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“Never say I didn’t offer you one of my brothers wholeheartedly,” she said with a mock pout. “Honestly, Vanna, Chase is crazy about you.”
“He’s fond of me,” I corrected. “But that kind regard only goes so far. I need to give him his house back.”
“Savannah Anderson, we’ve known each other for most of our lives. Please don’t try to tell me you aren’t attracted to Chase. I know you. I’ve seen it. Last week at my barbeque, you looked like you’d much rather devour Chase than your food.”
I took in a sharp breath. “God, was I really that obvious?”
I wanted to deny what she’d said because she was Chase’s sister, but I also wanted to confide in my best friend.
She shrugged. “Maybe not to everyone, but I’ve seen you with every boyfriend you’ve ever had. I’ve never seen you look at any other guy the way you look at Chase. Open your eyes, Vanna. He looks atyouexactly the same way. I call bullshit on the whole fondness thing. You two want to rip each other’s clothes off. I should know. I look at Cooper the same way. It’s not only that, though. I know you two adore each other. It’s obvious.”
Oh, I adoredhim. I was far from convinced that he wanted me the same way.
Yes, he could be flirty. But Chase was a natural charmer.
“Okay. Yes. I’m attracted to him. Are you happy now?”
“Not yet,” she said slyly. “But at least we’re getting somewhere. Why in the hell do you want to leave then?”
I gave up all attempts at pretending when I answered, “Have you ever tried to live with a guy you’re crazy about but know you can never have? I love every moment Chase and I spend together, but it’s never going to turn into anything more. He dates women who are ten out of ten on the hotness scale, Torie. I was average at bestbeforethe kidnapping. Now I’m average with scars on my face. Not to mention a few other parts of my body.”
“Please, Vanna,” she replied, exasperated. “Yes, he has dated a few models—”
“Not just models,” I interrupted. “Supermodels. Every one of them ridiculously perfect.”
Torie swallowed a sip of her wine. “Vanna, that was a long time ago, and when you’re involved with a company like Durand, you’re surrounded by those women. That’s the kind of women he met when he first got out of the military. And yes, he dated a few in college and in the military, too. Honestly, I haven’t seen Chase with anyone for…well, it’s been a long time. I swear to God, I don’t think either he or Wyatt has gotten laid in years. They’re both workaholics.”
“Not so much now,” I said with a smile. “He usually makes it home for dinner on time.”
“Because of you,” she said firmly, stressing the phrase. “Youmade that happen. He finally found somewhere he’d rather be than at Durand. He finally found someone he cared about more than his company. I’m not trying to be a nag. I just want to see both of you happy. And you have been. Screw the women who are supposedly a ten out of ten physically. I guarantee he never looked at them the way he looks at you. There’s a hell of a lot more to attraction than platinum blonde hair and a tall, thin body that fits into a doll-sized dress.”
“I know that,” I said solemnly. It was definitely time for me to come clean with my best friend. “And this attraction to Chase isn’t exactly…new.”
She eyed me warily as she crossed her arms over her chest. “What exactly does that mean? How long, Vanna?”
I cringed. “Do you remember that party your dad threw for you when you earned your PhD?”
Her eyes widened. “No way.”
I nodded. “We’ve been sparring like debate participants ever since. I never wanted things to get awkward. I thought it would just…go away. I know he’s your brother, but he’s also an attractive guy for many reasons, and I’m not talking about his gorgeous body and handsome face. I noticed at that party, and it never really went away. I could forget about it when he wasn’t around, but the moment I saw him again, it was there. We spent a lot more time in the same place when you were recovering from your kidnapping. By the time I saw him at your wedding, it was pretty much unforgettable.”
“He did mention that he asked you to spend time with him in Vegas. Why didn’t you take him up on that?” Torie asked curiously.
“He wanted to catch up,” I explained. “I wanted to get him naked. I was way too afraid I’d say something I’d regret.”
“Oh, my God. I want to bang both of your heads together,” Torie said in a frustrated tone. “Have you ever considered that the two of you might want the same thing, but you’re both too afraid to say it first?”
I shook my head. “God, no. Chase has always been a fantasy for me, Torie. Let’s get real. Men like Chase do not have girlfriends like me.”
“Vanna, you were dating an A-list movie star.”
“Not the same thing,” I explained. “He was a good-looking man with muscles who got lucky doing action films that required very few acting skills. You can’t even compare him with a man like your brother. Chase is brilliant, highly educated, sophisticated, incredibly thoughtful, and he didn’t act in movies where he pretended to be a hero. Hewasa real special forces hero. Oh yeah, and he’s a billionaire with more money than God. Not that I give a crap about his money, but overall, my dear friend, Chaseisa fantasy.”
“He also used to leave his dirty underwear and towels on the floor in the bathroom when he was a teenager,” she said sarcastically. “Hopefully, he’s outgrown that habit. He’s just a man, Vanna. And really, I have Cooper. He’s gorgeous, filthy rich, more intelligent than most people in the entire world, and also very highly educated. Plus, he’s also a billionaire. To have your conclusion make sense, we’d have to say that Cooper should be married to a supermodel, too, rather than an average woman like me.”
“Newsflash,” I said. “You’re a gorgeous genius, too. You’re also a billionaire who was raised in the world of the ultrarich.”
“I’m passably attractive if you can get past my weird eyes,” she said adamantly. “And I couldn’t have cared less about the world of the ultrarich. I have money, yes. But you know I never lived in that world. Move on to the next excuse as to why you aren’t perfect for my brother, because I honestly do think he’s mad about you. I also think he believes you’re too good for him and that you’re not interested. Otherwise, he would have made the first move already. Trust me. I know both of my brothers. I also know you, although I have to admit that you hid your attraction to Chase pretty well.”
