Page 50 of Hard to Lose

That person with a shared experience who gets me wholly and completely . . . and still wants a life with me?

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Gunner

It was a great night.

Unexpectedly busy and the money in the till reflects it.

And I might just be tired enough to get a good night’s sleep. That is if I can get Chase out of my head.

She showed up. She showed up and shot the shit with Nix and laughed with the regulars. She didn’t freak out that my time was spent more often than not on my customers.

That’s a rarity.

When the door to the bar opens, I cringe, realizing I forgot to turn the lock after Aubrey left.

“Sorry. We’re closed . . . Chase?” I ask when I look up to find her standing in the doorway with a coy smile on her lips.

“I can leave if you’re closed,” she says and hooks a thumb over her shoulder.

“Don’t you dare even think about it,” I say as I come out from behind the bar, suddenly nowhere near as tired as I was a few seconds ago. I head straight for her, turn the key in the lock myself, before turning to look at her. “Did anyone ever tell you it isn’t safe to go to bars at two in the morning?”

I itch to reach out and touch her. To see if that crackle of tension sparks when I do.

“I wasn’t aware that Destiny Falls has a rampant crime problem that I need to be worried about,” she says as her eyes dart down to look at my lips before meeting mine again.

“It doesn’t.”

“Then there’s no need to be worried.”

“True.” I reach out and tuck a piece of hair behind her ear. The hitch of her breath tells me she’s fighting the same need I am. The same craving. “What are you doing here?” Fuck, I am so damn glad that she is.

“I told myself that I needed to stay away from you.” Her voice is barely a whisper.

“Why would you do a crazy thing like that?” I place my hands on either side of her neck so she’s forced to look up at me.

“Because I can’t stop thinking about you.”

The pressure that had suddenly built in my chest eases. I offer a soft smile. “That makes two of us.”

“What I’m trying to say is that this isn’t normal for me. Coming back here after I already saw you tonight simply because I can’t stop thinking about you.” She gives a shake of her head as if she’s frustrated. As if, even she doesn’t understand why she’s feeling how she feels. “I typically don’t want people. I want the sex and pleasure they give but am not a big fan of doing more than the cursory time with the people who help provide it. Is that cold? Yes. Do I own it? Always.”

“Your honesty is becoming.” And rare. The woman is fucking incredible. Does she know that? See that? Does she have any idea that she is knocking me on my ass just as surprisingly too?

It’s sudden and unexpected, but Christ, does it feel so fucking good that I’ve tried not to question or label or anything it. We’re just in the beginning of whatever this is and she’s already made it known our time is finite . . . so is it so bad to enjoy it while I can? To live in the moment as I’ve deemed life should be lived? To take the pleasure even though I know the loss will come at some point?

She reaches out and fists a hand in the hem of my shirt and pulls me toward her. “I didn’t want to wait until tomorrow to see you, Gunner,” she whispers.

“It is tomorrow,” I tease, drawing a smile from her.

“Then see? I waited. Now I don’t look so desperate.”

“If this—you—are what desperation looks like, then please don’t change a fucking thing.”

Desire fires in her eyes as she darts her tongue out to wet her lips. “Good to know.”

When she leans forward to kiss me and act on that desire, it takes everything I have to dodge it.