Page 75 of Worth the Chase

My life was moving forward at a steady pace. I finally had so much of what I always wanted—my girl, a hopeful career, and a place of my own that felt like home. But a part of me was still unhappy, the sadness lingering like a black cloud over my head. And I hated feeling this way when I had absolutely no reason to.

What was wrong with me?

The next two weeks were a blur as we counted down the days to Patrick and Addi’s wedding. Bells was busy at the restaurant, the tourist season already gearing up, and I’d started officially shadowing my dad at the resort, my social media days long behind me. I had a real job now, as Bells enjoyed calling it, and honestly, it was a bit of an adjustment—in a good way.

Bells and I couldn’t get enough of one another. I drowned myself in loving her. We were constantly touching, her handsalways grasping for some part of my body whenever it was within reach. Apparently, I’d woken up the sexual beast lying dormant inside my woman. She was relentless, and I fucking loved it.

I’d had no idea that she’d react that way after having sex for the first time, but my girl couldn’t wait to come home to me at night and try new things that she’d read about or always heard about. I let her have all the control because watching her experiment with my body was a joy all in itself.

“Is this normal? I feel like I think about sex all the time now,” she asked one night while we lay in bed after I tasted her body from head to toe. I had her flavor memorized.

“I’m not sure I’m the one you should ask. I’m a guy. We’re pretty much always thinking about sex,” I answered honestly.

She nodded like that was completely reasonable. “You’re right. I’ll ask Anna.” She chuckled, her fingers moving across my chest.

I loved when her nails scraped against my bare skin. I swore she could put me to sleep just by doing that.

“Move in with me,” I said.

I’d been asking her to move in almost daily. I figured that at some point, she’d get tired of turning me down and say yes instead, but so far, she hadn’t. Being relentless was one of my superpowers, but being stubborn was one of hers.

“I’m not moving in with you. We’ve been dating for, like, two seconds,” she argued. It was her typical response.

“We’ve been dating for a month!” I reminded her because, yes, I was fucking counting. I’d never had a girlfriend, and it was exhilarating.

“Ooh. A whole month,” she teased.

“Listen. You can have the bottom floor. There’s a kitchen, a bar, a bedroom, and its own entrance, as you well know. You canlive there, and we don’t even have to see each other except on date nights.”

“That’s such a lie.”

“Which part?”

“All of it.” She giggled.

“You’re right. It’s definitely a lie, but just think about it. Do you want to use all your savings on rent when you don’t have to?” I knew how much she’d made on her commission check. But I also knew that if she kept paying rent on a two-bedroom apartment by herself, that money would be gone before she even had a chance to enjoy it.

“Not really. But I’m not moving in with you, Matthew. Not yet. It’s too soon.”

“You always say that. Who turns down free rent?”

“You know I wouldn’t feel right, living with you for free,” she said before propping herself up on her elbow.

“I know how you can pay me.” I raised my eyebrows and shot her a look as she rolled her eyes.

“Let me guess,” she groaned, but there was a smile behind her words.

“Sexual favors,” I blurted out before she could say it.

“Knew that was coming.” She shook her head and pursed her lips together. “Can I ask you something?”

“Of course,” I said, noting the more serious tone her voice had just taken on.

“What’s the real issue?” I reared my head back slightly as she kept talking. “I mean, I get that you want to live together, but there’s something else behind it. What is it?”

I moved to sit up, pressing my back against the headboard. “I don’t know what it is, but I don’t like you being alone. Living by yourself doesn’t seem safe, does it?”

She blew out a quick breath, but she didn’t look annoyed. “Because Sugar Mountain is so dangerous? Women live alone all the time.”

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