Page 17 of Chasing Chase London: Part 5: Off-Season

“Music doesn’t always have to be meaningful, right?”

“Ah, I can hear the creak of rusty hinges as your tiny little mind opens a tiny little bit.”

“Hey,” I protest. “My mind isn’t tiny.”

Suddenly Chase swings his leg over me and sits up. I don’t even have time to duck before he’s straddling me.

“Admit it,” he says, tickling my ribs. “You love Taylor Swift as much as the rest of us.”

“I—don’t—love—it,” I choke out between giggles. I try to push him off and roll him onto his side, but he’s a lot stronger than me.

He pushes me back on the bed, still tickling me, half on top of me, saying “Admit it. Admit it, you love it.”

“Stop, stop,” I gasp.

“Not until you admit you love inane pop music too,” he says, still tickling me. I’ve seen him do this before, and I know there is no way to win except to submit.

“Fine, I love it,” I say, barely able to breathe from laughing. His hands go still, and I stop laughing and look up at him, still gasping for breath. He’s breathing hard too. There’s a moment of awkward silence, a space where laughter ended and nothing else has begun. His hands are still on my sides. He looks at my lips. I bite my lip, and our eyes meet.

Suddenly he sits up, rolling away from me. We both look up at Daria, who’s standing by the bed, arms folded, a frown of disapproval on her face. She snorts and throws a pillow at Chase. “You better watch yourself, boy scout,” she says, then yanks me up by the arm. “What the hell do you think you’re doing? We’re in Lindsey’s house. Or did you forget? Isn’t that convenient?”

I didn’t exactly forget, but being around Chase tends to blind me. It’s like there’s a bubble around us, our own little world, until someone breaks it and I realize we’re not alone.

Before I’m forced to answer, Lindsey comes back in with a pitcher of iced tea, followed by the housekeeper carrying a giant tray of snack food. I glance guiltily at Daria and then at Chase, who’s still sitting on the bed with the pillow on his lap. He doesn’t look at all guilty. In fact, he looks like he’s forgotten the whole thing.

He probably has, I remind myself, angry for letting my feelings for him fool me again. He’s wrestled and tickled all of us tonight, so why should I think I’m any different from the other girls? He’s just flirty and affectionate.

After Beth leaves, Lindsey pokes a finger at Chase. “I don’t know how you got out of putting on your PJs, but I haven’t forgotten. Now, dress out, or you don’t get to eat.”

“Alright,” he says, shrugging. “You ready for me to get naked?”

“No,” she says slowly, as if she’s talking to a small child. “I want you to find some pajamas. Or wear mine.”

He laughs. “Right. Okay, Sky, your pajamas would probably fit me best. I’ll wear those. Strip for us.” He wiggles his brows, apparently forgetting the earlier incident.

“Okay, good,” Lindsey says, finding a pair of cute blue pajamas with penguins on the pants and handing them to me. “Go change.”

There’s no arguing with Lindsey when she’s made up her mind, and I’m not about to be overdramatic again, so I step into her ensuite bathroom to change.

The pajamas are the softest thing I’ve ever felt in my life. Plus, the color of the shirt exactly matches my eyes. It’s tight for a pajama shirt, but hey, for once I look like I have breasts. If I had pajamas this comfy and flattering, I’d wear them to school on a daily basis.

When I step out of the bathroom to give Chase my pajamas, he whistles. “Damn, girl, those are some sexy penguins.”

I fold my arms in front of my chest, self-conscious now that everyone’s looking at me.

“Don’t worry,” he says, standing and giving me a playful slap on the butt. “You look pretty hot too.”

He laughs as I instantly freeze like a virgin who’s never had her ass touched. I’m still stunned with mortification when he steps around the bed and drags his shirt up and peels it over his head.

Oh my god. I’ve never seen him take off his shirt, and let’s just say, I was not prepared. I don’t realize I’m gawking until he tosses it on the bed and winks at me, a knowing smile on his gorgeous lips. He totally caught me drooling, and now I want to die.

I turn away quickly, my whole body flushed with heat. Obviously Chase has a body under those clothes, I just never thought about it before. I don’t really think about people that way, even guys I’m head over heels in love with. Chase looks so good in his clothes that there’s no reason to imagine him without.

But I’m thinking about it now.

There’s a sense of strength and quickness even in his unflexed muscles. He’s a little tan, but not dark like Lindsey’s spray-tan or Daria’s naturally brown skin. Chase has a natural golden glow, and he’s muscular but not bulky like Todd. He’s just toned and fit and heartbreakingly, soul-crushingly, knee-bucklingly gorgeous.

I occupy myself finding music on Lindsey’s laptop, since seeing Chase shirtless is apparently enough to hit me with a boneless spell like the one inHarry Potter.

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