Charmed by Chase

by Theresa Paolo

  “I am holding you to that,” she said, pointing her finger at him.

  He smirked. “I have no doubt that you will.”

  It was about a twenty-minute drive, and once they got there, Chase went to the bed of his truck and grabbed a backpack. He unzipped it, pulling out a can of bug spray. He started spraying himself down and then held the can out to her.

  “No thanks,” she said. She hated the smell and how it always left behind a sticky residue. She’d rather take her chance with the mosquitoes.

  “It’s not an offer; it’s a must.”

  “I can handle a few bug bites,” she said.

  “That’s fine and well, but if you get bit by a tick and get Lyme disease it’s not going to go away in a few days.”

  Her eyes widened, and she snatched the can out of his hand, spraying her entire body down, including her hair.

  “I said spray yourself, not bathe in it.” Chase laughed.

  “I’m not taking any chances.”

  He smirked. “I thought you could handle a few bug bites?”

  “Only if they don’t have any long-term effects.”

  He put the spray in the bag and zipped it back up before slipping his arms through the straps. “You ready?” he asked.

  “Let’s do this.”

  He started toward an opening in the woods, and she followed after him not wanting to leave too much distance between them in case a moose decided to show up. The closest thing she’d ever seen to a real moose was Bullwinkle, but she doubted a real-life moose would be as well-meaning as the cartoon.

  Chase turned toward her, eyes wide as he ran in her direction. “Watch out!” he exclaimed.

  Her heart slammed against her chest and a scream tore from her throat. She went to run but her legs were two pillars of ice frozen in place. She only hoped that he would get to her before whatever danger it was he was warning her against did.

  Her legs shook right before fight or flight kicked in. She finally managed to get one leg to pivot and she was just about to bolt as far away as her body would carry her when Chase grabbed her in a hug from behind.

  Relief raced through her veins as his strong body pressed against her. He smelled of bug spray and she took comfort in the scent. She breathed deeply, filling her lungs with much needed air, allowing his arms around her to calm her. She waited for him to make the next move when his laughter echoed around them.

  It took her only a second to realize there was no danger. The jerk was joking. She spun out of his hold and he jumped back. “You’re such an ass!” Her legs that only a moment ago could barely move, stomped toward him with determination.

  He took off and she followed in pursuit, refusing to let that stunt go unpunished. Using the strength she’d discovered inside of her after taking one too many spin classes, she pushed herself harder. She caught up to him and gave him a playful shove.

  He stumbled slightly but quickly regained his footing.

  “You should have seen your face,” he said through a laugh. “It was classic.” He held his mouth open, eyes wide, mimicking her at that moment.

  She gave him a good swat to his chest, and he caught her hand, bringing it up to his mouth and kissing her fingertips. Goosebumps scattered across her skin giving way to desire.

  “Don’t try to play nice with me now,” she said, her breath much breathier than she anticipated.

  With a slight tug, he pulled her close and guided her hand up and over his shoulder. Unable to resist, she linked her arms around his neck and tilted her head up to him. His mouth curved into a slow sexy smile before capturing her lips. Sweet waves crashed into her as his hands, warm and strong, tightened around her waist and drew her even closer. Tilting his head, he deepened the kiss and she let him. Passion consumed her as the soft rasp of his tongue slid against the tender flesh of her mouth.

  He cupped the nape of her neck, holding her steady as his ravenous kiss turned to a slow steady stroke of his lips.

  “Sorry,” he said against her mouth before pulling back and smiling down at her. His gray eyes dark with desire made her feel like she was the only thing in the world that mattered. “But I’ve been wanting to do that since the minute I saw you answer the door.”

  “Scare me to death?” she joked.

  His lip twitched. “No, kiss you.”

  She blinked up, meeting his dark gaze head on, lips still tingling from his kiss. “Then why didn’t you?”

  His brow furrowed as he stroked his thumb across her bottom lip. “I don’t know, but I guess it’s a good thing.”

  She dabbed her tongue against the pad of his thumb as it reached the corner of her mouth. “Why is that?”

  “Because there is no doubt if I kissed you Willy would have taken full advantage and made his escape.”

  She laughed as warmth spread through her chest and into her heart. He might’ve hated cats but the fact that he was concerned about her furball struck her in a way that was as unexpected as it was touching. “You’d probably still be trying to get him out of the tree.”

  “Nah, I think him and I have an understanding now.”

  “Oh really? If I remember correctly last time Willy drew blood.”

  Chase shrugged. “It was a love mark.”

  Bex laughed, loud and boisterous. It felt good to freely laugh without wondering if it would capture some unwanted attention. Out here, in the woods, it was only her, Chase, and nature. Nobody could ruin this moment.

  “I’ll remember that the next time,” she said.

  “Let’s just hope there isn’t a next time.”

  “That’s up to Willy.”

  “You sure you don’t want to get him a leash?”

  “I already told you. I’ll put Willy on a leash when you’re willing to put one on.”

  “I don’t have a habit of chasing squirrels up trees.”

  “Good point but still.” She turned to him, running a finger along his neck. “I think a pretty white collar with Swarovski crystals would look very nice on you.”

