Charmed by Chase

by Theresa Paolo

  The erotic sound had Chase shifting in his seat several times. Her tongue slipped out, swiping across her bottom lip. It was like torture, watching her, knowing that he couldn’t make a move. Well, he could… but he risked her kicking his ass out the door and he didn’t want that.

  He couldn’t remember the last time he had such a good time with a girl he wasn’t related to or who wasn’t paired off with one of his friends. She was easy to talk to and, despite earlier opinions of her, as down to earth as they came.

  Unfortunately, he couldn’t stop thinking about what Brooke had said to him—all those terrible tabloid stories. Were they true? He didn’t want to ask. How exactly would he ask her if she’d gotten arrested? It wasn’t something brought up in casual conversation.

  Her private life was her business. It was bad enough that she had the world watching her under a microscope for every horrible moment. Chase had some rough patches as a kid, and he couldn’t imagine how he would react if those indiscretions were plastered all over the world for people to read about.

  Privacy was important to him, especially after everything he’d been through. Sometimes the only way he’d get through a day was hiding out in the woods, alone, far from civilization. To think that Rebecca didn’t even have that made him sad for her but, at the same time, happy she’d found her way to Red Maple Falls. It might not have been some high-class resort, but it was private, and she could go about her days without having to worry about people harassing her.

  “Where did you get this?” Rebecca asked, taking another bite and moaning over it.

  Chase shifted again, trying to ignore the flutter of her eyelashes against the apple of her cheek. “Terry, the owner of The Happy Apple.”

  “I saw that place in town today. I wondered if their food was good. Now I know it definitely is.”

  Chase laughed. “You should stop in. I bet you’d love Terry. She brings my sisters and I leftovers from the day when she doesn’t want food to be wasted.”

  “Wow, that’s nice of her.”

  Chase ran a hand over his face, not wanting to reveal too much but finding it hard to hold back. “Yeah, it is.” He smiled, keeping the rest of the tragic story to himself. “Just be warned that stepping through the doors of The Happy Apple is like stepping into another dimension.”

  Her nose scrunched and her head tilted. “What do you mean?”

  “There are apples everywhere. On the plates, the curtains, the salt and pepper shakers, the napkin holders… There is not one thing in there that doesn’t have an apple on it.”

  “Now I have to go there. I love places that have their own flair. I went to this one restaurant in Florida while I was on location and the place was filled with dolls. Dolls on the shelves, in the booths, sitting in the potted plants.”

  “That sounds super creepy.”

  Her lips parted, and a laugh slipped out. “It kind of was.”

  “The Happy Apple is far from creepy, and it definitely has its own flair. So does Terry. You’ll know her as soon as you meet her. Seriously you don’t even need an introduction, but that doesn’t mean she won’t give you one.”

  Chase finished his food and gathered his plate and napkin.

  “What are you doing?” Rebecca asked.

  “Cleaning up.”

  “You brought the food; the least I can do is clean up.”

  “Do you even know how to clean? Don’t all the big celebrities have people to do that for them?”

  She snatched the plate from his hand. “Why pay someone to do something for you when you can do it yourself? I honestly never understood that.”

  Chase sat back, admiring the woman in front of him. “I respect that.”

  “Good,” she said, turning to the small sink. She cleared the rest of the table and filled the sink with water. “I’m going to let them soak. I’ll wash them later. Now, are you going to let me look at your shoulder?”

  Chase had completely forgotten about the scratch on his shoulder. It didn’t even sting anymore. “I’m sure the bleeding has stopped by now. It’s no big deal.”

  “I’ll buy you a new shirt.”

  He laughed. “That won’t be necessary.”

  “I feel bad. You came here rescued my cat, got blood drawn, and you bring me dinner.”

  “What can I say? I’m a better person than you.”

  She gasped, clutching a hand to her chest, mouth falling open in a perfect O. His mind thought of a million different things he wanted to do to that pretty mouth, but he shoved them away from his conscious thoughts.

