You know why.
The subtle nudge from her conscience spoke volumes. She didn’t tell Chase about having a baby because of fear he’d change his mind. Marrying someone on the off chance the arrangement might work was one thing. If things went south, the collateral damage was limited to two people. Add a child and the whole story changed.
A child was an inexorable tie to a former mate, forever, and the possibility of sharing a child with someone you despise would be a deal breaker. She’d seen it with her father and Susan, after she tried to pull her switcheroo with Jackson. Susan broke her father’s heart and hardened his spirit, and now she risked doing the same to Chase.
It’s not the same. You’re not trying to pass off someone else’s kid as his.
Still—
Cecily fidgeted with the flowers in her hand, trying to keep her mental sparring from showing in her face. She was half a step from turning runaway bride. Uncertainty was normal under the best of circumstances, but this? She squared her shoulders, ready to call the whole thing off when the “Wedding March” swelled from speakers on either side of the doorway. Her mouth opened to object, but Elvis took her elbow and swept her toward the cheesy altar. This was it. If she planned to turn tail like a fraidy cat, it was speak now or forever hold your peace.
The minister wiped his brow. Book in hand, he smoothed his hair, looking every bit like he rolled in after an all-night bender. Cecily caught Chase’s eye as he tried not to laugh at the old drunk. His gaze was confident and sure, making her doubts bite harder into her gut.
“Wait—” she breathed, but before she could say another word, she was at the end of the aisle and out of time.
The Elvis impersonator placed her hand in Chase’s outstretched palm, crooning, “Thank you, thank you very much.”
“Game on?” Chase whispered.
Sweat formed between her breasts as he waited for an answer. Her inner cat chuffed, nudging from the inside. Okay, okay, but if this doesn’t work—
An answering purr vibrated in her chest as she swallowed back on her doubt. She nodded, issuing a silent prayer this wasn’t a meteoric mistake. “I am, if you are.”
“There’s my girl.” Chase winked, lifting her hand to his lips before turning with her to face the minister.
“Dearly beloved—”
* * *
Cecily toyed with the gold band on her left hand. Chase had insisted on matching rings with a simple filigree swirl. The understated design was a nod to his Spanish heritage and nothing more. He said the simplicity of style was to remind them of starting with a blank page. Really blank, since they barely knew each other.
That was Chase in a nutshell. Romantic yet pragmatic. The whole thing didn’t seem real, but it was, and so was he. Real, and hers. For now.
The intruding thought squashed her momentary happy with the reality of the situation. Chase had signed up for one year, with an option for more. No more. No less. Not yet anyway. That would depend on a lot.
Like being honest with him?
She sighed against the guilt lodged in her throat. She should have told him and let the chips fall.
You still could, you know.
Lifting her wine glass to her lips, she looked out the restaurant window at all of Vegas lit for the world to see. She nodded silently to herself. She’d tell him, but not tonight. Tonight, she wanted to pretend this was more than just a gamble, and Lady Luck was on her side for once.
“Penny for your thoughts?” he asked, watching her.
She shrugged, turning from the window to answer. “I’m just thinking how unreal this all seems.”
He nodded. “I know what you mean, but I’m not sorry. Are you?”
At the question in his eyes, she smiled again, shaking her head. “Nope.” Inhaling, she let out a quick breath. “Though, I do have to call Malcolm. He’ll want the papers you signed as soon as possible.”
Chase nodded, sipping his wine. “I figured. We can have the front desk FedEx the paperwork to him in the morning. In the meantime, I have another idea.”
She raised an eyebrow. “Another?”
He laughed. “Funny how I already know that look, and it never bodes well.”
Cecily smirked. “Okay, wise guy, tell me what you’ve got cooking behind those gorgeous eyes.”
He reached for her hand across the table. “I say we finish dinner, and then head back to the hotel and pack.”
“Pack?” Her brows pulled together. “Don’t you have the closing tomorrow?”
