Page 20 of Just A Little Chase

As Lauren gave Chase the directions to the bed-and-breakfast where they’d be staying, she couldn’t help but notice that he’d grown quiet and subdued since leaving her parents. There had been a noticeable shift in Chase’s mood at the end of their conversation in the car before they’d driven away, and for the life of her she couldn’t figure out what she might have said to cause him to revert back to the reserved man she’d met at the bachelor auction weeks ago. Not quite grumpy and standoffish, but definitely guarded once again.

The entire evening with her parents and her gramps had gone so much better than she’d anticipated. Chase had been confident, but respectful and sincere, all things that had gained favor with her father. He’d managed to charm her mother and impress her gramps, which wasn’t an easy feat. In fact, on the way to the door as they were leaving, her gramps had whispered in her ear, “He’s a keeper,” which was probably the biggest stamp of approval Chase could have gotten from him.

But for Lauren, she couldn’t forget how he’d replied to her mother’s question at the dinner table, about how serious it might be between the two of them. Lauren had initially been mortified that her mother had been so bold, but the way Chase had lifted her hand to his lips for a kiss in such a sweet manner, then responded with, “What I can tell you is that Lauren and I are still getting to know one another, but what I’ve discovered so far, I like. A lot,” made everything inside of Lauren melt. In that moment, she wanted to believe those words, wanted more than anything for them to be true, but she also knew she had to be careful not to read too much into the things Chase said or did this weekend because she’d essentially hired him to be the perfect boyfriend. And that’s exactly what he’d been tonight.

She glanced over to the driver’s seat, seeing the slight frown on his face that made him look much too serious. Maybe Chase was just tired, she reasoned, which was something she could relate to. Between the drive and dinner at her parents’, it had been a long day. And her family was a lot to handle if you were someone who wasn’t used to so much stimuli in a short span of time.

She wanted to ask Chase if he was okay, but she refrained from doing so. The last thing she wanted was to come across as one of those women who was insecure, or needed validation when there was silence… even though she hoped Chase was in a better mood once they got to their room, since she’d made some very bold and brazen plans for their night together.

“You’re going to make a left at the next stoplight, and then the Fairview Bed and Breakfast is going to be on the right,” she said, giving him the last of the directions.

Minutes later, he pulled up to the curb in front of a large colonial-style house, with a gabled roof and a porch adorned with hanging baskets of flowers. A wooden sign with the name of the inn hung from an ornate wrought-iron bracket near the entrance. Lights were on inside, and a few outside, giving off a warm and inviting atmosphere.

After getting out of the car, Chase grabbed their bags from the trunk, insisting on carrying both of theirs as they walked along the cobblestone path, then up the steps to the door. The owner of the place, Betsy Martin, greeted them as they entered the inn and stepped up to the counter just off the entryway.

“Lauren, it’s so good to see you!” the sixty-something woman said in a bright, cheerful tone. “Your mother mentioned that you’d be staying here the weekend of your sister’s wedding, but I didn’t see a reservation under your name.” Her gaze shifted to Chase, sparkling with unmistakable interest as she unabashedly checked him out. “So, I’m assuming it must be under yours?”

“Yes, ma’am,” he said in a polite tone, and smiled as he retrieved his ID from his wallet and passed it across the counter to Betsy to validate his reservation. “The name is Chase Gossard.”

“Well, it’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Gossard.” Betsy beamed at him like a young schoolgirl, much to Lauren’s amusement. “Welcome to Fairview. And Lauren, welcome home.”

“Thank you,” she replied, while they waited for Betsy to finish checking them in.

Warmth suffused Lauren’s entire body when she felt Chase’s arm drape across her shoulders and he pulled her closer to his side. Most likely just for appearances and Betsy’s sake, but Lauren was not at all opposed to the intimate gesture, not to mention that his pensive mood had thawed a bit during the drive to the inn.

Betsy glanced up from her computer screen, smiling as she, too, noted how much they looked like a romantic couple. “So, your room is located on the second floor right up those stairs, at the end of the hallway. Here’s your key. Breakfast is served between seven and nine in the morning in the dining area, buffet style, and you’re free to enjoy the gardens out back during the day if you just need a place to sit and take advantage of this wonderful weather.”

“Sounds perfect,” Chase said, flashing her a charming smile.

“I hope you two enjoy your stay, and if you need anything else that’s not already in your room, you just let me know.”

“Will do,” Lauren said, and led the way up the stairs Betsy had indicated, with Chase following behind carrying their bags.

“Well, that was nice,” she said in a low voice only Chase could hear once they’d reached the second floor. “I hope the rest of the weekend goes just as smoothly.”

“No reason it shouldn’t with me by your side.”

Reaching the last room down the hallway, she glanced over her shoulder with a cheeky grin for Chase. “Yeah, you’re a great distraction. By morning, most of the town will know that I’m shacking up with a gorgeous man at the Fairview Bed and Breakfast.”

He arched a brow. “Shacking up?”

She inserted the key into the knob and gave it a turn, her eyes still locked on his. “A girl can hope, right?”

Before he could reply, she opened the door and they stepped inside the spacious room, complete with a small, cozy sitting area and their own private en suite.

He set their luggage down and swore beneath his breath when he saw the single queen-size bed in the room. “I told Victoria to book two double beds.”

That fierce frown was back again, and the last thing Lauren wanted was his assistant to get reprimanded for something that wasn’t her fault. “Don’t blame Victoria. She did exactly what you asked her to do. I called a few days ago and asked for one queen-size bed under your reservation.”

“Why would you—” The confusion glimmering in his eyes cleared as understanding dawned. “Lauren—”

“Chase, do you want me?” she asked, interrupting what she already knew was going to be an argument she didn’t want to have. She’d also decided that the direct approach was best, even though she knew there was a possibility of a rejection that would undoubtedly sting.

He groaned, his expression conflicted. “I think we’ve already established just how much I want you the night at my place when I nearly fucked you on my kitchen countertop.”

The memory of that hot encounter caused an arousing heat to settle low in her belly. “I just wanted to make sure that hasn’t changed.”

“No, it hasn’t,” he said, bracing his hands on his hips. “But other things haven’t changed, as well, like the fact that this is just one weekend together, for the sake of putting on the pretense of a happy couple. But the reality is, I don’t do long term because I don’t know how. I don’t do commitments because I don’t have that ability. I can’t make you the kind of promises someone like you deserves.”

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