He grins. “Because I would’ve been talking about a whole lot more than your fucking teeth.”
I snort, pulling my arm away. A rush of relief exits my body. How natural was his transformationfrom an attentive listener, which is what I needed, to a borderline jerk. Somehow, I’m extremely grateful for that.
“My fucking teeth? Or fucking my teeth?” I ask, making him laugh. “Your response will really dictate how the next few weeks go.”
He continues to chuckle and heads down the hallway. He motions for me to follow.
I watch his back flex as he heads to the stairs in front of me. The muscles are glorious—enough to make me pant. But now I know for certain that Chase Marshall has a sweet layer inside. And I think that might be even better.
We get to the top of the stairs, and he stops. He speaks but catches himself before shaking his head.
“What?” I ask.
He sighs. “We gotta go to bed, Megan. We made a deal.”
That we did.
I take a long, deep breath and commit his scent to memory. “Night, Chase.”
“Night, Megan.”
I head to my bedroom and don’t look back.
CHAPTER 16
Chase
Boom!
“Damn these roads,” I grumble, stabilizing the truck as it recovers from a direct hit to a pothole.
I circle my right shoulder and wince as a blast of pain shoots down my back and across my neck.
The sky glows half orange and half a deep, inky black. Work was long and hard. I wondered all day if time was slower than usual or I was just anxious to go home.
BecauseI amanxious to get home. It’s pointless to pretend I’m not.
I’ve been on edge all day, and it’s pissed me off. I was short with the crew. I nearly got fired for telling the superintendent he was a dipshit—even though it’s true—and when Luke texted me that he thought Alyssa might be pregnant, I had less sympathy than the situation required.
Because sympathywasneeded. Neither are ready to be parents.
I regrip the steering wheel and ignore the new blast of pain shooting down my back.
My phone rings as I pass Cotton’s. When I see it’s Gavin, I answer.Thank God it’s not Luke.
“Hey,” I say.
“What’s up, lover boy?”
“Gavin, this isn’t the day, and now isn’t the time.”
“Sounds like you’ve had a bad day.”
I roll my eyes and turn up the volume on the speakers. “Have you talked to Luke today?”
“Yes, and that dumb motherfucker thinks he knocked up Alyssa.” He pauses. “I’m assuming he told you that.”
“He did.”