“Yes.” He nodded. “At nine am. After that I’m free.” He hesitated, and then grinned. “I mean we’re free,” he restated with a chuckle. “I suppose it’s going to take a little getting used to thinking in terms of we instead of I.”
“Okay, so we’re free,” she replied. “I thought the game plan was to stay in Vegas for a few days and then head back to New York.”
“New York?” He cocked one brow. “Don’t you mean Boston?”
“My apartment is in Manhattan, Chase. Plus, my office is there as well.”
He angled his head, eyeing her warily. “And mine is in Boston. Above the bar. Remember?”
11
Cecily met his eyes. “I guess we should have discussed this ahead of time.”
He let go of her hand, pulling his back across the table with an exhale. “So much for a carefree wedding night.”
Cecily watched him toy with his food. This was one of hundreds of hurdles they’d face. Her dad taught her compromise was king when it came to business, but only when it came to details you didn’t mind ceding. Did it matter where she worked? Not much. She owned the fucking company.
“I suppose I could move into your apartment, but only if you let me redecorate.” She glanced down for a moment but kept an eye on him through her lashes.
“Redecorate?” he repeated.
She nodded, looking up. “Your place is an exaggerated man cave and you know it. It needs a woman’s touch, but I promise no pink.”
“Just promise no Yankees crap.” He smirked.
“Yankees crap?” She shook her head. “No way, José. You have enough Red Sox junk to fill a souvenir shop. The place needs a little Bronx Bomber blue to even the score.”
He exhaled. “How about one item each?” he countered.
“Two.”
Chase grinned. “Deal.” His quick smile took on a different feel, and he took her hand again. “I hope you know I’m only kidding about the Yankees. I don’t want you to give up what you love, Cecily, but when it comes to where we work and where we live, we need to figure this out, unless you planned for us to live apart. If that was your intention,” he shrugged, “I guess I can live with that. I know you only need a husband for a year, and I signed the prenuptial agreement with no preconceived notions. I guess what I’m saying is, I hoped we’d give this marriage our best shot. You know. For real. Marriage is a gamble, regardless, so why not throw the dice together?”
That he voiced her thoughts almost exactly floored her. How weird was that? Maybe they were on the same page after all.
Except for your little lie of omission.
She squashed the chiding thought once more, as Chase continued.
“Unless I’m reading the situation wrong, your work is more transferable than mine. I can’t pick up the bar and move it to New York City, and even if that were possible, I wouldn’t want to. Villarreal’s is a Bean Town icon.”
“I know, Chase, and you’re right. I can work out of the State Street location, and fly back and forth as needed, but as for the baseball stuff, you may have been kidding, but I’m not. I need my Yankees.”
“Wow.” He chuckled. “I guess you play dirty, just like your team.”
“Hey!” she shot back with a wink. “You like it when I play dirty.”
Chase picked up his wine glass and tilted the glass rim toward her. “That, I do, and dirty is how I plan to play with you later. All kinds of dirty, all over you.” He clicked the inside of his cheek.
If they were talking sex, they were fine, but another awkward silence fell between them, and Cecily inhaled, giving his hand a squeeze. “Okay, so finish what you were saying. What did you have in mind after we pack up at the Bellagio?”
“How long can you be away from the office?” He held up his hand before she answered. “I mean, provided you had cell service and a laptop with a Wi-Fi hotspot.”
“I don’t know.” She shrugged, pursing her lips. “My dad went to Europe for a month every August and still managed to keep up with work. Why? Are you planning on taking us somewhere?”
He nodded. “Yes. Camping.”
“As in living in a tent with bugs and smoke and digging holes for a bathroom?” Her skeptical snort said it all.
“It’s camping, Cecily. Not an expedition to parts unknown.”
She shook her head. “Not a chance, Chase. I have no intention of living in an episode of Naked and Afraid.”
He lifted her hand to his mouth and nibbled on her fingers. “The naked part you can count on, but you’ll never have reason to be afraid with me around.”
