Chase: A Secret Millionaire Romance Novel

by Violette Paradis

  Against my better judgment, I lean in and kiss her again. She doesn’t resist. A warm breeze stirs the wind chimes nearby and the creaking house strains against the wind. Amber pulls back again and tastes her lips as if she just ate something delicious. We stare at each other and smile for a moment.

  “Are things gonna be weird now?” She asks.

  “Do you want them to be weird?”

  She laughs and looks down, allowing her long brown hair to fall into her face. “Things were already weird, to be honest.”

  “Well, then… let’s just bask in the weirdness.” I reach out and touch her soft cheek.

  She smiles. “Alright.”

  The sound of footsteps inside catches our attention.

  “Maybe we should head inside,” I say.

  She nods.

  Pulling the earbud out of my ear, I hand it to her.

  “Thanks for the music. It’s good to hear something other than merengue music. Although, it’s no Amber Sweet.”

  She laughs. “Any time.”

  Pulling back, I adjust myself. I can already feel the cold from her absence.

  “I’ll see you tomorrow,” she says as she pulls away.

  I nod. “See you tomorrow, Phoenix.”

  Heat still rushing through my body, I sit back and look out at the forest. That was definitely not a first kiss. One thing is clear: my attraction to Amber is no longer up for debate.

  15

  STRAWBERRY MOON

  Amber

  The next morning, I anxiously get ready for the day. I’m tired because I barely slept due to thinking about Gabe all night. Not only was that kiss insanely hot, but his lips were loaded with meaning. I could feel how much he liked me through the way he kissed me, the way he touched me. I almost feel nervous to see him again. It’s crazy. I’ve never felt this way about a guy before. I thought I was supposed to be the cool one, but here I am pacing my room and absent-mindedly biting at my nails.

  When I finally convince myself I’m being irrational, I pull on some jean shorts and a black tank top before heading downstairs for breakfast. When I walk into the kitchen, I can’t help but smile when I see Gabe sitting at the breakfast table next to Rita, who predictably has her nose stuck in a book. Gabe looks impossibly hot in his black t-shirt as he’s sitting casually back in his chair, his hand cradling his coffee mug which is sitting on the table. His black hair is all messy and his dimples are impossibly cute. As his gaze finds mine, I see deviance flash in his eyes.

  “Good morning,” I say, choosing to sit across from him.

  “Good morning,” he says with a subtle smile.

  “Mornin’,” Rita mumbles, barely looking up from her book.

  There’s already a big bowl of scrambled eggs and a tall stack of pancakes on the table, along with maple syrup, butter, a big pot of coffee, and a tall pitcher of cold orange juice. Marigold is standing at the kitchen counter cutting up strawberries.

  “I’ll be right there!” Marigold says.

  Grabbing the pot of coffee, I pour myself a cup. I try to feign interest in the preparation of my coffee but I can’t resist looking up at Gabe. And he can tell. There’s that self-assured smirk of his—the one that tells me he knows he’s hot. Smirking, he settles deeper in his chair as he stares back. His gaze is so electric that I almost look away. Ignoring my instincts, I stay strong and stare back. I’m able to control my smile and give him my rock and roll face as I try to intimidate him with the power of my gaze. It works because he looks down and smiles. Satisfied, I smirk to myself.

  “What’s going on?” Rita asks, looking up from her book. She’s looking straight at me.

  “What do you mean?” I ask.

  “You’re smiling at each other.” She narrows her eyes.

  “We’re not allowed to smile?” Gabe asks.

  “No, you’re allowed… it’s just… you’re just looking at each other weird.”

  “It’s just a joke he told me last night,” I lie.

  Gabe raises his brows in surprise. I try to look innocent.

  “Well, I’d like to hear it.” Rita puts down her book and looks at him expectantly.

  “Me too.” Marigold carries the bowl of strawberries over to the table. “I’d like to hear it too.”

  “Go ahead,” I say.

  Gabe gives me a look that lets me know I’m in trouble later. I smile wickedly.

  “Are you sure you don’t want to tell it since you liked it so much?” He asks.

  “And deprive them of your excellent comedic flair? Of course not!”

