Charmed by Chase

by Theresa Paolo

  She watched as the wall he had put up crumbled and his gaze focused on her completely. “I need you, too,” he admitted, taking her face into his hands and looking straight to into her soul. “So damn bad.”

  Her chest was heavy like her heart might burst. “Then what are you waiting for?”

  He covered her mouth with his and she melted into the kiss. Each brush of their lips, erased every uneasy feeling until all Bex could focus on was the way their bodies moved as one.

  There were still things they needed to figure out, and she believed in time they would, but for now all that mattered was his hands on her body and his mouth on hers.

  After hours of love making, Bex slept like the dead. When she opened her eyes, she was surprised to see the sun shining through the skylight. Chase’s arm was securely around her waist, holding her tight like she might run away from him.

  She watched him, loving how cute he looked in slumber. He smiled, the tension that had been so evident yesterday nothing more that a distant memory.

  She reached for her cellphone to check the time and make sure Chase wouldn’t be late to work, but when she clicked on her screen her phone was riddled with missed calls and notifications for every social media platform.

  “What the heck?” She clicked open the first notification and her heart stopped. A picture of Chase stared back at her and not just any picture. A picture of him, angry faced with his lip curled and eyes as black as the night sky.

  “Oh no…”

  Chase stirred beside her and pulled her tight against him. “It’s too early for those kind of words,” he said.

  She didn’t know how to break it to him. She clicked over to the next notification, and it got worse. The awful picture was there alongside another of him in his uniform with the title: Five Things You Need to Know About Chase Marshall.

  “Oh no,” she said again.

  Chase grabbed her phone from her and tossed it aside. “Don’t let that ruin your day before it even starts.”

  “But, Chase…” She had no idea how to start. “That photographer must’ve sold the pictures. You’re all over the internet. Like all over.”

  “Who gives a shit?” he said and all Bex could do was stare down at him. His eyes were still closed, a smile still lifting the edges of his lips.

  She smacked the top of his head.

  “Ow! What the hell was that for?”

  “I’m just making sure you’re awake.”

  He let out a breath and sat up. “I am now.”

  “Good. Did you hear me?”

  “Yes, I heard you.” He picked up his own phone and looked at the time before getting out of bed. He ducked so not to hit his head on the ceiling and pulled his shirt on. She watched as his sexy abs disappeared beneath the white fabric.

  “Okay so…”

  “So what? I knew yesterday there was a possibility of this happening.”

  “But the picture… it’s bad.”

  Chase smirked. “He didn’t get my good side?”

  “How are you making jokes right now? You were so angry yesterday.”

  “And today I’m not.” He kneeled on the mattress and crawled toward her. “If it’s one downfall I have to deal with for being with you then I’ll deal with it.” He kissed her. “You’re worth it.”

  “So you’re not angry?”

  “No.”

  “Do you want to see the picture?”

  “I couldn’t care less about the damn picture. I have to get to work and while I’m gone, do me a favor and stay off the internet.”

  “But—”

  He rested his finger on her lips. “No buts. Just do. Enjoy the day. Go see Sarah or go for a hike. Actually, don’t do that alone.”

  “Afraid I’ll get lost?”

  “Well that, but I had to carry you back the last time, if you remember.”

  “That had nothing to do with the hike!”

  He gave her a wicked smile then captured her lips in a sweeping kiss that had her head spinning. “I have to go.”

  He sat up, and she met his gaze, letting the sheet fall. His eyes went right to her chest, and she dragged her finger down her lip, letting it fall to her hardened nipple.

  “Surely you have time for breakfast.”

  His eyes darkened as he dove back on the bed and flipped her beneath him.

  “I always have time for you,” he said before devouring her.

  ***

  Chase flew into the firehouse on cloud nine. He could still taste Rebecca on his lips, feel her soft curves pressing against his body, and hear the tiny moans that slipped from her lips.

  Every night with her made for a better morning. He stopped thinking about when she would leave and started enjoying the time he did have with her. There was no point in worrying over something he couldn’t change.

