I end up loving the show, and after we finish the second episode, I hound her with questions about the plotline that she laughingly refuses to answer as we clear up our dishes. I haven’t asked if it’s okay that I sleep here, but when she pours two glasses of water for us and carries them into her bedroom, I’m relieved that she’s going on the assumption that I plan to stay. Because I do. I want to spend every moment of every day with her, and that goes for the nighttime hours as well.
She washes her make-up off in the bathroom, and then I take my turn in there. As I walk back into her bedroom, she’s already cuddled under the covers, and after the night she’s had, I tell my dick to behave himself. Instead of crawling on top of her, I strip down to my boxers, lie down beside her, and simply take her into my arms to hold her.
She rests her cheek against my biceps, her fingertips swirling over the ridges of my abs, and I’ve never been so grateful as I am in that moment for the grueling hours I’ve spent in the gym.
I’m wondering what she’s thinking, when she says, ‘When my cards were stolen last week and you called the bank, how did you know that all my accounts were safe? How did you know I didn’t have another account at a bank other than the one my checkbook came from?’
I shake my head as I laugh, because that’s the last thing I was expecting her to say. And even though there’s a chance my answer might piss her off, I still give her the truth, because that’s all I’m ever going to give her. I learned my lesson with speaking in half-truths back in England, when I refused to tell her the real reason why I wanted her to stay with me.
‘I had my finance team run a quick credit report on you.’
She lifts her head. ‘Seriously?’
I shrug as I say, ‘It was the only way I could make sure those dickheads weren’t going to screw you over.’
‘Wow,’ she murmurs, snuffling a soft laugh under her breath as she lays her head back down. And then she tilts it back and smirks at me. ‘I guess now you know all my secrets, huh?’
‘To be honest, babe, I didn’t read it that closely, since I was just looking for your account information.’ Arching one of my eyebrows, I ask, ‘So what salacious details did I miss?’
‘Well, there’s my scandalous coffee addiction.’
I widen my eyes in mock outrage. ‘No! I’m shocked.’
‘You should be,’ she laughs, stroking her fingertips along the edge of my jaw. ‘I spend way too much money at Maggie’s every month.’
‘What’s Maggie’s?’
‘My and Ty’s favorite coffeehouse. I’ll have to take you there in the morning. You’ll love it.’
‘I’m looking forward to it,’ I tell her, loving how silky her skin feels as I slip my hand up under the little tank top she’s wearing and run it down her back. Then lower, over her gorgeous, panty-covered arse. ‘Any other questions?’
‘No, no questions,’ she says, and there’s a smile on her lips as she shoves hard at my shoulders. With a smile of my own, I roll on to my back, thinking she wants to get on top. My dick jerks with excitement, because the idea of watching Emmy bounce up and down on it, her pink-tipped breasts swaying and jiggling, is hot as fuck. But instead of climbing on, she presses her soft lips to the center of my chest, and starts working her way lower, sprinkling kisses all over me, and my heart starts pounding so hard I think the bloody thing might burst through my ribs.
This isn’t just raw, deliciously aggressive sex, like we usually have. She’s giving it a note of playful tenderness that I’ve never experienced, and it’s undoing me. Breaking me down. But not in a bad way. Hell no.
Because I have a feeling that when Emmy is done with me tonight, I’m going to somehow be better than I was before.
This beautiful, amazing girl . . . She isn’t with me for my money or what I can give her. All she wants is me. To make me laugh and smile and moan with pleasure, and that . . . Christ, it’s the best damn feeling in the world.
By the time she’s tugged off my boxers and is taking the slick, wet head of my dick between her lips, I’m shaking, my pulse roaring in my ears. I’m so turned on, I’m leaking pre-cum on to her tongue with every tight pull of her greedy mouth, and I know I’m not going to last two seconds if she keeps this up. And I need to feel her coming with me when I crash over that blinding edge. Need to forge as many connections with her as I can, each one making this thing between us tighter. Stronger.
Given how crazy our goddamn families are – especially mine – it needs to be fucking titanium, so that we can survive whatever they, and the rest of the world, decide to throw at us.