  He gives me a furtive look as if telling me: Look at the trouble you’ve caused now. I look back with a devilish smile as if to say: I know.

  “Well?” Rita’s high voice pierces the tension.

  “Okay.” He puts down his fork and sits back in his chair. “What do you call the packaging a dinosaur comes in?”

  “What?” Rita asks.

  “A velociwrapper.”

  “Ugh.” Rita rolls her eyes. “That’s terrible.”

  I giggle and shake my head.

  “So bad,” I mouth.

  He shrugs.

  “Tell the real one.” Rita stares him down.

  He looks at her in surprise. “Real one?”

  “The one that actually made Amber laugh.”

  “That was it!”

  “Amber is too good to laugh at that crappy joke!”

  Surprise, Gabe looks at me. I give him a shrug.

  “But it did make her laugh!” He says. “She laughed just now!”

  Rita shakes her head. “I don’t believe it.”

  He sighs. “Okay, fine… what do you call a dinosaur that takes care of its teeth?”

  “Not another dinosaur joke,” Rita laments as she performs another epic eye roll.

  “What is it?” Marigold asks. It’s clear that at least she enjoys these dumb jokes.

  “A flossiraptor,” he says. “Thank you, everyone. I’ll be here all week!”

  Rita moans. “That’s what you were laughing at?”

  I shrug. “What can I say? I have low standards.”

  Gabe gives me a playful push under the table.

  ***

  Later that day, I’m organizing the books in Marigold’s small library. I can tell that Rita has taken them out and put them back without any concern for order. Gabe is downstairs installing the cupboards. I’ve been patiently waiting for him to visit me so we can talk about that kiss. I haven’t had a chance to be alone with him all day and I’m antsy to make sure he doesn’t regret what we did. After all, the attraction between us has been ramping up in tension over the past couple of weeks. It was only a matter of time before it bubbled over completely.

  I sing to myself as I dust the books and put them away.

  “Hey,” a voice says.

  Smiling, I turn around to face him.

  He’s wearing a crisp white t-shirt and black sweat pants which are sitting low on his hips. He’s not covered in sawdust like he usually is. He leans against the doorframe with his hands in his pockets. He’s so freaking handsome.

  “Hey,” I say, unable to hide my smile.

  Hands still in his pockets, he walks over to me.

  “How’s it going?” He asks.

  “Oh, you know. Just putting books away and thinking about this cute guy I kissed last night.”

  He smirks and looks down.

  “So, any chance you want to kiss that cute guy again?” Lifting his brow, he looks up at me.

  “Maybe.”

  “Maybe?” He smiles subtlely.

  “I think I’d like to be taken out on a date first.”

  “I thought you didn’t kiss on the first date.”

  I smile. “I didn’t think you’d remember that.”

  “Oh, I remember everything, Phoenix.”

  “True. But I kiss on the second date. You need a first date to get to the second one.”

  “Or you can just kiss me spontaneously right now like w
e did last night.” He wets his lips and steps closer. He smells like a delicious mixture of woodsy outdoors and fresh lemons.

  “What makes you think I want to kiss you again?”

  He smirks. “I can just tell.”

  “Can you?” I raise my eyebrows.

  He nods. “I see it in your eyes.”

  I give him a subtle smirk. Dropping his head, he touches my chin, lifting my gaze to meet his. He leans in and seals his mouth against mine. His lips are impossibly soft while administering the perfect amount of pressure. I place a hand on his cheek and run my fingers up through his hair.

  When I pull away, I stare at him and smile. “You’re a really good kisser.”

  “It takes two.”

  Biting back my smile, I look around the room. “We’re not going to get in trouble making out while we’re supposed to be working, are we?”

  He shrugs. “Rita might make fun of us. But Marigold is outside tending to her garden. She won’t know.”

  “I think she might. She was watching us pretty closely this morning.”

  “Well, I know she’s not crazy about the idea of us.”

  I furrow my brow. “Why not?”

  He quickly shakes his head. “No reason. It’s just… she looks out for me. That’s all.”

  “I don’t think I’m that bad of an influence.”