  It was eerily quiet as he made his way through the garage bay. Miguel, a morning person, usually greeted him with a smartass smile and too much energy.

  As Chase moved farther into the station, his eyes caught the picture covered walls. He scanned the large space, taking in the hundreds of copies of him looking like an angry psychopath.

  “You have got to be kidding me,” he mumbled as he started ripping them down.

  “It’s him!” Miguel cried out. “Oh my god. Our very own celebrity.”

  “Shut up,” Chase said as he noticed Sam in the doorway, lips twitching. “You think this is funny?” Chase said to the Chief, holding up the pictures.

  “Damn straight,” he said. “I especially like the one of you with your nostrils flared. Great angle.”

  He worked with a bunch of great guys who loved to play pranks on each other, but at the end of the day, their behavior represented their station. Fun and games didn’t tarnish a reputation but the pictures he held in his hand could.

  Chase let out a breath. “You’re not mad?” he asked Sam.

  Sam shook his head. “No. I would’ve punched the son of a bitch. If you ask me, you showed great restraint.” He patted Chase on the shoulder. “I’m proud of you.”

  Chase didn’t know what to say. Maybe he should have let Rebecca show him the pictures so he wouldn’t have seen them for the first time in front of the guys. Though, they had seen him at his worst.

  “I think there’s only one thing left to say,” Sam said.

  “What’s that?”

  “Can I get your autograph?”

  Chase punched him in the arm. “Screw you,” he said as he ripped the pictures in half and tossed them in the nearest trash can. “Just do me a favor and help me take these down.”

  “But they took us so long to put up,” Miguel said.

  Chase glared at him, and Miguel shrugged, pulling down a picture.

  It took them twenty minutes to get them all down. “How long did this take you?” he asked.

  Sam laughed. “We had a few of the new recruits do it for us.”

  “The taxpayers’ money being put to good use,” Chase said.

  Sam shot him a look. “All the work was done and we had no calls. It was that or watch one of those stupid zombie movies Miguel keeps here.”

  “I’m kidding,” Chase said, resting his hand on Sam’s shoulder. Sam had been fighting for them to get more money in their budget, but he met resistance every time. There simply wasn’t enough, which was why they’d all gone so long without raises.

  Chase didn’t mind. He didn’t need the money. It would be nice to have a little extra cash, but he grew up learning how to get by on very little so his income was more than enough to keep him and his sisters afloat.

  He wished he could find a way to help Sam get the basic needs met for the station. Their equipment needed updating, and they could use a new truck. Sam had been throwing around an idea of having a fundraiser—heaven knew the folks of Red Maple Falls loved any excuse to get together—but there simply weren’t enough people in the town to make a significant difference.

  “I have another meeting with the mayor in a mon
th. We’ll see what happens.”

  “If I haven’t said it before… thank you. I appreciate you fighting for us.”

  “Someone has to take care of your ass,” Sam said, holding up a picture. “Clearly you can’t be trusted.”

  Chase snatched the picture from his hand, crumpled it up, and threw it back at Sam. Sam with lightning fast reflexes caught it and tossed it into the trash. “By the way,” Sam said, “a reporter came by right before you got here.”

  “Jesus, do they even sleep?”

  “Apparently not. She got tipped off yesterday from the photographer and took the next flight here.”

  “What’d you tell her?” Chase asked.

  “I told her to get the hell off the property before I called the sheriff and had her fined for loitering.”

  Chase laughed. “Nice.”

  “She started throwing words at me, acting like she knows our laws, so I just shut the garage door on her. She hasn’t been back since.”

  “That wasn’t very Red Maple Falls of you,” Chase said.

  “Yes, it was,” Sam said. “We protect our own.”

  Chase was no longer that punk teenager Sam took under his wing and gave guidance to, but the man was still looking out for him. It was nice to know he had him in his life. “Thanks.”

  “You can show your appreciation by polishing the truck,” Sam said, patting him on the back then walking away, laughing as he went.

