Uncle Ted was too stubborn to let the subject go, and my aunt wasn’t fast enough at changing topics. She’d opened her mouth but he barreled on. “Well, I still think you’re wasting yourself.”
I was debating the wisdom of responding at all when Chase piped up, “I think Tamra is fabulous just as she is. It’s not everyone who has the stomach to handle blood and body fluids and look at vaginas every day. Will you please excuse us? We need to be somewhere else now.”
My uncle’s face blanched at Chase’s crude phrasing, and my aunt fanned herself gently, but neither said anything as Chase tugged me with the arm around my shoulders to make our way across the room in the other direction. I chuckled softly and shook my head. Raw, but effective. I leaned into Chase, letting our bodies brush. His support made my heart feel full. I’d grown used to going it alone, and having him with me, fighting for me, cast the evening in a new light. He’d defended me with such passion to my uncle. Did it hint at deeper feelings? My pulse raced at the possibility.
Chase was oddly silent the rest of the evening unless asked a direct question. Having Chase present was the shield I’d hoped for. Only one brazen great aunt asked if she’d get to dance at my wedding before she died. The rest of the questions were less invasive. I kept sneaking glances at him to make sure he was all right. I finally nudged him with my shoulder as we stood watching the bride and groom dancing. “I appreciate you coming today. Having someone in my corner has made a big difference. You’ve been really quiet. Is everything okay?”
His eyes connected with mine. “Yes, sorry about that. I was trying to rock my mysterious Bond persona. And avoid making any more major verbal errors.”
“Verbal errors?” I asked with raised brows.
He nodded sheepishly. “Yes, like giving a specific timeframe to our relationship with your folks. Rookie mistake. I should know better; I write this for a living.”
I tilted my head to the side, considering his past books. “I can think of two of your books that contain the fake dating trope. I loved your holiday novella when Bella invites Nate to her office party, not realizing he’s the boss’s son. Is it your favorite setup?”
He nodded. “Guilty. There’s a reason it was easy to convince me to come tonight. I feel like I’m living one of my books right now.”
Tingles spread through my body. Did that mean he saw me as leading lady material? I chuckled to cover up the flash of desire. “Is it everything you imagined?”
My eyes scanned his face as I waited for his response. He wasn’t quite as crisp as earlier in the day, but still incredibly handsome. Golden stubble peppered his strong jaw. The glint in his icy blue eyes should have warned me.
“Well, I can’t say it’s everything I imagined,” he said. I wilted slightly at his words. “I know one thing we haven’t done yet. Care to move this conversation to the dance floor?” He tilted his head toward the other couples. A new slow song had started, and my chest inflated at the thought of swaying together, soaking in the seduction of his closeness. I nodded and moved into the shelter of his arms. I wound my arms up around his neck, inhaling his soapy scent. Chase placed his hands on my hips, and tingles radiated under my skin.
I lost the thread of conversation as his body grazed my own. His tux pants scraped deliciously against my thighs as he maneuvered us around the dance floor expertly. Safe and secure, I relaxed into his grasp.
He leaned in and murmured in my ear, “I don’t think I’ve asked, is this wedding everything you imagined? Your family is a little colorful, but I haven’t had to tranquilize you yet.”
I tilted my head back and smiled at him. “You’ve helped me dodge most of the uncomfortable questions. Thanks again for coming with me.”
“It was my pleasure. I have so many plot bunnies hopping out at me. I should be thanking you.”
I laughed softly, the timbre huskier than normal. “Plot bunnies?”
“Author speak for more story ideas than I can possibly use in a lifetime,” he rumbled.
I traced a hand down his chest, resting it over his heart. Was it my imagination, or was it beating faster than typical? I could feel the heavy beat in the palm of my hand beneath the firm muscle.
“So, if we were characters in one of your books, what would happen next?”
Would he pick up the gauntlet? We’d been friendly all day, but I couldn’t stop thinking about the kiss in my kitchen. Or him defending me to my uncle. A languid mix of gratitude and desire percolated in my veins. Dancing together had only turned up the lust quotient. Did he feel it too?
“You want to know?”
