Angered that I let him get to me, I pulled him away from the stairs and toward my car. Standing on the driver’s side, I seethed, peering my eyes down at the passenger’s side where he stood. “Get in,” I commanded.
Without hesitation, he did so. Needing more than a minute to gather my thoughts,I started the car and began driving toward my house before I said anything. It took him just as long to realize I wasn’t taking him home for him to speak up as well. “Why are we going here?” he asked as I pulled down my road.
Not wanting anything to do with his piss poor attitude, I simply said, “Katie.” And that was enough to light a small smile on his face and let him tolerate being withina few inches of my existence.
Katie was already jumping around by the front door as we made our way toward it. “Hey, pup,” I said as I opened my arms to her. Much to my surprise, she ran right past me, jumping right into Chase’s arms. A devastatingly smug and beautiful smile pulled on the corners of Chase’s lush lips, making me want nothing more than to feel their fullness wrapped around my dick.“It’s nice to see you, too,” I joked, walking past the pair of them, Katie wagging her tail like a maniac.
Chase walked to the sliding glass doors and let Katie out to torment the squirrels while I dropped my bag next to the side table. As I stood there, sorting through the mail, I watched him walk around my kitchen, opening the fridge and pulling out a bottle of water. Unwilling to bite my tongueany longer, I said, “You’re a piece of work. You know that?”
He looked genuinely shocked at my words. “How’s that?” After putting down the bottle, he rested his ass against the counter, crossing his arms, waiting for my response.
My fingers itched to touch him, but my brain raced with all the words I needed to get out. “You walk in here, at home as all hell, but I can’t take you and your brotherout for a burger, to celebrate something pretty impressive, no less, without you flipping out on me.” Mirroring his stance, I rested my hip against the island countertop. Since the walkway between the counter and the island was fairly narrow, there wasn’t much space between us. Heat radiated from his body, but I refused to give into my desire for him until he offered me some kind of explanation.
He clearly didn’t have the same issue because, before I could stop it from happening, my face was in his hands, his lips crashing into mine. This was different, the feel of his touch, the pace of his kiss. Feverish. Needy. And confusing as all hell.
Pushing him back, I held him at arm’s length. “I don’t get you.”
His breathing was ragged, his chest heaving with each inhale. “Neither do I sometimes,”he admitted, his words broken and pained. His eyes begged me to accept what he was saying at face value. He was hurt. That much was clear.
“Come here,” I said, letting go of whatever frustration I felt moments ago. It only took half a step to close the gap between us, but in that distance, I knew I was doing something significant. He leaned into my palm as it moved against his stubbled cheek.“Just forget about it,” I told him. “Whatever it is that’s fogging up your head, just forget about it for right now.”
As if all he needed was my permission, he eased into my touch even more, letting his chest press against mine. And his raw, ragged, deep sigh was all the permission I needed to know it was time to take care of him.
