The Chase Series-Book 4
J.J. Scotts
Release Date: August 25, 2014
I could feel my heart beating through my chest as I stood in front of Chase’s door.
Don’t hesitate. Tell the truth and be understanding. I took a deep breath and knocked loudly, my hands shaking slightly with apprehension. My heart was already racing, and I could hear shuffling behind the door, but nothing else. There was more than a good chance that Chase was deep in his work, but I really couldn’t wait any longer.
“Chase?” I called, knocking again, a little harder this time. “It’s Liam.”
The silence was deafening. There wasn’t even the sound of shuffling.
“Chase?” I called louder as I rapped on the door. He had to have heard me at that point.
The continued silence was making me nervous as hell. Was he really too busy to see me? Was he waiting for me to go away? If he was working, I would’ve been able to hear at least something through the door. The quiet was strange and eerie.
Screw it. It was now or never. I put out my hand and turned the doorknob. I jolted slightly, both surprised and glad that the door wasn’t locked from the inside. I took a deep breath and quickly opened the door.
“Whoa!” I jumped back instinctively, alarmed at seeing Chase’s face less than a foot away from mine.
Rather than sitting at his desk working, he’d been standing right by the door. He recoiled slightly, likely shocked that I’d opened the door and yelled in surprise at seeing him.
Had he been waiting there?
That beautifully cruel, sarcastic mouth curved upwards. He was about to speak when I cut him off. I couldn’t wait.
“I love you.”
As the words left my mouth, I suddenly felt incredibly self-conscious. Why did I think it was such a good idea to spring it on him? What if he reacted badly? I was so set on doing this confession that I didn’t even hesitate. I didn’t even allow any buildup or anything. I just went and let the cat out of the bag.
I’d promised myself that I wasn’t going to handle this like my coming-out talk with my parents and already I’d started exactly the same way: blurting out the key line without even making an effort to candy coat it or sound more diplomatic. On the other hand, I’d also promised myself that I was going to be honest about my feelings…so maybe that balanced things out.
I studied Chase’s face, trying to get a feel for his reaction and his feelings. At first, he still had that little look of surprise, which was to be expected, but when he noticed me studying him, his features were quickly rearranged into a different look.
A look of…hurt? Confusion maybe?
Shit. I had to say something – do something. I took another deep breath. Now it felt like my heart had stopped altogether. Icy water ran through my veins and my knees were barely holding me up. I swallowed, trying to get the strength to speak, and then cleared my throat. I knew that I needed to be understanding, and I didn’t want to pressure Chase into giving a response when he wasn’t ready. I definitely wanted him to think about his feelings towards me.
I bit my tongue, not speaking – giving my words just a few more seconds to sink in before I broke the silence. Cold, shaking, agonizing seconds, but I had to wait it out. I wanted him to know I was serious. “I –” I started, but was quickly interrupted.
“You love me?” Chase cut in.
He looked…forlorn. I wasn’t sure what to make of the expression, but I wanted to answer him.
I took a step forward and raised my hands so that they caressed the sides of his face and firmly pulled his mouth to mine. Softly and gently I pressed my lips to his and he responded by letting his tongue flicker across the sensitive skin of my upper lip, then my lower.
Then, in one swift movement, Chase put his arms on my shoulders and pulled me into the room, slamming the door closed behind him. I leaned back against the wall, and he deepened the kiss, pressing himself against me.
The feeling of his body against mine, the citrus scent of him, and the sweet taste of his mouth, sent blood spiraling down to my groin. I was thankful for the wall to lean on because my legs alone wouldn’t have been able to hold me.
He groaned into my mouth, running his hands down my sides and sending goose bumps prickling over my skin. When he reached my hips he pulled them towards him so that I could feel the growing pressure of his erection pulsing against mine.
Now that I knew how I felt about Chase, my emotions made me about ready to explode right then, but I wanted this to be slow and beautiful, so I pushed him a little away from me. His eyes clouded, but then he nodded in understanding as my fingers began to unbutton his shirt. I dropped a kiss on his collarbone as the first button came undone, and then looked up into his eyes, seeing the dark passion glowing behind them as the second, third, fourth and fifth buttons gave way to my fingers and I could run my hands unimpeded over the smooth warmth of his chest.
His mouth curled at the corners, no longer looking dangerous or sarcastic; his lips were flushed with lust. His smile turned into a grin as he reached down and pulled my shirt up and over my head in one hungry movement.
“I can’t be patient around you,” he growled softly.
Other than writing and having a rather dull job, J.J. likes to go hiking and rock climbing. She lives happily with her loving husband, friendly dogs, and lazy cat in sunny California.
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