Chapter Five

Lauren

I stare pouting at the Google page on my computer screen as I tap my fingers on the keyboard.

For the past hour, I’ve been trying to find out who Chase really is, having typed Chase Donner in the search box and gone through literally dozens of profiles.

I want to find out more about the man I’ve been fantasizing about. So sue me.

I haven’t been able to come up with anything, though. None of the Chase Donners I’ve read about match the Chase on the ranch remotely, not in looks or information.

Sighing, I go to my bed, placing one of my pillows on my lap as I sit on the edge of it. As I fidget with the top button of my pajamas, my thoughts wander.

All right. So maybe he’s not active on social media. That’s possible and not entirely uncommon. Weird maybe but not uncommon. But I can’t find anything, not even anything about his Chef Donner dad or about how he got his injuries. Surely, something like that would be reported in the news somewhere.

If only I knew the name of his wife, maybe I could have been able to pull up her obituary or something. But then that wouldn’t prove anything about Chase, either, just tell me what I already know – that he has a wife and she’s dead.

I frown, realizing how little I know about Chase. Hugging the pillow, I lie down on the bed and stare at the ceiling.

How can I know so little about the man I want so much?

Or maybe the question should be: Why do I want a man I know so little about?

Maybe that’s why I want Chase so much. Because he’s new and mysterious. Exciting. Dangerous.

But what if he’s a wanted criminal? What if the reason I can’t find anything about him is because he’s not who he says he is?

My thoughts are interrupted by a thud out in the hall.

Tossing the pillow aside, I spring to my feet and scramble out of my room, my breath catching when I see Chase standing in the hallway.

What is he doing here?

Then I see my father hanging from his neck, drunk again, and I understand.

“I told Dad he should stop drinking since his alcohol tolerance isn’t as good as it used to be.” I let out a sigh of exasperation before draping my father’s other arm over my shoulder. “But he won’t listen.”

Chase grunts as he takes another step forward. “Well, it’s clear to see where you got your stubbornness from.”

I pout but don’t argue, finding it hard to speak as I support half of my father’s weight.

Between Chase and me, we manage to tow Dad to his bedroom at the end of the hall, Smoke scurrying behind us. There, we lay my father down on the bed as gently as we can before I place the blanket over him. He stirs and grunts but does not wake.

“Thanks,” I mutter as I sit beside him. “I’ll take it from here.”

I can feel Chase’s gaze boring holes into my back and I dare not turn my head to meet it, afraid I might drown in those cerulean mirrors again. And who knows what I’ll do this time?

Just being in the same room with him has my heart sending heat through my veins with each erratic beat, my sex already throbbing with need.

And to think my father is in the same room.

“Okay.”

Chase finally leaves the room and as the door closes behind him, I let out the breath I’ve been holding. After a few seconds, my heart begins to slow down as well.

I pull the covers up to Dad’s chin, staring at his peacefully sleeping face before planting a kiss on his forehead. Smoke lies down on the rug beside the bed, sighing.

I pat him between the ears, smiling. “You get some sleep, too, old boy.”

He simply closes his eyes, understanding.

I get off the bed, giving one last glance at my father before heading downstairs to clean up.

I grab the empty bottles of beer from the table in the living room and walk into the kitchen, nearly dropping them when I see Chase standing by the fridge.

“Chase?” I quickly look away from him before setting the bottles down by the sink. “I thought you’d already left.”

“I was going to,” he answers. “Did you know that your father gave me a warning today? He warned me to keep my distance from you.”

He takes a step closer, and I can feel him standing right behind me.

“Then why are you still here?”

“Because I can’t heed that warning.” He takes tendrils of my hair in his fingers, bringing them to his lips. Heat washes over me all the way down to my toes. My knees buckle, and I lean on the sink.

“I don’t understand what you mean.”

“I think you do.”

He grabs my arm, turning me around. Before I can say another word, his hands slip beneath my hair, cupping my cheeks as his mouth crashes down on mine.

At first, I don’t respond. I’m too shocked to move. I can barely breathe, Chase seemingly sucking every breath out of my body as his lips crush mine, his hips pinning mine to the edge of the sink. Then I close my eyes and desire overtakes me, heat bursting through every vein in my body.