  “Where’d you get Willy?” he asked, needing to occupy his head with something other than how luscious and perfect her mouth was.

  Her green eyes softened as she glanced over to the white ball of fur. “A shelter. I was doing a charity event, and there he was, amongst all these other cats that needed homes, but I was drawn to him. He wasn’t as fluffy as he is now. They had just found him roaming the streets of L.A.; a horrible infection caused him to lose his eye, and his skin around his face was covered in a red rash. He looked like a total mess. I just fell in love with him. I helped him heal and now…he reminds me that you don’t have to be perfect to be beautiful.”

  Rebecca might have saved Willy, but Chase would wager to say that Willy saved Rebecca, too. It seemed they found each other at the time when they needed each other most.

  “Why’d you name him Willy?”

  “Have you ever seen the Goonies?” she asked.

  “One-eyed Willy.” Chase smiled. “That’s one of my all-time favorite movies.”

  “Mine too!”

  “My older sister, Layla, used to watch it on repeat when we were growing up. You’d think I’d be sick of it with the amount of times I’ve seen it, but every time is just as good as the last.”

  “It’s a true sign of a classic. It never gets old or boring—full of nostalgia and happy memories. For me, it reminds me of a time before I cared about what people thought about me. Back when everyday was carefree and fun.” There was a sadness in her eyes now that made Chase want to wrap her in his arms until it was gone.

  “It can still be that way,” he said.

  “No, it can’t. Not when you have people tracking your every move, waiting for you to slip up. Then next thing you know, that slip up is on every magazine cover and tabloid site across the world.” Her voice cracked, and a deep-seated pain that she hid so well flickered at the surface.

  Chase brushed her hair behind her ear. She blinked up at him those two green eyes like emeralds in a dark cave, shining bright through the darkness.

  “But you’re here, now,” he said. “And I don’t see any flashing cameras.”

  She lifted up and pressed her lips to his in a sweet kiss. His body froze at the unexpected but pleasant surprise. A part of him told him to back away and not get involved but then her tongue swiped against the crease of his mouth and a carnal desire took over. He cupped both sides of her face and pulled her close, the tip of his tongue sliding past her teeth and into the damp heat of her mouth.

  Her tongue met his thrust for thrust, taking as much as he would give and demanding more when he slowed down. Red hot desire ran through his veins—an unparalleled hunger taking over his every move. His hands slid up her back, holding her closer to him. He could feel her two perfect mounds of flesh pressing against his chest as her fingers curled into his back.

  He had kissed many girls—tourists he knew he’d never see again—but this was different. He could feel this in his soul, breathing new life into his body. It wasn’t just a kiss, it was powerful and threw him off balance.

  His control vanished the minute her lips touched his, but he reached down deep, grabbing hold of what was left of it, and pulled back. He rested his forehead against hers. She blinked up at him, lips swollen from his kisses, eyes wide and bright. “Is everything okay?” she asked.

  “More than okay,” he said. “I just don’t want you to get the wrong idea about me.”

 
; The way they were kissing he could have easily taken it to the next level, but he didn’t want just meaningless sex with her. He liked her too much to let that happen. Besides, it wasn’t exactly his MO. He preferred to take the time to get to know someone before they got intimate.

  “You’re quite the gentleman,” Rebecca said, releasing her grip from his shoulder and stepping back in the small space.

  “If you knew what was going through my head right now, you wouldn’t be thinking that,” he admitted.

  “Honest, too. I like that.”

  “I should probably go,” he said.

  “No!” she blurted. She put her fist over her mouth as if she was embarrassed by the desperation in her tone, though he found it adorable. “I mean. Don’t go. Not yet at least. It’s early.”

  “I don’t want to overstay my welcome.”

