Page 61 of Things Good Girls Don't Do

Following her down the steps, he didn’t release her hand until he got into her SUV and asked, “So, Steph and Jared know I’m coming?”

“Yep. They’re excited to get to know you.”

Having already met and heard her best friend’s opinion of him, he highly doubted it. But if it made Katie smile, it was worth a little discomfort.

Chapter Twelve

ALTHOUGHKATIE WASnervous about being around a bunch of her friends with Chase, she tried not to show it. Jared shook Chase’s hand right off the bat and took him to grab some beers, while Steph and Katie watched them amble away. Both men were tall and short-haired, but Katie thought that Chase was the handsomer of the two, and that wasn’t just her being biased. Jared was good-looking, but Chase was a little bit taller, a little broader, just a little ... more.

“So how did you get him here today?”

Katie looked at Steph innocently and said, “I just asked him.”

Steph snorted. “There is no way I would want to go to some guy’s friend’s house when I barely knew anyone unless I was getting a really big favor.”

Katie laughed and said, “How do you know? You’ve only ever been with Jared.”

Steph shrugged. “But I can imagine the awkwardness.”

Katie looked over at Chase, who was laughing with Jared and a group of guys. “He seems to be doing okay.”

Chase caught her gaze, and his eyes were smoking with heat and desire. She had to mentally tell herself not to fan her cheeks.

“Whoo-ee, that man wants you. If Jared looked at me like that, I’d be hightailing it out of here and getting him naked.”

Katie choked. “What happened to your lack of support?”

“Hey, take my support while I’m giving it and don’t ask questions. Despite my concerns, the guy seems to be totally into you, and he is sexy as hell. Why, if I weren’t married, I’d be making some very inappropriate comments about his ...”

Katie smacked her arm. “But youaremarried, and I’ll thank you to keep your wandering eyes to yourself.”

“I’m married, not dead, and he’s a gorgeous specimen of manliness.”

Katie smiled as she took a sip of her wine. “Yes he is.”

CHASE HAD BEENinside talking football with Jared and Justin when he noticed Katie wasn’t with Steph anymore. He excused himself from the guys and went looking for her, hoping she was as ready to go as he was. He liked her friends, especially Jared and Justin, but crowds always made him weary.

He found her standing against the railing of Steph and Jared’s back porch. Slipping behind her, he wrapped his arms around her waist, resting his hands over her flat stomach. Kissing the side of her neck, he asked, “You ready to go?”

“Mmm. What time is it?” Katie tilted her head to the side and he took the invitation to kiss his way down to her shoulder.

“It’s almost seven.” He ran his hands farther down into the pockets of her shorts and whispered, “If we hurry, we could go back to my place and watch a movie.”

“What kind of movie?” she asked, sounding very suspicious.

He nibbled on her ear and said, “Some girly shit.”

She laughed. “Right. More like a Stephen King film orDie Hard Infinity.”

Chase moved his fingers in her pockets and she caught her breath. His voice was harsh as he said, “It doesn’t matter what it is, because I don’t plan on watching it.”

“What will you be watching?” Her voice was hushed.

Turning her around in his arms, he whispered, “You. I’ll be watching every expression on your face while you—”

“There you two are! What are you doing lurking about?” Steph said from behind him.

Chase dropped his arms from her waist and said, “I was just telling Katie that I need to get home. Got a thing.”

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