by Jenni Linn
“Dixon.”
“Oh no.” I sigh.
“V, he was talking a lot of shit.”
“About what?”
“You,” he pauses, “Me. Us.”
“Us? What do you mean?”
“I don't know. I don't remember exactly what he was saying, but he was referring to you as my girlfriend. I managed to get Vance to walk away until Dixon shoved me, and Vance went nuts. Dixon looks a lot worse off than Vance.”
“Oh no.” I’m repeating myself.
“V,” he breathes heavily, “We have to talk to Vance soon. He never questioned what was said, thankfully, but if he did...I don't think I could lie to his face.” I can see the internal struggle I’m putting Chase through, and I let out a lengthy sigh. I know he's right. I'm terrified of what may happen when he does find out. I lean into Chase, needing his comfort, and he doesn't hesitate to wrap his arms around me. “It'll be okay, no matter what happens. We will be okay.”
We're quiet for a while, and I'm just enjoying his company until he breaks the silence. “I should probably go.”
“No!” I say, panicked. “Stay.”
“Are you sure that's a good idea?”
“Yeah, we'll figure it out tomorrow. I'll go get you a new shirt.” I move out of his hold and leave my room again, making sure to be unheard as I head into Vance’s room--adjacent to mine. I turn the knob and start pushing the door open quietly. I flick on the light and tiptoe across his room to his dresser. It takes three different drawers until I find his sport shirts, but I grab the first one I see and quickly leave his room. I make sure the door is shut and lights are off--just how he left it. I hurry back to my room, close the door, and lock it. My eyes move to Chase, who is still sitting where I left him, but he's removed his shirt. My heart kicks into overdrive when I catch sight of him. I grasp onto the shirt, and pull it to my chest.
“You okay?” Chase asks with a smirk.
I nod.
“You want to give me that shirt?” He laughs.
I shake my head.
“No?” he questions.
“No,” I whisper. Something I have never fully experienced takes over me. Lust. Out of nowhere, confidence drives my body forward, and I can tell it even takes Chase off guard. He leans back as I approach him, and without any warning, I place my knees on either side of him. When I’m straddling him, his hands instinctively move to my backside, and his playful expression is instantly replaced with desire. His breathing has become labored, and I know I'm affecting him as much as he affects me. I love this. This rush. I have never felt more powerful and desired in my life.
“V,” Chase whispers, our mouths inches apart. “What are you doing?”
“Something I've only dreamed of,” I reply and move forward to connect our mouths, hungrily. He groans as soon as our lips touch, and I revel in it. His hands are all over--they’re on my lower back and they’re gripping my butt until I’m pushed forward against his hardness. The friction is right where I need it. I moan into his mouth, and he does it again. It feels so good. I’ve never felt this way before but all I know is that I need more. Without his hands guiding me, I continue to move, and grind my body down onto him. He moans into my mouth this time. His hands move further up my back, causing my shirt to lift higher and I suddenly need it off of me. My skin is burning up. I remove my sweater without breaking our kiss and lift my arms, signaling him to remove my shirt.
“You’re sure?” and I nod at his question. His hands move slowly up my sides, causing goosebumps as he lifts my top up and over my head. He flings it somewhere behind me and now I’m bared to him--something no other person has seen intimately. His muscular hands rest on my hips while his beautiful blue eyes bore into mine, “You are so beautiful,” he whispers. I feel it. I feel beautiful.
Steady palms are roaming my body, until they rest just below my breasts, almost if asking for permission. I place my hands over his and guide them until they're cupping each breast. “Fuck,” he hisses. “Beautiful, V. You’re fucking beautiful.” My head involuntarily falls backward as he massages them and then I feel his mouth. He’s placing kisses and light licks upon my clavicle. The various sensations hit me deep in my core. His mouth moves down, slowly, until his mouth reaches my right breast--lightly sucking--causing my back to arch forward. I want more. My fingers scrape through his hair as I continue to grind myself on him; his dick is much more prominent than before. He releases one nipple and moves to the left, sucking lightly.
