Want Me (Coopers Creek Book 3)

by Bronwen Evans

  She laid a hand against his chest. “Much better now—for the time being.”

  “Mmm. Something tells me that we’re gonna be very busy this weekend getting busy.”

  “I think you’re right. Get your stuff and let’s go take a shower.”

  He did up his jeans part way. “That sounds like a great idea. I’ll wash your back if you wash mine,” he quipped.

  Anna opened the door and Lola bounded out to greet Chase.

  “There’s my girl.” He petted and hugged her while she wiggled her whole body and lapped his face. “I missed you, too. Were you a good girl for B-man and the gang? Hmm? I’m sure I’ll get a good report.”

  Lola whined with happiness and then ran back inside to retrieve one of her toys. Chase collected his things and brought them inside. He felt his penthouse welcome him home and grew calmer in his psyche.

  He talked to Lola as he made his way to his bedroom. She carried her stuffed elephant and jumped up on his bed, bowing down and inviting him to play.

  “Let me shower and then we’ll play, okay?”

  Lola growled and shook her elephant in reply, making Chase grin. He sat his briefcase on his bureau and hung up his garment bag. Striding to the bathroom, he found Anna already in the shower. Watching soapy water slide down her body as she stood under the regular showerhead stirred his desire again, and he reversed his steps to his bedroom.

  He got a condom from his nightstand and rejoined her. Quickly, he shed his clothes and took care of the other condom before stepping into the shower with her.

  “Where do you get your soap?” she asked. “This lemon meringue is fantastic. All of your soaps are.”

  Choosing a cucumber and melon scent, Chase said, “Audrey Parker, one of our mail clerks, runs a side business making it. It’s all natural and good for your skin.”

  Anna said, “I’m going to buy some. I think I’ll send some to my family. My sisters will go crazy for it. Mom, too.”

  Chase said, “I’ll give you her number. She’ll be glad for the business. How many brothers and sisters do you have?”

  Anna came over to him and took his scrubber. “Allow me. I have two brothers and three sisters. I’m the baby of the family. My brothers, Bo and Logan, are twins and are three years older than me. Then there are Carolyn, Skye, and Samantha. Carolyn is the oldest. Her and her husband, Steve, have four kids, and they’re working on number five.”

  Chase’s eyebrows rose. “Wow. Big family.”

  Anna smiled. “I love having a big family, and I want a bunch of kids when I get married someday.”

  Pain pierced Chase so sharply that he almost jerked. He quickly forced a smile before Anna saw his reaction. “You sound like Ty. He never used to want kids, but now him and Emily want at least two more. Ric and Kate are trying hard for their first.” He sounded happy, but on the inside, he was dying.

  Anna’s forehead furrowed. “Chase, what’s wrong?”

  Fuck. She saw that. He couldn’t think of a suitable explanation, so he decided that he might as well get this conversation over with. “Anna, I’m getting serious about you, but I have to tell you something before things go any further.”

  * * *

  His grave expression and the almost shy look in his eyes convinced Anna that this was going to be a very serious talk. She put aside her happiness over his admission of having strong feelings for her. “Okay. I’m listening.”

  “When I was fourteen, I got a horrible case of the mumps. I was really sick and my… damn, this is so hard.”

  The naked vulnerability in his eyes made her heart flood with sympathy for him. She put a comforting hand on his arm. “It’s all right, Chase. You can tell me.”

  His jaw worked and Anna knew that he was fighting for control. Seeing how difficult this was for him, she didn’t interrupt him. She became alarmed when his eyes filled with tears, but she remained silent.

  He took a deep breath and said, “It was so severe that it… God damn it.” Chase broke away from her and walked to the other side of the shower. Turning back to her, he crossed his arms over his chest in a defensive gesture. “It was so severe that it left me sterile, which was why I wasn’t more upset about forgetting to use a condom a few nights ago. I can’t father children. I can’t make babies, Anna, so if our relationship ever led to marriage, I couldn’t give you all those kids you want.”

  Shocked, Anna could only stare at him.

