He really had left her.
Her brain had a hard time processing it, but the evidence was clear. She was a fool. Last night she had given in to her body and her heart, and it had come back and bit her in the ass.
Maybe she should’ve listened to him. He’s warned her—had been warning her all along. He said he was like his father, and he’d proven it.
And he’d demolished her.
…
Chase wanted to strangle the clerk by the time the man had handed over the key to one of the new cabins. He had made Chase wait for damn near a half an hour while the cabin was cleaned, which put him seriously behind schedule.
Taking his stuff to the new cabin, his eyes gazed at the regular king-size bed with satin sheets. Sheets he could easily see Maddie spread naked upon. That made him think of last night and his cock hardened. He was ready for round three…and then round four.
But he needed to shower first. Although he loved the lingering scent of vanilla—of Maddie—the last thing he needed to be doing was running around smelling like he’d just had sex with Mitch’s little sister.
Last night had been amazing—Maddie had been amazing. And it was more than sex. It was that connection, that whatever-it-was that went beyond an orgasm. It was something more—special. Once in a lifetime kind of shit. None of the women he’d been with had felt like that, and in that moment, he knew none of them would.
Now he sounded like he’d been watching Oprah reruns.
But…but it had to mean something. And he was tired of fighting the need to find out what that “something” was. Tired of denying what he really wanted—had wanted for far too long. Maddie was more than Mitch’s little sister. More than the little girl who’d shadowed him for years. She was everything to him. And he was more than his father’s son, too, because he knew deep down he could never hurt Maddie. Not after last night.
And now he was just realizing that?
He’d mucked up things yesterday with that God-awful offer, but last night…
It had to be a new beginning.
He took the fastest shower of his life and then headed back to the lodge. There was a tiny florist shop in the back, and he picked up a dozen roses. Tucking them under one arm, he grabbed a slice of cheesecake from the in-house bakery before making his way back to the Love Shack.
Chase was hoping Maddie was still asleep. He had a real good idea of how to wake her, with his hands, fingers, and then his tongue. Maybe some cheesecake afterward, but knowing her, she’d probably knock him over to get to the good stuff. No one got between Maddie and the sweets.
He climbed out of his car stiffly and strolled into the cabin. His gaze went straight to the bed—the empty bed.
“Maddie?”
The cabin was unnaturally quiet. No shower was running. Nothing. Putting the roses and slice of cheesecake down on the end table, his gaze danced around the room. “Shit.”
Maddie was gone. So was her large suitcase. Peering into the bathroom, he found no trace of her. Her blow dryer and curling iron were gone, as if she’d never been there.
Cursing under his breath again, he spun around and stalked to the front door. He was going to find her, drag her back here… With his hand on the door, he stopped.
Two problems: He had no idea where Maddie went. She couldn’t have gone far, but she could be in any number of cabins, and short of banging like holy hell on every door, he needed a better game plan. And two, he didn’t know why she’d left. After last night, it seemed pretty obvious what he wanted, so he couldn’t even fathom why she’d leave, especially when he’d already gotten another cabin for them, one not outfitted with a heart-shaped bed and velveteen blankets.
Though, he was going to kind of miss that bed.
Chase drew back from the door, thrusting his hands through his hair. A game plan for what? Chasing after Maddie? Shit. How the tables had turned.
He spun around, his gaze falling to the rumpled sheets on that damn bed.
Double shit.
Scrubbing the palms of his hands down his face, he then snatched the flowers up and left the cheesecake behind. The first place he went by was her parents’ cabin. They were sitting on the deck, enjoying tea while thumbing through a wilderness survival magazine. Chase shook his head as he fought a grin. The two of them looked like a normal couple on the verge of retirement.
Maddie’s father looked up first, smiling broadly. “Hey, Chase, what are you up to?”
“Nothing much,” he said, leaning against the railing. “Hello, Mrs. Daniels.”
She smiled, shaking her head. “Honey, it’s about time you start calling me Megan. And those flowers! Aren’t they lovely?” Her eyes glimmered. “May I ask who they’re for?”