“Chase,” It’s a whisper. The throbbing is becoming intense and I need a release. He hisses and frees my breast from his mouth. I'm overcome with emotions; feeling wild. My mouth instantly connects with his, our tongues dancing around each other. “Pants,” I gasp, “Off.” He doesn’t move at my request, and I lean back to look at him curiously. Our chests are heaving and his lips are plumped--flushed--from our intense kisses. “Trust me, this is more than I ever dreamed of. But we don't have to have sex right now.”
“You've dreamed of this?” I ask playfully, moving my hips. His eyes roll back. I treasure his reaction, and I do it again. He halts my movements with his hands on my hips and grins.
“Many, many times.” He hugs me to him with my breasts pressed against his chest. The skin on skin contact results in a shiver that’s sent down my spine. He wraps his arms around my waist; I can feel him so close to where I need him. He places a light kiss on my shoulder--a gesture so sweet-- and I feel a zing in my heart.
“We should wait,” he says, rubbing his nose up the side of my face. He seductively nips at my ear.
“Wait?” I ask. I’m so confused and so turned on at the same time.
“I don't want a secret relationship with you. Until we're out in the open...we should wait.”
“But…” I start to whine but he cuts me off with a kiss, sucking my bottom lip.
“Don't worry. I'll take care of you.” He flips us over; his body is covering mine. Our lips meet with a sensual kiss, and he’s deepening it--ravishing me like it's his last meal. I can feel him at my center and, instinctively, my knees drop. He grinds down, causing my body to arch up. His lips leave mine, and I whimper. I miss the feel of them. He places little wet kisses onto my throat, down the middle of my chest, and to my left breast. His fingers slide down my stomach--making me quiver--and they continue down, under the waistband of my shorts until they’re skimming over my clit. I cry out. He nips and sucks at my nipples, giving each the same amount of attention as he circles the most sensitive part of me, over and over. He speeds up then, agonizingly, slows down again. It's a tease; a ride, and one I don't want to end. He knows just how to prolong these intense feelings.
My vision starts to blacken, and I release a moan unlike any other; the pleasure quickly spreading throughout my body. “There you go, baby,” Chase whispers, his fingers still working magic. Stars explode behind my eyes and I yell out. Chase's mouth covers mine to conceal my outburst. I struggle to catch my breath and open my eyes to see Chase hovering over me with a wicked smile.
“Oh,” I say, breathlessly.
“You can say that again. That was the single most sexiest thing I've ever witnessed.”
We lay together for a while, neither of us wanting to move from our comfortable position. Eventually, we do get up to dress, but then we settle underneath my covers. Chase lays on his back, allowing me to nestle into his side. I rest my head upon his chest. His breathing evens out quickly, and I sigh in contentment before I drift off to sleep.
Three Down
In my subconscious state I hear a loud bang followed by an even louder male voice. “What the fuck is going on?” I jolt up. My eye-sight is trying to adjust from sleep. Vaughn is standing at my open door. “And who the fuck is in your bed?!” he shouts. Chase becomes startled at the yelling and jumps up faster than I’ve ever seen him move before. He's standing behind me at full alert; ready to fight. My eyes widen. Oh, shit.
“Get out! Why are you even in my room?” I scream and dash for the door.
“Chase?” Vaughn questions, and his mouth drops open in disbelief. “What the fuck?” He looks at me as I run to him. I place my hands upon his chest and push, he moves backward a bit, but not as much as I would like.
“Get out! Get out! Get out!” I chant while trying to shove him out of my room.
“What the fuck is he doing in your bed, Veronica?” Vaughn’s voice is still so loud.
“Shut up!” I hiss.
I hear Vin's bedroom door whip open. Great. “What the hell is going on!?” He's rubbing his eyes. “Some people are trying to fucking sleep.”
“Chase is-” Vaughn starts, but I place my hand over his mouth to stop him from finishing his sentence. Vin moves out of his doorway, and Vaughn fights to remove my fists.
“V,” Chase says, behind me.
“Who the fuck is in your room?” Vin barks. He's wide awake now and stalking towards us.
“Stop! You're going to wake Mom and Dad!” I cry.