Grabbing hold of her, I pull her up and ravage her mouth as I strip her, licking the taste of me from her soft tongue, and I don’t stop as I blindly reach over to the bedside table for a condom. I snag one, rip it open, and cover my cock. Then I roll us over, get up on my knees, her hips in my hands as I pull her snug, cushiony cunt over my diamond-hard shaft, and start pounding the hell out of her.
Her legs are spread, her upper back and head the only parts of her touching the bed, and from this position I can see everything. Every lush, exquisite detail of her. I stare so hard my eyes start to burn, watching the way my broad cock stretches her pink little hole, her juices covering me. I can’t believe I’m this bloody hard for her again after already coming so many times today, but this girl . . . God, I have a feeling I’ll always be hard for her.
‘You want more?’ I growl, lifting my heavy gaze to her glittering one, her cheeks flushed as she swipes her tongue over her lower lip and nods.
I scoop her up and shuffle forward on my knees until I’ve got her trapped between the headboard and my pounding body, taking her so hard that she’s gasping with every inward thrust into her tight, sweet clasp. ‘Fuck, Em. If we keep this up, you’re gonna get so swollen I won’t even be able to get inside you.’
‘Just don’t stop,’ she moans against the side of my throat, her arms wrapped tight around my shoulders as I hold her thighs spread wide. ‘Oh, God, Jase. Don’t stop!’
‘Never,’ I husk, reaching between us and pressing my thumb to her clit. I press and rub the little nub of flesh, and she tightens around me even more, her body shaking as it builds, rising up, and then that blistering wave of pleasure crashes through her like a storm, dragging me along for the panting, pulsing, mind-blowing ride, our hoarse shouts no doubt waking up the entire neighborhood. But, hey, at least no one’s banging on the wall and shouting at us.
I keep a tight hold on her as I collapse back on the bed, so worn out I feel like I’ve just run a marathon. Somehow, I find the strength to deal with the condom and get us the right way around, with our heads on the pillows, then reach over and turn off the lamp that sits on her bedside table. The room is cast into darkness, the closed curtains preventing even the moonlight from seeping in, and I wrap my arms back around her, holding her close, determined that I’ll be able to hold her, just like this, for so many nights to come.
Hell, I want this woman for a lifetime. For all the nights I have left in this world, and I make a silent vow to myself to do whatever it takes to make that happen.
‘Don’t leave me,’ she murmurs so softly I almost miss it, and it takes me a second to realize that she’s talking in her sleep. ‘Don’t . . . Don’t go . . .’
I hold her tighter against my pounding heart and press my lips to the top of her head, her words utterly destroying me.
Emmy’s happy that I’m here; I know she is.
But I also know, from the way that I’ve caught her looking at me a few times now, that she’s still not quite sure this is for real. I’ve made the big gesture by chasing her beautiful arse halfway around the world – but it’s going to take more than that to get completely under that guard she can’t quite let down, so that I can work my way into her heart.
And that’s exactly what I’m going to do.
I don’t care how long it takes. How hard I have to fight for it. Bleed for it. This girl is worth it all, because she’s
the one thing in this entire world that I hold close for joy.
And now that I’ve got her in my arms again, where she belongs, I’m never letting go.
Chapter Five
Friday morning
EMMY
As I open my eyes to the morning sunlight sneaking around the edges of the bedroom curtains, I feel my breath catch as I find myself face-to-face with the gorgeous sex god that is Jase Beckett. I swallow a little dreamy sigh as I soak him in, loving the way he scratches lazily at his chest, then rubs the dark stubble on his jaw, his hair sticking up all over the place. This is Jase at his most comfortable and relaxed, and he’s mouthwatering.
He arches his brow at me, as if he wants to know what I’m thinking, but I just smile, not about to feed his ego any more than I already have. But the sexy wink that he shoots me, as he throws back the covers and climbs out of bed, says he’s all too aware of what he does to me. His nude body is like a work of art, all golden skin and rippling muscle, and I can’t help but stare at his perfect ass as he walks into the hallway, heading for the bathroom.
