Rain battered the windows of the penthouse and thunder rumbled far out over the bay. Chase yawned and instinctively pulled Grace tighter against his body to keep her safe. He opened one eye and glanced around for the clock. The hour was early, but he was used to getting up by five every morning so falling back to sleep wasn’t going to happen. Especially with the naked woman at his side.

Memories of last night drifted through his mind as he carefully pulled himself free of Grace’s body and slipped to the edge of the bed. He wasn’t sure how many times she cried out his name—or vice versa, for that matter. For a woman with zero experience with men, she sure was learning quickly. Chase smirked, picturing her perfect lips closing around his tip again and again, teasing him into submission until he’d finally tackled her onto the bed to bury himself within her.

He padded barefoot to the closet for his pajama pants before walking to the kitchen to get a cup of coffee brewing. Last night, when he told her he wanted her forever, he hadn’t lied. Those weren’t the words he’d planned to say, but the second they slipped out, there was no stopping him from following through. Besides, the ring looked perfect on her finger. Tiffany had worn that ring once upon a time, but she’d scorned it constantly, always telling him it was too simple, too imperfect for someone of her status. Grace on the other hand… She cared more for the man who had given it to her. Her desire for Chase was there in her eyes every time he caught her looking.

He could not live without her. He never thought he could choose to trust another woman, but he was charging headlong into the future with Grace, willing to give her everything he was.

The coffee ready, he picked up his mug and moved to the windows, staring out over the bay as he watched the lightning strike the water in the distance. The city hadn’t woken up yet. The streets were only starting to get busy with morning traffic, and Chase watched from high up, feeling for the first time in a long time that he’d found exactly who he was meant to be and who he was meant to be with.

The steam from his mug warmed his face, but the two arms that slipped around his waist and pressed his body back into hers caused a burning.

“Morning,” Grace whispered into his back before she kissed it.

“Morning. You could sleep longer if you want,” he told her with a smug look. “I’m sure I wore you out last night.”

“Oh, and I didn’t wear you out?” she replied laughing.

“Didn’t say that. I’m a morning person.”

“One of those. Oh God, that’s it,” she teased, “we can’t be together.”

He chuckled and set his mug on the table nearby. He pulled her around so he could kiss her. He smiled in approval of his button-up shirt she wore, which reached her knees. Soft lips met his, and he sighed, hugging her close and lifting her off her feet until she squealed with laughter.

When he set her back down, he tucked her wild curls behind her ears and frowned. “I had plans for today, but the rain might’ve ruined them.”

“It’s just rain,” she said. “What were you thinking?”

“There’s a carnival downtown, the fall one. Starts today,” he told her. “But I don’t know… maybe you’re not fun enough for a carnival—ow!” He winced and laughed when she pinched him. “What the hell was that for?”

“Not fun enough for a carnival? I’m sorry, whose idea was it for strip Halo?”

He laughed and raised a brow. “Mine, actually.”

She opened her mouth but clamped it shut before waving his words away. “Yeah, well, I decided to play Halo, which led to the stripping, which led to… everything else,” she argued and marched towards the bedroom.

“Graceland, where are you going?” he asked and followed, wondering what she was up to now.

“Getting dressed!”

“For what? It’s barely seven. The carnival doesn’t open until noon,” he told her and ducked when a sweater flew out of the closet and nearly hit him in the face. “Graceland.”

“You know, you’re lucky I love you enough to let you call me that,” she said, poking her head around the door-frame to wink at him before ducking back in. Chase froze at her choice of words and cleared his throat, tugging at the coin around his neck.

Did she mean it? Last night, he’d basically proposed, but they hadn’t used the L-word, not yet. “Graceland, did you just say love?” he asked, hating the shakiness caused by nerves.

What if she’d been teasing? What if she had forgotten what he asked her last night? He pulled harder at the coin and nearly snapped the chain before she came back out, still in his shirt, with a genuine smile on her face, one that lit those dark brown eyes he continued to find more colors in every damn day.

“I said love,” she told him. “I didn’t want to believe it, told myself not to do it, but I can’t help it. Chase Valentine, the third, I think I’m in love with you.”

