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She followed Chase into the house, which was a modest size considering the wealth of the Blackshaw family. The galley kitchen at the back had a reclaimed barn-wood kitchen table set next to the double sink with black cabinets overtop. The living room took up most of the space, with a corner fireplace and a flat-screen hanging above the mantel, surrounded by dark brown leather couches.
“Let’s get the pup settled in the bedroom.” Chase kicked off his cowboy boots, placing his cowboy hat on the coat hook by the door.
She shivered. His bedroom. Sure, she had been in this house many times over the years when Chase had invited the entire family for a cookout at his house, but she had never been in his room. She awkwardly attempted to remove her cowboy boots.
Chase watched her a moment. Then a seductive grin spread across his gorgeous face as he dropped to one knee. Dear Lord, give me strength not to jump him.
She swallowed deeply while he removed her boots, seemingly far slower than necessary. Her breath quickened, and nerve endings stirred and tingled for him to run those hands up a little higher.
He slowly glanced up and arched an eyebrow. “All good?”
She nodded. “Mm-hmm.”
He chuckled, low and deep, possessing so much damn heat she swallowed the extra moisture in her mouth. Leading the way, he strode forward, and she and her soaking-wet panties followed him down the hallway. They passed one door, and she peeked inside, discovering a decent-sized bathroom. He entered through the next door, flicking the light on, bathing the bedroom in a warm glow. The room suited Chase perfectly. There was nothing on the log walls for decoration, a black duvet covered dark gray sheets on the king-size bed, with two pillows, and there was a double-doored closet on the right.
Simple. Masculine. Totally Chase.
He moved to the closet and opened the doors, revealing rows of drawers and his clothes hanging. She smiled to herself. There was a whole lot of plaid in that closet. He grabbed a basket, dumping the items inside onto the floor, then took out a blanket, placing it inside the basket. “This should work as a bed for now.” He placed the basket in the corner of the room near the reclaimed-wood side table next to the bed.
She slowly lowered to her knees, placing the pup inside the blanket. He opened his eyes a little then shut them instantly. “He’s so sleepy. Do you think that’s normal?”
“He’s had a pretty rough day,” Chase said from somewhere behind her.
“You’re safe now,” she told the puppy. “We won’t let anything happen to you.” She stroked his soft, floppy ear, watching his stomach move with his deep sleepy breaths. Leah said he was around seven weeks old, but he looked closer to four, showing how sick he’d been for so long. “I think his name should be Houdini.”
“Houdini?”
“Yeah, he’s got a little magic in him, I can see it.” She tucked the blanket around the puppy’s belly, keeping him warm.
“Harper.”
The rawness in Chase’s voice had her quickly looking his way. Her breath caught at the emotion in the depths of his eyes. He offered his hand, and she rose, her heart racing, the world slowly spinning around her as if time no longer existed.
He gave her that sweet panty-melting smile of his and tucked the fallen strands of hair behind her ear. There wasn’t a damn thing he needed to say. She read exactly what he wanted to do next in the hunger in his expression. Because she understood that type of hunger. She felt that need every time he came close.
“You’re finally going to let this happen between us?” she rasped, barely able to get the words out, but knowing she needed to.
“Yes, I most certainly am.” He dragged his knuckles across her cheek, and she saw things she’d never seen before. Chase didn’t look guarded anymore; he looked decided. About her. “Eight days,” he told her. “That’s what we’ve got. Then you’re moving to Vegas.”
“Eight days.” She nodded, knowing too that she could not have Chase forever, but she could have him for now. Sometimes a little of something was better than nothing at all. “Then I move to Vegas.”
He slid his hand across the small of her back, raising goose bumps along her arms. A glorious quiver descended throughout her body, tightening her nipples into hard points beneath her bra. Though her thoughts and concerns were still there, and she had to ask to understand. “But what about Brody?”
Chase’s free hand slid sensually across the side of her neck, deepening her shiver. He leaned in close, his lips right there. “If you were to ignore your dreams, then this between us would be complicated. With you moving away and going after what we both know that Brody wants for you, this becomes very uncomplicated. I want you. You want me. We know the rules. You’re leaving. There’s nothing standing between you and that truth anymore. For once, because we deserve it, we are going to enjoy each other in the way we’ve been craving for months.” He brushed his lips against hers, then murmured, “So, then, there’s only one more question to ask you.”
“What’s that?”
His intense stare looked right through her. “Do you want to play, Harper?”
Six words she’d longed to hear, and her belly quivered in excitement. When she had returned home, Chase was her brother’s best friend. The hot guy who seemed to keep getting hotter as the years went on. But she had never really wanted him, not like she did now. And
that came from all the whispers she had heard about Chase while working in the bar. Of course, she knew he was a sweetheart out of the bedroom, but she had no idea how devilish he was in the bedroom.
That’s where her fantasies began, and every day that had passed they only got hotter. Because when she stopped seeing Chase as her brother’s best friend, she only saw the man she wanted desperately.
“You know that I want you,” she told him.
He dragged his finger across her cheek, down her neck, over her pulse point. “We need clear rules here. For eight nights, you’re in my bed, and all mine, for my pleasure, and for yours. Are you okay with those rules?”