  “You’re not. Besides, it gets kind of lonely out here.” She shrugged. “I should be loving it really. I never get time to myself. Always have someone fussing with my hair or makeup, going over my schedule, and shoving scripts in my face. I mean it’s nice to have a break from all that, but when I have so many people around at all times I never have a chance to realize how lonely I actually am.” Her lips pursed together and she lifted her gaze to him. “I have no idea why I’m telling you all this.”

  “I don’t mind.”

  “See,” she said, pointing her finger at him. “A gentleman. Probably why I feel it’s okay to unload all my baggage on you.”

  “If that’s baggage, I still have another arm and hand free.”

  She smiled. “Does that mean you’ll stay?”

  He nodded. “I’ll stay,” he said, knowing damn well that there was no way he could walk away now.

  Chapter 7

  Sun shone through the skylights, and Bex blinked a few times before opening her eyes. She sat up on the couch and looked down at the blanket draped over her. She must’ve fallen asleep during the movie last night.

  Willy stretched lazily in a sun spot on the floor, and Bex got up, taking him in her arms. She kissed his nose, and he swatted at her which only made Bex kiss him even more. “You can’t get rid of me,” she said as she tucked him in her arm.

  She turned and spotted a note on the fridge. A giddy sense of excitement ran through her as she walked over to it.

  Didn’t want to wake you.

  Chase.

  P.S.

  I hope you brought sneakers with you because I’m taking you hiking. See you at noon.

  Bex glanced down at her phone and screeched, realizing it was already ten thirty. She hadn’t slept that late in a long time, and she also hadn’t felt as alive as she did in that moment. She kissed Willy again and put him back down on the floor.

  “I have to get ready,” she said like Willy cared. When he plopped back down in his sun spot she knew he didn’t.

  The only hiking Bex ever did was walking on an incline on a treadmill. She never really did well with nature, but then again, she never really gave it a chance. She’d always preferred the city over the country, but only because the city was filled with opportunity. She didn’t expect to like small-town life, but so far, she was rather enjoying the quiet serenity.

  She quickly showered, her mind thinking about Chase the entire time. He stayed last night when she had asked him and didn’t leave until she’d fallen asleep. She wasn’t lying when she said it was lonely here. Nor could she believe how that little bit of truth fell from her mouth so effortlessly.

  After they’d settled in to watch The Goonies, she rested her head on his lap and fell asleep to him stroking his finger up and down her arm. It was so innocent, yet something about it had been so intimate.

  She’d thought about slipping her hand up his thigh, signaling that she was okay if he wanted to take things further but, she stopped herself. The intimacy of the moment, the level of comfort was something she didn’t want to disrupt. His finger gliding up and down her arm felt too good, his lap too warm, and for the first time in a very long time she had felt at peace.

  She got out of the shower and wrapped her hair in a towel when her phone rang for the millionth time since she’d left L.A.. Once again it was her so-called best friend, Calla Lily. Calla was a byproduct of two celebrity parents and had no real claim to fame. When she had befriended Bex, Bex had thought she was sweet and accepting of a girl who had no idea how to navigate the world of Hollywood.

  The last few weeks though her true colors began to show. Perhaps it took Bex too long to see the truth, but getting away from L.A., had opened her eyes to what she should have seen from the beginning.

  Calla had been using her to stay relevant after her modeling career crashed and burned. There was a reason the paparazzi kept showing up at the exact moment something went wrong. Calla had been sending them tips. She had no proof, and she hoped she was wrong, but there was no other explanation.

  Each thing the paparazzi caught on camera and sold to whatever tabloid with their fabricated stories made up the worst week of Bex’s life. She thought the world was out to get her, but when she took a step back and a nice hard look at everything, the only thing that stayed consistent was Calla.

  It all was so obvious now that she didn’t have Calla in her ear feeding her lies and manipulating the situation.

  The accident happened because Calla had grabbed her shoulder and forced her to look away from the road and that’s when she rear-ended that car. The drugs weren’t Bex’s; she didn’t even like to take Tylenol for crying out loud, but it was her car and her glove box. The only person who had access to her car was Calla.