After we’ve both brushed our teeth, we get dressed in shorts and T-shirts, and hold hands as we make the short walk down to Maggie’s. We splurge on her maple-and-bacon donuts, sipping on delicious coffees as the Foo Fighters’ ‘Stranger Things Have Happened’ plays softly from the overhead speakers, and Jase helps me set up my new phone. Before we leave, I shoot Ty a quick text to let him know that I’ve got a new number, and he shoots back a heart and a kiss emoji, which has Jase shaking his head, like he thinks the guy is trying to mess with him. But Tyler’s always been like this with me, from the moment we first became friends, and I know that he and Jase will get along well if they just give each other a chance.
When we get back to my apartment, Jase makes himself comfortable on my small sofa and I go straight to my house phone to check my messages, in case my mom has called. But there are no missed calls, and nothing new on my voicemail. Just as I turn to set the phone back down, there’s a knock on my front door, and I give Jase an I have no idea who it is look as I walk over, then peek through the peephole.
‘What the hell?’ I mutter, unable to believe what I’m seeing.
‘Who is it?’ Jase asks, moving to his feet.
‘My father,’ I huff, yanking the door open. I can’t believe the jackass’s audacity in coming here, but I have no intention of letting him inside. I say nothing as I stare up into brown eyes that are almost the exact same shade as mine, waiting to hear what he’ll say.
Puffing up his chest, he glares down at me and goes with an absolute doozy. ‘I think you owe me an apology, young lady. Your behavior last night was beyond rude.’
‘Seriously, Dad? That’s what you open with?’
‘What did you expect?’ he snaps, and I can’t miss the gleam in his eye when he looks over my shoulder and sees Jase standing behind me in the living room. He coughs to clear his throat, and in the good-ol’-boy tone I’ve heard him use during countless business calls, he says, ‘Now move aside and let me in. I’d like a chance to speak with this young man you’re dating.’
I tighten my grip on the door, and there’s an even tighter smile on my lips as I say, ‘You know what, Dad? When you’re ready to act like a decent human being, then maybe I’ll make Jase suffer your company. But until then, don’t pull this crap again. Because it’s not happening.’
Before he can even respond, I shut the door in his livid face and twist the lock, and find Jase smiling at me as I turn toward him, as if he’s proud of what I’ve done. And while some people might think I just acted like a bitch, I can’t help but feel a little proud as well.
‘Let’s get out of here for a while,’ I say, returning Jase’s smile. ‘This is your first time in San Diego and you need to do some sightseeing.’
‘I’m seeing one hell of a sight right now,’ he drawls, walking over to me and wrapping his arms around my lower back, tugging me close.
I tilt my head back as I hold on to his biceps. ‘Keep looking at me like that, and I really won’t be able to walk straight anymore.’
He gets this wicked gleam in his dark eyes as he laughs, and I swear it’s so freaking sexy that it makes me wet. ‘And you saying things like that just makes me harder, sweetheart.’
I start to tell him that I can feel just how true those words are, but my phone rings. ‘I’d better get that in case it’s my mom,’ I say, pulling out of his arms. I check the caller ID and it says private. ‘Hello?’
‘Emmy, it’s Kevin.’
I find myself doing that thing that I’ve only seen in movies and on TV, where I pull the phone away from my ear for a moment to stare at it in bafflement, then slowly put it back to my ear again.
‘Um, hey, Kevin’ I say, and I hear Jase quietly laugh under his breath. Looking over to where he’s lounging back on my sofa again, smirking at me, I cough to clear my throat a little. ‘This, uh, isn’t really a good time for me.’
‘I’m sure you’ve got your new boyfriend there,’ Kevin says sourly, sounding childish and immature, and I’m having a hard time remembering why I’d dated him for a few months the year before last. We’d taken a lot of the same classes, and enjoyed similar tastes in movies and music, and thinking back, I’d probably said yes because I’d known he was a safe choice. A nice guy who I could go out with, without worrying I’d develop an emotional attachment to him. And I’d thought he felt the same.
‘Actually, yes, Jase is here.’
