Chapter Fifteen

Lauren

I sit back in the passenger seat of my car, watching the house fade in the rearview mirror as Chase and I go down the driveway, leaving the ranch behind just as the sun rises.

It feels weird leaving the place where I grew up like this, not knowing when I’ll come back. I’m with a wanted man, after all, a man caught up in a dangerous game where there are billions at stake, armed goons at play, and powerful men pulling strings behind shadows. It’s a world I’ve never known, a world I’m stepping into now.

Even if I manage to survive, I don’t know if I’ll ever be welcome back at the ranch again, not after that fight I had with my father, probably the most serious one we’ve ever had. Even now, I can still remember how those eyes that have always looked at me with pride and joy brimmed with disappointment. When he finds out I’ve gone, which is bound to happen any minute now, he’ll be even more disappointed and heartbroken. The thought of him at the dining table all alone with shoulders slouched is enough to pinch my heart and make my chest so tight I have to draw in a deep breath.

Chase places a hand over my mine. “Are you all right?”

I nod, meeting his concerned gaze and forcing a smile as I give his hand a reassuring squeeze.

“I’ll be okay.”

“Okay.” He places his hands back on the wheel as he turns his eyes back to the road.

Well, I’m not so sure I’ll be okay. From now on, nothing is certain and that scares the hell out of me. At the same time, though, I can’t help but feel a buzz of exhilaration, feeling like I’m leaving my tower and embarking on some sort of adventure. It feels like I’m eloping, actually, although of course, Chase and I aren’t running off to get married, instead running off to get the bad guy and put his life back in order. Not as romantic but still exciting.

“What are you thinking of?” Chase asks.

“Nothing,” I answer, glancing at him. “Just that I’ve never done anything so defiant before.”

“And?”

I nod my head slowly. “It’s all right.”

He chuckles. “I’m a bad influence on you.”

“Yes, you are,” I agree. “Still, I don’t mind.”

I may not know what’s going to happen next. I know, though, that I don’t regret this decision I’ve made. I don’t regret being with Chase right now. If I wasn’t, I’d be the one at home, sulking and worrying about him every minute. At least, this way, I can keep him safe or at least, keep him from being reckless. I’ll know for sure he’s okay and I’ll be here, within an arm’s reach, when he needs me.

I place my hand on his thigh, squeezing it before sinking into my seat, hugging my purse as I look out the window.

The sky has turned a pale blue now, thin clouds swept across it. Beneath it, the fields and pastures stretch out for miles, overlooked by the mountains in the distance.

This is ranch country – acres and acres of land tucked away from the rest of the world, relatively untouched, undisturbed.

And I’m leaving it behind.

We spend the rest of the trip to Billings in silence except for the music streaming from the radio. My mind is occupied with thoughts of home and speculations about the future whereas Chase must be trying to figure out what to do next. I may be anxious leaving my home but he must be even more so, trying to reclaim his.

Eventually, the fields and mountains disappear from view as the sun rises higher and higher, the clouds seemingly giving way to it as they vanish. Rows of trees flank the road now and soon, those give way to shops. We make a quick stop at one to buy some food. Then the shops are replaced with buildings, the sunlight bouncing off their glass exteriors.

We’ve arrived at Billings and the fact that Chase is putting on his sunglasses and his cap is proof that we’ve entered enemy territory.

I sit up, shoulders straight. We can’t take it easy anymore.

I glance at Chase. “Is that all you’re wearing? No headphones? No face mask?”

“I’m fine,” he says, running a hand over his cap to make sure it’s securely in place. “Anyway, I’m not going to be out in the open meeting anyone this time. I’ll stay in the shadows.”

I nod then adjust the rearview mirror so I can study my reflection it. “What about me? Do I need to wear a disguise?”

The last time I was in Billings, I was wearing one but only because I was tailing Chase and I didn’t want him to know it.

“Maybe just put on sunglasses.” Chase reaches across me to open the dashboard compartment. “In case one of those thugs sees you.”

Of course. I’ve met three of them before and if any of them recognize me, I’m dead.