  Before Chase could polish the truck, they got a call for a traffic accident just at the town border. He hated accidents more than anything… mostly because of his mom. His biggest fear was coming onto an accident and finding a lifeless body slumped over the steering wheel. Or worse, a person just barely alive and fighting for every breath.

  Every wreck he arrived at he’d send up a silent prayer that the person was okay. He never wanted another family to go through what he had.

  Luckily, the wreck was nothing more than someone swerving to avoid a moose and side swiping a boulder. Her door was stuck, and she couldn’t get out, but the woman was more shaken up than hurt.

  After that he had a few other calls. Mrs. Wilkinson thought she smelled gas—which she did but only because she forgot she turned her stove on. Another bonfire which wasn’t uncommon for the time of year. No matter how many fire safety classes they held at the schools, some kids thought they were too cool to pay attention.

  Finally, the day was over and all Chase could think about was getting back to Rebecca. He slid his phone out, surprised not to have any texts from her. Maybe she did as he asked and avoided social media.

  He pulled Rebecca’s number up on his phone and hit call. After the second ring she answered. Her voice was filled with joy as if she had been laughing.

  “I’m done with my shift. You home?” he asked.

  “Actually, I’m not. I’m at your place.”

  “What?”

  “I called Brooke to see if she wanted to go shopping so we took a drive to the outlets with Sarah. Now Brooke and I are having a glass of wine and talking about you.”

  “I can only imagine what she’s saying.”

  “Wouldn’t you like to know,” Brooke’s voice came over the phone just before the call went dead.

  “That brat,” Chase said as he called Rebecca back.

  “Sorry,” she said when she answered. “That was Brooke.”

  “I figured as much.”

  “We’re cooking dinner, so hurry home,” she said, and an unexpected warmth surged through him, encasing his heart. The words that were so simple and most likely meaningless to her meant so much to him.

  He imagined life with Rebecca waiting for him after a long day at work, coming home and her greeting him at the door. It was a damn fairy tale, and he couldn’t help but lose himself in the idea.

  “I’ll be there soon,” he said and hung up, holding onto the fantasy the entire way.

  Chapter 16

  The next morning there was a knock and at the door and Bex smiled when she spotted Sarah with baby Theo in her arms. She scooped Willy up, refusing to let him get out again and flung the door open.

  She motioned for Sarah to come in. “Hey cutie,” she said to Theo, taking his little pudgy hand as they walked in. “It’s nice to meet you in person.” She had seen Theo many times on video chat but never in the flesh, and somehow, he was even cuter in person.

  “We can’t stay long, but I just wanted to check on you,” Sarah said as Bex shut the door and put Willy back on the ground.

  “I’m guessing you saw the tabloids?” Bex asked.

  Sarah scrunched her nose and nodded. “I did.”

  “So much for hiding out.”

  “What are you going to do now?” Sarah asked, sitting on the couch and positioning Theo on her lap. He saw Willy and started reaching for him and Sarah placed him down on the floor. He wobbled toward Willy who quickly headed to higher grounds where he couldn’t be bothered. “Are you going to head back home?”

  That was the last thing Bex wanted. She was having so much fun with Chase and she wasn’t ready to leave yet.

  Bex leaned against the counter, watching Theo walk back to Sarah. She smiled as he tripped but got right back up.

  “I’m not ready to go home.”

  “Would a certain somebody whose face is currently plastered all over the internet have something to do with that?”

  Bex could feel the heat filling her cheeks. “Maybe.” She smiled, unable to keep the grin off her face. “I like him. A lot.”

  Sarah gathered Theo back in her arms and handed him a bottle from her bag. “I would love for you to stay here in Red Maple Falls forever, but we both know that’s not possible.”

  “I know and that’s why it’s so complicated.”

  “I’ve learned that the complicated things have a way of working themselves out so don’t lose hope yet.”

  “Thanks.”

  Bex glanced at her phone that was flashing like crazy. She had silenced it after she woke up so she didn’t have to deal with anything.

