Page 8 of Chase's Kind of Trouble
My angel looks small. Broken. Destroyed.
Possessiveness rears up inside of me, a giant beast that can’t be restrained. There is no hope for taming the animal I will become with this woman.
I already know this as truth.
She flinches when she realizes someone is approaching, but Kane’s girl soothes her. “It’s okay, it’s just Crash. No one will hurt you.”
“Ever again,” I vow.
Our gazes lock, the waitress and me, and something palpable pulses the air between us. Alive already. Filled with promises.
“Babe.” One word rasps out of me around the rock lodged in my throat. I stride into the pool of light from a window above, trying to stop myself from dragging her into my arms. “What did he do to you?”
“He—” she nervously rubs her hands down the small apron tied around her waist. “Just scared me.”
“Don’t say just. He scared you. That motherfucker scared you. Now he’s gonna pay.”
I won’t let myself move. I’m too jacked, too desperate to get her in my arms. But the way I feel right now…I’ll scare her more. That’s the last thing she needs.
“Crash,” Eagle says gently, “this is Celeste. I told her you saw that she was upset and followed her out the exit.”
“You did?” The girl…Celeste, asks quietly, her tear-soaked eyes rising to meet mine.
If I wasn’t already in love with her, I would be in this instant.
“I did. Crash is my call sign, call me Chase, please.”
I sound…scary.
My voice is raspy and rough, barely functional. Like I’ve been living in a cave and just emerged back to civilization after not talking to another human in years.
That’s not far from the truth because I haven’t talked to a woman I’m in love with ever before.
But every cell inside my brain is working triple-time.
Her name is Celeste. And it’s a beautiful name, just like the woman with the pale blue eyes, the soft peach skin, and the dark mane of hair she always keeps braided in a thick tail.
“Why would you do that?”
“Hey, I’m going to leave you two alone to talk.” Eagle interrupts as she squeezes Celeste for a quick hug. “I’ll be right over there if you need me.”
Eagle gives me a look. One that says a thousand words. A warning: do this right. Don’t be a scary beast. Don’t come on too strong…
Copy. Got it.
I tip my chin and she walks away. When we’re alone, I have to fight for oxygen, like we’re locked in a private vacuum chamber, just us.
Folding her arms around herself, Celeste nods and watches Eagle go. When we’re alone she asks again, “Why did you do that?”
Every cell in my body spins and locks on in her direction. Billions of antenna receiving her signals.
How is she so…tiny. So perfect?
She looks even smaller now that I’m hovering over her.
“You were upset,” I offer, careful to stay utterly still. “I…was worried.”
Glancing everywhere but at me, she bites hard on her lower lip, fresh moisture coating her eyes.