With trembling hands, I grab the front of his shirt, fingers twisting the cotton as I push up against him. I part my lips and his tongue immediately slips in, tangling with mine. It is soft and warm and wet and at once, my sex feels the same, a stain forming in my panties as my body melts from the core. And the taste? It’s sweet and slightly sour like the sauce I made for dinner but no alcohol. He’s completely sober this time. I’m the one who’s drunk, my head spinning and my knees so weak I lean against the sink as I let his tongue explore my mouth.

His hands slide down to my neck, his thumbs rubbing against my pulse points there as he pushes my head back, his tongue delving deeper into my mouth. I wrap my arms around him, clinging to him, my stiff nipples grazing his chest. His other hand goes around my back, holding me closer as his body grinds against mine. The hard bulge in his crotch rubs against my sex and I feel the friction through the layers of clothing, my level of desire skyrocketing to a new high.

Chase wants me, and god, I want him. Like I’ve never wanted anything in my life.

I moan as I run my hands across his back, arching up against him. He grips my hips and leads me away from the sink toward the table beneath the pots and pans. Brushing the basket of vegetables aside, he hoists me on its edge. The table quakes and creaks. I hit my head on one of the pans, causing it to rattle against the one beside it. I don’t care.

I bury my hands in his curls, my tongue sliding across his. His fingers work on my buttons, making me shiver as his hand brushes against my nipples.

When the last button has been undone, he pushes the shirt off my shoulders and I let it slide down my arms, tossing it aside. In turn, I grab the hem of his shirt and pull it over his head.

My gaze rakes over his chest, my eyes narrowing at the cuts and bruises on his pale skin. The sight of them causes the stunted wheels in my head to turn again, reminding me that this man in front of me is a stranger.

I run my fingers over the biggest bruise between two muscles of his chest and Chase draws in a deep breath.

I withdraw my hand.

“What happened to you?”

“Nothing.” He places his hand beneath my jaw. “Just a minor accident. It doesn’t matter.”

Then his mouth descends on mine again.

Minor? What kind of accident?

My thoughts drift away as his hand cups my breast, the pad of his thumb rubbing against one engorged nipple. I gasp into his mouth, trembling. He does the same with my other breast, holding both in his palms and I moan, my sex swelling, throbbing.

I want nothing more than to continue, to let Chase put his hand over where I’m aching the most just as I’ve imagined before. Instead, I wrestle back my thoughts and muster my self-control, pushing him away.

I want him but not like this.

“It matters, Chase,” I tell him, panting as I splay my fingers across his chest. “There’s just so much I don’t know about you, like why are you really here. Don’t you have somewhere else to be? Don’t you have family, friends? Why are you in a ranch in the middle of nowhere, settling for living in a shabby barn that’s on the verge of collapse among strangers and a measly paycheck? And why do you take just cash?”

He doesn’t answer, silencing me with a kiss. Again, I push him away, more firmly this time, as I jump off the table.

“And why are you wounded?” I continue. “What accident did you get into? Are you sure it’s an accident? Are you in some kind of trouble? Are you running away from something? Someone?”

“Lauren…”

“Are you really Chase Donner? Because I’m starting to believe you’re not.”

Still, Chase doesn’t answer. For a moment, he just stares at me. Then he strokes my cheek as he kisses me.

Again. And yet, this time, it’s different. His lips aren’t crushing mine. They’re soft, caressing. His tongue doesn’t conquer. It just dances with mine. A slow dance, almost teasing, as his thumb gently moves back and forth across my cheek.

It’s a tender kiss and yet, it takes my breath away all the same. I clutch his waist with trembling hands, butterflies fluttering not just in my stomach but everywhere under my skin. My sex weeps all the more, dripping.

Then his mouth is gone, his cheek against mine as he holds me close. His breath tickles my ear as he whispers,

“Stop looking for the real Chase Donner, Lauren. You can’t handle him.”

He kisses me again, deeply, tenderly, as he grips my shoulders, then looks into my eyes.

“You should stay away from me.”

I nod breathlessly, my words leaving me in a raspy whisper. “I will.”

He lets me go, picking up his shirt from the floor and walking out of the kitchen in a few, long strides.

I kneel on the floor where my shirt is, sitting on the linoleum as I put it back on. My hands are still trembling so it takes a while for me to put all the buttons back in place, my breathing still uneven.

