You’re the Reason

by J. Nathan

  “You’re sweaty.”

  “Uh huh.”

  “I like you sweaty.”

  He threw back his head, and a mix between a humorless laugh and a groan escaped him.

  “What?”

  “Do you really think you can say something like that to a guy when you’re sitting this close looking all hot and smelling all sweet?”

  “Should I not have said it?” I asked, lifting my eyebrows.

  “Oh, no. You should’ve. Just once we’re alone in my room.” He leaned forward and pressed his lips to mine. His sweaty nose brushed mine, and instead of being turned off by the beads of sweat shifting to my skin, I scooted closer, tunneling my fingers into the back of his damp hair and deepening the kiss.

  Chase pulled out of the kiss. “Aw, fuck, Soph. Let’s go up to my room.” He grabbed my hand and pulled me to my feet. He led me upstairs and left me in his room so he could shower.

  I sat on the edge of his bed, playing on my phone—anything to pass the time before his return. The vision of him in that basement with those glistening muscles pounding away at the punching bag overwhelmed me. I’d never been so turned on by just looking at a guy before, but there was something about Chase that made me want to throw caution to the wind and just enjoy the ride.

  The knob on his door rattled a few minutes later and the door opened. Chase stepped through the doorway with a towel hung low around his waist, that distinct V carved into his hips, and water droplets clinging to his skin. “I figured if you liked me sweaty, you’d like me all wet,” he said with a smirk, closing the door behind him.

  I swallowed hard. Damn straight I did.

  He moved toward the bed. My head tipped back to meet his gaze, all hooded and sexy. “What shall we do now?” he mused.

  I placed my phone on his nightstand and slipped my hands over the towel at his hips.

  His eyes dropped to my hands, waiting for my next move.

  I trailed them slowly around to the front, slipping my thumb to where the towel was secured and loosening it. Chase made no move to grab for the slipping towel as it dropped to the floor.

  My pulse began to thump as I slowly lifted my eyes from the towel on the floor to his erection in front of my face.

  “Now what?” he asked, his voice deep and raspy.

  I slowly met his gaze, having no idea what to do next. I mean I knew what I could do, but was that what I should do?

  Gauging my indecision, he leaned forward until I had to lay back on his bed. I scooched up so my legs no longer hung off the side.

  He covered me with his naked body and a drop of his wet hair landed on my cheek. He leaned down and licked it.

  I smiled. “What shall we do now?”

  “Oh, I know a lot of things we should do now,” he said, before his lips crashed down on mine.

  My body fell slack, every part of me at his mercy. Or was I? I reached down between us and grabbed hold of his erection. Even as we kissed, he sucked in a sharp breath. I moved my hand over the thick length of him. He deepened the kiss, urging me on. I tightened my grip and pumped my fist up and down.

  He tore his lips from mine and buried them in the crook of my neck, covering my skin with open-mouthed kisses that had my head falling back as I continued pumping my fist.

  “Fuck, Soph,” he said between kisses to my neck. “Where the hell did you learn how to do this?”

  “I—”

  “Wait, I don’t want to know.” His mouth captured mine, this time his tongue pushed inside and I could barely keep up. This kiss was hurried and desperate. And I hoped it was because of what I was doing to him.

  I continued pumping my fist—faster and harder, doing whatever garnered a reaction from him. Sharp breaths were good. Groans were even better.

  “Oh, fuck,” Chase said, tearing his lips from mine and burying his mouth in my neck. He thrust into my hand as I continued moving. “Fuck, fuck, fuck fuuuuuuuuck,” he groaned as he spilled out onto my arm and hand as I continued pumping until I was sure I’d wrung his body of everything it had, bringing him over the edge completely.

  I eventually released him.

  He dropped his forehead to mine as his chest heaved. “That. Was. Amazing.”

  I smiled, satisfied with my work.

  He rolled off of me and grabbed his towel from the floor. He wiped my arm and hand, and checked my clothes for anything that might have ended up on me. “Note to self. Seeing me in a towel gets you all hot.”

