The Nashville Bet

by Shana Gray

  She let out a squeal and jerked her rod up. “Oh, I have a bite!”

  Chase put his rod down and went to stand beside her. He watched her handle the fishing rod, teasing and turning the reel, playing with the fish on the other end of the line.

  “I think I have it.” She was excited and that excited him. The last thing he’d figured he’d be doing tonight was fishing in the dark with a beautiful woman he’d just met.

  “Easy, easy now. You don’t want to lose it.” He inched a bit closer to her side.

  Her tongue poked out and touched her upper lip as she concentrated on the water.

  “Do I detect a competitive side to you?” He wanted to reach out and help her as she continued to play her line. Mainly because he wanted to touch her.

  “Oh, definitely.” She nodded.

  Chase took the opportunity and rested his hand on her shoulder. She didn’t flinch away, she didn’t even look at him. He wondered if she’d even noticed; all her attention was on the line she was swiftly reeling in.

  “Okay! Here, I’ve got it. Hold this a sec so I can reach out for the line.” She handed him her rod and leaned over the river bank, her fingers reaching, and she wiggled them as if it would magically make the line come to her. He moved the rod so she could catch it.

  The fish was fighting and he reeled in more, but when Chase glanced at her, stretched out, balancing on the bank and trying her damndest to reach the line, he forgot about fishing. Her dress had hiked up her thighs, tight across her ass, and he was poleaxed.

  He couldn’t pull his gaze from her. Then, in the blink of an eye, she slipped. Ava let out a shriek as her feet went out from under her and she slid down the shallow bank to land on her butt in the grass. Her feet splashed into the water, sending up a spray of droplets all over her. She kept sliding and grappled at the grass with her hands.

  “Hey now!” Chase tossed the rod aside and quickly grabbed her arm before she tumbled all the way in to the river. With swift hands, he lifted her back up and into his arms, against his chest.

  “Damn good thing you took off those sparkly boots,” he said as she gazed up at him, shock etched on her face.

  She slung her arms around his neck and he caught her by the waist, keeping her next to him, and he realized just how wet she was. They froze like that, at eye level, her legs dangling against his, staring into each other’s eyes.

  “Yes,” she whispered. “Damn good thing.”

  His gaze dropped to her lips, shining in the moonlight, and her eyelids seemed to droop, giving her the sexiest pair of bedroom eyes he’d ever seen. All this sensory overload made his belly clinch with desire that rushed down into his balls.

  He nodded, knowing he had nothing creative to say. Words weren’t necessary; only the two of them silent and holding each other under the night sky were what mattered. He wanted to stay this way for ever.

  Chase lowered his head, keeping eye contact with her. She gazed up at him and he raised his eyebrows, hoping she was giving him the consent he was looking for.

  Ava nodded her head ever so slightly and her tongue poked out to wet her lips.

  Chase didn’t waste any time and dove in for the kiss he’d been dying for all night. It promised to be a kiss he knew would rock his world.

  Her lips were soft and expressive under his. They were slightly parted and he took the opportunity to delve deeper and find the inner warmth of her mouth. Her arms tightened around his neck and she pressed against his body, thrilling him and arousing him to the point where it would be very evident to her.

  She moaned, and it was practically his undoing. He cradled her head and let his hand wander down her back, enjoying the curve of her waist and the gentle swell of her hip that led him to the firm roundness of her bottom. He was drowning in her and he never wanted rescuing.

  Splashing vaguely registered in his passion-filled mind. Reluctantly, he lifted his head from her with a last long look into her eyes before glancing at the creek.

  He struggled to steady his breathing, and the sound of her own quick breath told him that she was just affected as he was by their first kiss.

  “Fish,” was all he said, and set her back on her feet. Letting his hand run down her arm, he took her fingers in his. Bending, he retrieved the rod. A fish floundered at the end of the line, trying to make its escape.

  “My fish,” she said, and reached for her rod, her fingers brushing next to his as he let go and she took it.