  “Do you need to take that?” Sarah asked.

  “It’s been going off all morning. I guess I can’t avoid everybody forever.”

  “Unfortunately not. I say it’s better to get it out of the way. Sometimes thinking about it makes it worse.”

  Sarah was right. The anticipation of the discussions that needed to be had were working her up into a frenzy and it wasn’t necessary. She needed to suck it up and take care of business.

  “Why are you always right?”

  “Because I’m awesome,” Sarah said then shook her head. “Oh my god I’m starting to sound like Cooper.”

  “It’s adorable.”

  “No, it’s terrifying.”

  They laughed as Sarah got up, situating Theo on her hip. “I have to head out. I need to make a run to the post office to mail out a few new orders, then stop by Forgotten Treasures to look at some new pieces.”

  “It’s okay,” Bex said, looking down at her still flashing phone. “I have a lot of calls to make.”

  “Good luck,” Sarah said. “Call me if you need anything.”

  “I will. Thank you.” Bex gave Sarah a hug and walked her out. She gave a wave as Sarah pulled away then looked back at her phone.

  Even though she didn’t want to, Bex called her publicist to discuss the latest incident and to be on standby if Chase’s brush with Hollywood turned into a tabloid field day. As another day passed, it seemed the frenzy was dying down, or maybe it was just the calm before the storm. She hoped the forecast stayed clear, and there’d be no unexpected downpours.

  Then she called her manager. She hadn’t spoken to Jill since she showed up expecting her to pack up her stuff and leave.

  It’s not that she hated Jill—it was far from that; the woman helped make her—but she didn’t like the way Jill made her feel like she had no control of her own life. It was an uneasy feeling that ate at her, and up until now, it had been something she could ignore.
r />   “Bex darling, finally! Please tell me you’re out of that retched place and back in L.A.”

  “Sorry to disappoint you, Jill, but I’m still in Red Maple Falls.”

  “Ugh why? Is it that boy you were with? He’s cute, I’ll give you that, but there are just as many cute guys back here.”

  “Chase is more than a pretty face. He’s someone I could see—”

  “See what? Don’t tell me you want to be serious with this guy. Like I told him, he would be eaten up and spit out alive here. And don’t act like I’m telling you something you don’t already know. If you thought he could handle L.A. you would have brought him back here already.”

  “He has a family and a job—responsibilities he can’t just up and leave.”

  “And what about your responsibilities?”

  “I took care of everything before I left. I’m in between films. I didn’t have any interviews or photoshoots scheduled.”

  “Do you want me to point out the elephant in the room, or are we just going to talk around it?”

  Bex’s jaw tightened and her throat grew hot. She didn’t want to discuss the scandal. Or the fact that Chase’s face was splattered across every tabloid from here to Timbuktu. She just wanted to forget about it.

  “My publicist is dealing with it.”

  “That’s not good enough,” Jill said.

  “It has to be. At least for now.”

  “Look, Bex, you hired me to manage your career, and I’ve done a pretty damn good job of that so far, haven’t I?”

  “Yes.” It wasn’t something she could deny. She had the recognition of the Academy and the Screen Actors Guild, and while it was her acting that got her noticed, it was Jill who got her in the door. Jill was great at what she did but she demanded a lot and Bex was tired.

  “I’ve gotten you in front of some of the most respected people in this industry, and not just because of your acting ability, but because of your reputation. You have become a liability, and that’s a problem, especially if you’re not willing to clean up the damn mess.”

  “I don’t know what you want from me.”

  “I want you to stop living in some fairy tale and come home. This isn’t one of your movies. It’s not going to end the way you want it to. You might think I’m being unreasonable, but I’m just trying to protect you. That boy is from an entirely different world, and you might think you two can make it work, and maybe you will for a while, but then you’ll be away for months on end for a shoot, his privacy will be invaded, the simple life he’s used to will be gone. He’ll get sick of it, grow to resent you, and it won’t end pretty.”