  “Maybe just a slightly disruptive one.”

  I smirk as I place my hands on his broad chest. “Well, you’re an adult. You can handle yourself.”

  His hands find my waist, sending a seductive thrill up my spine.

  “The Strawberry Moon is tonight,” he says. “Marigold said she wants you to go downstairs and help her pick strawberries in preparation for tonight’s celebration.”

  “Celebration?” I raise my eyebrows.

  “She has a celebration every full moon. There are usually stories and singing involved. It’s a whole thing. You’ll probably like it.”

  “And you don’t?”

  He thinks for a moment. “I think I’ll like it more with you there. Although…”

  I raise my eyebrows. “Although?”

  “It just means I can’t ask you on a secret first date tonight.”

  My cheeks heat up and I smile. “I guess you won’t get another kiss then.”

  He smirks. “Oh, I’ll get another kiss.”

  As he leaves, I feel myself smiling. The sheer cockiness of that man sends me on edge. But he does magical things to me. I’m not sure if I should be indulging in this magic but I can’t help myself. It’s just so addictive and fun. And there’s something about Gabe that just makes me feel excited about life. As I head downstairs to pick strawberries with Marigold, I sing some new lyrics to myself. Maybe magical things really do happen on the full moon.

  16

  AN OPEN WINDOW

  Gabriel

  As I finish installing the last kitchen cupboard, I stand back and admire my work.

  “Looks good,” Marigold says as she comes inside. Rita is trailing behind her. “Actually, it looks amazing!”

  “Thanks.” I wipe my brow. “I think it came out okay.”

  “Did you tell Amber about the strawberry-picking?” She asks.

  “Yes, he did.” Amber steps into the kitchen. “Wow, great cabinets. They’re beautiful!”

  I smile. “Thanks.”

  “So? What’s your next project gonna be?” Rita asks.

  I look at Amber. “I think I’ve got something in mind.”

  “Well, don’t start too son. We need some chopped wood for the Strawberry Moon campfire tonight.”

  “The Strawberry Moon campfire?” Amber asks.

  “It’s only the best night ever!” Rita says. “We light a campfire, eat a bunch of strawberries and s’mores, and tell each other ghost stories!”

  “The Strawberry Moon is the full moon that appears when the strawberries are ready to be picked,” Marigold explains. “That’s why we need help picking the strawberries today. I’ve got a basket for you, Amber. We’ll freeze most of them but we like to do something special with the fresh ones. It’ll be a long week of strawberry shortcake, chocolate strawberries, strawberry salad, and all sorts of other goodies…”

  “That sounds amazing,” Amber says as she ties up her hair.

  I stare at her for an extended moment. Although I told her about my mom and a bit of my crazy history, I feel like I need to tell her more. If I don’t, I feel like I’d be lying by omission. I wonder if I’ll have a chance to be alone with her before the craziness of the Strawberry Moon begins. Not just that, but I want to kiss her again… and by the way she’s looking at me, I suspect she wants to kiss me again too.

  There’s no time to talk to her before she gets pulled away with Marigold and Rita to the strawberry patch. Meanwhile, I grab the axe and head out to the trees. I can’t help but stare across the garden at Amber in her dark purple dress and big floppy white hat—courtesy of Marigold, of course.

  “Gabe!” Marigold rushes over to me.

  I pull my gaze away from Amber and look at my aunt. She’s wearing a sunflower-print dress and her orange her is tied up in a giant bun on the top of her head. She’s wearing giant green sunglasses that make her face look like a bug’s.

  “Yeah?” I suspect she wants to talk to me about the wood I’ll be chopping.

  “Are you alright?” She asks.

  I furrow my brow. “Huh? Yeah, of course.”

  “Is everything alright?” Marigold waves her hand in front of my face.

  “Huh? Oh yeah.”

  “What’s with you today?”

  “Nothing.”

  “You’ve been acting strange all day. Is it about Amber? You two have been getting awfully close…”

  I exhale as I scratch the back of my neck. “I think I’m gonna tell Amber who I really am.”

  “You are?”

  “Yeah… it’s just… I feel like I’m lying to her.”