She barely got the last word out before he cupped her cheeks and kissed her, telling her without words he felt the exact same way. When they met, he knew she would be trouble, but he never imagined this. Wednesday night, his parents were coming over for dinner, and maybe then, he’d come clean and introduce them to the real Graceland Summers. She was his heartbeat, the air in his lungs, the very soul within his body. She was his everything, and there was no way to tell her that without making himself sound like a sap.

So he kissed her and held her, showing her the best he could through his touch that she was his and he would always be hers. He picked her up and carried her to the bathroom.

“Chase, we’re getting dressed,” she muttered, laughing when he nuzzled her neck in that one spot near her ear that made her squirm. “Chase!”

“Noon… We have until noon,” he growled. “Plenty of time to show you.”

“Show me what?” she asked breathless.

“Everything you do to me,” he promised and closed the door behind them. The water turned on, and he ripped the shirt from her body as she tugged at his pajama pants, both starving for the touch of the other.

They had spent all night in each other’s arms, but it would never be enough. She was intoxicating, fueling his desire and passion with each stroke of her hand across his skin and the way her tongue darted out to caress his lips. Chase lifted her up the second his pants were gone and set her on the bathroom counter. As their mouths dominated each other, he brought her hips to the edge of the counter and slowly pushed into her, pulling out and then back in again until he slid in easily. As one, their bodies trembled, and he picked her up, backing her into the door.

Every thrust brought him closer to Grace and erased any doubts he had of this being right. She was his home, and he’d be damned if he let her disappear from his life.

* * *

All her life, Grace had lived in Seattle and not once had she ever gone to the Fall Festival in the city. Part of her was sad she’d missed out on all this fun, but then she wouldn’t have been able to experience it for the first time with Chase by her side, her hand tucked around his arm as he guided her through the throng of people bustling around them.

“This is great! They have rides—can we go on those, too?” she asked, hoping he didn’t think she’d gone crazy. After the morning they had, she didn’t want to scare him off, but when she met his eyes, they glimmered with laughter.

“We can do whatever you want,” he said. “This is your day out. I’m just here to watch.”

“Sorry,” she said and tried to rein back her excitement until he stopped them, dead in the middle of the crowd, and picked her up so he could kiss her more easily.

“Don’t you ever apologize to me for being yourself, Graceland,” he told her sternly. “I know there’s a lot you haven’t told me yet, but I can tell you’ve had it rough. I also know that since you’ve been with me, things have changed and you’re happy now. So keep being happy.”

He kissed her again and set her back on her feet. Grace grinned and nodded. He was right. She’d been through enough shit in her life. She was walking arm in arm with a man she loved with not a care in the world. Laughing, she dragged him faster through the crowd to the rides and told him she hoped he didn’t get sick.

Three hours later, Grace carried two small stuffed penguins, had her face half-painted like a fairy, and was eating the rest of a funnel cake while Chase laughed, dusting powdered sugar from her nose.

“You’re going to ruin your glitter,” he teased.

She grinned at his face paint, done up to look like a devil, and shrugged. “Well, you’re not looking so scary anymore there, Loki. Think you sugared your mask a bit.”

He sighed and rolled up their trash, tossing it aside. “What am I going to do with you?”

“No idea, been asking myself that for years.” She sighed and leaned into him as they watched the crowd move by. She thought having sex with Chase and being able to talk to the man was the best part about him, but not until today did she realize how much fun was buried beneath that stiff, quiet exterior. If she ever met this Tiffany woman, she’d have to deck her for nearly ruining this man forever.

Wondering what time it was, she reached into her pocket for her cell. She swiped at her screen and frowned when she saw a message from Jimmy, time stamped the night before. She could have sworn she checked her cell before they left that morning, but maybe not. Chase asked her if everything was fine, and she nodded, glancing up at him, and then she froze, fighting to keep the carefree look on her face.

Mickey and three of his goons watched the crowd from the sidewalk just across the street. Grace didn’t think he’d spotted her yet and tried to slip behind Chase so they wouldn’t, but Mickey scratched his chin, lifting his jacket enough for her to see his revolver in his pants. There were cops everywhere, and she had no idea how he got it into the carnival, but she didn’t want to see him use it.

Chase might be great against unarmed men half his size, but she did not want him going up against a man with a gun.

“Grace? You sure you’re alright? You’re really pale,” he told her worried. “Grace?”

“Huh? Oh… no, I’m fine. Just too much sugar, I think,” she laughed. “Maybe we need something more substantial to eat.”

