Page 79 of Chasing Forever

Callie looked pained as he continued.

“I caught them in the act one night when Cassandra was supposedly out with her girlfriends.”

“You walked in on them?”

“Sort of. I went over to Patrick’s house to hang out since Cass was busy. I heard some suspicious sounds, so I looked in his front window. Turns out she was busy doing him.”

Callie’s mouth made a big “O,” and her forehead wrinkled in disgust.

“I felt like such a fool, you know? How could I have not seen the signs or suspected anything? I’m a divorce lawyer, for goodness’ sake. I hear stories like that every day.”

He’d tensed up at the recollection and took a deep drink of wine while he tried to calm down.

“The thing is, I’ve become jaded about relationships based on everything I’ve seen and heard, from my clients to what happened with Cass. To me, love is something that’s destined to fail. It might start out with hearts and flowers, but inevitably it ends in pain and suffering.” He paused to take a breath, and Callie jumped in.

“You must have examples of success stories too. What about your parents? Miranda said they’re still crazy about each other.”

“They’re the exception.”

“My parents are still together, and my grandparents were married for over fifty years. My grandpa passed away a few years ago, but my grandma loved him until the day she died.”

Chase smiled at her earnestness. “I get it. You’re an eternal optimist. You’re a romance writer. You have to believe in love.”

She shook her head vehemently. “You aren’t the only one who was cheated on. It happened to me too. Only, I didn’t see it with my own eyes—thank God. It started when I found a restaurant receipt in Adam’s pants pocket to a place he said he’d never been before.”

Chase bristled, the story already sounding familiar to him.

“When I questioned him, he admitted he’d been having an affair with a co-worker for months. Like you, I never suspected a thing. As a romance writer, I don’t just write about hearts and flowers, Chase. I write about heartache and pain too, and I’ve experienced it firsthand. I know that not all love is meant to last. But I am an optimist, and I still believe in love. Do you want to know why?”

He had a feeling she was going to tell him no matter what, and he was rapt. “Tell me.”

“Because even after what happened with Adam, I still have the desire to love and be loved. As long as my heart is beating, I know I’m capable of giving and receiving love. And in the end, that’s all that really matters.”

She looked like she was about to tear up again, and he couldn’t take it. He didn’t want to be responsible for bringing her more pain. He wanted to say that thanks to her, he was starting to feel capable of love again too. But something held him back.

“Come here,” he said, holding out his arms. For now, he decided to go with actions instead of words.

She crawled onto his lap and buried her face in his neck.

He breathed her in, her scent becoming as familiar to him as his own. Despite his claim that he wouldn’t fall in love again, he knew it was too late. She was in his arms and under his skin, and at that moment, he never wanted to let her go.

“Stay with me tonight,” he whispered.

And she said, “Yes.”

Chapter 35

Callie looped her arms around his neck, and he stood up and carried her to his room. This time, there was a sense of urgency as he tumbled onto the bed with her and immediately claimed her lips. She felt it too, and she clutched his shoulders, pressing her body tightly to his. She needed this, needed him, and she had no intention of holding back.

She tasted the wine on his tongue while his hands started tugging up her shirt. Then his warm palms were on her abdomen, sliding upward until he cupped her breasts. She moaned against his lips, and she felt him smile.

In the meantime, she’d slipped a hand under his shirt and was caressing his chest. She heard his sharp intake of breath as her hand drifted lower, her fingertips teasing him above the waistband of his shorts.

He broke the kiss just when she was about to unbutton them. “Arms up,” he demanded, eyes ablaze.

She immediately complied, and he whipped off her T-shirt in one fluid motion. His eyes drifted over her face and down to her breasts, where her nipples were poking against her bra, demanding to be released. Spotting the front hook, Chase smiled and quickly clicked it open, revealing her breasts to his heated gaze.

He didn’t even bother removing it. He simply pushed the bra cups aside and dipped his head down to draw her right nipple deep into his mouth. She shoved her hands in his hair and held him in place while he nibbled, licked, and teased her into a frenzy, and then he repeated the sweet torture on her left breast.