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I’m still getting used to Chase’s forwardness and crass vocabulary, but I never craved Trent’s etiquette-proper conversations the way I desire Chase’s dirty mouth telling me exactly what he wants to do to me.
Yesterday, during Jo and Atlas’s wedding, I couldn’t stop staring at how handsome Chase was in his dovetail-colored fitted suit. How his Buddy Holly glasses highlighting rich brown eyes made him look sophisticated. And how he could pull off a man bun with his long tawny hair, like some hipster runway model.
My heart was in my throat when Chase led me around the dance floor, holding me close to him like I was worth admiring. Maybe it was the two bourbons I downed, or maybe it was how he said all the right, naughty things, but I followed him to his room with every intention of sleeping with him. Sex has never been a pleasant experience, mostly because no one had ever given me a Big O, but I threw my inhibitions aside for him, praying Chase would be different.
I slept with him. Well, technically, we didn’t sleep much.
Chase worked my body like a seasoned musician playing his favorite instrument. I never knew sex could be so satisfying. That my heart would fill before exploding again and again. True to his words, Chase pleasured me more times than I could count. When we finally grew too tired and sore, he cleaned me with a warm washcloth, tucked me into his side, playing with my hair until I fell asleep in his arms.
And in his arms I still find myself—his warm, strong, protective inked arms.
Tentatively, I run my fingertips lightly over the contours of his regal face. The sharp angle of his Roman nose and his inverted triangle face hidden under a short but maintained beard give him an appearance coveted byGQ Magazine. His hard brow line is crease-free in his sleep but normally has deep lines when working at his computer. And his lips, a pale shade of pink set in thin lines, and so damn tempting.
My feather-light touch makes him frown. He opens his eyes to narrow slits. He sees me, smiles, then closes his eyes again. “Mmm…love your touch almost as much as I love you.”
I lightly snigger. He must be dreaming. There’s no way he actually meant what he said.
“Love you, Simone,” he mumbles before falling back into a heavy sleep.
Oh. My. God.
I could have brushed one off as sleep-talking, but there’s no mistaking him saying it twice.
Oh, no.
This is too much, too fast. Shades of Trent all over again.
Chase is a dream, but I’m not making the same mistake twice by rushing into another relationship. I’m strong, but I know my heart wouldn’t survive if I fell for Chase and he woke up one day, realizing he could have done better.
Nope. I can’t.
Slowly, I peel myself out from under the cage of Chase’s brawny arms. He reaches for me, feeling my absence from his bed. I quickly shove a pillow into his embrace. He grasps the pillow, pulling it tight to his chest, sighing with contentment.
Oddly, my heart aches at seeing how he treats the pillow as if it were me. Jealous of the bedding, I shake my head at myself.
Stay strong.I’m not ready for another relationship, no matter how amazing last night was, no matter how special he makes me feel, and no matter how much my heart wants him as badly as he wants me.
Hastily, I yank my dress over my body, gathering my heels in my hands. My panties are nowhere in sight. I consider them a lost cause. On tiptoes, I creep across his suite, exiting the room.
As soon as I shut the door, I turn to flee to my suite, only to run smack into a brick wall.
“Whoa!” Atlas catches me by the shoulders before I bounce off his broad body. “Sorry, Simone. I didn’t see you there. Was grabbing Jo’s purse. She forgot it in our suite as we were heading out.”
“Oh, yeah.” I laugh nervously. “You should probably get going. Don’t want to be late for your flight, delaying your honeymoon.”
Atlas flashes me a charming smile, the same one I’m sure won over my sister. “Don’t you worry. I plan on making her happy for the rest of my life.”
It’s then he looks down at my outfit, the bridesmaid dress from yesterday. His black eyes turn lethal, narrowing to slits as he turns his head to the room I exited, clenching his jaw.
“I’ll fucking kill him if he pushed you before you were ready.”
I stop him before he reaches Chase’s door. “No, Atlas. Don’t bother Chase. I was more than willing to hook up with him.”
Atlas scrutinizes me. “Hook up? Nu-uh, sis. You weren’t a hookup. He wants you as his old lady.”
My heart flips in my chest with dread and, peculiarly, excitement. “I’m not ready for a relationship. Not sure if I’ll ever be ready for another one.”
He opens his mouth to say something, but I stop him. “Atlas, I’m begging you. Please, leave this alone. I need to get back to my room before others notice. Don’t tell Jo anything—I don’t want her worrying while she’s away. Just focus on your honeymoon. I’ll talk to Jo after you guys return.”
