by KB Winters
“Fair enough,” he shrugged. “So, what will you do then? After all this mess is behind you?”
I blew out a breath between tight lips. “I have no flippin’ idea.”
Chase chuckled. “Come on, what would you want to do?”
“Well, my last job was as a bank manager. I could do that…”
“Naw. What else ya got? Think big!”
I grinned over at him. “I don’t know! My only other career was as a gymnast.”
I burst out laughing as Chase’s jaw dropped.
“Uh-huh. I was headed places. My parents put me in lessons when I was really young and I never stopped. I was actually set to compete in the Olympic trials back in high school. I was fifteen.”
“Shit! That’s incredible! What happened?” Chase gawked—once he collected himself.
I could only imagine what he’d been thinking.
“I busted my ankle really bad. I missed the trials and even after I recovered and rehabbed, it was never the same. I couldn’t regain the edge I’d had.”
“Damn, that sucks.”
“You’re telling me! My whole life would be different now if I’d actually made it.” I sighed and looked over the opposite edge, staring out at the water. There were so many things I wished had gone differently in my life. That was just a cherry on top of the big, ugly banana split.
“I wish this boat was bigger,” Chase said, drawing me out of my list of regrets.
“Why?” I grinned. “So it would have a blender?”
He dropped his head back against his chair and laughed out loud. “No! So you could show me your stuff. Your skills.” He waggled his eyebrows and a blast of heat shot through my stomach.
“Aha. Yes, that’s a shame.” I took a drink and nearly choked. “Woah! You weren’t messing around with these!”
Chase laughed again. “Sorry. I guess I did get a little carried away. Want me to go doctor it up?”
I shook my head and took another hit just to prove I wasn’t a total princess. I could hold my liquor. It had just been a long time since I had the opportunity. Having a five-year-old didn’t exactly leave a lot of free time to hit up the bars.
“Actually, though, that reminds me of something,” I said, sputtering after the strong drink burned down my throat.
“What’s that?”
“What do you think about spending a few days in a hotel?”
Chase’s eyes went wide and dark, the effect stealing my breath away.
My stomach churned and it had nothing to do with the tequila.
“Just to have a little more space. Take a proper shower. You know, with water pressure, that kind of thing,” I added with a smile, hurrying to clarify my request.
“Oh, right, yeah. Uhm, that would probably be all right. Just a few days and then we can get on the move.”
“Yeah. Exactly!” A bubble of excitement grew inside me. The idea of spending a few days in a nice hotel suite with a view, room service, and cable TV and internet sounded like heaven after the days on the boat.
And if Chase and I got more alone time, on a balcony overlooking the ocean…so be it.
What could it hurt?
Chapter Eleven
Melissa
“This is even more beautiful than I imagined!” I swung around, tearing my eyes from the glorious view from the back patio of our hotel room, to look at Chase, who was hanging back a few paces, watching me take it all in with a satisfied grin on his face. His hands were stuffed inside his pockets and he shrugged his shoulders casually. “This is perfect, Chase. Thank you. Exactly what I needed!”
“You’re welcome.”
Jackson whizzed by—just as excited by the large suite as I was—and then darted back out of the main living area before I could stop him. The kid was just running laps around the place. Which was fine with me. It would wear him out, making it easier to get him to bed later that night.
We’d spent the prior night on the boat, but the next morning, I’d woken up to find a note attached to the fridge that Chase had left, stating that he’d gone ashore to find us a hotel suite for a couple of nights. He’d returned half an hour later, bearing fresh, young coconuts with straws and a bag full of sweet bread that smelled like heaven and tasted even better. Over breakfast, he’d told me he’d managed to find us a suite at one of the tourist hotels right on the beach. It hadn’t been easy since the area was pretty well packed. For whatever reasons, I’d imagined something like a tropical themed motel room with tacky wicker furniture, jungle murals on the wall, and questionable cleanliness.
Hey, beggars couldn’t be choosers, right?