‘I just wanted to tell you that it was good seeing you last night. You ran out before I got the chance to say that, and that . . . that I miss you.’
‘Kevin,’ I sigh, ‘I’ve been single for over a year now, and suddenly you decide that you miss me?’
‘It was easier not to think about you because we haven’t hung out since things fizzled out between us. But seeing you last night, I realize that I’ve been waiting to run into you again.’
I frown, thinking that if he’d really missed me, he would have made more of an effort. Not that I would’ve been interested, but still. How’s he ever going to get anywhere in life if he just waits for what he wants to come to him?
‘Kev, you’re a great guy, and I know there’s someone out there who’s perfect for you. But that person isn’t me, okay? And don’t sit around waiting for her to just pop into your life. Get out there and make more of an effort.’
‘Maybe you’re right,’ he says after a brief pause. ‘But it doesn’t mean that getting over you is going to be any easier.’
‘I’m sorry. I . . . I didn’t mean to hurt you.’
‘Yeah, I know,’ he murmurs. ‘You were always upfront about what you were looking for.’
‘I need to go, okay?’
‘Take care, Em.’
He hangs up then, and I let out a huge sigh of relief, wondering what kind of weird, cosmic shit-storm must be brewing over my head. First my dad, and then Kevin? It’s like the awesomeness of having Jase here has thrown my universe out of whack, and now all this craziness is happening.
‘I take it the boy isn’t as over you as you thought,’ Jase says, rubbing a hand over his stubble-covered jaw.
I set the phone back in its cradle. ‘Um, something like that.’
‘You know, I have a feeling you’ve left a lot more broken hearts in your wake than you realize, Em.’
Pushing my hair back from my face, I can hear the frustration in my voice as I say, ‘Honestly, Jase, we weren’t serious enough for him to get his heart broken.’
‘Maybe not on your end, but on his . . .’
I shake my head. ‘It wasn’t like that. We were more friends than anything else.’
‘And I think you don’t see how powerfully you affect people, beautiful. You’ve had that armor of yours wrapped around you so tight, you thought it was going to keep people from getting too close. And it probably worked until you met me. But that doesn’t mean they didn’t see you, and fall for you, and hope like hell that they’d be t
he one who’d get to crawl inside that armor with you.’
‘Is that what you’ve done?’ I ask, my chest warm and my heart pounding. ‘Crawled inside with me?’
‘It’s what I’m hoping for,’ he says softly, his blue gaze heavy and molten as he moves to his feet and starts coming toward me. ‘And then, once I’ve earned your trust, I’m hoping I can pull you right out of it, because you’ll know you don’t need it anymore. You’ll trust me to be good to you, and for you.’
I melt, my lips trembling. ‘Jase, th-that’s—’
‘Shh,’ he whispers, pulling me into his arms and pressing a tender kiss to the center of my forehead. ‘You don’t have to say anything, Em. Just know that I’m happy as hell that I get to be the man standing here, holding you in my arms. And I will never fucking take it for granted.’
I wrap my arms around his waist and give him a tight hug, his words making my heart beat so hard it feels like it’s trying to win a race.
Sensing that I need him to lighten the mood, he lifts me off the floor and spins me around a few times, until I’m laughing and squealing for him to stop. When he does, I’m grinning so wide that it hurts my cheeks as I kick my head back and gaze up into his smiling face. ‘You ready to hit the road?’ I ask him. ‘God only know who’s going to show up or call next. I say we should make a run for it.’
‘Whatever you want, Em.’
We grab what we’ll need, hop into the luxurious sports car, and head out to the Cabrillo National Monument in Point Loma. It’s a state park that has breathtaking views of the city and the Pacific, with trails you can walk along at the top of the cliffs.
Once we’re done looking around, and actually snap a few selfies with my new phone, we tour the Old Point Loma Lighthouse that’s nearby, and then drive over to Pacific Beach. We park right by the sand, leave our shoes in the car, and head out to walk along the shore. It’s a gorgeous day, with the sun shining bright off the roiling Pacific, the surfers out in huge numbers as they battle for the best spots on the waves.
The Chase Page 7