Chase cursed himself for a fool as he rode into town the next afternoon. Seeking Hannah out was a bad idea. Epically bad. But he couldn’t seem to stop himself.

He’d gotten so much shit from Ty because he’d been bugging his brother to go to a fight with him for ages, and then when it finally happened, Chase ditched him to take Hannah home. Garret had just looked at him with amusement on his face and a knowing look in his eye. Bastard always saw too much.

He couldn’t bring himself to regret taking Hannah home, though.

He saw a side to her last night he’d never seen before. It was his own fault, for being such a dick and refusing to see her and who she was now. He was glad to know she’d changed. Happy he could trust she wouldn’t hurt Kelsey or Parker.

Her every word, every action, had rung with sincerity last night. He would have heard a lie in her voice, and he hadn’t. What he had heard was suspicion of him and hurt over the things he’d said in the past. The old Hannah wouldn’t have given two shits about anything he did or said. That, coupled with the complete honesty he’d heard, had convinced him she was genuine about changing. So he was sure in his conviction she could be trusted with his family.

That was all he really needed to know. So he couldn’t fathom this need he had to be with her again, to know more about the person she was today. To know what happened to make her the person she used to be, and what happened to change her into the person she was now.

He exhaled heavily. He was so full of shit. He wanted to know all of that, yes, wanted to know it with an intensity that was a little surprising. But he couldn’t deny that he wanted to spend more time with her because he wanted her.

He wanted to see her smile, knowing he was the cause. He wanted to make her laugh, her green eyes lit up with amusement and happiness.

He wanted to see them darken with desire. Desire he evoked in her. He wanted to know how her lips felt against his, what she tasted like, how her body felt wrapped around his own.

He wanted far more than that, even, if he was being honest with himself.

He was so screwed. He’d given her no reason to trust those parts of herself to him, and every reason not to.

Chase turned onto her street and pulled into her driveway, relief filling him when he saw her Jeep. She was home.

His wolf sat up in his chest, alert with the anticipation of seeing Hannah again. Chase had been fooling himself about that, too. His wolf wasn’t obsessed with her because the animal wanted to protect his family. His sole focus was on Hannah because he wanted her, too.

That was something else to feel guilty about. He’d shut his wolf down so much when it came to Hannah. Completely suppressed his animal, because he was so deep into his dislike of her, so sure she was still the horrible person she was before. He shouldn’t have done that to his animal. They were always in harmony, and Chase had deliberately disrupted it.

But his wolf had always wanted Hannah. Always knew there was more to her than Chase saw, and that she could mean something more to them, if Chase would just let her. Now that he’d spent time with her, and admitted to himself that he liked her as a person, his wolf was going wild in his chest, desperate to see her again.

The way his wolf was acting, now that he had free reign, made Chase believe there was a pretty big possibility Hannah was his mate. All the signs were there, had really been there all along. Now it was a waiting game, to see if his wolf said the words. It wasn’t official until he did. But if Chase was right about how his animal felt for her, he didn’t think it would be long until the animal told him. In fact, shifter’s animals usually told them fairly quickly. He thought maybe his wolf would have done so ages ago if Chase hadn’t been so obstinate, and shut him down so often.

So, even though showing up here and asking Hannah to share more of herself with him was the worst idea, Chase was doing this. He owed it to himself, and more, to his wolf, to give this a shot. He only hoped Hannah truly meant it last night when she said she forgave him.

He jumped out of his truck and strode to her door, blowing out a breath and rubbing his hands on his jeans before he knocked. He had on what his momma would have called his courtin’ clothes. Nice, new, dark blue jeans with a crease down the front, a long sleeve western shirt, and his dress boots.

If that didn’t prove he was serious about this, nothing would.

The door opened a few moments later and all the breath left Chase’s body in a whoosh as he took Hannah in. She was wearing a tiny pair of barely there white shorts, and her legs looked a mile long. She had on a snug yellow tank top that emphasized a pair of truly magnificent breasts, and her long hair was down and a little messy, falling in a silky waterfall nearly to her waist. His eyes roved up and down her body, unable to help himself, and his gaze landed on her bare feet. Her toenails were painted black, a color that surprised him. He would have bet money on pink.

