7
Chase feltthe exact moment Larke let her guard down. One minute she was laughing, the next she was leaning over until finally, her head came to rest on his shoulder. In that moment it felt as if he was eleven all over again with Larke invading his personal space as they fell asleep together.
The only difference was, this time his body was reacting. His cock twitching, gearing up for her touch. He wanted to draw her into his arms, real tight and… And nothing. Chase ran his hand over his jaw. As much as he wanted to be close to Larke, he knew none of that was going to happen. She’d already made it clear that she’d never slept with a man. Deep down he wondered if she’d told it to him as some kind of warning to keep his dirty thoughts in check.
“It was good, wasn’t it?” she asked, raising her head from his shoulder.
What was good? Chase searched his mind for a clue to what she was talking about. Oh. He was supposed to have been focused on the movie and not her. “It was interesting. Can’t say too much about the ending, though.”
Her lips spread into a crooked smile. Almost like she knew his secret––that he’d spent the majority of time sneaking glances at her instead of watching the movie. Her gaze suddenly switched to the clock on the living room wall. He followed it, taking note that the time was nearing ten-thirty.
Larke stared at him. She nibbled her bottom lip then brought her attention back to the clock. Figuring he’d worn out his welcome, Chase racked his brain for the right thing to say. He opened his mouth but was unable to stifle the yawn that snuck out in place of the words he meant to use. Tiredness from driving so many hours home, freshening up then rushing across town to see the girl he couldn’t stop thinking about hit him like a blow.
“Chase?”
“Hmm.”
“You’re very tired, aren’t you?”
Yep. Very.He straightened to his feet. “A little. I actually wanted to thank you for the food and everything before I head out.”
Her brows furrowed although she was no longer watching the clock. “You’ve been driving pretty much all day to get home.” Her eyes appeared darker, worried. But why? He was leaving.
She continued. “I don’t think watching the movie was such a good idea. Now you have another half an hour to Lee’s Fortress. I’m not suggesting anything. Okay, I am. The thing is, I don’t think it’s the safest idea for you to drive home right now. I’d hate for something to happen. If anything were to happen, it would be because you came here to see me.”
Every nerve cell inside his body stood on edge. So that explained her nervous glances at the clock. She was worried about him. Larke––ablackfemale who knew about his twisted beliefs had no problem showing concern for him. Staggered by the revelation, Chase felt his chest tighten.
“What are you suggesting?” he asked, his tone rougher than intended because of the lump inside his throat.
“That you spend the night here.” She smiled. “To show you what a nice person I am, I’ll even let you sleep on my bed. I can take the couch because, well… She waved her hand in the air, gesturing toward his body. “You’re like a mountain.”
Hewasmuch bigger than her at around six feet three inches and well over two hundred pounds of solid muscle from lifting iron in his ‘spare time’ as Larke would’ve called it.
The lump in his throat felt bigger. He didn’t deserve her concern or that look in her eyes. The tenderness. He didn’t deserve a lick of it at all.
“That’s real nice of you, Larke. Means a lot, to be honest, but I can’t stay.”
Her eyes searched his own, staring so deep Chase wondered if she could see everything he tried to hide. Once again, the all-consuming need to take her into his arms took a hold of him. He wanted to hold her close, inhale her scent–flowers and sweetness–then bury himself so deep inside her lush body. Why? For no other reason than it feltright. Like being near this woman was the only thing good and worthy in his life.
She pressed her hand to his chest. His breath stopped. All the muscles inside of him went still. “Larke?” Chase covered her hand with his. “What’s going on here, angel? Why are you being so sweet to me?”
“I don’t know,” she whispered, gazing up at him with eyes big and full of promises. “I’m just treating you normal. How you should be treated. The way I’d want to be treated. You tell me you can’t stay, but I don’t want you to go. Not yet. And it’s not only because I’m worried about you.”
Before he had a chance to speak, she lowered her hand and beckoned, “Come here.”
In a daze, Chase followed behind her. They rounded a corner and entered her bedroom. In the middle of the room was a queen-sized bed, complete with a colorful, eye-gouging floral comforter. A notebook and pen rested on her bedside table.
“I wanted to show you where the room is.” She gave him a mischievous grin. “Since, you know, we’ve decided you’re staying and all.”
Chase looked at her and was unable to contain the smile on his lips. They both knew he hadn’t decided a damn thing. This was her sly way of giving him an order.
“I agreed?”
She flickered her tongue across her lip and nodded. Mesmerized by the subtle yet erotic action, Chase lowered his head, ignoring the siren blaring inside his mind, warning him to back away. Larke must have sensed his intention-his need, because she raised her head at the same time.
Moaning softly, she parted her lips, allowing him to slip inside, exploring the taste of her mouth. Larke curled her fingers around his arm, mewling in the back of her throat.
The kiss broke as they both came up for air. Inside his chest, his heart pounded like the beating of a sledgehammer, vibrating throughout his entire body. Swallowing hard, Chase staggered backward, holding Larke at arm’s length. It was the only thing he could do to prevent himself from throwing her across her neatly-made bed, spreading her thighs and sliding into her in one swift thrust.