I take my oversized sunglasses out, putting them on as Chase closes the compartment.

Again, I gaze at my reflection in the rearview mirror, my eyes now hidden by the red-tinted lenses.

That’s better.

“And maybe wear a sweater,” Chase adds, grabbing the sweater in the backseat and tossing it on my lap.

A sweater? I look at the garment with furrowed eyebrows. Then I see the stain that’s on my blouse and I understand.

Blood.

I may have removed the bloodstain on my arm but not the one on my blouse, which I haven’t noticed until now.

Just the sight of it makes my stomach coil, bringing back an unpleasant memory, but I calm myself down and quickly put the sweater on.

I fold the sleeves as I glance at Chase. “Where to?”

He shrugs, leaning forward to peer through the windshield as the car stops at an intersection.

“I guess we have to look for a place to stay.”

---

We find a motel in a deserted alley behind a row of old shops a few miles from the city center.

No CCTVs. No IDs required. No questions asked. No smiles from the receptionist, who’s a plump woman over forty, either. Chase hands her the cash and she hands him the keys. He tips his hat and we head upstairs.

Our room is on the third floor, the stairs creaking with every step we take. The windows on each landing are covered in dust and I swear I saw a rat scurrying into a hole in the corner.

Thankfully, I’m a farm girl so rats don’t scare me. Well, they do in the sense that they make me worry about crops getting destroyed but not in the sense that they make me want to shriek and climb on the nearest chair.

We reach the door to our room, two doors down from the stairs. Chase slips the key in and the door opens, revealing a room smaller than the barn he stayed in at the ranch, and just as shabby.

The brown carpet, probably beige once, is worn and has a few holes. The wallpaper with flowers is peeling off, some sheets already completely gone. A lone bulb hangs from the middle of the ceiling, flickering to life with a press of the switch. Even after a few minutes, it doesn’t get any brighter than the ones back at the stables.

There’s a single bed in the room. Queen-sized. With a quilt and two white, fluffy pillows and hopefully, no bed bugs, though I doubt it. Beside it is a wooden nightstand with two drawers, a lamp, a clock, and a notepad with a pen clipped to it. Chase opens the first drawer, looking inside. It’s empty. He tries to open the second one but it stays shut, stuck.

The only other pieces of furniture in the room are the wingback armchair in the corner with a matching foot stool, and a small table by the window. Chase parts the curtains, taking a peek outside, only to close them again.

I, in turn, examine the bathroom. It’s small but at least the blue tiles aren’t covered in mold and it has running water and the flush works. There’s a mirror over the sink, too, though it’s cracked, strips of masking tape covering the cracks.

When I go back into the room, I find Chase taking some stuff out of his backpack, just leaving them on the table by the window. Then he puts his backpack back on.

“Going somewhere?” I ask, puzzled.

I thought the reason we stopped by somewhere along the way to buy food was so that we wouldn’t have to leave the room once we got here.

“I need to get some information,” he says, putting his sunglasses back on. “Need anything?”

I shake my head.

I don’t want him to go but I can’t seem to think of anything to say to stop him.

He kisses my forehead and squeezes my shoulder.

“Get some sleep. I’ll be back before you know it.”

He walks out the door and is gone.

I sit on the edge of the bed, sighing as I throw myself on top of it to stare at the greenish ceiling.

Get some sleep, he says. But I don’t think I can sleep while he’s out there doing God knows what, not knowing if and when he’ll come back. At least, I think so until I feel my eyelids getting heavy, weighed down by all the exhaustion from yesterday’s events and a sleepless night, all taking their toll now. The bed, bedbugs or no bedbugs, feels soft beneath me as well and I find myself sinking into it, drifting off into oblivion.

---

I wake up to a clap of thunder.

Quickly, I sit up, finding myself surrounded by darkness.

At first, I think I’m in my bedroom back at the ranch but then my eyes adjust to the darkness, the outline of the closet across from me becoming visible, and I realize I’m not. My memory comes back, too, reminding me that I’m in some cheap motel room in Billings.

Billings.

Chase.

I get off the bed as worry seizes me, grabbing the clock from the nightstand.