He wrenched his eyes up, meeting her stunned green gaze. His lips quirked slightly in amusement as she touched her fingers to her parted lips, not knowing what to say.

“Chase,” she finally pushed out, her voice a few octaves higher than normal. She cleared her throat. “This is a surprise. What are you doing here? Are Parker and Kelsey okay?”

“They’re fine,” he assured her. “Can I come in?”

Hannah’s eyes widened further and her eyebrows rose, but she stood aside and gestured him in. Her home wasn’t at all what he expected, but then, he should have known it would be different than he imagined it. It was homey and inviting, and he studied it closely, searching for hints of her personality and her life. And searching for hints of a boyfriend, if he was being honest. She was gorgeous, and it wouldn’t have surprised him if some guy who wasn’t a jackass, like himself, had noticed and snapped her up.

“Have a seat. Can I get you something to drink?”

“No, I’m fine, thanks,” he replied, walking to the couch and sinking down in it, literally. The cushions were deceivingly cushy and his weight caused them to threaten to swallow his large frame. He tried to straighten up, but it just kept sucking him back in. He finally gave up, resigned to looking like a fool as the deceptively cushy couch swallowed him up. Casually propping a booted foot on his knee, he attempted to look cool and relaxed, despite the couch trying to eat him.

A smile curved Hannah’s full lips as she watched him. She sat down on an overstuffed armchair and curled her legs underneath her.

“Sorry. I was going for the opposite of my parent’s house, and wanted comfort. I might have gone a little overboard.” The smile faded from her face and she studied him intently. “Why are you here?”

“I wanted to make sure you were feeling better today.”

“A phone call would have done that.”

“I don’t have your number.”

“You could have gotten it from Parker or Kelsey,” she replied with an arched eyebrow. “Now tell me why you’re really here.”

Chase exhaled as he thought about how to answer her. He should have known he wouldn’t get away with the no number excuse.

“I really did want to make sure you were okay. And I guess… Look, I’ve been wrong to treat you like I have—”

“Chase,” Hannah interrupted, her voice soft but firm. “You’ve already apologized. I accepted it. It’s okay. Well, not okay,” she said, brow furrowing. “But it’s water under the bridge, as long as you don’t do it again. I’d be a hypocrite if I didn’t forgive you after so many people have forgiven me. So don’t worry about it, really.”

“You might have forgiven me, but I haven’t,” he said quietly, looking down at where his fingers were clenched together. “I should have gotten to know who you are now. Kelsey told me to really see you, but I was hardheaded. I never meant to say the things I did. My mouth had a mind of its own. But when I stopped to really think about it, I realized why I’ve acted the way I have.”

“Why is that?” Hannah asked, like she wasn’t really sure she wanted to know, but couldn’t help asking.

Chase blew out a breath as tension and nerves threatened to overwhelm him. He wasn’t at all sure this would go over well, but he had to try. He had to explain, and hope she could accept it. He steeled himself, taking another deep breath in the hope of calming himself.

He looked up and snared her gaze in his. “I’ve always been attracted to you, Hannah. Even back when we were kids. I hated how you acted, though. It was a relief when we graduated and you went off to college. Out of sight, out of mind. I could stop thinking about you constantly, and I was free to move on. Then you waltzed back into town, and all those old feelings came back. At first you were the same as you’d always been. And I thought you were putting on a show to get close to Parker, and then Kelsey, for whatever reason.”

Chase paused, assessing her reaction. Her eyes were impossibly wide and she looked like she was barely breathing. He took another deep breath, still questioning whether this was the right way to do it, but fuck it. Might as well lay all his cards on the table.

“That’s why I was so harsh. I wanted you, but I thought I couldn’t have you because you weren’t a good person. And I was pissed the fuck off about it. But I see now I was wrong; you really have changed. And I want you, Hannah. More than I’ve ever wanted anyone in my twenty-seven years. So, my question is, if you’re being honest about forgiving me… do you think you could give me a shot? Give us a shot? I want to see where this can lead.”