Her stomach tightened, and she was glad they were sitting because her knees went weak. His simple touch sent her body into overdrive every time. God, would she ever get over him if this marriage didn’t work?
“C’mon, Cecily. It’ll be fun. I’m not a big fan of sleeping on the ground either, so I’ve scoped out a cabin for us. It’s still rustic, but it has electricity and running water, if not much else.”
She chuckled. “By running water, I hope you mean indoor plumbing.”
He nodded with a grin. “Of course. Ever see the classic movie The Great Outdoors?”
“Yeah, and?”
“It’s like that, but on a much cozier scale. Just two rooms and a bathroom. It’ll be awesome.”
“Awesome? I’m not exactly the domestic type, Chase. I can barely boil water.”
He laughed. “Thanks to my Dominican mother, I’m a terrific cook. You just have to help.” He kissed her knuckles. “What do you say?”
She looked at the excited glint in his eyes. “Okay, but I’m not promising anything.”
“You’ll be fine.” He grinned. You take care of packing what you need. I’ll take care of everything else.”
“So, where are you taking us, or is that a surprise?”
He grinned. “Colorado. This is going to be good.”
12
Cecily climbed out of the four-wheel drive Jeep and looked around at the pristine mountains. The view was breathtaking, and the tiny cabin behind her was dwarfed in comparison. The log structure was very private, but down the slope she saw a few other sites with cars dotted on the landscape, plus the road wasn’t as bad as she expected. When Chase said they needed to go off-roading to get here, she imagined the worst.
From the cabin’s perch on the side of the mountain, she spotted a gorgeous lake not far. Or at least from that vantage point it didn’t seem far. She shielded her eyes against the bright sun and watched the sparkles on the water and the mirrored reflection of the mountain’s peaks.
“Pretty, huh?” Chase said, carrying their bags from the back of the Jeep onto the porch.
She nodded. “Pretty doesn’t go far enough. It’s gorgeous. Is this a year-round place or just a summer community?”
He shrugged. “The location is pretty secluded, so in terms of winter storms I doubt it’s a year-round gig. I would bet the roads to Cross Creek are impassable in winter, and that’s the closest town. We passed through on the way up.”
“That was a town?”
Chase nodded with a laugh. “Yup. If you blink, you miss it. The realtor said there were only a few rentals left for the summer, as the rest were privately owned, but we can always ask the neighbors if this is a year-round gig.”
“Neighbors?” she smirked.
“Well, we are going to be here for the month.”
She smiled. “That’s true.”
He leaned over and gave her cheek a peck. “C’mon, Wilderness Wendy, let’s get the bags settled and then go exploring.”
Chase unlocked the front door and propped it opened, letting Cecily walk in first as he got the bags. The décor was rustic to say the least, but cozy and welcoming. Just two rooms, like he said, with a bedroom and kitchen/great room set up.
He carried the bags through the door and then gestured with his chin toward the bedroom. “I’m going to drop these first and then grab the groceries from the car.”
Cecily followed behind. “Should I unpack or wait and do the kitchen first?”
He looked over his shoulder. “It looks clean enough, but you might want to check around for varmints.”
“Varmints?” Grinning, she cocked and eyebrow. “We’re here thirty seconds and you turn into Yosemite Sam?”
He laughed with a shrug. “It’s the mountains. I can’t help it.” Chase put the bags on the bed and then brushed past her with a quick kiss. “Not much room to maneuver in here. I’m glad I took out the extra insurance in case we break the bed.”
Heat coursed through her as his fingers trailed over her stomach. The cabin was small, and that meant no escape if things went south. At least there was plenty of space outside.
She moved into the kitchen and opened the refrigerator, inspecting its interior before checking the cabinets on either side of the sink. Except for a few dead spiders, it was clean.
“So, any creepy crawlies or rodent remnants?” Chase asked, putting the first of two large boxes of groceries on the kitchen table.
She shook her head. “Nothing a quick wipe can’t handle.”
Gesturing to the box on the table, he gave her a chin pop. “Everything we need is in there. Just point me in the right direction, Sarge.”