I nodded against his chest, settling my head on his shoulder and reveling in the heat of his body against mine.
Chase nuzzled at the back of my ear, and murmured, “Well, I noticed that the caterers are gone, and the kitchen looks empty, but the door is still ajar. I bet that door has a lock.”
I shivered. My heart pounded at the possibilities a locked door presented. Instead of commenting, I answered with a hum.
Chase took it as encouragement and continued, “Your dress has been driving me crazy all night. That color makes your skin glow. I can imagine inching the right sleeve down your shoulder, then the left, and running my lips down into the valley between your neck and shoulder, tickling you with my stubble. Scraping until I can peel the bodice down your gorgeous breasts, releasing them for more of my attention.”
A shudder danced down my spine, and he paused to pull me closer. I didn’t know what to say, but I wasn’t ready for the sweet torture to end. Every word evoked his hottest scenes, transporting me the vision he painted of us.
“Go on,” I whispered.
“Your arms would be trapped by your dress, and I’d take advantage of that position. I’d spin and push you toward the wall, until your forehead kissed the cool plaster, and come up behind you. Slowly, so slowly, I’d inch the zipper on your dress down and pull your hips away from the wall, legs spread wide, while you ached from the sensation of air and emptiness. I’d lean down to grasp each of your ankles, wrapping my hands around them, and caressing my way up until I’d flipped your skirt out of my way, showcasing your panties. Would they be wet for me, Tamra?”
I could do nothing but groan softly at his suggestions, losing track of the people around me and the music. Heat pricked my skin and desire pooled like warm honey between my thighs. We kept swaying, we were barely moving, pressing closer and closer together. I couldn’t focus on the music. The beat of my pulse overrode every other rhythm. It was clear from the firm tent in his trousers that Chase’s fantasies were turning him on too.
“I bet they’d be dripping. I’d peel them off, stopping to bite that full ass on the way down. Not hard, mind you, but just enough so you’d feel it later. But I still wouldn’t really touch you where you were aching. Anticipation is so sweet, don’t you think?”
This time he didn’t wait for a response, which was good because all rational thought had escaped my brain.
“I’d kiss my way from the nape of your neck down your spine, keeping those hips and ass front and center and you facing the wall, arms at your sides. I can imagine grinding myself against you, the heat and friction of our bodies together increasing the ache.”
I was nearly panting. Any pretense of dancing was gone. His words echoed through my body in stereo, sexy scenes from his books amplifying my desire as I considered the possibilities.
“How do you feel about turning fantasy into reality?”
Chapter 21 - Tamra
Chase’s labored breath gusted against my ear. At the same time, he applied gentle pressure to my hips, and I focused my eyes enough to see that he’d maneuvered us across the dance floor and near the kitchen.
My body screamed to make the fantasy he described a reality, and I nodded in silent assent. Chase grabbed my hand and pulled me closer to the kitchen. A moment later my Grandma Marie passed in front of us, and I prayed she wouldn’t stop to talk. Luckily, she kept moving and Chase and I were ab
le to make our escape.
Chase shoved open the kitchen door, pulling me in behind him. The latch gave a quiet snick as it closed behind us quickly followed by bright fluorescent lights flickering on. The light was jarring after the intimacy and softer lighting of the dance floor, and I blinked as my eyes adjusted. Chase flipped the lock behind us, and the bolt hitting home caused a shiver to race down my spine at the risk we were taking. My family was outside, oblivious to the heat Chase and I were generating in the kitchen. He’d been patient with my family, with me, all day. This headlong rush into desire triggered by his words on the dance floor had my pulse tripping. My feelings for Chase had only intensified with every moment together. Whether he considered this moment a friendly hookup or something more, being with him was worth the risk.
The stainless appliances and counters gleamed under the lights. A large walk-in fridge dominated one wall, and Chase pulled me gently toward it. Leaning his big body back against the silver door, he gathered me closer, his hands caressing the sides of my breasts down to my hips, sending a fresh ache of desire arrowing through me. With a quick tug, he pulled my hips to his. Evidence of his desire rubbed against the cradle of my thighs, and I leaned into him until and placed my lips against his.