Hannah was frozen, and though she told herself her body needed oxygen to survive, all she could manage was a short, wheezing breath. She suddenly doubted her ability to hear, as well. He couldn’t have just said what she thought he did.

“What about it, Hannah? Do you think we could spend some time together, really get to know one another?”

And maybe her hearing was just fine.

“Chase…” she finally managed in a whisper, trailing off because she wasn’t sure what to say.

Of course she wanted to. Probably more than she’d ever wanted anything. But she wasn’t sure she could trust this new and improved version of Chase.

He left the couch and sat on the coffee table in front of her, taking her hands in his. She stifled a gasp at the unexpected electric shock that danced over her skin, followed by a slow burning heat that spread throughout the rest of her body.

“I know you probably have doubts,” he told her, staring intently into her eyes. “I don’t blame you. I know this seems like a complete one eighty, and that’s understandable. I’m willing to do anything I have to do to make you understand I’m serious as a heart attack about this.”

Hannah gulped at the intensity in his gaze. He looked one hundred percent serious, and her heart galloped away at the thought, straight out of her chest and out of her body. It was probably halfway to China by now.

Her cell phone rang, breaking the spell, and she jumped at the sound. Chase gave her hands a squeeze and stood up, returning to the couch. Hannah got up in a daze and grabbed her phone from the coffee table, groaning when she saw it was her mother. She immediately ignored the call and then just stood there, staring at the screen.

“Aren’t you going to answer that?” Chase asked, settling back into the cushions.

“Nah. It was just my mother,” she replied as she turned to stare at him once more, trying to decide if the sincerity was genuine or if she’d just imagined it.

He patted the couch beside him. “Sit down then.”

Hannah hesitated and then sat on the opposite end, as far away from him as she could get. She needed a clear head for this. She automatically curled into the corner, returning her gaze to him.

“I want to believe you’re serious, but it’s hard to,” she finally admitted.

Chase nodded and ran a hand through his hair, disheveling the spikes and making her want to run her fingers through the thick strands and set them to rights.

“I understand that. I’d be surprised if you immediately accepted my confessions and my intentions. Just sit here and talk to me. Get to know me, and I promise you, I’ll put those doubts to rest.”

She eyed him, still unsure, but eventually nodded. “All right. I can do that.”

“Why did you ignore the call from your mom?”

“Because it’s Sunday,” she replied, dropping her eyes and watching her fingers as they picked at the hem of her shorts.

“What does Sunday have to do with anything?” Chase asked.

“There’s an obligatory dinner at their house every Sunday night. I made excuses and didn’t go last week, and I’m skipping out this week again. I just don’t want to listen to the harassment over me not going.”

“Is there a reason you don’t want to go?”

Hannah paused for a moment before answering. “My parents aren’t the nicest people. They never have been. And lately, they’ve been making all these demands, wanting me to change my whole life around to meet their standards. It’s not something I’m willing to do, and I don’t want to argue with them about it.”

“Why would they want you to change your life around? It looks like a pretty good life, from what I can see.”

“Thanks,” she replied, smiling as her cheeks flushed. “My parents don’t see it that way, though. Nothing about me is acceptable. My father wants to become a politician, and there’s a laundry list of things they want me to change. I’m supposed to be trading my car in, moving back home because my home isn’t up to their standards, and quitting my job.”

He looked at her with a raised brow. “How is your job not acceptable? You work in a doctor’s office. I’d think it didn’t get much more respectable than that.”

“Because ‘Vanderguard women don’t work’”, she said, quoting her mother. “Besides, they think I’ll be fired soon, and the shame of it would probably kill them, not to mention look bad for my father’s campaign.”

“Why the hell would they think you’d be fired soon? Have you done something wrong?”

“No, they just think I’m dumb and I’ll screw it up. I am on the dumb side, but I’m just the office manager. It’s not like I’m a doctor or a nurse. Managing an office is easy.”

“So that’s where you learned the whole ‘dumb’ thing,” he replied with a frown. “Hannah, you’re not dumb. Stop putting yourself down. You said yourself your parents aren’t nice people. I’m sure they’d find something to criticize you about regardless of your intelligence level. Besides, management isn’t easy for a lot of people. It’s my gift, but it’s hard for some. Give yourself credit for managing to do it with ease.”