  * * *

  Chase trembled inside as he waited for Anna’s reaction. He was terrified that she’d tell him that it was over and leave. That thought made his heart squeeze painfully as though it was in a vice. She looked at him wide-eyed for several moments before coming to him.

  She rested her hands on his shoulders, and he was surprised by the fierce light in her eyes. “If she left you because of that, she didn’t really love you, Chase. You don’t leave someone you profess to love because of something they can’t help.”

  She had no idea, but she’d just echoed what Ric had told him.

  “And if our relationship does go that far, there are other ways to get pregnant. Or we could adopt. There are plenty of kids out there who need a good home,” she said.

  Searching her eyes, Chase said, “You’d be willing to do that?”

  Anna nodded. “Of course. Chase, being a good parent is about a lot more than biology. Look at your mother and father. You’re their biological child, but they turned out to be terrible parents to you.”

  That was certainly true. Chase couldn’t believe what he was hearing and how giving Anna was being.

  He took her hands. “I need you to be absolutely sure about this, Anna. I couldn’t take it if you changed you mind somewhere down the road. Take some time to think about it.”

  She gave him one of her beautiful smiles and squeezed his hands. “I don’t need to. I don’t say things that I don’t mean. If we get to that point, I’ll be absolutely fine with exploring other ways to get pregnant or adopting or maybe both.”

  Chase laughed. “Boy, you really do want a whole bunch of kids.”

  “Think the Brady Bunch,” she said with a giggle.

  “Six? Holy shit.” He thought about that. “Well, it ain’t like I can’t afford them.”

  She trailed her fingertips down from his shoulders and teased his nipples. Chase sucked in a breath as heat surged to his loins. She took him in hand and slowly stroked him.

  Chase groaned as he hardened, and his need for her rose again.

  Anna grabbed his face with her free hand, forcing him to look into her eyes. “It doesn’t make you less of a man, Chase. Don’t you dare think it does.”

  His gaze slid away from her, but she didn’t relent.

  “Look at me!”

  He met her eyes again.

  “You are the hottest, sexiest, most delicious man I’ve ever met, and I wanted you as soon as I laid eyes on you,” she said.

  “You did?”

  “Oh, yeah. I didn’t want to, but I did. I knew your bad boy reputation, and I was scared to become involved with you for a lot of reasons.” She shook her head a little. “But I’m glad that I did because I’m discovering the real man behind that playboy disguise, and I really like what I see.”

  “And what do you see?”

  “A man who’s risen above all of the adversity in his life and become a success despite it,” she replied. “A man with a huge heart who cares about other people. A creative, dedicated, savvy marketer who has the sexiest singing voice I’ve ever heard, even when he sings a Shirley Temple song.”

  Chase laughed and hugged her. “I wanted to kill Big T.” Sobering, he drew back a little, meeting her gaze. “I need you to know something else.”

  “Okay.”

  “I didn’t sleep with anyone while I was in New York, and as long as we’re together, I swear that I won’t see any other women,” he said. “I don’t need to. You’re the only one I want.”

  Her smile captivated him. “Really?”

 
“Yeah, really.”

  “You’re the only one I want, too.” She resumed fondling him. “Speaking of that.”

  He returned the favor by teasing her nipples. “God, I want you.”

  She took him in her hand and drew the condom off. “If we’re going to be exclusive, and you can’t make me pregnant, then we don’t need these from now on.”

  Chase arched an eyebrow. “We don’t?”

  “No. I loved it the other night when there was nothing between us.”

  “Me, too.”

  Chase fully understood the trust she was placing in him by foregoing protection.

  “Make love to me.” She tossed the condom aside. “Now.”

  Stepping over to the shower controls, Chase hit the button that changed it into a waterfall. Coming back to Anna, he turned her around, pressed her up against the wall, and pulled her hips back against him.

  “Spread your legs a little, baby.”

  * * *

  Being entered from behind was a new experience for Anna. It changed the angle and created a different sensation. Between that and the way Chase’s beautiful hands roamed over her, it didn’t take long for her need to reach a fever-pitch.

