Luckily, he seemed to take her outburst in his stride, merely laughing it off with a shrug.
“No family, stashed here or anyplace else, I swear. I suppose you can say I’m a bit of a romantic. I believe there’s one perfect person for every person. A soulmate, if you will. I’ve just been waiting for that right person.”
Her gaze flitted over his’s mouth as he formed each perfect word. She envisioned herself leaning over and brushing her lips against his. What would he taste like? Would his lips be just as sweet as his words?
Hailey shivered a little at her own boldness. It had been so long since she’d been interested in having sex, let alone been willing to make the first move. It was wonderful to feel so in control of herself again.
A newfound confidence blossomed inside of her. Suddenly, she couldn’t see why she shouldn’t indulge herself—just this once. She wanted this, and that was all the reason she needed to go through with it.
Consequences be damned.
With that in mind, she followed through with what she’d been wanting to do since she first laid eyes on the man. Grabbing a fistful of flannel, she pulled him towards her and crushed his lips against her own. He faltered a little in his shock, but quickly recovered. Soon, he was pressing back against her mouth with equal passion.
Coyly, Hailey ran her tongue along the in-seam of his lips, delighted to discover he tasted exactly as she’d imagined. He really was sweet in every sense of the word.
Yet under the sweet exterior, Chase was all man. He quickly seized control of the kiss, smoothing his palms over her jawline as he guided her, and she yielded to his every delicious caress. His tongue explored her tenderly, then more dominantly, possessing her, claiming her, marking her as his own.
Hailey felt like a piece of driftwood being tossed around by the waves. Her grip on his shirt became her tether, her anchor. It was the only thing stopping her from floating away.
And yet, throughout the torrent of passion the kiss was unleashing within her, Hailey never once lost the confidence that had first emboldened her. It wasn’t like with Michael. She knew that if she asked Chase to let her take the reins, he would—no questions asked.
He’d never do anything to her she didn’t want. She couldn’t explain how she knew it. She just felt in the depths of her very soul. He would never hurt her.
Then Chase’s warm hands left her face to gently take her shoulder. Carefully, he eased her back from him, disentangling her fingers from his shirt. Fear and rejection flooded her. Oh, how could she have been so foolish? Of course someone like Chase could never be interested in someone likeher.He could have any woman he wanted, so why would he settle for her?
His light brown eyes locked with her own, and a shiver ran through her afresh. That wasn’t displeasure darkening his eyes, it was sheer desire. His words were husky as he searched her face.
“Are you sure?” he asked, words barely audible beneath their heavy breaths.
She didn’t even need to think about it.
“Yes,” she whispered.
Chase let out a low noise at her response—half-growl, half-guttural moan. His hands drifted from her shoulders down to her ass, and he drew her to him until she was half on top of him, straddling him. Hailey took advantage of the invitation, locking their lips once more.
A second later she broke the kiss again, letting out a tiny yelp as she found herself lifted into the air as Chase stood. His strong arms held her steady against him, keeping their bodies crushed together as he carried her. Recovering quickly, Hailey hooked her legs around his hips, hugging her thighs together as she wound her arms around his neck.
The position put her face in direct contact with his powerful neck, where she caught a mouth-watering whiff of his scent. Spicy and masculine. The combination made her head spin, and she couldn’t resist leaning in and tasting that smooth expanse of skin.
Chase’s breath caught as she touched her lips to his neck, leaving tiny marks in her wake. There was a sudden increase in tempo as he upped his walking speed, obviously eager to get her into the bedroom as quickly as possible. As they began ascending the stairs, the angle of their bodies shifted. Hailey thrilled at the feel this hardness pressed against her inner thigh. Teasingly, she shifted her lower body against his, reveling in the groan she got in response.
In that moment, she was greatly enjoying the power she held over him.
Hailey shivered as Chase ghosted his mouth over the shell of her ear. “You’re going to pay for this once we get upstairs,” he warned, his voice a low oath that sent heat pulsing through her very core.
“Promises, promises,” she replied, a wicked grin curling around the edges of her lips.
Chase crept quietly passed the spare bedroom, and even in her aroused state she marveled at the consideration of him, taking care not to wake her son.
She didn’t have to see where they were going to know he was guiding her to the last door on the left, knowing it contained his bedroom. It had been the only door that was closed the first time she came up here.
She heard the click of the door handle being turned, and the next second they were in his room. It was totally dark save for the moonlight peeking in through the windows, so dark that she couldn’t see more than an inch in front of her face. Luckily, Chase was clearly familiar with the layout of his bedroom and guided the two of them to his mattress with ease.
He tossed her down playfully onto the bed, and Hailey couldn’t help but giggle as she bounced. Hitching herself onto her elbows, she shifted backwards to make room for him, resting her head against the pillows. He instantly swooped down on her, stealing the laughter from her lips as he pressed his body down against hers, crushing her into the mattress. She could feel his grin against her lips as his hands found her wrists, stroking the sensitive skin he found there.
Her breath hitched as one of his legs squeezed in between her own. She could feel his warm thigh through the inseam of her jeans, pressed against where she was already wet and ready for him. Hailey let out a breathy moan, impatient. But it didn’t seem as though Chase was going to be through with her anytime soon.
After one more quick kiss, his mouth left hers once more. Instead, his lips traced to the left, running sensually along her jawline until he reached her pulse point. His tongue laved against the sensitive skin he found there, sending shivers through her.