His eyes narrowed on her face and she waited for the barrage of questions, but he nodded and said they could get something there or head back to the penthouse.

“Penthouse,” she said quickly. “Definitely there. Yeah, I’m not feeling good at all.”

That, at least, wasn’t a lie. Her stomach twisted in painful knots as she tried to catch a glimpse of Mickey again, but he’d disappeared into the crowd, which was even worse. What the hell was that man doing there? He couldn’t be looking for her… Unless, of course, her mom had lied about the money. And in that case, she was late in paying him by one day, with money she didn’t even have yet.

How the hell am I going to ask him for the payment now without it looking bad? Her mind racing, Grace didn’t pay attention as Chase guided her back through the crowd to the main street.

They passed a trash can, and suddenly, she was leaning over it, getting sick. Chase rubbed her back and held her hair. She hated the worry in his voice for her. She was a liar, a horrible, rotten liar, and she was going to shatter his heart. No matter how she asked him for the money, it would sound bad. After all, that was what Tiffany had been after, and according to his mom, what any woman he ever dated wanted. Just his money.

You should’ve been honest from the start, she chided herself as she emptied her stomach. Should’ve told him the damn truth about your gambling mom and your drunken-ass dad and been done with it!

But it was too late for that now. She would have to find the right way to tell Chase or take care of it on her own. The back pay from Terrance wasn’t nearly enough, but there were always a few things she had left to sell. Maybe making a payment for the time being would keep Mickey off her back until she found the courage to tell Chase why she was trapped in Seattle. It terrified her to think the perfect life she’d found might be torn apart. Chase said he loved her, but she was going to test that big time.

“Grace? Can you make it to the car?” Chase asked her gently when she finally lost everything in her stomach.

“Yeah, think I can. Sorry about that.”

“No, it’s fine. Wonder if you’re coming down with something… maybe the food,” he muttered. They walked again, but when her legs trembled so badly she nearly fell, he cursed and picked her up in his arms.

“Chase, I can walk,” she argued and pushed against his chest, but he refused to put her down.

“It’s not that far,” he told her. “Just relax. We’ll get you back to the penthouse and tucked in bed.”

She wanted to tell him everything then, but fear strangled her and she swallowed the words. Her cell was still clutched in her hand and the message from Jimmy—she hadn’t even looked at it yet. He must’ve been trying to warn her last night that something was up, but she let herself get wrapped up in the idea of finally being free of her mom and all the baggage that went along with her. She should’ve known it couldn’t be that easy.

While hurrying back to the car, her eyes darted from one side of the street to the other, waiting for Mickey and his goons to come flying out of an alley and demand the money from her, maybe even hurt Chase to get it. If anything happened to him, she’d never be able to live with herself.

What do you think will happen when you do tell him? He’ll insist on dealing with Mickey himself.

And for all she knew, Mickey might be angry enough to start shooting kneecaps, or worse. No. No, Chase couldn’t know, not until there was no other option left to her.

Once they reached the limo and Chase let her get situated inside, she checked her cell and quickly covered her gasp with a cough. The picture had been from Jimmy, showing Mickey and his goons outside their apartment last night. Jimmy’s message was short: They’re watching for you.

Her mom hadn’t paid, and Mickey was going to come after them both.

* * *

Chase paced around the living room, wondering if he should check on Grace again. She fell asleep not too long after he brought her home and hadn’t woken up yet. She’d gotten sick so quickly, he worried she caught a bug from the carnival or something else. The wild idea that she was pregnant had soared through his mind, but he stopped it quickly. It was way too soon to even consider that.

Nonetheless, picturing Grace pregnant, her rounded belly holding his baby, filled him with joy. Too soon, far too soon. But at least that was the happy suspicion he continued to play with. The other one was much darker.

She was hiding something. During the ride home, her eyes never stopped moving, darting out the limo windows as if searching the sidewalk for someone, and her hand twitched constantly to her cell phone. She’d checked it at the carnival right before her mood switched and she was sick. If she hadn’t taken it into the bedroom with her, he’d sneak a peek at it to figure out what was going on. Whatever she kept to herself, she had to have a good reason. That’s what he told himself over and over while he continued to pace around the penthouse.

He was so caught up in thought he almost didn’t hear his cell go off and hurried to answer it.