  “Well, I don’t think so. You’ve been telling her plenty about yourself already.”

  “That’s true. But I haven’t told her everything.”

  “Does it matter? Telling her who your parents are isn’t going to change your relationship.”

  “No, that’s true. But it might help her understand who I am a bit better. I know I can’t hide forever. And I’d rather tell her before things get too…”

  “Get too what?” She narrows her eyes.

  I shake my head. “Nothing.”

  Marigold watches me for a moment. I can see her contemplative eyes behind the lenses of her giant sunglasses.

  “The Strawberry Moon,” she says wistfully. She looks up at the transparent full moon which is already hanging in a bright blue sky. “You can’t hide when the light’s shining down.”

  “Apparently not,” I mumble.

  We work for the rest of the day, stopping only for a quick lunch. I’m covered in wood chips and sweat while the girls have stained fingers and red tongues from taste-testing their harvest. The afternoon is filled with many lingering gazes between me and Amber. I can feel the electricity between us.

  By the time Marigold and Rita go upstairs to wash up, the sun is already starting to set. I finally find a moment to be alone with Amber.

  “Hey.” She grabs my wrist, pulling me into a hidden hallway. “I’ve been wanting to talk to you all day.”

  The dusk coming through the windows highlights her dark eyes.

  “Me too. I—”

  “I’ve been thinking of you.” She looks up at me. “Thinking of kissing you…”

  Everything I wanted to talk to her about slips from my mind. Leaning in, I press my lips against hers for a long, satisfying kiss that tastes and smells like strawberries.

  When I pull back, I can’t help but stare at her.

  “You said you wanted to talk about something?” She raises her eyebrows.

  “Huh? Oh, yeah…” How am I going to talk about it right now? Maybe I’ll wait and tell her afte
r the campfire. There’s no need to stir up some drama right before our full moon campfire. “Maybe we can talk about it after the campfire.”

  “Oh, okay. Are you feeling okay?”

  “Yeah, of course.”

  “It’s just… you look nervous.” She places her hands on my waist.

  I let out an uncomfortable laugh. “Me? Nervous? Naw.”

  She looks at me suspiciously. “You have a secret.”

  “Oh. Umm, not a secret per se…”

  She leans in.

  “What is it?” She breathes. That strawberry breath makes me want to kiss her again.

  “I’ll tell you after the campfire.”

  “Fine. Keep your secrets. We’re being casual anyway, right?”

  “Err… right.”

  Of course, we’re being casual. Casual probably doesn’t mean having secret trysts in the hallway or telling her about my family history.

  “Would it be casual to kiss you again?” A hint of a smile plays on her lips.

  Smirking, I lean in and kiss her again. Even though kissing her feels so good, a pang of guilt lurches in my belly.

  “Amber?” Marigold’s voice rings out in the hallway. We separate faster than lightning.

  My aunt is standing at the end of the hallway.

  Cheeks hot and heart pounding, I try to look normal even though my lips are still buzzing with the sweet taste of strawberries.

  “Come on, let’s get the campfire started!”

  Over the next hour, we sit around the roaring campfire as we grill food and melt marshmallows in the embers. Rita shares one of her spookiest ghost stories while the bright moon shines down on us.

  “Once upon a time in a forest…”

  “That’s a fairy tale, not a ghost story,” I say, interuppting her.

  “It can be both! Anyway, as I was saying… once upon a time in a forest there lived a woman haunted by an old doll…”

  As Rita tells her story, I stare at Amber. I think about our conversation. Casual. What does mean to be casual? The longer I think about it, the less I agree with it. I know I’m supposed to be engaged to Sophie Dawson while Amber’s supposed to be getting out of here soon… after all, her concert is in a month. Less than a month once this full moon starts to set. But I can’t hide who I am anymore. I can’t hide my feelings. I like her. I like her a lot. And if finding who I am means telling her the truth—the full truth, then so be it. Fuck casual. I want her to know me. The real me. I want her to know everything about me, just like I want to know everything about her. I just have to find my window of opportunity. It’ll be after the campfire. I will do it. After all, the truth can’t hide when the full moon’s light is shining down.