Page 74 of Giving Chase

Heat pools low in my belly as his hands map familiar territory. "Chase..."

"Do you know," he murmurs against my throat, "how many times I've dreamed of this? Just us. No rush." His teeth graze my pulse point. "No boundaries." His hand slides lower. "No holding back."

I arch into his touch, my body remembering every secret he's learned over twenty years. "Show me."

He takes his time, using everything he knows about my body to drive me wild. The spot on my hip that makes me shiver. The way I arch when he kisses that sensitive place on my inner thigh.

"Please," I breathe, pulling him up to me.

"Twenty years," he says against my lips. "Twenty years of wanting you like this."

When he finally moves inside me, it's with the perfect rhythm he's always had.Bass player's timing, I used to tease. Now his tempo builds steadily, deliberately, until I'm gasping his name.

"Look at me," he commands softly. "Let me see you."

Steel grey meets green as everything shatters. He follows right after, my name a low groan in his throat.

After, he gathers me close, both of us catching our breath.

"I could get used to this," I murmur, tracing patterns on his chest.

"Planning to." He catches my hand, kisses each finger. "Think the industry would notice if we just stayed in bed forever?"

"Probably." I smile against his skin. "But they've had twenty years of professional us. They can wait a little longer."

His answering laugh vibrates through me. Perfect rhythm, perfect timing.

Finally.

What Are You Waiting For

CHASE

The headlines start rollingin over room service coffee:"Rock's Greatest Love Story Finally Confirmed!""Hall of Fame Inductees Incendiary Ink Steal Their Own Show""Twenty Years in the Making: Inside Music's Most Secret Romance."

"Your phone's about to explode," Eliza observes from the suite's plush couch, still in my t-shirt from last night. Cleveland radio playsBurning Bridgesin the background - for the umpteenth time this morning. "Will says Twitter or whatever it’s called now is losing its mind over the performance."

"Let it." I hand her fresh coffee, peek at her laptop screen.Rolling Stone's review of the ceremony is overwhelmingly positive. Our award from last night sits on the coffee table, catching morning light filtered through Cleveland’s autumn clouds. "Oh look, we're 'rock's most compelling comeback story.'"

"Speaking of comeback..." She gives me that look I've known for twenty years. "Three messages from Atlantic. Two from Sony. Even Universal's sniffing around. All since the ceremony ended."

"Hoping to steal us from Blackmore?"

"Can't steal what isn't signed." But her smile is soft. "Though a certain label President might have an inside track."

My phone buzzes again. A text from Mark this time.

MARK: Dude. Ryan and Jake want to collaborate on the new stuff. Also your love life is trending higher than our actual induction. Congrats? Also what time's your flight? Will's trying to change his to match.

"The vultures are circling," I muse, settling beside her. Lake Erie stretches grey and endless beyond our window. "Though I'm more interested in a certain label's opinion of our demos."

"Mixing business with pleasure already?"

"Always have." I kiss her temple. "We're just honest about it now."

She closes her laptop, turns to face me fully. "Chase... are you sure? About Blackmore? We could keep business and personal separate this time. No one would blame you for signing elsewhere."

"Hey." I take her hands. "Twenty years we've proven we can handle both. The only difference now is we don't have to pretend we're not in love while doing it."

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