  “Yes, your fish.” He stepped back and picked up his own from where it had fallen when he’d tossed it aside during the rescue effort. He reeled in, but the whole time he was watching her pull in the line and take hold of the fish at the end. Quickly, she unhooked it, stuck her finger through the gills and held it up.

  “I think I won.” She struck a pose, her hand on one hip.

  They both looked at his hook devoid of worm and a fish. Chase tossed back his head and let out a quick laugh.

  “I concede. You win this round. That’s a nice black crappie. Good eats. But I think I’ve got a bigger win.”

  “You do?” she said as he took the fish from her and put it in the chill bag.

  Chase pulled her back into his arms. “The biggest prize is right in front of me. You, here, in my arms.”

  Chapter Twelve

  Ava had never been kissed like this in all her life. It was full of passion, tenderness and edged with something deeper. He had a way with his lips and his tongue that had her melting in his arms. He teased her. Tasted her. Drew out her own hunger that had been locked so deeply inside her.

  It was just a kiss. But it was also so much more. Ava couldn’t get close enough to him. Even though she was completely molded to his body, she ached to feel more. It astounded her that they’d met only a few hours ago. This had to be what Juliet felt when she met her Romeo. What Sleeping Beauty felt when she met Prince Phillip.

  An instant, unexplainable connection.

  Ava drifted into him. His tongue was deep in her mouth, playing with hers, and she let these new and welcome sensations play through her body. It was like every nerve and fiber was connected, lighting up and bringing her new life. She hooked her ankle around his leg, never wanting to let go of him or the emotions he roused in her.

  Chase squeezed her tighter, as if making sure she couldn’t escape, but that was the last thing she wanted to do. Ava was in heaven. This is how she always wanted to feel. She’d always wanted a man to bring this level of emotion, sensation, passion out of her, and no one ever had.

  When Chase did lift away she tried not to let him go and slowly opened her eyes to meet his. When he looked down at her from under his cowboy hat, his eyes stormy with passion, a contented sigh slipped from her.

  Ava was sure she could live out here with a man like him, under the stars, with the fireflies twinkling around her. She drew in a deep breath and savored the night air. It reminded her of her childhood and teenage years. Those wonderful country nights spent outside with her friends, camping under the stars, jumping into the swimming hole on those hot, long dog days of summer. But never, ever had she been in the arms of such a man as Chase.

  Her instincts told her this man was extremely dangerous. Dangerous in the passionate, attentive, kill-me-with-pleasure, shivery kind of way. Dangerous as in she was beginning to think he’d be so easy to fall for. Her track record had proved that she wasn’t good when it came to placing bets on winners, not to mention their incompatible lives.

  She looked up at him. “Where did you learn to kiss like that?” she whispered, and tried to stop her legs from wobbling.

  “I guess you must bring out the best in me,” he said, his voice deep and husky.

  “Aren’t I a lucky girl.” Ava’s heart swelled and restricted her ability to breathe.

  “We have a fish here—our fish.” One side of his mouth lifted in a crooked grin. He let her slide down his body, a delicious tease as they bumped against each other until her toes touched the grass.

 
“My fish,” she said, raising her eyebrows and nodding.

  “Okay, yes, your fish. So, do you want to head back to your hotel or do you have somewhere else to be tonight?” he asked.

  She shook her head. “Here. I want to be here, with you.” Ava knew her friends didn’t likely expect her back tonight, but she would check in with them a little later. Right now, her choice was to be here, in this moment, so she could remember it for ever.

  “Then we’re in agreement. So what do you say we cook that bad boy up?” Chase let go of her hand and picked up the chill bag and his tackle box.

  “Here?” Ava glanced around. “It doesn’t look like you have any supplies.”

  He raised his finger up and waggled it. “A country boy is always prepared.” Ava smiled, liking this new development.

  “Does this mean another one of my tests is to clean this fish?” She gave him a cheeky grin.

  “Well, that would be fitting, since it’s your fish and all, but I’ve got something else in mind for the other competitions. Remember, this is my favorite fishing hole, so I have a little stash of necessities just over there.” He pointed to a small wooden structure she hadn’t noticed before, tucked away between two trees set back from the river’s edge.