  The way he held onto her hips and slammed into her sent her soaring beyond the summit. Calling his name, Anna’s knees threatened to buckle, but Chase wrapped his powerful arms around her, keeping her upright. He bit her left shoulder right before she felt his hot seed fill her.

  It felt so good as they stood under the water together, just holding each other as their breathing returned to normal. After the courage Chase had exhibited by telling her his secret, Anna knew that it was her turn to confide in him, but she was loathe to ruin their closeness right then. Tomorrow is soon enough. I’ll tell him tomorrow.

  Chapter 12

  “Ring, ring! This is your cellphone! Answer me!”

  Chase yawned and rolled over to answer his phone. “Yeah?” he mumbled.

  “Is this Chase McIntyre?”

  “Yeah. Who’s this?” He looked at the lit-up phone screen. “And why are you calling me at 2:34 a.m.?”

  “This is Pete Archer down at Mission House.”

  Chase sat up, instantly awake upon recognizing the name of his sister’s halfway house. “What’d she do now?”

  Pete sighed. “She came home completely wasted a little while ago. I’m afraid that we can’t keep her anymore. This is the third time this month that this has happened. We can’t risk the sobriety of our other residents. Plus, she’s violating her parole. I don’t want to have to turn her in.”

  “Jesus Christ,” Chase ground out. “Pack her shit. I’ll come around seven to get her.”

  “I’m afraid that it can’t wait. She’s combative and won’t stay in her room.”

  Fury burned in Chase’s chest. “Okay. I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

  “Thank you, Mr. McIntyre.”

  Chase hung up and repeatedly tapped his phone against his forehead while he tried to get a grip on his anger.

  “Chase? Is everything okay?”

  “No. My sister just fucked up, and the halfway house where she’s been staying since she got out of jail is kicking her out, like, right now. I have to go get her,” Chase said. “I have to call Jeremy.”

  “Who’s Jeremy?”

  “My driver.”

  “Is your car in the shop?”

  “I don’t own a car.”

  He felt Anna sit up. “You don’t have a car? Why not?”

  “It’s just one more way that I try to limit my carbon footprint,” Chase said.

  “Oh.”

  He heard the smile in her voice and was grateful for a reason to laugh a little. “I know. Everyone teases me about it. Jeremy drives a hybrid that’s really economical on gas.”

  “I’ll take you.”

  Chase reached over and patted her leg. “No, honey. When Brenda’s tanked, she’s a real bitch. I’m not gonna subject you to that.”

  “Where are you going to take her?”

  “I’ll have to bring her here. I won’t be able to get her in a decent rehab until Monday or Tuesday.”

  “Then I’ll see her anyway. I’m not going home alone at this hour, Chase. I’ll take you.”

  Chase blew out a breath. “Okay. Might as well start introducing you to the crazy in my life so you can make up your mind whether you want to run away screaming or not.”

  He got up and turned on a lamp, squinting in the light. Pulling open a drawer, he yanked out a pair of cammo cargo shorts and got a white tank top from another drawer.

  “No underwear?” Anna asked, getting out of bed.

  “Nope. I like going commando. Besides, we’re just coming right back here,” Chase said.

  Anna patted his bare behind and chuckled. “Nothing like swinging in the breeze, hmm?”

  He grinned while he pulled on his shorts. “Told you I hated clothes.”

  “Yes, you did.”

  Chase slipped his shirt over his head. “I’m gonna set the coffeepot so that there’s fresh coffee when we get back.”

  “Okay.”

  Chase padded out to the kitchen and desperately wanted to punch a hole in the wall. “I should’ve known better than to think this time would be different. I never learn!”

  Anna came into the kitchen wearing jeans and a green spaghetti strap top. She’d pulled her hair back into a ponytail. Chase would rather drag her back to bed than be dragging her out at this time of night to go get Brenda. Dismissing that thought, he finished setting the coffeepot and then went to the living room for his wallet and keys.

