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My pulse skittered out of control. “Hi,” I said, feeling shy.
He dipped his head, brushing a kiss across my lips. Before I knew it, our kiss deepened with his tongue sweeping into my mouth. Instantly, I felt breathless with liquid heat spinning inside. I heard a low bark and felt the brush of a dog against my legs.
I jumped back, startled. “Oh! This must be your dog.”
I looked down at the dog, whose entire body was wagging with excitement. Leaning down, I stroked my hand over the dog's head and down its back.
Chase grinned. “This is Jasper.”
He was white all over with fluffy fur. “He’s cute.”
“He's pretty mellow too. He was crazy when he was a puppy, but he's a good boy now.”
Chase leaned over, scratching behind his ears as Jasper leaned into his touch. Straightening, Chase added, “Come on in. Do you have a bag?”
“Just my backpack.”
“Should I grab it for you?”
“Sure, it's on the passenger seat.”
A moment later, he had my backpack slung over his shoulder and was holding the door open for me. “I'll take you over to the bigger house, but this is where I live now.”
I looked around at the small but beautiful house as we walked inside. The downstairs was mostly open space. The glossy hardwood floor was awash in the colors from the sunset outside. The main area in front of the windows had a comfortable-looking couch and coffee table with a TV mounted to one side. To the back of the main room was a counter with stools beside it. On the back wall was another counter with a stove and a sink with the refrigerator to the side. There was a single doorway downstairs.
Chase gestured to it with his chin, commenting, “Bathroom and laundry in there. We can carry your bag upstairs if you'd like.”
At my nod, he led me up the spiral staircase off to the side to a landing with a railing. There was a small open area with another bathroom. He nudged the door open with his boot. “I have a nice tub.”
Peering in, I commented, “Oh, it's really nice up here.”
He grinned. It was a big oval-shaped tub with a rainfall shower centered above and a shower curtain that could be pulled around. Another door led to the bedroom. A single dresser was against the wall opposite a queen-sized bed on a low platform with a walk-in closet.
I looked sideways at Chase. “This is really cute. I don't even know why you're building a bigger house.”
He shrugged. “It is nice, but it's tiny. I love it, but eventually, I figure I’ll need more space.” He dropped my backpack on top of his dresser, adding, “We're meeting Tiffany and my dad at The Gallery Café. Have you been there?”
“I've only ever been to Wildlands and that coffee place.”
He flashed a smile, and my belly felt tickled with butterflies. “You'll like it. I thought you might want to stop by the gallery.”
“I’d love that.”
“Jasmine added a café there sometime last winter. It's really nice. The food is great, and they have themes. My dad's only been once or twice. He's not the most adventurous eater, but my sister wants to try it, so we persuaded him to go.”
I took a breath, trying to quell the anxiety building inside. “Okay. Shall we go?”
He glanced at his watch. “We have a few minutes.”
He slipped his arms around my waist and bent low for another kiss. Once again, I got lost in it. I was feeling breathless with my knees wobbling. I heard the sound of his dog coming up the stairs. He lifted his head, smiling down at me. “He’s pretty good as a chaperone.” I giggled. “Don't worry, Jasper doesn't sleep on my bed. He likes to sleep out there.” He pointed at the landing.
Chase’s arms slipped from my waist, and he reached for my hand. When we walked out to the landing, I noticed the dog bed beside the railing. “He keeps guard. You never know what might happen.”
I smiled down at his dog. “I wish I could have a dog in my apartment.”
“Well, you can get doses of Jasper whenever you come here.”
I knew he didn't mean it that way, but his comment felt loaded.