“Sarge?” She smirked. “I can handle a broom and a mop, you know. I’m not quite a spoiled little rich girl, and besides, we’re a team, right?”
He took her hand and turned it over, kissing the tender flesh on the inside of her wrist. “Yup, and I plan for us to learn every position in the game playbook.”
The feel of his lips on her skin sent heat skittering into her lower belly and her panties dampened. “Well, they say practice makes perfect.”
His mouth spread into a teasing grin and he nipped her wrist. “Here comes the bride…as many times as I can make her.” Pulling her into his arms, his lips took hers and he walked her backwards toward the bedroom door. “I think we should start in here,” he said between kisses. “We can work our way onto the kitchen counter, and then the table—”
The back of her legs bumped the bare mattress. “Shouldn’t we put a blanket down first?” she whispered against his mouth.
“I’m way ahead of you, KitKat.” Chase released her just long enough to reach for the tartan-style blanket on top of a large tote. With a quick flick, the blue plaid floated onto the mattress surface.
Cecily giggled at the cute nickname. “I feel like we’re breaking into someone’s place just to—to—” Heat bloomed in her cheeks.
“Fuck?” he said, finishing her sentence. Anticipation spread hot and wet between her thighs as he sat her on the end of the bed. “Being bad may feel pretty good, but this is completely legit.” His grin widened. “And I’ve got the marriage license to prove it.”
She opened her mouth to speak, but he kissed her silent, scrambling her brains for any further coherent thought.
* * *
“You okay?” Chase asked, putting the last of the cleaning supplies in the cabinet under the kitchen sink.
Two hours had passed since they roused themselves from their blue tartan burrito in the bedroom. The cabin was tidy, and everything put away. They hadn’t had the chance to talk much, and another awkward silence fell between them.
Cecily nodded. “I’m fine.”
Tell him.
No. Not yet.
“You sure?” He raised an eyebrow. “You’re not exactly the quiet, pensive type, yet you haven’t said twelve words since
we left the bedroom.”
She coughed, turning five shades of red.
“Cecy, you only chew on your lip when you’ve got something to tell me, but don’t know how to say it.”
Now’s the perfect time tell him.
She shook her head. “It’s nothing. Thanks to you and your magic hands, I can’t put two coherent thoughts together.”
“Fine.” He chuckled, shaking his head. “I’ll stop with the twenty questions. Eventually you’ll tell me what’s bothering you. You always do. In the meantime, are you hungry? I could make us a couple of sandwiches while you spar with yourself. Maybe take them to the lake and have a picnic. Go for a swim.”
A wash of self-conscious fear washed over her, temporarily stifling her inner argument. Chase had seen her naked and spread wide, but he’d never seen her in a swimsuit. Why it made a difference, she didn’t know. But somehow it did.
“Uhm, is swimming even allowed?” She didn’t need to see the look on Chase’s face. She heard how lame her question sounded the moment it left her mouth.
He nodded, moving toward her as if he knew why she hedged. “Swimsuits optional,” he replied, slipping his hands around her waist.
The idea of skinny dipping with Chase and all the things they could do beneath the water sent a wave of heat across her cheeks. Her pussy was still tender and damp from their rustic bedroom exploits, but that didn’t matter. The thought of Chase’s hands and hard body made her breasts ache and her clit jump, ready and willing all over again. On top of that, sex put off having to talk. It was hard to have a conversation with your brains scrambled from nasty underwater monkey sex.
“I’m going to take your gorgeous blush as a yes.” He unwound his arms from her waist and turned her around, smacking her butt. “Let’s pack lunch.”
13
Chase spread the tartan blanket under a pine tree and then put their basket and cooler in the shade directly at the base. His human nose might not sense it, but their mingled scents covered the blue fabric, making her lower belly clench. The water was twenty feet from the edge of their picnic, with the cool water lapping deliciously at the soft bank, sending X-rated images dancing through her head.
The Alpha’s Chase: A Howls Romance Page 6