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He’s obviously deep in thought, running that sandpaper back and forth rhythmically. I wonder what’s going on in his head. He even seemed lost in thought at the wedding reception tonight, and when he made love to me when we got home, it was intense. Almost broody.
And that’s not like him. I’m not worried. It doesn’t feel like it’s something bad, or about me, but just…something.
I step inside the doorway, and his gaze lifts to mine, but he doesn’t smile.
“Did I wake you?” he asks, his voice soft.
“No.” I take a deep breath, inhaling the scent of pine, and shake my head as I walk further into his workshop. “I had a leg cramp. Woke me up out of a dead sleep.”
“You’ve worked your ass off for a few days now and probably haven’t had enough water.” He sets the sandpaper aside and crosses to me, cradles my face in his hands, and kisses me tenderly. “Which leg?”
“Right calf.”
Taking my hand, he leads me over to a dresser and boosts me up onto it so I’m at eye level with him.
“Are you okay?” I ask him, taking his face in my hands now. He doesn’t look troubled, but he does seem somber. “What’s wrong?”
“I just couldn’t sleep,” he murmurs, and I lean in to kiss him. “Brain wouldn’t turn off.”
“Maybe you’re too tired. That happens to me sometimes.”
“Maybe.” His lips tip up into a sweet smile, and he runs his big hands down my thigh and to the calf in question. “Is it sore?”
“Oh, yeah. Still a little pissed off.”
He rubs gently, and I sigh. Yes, the muscle is tender, but it’s loosening up even more under his touch.
“I’m sorry I wasn’t there to help,” he says.
“It’s okay.” I brace myself on his shoulder as he continues to work on the muscles. “I see that you kidnapped my dog.”
“She came willingly,” he replies with a grin. “I like having her around. She’s a sweet little thing.”
“I’m glad she likes you. So, what was your busy mind thinking about so hard that you couldn’t sleep after all that fun we had tonight?”
He keeps his eyes on my leg, and just when I think that he won’t answer me, he says, “I didn’t think Rem would ever get married again. Losing his first wife was hard on him. Add in being a single parent, and not wanting to get hurt again, I never thought I’d see the day that he’d fall in love, that he’d open his family up to someone new.”
“I’m glad they found each other,” I reply. “They’re really good together, as if they should have been a family all along. And I don’t mean that to sound disrespectful to his late wife.”
“I know what you mean. I’ve never seen him so happy.” His eyes find mine now. “Never. And that makes me happy for him, too. Rem and those kids deserve to have someone amazing like Erin in their lives.”
“I agree.” I sigh, feeling the loss of his touch as he lets my leg hang loose and wanders over to the table he was sanding. He leans on it, sighing. “Why does it make you sad, Chase?”
“I’m not sad.” His voice is matter-of-fact, completely calm, as he shakes his head. “That’s not it at all. I guess I was just thinking about them and how well they fit together. How sometimes, things just fit, like a puzzle. Even when you didn’t realize that a piece was missing.”
I tilt my head to the side, listening. I’d say that’s how I feel about him. He’s the missing piece in my life, and now that he’s part of it, I can’t imagine not having him in my world. The thought of going back to my life without him makes my heart ache.
“Sometimes, the trick is to stop fighting with the piece,” I whisper, and his gorgeous hazel eyes find mine again.
“There’s that.” He inhales, lets it out, and his eyes travel down my torso. “What’s under the shirt?”
With a grin tickling my lips, I let the fabric fall open, exposing about three inches of flesh down the middle. I’m completely naked beneath the cotton, and Chase’s hands immediately fist when he realizes it.
He doesn’t rush to me. He stays planted where he is, under the soft glow of the lights, watching me with those sober eyes. Chase is usually so fun-loving, so full of humor, but tonight, he’s serious and wrapped up in his feelings, and it’s a side to him that I haven’t seen before. It’s just as sexy as his fun-loving side.
As he watches, I slowly spread my legs on the top of the dresser, and his jaw tightens, that sexy muscle on the side of his face twitches, and it fills me with feminine satisfaction.
“Chase,” I whisper, and that’s the invitation he seemed to be waiting for because he pushes off the table and slowly walks over to me, his eyes pinned to mine. He stops about three feet away and lets those eyes travel down my body and back up again, and then he licks his lips.
