I would get hurt too.
“Chase,” I tried, my voice wobbly. “I like you a lot.”
He shook his head, his glare darkening. “That’s such a cowardly thing to say.”
I let out a half-laugh. Yeah, he wasn’t one to take the easy way out. Chase faced stuff head-on, and it was one of the things I respected the most about him.
“You’re right, it’s cowardly. After all these years alone, all these failed relationships and disastrous dates, I finally met someone decent, someone who’s beautiful inside and out. And I’m terrified. So there.”
He rolled, and we were almost nose to nose. His eyes glowed with new determination, while my resolve was melting.
I’d never been able to resist this man. What made me think that I could resist now?
“I won’t make promises, Jay. You’ve heard enough of those, and they don’t mean shit, do they? But I want a chance to prove myself to you.”
“How?”
His jaw tightened. “I want to meet your brother. It’s a small thing, but it’s a start.”
My heart skipped a beat and restarted because I’d half expected him to say he wanted to meet Monty. I would have told him no, but of course, Chase knew that.
“My…brother?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because I think he must be scary as shit, and he’ll hate me.”
I let out a bewildered chuckle. “You want to meet Hugh because you think he’ll hate you?”
Chase nodded. “Yes.”
“That doesn’t make sense.”
“I love you, Jay. I want to learn everything about you. The good things, the bad things, all of it. And I want you to get to know me. Really know me.”
“You’re crazy.”
He shrugged and pecked my nose. “Dinner. I need to feed you, and then we’ll talk some more.”
He lent me a hoodie, and I padded to the kitchen after him.
Meet Hugh.
It would be a disaster. Chances were that Chase would finally run for cover.
Or not.
Dinner was great,but I already knew Chase was amazing in the kitchen. He genuinely enjoyed making food, and it showed.
I tried not to think too much about the decision I’d have to make, but of course, it was all I could think about as I sprinkled chopped cilantro on my tacos.
“I think my older brother met yours,” Chase said, tearing me out of my thoughts.
“How? When?”
“Perry was out with some friends from work, and they went to a cocktail bar. He described the place to me and mentioned a bald, tattooed bartender who worked there. So I looked it up, and it really was Hugh’s place. One of Perry’s friends wanted to hit on him, but he only got, like, half a sentence out before Hugh flashed him his wedding ring.”