It says 9: 28.

My eyebrows crease. It’s nighttime already?

Unable to believe it, I walk to the window and part the curtains slightly so I can look outside. I can barely see anything, only the buildings in the distance, all lit up. A crack of lightning illuminates the pitch-black horizon.

It is nighttime. Worse, it looks like it’s about to rain.

I close the curtains and go back to the bed, sitting on its edge. I’ve slept for nearly ten hours?

More importantly, where’s Chase? Why isn’t he here yet?

Just as my heart starts to race, I see the light spilling out from under the bathroom door and I breathe in a sigh of relief.

Chase is here. He’s safe. Thank God.

He comes out moments later, his hair damp and a towel around his waist. Seeing me, he stops.

“Lauren. You’re awake.”

I stand up. “When did you get back?”

“A few hours ago,” he answers.

I wrap my arms around him, delighting in his after-bath scent, a mix of minty soap and spicy deodorant as well as toothpaste.

“Why didn’t you wake me up?” I ask against his still moist chest.

“I didn’t see a reason to,” he answers, drying his hair. “Have you eaten?”

I shake my head.

He grabs my shoulders and looks into my eyes. “You should eat.”

He turns on the lamp on the nightstand and goes over to the closet, taking the paper bag out of it.

“You’ve eaten?” I ask him as I sit on the bed.

“I did when I arrived.”

He places the paper bag on the floor and rummages through its contents.

“Sorry. I was hungry.”

I shake my head. “That’s fine.”

He takes a cup of noodles out of the bag. “Is chicken okay?”

“Yup.”

I catch the cup as he tosses it at me.

“And sausages?” He lifts a can.

I nod.

He places the can on the table by the window and turns the electric kettle on.

I wrap my hands around the cup of noodles. “So, how was your…?”

I lift my finger, making a circling motion with it as I try to think of the right word.

“It was fine,” he answers.

I don’t press the subject. I’m only glad he came back in one piece.

Another clap of thunder sounds in the distance.

“It looks like it’s going to rain,” we both say at nearly the same time.

I chuckle. “Yeah. I bet it’s already raining back at the ranch.”

Chase glances out the window. “Maybe. I hope Isaac is okay.”

I stiffen at the mention of my father’s name then frown at the thought that he’s running around in the rain, checking on all the animals and making sure they’re all safe.

“Hey.” Chase sits behind me, holding my hand. “I’m sure he’s okay.”

I lift my head to meet his gaze, pursing my lips. “Yeah. I’m sure he is. He’s got Smoke, after all. Smoke may be scared of firewood getting chopped but he’s not scared of thunder.”

“Yeah. And I’ve seen how tough he can be.”

The kettle pops, its light turning blue. Chase gets the cup of noodles from my hand and opens it, pouring water inside and then sealing it back.

“Just give it a few minutes and it will be done.”

I narrow my eyes at him. “Since when have you been an expert on cup noodles?”

“There’s a bunch at the cabin since there’s no cook there and no delivery,” Chase answers, leaning on the wall.

“And I guess cooking your own meals wasn’t an option?”

Chase gives a chuckle.

Unintentionally, my eyes go over the muscles of his chest and abdomen, tracing the lines. I find myself especially drawn to the V lines that disappear beneath his towel. Blushing, I tear my gaze away.

“Did you go to your house?” I ask him as I tuck a loose strand of hair behind my ear.

“No,” he says. “But I found out a few things about James.”

“You did?” I raise my eyebrows. “Is he okay?”

“He’s missing,” Chase answers sadly. “He hasn’t shown up to work nor has he come home.”

“Shit,” the curse escapes my lips and I cover my mouth. “I’m sorry.”

Chase shakes his head. “I just hope he’s fled somewhere safe, though I have a bad feeling about it, now more than ever.”

I have the same but I don’t say it out loud. I only saw him for a short time but I could tell he was a good man, and I hate to think something terrible might have happened to him.

“Your noodles should be ready now.”

