He moves even closer, his lips approaching mine, and then he hovers there, giving me a second to say no.
“Just kiss me,” I murmur.
Chase’s mouth finds mine. His lips are warm and unhurried, giving me space to pull back if I want to. But I don’t. I slip my tongue into his mouth and enjoy the sound he makes.
I already established that he kisses nothing like Everett. He’s hungrier. More insistent. And that’s a good thing. A very good thing. I can’t get enough. I kiss him harder, deeper, wanting him in my veins. My heart’s racing at the feel of his bare chest beneath my palms, his hands tangling in my hair.
When he breaks the kiss, we’re both breathless. We stare at each other, the attraction so magnetic I swear I see sparks of electricity between us.
We don’t have to say a word. We’re in perfect sync on this.
Dipping his head lower, he presses a kiss against my neck.He nuzzles his way up my throat and bites gently on my earlobe, then slips his hand inside my towel at the same time he kisses me again.
I didn’t know the answer to his question before.
Now I do.
I want to behere.
For the first time since I came to Tennessee, I feel like I’m in the right place.
thirty-four
Even If It’s Messy
I wake to the first rays of sun, filtering through the blinds.
Morning, I think, rolling over and ready to fall back to sleep. Before I do, I feel a dip on the side of the mattress, someone sitting there. Jasmine, I think.
She leans over me. “Hey. My mom will be home soon.”
But the voice is not Jasmine’s.
It’s Chase.
That’s strange. What is Chase Hedlund doing in my room? I must be dreaming.
I crack an eye open to see a dark blue wall that looks nothing like Jasmine’s white bedroom. Chase is on the edge of the bed, his bare back to me, pulling on his jeans. My pile of dried clothes is next to him.
It’s morning. And I’m in Chase’s bed.
It’s morning andI’m in Chase’s bed!
I spring up and realize I’m not wearing anything. Oh my God. Lunging forward, I grab my clothes, using them to shield myself from him. We must’ve fallen asleep sometime after we moved to his bedroom. At the time, between kisses, I remember thinking I’d never sleep, because I didn’t think I’d ever get my fill of him.
He glances back at me, and I shriek as I pull on my underwear. His lips curve in amusement and I scramble under the covers and try to get dressed there. When I get most of my clothes on and pull off the covers, my flowered crop top is on backward. Damn.
He watches me try to twist it around while still wearing it, enjoying the show. I scowl at him as I finger-comb the rat’s nest on my head. I must look like a nightmare.
“Why did you let me fall asleep? I’m going to be in so much trouble!”
“Hmm,” he says. Of course he doesn’t care. Trouble is his favorite thing.
I grab my phone. I find about fifty messages, from Connor, Jasmine, Everett, Maggie, Dan, and even Everett’s dad. All of them asking different versions of the same question—where are you?
The only saving grace is that Mar isn’t on that list, which means I can use her as my alibi if she allows it. I’m already typing the request as I race to the entryway, looking for my shoes.
Me:SOS. I stayed out all night by accident and need an alibi. Can I say I was at your place?