When I’m done, I back up against a wall, pulling my knees against my chest. I thought I’d finally get some answers but now, I’m more confused than ever. And frustrated.

I hoped Chase would trust me. I hoped he would see me as something more than some sheltered Daddy’s little girl. But he doesn’t. Worse, he wants me to stay away from him.

Fine.

I stick my chin out proudly.

If Chase wants me to leave him alone, I will.

I’ll show him that I don’t care one whit about him even if he is the most exciting thing to walk into Little Peace Ranch. Or my life.

---

The next few days are a bore. I barely see Chase. It seems he’s staying away from me just as I’m staying away from him. That’s fine. It’s just strange because I’ve never found life on the ranch boring before, just peaceful. Now, peace seems unattainable.

Still, I try to find it, either by whittling, cooking, or playing the guitar.

One morning, as I’m sitting under a tree by the storage barn, strumming the strings of my old guitar, I hear hooves approaching. I stop playing and get on my feet, scanning the horizon for my unexpected guest.

I see her on a chestnut Arab, her blond hair flowing from under her black riding helmet and bouncing off her shoulders as her horse gallops in my direction.

Kelly Monroe.

The girl from the ranch next door who pops up every summer like the heat wave, the same girl I used to catch fireflies and take dips in the river with before she discovered Cosmopolitan and nail polish.

Seeing me, her full lips curve into a smile above her pointed chin. She pulls on the reins so that her horse comes to an abrupt stop a few feet away from me, front legs and a whinny in the air. As its hooves crash down to the earth with a thud, she jumps off the saddle in one practiced move then she takes off her helmet and shakes her head so that her hair sways around her head.

Yup. That’s Kelly. She’s outgrown a lot of things over the summers we’ve spent together – her braces, her ponies, climbing trees – but not her flair for the dramatic.

She’s grown some things, too, most notably the pair of mounds sticking out from her chest, the top of which are visible above the low round neckline of her red shirt.

Show-off.

“Lauren!” She presses her powdered cheek to my dust-covered one as she places her hands on my shoulders. “It’s so good to see you again. How have you been?”

“Good,” I answer, putting down my guitar.

She steps back to give me the customary once-over. “Your… hair looks longer.”

Of course, it is. I haven’t cut it since last summer.

I narrow my eyes at her. “And your eyes are green.”

“I know, right?” She flutters her eyelashes. “I’m wearing contacts now, not that there’s anything wrong with my eyes. I just got so tired of my blue eyes, you know.”

Okay.

“So…” She crosses her arms over her chest. “What have you been up to this past year?”

I shrug. “College.”

At once, her face lights up. “You’ve finally gone to college?”

I nod.

“I’m so glad. College is just so amazing! I mean, the men are so hot, totally different from the ones in high school, and the parties are out of this world. And the girls are cool, too. Last year, I got into this cool sorority where all the girls have Manolo Blahnik booties.” She touches my arm. “What about you?”

“I’ve just been studying,” I say. “The university has a nice library and spacious grounds, plenty of trees to sit under.”

Kelly gives me a look of dismay.

“And one of my professors is really nice.”

She places her arm around me. “Anyway, I’m so glad it’s summer again. There’s just something about being here in the countryside that makes me feel so alive.” She takes a deep breath. “Must be the air.”

I don’t answer.

She turns to me. “Besides, I get to see you, my oldest friend.”

I guess I am. She’s been spending summers next door since I was four.

“When did you arrive?” I ask her as we start walking.

“Just yesterday,” she answers. “I…”

Suddenly, she stops talking, her jaw dropping and her eyes growing wide. I follow her gaze and see Chase approaching, shirtless, sweating and with a bundle of firewood on his shoulder.

I quickly look away.

“Good morning,” Chase mutters as he passes by.

Kelly’s jaw drops even further. I swear it’s dislocated.

I place my hand on her shoulder, throwing her a look of concern. “Um, Kelly…”

“Holy shit,” she gasps when she can finally speak, her hand over her chest. “Am I in heaven or…?”

“No. You’re still in boring Little Peace Ranch,” I tell her.

She furrows her eyebrows at me. “Then that guy is…”

“A farmhand.”

I glance at Chase as he puts down his load on top of the large pile of firewood by the barn.

Kelly stares at him, toying with a strand of her hair. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

“Nope.” I shake my head. “I don’t have a sense of humor, remember?”