  As he shoved his feet into a pair of beat-up sneakers, he cursed Brenda for not taking the chance she was being given to change her life. Then he berated himself for continuing to help her when she was clearly unreachable. He’d done everything he could think of: hired the best lawyers for her so she’d have the shortest sentence possible.

  He’d found the halfway house for her and had given her an allowance, which she was supposed to pay back once she found work. He’d tried tough love, no love, and too much love: nothing had worked. It was why he’d completely understood Tyler’s situation with his sister, Lizzie.

  Lizzie had been a drug addict and a party girl. She’d been dangerous in a self-centered, devil-may-care sort of way. There were similarities between Lizzie and Brenda, but Brenda had a defiant, mean streak in her a mile wide. Chase blamed their father for that.

  Brenda had loved their father so much, and when she and Chase had been replaced by the new kids, she’d tried desperately to hold onto to their father’s attention. She’d rebelled in every way possible, trying to get Frank McIntyre to show some sign of caring about her. Unfortunately, all he’d done was thrown money at the situation, buying Brenda a pass with the local police and judges to avoid sullying the McIntyre name.

  Chase was pulled out of his thoughts when Anna put a hand on his arm. “Ready?”

  “As I’ll ever be.”

  * * *

  By the time they arrived back at Chase’s, Anna’s head hurt from the way the McIntyre siblings kept yelling at each other. Until then, she hadn’t seen Chase when he was angry. He was furious with Brenda, and at one point, she’d been afraid that he would hit Brenda back when she’d punched him.

  However, he’d merely taken her by the arm and forced her into the car. When she’d called Anna a bitch, he’d lowered his voice to an ominous level and said, “If you ever, ever say anything like that to Anna again, I’ll drop you off at the nearest police station and let them put you back in jail.”

  “You wouldn’t,” Brenda had said, sneering at him.

  Chase had turned around in the front seat to glare at her. “We’re gonna pass one in about another block. I’ll fucking haul you in there myself. Do. Not. Test. Me.”

  Then Brenda whispered something to Chase and he responded in kind. Whatever he’d told Brenda had shut her up. She’d crossed her arms over her chest and slumped back in the back seat.
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br />   Chase had turned back around, staring stonily out the windshield with his fists clenched on his lap. He’d remained that way until they’d arrived home.

  Now, when they got out of Anna’s car, Chase grabbed Brenda’s bags from the trunk. “Fucking march,” he told Brenda.

  Brenda threw him a nasty look and strode towards the building on slightly unsteady legs. Anna took her arm to make sure she didn’t fall over, but Brenda yanked it away.

  “I can walk.”

  Anna said, “I’m just trying to make sure you don’t end up on your ass.”

  “What do you care?” Brenda gave her a scathing look. “You must be the flavor of the week. Some whore after Chase’s money.”

  Anna grabbed Brenda’s arm and stopped her. “Who I am to Chase is none of your business. You know why?”

  Brenda’s mouth lifted on the right side in a smirk. “This should be good. Okay. Why?”

  “Because you don’t deserve for it to be your business. That’s why. You’re lucky that you have a brother like him. I don’t see any of your other brothers helping you,” Anna said. “Would any of them have come to get you tonight?”

  Brenda sniffed and didn’t answer.

  “I rest my case. Start treating him with the respect he deserves.”

  “Whatever,” Brenda said, but she let Anna help her into the building.

  The security guards let them through. Chase gave them strict orders not to let Brenda leave the building, just in case she tried to escape. Anna surmised that Brenda must have done that sort of thing in the past.

  When they reached the apartment, Chase put Brenda’s bags down and took her by the arms, pushing her down the hallway to the bathroom attached to the spare room.

  “What are you doing?” Brenda demanded.

  Anna had followed in case Chase needed help. She watched Chase pull Brenda into the shower with him, turn it on, and hit the button that turned on the massaging water jets. Brenda shrieked as freezing cold water hit her from every angle. Chase ran out of the shower, shut the door, and leaned against it so that Brenda couldn’t get out.