Chapter Twenty
Chase
She was mine, and I was hers.
No matter what anyone thought, no matter what people like my father and Amanda said, we belonged together, and we could be happy. Nowadays, no one gave a damn what someone’s parents did for a living. I certainly didn’t.
Neither did Taylor.
My mouth moved over hers, and I backed her against the wall, impatient to kiss away whatever was bothering her. She might not be ready to open up to me yet, but I wasn’t an idiot. Something was bothering her. If she couldn’t tell me what it was, then I’d have to do my best to distract her from it until she could.
When she was ready to tell me…
She would.
Taylor clung to my shirt, letting out a small whimper, and I lifted her up so she could wrap her legs around my waist. She wore a dress and no tights, despite the chilly fall day we’d had, so there was nothing in my way except her panties.
My tongue touched hers, and she groaned, moving against me restlessly. Her fingers fumbled with my belt, and she undid it. Then she slipped her fingers inside my left pocket for the condom she knew I always kept there, shoving it at my chest.
Breaking the kiss off, breathing heavily, she demanded, “I need you.”
I nodded.
If my girl wanted it fast and hard, she’d get it fast and hard. Anything she wanted was hers, and she knew it. As I let my pants hit the floor and rolled the condom over my cock, she shimmied out of her pink panties. I don’t know how she managed to make something so simple look so goddamn sexy, but she did it.
Each and every time.
She rested against the wall, watching me with glowing blue eyes and messy hair. Her lips were already swollen from my kisses, and I couldn’t look away. Couldn’t believe this woman, this motherfucking angel, was actually mine. I dropped to my knees in front of her, slowly sliding my hands up her thighs and under her dress.
Dropping her head back against the wall, she let out a ragged moan that made my cock ache even more to be inside her. She was so pretty. So sweet. So mine.
I spread her thighs and slid closer, burying my face between her legs and running my tongue over her sweet core. She cried out and held on to my hair, throwing a leg over my shoulder to allow me better access. I licked her, scraped my teeth over her, and drove her higher and higher with my mouth until she came, my name on her lips like a prayer.
Right where it belonged.
Body tight, I stood, lifted her up, and growled, “Hold on tight.”
She did as ordered.
I lost myself in her body. Her touch. Her skin. Every movement, every kiss, was like a promise from me to her, an unsigned love letter, and I could only hope she was receiving the message I was sending. I whispered her name and sweet words that I didn’t even really pay attention to as I desperately tried to bring her over the edge with me again.
When she came, I was right there with her, flying like I’d never flown before. I collapsed against her, cradling her in my arms as I rested my forehead on the wall. “Holy shit,” I breathed.
She nodded, hugging me tighter. “Agreed,” she said, her voice cracking.
I pulled back, looking at her in surprise. Was she…? I touched her cheek, and my fingers came back wet. “You’re crying.”
“I know.” Sniffing, she wiped her hand across her cheek, avoiding my eyes. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be sorry.” I switched position, cradling her in my arms after pulling out of her. Swallowing hard, I hugged her closer protectively. “Did I…was I too rough?”
That made her start sobbing again.
Jesus, what had I done to her?
“I’m so sorry, Taylor. I—”
She shook her head, touching my face. “Don’t. It wasn’t you, or anything you did. You didn’t hurt me,” she said through sobs, tears still running down her face.
I hadn’t seen Taylor cry like this since she was ten and fell off her bike. It had broken. She hadn’t cried because she’d been hurt, she’d cried because her parents had just bought it for her that day and she’d ruined it.
I’d gotten her a new one and hadn’t told my father.
“What’s wrong?” I asked, my heart squeezing tight.
Seeing her cry was more painful than anything.
“Did you mean it?” she asked slowly, resting her hand over my heart.
Confused, I blinked. “Did I mean what?”
“You…” She licked her lips, looking up at me with soft blue eyes shining with tears. “You said you love me.”
Shit, had I said that?
I mean, it had been in the heat of the moment, I guess, and things slipped out when you were there, but I hadn’t meant to tell her I loved her. Not because it wasn’t true, but because it was too soon, and I didn’t really realize that I felt that way about her. But now that I’d said it…there was no denying I did.
I wasn’t going to fucking lie and deny it.
That’s not the kind of man I was.
“I meant it,” I admitted, setting her on her feet. “I didn’t realize I said it, and wasn’t necessarily planning on it, but yeah, I love you. I love everything about you, Tay. Your hair, your smile, your heart…” I stopped talking before I started babbling on like a damn poet about all the reasons why I loved her.
She covered her mouth staring at me, saying nothing.
Not much to go on.
“You don’t have to say it back,” I said into the silence. I never should have opened my damn mouth. She wasn’t ready. She didn’t love me. Probably never would. Why would she? I was nothing more than an almost murderer trying to make up for his sins. “We can just pretend it never happened and go on like before—”
“I don’t want to,” she said, shaking her head.
My heart tore in half inside my chest. I forced myself to stand still even though I wanted to stagger back like I’d received a blow. It hurt that damn much. This was it.
I’d lost her.
“All right,” I croaked, fisting my hands at my sides. Now she would go. When she did, I could let myself fall apart, but not a damn second before. “We won’t.”
“I…” She took a step toward me. “You love me.”
I nodded once, sharply. “Yes.”
“Like, really love me.”
Jesus, did she want me to write it on a medal for her before she left? “Yes, I really love you. Taylor—”
“I love you, too,” she blurted out, nervously playing with her hands in front of her stomach.
I froze. “What?”
“I love you, too, Chase.” She bit her lip. “I know you didn’t mean to say it, but you did, so I’m saying it, too.”
Still, I didn’t move. She loved me. Me. Chase Maxwell.
“Chase?” she asked nervously.
I snapped out of it. “Yeah?”
“Say something.” She pressed a hand to her stomach. “Anything.”
“I love you,” I said softly, freely.
She smiled, tears still shining in her eyes, her hair all frizzed out and messy, her lips swollen from my kisses, her cheeks flushed from the pleasure I’d given her moments before. It was the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen. She was the most beautiful thing that I’d ever seen. “I love you, too.”
Grinning, I ran toward her, picked her up, and kissed her. I’d thought I knew what happiness was when she agreed to start dating me.
It was nothing compared to this.
To her loving me.
When I pulled back, she laughed and cupped my cheeks. “Holy shit.”
“I know,” I agreed.
We’d said it. It was official.
From here on out, I was hers, and nothing would change that. I’d never once told another person I loved them besides Joey, when I’d gone to his grave.
He hadn’t been able to say it back.
My father certainly never said the words, and more than likely didn’t feel them, either. My mother had died when I was less than a year old, so even if she’d said the words to me, I didn’t remember it or her, so they didn’t count. Amanda had said the words to me, sure, but only after we split, and I didn’t feel the same for her, so they were easily dismissed. But Taylor…I loved her, and she loved me, too.
I would do everything in my power to treat her right, to make her happy, to ensure she never wanted to leave me. I’d never had anyone’s love like this before, and I wasn’t sure how you went about keeping it once you got it, but I’d do my damnedest to try.