Crazy Love(37)

Looking back up at Krista, he asked in a cold, hard tone, “Why didn’t you tell me?”

The second the words left his mouth, he wished he could take them back. But it was too late. He saw the fire shooting out of Krista’s expressive eyes before she even opened her mouth.

Shit. He hadn’t meant to take his frustration out on her. That was the last thing he’d wanted to do.

Chase knew better than to try to smooth things over now. First, Krista would need to give him a piece of her mind, and then he could apologize. That was how she worked. So he braced himself for verbal impact.

She took one step forward, her finger pointing accusatorily at him. “Do not dare put this on me. I’m not the one you’re mad at. Hey, here’s an idea. Why don’t you try answering an email? Or even crazier yet, maybe, just maybe, you should pick up a phone. You know, actually speak to your own mother.” She moved closer, placing her hands on the table, looming over him, her eyes boring down into his soul. “I get why you stayed away when your dad was still alive. But he’s been dead for a long time.” Her hands flew up in the air as she raised her voice and let out a forced puff of breath. “You’re so worried now, but where were you for the last four years?”

Her hair flew in the air as she spun to leave. With super speed (that frankly he didn’t even know he possessed), he moved around her, stepping in front of the door and blocking her exit. She blinked up at him after almost walking straight into his chest.

He spoke quickly but sincerely. “I’m sorry. You’re right. I’m mad at myself, not you. You were there for her when I wasn’t. I shouldn’t have said that. Thank you, I can’t tell you how much that means to me.”

“I didn’t do it for you,” Krista spit out angrily, a look of disgust crossing her face. “Here’s a news flash, rock star: The entire world does not revolve around you. The sun does not rise and set on the whim of Chase Malone. I care about your mom, completely independent of you.”

She tried to move around him, but he stepped in her way. There was no way he was going to let her leave this upset.

“Chase, move,” she stated firmly her eyes filled with fury. If looks could kill Chase would be leaving this room in a body bag.

“Krista, just—”

Lifting her hands, she shoved him in an attempt to move him out of her way.

His back hit the wall, but he grabbed her hands before she could move them off his chest. Wrapping his large hands around her small-boned fingers, he stared into her eyes. She stood in front of him perfectly still, her only movement the rise and fall of her chest. Everything changed in a split second. The energy shifted. There was still plenty of tension between them, but it had now become sexual.

That was how it had always been with him and Krista. One minute they could be angry, yelling, furious at each other, and the next they were ripping each other’s clothes off. In the span of a few seconds, all the heat and passion would shift.

He’d never voiced it to anyone, not even Krista, but that had scared him. He’d seen how his dad could go from calm to violent in the blink of an eye. He wanted to believe that he would never do that, never lay a hand on a woman, but with Krista, things were so intense and escalated so quickly, he was worried that he would lose control.

As a teen, he hadn’t known what kind of a man he would be. As an adult, he knew he was not that man. He knew that he would never be anything like his dad.

“Your hands are cold,” he said quietly, reverently.

“They’re always cold.” Krista’s large almond-shaped eyes looked up at him, her voice sounding strained as she tried to maintain her anger.

She was right. Her hands were always cold. She used to put them under his shirt to warm them up since his body had always run hot. He also used to heat them up by blowing on them. Since he seriously doubted she had any plans for feeling him up, even if it was for her own benefit, he decided to take matters into his own hands. Literally.

Slowly, he raised her hands to his mouth, cupping them in his, parted his lips, and breathed hot air on them. Her eyes shut as a small sigh fell from her lips. He repeated this action and Krista’s head fell back. Her golden-red hair fell behind her shoulders, revealing the slender slope of her neck. His lips tingled with need to lean down and kiss her there.

His heart was pounding so hard and so fast that he felt like the sound was filling the room. Lowering their hands, he pressed her palm to his chest over his rapidly beating heart. He needed her to feel what he did, his heart beating only for her.

Slowly, she opened her eyelids. When her gaze found his, it looked drugged with lust. His breathing was coming even faster now through his nose. He sounded like a bull ready to charge.