“Mom, what’s going on?” he asked, worried something happened to her or his dad.

“Nothing, dear, we’re perfectly fine,” she said and muttered something to his dad nearby. “I just wanted to call and check in. Make sure dinner tomorrow night is still on the books.”

He rubbed his face and nodded. “Yeah, course it is. Grace is pretty excited about it, I think.”

His mom laughed. “And you’re not?”

“I didn’t say that. Just not sure what I’m cooking yet.” He walked to the kitchen and wondered if he should just have something brought up that night, but his parents always cooked their own meals, no matter how rich they were. His mom would whack him upside the head if he called in a catering service for their dinner. “How’s your week been?”

“Boring as always. We’re running out of things to do,” she muttered. “But you know, if I were planning a certain couple’s wedding, it would keep me so positively busy I wouldn’t have anything to complain about.”

Chase was ready to tell her there was something he wanted to tell tomorrow night, but the nagging, suspicious voice in his mind stopped him. He didn’t want to think Grace was another Tiffany, but the second he thought it, he couldn’t get his mind off of it.

“I’m sure we’ll talk about it more once you’re here,” he replied. “Grace has been mulling it over, I think.”

“Splendid! Oh, your father will be thrilled!”

“Thrilled about what?” Chase Senior grumbled loudly in the background. “Woman, will you stop harassing our son? He had enough of you this weekend.”

“He did not. No son can ever have enough of his mother,” she snapped back.

Chase grinned, listening to his parents banter back and forth while he dug through his freezer. That was the type of marriage he wanted, and he’d thought he would have it with Tiffany until she used him and dumped him. Grace was definitely different, but until he knew for sure what she was hiding, he would have to take it a little slower and tell his heart to stop getting ahead of itself.

“Honey, are you alright? You sound off,” his mom asked a few minutes later.

“No, I’m fine, just tired. We went to the carnival today. Grace is actually taking a nap,” he said and forced a laugh.

“Hmm, if you say so,” she muttered, and he knew she was onto him. “No second thoughts or cold feet?”

“For God’s sake, Margot, leave the man alone!”

“Alright, alright, I’ll back off, at least until tomorrow night,” she promised. “See you around six then, dear?”

“Perfect, see you both then,” he confirmed and hung up.

Chase leaned against the fridge, staring at his closed bedroom door. He’d give her another hour before waking her up to eat something. Maybe if he asked her honestly, she’d open up and tell him, but for some reason, he doubted it would be that easy. Nothing in his life was ever this easy.

He should’ve known better.

* * *

Grace crept away from the closed bedroom door after checking to be sure Chase wasn’t coming in and called Jimmy. “Come on, Jimmy, answer the phone, damn it!”

“Grace, thank God! I didn’t know if you got the message or not.”

“Are you okay? They didn’t come into the apartment, did they?” she asked quietly.

“No, not yet, just hanging around the place,” he told her. “Look, you need to lay low or get the hell out of the city. If he’s coming around, either your mom lied or she racked up a debt so large he’s done dealing with her.”

“I’ve been trying to get ahold of her,” she said frantically. “Jimmy, her number’s disconnected.”

He cursed quite colorfully. “You think she skipped town?”

Grace sank to the floor, holding her head. “I don’t know, but if she did, I’m screwed. What the hell am I supposed to do?”

“Get the money from Chase, hon. It’s all you can do.”

“No! I’m not dragging him into this,” she whispered, glancing at the door, but Chase didn’t come to check on her. “I can’t. What if Mickey hurts him?”

“What if he hurts you? Did you think of that? He’s a loan shark who works for the mob, Grace! I think you’re running out of options.”

Chewing her lip, she debated what to do—anything to keep Chase out of it. “Listen, I want you to go to my room and pry up the floorboard behind my nightstand.”

“Grace—”

“Just do it, alright? You’re going to find some mint condition, wrapped Elvis albums along with some other things I kept when Dad ran off and Mom did a massive clean out,” she told him. “Knew that shit would be worth something one day.”

There were muffled sounds in the background, Jimmy muttering and cursing as he pried up the board, then he told her he saw it all. “You want all of it to go? It won’t be enough.”

“I know,” she whispered. “I know, but if he’s coming after me for money, that’s all I have.”

“Grace, please, just tell Chase and get out of Seattle. He could take you anywhere you wanted to go.”