However, the reality of the room Chase had booked was closer to a beachside villa. The suite was probably a good thousand square feet with a full kitchen, separate dining and living areas, and two king sized bedrooms with their own bathrooms, and a huge back patio that was fenced off for privacy but still gave a breathtaking view of the ocean that was only steps away. Everything was updated, pristine, and beautiful.
I had no idea how he’d managed it—or what it cost. He’d stubbornly refused to let me see the bill.
All I knew was, it was ours for the next two days.
“Are you hungry?” I asked, looping back to a stack of menus that were laid out like a fan against the kitchen counter. “We could order in.”
“Sure,” Chase said, following me into the kitchen that was large enough that two or three people could work in it without bumping into each other. Whereas the kitchen on the boat was barely bigger than the box my refrigerator back home came packaged in.
Home? I shook my head, rejecting the term. The mansion in the Pacific Palisades was no longer my home.
My gaze snagged on Chase as he stood beside me and popped open the cupboard. Could he be my home? We were locked together for at least the foreseeable future. He was comforting and gave me a sense of calm like home.
“Aha!” He grinned over at me, his eyes dancing with delight.
“What is it?” I leaned around the cupboard door and burst out laughing when I saw what he was so happy about.
A blender.
“Let’s put this puppy to use!” He pulled it out and set it up on the counter.
“I’m not going to argue with you. But, we need to decide what to eat first,” I said, referencing the menu in my hand.
“Hey, give me some chips, salsa, and guac and I’ll be a happy man.”
I rolled my eyes playfully. “Helpful.”
I shuffled through and found the menu for the hotel restaurant and tapped my finger down the left side, stopping as I committed the order to memory before picking up the phone. As it rang, I listened to the sounds around me, and realized it had been awhile since I’d seen—or heard—Jackson.
Too long.
My heart thudded into my ribs and I elbowed Chase to get his attention. “Where’s Jackson?”
Chase dropped the piece of the blender he’d been fussing with back to the counter and set off to look for him. I waited, slightly holding my breath, and didn’t realize someone had answered my call on the other line.
“Buenos Noches, how can I help you today?”
I sputtered back into action and rattled off the order and heaved a sigh of relief as I set the phone down just as Chase and Jackson came marching back into the room. Jackson was wearing his swim trunks and had found a pair of water wings that were each nearly as big as his head. He’d attached one to both of his thin arms. The result was precious, but also a little hilarious.
“Look, Mom! I’m all ready to go swimming!” He puffed out his chest with pride.
Chase pressed his lips together to hold back a chuckle and went back to messing with the blender.
I smiled at my son. “Okay, buddy. First though, we’re going to have some dinner. What do you think about that?”
He considered my offer and then shrugged. “Okay, but I’m staying in these.” He flapped his arms.
I laughed. “All right, honey.”
; Room service arrived quickly and Chase was the one to answer the door. He hauled the box of food into the dining room and set it on the table and distributed the food to each of us in turn. The dining room had a floor to ceiling window and we watched the ocean tide roll in as we ate.
Afterward, Jackson and I went out to play in the surf while Chase whipped up some drinks. He joined me on the patio and pressed an ice cold, frothed to perfection, strawberry margarita into my hand.
“Nice touch,” I said, smiling down at the strawberry garnish he’d put in the middle of the icy beverage. “I feel so special.”
“You deserve to feel special, Melissa,” Chase said, his tone taking a turn for the serious. Our eyes met over the glass and I plucked the strawberry from the center and wrapped my lips around the plump berry. My eyes fluttered closed as the sweet juices hit my tongue, followed by a slight sharpness from the drink itself as the tequila tingled my taste buds. “Mmmm.”