  “Don’t make me go back to hating you.”

  He laughed as he stood from the bed.

  I sat up, watching him go to his closet and pull on some jeans without boxers and a black T-shirt. He turned back to me. Instead of joining me on the bed, he walked to his door. “Come on.”

  “We’re leaving?” I asked, suddenly confused by the turn of events.

  “Nope. We’re playing pool.”

  “Pool?” I asked, the sudden high pitch tone to my voice showing my surprise.

  “You might’ve beaten Ryan, but there’s no way in hell you’re beating me.”

  Wait. What? “You saw us play?”

  “Why do you think I was so pissed when I found you outside that night?”

  “I have no idea.”

  He cocked his head, a sigh of resignation leaving his lips. “Because the second you kicked his ass in pool, I knew I’d never be able to stay away from you.”

  I sat speechless for a long moment, replaying his words and actions that night in my head, trying to make sense of them. “So, you decided to be mean to me?”

  He walked over and lowered himself to his haunches in front of me, resting his hands on my thighs. “The asshole left you alone outside when you were clearly drunk. I was mad at him. And mad at you for putting yourself in that situation.”

  “You let me walk home alone.”

  He scoffed. “I followed you home.”

  My mouth parted. “I don’t know if I should kiss you or add it to your list of creepy stalker tendencies.”

  He shook his head, not bothering with a response. “Then, you corrected me when I asked what you were doing out there. I knew then and there you were exactly what I wanted—but could never have. And it pissed me off.”

  I sat speechless, the newfound information whirling haphazardly through my mind. He wanted me? But he thought he couldn’t have me?

  “So, yes, Sophia. I saw you play pool. Are we clear now on what went down that night?”

  “You could’ve just told me instead of being an asshole.”

  A bitter laugh escaped him. “I have a lot on my plate. Wanting you was not something I wanted to add to that plate.” He reached up and brushed a rogue wave of my hair off my face and tucked it behind my ear. “But there you always were. In my classes. My history partner. Chantel’s roommate. Ryan’s latest obsession. It was like the universe telling me something.”

  “So, I was the reason for your bad attitude?”

  He stood, grabbing my hand and pulling me to my feet. “You were the reason I smiled for the first time in a long freaking time and meant it.”

  Butterflies took flight in my stomach, his unexpected honesty flooring me. I had no idea how to respond. So, I said the first thing that came to my mind. “Care to wager on this game?”

  His lips twitched in the corners. “What kind of wager?”

  I thought for a moment. Then my mind wandered back to the sight of him in that towel. And I knew exactly what I wanted, especially since there was no way I’d lose.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

  There was urgent knocking on my door Friday morning as I got ready for History through Film. I hoped Chase had decided to show up to surprise me. But when I pulled open my door, Valerie stood there holding a sign: Happy Birthday, Sophia!

  I hadn’t seen Valerie since she took off on me Sunday night. I knew I’d pushed too hard, and I understood that she wanted space from me. I didn’t necessarily like it, but I respected it. So, this peace offering, especially on my bi
rthday, meant the world to me.

  Instead of saying anything, I stepped out into the hall and wrapped my arms around her.

  She wrapped her arms around me, sign and all, hugging me back. “I missed you,” she said.

  “I missed you too.”

  ***

  I made my way to class a couple of minutes later. Once I neared the building, I stopped short and started cracking up. Chase sat outside the building on the front steps. His chest was bare and a white towel was wrapped around his hips. His eyes lit up with amusement once he spotted me, and he stood up to greet me as I moved closer to him.

  Girls giggled and stared as they walked by, making me rethink my wager as I stepped in front of him. “I like your towel.”

  “I made a wager with the devil.”

  “Chantel was here?” I glanced facetiously around.

  He enveloped me in his arms and dropped a kiss on my forehead. “Happy birthday.”

  “Thanks. Why are you out here? Are you trying to give the girls a show?”

