“It’s really none of my business.” She raised her chin and looked away.
“No, it’s not. But for the record, I haven’t been with another woman since you.” That startled her into staring at him. Knowing he meant it gave her a warm, happy feeling. Which was totally inappropriate.
“Hell, I haven’t even thought about another woman since being with you.”
He looked and sounded irritated. And determined. “Chase—”
“I tried. You know that. I’ve dated. And I’ve come home every time alone. Naomi, the woman I was with the other night, took me to her hotel room. But I left. There was no point to it. I don’t even want to kiss another woman, much less take one to bed. Because I don’t want them. I want you, Ella. I can’t stop remembering that night. And neither can you.”
He stood really close to her, looking down at her. Focused on her mouth.
Hell, answer him! Tell him no, you don’t think about it at all. Not even a little bit.But she couldn’t get a word out. She could only stare at him and remember. His mouth on hers and how soft it was. His hands, rough, working hands, but so gentle on her skin. How he’d caressed every inch of her body with those lips and hands, leaving liquid fire in their wake.
His mouth came down on hers—hot, hard and devastating. Instead of pushing him away, she kissed him back. Wrapped herself around him, reveling in the feel of that strong, muscled chest pressed up against hers. He boosted her up to sit on the desk. Her legs opened as he stepped between them.
His hands streaked up under her shirt, squeezing her breasts through the fabric of her bra. She groaned and he kissed her neck and murmured, “God.”
Her hands went to his belt buckle, undoing it and unbuttoning his jeans. Chase gave strangled groan and pulled back to look at her. “We can’t do this.”
She closed her eyes. He was right but now, with her body on fire and aching for his touch, she didn’t care. “Why?” she asked, her voice husky.
“You know why.” He removed his hands from beneath her shirt and took a step back. Rebuttoned his jeans and buckled his belt. Turned with his back to her and said, “I’ll be going back to the rodeo in a few days.”
“I know.”
“I’m sorry,” he said. “I shouldn’t have done that.”
“It’s as much my fault as yours.”
He turned back around, stepped forward and cupped her cheek. “I really want to say to hell with it and make love to you. Over and over and over. Until I’ve had my fill of you, but I don’t think I ever will. Damn it, Ella, why do you have to be so unforgettable?”
She couldn’t help smiling. “You say that like it’s a bad thing.”
“It is.” He rubbed his thumb over her mouth and her stomach clenched. “I shouldn’t have pushed it when I know there’s no point. I don’t want to hurt you. Even if you decide to take a chance on us, I’m not a good bet. I’ve only had a few relationships that lasted longer than a couple of months.” He paused and added, “Make that two relationships.”
At least he was honest about it. Her two sides warred with each other. On the one hand, fear of being hurt. And, she realized, if she and Chase got together and things blew up, it was going to hurt even worse than it had with Phil. Not to mention what would happen with her job—a job she loved. But not even trying when there was so much to explore between them made her an emotional chicken, afraid to go after what she wanted.
“I’m no prize either,” she said. “The relationship I had that did last was the biggest mistake I ever made. And I made it twice.”
“With a rodeo cowboy. So now you can’t trust me. And if we don’t have trust we have nothing.”
“I want to trust you. I really do.”
“But not enough to take a chance.”
She didn’t answer. Because that wasn’t the only problem. She and Phil had broken up because the rodeo was more important to him than she was. And she didn’t want to deal with that again.
“That’s what I thought,” he said and walked out the door.
*
Chase had thoughtGabe might be nervous the day of his wedding, but he wasn’t. Then he discovered that was just an act when Gabe freaked out about the ring being lost until Marshall reminded him he’d already given it to him. All three of Gabe’s brothers were standing up for him but he’d had to pick one to take care of the ring. He made them draw straws for it since he was close to all three. Marshall had won.
The ceremony itself was immediate family only, held in the Harwood Inn library. But with everyone from both families, plus honorary family, that involved a decent amount of people. Once the couple started inviting their friends they’d have had a hard time paring down the list for the wedding ceremony, so everyone else was invited to the reception.
Damaris and Chantel’s sister Angel stood up with her. Chase knew absolutely nothing about wedding gowns and not much about women’s clothes but a blind man couldn’t look at Chantel that day and not realize she was gorgeous. Her dress was white and off one shoulder, and it fit basically to the floor but with a split to her knee and simple ruffles on either side of the opening. Damaris said it was elegant and he couldn’t argue with that.
It wasn’t a long ceremony. Not surprising since Gabe could only sit still for so long unless he was dreaming up some piece of art. Still, Chase found his thoughts drifting to a certain blonde who was going to be at the reception. He’d had to talk her into coming; she’d said someone needed to be at the ranch but Marshall had asked one of their trusted hands to take over until they returned. He had their phone numbers in case of any type of emergency. He thought Damaris might have had a hand in convincing Ella too.
Unsurprised he saw Damaris dabbing at her eyes. Damaris acted tough but she had a soft heart. Jedidiah didn’t cry but she looked happy for Gabe. Not for the first time, he wondered what had made her leave home so young and apparently so finally. He didn’t think family had anything to do with it. She stayed in contact with everyone and made occasional visits to see their parents. But she didn’t like coming back to Whiskey River.
He watched Gabe and Chantel exchange vows. He’d never thought of himself as sentimental but watching the two of them, knowing how much in love they were and what they’d gone through to get where they were now, made him choke up. Not that he’d let any of his brothers know that.
“I now pronounce that you are husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride,” the minister said.
Everyone clapped as they kissed. And kissed. When they broke apart he thought he’d never seen Gabe as purely happy as he was at that moment.
He’d always been content with his life. Content with not having a serious relationship. But lately he’d started wondering what it would be like to have someone to come home to. Someone to share his life with.
Could he have what Gabe and Chantel had some day?