When my eyes opened, Chase was still staring at me, his eyes dark and locked on my lips. I licked the corner of my mouth and he stepped in closer, leaving inches between our bodies. The sun was setting over the ocean, bathing us in a soft orange and pink glow, and I wanted to trace the lines of Chase’s face with my fingertip and then with my lips. I wanted to know what he’d feel like surrounding me with his warmth and sweet comfort. What would he think…what would he do…if he got to see me? All of me?
The idea was intoxicating and made me hotter than the afternoon sun. I wanted Chase. How could I not want him? It had been such a long, long time since I’d shared my bed—or myself—with a man. The last two years of my marriage, Henry ignored me while he was out with Talia or some other high-paid prostitute who wanted a quick thrill. Henry. He was such an asshole to me. Why was I so stupid watching him out with his whores while he ignored his wife? Hell, I didn’t even know if he was attracted to me anymore. Not that it mattered. I was never going back.
Chase though…I could see it in his eyes, in his smile, in the way his hands brushed against mine when we worked in the kitchen or on the boat. He always stood closer than necessary and made sure to save a place beside him when we sat down for meals or to share a drink.
He wanted me too. I was sure of it.
And I was ready to act on those feelings.
I needed the tenderness—the release—the strong hands on my body.
I tipped my head to one side, waiting for him to bring his lips to mine, when a small, shrill voice cried out above the soft lapping of the waves and the distant music from the patio around the other side of the building. “Mama! Something pinched me!”
Chase and I jerked away from one another and turned to find Jackson running, hobbling, up the sand. He was crying and the sight of his tear-stained cheeks broke my heart. “Baby, what happened?”
He collapsed before me and Chase and we both squatted beside him. “Something pinched you?” Chase repeated.
Jackson nodded, sucking in a hard, labored breath as more tears wiggled free.
I wrapped my arms around him and held him close.
“Where?” Chase asked.
Jackson held up his foot and showed a small cut on his foot. Chase inspected the cut while I patted Jackson’s sweat soaked hair away from his eyes and hugged him into my chest as his tears subsided. Chase stood and went inside, returning minutes later with a first aid kit. “Here, buddy. It looks like you might’ve stepped on a seashell or a piece of glass. I don’t think it’s a jelly sting.” Chase took out a wipe and went to work, clearing the area and putting some antibiotics on the area, followed by a large band-aid and piece of waterproof tape. He talked Jackson through the whole thing and even though there were a few more tears, Jackson took it like a champ.
When he was patched up, Chase took him inside and we got him settled in his room with a cartoon movie on TV. Once I made sure he was all right, I left him alone to watch the TV and calm down. It had been a long few days and I knew he was exhausted.
“Whew. Thanks for helping. I hate when he’s in pain like that.” I pushed my hair back.
“No problem,” Chase said. “You want me to freshen up our drinks?”
“Sure.” I followed him into the kitchen and waited while he grabbed the glasses from the patio table. He threw everything back in the blender, added some fresh ice, and a liberal splash of tequila from the bar. When he pressed the fresh drink into my hand, his fingertips brushed the back of my hand, and even when I had a firm grip on the stem of the margarita glass, he stayed close by.
My eyes dropped to his lips as he sipped the top of his drink. “Damn!” he sputtered. He picked up the bottle of tequila and read the label.
I laughed. “Too much for the big, strong SEAL?”
“Hardly!” he retorted, grinning at me. “It’s just been awhile.”
“Do tell,” I said, smirking at him. “I’m sure you have some amazing drunk and stupid stories. I could use a laugh these days.”
He chuckled. “I suppose it’s the least I could do…”
“It really is.”
“All right.” He reclined back against the counter and my breath got caught in my throat as I moved my eyes up to take in his lean body. He was…simply yummy. Everything about him was elegant and strong, like a jungle cat. Deliberate movements but silky smooth and fluid. “I got a doozy.”
“I can’t wait.” I sipped at my drink.
“I was in Thailand, on a base, but I had some time off. So, a few of my buddies and I packed up and went sightseeing through the country. Raise a little hell, blow off a little steam.”
“Only fair.”