  “Only one girl.” He stepped back and grabbed my hand, pulling me away from the building.

  “What are you doing?”

  “We’re skipping class.”

  “Why?”

  “It’s on your list, so I’m making it happen,” he said.

  Heads turned as we made our way across the quad. “What are we gonna do?”

  “Do you have something in mind?” he asked.

  I thought about it for minute. “Well, seeing you in that towel is reminding me of last night.”

  “I like the way your mind works,” he said.

  ***

  Chase held my hand as he drove through the busy streets of Houston that evening. I wore a sundress paired with a denim jacket and some nude heels Valerie lent me, hoping I hadn’t overdressed for what he had planned.

  “So, give me a clue,” I said from the passenger seat.

  He shook his head, his eyes on the road. “It’s a surprise.”

  I sighed. “You’re lucky I like surprises.”

  He glanced my way and smiled. “You’re lucky I like you.”

  I laughed, watching out the window as the storefronts and restaurants blurred by us, knowing I didn’t want to be anywhere but in that car with Chase. I glanced over at him, noting the way his shirt gripped his arms so perfectly. “Did you play football growing up?”

  “Yeah, how’d you know?”

  I shrugged. “You’re just built like a wide receiver.”

  He laughed. “I was a wide receiver.”

  “Did you not want to play football in college?”

  He opened him mouth to respond then closed it. “Just wasn’t in the cards.”

  I got the strange feeling he was purposely being evasive, almost like he wanted to tell me but then thought better of it. “Did you have a lot of girlfriends?”

  “This feels like an interrogation.”

  I squeezed his hand. “I just want to know you better.”

  “I had a few,” he offered.

  “No one serious?”

  He shrugged. “How about you? No one waiting back home for you?”

  I shook my head.

  “Thank God. I would’ve had to kick someone’s ass.”

  I laughed.

  He eventually pulled into a parking lot.

  I looked out the window at the small white house with beaded curtains hanging in the front window. My eyes lit up when I spotted the sign out front. I turned to Chase.

  He grinned. “Check this off your list.”

  “This is awesome.”

  “Stay there,” he said as he cut the engine and reached in the back for his ball cap. He put it on and hopped out of the car, making his way to my side. That brief moment gave me time to appreciate him in his dark jeans, light blue shirt, and ball cap pulled down low. He opened my door and took my hand, helping me out. He linked our fingers and we walked to the door. “Now if she says anything about getting rid of me, we’re leaving.”

  I smiled, loving that he’d planned this for me.

  We entered the front room and were greeted to soft tranquil music. A sofa was pushed against the far wall. There was a coffee table in front of the sofa with what looked like a crystal ball in the center. And another chair was in the corner.

  “Welcome.” An older woman sashayed into the room in a long colorful robe with rings on every finger. “You’re here to have your fortunes told,” she said with a thick Cajun accent.

  “She’s good,” Chase whispered to me.

  “Yes, I’m So—”

  “Don’t say anything, dear. Allow Madame Rose to tell you what you need to know. Come.” She took my hand. “Let’s read your fortune.” She sat down on the sofa, pulling me down with her so our knees touched. She held my hand in her lap.

  Chase sat across the room in the chair, stifling a smile.

  “Madame Rose is sensing a milestone for you.”

  “Today’s my birthday,” I explained.

  “Ah, yes. That’s what I’m seeing. And you have some uncertainty surrounding the night.”

  I swallowed the lump that shot to my throat. Things had been heating up between Chase and me, and I had no idea where the night would lead us. “I—”

  “You don’t know what he has planned for you and you’re curious,” she said.

  I glanced to Chase and nodded. “Very.”

  “I’m seeing big surprises in your future,” she said. Then, something changed. Her mouth suddenly turned down in the corners and her features darkened. “But some of these surprises will come at a hefty price.”

  “Oh,” I said, not quite sure what to make of her prediction.

  “There are secrets. Lots of secrets being withheld from you…from various people in your life.”

