Page 55 of Asystole

Logan

“Ican’t believe I let you talk me into this,” I complain again, yelling loudly enough that Chase can hear me through his wall. “And I’m not wearing a tie!” I add, simply because I’m feeling insufferable, even though I’m tying the damn thing as I speak.

A second later, Chase is taking up my entire open doorway. I notice when he moves into the space because his gigantic body blocks out the soft light emanating from my new lamps in the living room. Well, that, and the air changes a little; his scent and masculinity bringing an energy that wasn’t there before.

“You said you’d come,” Chase says in an irritated tone. “There’s a dress code. Put on the damn tie.”

It’s been a long week.

For both of us.

“Hey,” I say, my tone much softer as I wave the end of the tie at him. “I was kidding. See?”

Thankfully, this marks the end of my on-week. And Chase only manages to get a day off here and there. He’s been working a lot recently, but I didn’t think he was this sleep-deprived. The attitude coming from him is far from his affable nature.

“Fuck. Sorry,” he mumbles.

The apology in his voice, more than his words, makes me turn my head to look at him properly.

“Maybe we should sk⁠—”

The rest of my words get lodged in my throat, along with my breath.

Wow.

Chase is hot in scrubs.

But Chase in a suit and tie? My balls are growing heavier by the second.

He’s a quiet kind of sexy. Unassuming and confident. It isn’t until you’re already under his spell that you become aware of it. And if I’m not extremely careful, I could easily be convinced to not be aware of it and just see where it takes me.

His broad shoulders fill out his black dress shirt, causing it to strain across his chest as his emerald-green tie hangs in the space between the muscles. The rich color invites one to feast on him: the muscular planes of his pecs, his tapered waist, flat stomach, and the eyes that match his tie. Chase’s hands are in his pockets as he casually leans against the door frame.

“It’s alright, then? My outfit?” he asks in a tone of insecurity so unlike him, looking down.

Licking my lips because they’ve suddenly gone dry, I nod.

“It’s quite s-sufficient,” I stammer before pulling myself together. “But if your goal is not to have to beat Sarah off of you with a broom, I would consider changing.”

Chase gives me a lopsided smile that is sexier than I think he intends it to be, but there’s also definitely a sadness behind it that I haven’t seen before.

“Everything okay? You seem a little…off.”

He sighs and crosses the room to sit on my bed while I resume the fight with my tie to lay right.

“Just had another argument with Kendra. It’s like she’s looking for reasons to pick a fight with me. I mean, I’m not stupid. I know the distance is hard. Hell, it weighs on us both, but if she wants to end things, I wish she’d just do it instead of dragging it out. But she’s adamant that we’re just going through a rough patch, and she doesn’t want to break up.”

I can tell Chase is really torn up over this because he’s spewing words the way he does when he’s so exhausted his filter is gone.

“What was the reason for the argument this time?” I ask, making eye contact with him in the mirror as I start over on my tie for the fortieth time.

Chase pushes off the bed and turns me by the shoulders to face him, his large hands moving mine out of the way so he can take over.

Whatever cologne he’s wearing has my dick stirring in my slacks, which will make for an agonizingly long night.

When we stand like this, I’m eye level with his mouth, and if I drop my gaze a fraction, I can see his pulse thrumming in the hollow at the base of his throat.

His minty breath coasts across my cheek as he continues talking directly in front of me.