His mouth curved into a lazy grin. “Now that I know what makes you tick, you’re not that hard to read anymore.”
I didn’t know whether to feel relieved or offended. But Chase’s reassurance calmed my emotions before they whipped into a tempest. I sank back into the couch next to him and sighed.
He’s not my client. This is fine.
“Okay,” I said. “I’m not freaking out.”
He perked back up. “Cool, ‘cause we still have pizza to eat.”
I couldn’t withhold an amused snort as he leapt off the back of the couch and grabbed us some belated dinner. I was so exhausted and spent that I didn’t even care when I heard him toss the pizza slices in the microwave instead of heating up the oven.
Chase’s relaxed aura loosened the tension in my shoulders. Maybe it was okay to relax for once. And maybe it was okay to eat reheated pizza after being jacked off by a guy I liked.
After we ate and watched a movie on the couch in relative normalcy, fatigue hit both of us.
“Don’t forget my offer,” Chase reminded me.
That morning, he’d suggested I sleep in his bed instead of the couch. My selfish urge was to accept. Not because I thought his bed was more comfortable, but because it meant being closer to him. More intimate. I couldn’t believe that even after my release, I still wanted more. I was insatiable. Greedy.
“It feels unfair,” I said. “It’syourbed.”
Chase shrugged. “So? I’ve slept in bathtubs before. It’s no biggie.”
“Bathtubs?”
“College. You know how it is.”
“I don’t, actually. After high school, I studied under Professor Fairfax, then went straight to work.”
Chase paused. “Oh.” Then he grinned. “You didn’t miss much except sleeping in tubs.”
He didn’t let the argument drag on. He slumped his entire long body on the couch and nestled into the cushion. “I call dibs. Now youhaveto sleep in my bed.”
Warmth crept along my skin. It surprised me how much I was looking forward to it.
Chase poked his head up, frowning. “By the way, I’ve got a shift tomorrow. How’s that gonna work with the whole you-shadowing-me thing?”
I’d been so distracted with everything else that Chase’s job completely slipped my mind. He couldn’t exactly bring a stranger to work, but I couldn’t stay at his apartment all day either.
And frankly, I didn’t want to let him out of my sight.
A selfish part of me was irritated that Chase had to work during our week together. My own avarice shocked me. When did I get so possessive over Chase? I took a breath to relax.
After a moment, I said, “I have an idea.”
“Does it involve lying again?”
“Yes. But you don’t have to do anything.”
Chase scratched his head. “I didn’t do anything last time either, remember? That was Faust.”
The name made my eye twitch, but I calmed myself. Faust was gone. He wasn’t a problem anymore.
“I’ll handle it,” I reiterated. “Let’s get some rest.”
“Okay.” Chase hesitated like he wanted to say or do something, or perhaps wanted something from me. “Well, g’night.”
“Good night.”
