CHAPTER SEVEN

Chase

HE WATCHED HER SMALL SEDAN SCREECH into the driveway of her house, and his heart picked up a notch. He had been dying to see her, hold her, touch her all damn day, and now she was finally within reach. The way her car sounded made him frown. That noise couldn’t be good.

Stepping out of the car, he wondered how difficult it would be to talk her into letting him look at her car to see what was making it screech that way and how he could fix it.

“Hey! You’re here.” She smiled as she walked over to him, obviously not concerned about her car. The closer she approached, the calmer his heart felt. In jeans and a gray t-shirt she looked like a damn co-ed with her hair thrown up into a messy bun. When she was within reach, he grabbed for her, his hand on her hip pulling her in.

“Hi,” she whispered, beaming up at him. He felt like a lucky son of a bitch being able to touch her and hold her like this.

“Long day?” he asked when he noted she looked tired, though her eyes were happy to see him.

“Are you saying I look like shit?”

“Not at all.” He pressed closer to show her how the way she looked made him feel. Her eyes widened and filled with lust. “I just want to gauge out how much time I can get with you before you’re completely dead on your feet.”

“I’m tired, but I’m suddenly getting my second wind,” she answered brilliantly, and he leaned his head down to kiss her. She tasted like chocolaty goodness and Kenzie. His hands moved to the back of her head, controlling the kiss, and he loved the way she gave into him. The way her mouth moved in sync with his like they had been kissing a lifetime. The way her body fit in his arms as if she were made for him.

“Hey, Kens, don’t get mad!” he faintly heard said behind him. “Oh shit!” a female voice squeaked, and he felt Kens’ body freeze in his arms.

“Shit.”

“Kenzie?” he asked, not taking his eyes off her.

“I’m really sorry for whatever inappropriate thing my sister might say in the next couple of seconds,” she hilariously said against his lips before pulling away and out of his arms. He didn’t miss the way he immediately missed her being near.

“What—”

“Oh, please, what could I possibly say about you sucking face with Mr. Tucker?” her sister said, and he turned, but not before grabbing hold of his girl’s hand and entwining their fingers together.

“Lee!”

“Hello, Mr. Tucker, fancy seeing you here.”

“Hi, Lena,” he answered, his own lips quirking upward at the face Kens sister made when she caught sight of them holding hands. He had done it purposefully. He was staking a claim even if Kenzie was oblivious to it. By the way her sister was looking at him, his actions had not gone over her sister’s head.

“So, what are your intentions with my sister?” Lena asked. He coughed down his laughter.

“Oh, my god, Lee! Stop.”

“What? It’s a legit question.” Watching the two women interact was better than a TV show.

“Wait. Why would I be mad?”

“What?”

“You came out here, yelling at me not to be mad. Why would I be mad?” Kens asked, and he watched Lee’s face fall and cringe.

“Oh shit! Crap! I need your help! The pipe in the guest bathroom is squirting water again, and the shut-off valve is stuck again.” Lena winced.

“Damn it.” And just like that, one moment she was next to him, and the next his sweet thing had her gorgeous ass in gear and was running toward the house.

“So, you just going to stand there? Or are you going to help?” Lee asked, and he laughed before sprinting after his woman.

_________________________

“Here is a towel and a big sweater. I don’t think I have any pants that would fit,” she said over her shoulder before handing him the clothes in her hands. When he looked at the sweater, something ate at him.

“Do I want to know whose sweater this is?” he asked, figuring honestly was the best policy. He would rather stay wet than wear her ex’s clothes, or worse, some schmuck’s she’d found because Chase had been too chicken shit to make a move sooner.

“Mine,” she answered, tilting her head.

“This is a man’s sweater, babe.”

“No, it’s really mine, Chase. It’s just an oversized sweater I picked up to be all, you know…” She shrugged, and he scowled.

“No, I don’t.”

“Cozy. It was a cold winter,” she explained, her cheeks slightly pink. “Anyone listening might think you were jealous.”

He stood up off the edge of her bed and stalked over to her. She gained points for not stepping away. She stood there, waiting for him, wanting whatever he was going to do, and damn if that didn’t make him hot.

“You want a big sweater to feel cozy in, sweet thing, I have a closet full of them, and you officially have free reign to it,” he told her, unable to hold back his grin and the way his body reacted to the thought of her in his clothes. Soon.

“Hmm, it almost sounds like we’re going steady.”