  She followed Chase over to the small building and was surprised to see what was inside when he opened the door and tapped a small light stuck high on the wall. It was neatly organized with chairs, blankets sealed up in plastic bags, canned food, lanterns, wood tidily stacked, shelves with all sorts of stuff on them, and the list went on.

  “What is this? Your Y2K survivor bunker? Are you in a militia?” Ava asked him, intrigued by the well-stocked little space.

  He laughed loudly and it echoed off the canopy of trees above them. Yes, she really did love the deep, warm tones of his voice. They made her shiver nicely.

  “Y2K—I haven’t heard that term in years. Like eighteen or more.” He reached for a lantern.

  She shrugged her shoulders. “Well, we were old enough to understand all the fuss and worry. Daddy wasn’t too bothered, though. He said humans had survived hundreds of years without computers, so if Y2K destroyed everything, we’d continue to survive. I wasn’t so sure. I would’ve been really pissed off I couldn’t watch Buffy the Vampire Slayer anymore.”

  He chuckled, and Ava did as well. “It all went well and we’re still here to talk about it.” He handed her the lantern. “Can you hold this, please? But you know, I really did think something bad was going to happen.” He picked up a couple of pieces of wood, a handful of kindling and took some matches off the shelf. “Yeah, I was totally freaked out. And it was right around the movie The Matrix, too. The combination of worrying we lived in a real-life Matrix, along with the dawning of a new millennium, it really messed with my head. My mom and dad dealt with me pretty good, though, by making me watch the televised New Year celebration at the International Date Line. Just to prove it would all be fine. And here we are today, eighteen years later, and no worse for wear.”

  “Yup. But, if we had been in the Matrix, I would’ve been a bad-ass Trinity,” Ava said, making wild karate chopping motions as she followed him over to a spot by the edge of the river. There was a bare patch of dirt set with a ring of round, smooth stones, likely pulled from the water.

  “You know, this is quite a nice little set-up you have here. Doesn’t the property owner mind?” She watched him set the kindling and the wood, and in no time he had a fire going.

  “Nope, the owner doesn’t mind.” He rose from the crouched position and gave her a wink. She reached up, unable to resist the urge, and touched the side of his cheek, his beard tickling her palm.

  “I’m glad. It’s nice here.” Her voice sounded all breathy.

  She felt a bit transfixed at that moment, the fire crackling beside them, tendrils of smoke rising up into the night air and a ghostly mist rising off the water. The moon shining overhead made everything shimmer. “It’s magical.”

  “I have to agree with you there.” He took her hand and kissed the delicate flesh of her inner wrist. “You’re magical.”

  Ava trembled and got the feels all over again. She watched his face as he glanced at her, the brim of his hat cocooning them with surprising intimacy.

  “Now, what do you say we get that fish ready for cooking?” His voice was warm against her flesh.

  She nodded, unable to find any coherent words. She didn’t even bother to try and come up with any, because that fish was the last thing on her mind. Instead, Ava was desperately trying to remind herself that this wasn’t Brigadoon and she wasn’t about to be swept away from her life. When the sun rose, her life, and all the reasons it would be a bad idea to fall in love with Chase, would be waiting.

  Chapter Thirteen

  This night certainly had taken a swift detour. While he cooked the fish over the fire Chase glanced at Ava, sitting on a chair he’d pulled out from the shed. She didn’t seem uncomfortable or disappointed that they were here. Quite the opposite, she seemed amazingly content. He was pleasantly surprised, since he had originally been dubious she would be able to relax and enjoy herself so easily. He was thrilled it had turned out this way. Sitting out here was one of his favorite ways to decompress.

  “The fish is ready.” He set the mesh grill, another item he had stashed in the shed for occasions such as these, with the sizzling fish on the stump she’d been sitting on earlier. “It’s hot, so let it cool a bit and we can move the chairs.”

