bound together as man and wife. Only then would her mind truly be at rest after all the pressure of the past few months.
Breaking off the kiss, Chace drew back and stared into Emily’s face. Spellbound by those silvery gray orbs, Emily couldn’t look away as he asked, “Are you mine?”
The raspy quality of his tone sent feathery shivers down her spine. She would have touched him, but she still had her wrists trapped in his fist above her head. His free hand encircled her throat for a moment, giving Emily even more of a sense of helplessness. That edge of dominance that usually tempered his touch was one of the very reasons she was getting so hot and wet for him now.
His fingers shifted from her throat to mold her breast, highly-thrust and beaded by her eager little nipples. Chace twisted one chocolate nub between his thumb and index finger, while Emily fought to hold his gaze as she writhed from pleasure.
“Yes,” she finally let out, her throat tight.
“Then say it,” he demanded. His eyes had grown dark, just as his touch grew more exacting. Emily grimaced as pleasure shifted into pain and back again, setting her nerve cells alight.
“I’m yours,” she said, knowing from just his expression what he wanted to hear. It was amazing being able to read him that well, to know what cravings pushed him because they were the same she was accountable to. Just as Emily constantly needed to be reassured that Chace felt as deeply for her as she did for him, she had come to realize it could well be the same for Chace.
“I’m yours, Chace,” she repeated, even more firmly. “Always yours.”
They might be just words, but she put her heart and soul into them and saw Chace smile, a slight, teasing, yet pleased smile that tugged at her emotions. “Mine,” he murmured, not seeking a response. Their eyes locked, and Emily felt him move his hand lower to cup her sex. She could feel her wetness as his fingers explored her soft, smooth folds. I want to touch you, her eyes seemed to plead up at his, but he shook his head, indicating he knew, but wasn’t setting her free just yet.
Maybe I don’t need to be free, thought Emily, gasping aloud as Chace slipped a finger into her tightness. Sometimes, putting herself beneath his power was its own freedom. Knowing and believing in his love and passion and finding trust and comfort even in his most rugged caress was the most liberating sensation.
Especially to someone like Emily who’d never truly been able to let go or succumb. With Chace, she’d learned ways in which submission can bring its own strengths, its own balance. If this was confinement, then it would also become an utmost escape. Within the walls of Chace’s heart, Emily would always be able to run free.
He was her lover and her best friend, her missing piece that completed her being. Emily already knew she’d never, ever feel for anyone else the way she felt for Chace. And she wouldn’t even want to. This was for real and once they were married, it would be forever. It was all she hoped and wished for.
“You’re mine,” Chace said a little softer, barely above a whisper. Slipping another finger to join the one inside her, he probed and thrust. Emily moaned, and he kissed her, whispering against her mouth, “And I’m yours.”
Yes, thought Emily with inner exultation that showed in her joyful expression. His dark head bent to her breast to suck, nibble, and lick. From one to the other, he teased her nipples till Emily almost wept from the agonizing pleasure. Wanting him inside her, she begged him to take her. She needed to give him every part of her, to have not even a sliver of breadth between their bodies.
“Baby,” Chace growled in response to her pleas, gently pulling out his fingers from the Velcro-like suction of her vagina. Emily felt swollen and sweetly sore from the invasion of those two tightly wedged fingers, but she welcomed his much more substantial phallus to stretch her tight walls. It always hurt so good and made her feel so alive that she wouldn’t want it any other way. She’d always enjoy the feeling of snugness that came from his big, hard shaft deep inside her, making her conscious of every single throbbing inch.
They didn’t have much more time, not that their almost feverish passion could even be sustained for much longer. They were too far gone and the few nights apart had felt like eons. He had already given her two perfect orgasms, but judging by the angled ferocity of his thrusts, Emily was about to be gifted wit
h a third. This time she wasn’t alone, Chace pumping his release deep inside her the same time that she came, loudly and intensely.
Emily clung to him as long as she could, not wanting to lose the moment. Chace, embedded within her, their essences merging and heartbeats in sync, was the best slice of paradise she could dream of. For now. And after they truly started their future together once they were married, Emily made a vow to keep treasuring and fighting for more and more moments just like this – from now until forever.
Chapter 9
When Emily awoke on the final morning of their stay, she never imagined the day would end in catastrophe.
Their first night had been beautiful. All four had dinner together, enjoying the elegantly presented meal while overlooking the stunning ocean view. It was a relaxed atmosphere as both couples laughed and chatted.
Emily’s heart swelled as she vowed to herself to treasure this memory. To see Zane and Ciara sharing loving, indulgent looks and then to glance at Chace and see his gray eyes alight with warmth and love for her…made Emily feel as if life was complete.
There was no talk of work or business. They simply enjoyed the delicious California farm-to-table cuisine and drank the distinctive wines offered.
The next morning after the girls had returned from spa treatments and the guys from their workouts, they freshened up and then met for lattes paired with decadent truffles and freshly baked croissants. Getting to enjoy it in the open air, sheltered under a coral tree was the best treat ever. To work off the food they later settled for some beach volleyball and then it was off again for some brunch, where Emily got to taste the best burger she’d ever eaten. It was no wonder the restaurant was award-winning.
They’d enjoyed much of the special VIP treatment made available within the graciously appointed getaway. Of note was getting to relax in the revitalizing spa pool just steps from their suites. Every moment was special because they experienced it together. It would have been marvelous if it was just Chace and Emily as a couple, but it felt all the more exciting having Ciara and Zane along.