Vin is now standing next to us, leering into my room, curiously. Vaughn's managed to rip my hands away but keeps them in his grasp. “They're not home,” He informs me. I relax a bit, except for the fact that my two brothers are standing before me, staring daggers at Chase.
“Whoa, what the hell is happening right now?” Vin yells. “And why is Chase in your room? In his fucking boxers?” Oh, no. Oh, no. I want to crumble at the repeating questions.
I start to panic. I start trying to search for any plausible reason. Who am I kidding? There aren’t any. Hands land on my shoulders and ease me backward. “Guys, why don't you come sit down?” With Chase's guidance, I retreat slowly. Vin and Vaughn follow. Vaughn takes the seat at my desk, but Vin is stoic.
“I'll stand, thanks.” Vin remains near my closet with his arms crossed over his chest.
“Veronica and I are-”
“Fucking?” Vaughn puts in.
“Vaughn!” I hiss.
“That's what it looks like.”
“Shut up, Vaughn,” Vin reprimands.
“No, we're not. I know what this looks like. But, we are...together.”
“Together?” Vin questions.
“Yes. We're seeing each other.”
“I thought you were seeing Nic?” Vin asks, calmly.
“Veronica is Nic.”
“You've got to be fucking kidding me.” Vin's arms drop to his sides. “You're serious?”
“Yes,” Chase confirms.
“What the--,” Vaughn mumbles.
“Wait a minute. How the hell did you get in my room?” I interrupt.
Vaughn moves to grab something from his pocket and pulls out a small screwdriver. He holds it up, “I was trying to get you back for that stunt you guys pulled.” I laugh, remembering the prank Taylor and I pulled on him just last night when she was over. Even though our girls' night usually ends with her staying the night, she left around eleven to meet up with Wes.
“And Vance knows you guys are together?” Vin asks. It ceases my laughter.
“No,” Chase responds, grimly.
“That's fucking great,” he spits, “and why the fuck not?”
“I was scared. I didn’t think he’d approve,” I put in.
“Ya think? I'm sure he'd be just peachy with his best friend and his baby sister hooking up.”
“We're not hooking up!” I retort, becoming annoyed.
“Then what do you call this?” He gestures to the two of us in our nightwear. I look away, not exactly sure how to answer. We slept together--yes--but we didn't have sex, even though I really, really wanted to. I’d never tell my brothers that.
“We were hanging out and we...fell asleep.” I sound guilty even though it’s the truth.
“Right, and he just magically lost his pants in the process,” Vin says, sarcastically. Point for Vin. “Look, I know you’re getting older V, and we can't stop who you see, but sneaking around with our friend isn't the answer.”
“Vin,” Chase is sincere, “I can assure you that wasn't our intention. This just...happened. We wanted to be sure before confiding in you all.”
“Well, you better be fucking sure. You’re already practically sleeping naked together,” Vin says harshly and stomps out of the room.
Vaughn whistles. “Well, then.” I glare at him. This is all his fault. “I'll be honest. This was a surprise, but I don't care what you do, V.” He shrugs and gets up from the chair, walking towards my door. I watch his back as he leaves my room, completely baffled. I quickly move forward, close the door and face Chase. His eyes are on me, “Are you okay?” he asks.
I move to him, “Yeah, you?”
“I'm fine.”
“That's three down.” I joke. He doesn’t crack a smile.
“We need to tell Vance.”
“I know.” I sigh.
“I better get going.”
“Yeah, that's probably for the best,” I agree. He grabs his pants from the end of my bed, and steps into them; one leg at a time. He pulls off Vance's shirt and replaces it with his bloodied one. The sight of his muscular back brings memories of the intimate things we did last night to the forefront of my mind. “You alright, there?” He's now standing in front of me, amusement etched upon his face. There’s a smile.
“Yeah.” I relax.
“Okay. I'll talk to you later.” He kisses my forehead and leaves me standing in the middle of my room.
Not long after Chase leaves, there's a knock on my bedroom door. “Come in,” I groan from my bed. The door opens to reveal Vin, who slips through. He looks pensive, and his features squished together.