  “Fine no leash.”

  “Glad we could finally come to an agreement on that,” she said with a satisfied smirk.

  “Not like you really gave me a choice.”

  “I think I gave you a great choice. Do you know how many people would kill to be draped in Swarovski crystals?”

  “Do I look like one of those people?” he asked, dark eyebrow raised in a menacing way that caused a rush of heat to surge to her core.

  Her teeth slid over her swollen bottom lip as she took in every inch of his strong body. Surrounded by dirt and trees, dressed in a simple white t-shirt that clung to solid muscle and cargo pants that sat low on his hips, he was the definition of rugged perfection.

  Before she could answer, he moved toward her, grabbing her from behind, and pulled her against him. His lips brushed against the crook of her neck, and his breath warm on her skin, caused a chill to shoot down her spine. “So?”

  She held out answering, loving the feel of his body wrapped around her. Savoring the warm safety of his arms and how being with him made her forget about all the things she was running from. With Chase, she didn’t feel the need to run, if anything she wanted to stand still with him as long as she could.

  His hands roamed up her sides and he turned her to face him. She melted beneath his gaze, cherishing how one look from him made her heart happy.

  She ran her fingers through his hair, the hints of copper accented by the midday sun. He didn’t need crystals or anything to make him shine, he did just fine on his own. She lifted up on tiptoes and pressed a chaste kiss to his lips.

  “Come on,” Chase said. “We’re almost there.”

  “Almost where?” she asked as they fell into step side by side.

  Their fingers brushed against each other as he turned to her, a smile lighting up his entire face. “You’ll see.” He took her hand in his, lacing his fingers between hers and guided her farther into the woods.

  They continued walking, the
path becoming more enclosed and secluded. It smelled fresh with new spring growth. The rich green leaves stood out against the deep blue sky. Birds chirped from all around them, and Bex absorbed every peaceful sound.

  She wasn’t used to hearing birds or old pine needles crunching under foot. She started her days with the sound of L.A. traffic and the constant stream of questions yelled at her from ensuing paparazzi whenever she got out of the car. This was a nice change of pace—something she could actually get used to.

  She relished in the stillness around her, absorbing the calming waves of silence. When she had packed her bags and left L.A. she had no idea what to expect but this was better than anything she could have ever imagined.

  A few minutes later they stepped out into a clearing and stood in front of a large lake. The trees reflected off the water’s surface making the lake look like a canvas of a beautiful painting.

  “Wow,” Bex managed as she scanned the entire area, taking in every breathtaking view. “This is unreal.” She slipped out her phone and snapped a few pictures, knowing a photo would never do this place justice but wanting to try to capture some of the beauty.

  “This is where we start our ascent. You ready for that?”

  “Lead the way.”

  She followed Chase around the perimeter of the lake to another path that lead back into the woods.

  “The view from the top is unreal,” he said over his shoulder.

  “It can’t possibly be better than this?” Bex said, looking back to the picturesque lake.

  Chase threw her a smile over his shoulder. “Just you wait.”

  Chapter 8

  Chase followed the familiar path, checking every minute or so to make sure Rebecca was keeping pace. It wasn’t a particularly hard trail, but athletic ability sure helped the climb. Rebecca seemed to be doing just fine, pausing every now and again to take it all in.

  He loved watching the awe in her eyes, the sheer joy whenever she pointed out a large mushroom or a scattering of wildflowers. He would love to see her face if they actually saw a moose. He smiled thinking about it.

  “How you doing?” he asked.

  “Great,” she said. “How often do you come here?”

  “A handful of times throughout the year. Not nearly as much as I used to.”

  This place used to be his saving grace. After his mom died, he would spend hours getting lost in the trees and ignoring life. He refused to cry in front of his sisters, but some days his emotions got the better of him. Those were the days he spent out here the most. Instead of crying, he would walk off his emotions until his thighs burned and he didn’t have the energy to shed a single tear. This place he was bringing Rebecca to see was special to him. It was a place he came to when alone to reflect and center himself. His own personal oasis that he had never felt the need to bring anyone to see, but for some reason, he wanted to show it to her.

  She was going through a rough time and hiding from her life, so he hoped that by showing her his special place that it might bring her some measure of peace as it had for him many times before.

  They finally made it to the top, and Chase looked out at the wide-open space, an endless abyss infinitely stretching across the horizon, before turning to her. Her brown hair slipped from her ponytail and the light breeze tossed it across her face. She didn’t seem to notice, eyes completely focused on the view.

  “It’s something, isn’t it?” he said.

  She was silent for a moment as her gaze moved across the tree tops. “Rise above the clouds and you will find the sunshine,” she said and he looked at her with curiosity. She caught his eye and smiled, a slight tinge of pink blooming on her cheeks. “It’s something my dad used to say when times were rough. Being up here is like seeing the meaning to those words. If that even makes sense.”

  He reached into his backpack and pulled out two bottles of water, handing her one. She took it, her eyes never leaving the skyline.

  “When I was younger I would come here to talk to my mom,” he said. “I thought being closer to the sky meant I was closer to her.” He had no idea why he just told her that. It was his own personal secret that he held dearly.

