Page 4 of Lyrical

“We have to get Hazel soon.” I checked the time: almost four. Wow, between getting nothing accomplished with Perry and getting nothing accomplished after Daniel’s news, I’d barely gotten any work in. And it didn’t even bother me.

His fingertips stroked over my jaw and up to trace my lips. I shivered. Dammit. He could keep his focus strictly from the neck up and I’d still be a gelatinous bag of nerves.

“Does this excite you, Wild Horses?”

“You know it does. Now, stop it.”

He smiled. “There used to be a time when you’d do anything possible to keep me from leaving the house with you.”

I gave him a quick kiss and went to the closet. “Yeah, well, as you know, those days are over. But that doesn’t mean I’m letting you off the hook. I’ll be pissed if we get home and you don’t finish what you started. Getting naked with you is still one of my favorite activities.”

I heard him chuckle behind me as I rummaged around for my heaviest wool sweater. It was going to be freaking cold on that ice. I missed New Orleans already. Chase and I had treated ourselves to a fantastic weekend there for Valentine’s Day, and I was so ready for another round of warmth, spice, and rhythm.

I tippy-toed up and found my sweater hiding on the top shelf in the far back. I reached for it, only to have Chase bypass my shorter arm and tug it out for me. Otherwise, I probably would’ve yanked down the whole lot along with it.

God, could life be any more perfect? I’d found the missing note that made my song complete. Sometimes I still wondered if I deserved his steadfastness, his strength in us that never wavered. I must have kissed a lot of asses in a previous life to hit it big in this one.

And now my son was coming home from Italy in five days? Yes, perfection.

I looked into Chase’s face as he handed me the sweater. His smooth, beautiful face. Fuck… Daniel was coming home in five days.

I’d been on a nonstop high since I found out. His final internship and school term were finished, and he was done. Permanently. He was moving back into his old room until he became established. He’d already secured some leads and was ready to make Milwaukee his home base again. My son was almost back, and that was the happiest of changes.But still a change.

I felt a swoosh of air inside my head and became woozy, forcing myself to balance against the closet door. Chase was right there holding me, which was silly. I wasn’t going down; I only felt like it.

“Baby, are you okay?”

I peered into his green eyes, the flakes of gold more prominent than ever, and nodded. “I guess all the excitement caught up with me.”

Was that all it was? Maybe partly. He scooped me up and carried me to the bed.Carried me. I’d never stop marveling at how easily he could do that, as if it required no more effort than me carrying this sweater.

He sat on the edge and placed me on his lap. “What’s going on? You’ve been excited since you texted me the news earlier. Why would it suddenly affect you now?”

“Isn’t that setting a bad example for your students? You shouldn’t be using your phone during the school day.”

He sighed. “You know I only use it during breaks. Now talk to me, Jillian.”

“It’s going to sound really crazy.”

“I don’t care.”

Yeah, he should be used to that with me. “All these weeks I’ve been waiting for this day, to finally get the confirmation that Daniel was flying home. And now it’s here.”

I chomped down on my bottom lip as if it were a lever to deactivate my tear ducts. If only it were that easy. My emotions had become forever altered, and my tears of the present were ruthless bullies to my tears of yesteryear. It could be yet another thing I could blame on aging, but only if I wanted to lie to myself. No, it was Chase. He’d awakened some secret soul-mate connection that turned my insides to fucking mush.

“My life is worlds different now than when he left, Chase. You’re in it now and what if….”

“Stop, Jillian. There are no ‘what-ifs,’ at least none you should be worrying about right now. Don’t let them take this moment away from you. Not when you’ve wanted it so badly.”

What I wanted so badly right then was to follow his advice, but my head was teeming with what-ifs. Infected with them. What if Daniel didn’t like Chase? What if Chase didn’t likehim?

It was easy to be hopeful and optimistic when his return was happening at an undetermined time. I knew it was a done deal, and it’d be sooner rather than later, but until I received word, I’d never known exactly when he’d be home. And now that I did, the reality was more real than ever. I couldn’t bear the thought of one of them not sharing my life.

My version of hell on Earth? Having to choose which one.

I needed them both.

Chase increased his hold. He could obviously see that his words weren’t taking effect yet. “Everything is going to work out fine. And if it doesn’t, we’ll deal with it then.” He lifted my chin with his finger. “Together, like we always do.”

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