“What's up?” I ask. My nerves are at large; I can only imagine what he’s going to say to me. He remains quiet as he moves to sit at the end of my bed. I place my phone to the side and watch him. He finally speaks after what seems like forever, “How did you two happen?” That's not what I expected him to ask, to be honest. He was pretty harsh earlier, so I thought he'd come to berate me some more.
I shrug slightly. “I don't know. It just did. He didn't come after me and he tried to stay away. We spent some time together, and we just...clicked. We really like each other, Vin.”
“Okay,” He abruptly stands up, “Let's go finish your car.” He leaves me alone, and I change into some old clothing. I send Chase a text just to let him know that I'll be at the garage.
McSwoony: You forgot to tell me about your parts.
I cringe. I did. I hid the packages for about a week until Vin found them and questioned me about it. I made up some lame excuse about the packages arriving sporadically, and that there was no use to start it until they all arrived. I didn't want my mornings with Chase to end.
Me: Sorry.
McSwoony: You're forgiven. I'm going to miss our mornings together.
I grin, quickly typing a response back.
Vin and I have been working on my car for a couple of hours and while he hasn't mentioned anything about Chase, he seems to be incredibly focused--putting all his effort into this build. It's almost robotic.
“Vin?”
“Hmm?”
“Are you okay?”
“Yeah,” he answers immediately.
“You seem off.”
He's quiet as he tightens up a bolt. There’s only the sound of the ratchet twisting. His muscles bulge when he finishes with one last twist then stands up straight. He places the tool on the bench behind us and wipes his hand on his pants.
“I think it has hit me that things are changing,” he says quietly, and that surprises me. “Victor is starting his life with Melissa; they'll get married, and have kids. I've taken over the garage. You're going off to college next fall. Then we find out you're dating behind our backs,” he rambles. I know he's not done, so I remain quiet. “What can we really do about it? Seriously? I'm a bit disappointed that you couldn't confide in me. I know we're protective of you. We only want the best for you. Is Chase the best?” He shrugs. “I don't know. He's not a bad guy. He's an honorable one. I mean, he joined the Army
instead of following his father’s footsteps and living a cushioned life. There’s a reason we’ve been friends with him for so long.”
“I'm sorry,” I blurt out. He nods and runs his hand through his black hair.
“Let's finish this, yeah?”
I smile. “Yeah.”
The wind is whipping my hair around my face, but I can't help the ecstatic laugh that escapes my mouth as I take the corner at an alarming speed. Man, I missed this car! I want to go to Chase's, but I know it's probably for the best if I don't--especially after such an eventful morning. I park next to Vance's car and bite my lip in worry. Chase and I had never asked Vaughn or Vin to remain quiet about us, so I can only hope they didn't spill the beans.
I cautiously walk into the house and everyone, including Chase, is sitting in the living room. I stop dead in my tracks. “Oh hey. I didn't see your truck out front,” I say, stupidly.
“Hey, V. Vance picked me up,” Chase responds, nonchalantly. I glance towards Vance and gasp. His face is all swollen--his lip is busted, his eye is all black and blue, and his eyes are bloodshot. “Holy shit!”
“Don't worry, the other guy looks worse,” Vance jokes.
“Who’s the other guy?” I ask as I move around to sit on the other side of Vance. Although I already know the whole story, Vance doesn't know that. It seems like the right question to ask.
“He's not important.” He waves me off and continues to watch the game. I notice my dad isn't in his chair.
“Where's Dad?” I ask then glance out in the kitchen.
“They went out to eat. We just ordered pizza,” Vin informs me. “You go for a nice ride?” he asks with a smile.
“I did. It drives amazing. Chase looks like you're free now. Thanks for your help.”
“No problem.”
“Well I'm gonna go upstairs. Call me when the pizza arrives,” I say to the room. I glance at Chase as I walk by him. While he’s watching me, I catch Vin’s eyes on the both of us. It makes me a bit nervous, so I hurry up the stairs and once I'm in my room, I release my breath.
I pull up Tay's number and hit the dial button. It rings twice before she answers, “Hello my bestest friend.”