But Grace knew exactly what would happen if she disappeared. Mickey wasn’t just a loan shark. He worked for the Irish mob, and the last thing she wanted to do was piss them off any more than her mom had. “If I run, they’ll come after you, and then they’ll go after the theaters and anything else they know I’m connected to. You know how these guys work.”

Jimmy didn’t speak for a long time, and Grace knew he was picturing the same thing. Mickey would keep coming after her until he got his money, and if that meant breaking a few kneecaps or busting Jimmy’s face in, he’d do it so Grace got the message. One of the reasons her mom told her dad to get the hell out of their lives was because he’d messed around with the wrong guys and she was tired of cleaning up his bloodied face. And then she gambled away everything they had and got in bed with the same damn bastards. Except there was no one else for her to shove it onto except her daughter.

“Jimmy, just please, get the stuff together and sell it for me. I’ll swing by as soon as I can,” she said finally. “Please—and go stay with a friend or something. I don’t want to take the chance that he’ll come after you.”

“I’m not running from this guy.”

“He’s looking for me,” she reminded him. “Saw him at the carnival today, but I don’t think he saw me. But if he was looking for me there, then someone’s watching for me on the streets.”

“I’ll be fine. I can handle myself with that jackass,” Jimmy snapped. “Text me when you’re on your way over and we can get this sorted out.”

“I ever tell you I don’t deserve you as a friend?” she said, hoping he heard the apology in her words.

“Don’t get sentimental on me. This is what family does for each other—real family. Not those idiots who gave birth and tried to raise you.” He told her he’d see her in a few days and hung up, leaving Grace feeling worse than she did before.

It would work itself out. She would see that it did, and then she would tell Chase everything. For now, she’d put on a brave face and get through the rest of the evening acting like she just had experienced some food poisoning at the carnival. After the dinner with his parents, they’d be talking about their relationship again, and she’d say she had to get some things from her place, make sure she went alone, and she’d deal with Mickey.

After a quick trip to the bathroom to wash her face, the paint smeared from crying and stressing out over whether or not her mom would skip town on her, Grace sucked in a deep breath and left the bedroom. The lamps in the living area were on and she spotted Chase on the couch, reading a book with the TV on low.

“Hey,” she said, coughing to clear her hoarse voice.

“Hey, feeling better?” he asked and hurried to get up. “You still don’t look good. Maybe we should cancel dinner tomorrow night.”

“No, please don’t,” she said quickly. “Think it was just food poisoning. I feel better, honest.”

His clenched jaw and narrowed eyes said he didn’t believe her, but he let it go and asked if she wanted to eat anything. “I have some soup. You should try and get something down.”

“You don’t have to do this. I can take care of myself,” she insisted, but he gripped her shoulders and told her to sit down. “Chase, really.”

“No, sit down and let me make you something to eat,” he said sternly.

She didn’t want him to take care of her like a child, but the intense look told her she didn’t have a choice. She went to the couch to plop down. “Fine, see? I’m sitting down. Happy?”

“No, I’ll be happy when you feel better,” he said, and sucked in a breath as if he wanted to say something else but thought better of it and went into the kitchen.

Grace’s heart thundered behind her ribs. The way he continued to glance at her—and not in a smoldering hot, sexy way—told her she was in trouble. Had he overheard her talking to Jimmy? She swallowed hard and cracked her knuckles.

Just tell him now! Just do it!

Before she could get up the courage to tell the truth, her cell vibrated and she pulled it out quickly. Jimmy’s text said he’d spotted Mickey and his goons outside again and he’d keep her posted. Grace’s hands shook. This was ridiculous. Jimmy was right. All she had to do was tell Chase the truth and pray he believed her.

Except everything his mom told her about Tiffany rushed back, and she sagged against the cushions. Tiffany had used him for his money and kicked him to the curb. Those scars were still there and they ran deep, accompanied by bitterness and anger.

There was always the chance that what they both thought they felt in each other’s arms were simply lust and nothing more. It would break her heart to hurt him but even more to find out they couldn’t last through her telling him the truth. Her resolve strengthened, she told herself this was the only way to keep him safe and protect the love between them. In her eyes, it was just as fragile as it was strong. No man managed to stay in her life, besides Jimmy, but she hoped Chase was different.

She guessed, in a few days, she’d find out.