Chase opens the cup, wisps of steam rising up, and hands it to me. Then he fetches a pair of disposable chopsticks from the paper bag, handing them to me as well. I blow on the surface of the soup, feeling the heat seep through my fingers, the steam dampening my face. Chase opens the can of sausages and puts it in front of me.

I eat a sausage first and then try the soup.

“How is it?” Chase asks.

“Not as good as the soup I make,” I blurt out.

“Of course, not.” Chase sits on the chair in the corner, leaning forward on his knees. “Sorry.”

“Don’t be.” I shake my head and try another sausage. “It’s fine. It’s… a new experience.”

I continue eating while he watches me, saying nothing. Feeling self-conscious, I wipe the corner of my mouth with the back of my hand.

“What?”

He sits back, his eyes still on me. “Nothing. It’s just that… you’re beautiful.”

I cough. “Me? Beautiful? I just woke up. I haven’t combed my hair, and I haven’t had a bath. You must be delusional.”

“Maybe.”

I continue eating, lowering my head and letting my hair fall over my cheeks to hide my blush. I finish my noodles, slurping some, and then my sausages.

When I look at him again, he’s fallen asleep on the chair, his mouth slightly open.

I frown. He must be tired.

I put away the trash and wash my hands and mouth in the bathroom. Then I stand in front of him, hands on my hips.

Now, what? Carry him to bed or leave him on the chair?

As I’m debating the topic, I stare at his eyelids, noticing for the first time how long his eyelashes are. My eyes go to the straight bridge of his nose, to his thin mustache, to his smooth lips.

Just like that, I forget what I’ve been debating about, all my thoughts having flown away.

I step forward, my heart drumming in my chest. Bending over, my hand on the wall, I bring my face close to his, feeling the warmth of his breath on my skin. Then, unable to resist, I close my eyes and brush my lips softly against his.

They remain still.

I press my lips against them more firmly and suddenly, like the leaves on the surface of a pond after a tossed pebble creates a ripple, they begin to quiver. The next thing I know, I’m on Chase’s lap, his arms around me as he kisses me back fiercely.

“You weren’t going to do something naughty while I was asleep, were you?” he asks me as he pulls away, his eyes narrowed in suspicion.

“No,” I answer, grinning. “Or maybe.”

“Maybe?”

I let out a scream as he lifts me in his arms, carries me for a few strides and throws me down on top of the bed before climbing on top of me. Then he tickles my neck, armpits, and stomachs, making me giggle non-stop while I feebly try to thwart his attempts.

“Stop!” I snicker, tears in my eyes. “I give up! I give up!”

His eyebrows go up. “Oh, do you?”

I nod as I try to catch my breath, lifting my arms in a gesture of surrender.

He stops, smiling at me. Then the corners of his mouth dip, his expression turning serious as he stares at me once more, his eyes piercing mine. The warmth in them, not scorching but gentle like the hearth on a cold winter’s day, lights the fire in my chest and takes my breath away.

“Chase?” I whisper softly.

He touches my cheek, his fingers soft as feathers.

“What? Are you going to say I’m beautiful again? I still haven’t combed my hair, you know, or taken a bath or brushed my teeth.”

“I don’t care.” He runs his finger over my lower lip. “You’re perfect as you are and I don’t want to forget any part of you.”

My eyebrows bunch up above my nose. “Forget?”

He flattens his palm against my cheek as his lips descend on mine, caressing them softly and just like that, my worries are lost. His tongue slips through, brushing against the tip of mine to cause a minty spark. I open my mouth wider, letting my tongue play with his and the spark turns into an explosion. He deepens the kiss, his lips crushing as his tongue takes control.

I place my hands in his hair, tugging at his curls as I moan into his mouth. As he pulls away, breathless, my hands slide down to his cheeks, my thumbs at the corners of his parted lips.

“Since you surrendered, I can do anything I want, right?” he says, his blue eyes gleaming with mischief and promise.

It’s a scary proposition but I find myself nodding without hesitation, my heart pounding.

I let my arms fall to my sides. “I’m all yours.”