“Said who?”

“You.”

She looks puzzled.

“You told me last summer,” I remind her.

She brushes it off then nudges me on the shoulder. It’s more of a shove, really, and I almost lose my balance.

“Why didn’t you tell me you had such a hot farmhand?”

“Um, because I only saw you today,” I point out.

She hooks her arm around mine. “Come on. You have to introduce me.”

I try to wriggle free of her hold and think of an excuse not to introduce her but I fail at both, finding myself within a foot of Chase in seconds.

After Kelly clears her throat, he turns around, wiping the sweat on his face with the towel around his neck.

As soon as our eyes meet, my breath catches. I lower my gaze, only to find myself staring at the ripped muscles of his abdomen. Yes, the bruise is still there but it doesn’t take away from the beauty of that sweating six-pack.

I lower my gaze further, only to find myself staring at his crotch and remembering what that looked like.

Shit.

I glance aside.

Kelly clears her throat again.

“Kelly, this is Chase,” I introduce hastily without looking at him. “Chase, Kelly.”

“Hi.” Kelly finally lets my arm go as she steps forward to offer Chase a hand. “Pleasure to meet you.”

Chase looks at his hand then shows it to her. “I’d rather not get your hand dirty.”

“How sweet.” Kelly places her hand in her pocket. “I live next door, by the way. Well, not next door, because there’s no door, but I live on the next ranch. I stay there every summer.”

“I see.”

“So…” She moves even closer to him, sticking her chest out. “How long have you been working here?”

“A few weeks,” Chase answers, going back to his task of fixing the firewood.

“You know…” Kelly touches his arm. “You can come work at our ranch if you like. I’m sure you’re a very good farmhand and we can pay you better. Why, we even have…”

This time, I clear my throat.

Kelly glances at me. “I’m just kidding.” She turns back to Chase. “I keep telling Lauren she needs to have a sense of humor.”

I roll my eyes.

“Well, kidding or not, I’m afraid I can’t accept your offer,” Chase tells her, shrugging her arm off as he picks up another piece of wood. “I like this ranch, and Isaac pays me enough.”

Somehow, it makes me happy to hear him say that.

“Ooh.” Kelly touches her chin. “He’s loyal. I like that.”

“He’s not… very well-mannered, though,” I blurt out without thinking.

“Really?” Kelly raises an eyebrow then grins. “Well, I don’t really mind. Actually, I quite like a man who’s a bit rough around the edges.”

I let out a sigh.

“So, Chase…” She touches his arm again. “Are you seeing anyone right now?”

Chase’s gaze meets mine. “No.”

Kelly pumps her fist. “Well, then, would you…?”

“I’m sorry but I have a lot to do,” Chase says, entering the storage barn.

“Told you he was rude,” I tell Kelly.

She frowns.

“Well, I actually have other stuff to do, too, so…”

“Wait.” Kelly grabs my arm. “I haven’t told you why I’m here.”

“Oh.”

I didn’t know she had a reason for coming. I just thought she came to show off and gloat as always.

“I’m throwing a party tomorrow night, you know, to celebrate the start of summer. My friends from college are coming and you should come, too.”

A party?

I shake my head. “Kelly, you know I don’t like parties.”

Especially Kelly’s parties, which always get out of hand.

“Oh, come on.” Kelly holds my hand in both of hers. “Please? Just this one time. It will be fun, I promise.”

That’s what I’m afraid of.

“You know how to have fun, don’t you?”

I don’t answer.

“Wait. You’re not still a virgin, are you?”

“Kelly,” I scold, frowning as I see Chase coming out of the barn.

“All I’m saying is that you should loosen up a little.” Kelly tugs on my arm. “Come to my party. Drink. Meet my friends. Meet a cute guy who can put your panties in a twist.”

Chase snorts.

I narrow my eyes at him. What? Does he think he’s the only guy who can affect me? That I can’t be interested in anyone else but him?

“You know what?” I tell Kelly. “You’re right. I should go to your party and have some fun. It’s summer, after all.”

“Great!” Kelly gives me a hug. “I’ll see you tomorrow evening.”

“I’ll be there.”

“And oh…” She glances at Chase, who suddenly seems to be scowling, with a sly grin. “Feel free to bring Chase along.”