An Indecent Proposal(59)

My body wanted him and only him.





Chapter 20





I woke to the soft scent of waffles and coffee wafting over from the kitchen. Groaning, I shielded my eyes against the early morning sun. A look at my watch showed it was past 9 a.m. and from the sounds carrying over from the kitchen, Chase was long awake. I jumped out of the bed and then opened the door to secretly make my way down the hall, past the open plan kitchen, to the bathroom, where I had left my clothes the previous night, when Chase spied me.

“Hey, sleepyhead.” He smiled and offered me a red coffee mug with the inscription “Boss.”

My heart skipped a beat at his sight. His torso was naked, with hard muscles beneath taut bronze skin and the happy trail I had accidentally touched last night on full display.

“I hope you don’t mind,” Chase said, pointing to his chest as if sensing my thoughts. “It’s been too hot in here. Probably the hottest day in California.” An amused brow shot up as his gaze traveled from my face to my chest and legs, and then back up again.

A blush covered my cheek as I realized he was talking about the things we did the previous night. My clit twitched at the memory and a soft tug gathered between my legs. Even though his exploring fingers had granted me enough pleasure to last me a lifetime, something inside me asked for a different kind of release.

After Chase had left in the middle of the night, I had stared at the ceiling for hours, my mind going over and over the sensation of his lips on mine, the way he touched me, and the unnatural wetness between my legs. Seeing him standing half-naked in front of me, I could feel myself going wet again.

“Coffee?” Chase asked.

“Please.”

He turned his back to me as he filled two cups of steaming black coffee. Sunlight streamed through the windows, emphasizing his strong muscles and taut skin. My eyes scanned his sexy body hungrily and came to rest on his tattoo: a black snake covering half of the left side of his back, its mouth agape. Its tail almost reached all the way around his waist, as if to protect him or maybe to attack.

Chase turned back to me and handed me a cup with steaming black coffee—just the way I like it.

“Thanks.” To hide the guilty look on my face, I took a tentative sip and managed to burn my tongue. “How do you know I like my coffee black?” I asked.

He shrugged. “Just a guess. But if you want sugar and cream, I have some.”

“I’m fine.” I took another sip of my coffee and eyed the two plates with blueberry waffles. “That looks great.”

“I made us breakfast.” He placed the plates on the table and sat down. “Be my guest.”

Realizing how hungry I was, I took a bite and nodded, impressed. “They’re really good.” I took another bite as my gaze trailed back to his tattoo.

“Did you sleep well?” Chase asked and took a mouthful of his waffles.

“Great, actually. Your bed is pure heaven.” It was the truth. His bed was heavenly, but I knew something else had helped me sleep.

I remembered the waves of ecstasy tearing through my abdomen, and the thought drove a pang of heat through my cheeks.

“You’re welcome to stay as long as you want,” Chase repeated the same words as the night before. Either he really wanted me around or he was just being friendly. As much as I wished I could stay, life was calling. In the darkness of the night, I had been scared and alone. In the safety of the daylight, however, last night’s demons were long gone and the whole paparazzo incident felt like a distant memory. I had to get back to my routine, not least because I was beginning to enjoy my time with Chase a little too much.

Guard your heart.

“I have to go. Jude’s probably worried about me.” At his surprised glance, I added weakly, “This is the first time I ever stayed away for the night.”

“I’m not so sure about that.”

I frowned. “It’s the truth. I never spent the night with anyone before.”

“That’s not what I meant, Laurie.” He smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “I wanted to say that it’s not a good idea to go back to your place now.” In spite of his smile, his tone worried me.

“Why not?” I asked slowly.

He grabbed a manila envelope and pushed it into my trembling hands, his facial expression tense. “Have a look.” He nodded his head encouragingly, but his expression didn’t soften. “It arrived this morning, addressed to me.” His eyes met mine, hesitating, heavy with words unspoken. “And you. To us.”

The strange undertones in his voice sent a chill down my spine.

As I stared at the thick brown envelope, my heart heartbeat picked up in speed. I turned it slowly, prolonging the moment. My mouth dropped open as I finally glimpsed the names and Chase’s home address. Why on earth would someone address an envelope to us when we weren’t even living together? And worse yet, this wasn’t even a real relationship, and I hadn’t told anyone about it.