Our first kiss was gentle, belying the rough burn that begged for more. Chase sipped at my lips, then nipped at my bottom lip with his teeth. The scrape of that brief contact had me aching to feel that pleasure-pain along every delicate inch of skin.
The sweet pull of his lips against mine, and the occasional chafe of his stubble against my neck turned my posture to putty. I could feel my body liquefying under the assault, but leaned into my own exploration. I lost track of the moments as we kissed, until Chase seemed to realize that he’d gone off script. He pushed me gently away from him.
“Now, where were we? Oh. The dress.” The deep rumble of his voice made my knees weak. Just as he had so deliciously suggested, Chase tugged the sleeve from my right arm and set his lips to my neck. I shivered under the onslaught of sensation. The fine hairs of his stubble rasped along my skin.
Chase continued with the other side of my dress, until my arms were caged by fabric to my sides. He gave me a quick, possessive kiss before maneuvering me as he’d described, my forehead pressed against the cool steel, and my hips in his firm hands as he grabbed me from behind.
He placed tiny kisses at the nape of my neck, slowly lowering my zipper and kissing the exposed skin. My knees trembled. I wouldn’t be able to stand up for much longer. Chase ad-libbed by scraping his teeth along the edge of my shoulder blade, and I whimpered softly.
“Are you as wet as I thought you’d be, Tamra? Why don’t you check?” he invited.
My arms were still restrained at my sides, and I shook my head. “I can’t. You’ll have to do it for me,” I husked. I sighed as I felt his hands start creeping from my hip bones, around to the juncture of my thighs.
“Tamra, I can feel your heat through the skirt of your dress,” Chase breathed. Then his hands caressed down to the hem of my dress, rucking it up my legs until he could run his fingers over the gusset of the scrap of silk between my thighs. “Soaking,” he groaned as he started kissing from the back of my ear down my neck again. I couldn’t contain my shiver of desire, and I didn’t want to. My hormones were screaming for a good time, and like a ride at Disneyland, Chase promised to deliver a thrill.
Chase ran his hands down my spread legs to the ankles, grasping them firmly. Then he stroked back up my legs slowly, tortuously. I couldn’t help trying to grind my hips back against his shoulder where he was bent over me.
I was steeped in the fantasy, managing to ignore the glaring lights and movement outside the door. The potential for discovery lingered in the back of my mind, right up until Chase tried to rip my panties from my body at the seams.
“Oww!”
I couldn’t help my outburst. I’m not sure where book heroines buy their undies, but I liked a well-made pair. Mine were not intended for seduction and playful destruction; they were silky but sturdy as shit. Normally, I’d guard them with my life. Good underwear was hard to find.
The moment was broken for me, but Chase seemed oblivious at first, attempting the ripping motion again, like a magician trying to pull a tablecloth off beneath the dishes.
“Stop.”
“Shit, sorry,” he said. “I thought if I tried a different angle that would work better.”
I shuddered, my body cooling. “Let me clear that up for you: NO. There’s NO angle that makes that work better.”
At that moment there was a loud knock at the door, and I pushed frantically at Chase as I turned around. Chase’s eyes widened at the interruption.
“Is there someone in there? I thought I heard shouting,” a deep, male voice asked from the other side of the kitchen door.
The knocking didn’t stop. If anything, it became more insistent, and I barely held back a groan. To step outside with a blush and stammer, or hide until they went away?
I quickly worked to put myself back to rights, smoothing my skirt down.
Chase rubbed the back of his neck, looking at me miserably. “Sorry,” he mouthed silently.
I hoped like hell that the person outside didn’t have a key. There was a brief murmur outside and the unmistakable scrape of a key in the lock. Fuck. My motions turned frantic as I pushed the sleeves of my dress back into place and Chase’s hands fluttered along my arms as he tried to help.
Chase was still fully dressed, if mussed. I had both sleeves back up over my shoulders but my dress was still gaping and unzipped in the back as the door to the kitchen opened. I did my best to hide my discomfort with a fake smile as I glanced at the interlopers. My smile slipped. It was my sister Jennifer and one of the venue managers. Double fuck.