“You bet your ass we are.” He leaned down and kissed her, then quickly pulled away. The door to her bedroom was open, and even though her boys were asleep—somehow not waking up to the commotion of the pipe and his ass getting her out of the bathroom, then quickly closing the shut-off valve before getting in there and figuring out the situation—he didn’t want to take a chance and get caught by the boys in a cinch with their mom.

“Thank you for helping tonight. I know that’s not what you came here for.” She sighed, leaning her body into his. She was exhausted, and he couldn’t blame her.

“I came to be with you, and you sat next to me and talked to me as I fixed it,” he pointed out before kissing the top of her head. “I got exactly what I wanted, baby.”

“Chase?”

“Yeah, sweet thing?”

“I don’t want you to go, but—”

“You’re tired?” he guessed and watched her take a deep breath before answering him.

“I am.”

“How about I take a shower at home, and I’ll see you tomorrow?” he suggested as lightly as he could. He didn’t want to leave, but he knew it would be for the best. When she looked up at him, his chest tightened. Clear as fucking day, he could see in her eyes that she didn’t want him to leave either.

“What if you stayed? she asked so damn softly he thought he had imagined it. He swallowed hard.

“Overnight?” he somehow asked, holding his body tightly next to her.

“Yeah.”

“I told you last night, Kens, I don’t wanna rush you.”

“You’re not. I suggested it,” she told him wide eyed, and damn, he wanted to stay.

“The boys and your sister—”

“I meant, stay like sleep-sleep, not sex sleep.” She bit her lip nervously, the apples of her cheeks a gorgeous shade of pink. “I sound so lame. Why are you here? Forget what I said. I mean, what was I thinking? I would need to sneak you out before the boys woke up, and my mattress is lumpy and—”

“Shh…” he hushed her softly. “Come here.” He led her to the bathroom that was attached to her bedroom and looked at the small shower. He was going to need to get her to his place soon. There would be no issues with fitting both of them in his shower.

“I’m gonna run you a shower, then you’ll get dressed and into bed.”

“But what about you? Your shirt is soaked and—”

“Let me take care of you.” She worried her lip. Damn, she tempted him in a primal way he wasn’t used to but was quickly starting to enjoy. He had the biggest urge to make things easier on her. He thought about her night if he hadn’t been there. She would have had to deal with the water issue alone after a ten-hour shift.

“But—”

“Shh… Come here,” he ordered once the water warmed. He pulled her tee up and over her head. She was wearing a light pink cotton bra and looked sweeter than the finest candy.

“Turn around, sweet thing.” It cost him to order her to do it. He wanted to soak in the sight of her and everything she was, but it wasn’t their moment. Yet.

Silently, she turned like he’d asked, and he slowly undid the clasp of her bra. His hands ran down the line of her spine, his fingertips lightly touching her soft skin. Suddenly, she shivered, her skin covered in gooseflesh. The way she reacted to his touch felt like winning the World Series. Unable to help himself, with his eyes closed because it would be too tempting to sneak a peek, he kissed her bare shoulder and stepped back, leaving her alone in her bathroom.

Kenzie

I stepped out of the steamy bathroom expecting him to be gone. Instead, he was sitting on the edge of my bed. I liked the way he looked in my space. Big and strong in a way I knew he would be easy to lean on. A real partner. I mentally shook the thought away. It was way too soon to go there. To let myself think like that would only set me up for a broken heart.

“Come on.” He stood holding his hand out for me, and without much thought, maybe because I was seriously exhausted or because I would have gone anywhere he asked, I took it. “Which side do you sleep on?” he asked before kissing my cheek, and I couldn’t help but sigh.

“Right.”

“Prefect. See, we’re meant to be.” He winked at me, and his words replayed in my head. I didn’t have much experience with dating after my divorce, but I knew this man and his actions and words were far from the norm.

“What if I had said left?” I asked, needing to reassure myself they weren’t just pretty lines he was feeding me to get me out of my panties.

“I would have still said we were meant to be, baby.” He winked before putting the blanket over me. I giggled. “What?” he asked, settling his amazing body right behind me.

“Mr. Tucker is tucking me in.”

“Just wait ‘til Mr. Tucker tuckers you out,” he teased, and even though I was bone tired, I felt his words zing between my legs.

“Chase.” I tried to turn around to face him, but his nose nuzzled my neck and whatever I was going to say was quickly forgotten. His breath and body were warmer and cozier than any oversized sweater could be.

“Sleep, sweet thing,” he ordered in a deep rasp into my ear.

As if that is possible, I thought to myself.

Though somehow, I followed Mr. Tucker’s instructions to a T. Because before I knew it, like a good girl, I was sound asleep.