  She had nothing to say to Calla and had no idea why she kept calling her. Unless she honestly thought she’d gotten away with her tricks. Calla was as conceited as she was manipulative. Even if she thought she was caught, she’d still pretend she was innocent.

  Who knew maybe she was.

  Bex didn’t want to be bothered. It was something she’d have to deal with when she got back to L.A., but for now she had nothing to say to the girl she thought was her best friend—at least nothing that didn’t include a slew of words that would make even a sailor blush.

  She tossed her phone onto the couch and finished getting ready, ignoring the urge to see what the tabloids were saying about her today. It would inevitably lead to scrolling to the comment section and getting lost in a black hole of self-loathing.

  She didn’t want to ruin the day before it even got started. It was like that saying about a tree falling in a forest. If nobody read the comment section did those words even exist? As far as she was concerned, for right now at least, absolutely not.

  Chase showed up on time, filling the door with his large frame. Bex greeted him in a pair of yoga pants, a tight pink t-shirt, and a pair of running sneakers. She might be a novice hiker, but she worked out regularly at the gym. She really had no choice. It was either stay in shape or lose her parts to the girl who did.

  Chase on the other hand was in another white t-shirt and a pair of tan cargo pants. He looked the picture of perfection in the early afternoon sun. Without her heels on, she could appreciate his true height. She had to bend her head back just to look at his face.

  “Hey,” he said, looking her up and down with an appreciative smile. “I see you got my note.”

  “I did.”

  “I was expecting to get a call telling me to take a hike by myself.”

  “You don’t think I can handle it?” she asked.

  “Oh, I definitely think you can, I just wasn’t sure if you owned anything other than those ridiculous heels you’re always in.”

  “My heels are not ridiculous. Not everybody is gifted with height. Some of us need a little boost.”

  She was just about to shut the door when a blur of white brushed past her leg. Panic flooded her system as she cried out, “Oh no.”

  Chase’s large frame dropped from her sight as he dove for Willy.

  He caught Willy by the backside and pushed up on one knee. “Not
this time buddy,” he said, gathering Willy in his arms. “I am not rescuing you from that tree again.”

  Bex placed a hand over her heart in total relief.

  “I believe this belongs to you,” Chase said, holding Willy out to her.

  “Good catch,” she said.

  “I’d lean more toward lucky, but I’ll take it.”

  “Willy, what am I going to do with you?” she said, kissing his nose. She tucked him in her arms and looked up at Chase. “Let me put him back inside and shut the door before you have to make another daring rescue.”

  She spun away from the door and walked Willy over to a new sun spot. She placed him down and patted his head. “You stay here and be a good boy. No more chasing squirrels.”

  She kissed his head and met Chase back outside, making sure to shut the door behind her as quickly as possible.

  “You think he’s going to listen?” Chase asked.

  Bex laughed. “Not a chance in hell. So where are we going?”

  “Angel’s Den.”

  “What’s that?”

  “It’s a hiking trail that starts out around a lake and goes up a mountain to a few caves.”

  “Caves? There aren’t bears in those caves, right?”

  “Probably not. We’d be more likely to encounter a moose than anything.”

  “A what?”

  He had already started heading for his truck, unconcerned that her voice just jumped five octaves.

  “They don’t attack, right?”

  “Usually not.”

  “That’s not reassuring.” She was hoping for a “never” not a “usually not”.

  “As long as we keep our distance they won’t bother us. They usually warn you before they charge, too. Raised hackles along the moose's shoulders and ears pinned back or a lowered head are good signs to give them more distance.”

  “What if you give them more distance, but they don’t think it’s enough and charge anyway?” Chase laughed, and she pinned him with her eyes. “Don’t laugh. I’m serious.”

  “I’ve been hiking Angel’s Den since I could walk, and I have never been charged by a moose. I think we’ll be fine.”