Chase kisses me again, his tongue exploring every inch of my mouth and seemingly coiling around the rest of my body, making me shiver with delight. Then he pulls away again, his fingers sweeping tendrils of my hair off my forehead to plant a kiss there. Then he kisses my twitching eyelids, one after the other, and the tip of my nose. Skipping my mouth that he’s already thoroughly tasted, his lips move on to my chin and then travel across my jaw line toward my ear, licking the lobe and then taking it between his teeth.

I suck a deep breath into my lungs as my heart fumbles in my chest, my body already on edge in anticipation of his sublimely wicked plans. I feel a stain start to form in my underwear.

Chase’s lips plant a reverent kiss on the soft patch of skin beneath my ear then slide down to my neck, just above the neckline of my sweater. His hands grip the hem of my sweater and my blouse and I lift my back as he pulls them both off me at the same time.

He picks up where he left off, nuzzling my neck and then kissing my shoulder. His lips graze my collarbone and stop right below it where he plants another kiss.

At least, I think it’s just a kiss until I feel his lips part, his mouth creating a vacuum over the patch of skin and sucking it in. I gasp. Seconds later, I feel a bit of soreness and I lift my head to see what he’s done, seeing the reddish mark.

“What’s that?” I ask.

“A souvenir,” he says, licking the spot. “Does it hurt?”

“No.” I shake my head before letting it fall back down. “Wait. You’re not going to suck my blood next, are you?”

Chase chuckles. “Of course not, silly. But I am going to suck a different part of you.”

Reaching behind me, he unhooks my bra, pulling the garment off me so that my breasts are right beneath his gaze, blushing just like my cheeks and tingling just like my sex.

His mouth takes one captive and my knee lifts, my toes digging into the quilt as my fingers clutch a handful of it. As he sucks, I bite my lips to hold back my moans, my eyes falling shut as the pleasure washes over me.

When he frees my breast to let his tongue circle my engorged nipple, my moan spills out, a shiver climbing up my spine. He does the same to my other nipple and I am lost. My breasts are wet, the air cooling them. And another part of me is getting wetter and hotter still.

His fingers find the hook of my skirt and release it, pulling it down along with my soaked underwear. Now, I am completely naked beneath him and I shiver again as he kisses the soft curve of my belly.

He parts my thighs, settling between them and as I become aware of his intentions, I lift my head, grabbing his shoulder.

“I haven’t showered,” I remind, suddenly feeling embarrassed.

He swats my arm away. “I don’t care. Like I said, you’re perfect.”

I doubt that. I’m sure I smell like sweat down there and taste worse, my cheeks turning red, and yet his tongue savors me like a sweet dessert.

My head falls back on the pillow, my back arching. I place my hand over my mouth but a moan escapes through my parted fingers.

My other hand rests on the top of his head, which is all I see as his face becomes buried between my quivering thighs. My fingers become entangled with his curls as his tongue slips in, pushing all the right buttons, stroking, teasing.

Suddenly, he stops. He gets off the bed, standing beside it as he removes the knot of his towel, which now has a stain on the front, letting me know I’m not the only one leaking wet. It falls to the floor, creating a puddle around his feet.

He’s naked beneath it, his cock curved up, the tip engorged and glistening, veins prominent. My mouth waters.

Coming closer, Chase takes my hand and wraps my fingers around his cock, shivering and blowing out a gust of air as I stroke him, his eyelids falling shut. Then he lays down on the bed, pulling me on top of him.

“Now, it’s your turn,” he says hoarsely.

I straddle him. Placing one hand on his chest, I place the other around his cock and guide it inside me, moaning as it enters me slowly. Once it’s completely sheathed inside me, I pause to take a deep breath, closing my eyes to savor the sensation of being deeply connected with the man beneath me. When I open them, I find myself staring into half-lidded turquoise pools, the same warmth I saw earlier spilling out of them.

His cheeks are flushed and every now and then, they hollow as he lets out a strained breath, his lips forming a circle. His forehead gleams with a fresh layer of sweat.

I wipe it off before bending over to kiss him, my breasts pressing against his chest. Then I lean back, placing my hands on his legs and staring at the ceiling, my breasts sticking out. My hair cascades past my shoulders, swaying as I start moving my hips, dancing above Chase’s muscled body.