  “Oh, like a makeshift table. Perfect.” She stood and went to grab her chair, but he nudged her aside. His mom would never let him hear the end of it if he let Ava do the heavy lifting. He brought both chairs over to the stump and held one for Ava while she sat down. He tested the temperature of the fish with a quick touch before breaking it up with a fork.

  “Thank you for bringing me here,” Ava said. “I never thought my night would wind up like this.” She reached for a piece of fish, holding it between her fingertips. She nibbled on it for a temperature test before taking a real bite.

  “I was just thinking the same.” He also took a piece and popped it into his mouth. “There’s nothing like fresh-caught fish cooked on an open fire.” He smacked his lips and made an exaggerated mmhm sound.

  “I definitely agree. I didn’t realize I was this hungry.” She took another piece and swallowed, closing her eyes and enjoying the flavor bursting in her mouth. “Mmhm is right.”

  They ate in silence for a little while then Chase started to clean up and Ava began to help. This was a first for him. He’d gone camping with a woman or two in the past, but they’d been content to let him take care of everything. Yet Ava pitched in without question. She didn’t seem to mind getting her fingers dirty. Plus, she still hadn’t put her boots back on. He glanced at her toes and they were painted a bright green with some kind of sparkly jewels on them. He smiled.

  As he went about dousing the fire and putting everything away in the shed, with Ava’s help, he knew he wanted to suggest that she come back to his house. He was just mulling over the right way to bring it up.

  She raised her hands to her nose and sniffed. “While I do like fishing and all, now I kind of smell fishy. And my butt’s wet.” She looked at him and laughed. “You know what I could use right now?”

  The way she tilted her head, her hair tumbling down over her shoulder and a sweet smile curving her lips, got his heart racing. “Actually, I don’t think I can guess,” Chase answered her as he lifted his tackle box on to the stump.

  “A shower.” She reached her hand up into her hair, bundled it like she had in the truck, before arching her back and shaking it out. He could watch her all night. Demanding a shower? It certainly appeared so.

  “A shower? I didn’t expect you to say that.” Chase put his hands on his hips and thought about it. “There’s only one place to get a shower around here, unless you want to take a dip in the creek…”

  She bent to pick up her boots, which she’d placed earlier
at the base of a massive, old tree, and looked at him from behind the fall of her hair. Her eyes were sparkling and her lips were shining and Chase knew his life would never be the same after this chance meeting tonight.

  “As much as I’d love to jump in the creek, I could use soap, I think. I feel kind grotty and my hands smell fishy.” She held up her hands and wiggled her fingers.

  “Soap, huh? You have two choices, then.” He paused, really wanting to just sweep her off to his house.

  “And they are?” She stepped closer to him.

  “I can either take you back to your hotel…or…we can go to my place, which isn’t far from here.” Chase was holding his breath as he waited for her answer. He knew what he wanted her to say.

  She was considering her options and it disappointed him that she didn’t immediately pick his house.

  “If I go back to the hotel, I’ll face a barrage of questions from my friends. And, additionally, I know they will be highly disappointed I did not stay overnight with you. So, I choose your house,” she whispered, and stepped into him, placing her hand on his chest before sliding it up to slip her fingers under his hair and caress the back of his neck.

  Boom. There it was. This wonderful woman who had fallen into his world, quite literally, had decided to stay with him. Chase was transfixed. He took ahold of her shoulders and pulled her closer. She let out a tiny little whimper and her lips parted as if waiting for his kiss.

  Happiness and desire surged through Chase. He was surprised to realize how devastated he would have been if she had chosen to leave.

  “Well, we certainly don’t want to disappoint your friends…” They stared at each other for a few beats and he leaned over her, drawing her closer still until her body was flush to his.

  “No, don’t take it like that. I didn’t mean—”

  He heard a little bit of worry in her tone and wanted to put her at ease. He sensed she was the kind that usually put others’ feelings ahead of her own and would never intentionally hurt anyone, so he was quick to reassure her. “I’m only teasing you. You haven’t hurt my feelings.”