  Rebecca took her eyes from the horizon briefly, but he couldn’t look at her. The emotion was too raw, and he wasn’t ready to show her that side of him yet.

  “How’d she die?” she asked, looking back out to the treetops.

  “Car accident.” He’d come to terms with it the best he could a long time ago, but the words still stabbed relentlessly at his heart. “She was driving home after a late-night shift. Fell asleep behind the wheel, veered off the road, and hit a tree. Died on impact.”

  “I’m so sorry.”

  “She didn’t suffer,” Chase said, walking over to a boulder and sitting down. He bent down and picked up a stick, fidgeting with it. “It’s not much, but it’s something.”

  “What about your dad?”

  Chase took a deep breath and let it out slowly. He didn’t talk about that worthless use of space. Words were more than he deserved. If Chase had his way, the man would be erased from existence.

  “He was an alcoholic. Abusive. He took off when I was ten. Best day of our lives.”

  “That’s why you don’t drink,” Rebecca said, closing her eyes and nodding as the realization hit her.

  “It’s not that I don’t drink. I will have a beer with friends or for a special occasion. I just…” Chase didn’t know how to put into words what he felt, but for her he tried. “I know I’m not my father. Our personalities couldn’t be any more different, but I watched what alcohol did to him. I’m afraid that whatever it provoked in him is in me, too, and I don’t want to ever find out.”

  “I don’t know you all that well, but other than your strong dislike for cats, I don’t think you have an abusive bone in your body.”

  “How can you say that? Like you said you don’t even know me.” They were basically strangers, slowly learning more and more about the other, but how could she make such a bold claim? Especially after the attitude he copped with her on their first encounter.

  “Because when Willy freaked out on you and the ladder teetered. You could have thrown him to save yourself but instead you held onto him tightly, risking yourself for his safety.”

  “Maybe I just didn’t want to hear you yelling at me that I hurt your cat. After all, you did yell at me for scaring him.”

  She laughed. “That was after you were safely back on the ground. You had no idea that was coming while you were up there. Besides, you’re a fireman; it’s in your nature to help people. Someone like that doesn’t purposely hurt someone.”

  “Some of the most admired people turn out to be monsters. People you think you know, can trust.”

  “I know,” Rebecca said, and the way her eyes darted down, Chase sensed there was even more to her own story. “But you’re not a monster, despite your brooding.”

  “My father was. Watching what he did to my mom, to my family… that’s not something you forget. Like I said the day he left was the best damn day of our lives. Losing my mom sucked, but for four years I got to see her happy. In the grand scheme of things, four years doesn’t seem like a whole lot of time, but after years of my father’s wrath, those years felt like an eternity.”

  “You still miss her,” Rebecca said more as a statement than a question.

  “Every damn day.”

  “I miss my parents, and they’re still alive. I couldn’t imagine what that kind of loss would feel like.”

  He tossed the stick to the ground. “It sucks.”

  “I bet it does.”

  He glanced at her, ready to force a smile, but seeing her green eyes focused solely on him, he didn’t have to put much effort into it. He took her hand and drew her toward him. She sat down beside him, her leg pressing against his. “Tell me about your parents,” he said.

  She looked back out to the horizon. “You haven’t looked me up on the internet?”

  “No,” he sa
id honestly. Even after what Brooke told him he couldn’t bring himself to do it. “Why would I do that when I can just ask you?”

  Her eyes met his and there was an unspoken appreciation shining back at him. He imagined not many people let her present herself without already having a preconceived notion of who she was. It was exactly why he’d avoided those ridiculous gossip sites.

  He wanted to know the real Rebecca, not the characters she played or the identity people thrust upon her without regard to the actual truth.

  “My life wasn’t always so glamourous,” she said, tilting her head away from him as if she was ashamed.

  He rested a finger under her chin and urged her to look back at him. “You have no reason to be embarrassed. Not with me.”

  Her eyes softened as she held his gaze. “I grew up in a trailer park,” she began. “But it’s nothing like the movies make it out to be. We were a small community, and we looked after our own. Kind of like this town. Everyone was battling their own demons, though. My dad worked three jobs to pay the bills, and my mom worked as a waitress until chronic pain made it impossible for her to keep up the grueling schedule.”

  “I bet they’re happy that you’re successful. They don’t have to worry about the bills anymore.”

  Rebecca laughed. “Not my parents. They refuse to leave the trailer park. I even bought them a house but they won’t live there.”

  “That’s insane.”

  “Like I said, it’s a close-knit community. If someone bought you a house tomorrow but you had to leave behind the place you’ve called home all these years, would you?”

  Chase didn’t even need to think about it. “Probably not.”

  “Exactly. They won’t take money from me either, which is super frustrating, but I’ve found ways around it.”

  “Like what?”

  “I called their insurance company and set up an auto-pay on my checking account. Did the same thing with a few of their credit cards.”

  “Did they ever notice?”

  “Of course they did, but I wasn’t going to stop so they gave in. It’s not much, but it gives me peace of mind knowing there are a few less bills they have to take care of.”