Sneaking a peek, I catch him staring at me intently, his eyes becoming darker. His hand cups one of my breasts, making me gasp. Then he reaches for my clit, fingertips grazing against the exposed nub.

I tremble but keep moving. His finger strokes me, rubbing against that sensitive bud even as his cock rubs against the depths of me, reaching spots I never knew existed and making my body buzz with new levels of excitement that I never imagined.

I try to keep moving, to maintain my rhythm but I falter. My body quakes and then comes to a complete stop as I throw my head back and give in to the irresistible pleasure.

Afterward, I slump forward, panting. My heart beats wildly against Chase’s chest. My hair washes over his face.

He strokes my hair, kissing the top of my head. Still trying to catch my breath, I lift my head. The tender gaze in his eyes makes my heart stop.

He takes some strands of my hair and brings them to his lips. Then he reaches up to caress my cheek, his eyes glistening with tears.

He’s crying?

“I love you.”

The words come out as a breathless whisper, almost like a prayer. He might as well have shouted them at the top of his lungs, though, the words taking me by surprise and rocking my body to the core.

He loves me?

I don’t know why he seems to be crying but they must be tears of joy, the same I feel brimming in my eyes as my lips curve into a smile. An indescribable and insane amount of happiness erupts in my chest and spreads rapidly throughout my body like an explosive chain reaction.

He loves me. Chase loves me.

And suddenly, nothing else matters.

I touch his cheek, still smiling. “I love you, too.”

I lower my lips to his. He meets me halfway, our tongues caressing and then clashing, his fingers becoming lost in my hair. His cock throbs inside me, reminding me that we aren’t done.

Filled with fresh vigor and excitement, I lift myself back up, placing my hands on his shoulders. As he moves his hips, I move mine, my eyes never leaving his. My breasts bounce. My hair falls down, forming a veil over my cheeks.

Chase reaches up to brush the strands aside, gathering them into a bunch so that they don’t get in my way as I start my dance once more. This time, I put my heart and soul into my every move, allowing myself to be consumed with the rhythm and to lose myself to the inaudible music soaring through me. I rock my hips and roll my shoulders, then move my hips up and down. The sound of skin slapping against skin fills the room and the friction between our bodies reignites the flames inside me.

Suddenly, he grabs my waist, keeping me still. With one swift move, he switches our positions and atop me, he performs his own dance, hips rolling, jerking, his cock pounding into me.

Bending over, he captures my mouth. I cling to him even as I struggle to breathe, moving my hips against him.

“Lauren.”

He lets my lips go for just a moment then holds them captive again as he moves even faster.

The time for slowness and tenderness is over, his body moving to its own wild beat. I don’t mind.

This is the man I love and I am all his.

He takes me, burying himself deep inside me before exploding while I tremble around him, moaning into his mouth and gripping his shoulders as I squeeze him of every drop. His body quivers then collapses on top of me. As he lets my mouth ago, I gasp for air, forcing breath back into my deprived lungs.

It seems an eternity before I catch my breath, both of us lying still and silent in that motel room. Finally, he stirs, getting off me and pulling me into his arms. He squeezes me just a little too tight.

“Chase?” I ask, looking up at him.

He says nothing, pressing my head against his chest as he plants a kiss in my hair.

I don’t say another word. He’s already told me what I wanted to hear and the memory makes me smile against his skin, my chest flooding with joy again.

He pulls the quilt over us and I snuggle even closer against him, smelling the soap on his skin mixed with a fresh layer of sweat. Moments later, I hear his soft, even breathing.

I lift my head to stare at his face, his eyelids shut.

He really must be exhausted. As for me, it’s strange but even though I’ve just had a lot of sleep, I’m starting to feel sleepy again, which is probably because of the peace and contentment I feel at this perfect moment lying beside the man I love.

Love.

I never thought I’d feel it. I didn’t even know I was looking for it. Yet here I am, overwhelmed with Chase’s love and with my own for him.

Resting my head on his chest, listening to the beat of his heart, which eclipses the thunder outside, I fall back asleep with a smile on my lips.