“What do you mean, it’s your gift?” she asked.

Chase froze for a second. “I just mean, it comes easily to me, as well. Don’t focus on that and ignore the rest of what I said.”

Hannah looked away and leaned her head back against the couch. “It’s really all about organization. It’s not just that, though. I struggled in school. College was even worse. I had to work so much harder than anyone else just to manage average grades. And so much goes over my head. I have a lot of blonde moments.”

He turned on the couch to face her, and Hannah noticed for the first time what he was wearing. She’d never seen him in anything except worn jeans and t-shirts. This was dressed up, for him. Fresh butterflies exploded in her stomach as she contemplated the fact that he might have dressed up for her.

“Everyone struggles in school at some point. It’s not supposed to be easy, college especially. And everyone has blonde moments, Hannah, myself included. And stop calling them blonde moments. I love blondes. Nothing you’re saying justifies calling yourself dumb.”

She shrugged, not agreeing with him, but not wanting to argue with him about it, either. “Is that what you do on the farm? Manage it? I thought you worked it more than anything.”

“I do. I need to be outside in the open for most of the day. Ty does all the desk work, but I set the schedules for everyone, and decide what we’re doing and when.”

Hannah opened her mouth to say more but paused when his phone buzzed. He pulled it out of his pocket and read the text, cursing softly as he did so.

“Speaking of managing the farm, that’s Ty, wondering where I’m at. We set the weekly schedules on Sundays, and I’m late. I’d better go. Ty doesn’t have much patience. Can I get your number?”

Swallowing down her disappointment over him leaving so soon, she rattled off her phone number, watching as he saved it. He sent her a text and winked at her when he was finished, causing her breath to catch.

“So you have my number, as well. Call or text me whenever, and however often, you want. Seriously.”

Hannah gulped and nodded, standing up and walking him to the door. He opened it, and turned to face her.

“Thank you, Hannah,” he said, reaching a hand up to touch her cheek softly. “Thank you for forgiving me, and for giving me a chance. This is going to be good, I can feel it.”

She watched, pupils dilating and breath coming fast, as he slowly leaned in and touched his lips softly to hers. Her lips parted in a gasp as sensation flooded her body. He angled his head slightly, kissing her more firmly, but tenderly.

Kissing him was nothing like she imagined it would be.

It was so much better.

Hannah was just starting to get the presence of mind to kiss him back when he pulled away, his lips lingering against hers for a long moment. He smiled down at her, his whiskey brown eyes full of warmth, and caressed her cheek one more time.

“I’ll talk to you soon, Hannah.”

She watched him walk away, steadying herself on the doorframe. Her knees were too weak to support her right now. He climbed in his jacked up white Chevy and it started with a loud growl that made her weaker still.

She loved a good-looking man with a big, loud truck. That combination had always been her kryptonite. It almost wasn’t fair. This man had way too much going for him.

He backed out of the driveway and waved at her before pulling away, his truck rumbling in the quiet of her street. She stared after him, long after he was gone, with her fingers touching her lips as she replayed the kiss.

She finally went back inside, shutting the door softly and making her way a bit unsteadily to the couch where she sank down with a gusty sigh.

Nothing about his visit seemed real, not the least of which was him showing up on her doorstep to begin with. She’d been sure her mind was playing tricks on her when she opened the door and found him there. And then he’d said he wanted to date.

Her.

He wanted to date her.

She wondered what kind of alternate universe she’d stumbled into. Because surely, none of this was real.

Except her lips were still tingling, her nipples were still drawn up into tight little buds, and she still had an ache deep in her core from his kiss.

She grabbed her phone and unlocked it, looking at the text he’d sent, just to reassure herself it really happened. Once she was satisfied it had, she quickly saved his number into her phone. She definitely didn’t want to lose it.

This change in him was so unexpected. So unbelievable. She couldn’t help wondering if he had an ulterior motive.

He’d come off as sincere. His eyes, his voice, they had all rung with truth. But she could be seeing things that weren’t there. She could be wanting so badly for this to truly be how he felt, that she was willing to see what she wanted to see.