“Right.” He laughed and gulped at his drink. “So, we went out, got a little—okay, a lot—shit faced. I don’t even know how many beers I had. And there were some shots of something thrown in there too. What the hell did they call it…?” He trailed off, searching for the answer. “Fireballs? Firepits? I have no idea. Fire something. Anyway, those things will fuck you up.”
I laughed, wondering what drunk, out of control, unbuttoned Chase would look like.
Mostly the unbuttoned part…
He grinned at me. “So, at some point, we all headed back to the hotel we’d been staying at. Only problem, I couldn’t find my room key. And the desk clerk knew maybe three words of English and at that point I only knew three words of English!”
“So what did you do?”
“The only logical thing I could do!” Chase exclaimed, hands animating his story. “I went to my buddy’s room, climbed out the window, and tried to maneuver this ten-inch ledge to the room next door—my room—that had an open window ‘cause it was hot as hell over there.”
“Wait, so you were drunk off your ass and scaling a ledge to your room?” I laughed nervously. Obviously he’d made it out okay, but I was waiting for him to tell me about the numerous broken bones he’d suffered. “Why not just stay with your buddy?”
Chase grinned. “Let’s just say that he had company…and they weren’t interested in having one more.”
I cackled. “Got it.”
“Anyways, I’m out there, struggling to stay upright. Needless to say, I didn’t make it. I fell and ended up landing—rather roughly I should say—on a table down below that the hotel maids were using to fold laundry.”
“Oh my God! Were you okay?”
“Yes. Thankfully, the night shift was sorting out towels, so I had about six layers of towels to break my fall.”
“That’s insane,” I said, shaking my head in disbelief. “Who does that?”
“This guy,” Chase said, pointing his thumb toward himself, grinning.
“All right, well noted. I’m watching you,” I said, pointing to the drink in his hand. “I can’t have you incapacitated on me.”
“You don’t have to worry about that…” his voice dropped low and husky.
A chill swept over my skin. “That’s very, very good news. I’m kind of getting used to having you around.”
Chase leaned in, the sweet s
mell of his drink drifting over to me. My eyes fluttered from his eyes to his lips and then back again. He brushed his lips against mine, but before I could fully melt into him, he pulled back, his eyes wide with alarm. He cleared his throat and shook his head, dazed. “I’m so—shit. Melissa, I’m sorry. That was…I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have done that.”
“No, I—” My lips were still tingling from his near kiss. It was just enough to make my thighs clench and crave him even more.
“Melissa, I want to make something clear here,” Chase paused to clear his throat again. “I don’t want you to get the wrong idea about my intentions with you.”
“Intentions?” I repeated, wrinkling my nose at the word. It sounded too formal. Stuffy. Old fashioned.
Chase looked down into his drink before meeting my eyes. “I like you. A lot. But I don’t want to cross any lines. You have a lot going on and I don’t want to cause you any trouble.”
Trouble? All I could think about these days was getting into trouble with Chase. It was better than the alternatives…
“Right.” I sighed. “No, I get it. We’re just having fun. Well, fun might be the wrong word…making the best of a bad situation?”
Chase smiled, but it was tight and controlled, not the natural, easy going smirk I’d become addicted to.
I drank deeply from my margarita glass, downing half of the sweet mixture in one chug. Chase eyed me but didn’t say anything. He sipped from his own drink and we wandered back outside to the patio just in time to catch the last of the sunset.
Chapter Twelve
Melissa
“Damn! That batch was more tequila than anything else!” I gasped, throwing back the second margarita. Or was it the third? I’d lost track.
Chase laughed. “Confession? We ran out of margarita mix a while ago.”
“What?” I hoisted my glass and looked up at the foamy remnants clinging to the bottom.
“I’ve been mixing mostly tequila and ice…” Chase grinned and leaned close, like it was a secret.
I laughed. “Well, that explains the bluzz.”
“Bluzz?” He arched a brow and I cracked up at the expression.