Chase cleared his throat and gave Jennifer a quick smile before making things worse.
“Nothing to see here, just a little light debauching. We’re fine, but thanks for checking.”
Where were one of his stupid lies when we needed one? The truth would never work with my prim sister.
Jennifer frowned severely. “Really, Tamra? You couldn’t keep it in your pants long enough to make it home? Our grandmother is out there,” she hissed.
The clear derision in her tone sparked my temper. “Really, Jennifer?” I mimicked her tone. “Pretty damn sure our grandmother has had sex at least a few times. She had six fucking children.” I realized how that sounded a few beats too late. “I didn’t mean six children fucking. That’s disgusting. I meant that she clearly figured shit out if she had six children.”
Jennifer shook her head at me. “You look like hell. Why don’t you leave by the side door, like all the other trash?”
The pure vitriol in her statement caught me by surprise. I wasn’t Jennifer’s favorite, but her response seemed harsh for kitchen kissing. My kiss-swollen lips opened and closed, my mouth dry.
“Jennifer, right?” Chase asked. “I understand that emotions are high since this is a wedding and all, but that’s no way to speak to your sister. We didn’t do anything wrong.”
Jennifer gave him a pitying look and stormed away, and the venue manager did his best to blend into the background, ushering us out of the room.
“Yeah, I’ve got to lock this up now, sorry,” the older man said uncomfortably, refusing to make eye contact.
I shook with a cocktail of embarrassment and the remnants of frustrated desire. Chase grasped my hand and started to escort me back to our table. As if he experienced kitchen interruptus every day. Maybe he did. I pulled back, resisting, and he turned to me in concern. “You don’t want to rejoin the wedding?” he asked. “Would you rather go home?”
The adrenaline was wearing off and weariness took over. I couldn’t stay. I couldn’t pretend like nothing had happened. Not with Chase, not with Jennifer. We’d never been close, but I hadn’t expected the acid in her attack. I was her grown sister, not her child. My actions didn’t reflect on her. I shive
red and looked up into Chase’s handsome face. My panties were still damp, and he acted like he got chased out of kitchens all the time. No big deal. I wasn’t that good an actor.
I shook my head. “I can’t stay here. Can you go get my purse, and we can leave by the side door as Jennifer so kindly suggested? I don’t think the bride and groom will notice we’ve left, and I’ll text Vanessa and my parents.”
Chase paused, his eyes shadowed in what looked like concern, then nodded. “Sure. I’ll be back in a sec, I’ll meet you at the door,” he said, gesturing to the side entrance.
I moved slowly toward the exit, wading through the molasses of my emotions with every step. The evening had been a lot to process, and I felt about two hundred frames behind my current reality. It was a mix of incredible highs and lows. High: watching my little brother marry someone who I thought would make a good partner for him. Low: getting grilled by my parents as Chase embellished our relationship. High: Sexytimes in the kitchen with Chase. Also, low: Sexytimes in the kitchen interrupted by my bitchy sister.
Chase returned and laid his jacket over my shoulders, pulling me to his side. “I’m sorry about the way tonight turned out. It wasn’t quite the ending I had in mind. Do you want to go back to your place together?”
I couldn’t get Jennifer’s comment out of my head. I shook my head. “No. I want to be alone tonight. My mood’s more than broken.” I saw his face fall, but couldn’t muster the energy to do anything about it, I was too caught up in my own family drama. Jennifer’s temper had caught me by surprise. Her usual mode was to ignore me.
Chase cleared his throat. “Sure. I understand.”
We drove back to my townhome in silence. Chase got out to walk me to my door, but I waved him off. “No need. I’m a big girl.” I looked briefly into his eyes, searching for mine in the gloom. “Thanks again for coming with me tonight,” I said softly. I tried to inject more enthusiasm into my tone. “I appreciate it.” It wasn’t Chase’s fault things had gone horribly wrong. Or at least, not totally. I could have suggested going to my place and avoided getting caught, but the thrill of living out my own romance-novel worthy seduction had overwhelmed my good sense.
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