She wasn’t sure what he’d gain by playing games, though. Payback for how she’d treated others, maybe. Or a way to ensure she stopped hanging out with Parker and Kelsey, maybe even stopped training with Cammie.

Or maybe he was attracted to her and just wanted to sleep with her. Once he got what he wanted, he’d go back to treating her like crap.

Hannah squeezed her eyes shut and flopped back against the couch. God, she hoped none of that was the case. She wanted so badly for this to be real, yearned for it with everything in her.

The only way she’d find out for sure was to go with it. Spend more time with Chase, date him like he said he wanted.

But she’d do it while being aware that he might be doing it for the wrong reasons. She’d make sure she kept it in the back of her mind that this might not be real for him, not the way she knew it would be for her.

Hell, even if his motives were pure, and he really wanted her like he said he did, it still wasn’t a guarantee it would work out. Chase was smart, and she wasn’t. He hadn’t been around her enough to really know what her intelligence level was. Or wasn’t, as the case may be.

Even if he really wanted her, she might not be enough to hold him.

Hannah thought she’d accepted her flaws, accepted that she wasn’t smart and never would be. But she realized she wasn’t okay with it if it kept her from being with him.

They’d just taken a first step toward a relationship, and it already felt incredibly complicated.

Chase drove back to Red Moon, a crush of emotions crowding his chest that were hard to separate, much less define.

He and his wolf were beyond excited that Hannah agreed to give them a chance. He’d been nervous as hell to ask her, and he couldn’t ever remember being nervous. He was usually confident to the point of cockiness, but not when it came to Hannah.

He’d treated her like shit in the past, and she would have been well within her rights to tell him to get lost. Instead, she invited him inside, and then shocked him with her acceptance.

He was going to give this everything he had, and try not to screw it up.

There was about a ninety five percent chance he would, but he was going to try not to.

That kiss… Chase heard himself sigh like a love-struck teenager when he thought about it. He shook his head over his reaction, but there was a smile curving his lips, just the same.

It had been an innocent kiss in every way—except his body’s reaction to it. His lips were burning, fire spreading through his body, and his dick was hardening just from remembering it.

Her lips against his had felt even better than he’d imagined, and the taste of her… Chase took one hand off the wheel and reached down to adjust his dick in his jeans.

As much as he loved that kiss, what truly got him was her smile. She had a gorgeous smile. He hadn’t seen it in far too long, and never the way he had today. Carefree, reaching all the way to her bright green eyes. And he’d forgotten she had dimples. Deep ones, adorably denting her cheeks.

If nothing else, he’d accomplished one goal. See her smile because of him: check.

Now came the true question. If this went like he hoped it would, how did he tell her he was a wolf shifter, and would she accept it?

Chase parked in front of the farmhouse and quickly made his way to the door. He was hoping he could slip in and change before anyone saw him. A hope that was swiftly dashed when he walked in and spotted Ty right away, about to walk into the office.

“Where the hell have you been?” Ty demanded. He glanced at Chase and did a double take. “The fuck are you wearing, Chase?”

Chase shuffled his feet and fought back the heat threatening to spread up his neck. He’d be damned if he blushed, especially in front of Tyler.

“I’ve been out. I’m just gonna run and get changed, and then I’ll meet you in the office.”

He went up the stairs two at a time to get away from Ty, groaning to himself when he heard Ty say, “Thank God. Those clothes are freaking me out.”

He went to his room and quickly changed into his normal uniform of worn jeans, an old tee, and his every day boots. It was a relief to be in his normal clothes again.

The shit he did for love.

Chase froze, panic filling him, when he realized what he’d just thought. His wolf was content inside him, in total agreement with the “L” word, but he wasn’t.

This wasn’t love. Not yet, anyway. But it could be, very easily, and he needed to come to terms with that. He couldn’t freak out on Hannah again.

If he was right about her, if his wolf was right about her, this could be the best thing to ever happen to him. She could be his mate.

But first, he needed to allay Hannah’s doubts. He knew she still had them, and that was okay. He’d prove himself trustworthy if it was the last thing he ever did.