Page 87 of Body

“Chase, you don’t need her when you can have me,” Megan pleads. I try to pull away, not wanting to hear him pick her over me. I couldn’t bear it. Chase holds me fast not allowing a retreat. In fact, he pulls me to his side like he has so many times before.

Chase looks Megan up and down with a fierce scowl. “I’ve had you and so has everyone else at this fucking party. You’re a slut! I wouldn’t touch you again with a ten foot pole!” Her eyes go wide and her mouth opens in shock. “You broke my heart almost a decade ago. I’ve moved on. Now you need to. Why don’t you go fuck Cooper again? He’s available.” He continues up the stairs.

Fuck Cooper again? Oh my God. She slept with Cooper. Was it before or after their engagement? The details are extremely significant to me at this moment.

Chase doesn’t slow down, and I regret my expensive purchase on these stilts as I sway and try to keep my balance. The cobblestone walk is proving extremely difficult, and I fear I’m going to break my ankle.

“Stop, Chase.” He continues to yank my arm, his grip vice-like. “God dammit, I’m going to fall if you don’t slow the fuck down!” I scream and tug on his arm. Instead of slowing down he stops, faces me and pulls me up and over his shoulder fireman style, my ass in the air and my head dangling over his back.

“I’m not giving you the chance to run this time,” he says as he stomps through the garden and then the house. People at the party stop and stare at the blatant spectacle. Their mouths hang open, completely flabbergasted by the sight, except for his Uncle Charles and his Cousin Carson who are smiling like loons.

“Don’t let her go, my boy!” his Uncle calls and Chase lifts his hand in a wave as he passes, his other hand firmly planted on my ass. I can see his mother sitting in her wheelchair by his Uncle, absolutely furious with her son’s caveman behavior.

We make it to the limo and he hauls me into it.

“What the hell was that?” I ask as Jack speeds off. “Were you trying to embarrass me because if you were, it worked brilliantly!” I’m seething, ready to pluck his eyes out with my tweezers!

“What were you doing locked in an embrace with Cooper?” His tone is cold and accusatory.

“I wasn’t locked in an embrace. Pah-leeze.” It slips from my mouth with disdain. “He was comforting me after Megan “the Bitch” O’Brian basically told me that our relationship was a sham!”

Chase grips his temples and ruffles a hand through his unruly hair. “And you believed her? After everything we’ve been through?” His eyes search mine, the tone of his voice is broken, sad even.

“I had no choice. She said things, Chase. Private things. Things that I thought were only between us and she said you say them to every girl just to bed them!” My voice cracks as I explain.

“Gillian, I don’t know what she told you, but I’ve never said anything to you that I didn’t mean.” His eyes seem honest. He sounds like he’s telling the truth but my insecurities are running wild and I’m afraid.

“I need some time to think.” I cross my arms over my chest protectively, huddle against the door and look out the window. For the entire drive back all I can hear in the limo is the sound of our strangled breaths.

Once we arrive at the Penthouse he follows me into his bedroom and pushes me against the wall. His body crowds mine, chest to chest, heart to heart. With our noses practically touching I can see he’s hurting, but so am I. This is too important to back down now. We have to have it out, once and for all if we’re ever going to move forward.

His breath stirs the wisps of hair from my check. “Gillian, I’m not going to have that whore come between us. What we have is real. More real than anything I’ve ever known.”

“She said you tell all the girls that, she said that you tell everyone that they are yours!” Tears form, and I choke back a sob.

He slams his hand into the wall behind my head, and it scares me. The response is too much like Justin used to respond to me, using his fists to make a point. I flinch and instinct brings my hands in front of my face defensively.

“Baby, I’m sorry. I don’t want to scare you, I’d never hurt you. Never. It’s just...this makes me so fucking angry,” he confides. I nod and settle my hands back at my sides. My breath is labored, coming in heaving gusts. My heart is beating so hard within me I fear it might pound right out of my chest. He brings me to the bed and sits me down. He does the one thing I never thought he’d do in a million years. He kneels at my feet. The position is not one of power and authority, but of a man down on his knees in front of the woman he cherishes. He massages my thighs firmly as he reconnects with me. He’s always needed to touch me, even more so now.

There’s a heaviness in the air that wasn’t there before. The skin and hair on my forearms tingle and chills run up my spine. He looks at me with so much love in his gaze I’m incapable of looking anywhere but at him.

Chase clasps my hands and with one thumb traces an infinity symbol. My eyes mist over at the gesture. “Gillian, I want you. I’ve wanted you from the moment I laid eyes on you.” His eyes fill with tears and I’m shackled by the emotion he’s admitting. “I told you before, and I’ll tell you again. You aremine. I want you in my life, I want you in my bed, and I want you by my side. Always, forever, through infinity, Baby.” His fingers come up to cup my cheeks, his thumb caressing my cheekbones. For long moments he stares into my eyes. “I love you, Gillian Grace Callahan. I will always love you. I will always run towards you and after you, no matter what.”

“Chase--” I lick my lips.

“No, let me finish. What I had with Megan was over the night before our wedding when she fucked my cousin Cooper.” His head bows and he takes a deep breath. “I couldn’t wait until morning when we were going to get married. I had to kiss her goodnight. When I went to her room, I heard laughing and then…” He struggles for a moment. “I heard moaning.” It doesn’t take a genius to know what comes next. I close my eyes, feeling the pain he must have felt that night. “When I opened the door Cooper was balls deep in the woman I was supposed to marry in the morning. I can’t forget that image. I won’t forgive her or him. I knew in that moment that she never truly loved me. I represented what she was supposed to marry, supposed to have in her life.”

“I’m sorry, Chase.” The tears start again and drip onto his hands. He closes his eyes.

“My feelings for you, Gillian, are so much stronger than anything I ever felt for her. Not having you in my life, by my side, would be the end of me. Don’t you understand? I love you. I want to make you my wife,” he pleads. “Don’t leave me. Please promise me that you’ll never leave me.” A single tear tracks down his cheek, and I lean over and kiss it away, tasting the ocean of his sadness.

“I won’t leave you. I promise.” I know this time that it’s the truth. I could never leave him. I couldn’t bear to be without him. He’s a part of me. Chase will always be a part of me. There’s no denying it now and nowhere I could run that he wouldn’t find me and bring me home.

“Marry me?” he says, searching my eyes.

“Chase, I’m not going to marry you right now. We’ve only been together a few months. Besides, you’re just asking because of what happened this evening.” I sigh, letting out the breath I’ve held since the moment the words “marry me” left his kissable pout.

“You think so?” He jumps up and goes into the closet. He comes back and kneels down in front of me once more. He pulls out a black velvet box and my palms start to sweat. “You think this is spur of the moment, huh?” He shakes his head and smiles. “I already have the ring, Gorgeous. I got it a couple weeks ago. I was waiting for the perfect opportunity. Now when you’re questioning my love, my commitment, I’m willing to forego romance for reality. I want you forever. Please be my forever.”

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