  “Who?” I asked.

  “Friends. A girl…and a boy. And…” Her head twisted toward Chase. “Him.”

  Chase pointed to himself. “Me?”

  She nodded, her eyes narrowing on him. “Don’t hurt the girl. She’s got a tough exterior but a fragile heart.”

  His eyes widened, as if he was a small child being reprimanded for something he didn’t do.

  Madame Rose’s attention moved back to me. “I also see happy things in your future, dear. A long life with a man who loves you and two children who are the apples of your eye.”

  I smiled, hoping that indeed was the truth and not just something she said at the end of a reading to send people away happy. “Do you see anything else I should know about?”

  “Stay true to who you are and all roads will lead you in the right direction.”

  I pondered her words, even after we were in the car and pulling out of the parking lot.

  “You’re quiet,” Chase said.

  “That was intense.”

  “Do you believe what she said?” Chase asked.

  “Well, if I did, I’d be asking you to drop me back off at the dorm since you’re hiding a big secret.”

  He reached over and linked our hands. “Was it everything you thought it’d be?”

  “And more.”

  We shared a laugh. “So, you ready for our next stop?”

  I nodded. “Definitely.”

  ***

  “Keep them closed,” Chase said as his car came to a stop.

  My hands had been covering my eyes for the last ten minutes in the passenger seat. “They’re closed.”

  He parked the car and switched off the engine. “Wait here.”

  “Where would I go? I can’t see.”

  He opened his door and hopped out. I heard him open the back door and shuffle some things around.

  “Can I open my eyes yet?”

  “No.” I heard the back door close then I felt my door being pulled open. “Keep your eyes closed,” Chase said as he took one of my hands away from my eyes. “I want you to carefully turn and step out.”

  I did as told.

  Crashing of ocean waves nearby brought a smile to my lips. A warm oce
an breeze wafted our way, and I tasted the salt in the air on my lips.

  “Why are you smiling?” he asked.

  “Can’t I just be happy?”

  “Fine,” he relented, knowing I’d discovered our location. “Open your eyes.”

  I did. We stood in the beach parking lot. Chase held a blanket, a box of pizza, another smaller white box, and two bottles of water. My smile grew.

  “Come on.” He led me to the path leading to the beach. Since the sun had set, very few people could be seen on the dark stretch of sand. Chase lay out our blanket and pulled me down with him. He wrapped his arm around me and pulled me into his side. “Happy Birthday, Soph. May this year be your best one yet.”

  “I can’t see how it wouldn’t be.”

  He pulled back to see my eyes. “Oh, yeah?”

  “I’ve got straight As, a room to myself, and I met Val.”

  He frowned.

  I couldn’t hide my smile for long. “And, I met this guy, who continuously surprises me.”

  He smiled.

  “Ryan.”

  He tackled me onto my back. “Ryan? You better take that back.”

  “Professor Irons?”

  He growled.

  “You, Chase Reed,” I relented. “I met you.”

  He smiled. “That’s better.” He pressed his lips to mine for a quick kiss before sitting us back up.

  I breathed in the briny night air as I reached for the pizza box.

  “Nope,” Chase said, as he reached for the smaller box and opened it. A big piece of chocolate cake sat inside. “Cake before dinner.”

  I cocked my head. “Valerie?”

  He nodded as he handed me a fork.

  I smiled, completely impressed by the lengths he’d gone to make my birthday one to remember. I dug into the cake and took a bite, savoring the fudgy taste.

  “Does cake on the beach taste better than cake elsewhere?” he asked.

  I shrugged. “I wouldn’t have known until I tried it.” I pressed my fork into the cake and held the bite-sized piece of cake out to him.

  He leaned over and ate it.

  “So, thanks for helping me check another thing off my list.”

  He pressed his lips to the side of my head. “I like making your wishes come true.”

  I smothered the grin fighting to take over. “Just tell me getting a tattoo isn’t on the list tonight.”