Page 22 of Chase
His gaze stays strong as he relocks his eyes on me. It’s like he’s demanding my attention. I cross my arms across my chest and I swear goosebumps break out over the skin exposed by the deep V-neck shirt I’m wearing. I watch those rich brown eyes drop to my breasts and don’t miss the way he reacts.
When his tongue swipes across his full bottom lip it makes me squirm. The way he licks his lips is downright sinful. I bet he’d be the best kiss of my life.There I go again thinkin’ about kissing this man.I can’t look away from him. The current between us is crackling under the pressure of our locked and loaded stare.
There are collective squeals of delight when a new song plays and blasts through the sound system of the house. The girls encourage me to dance, to move, to do anything but continue to stand and stare in the middle of the makeshift dance floor.
I roll my body wanting to keep his attention and our connection. If it’s all I ever get from him I want it whenever I can get it even if it makes me look pathetic. I’d absolutely die if he came over to dance with me.God, what I would do to have him that close.To feel him pressed up against me. To have him hold me. I don’t think I’d ever let him go.
A guy makes his way over, I watch his eyes as they skim me up and down from head to toe. I don’t feel anything from having his eyes on me and turn away to focus on Chase. I feel the heat of the stranger’s body when he starts dancing behind me. I focus on the showcase girls in front of me and continue to dance. It’s tame enough until his hands are on my waist and then travel over my belly. I go stiff at his touch.
He pulls me back into his body and I feel frozen. He’s not touching me for long though, because Chase has yanked him away and added a punch. He’s stubborn and refuses to dance with me but won’t let anyone else.Has he lost his damn mind?
I instinctively take a step back as Chase lands another swinging fist right in his face. I tighten my arms and ball my hands again, feeling not only tears well in my eyes but the bite of my nails pressing into my skin for the fifth time tonight.
I’m filled with rage and anxiety, a combination that always ends in cut skin. This whole night is nothing but a disaster and I doubt it’s gonna get any better now that there’s a full-blown fight happening.
The impact of Chase’s powerful hit sends him stumbling into a group of gathered guys who are watching this with the same interest as the Super Bowl.
Chase’s fingers lightly grip my upper arm and he guides me behind him. He’s protecting and defending me. Evie shoulders through and stands next to me. Max and my brother stand in front of us and push us away from the fight. Jake, Monroe, and Hunter are on either side of Chase.
“What the fuck is going on?” Drew yells and the answer falls flat on my tongue. I can’t even get the words out. Because the explanation doesn’t match the man fighting on my behalf. He’s kept his distance, he’s stayed away, but here he is throwing punches because another guy dared to dance with me. The emotional whiplash tonight is enough to make me nauseous.
“You fucking touch her or go near her again and I’ll fucking end you,” Chase says in a menacing voice with his finger pointed in his opponent's face. He’s threatening, intimidating, and guarding me with promises to hurt this guy if he so much as looks at me again.
It’s confusing and the mixed messages he’s sending me only ramps up the frustration I was feeling earlier. But part of me is also seriously swooning and his declaration is enough to make my knees weak and my heart gallop faster than race horses running the Kentucky Derby.
This guy has a smug look on his face and Chase’s sinister threats fall on his deaf ears as he tips his head to the side to wink at me. To taunt me. To let me know that he isn’t deterred. That he’s just getting started.
“This your girl? She’s got a great pair of tits,” he says loud enough that his friends laugh. I inhale a breath and it stays lodged in my throat when Chase jumps forward with a loud battle cry and throws himself into him.
Davis moves me back and extends his arms out to keep me securely behind him. Max moves Evie farther away when I see her move towards her lunging brother.
Their bodies colliding is loud even with the music still droning on throughout the room. Chase cocks his arm back and again sends his fist into this guy's face… right into that offensive winking eye. I’m assuming it’s his friends who are hanging on the sidelines and they struggle to hold him up after he staggers back into them. Chase turns around and walks back towards us.
He’s breathing hard and his hands are still clenched into fists. He’s vibrating with anger and tension and I can smell the tequila and sweat that’s dripping down his face as he stares down at me from behind Davis’s shoulder. He looks like a fire-breathing demon that just went to battle and when he says my name with a firm yet gentle caress, I can’t help but oblige him and step away from Davis’ shadow.
His whole body softens when I step to the side into his space and I exhale for the first time since he threw that first punch. His rage-filled eyes are now brewing with concern as they scan me up and down. His breathing becomes ragged the longer we stare at one another, blocking out the rest of this horrible night.
I’m surprised to hear the tenderness in his voice when he asks me if I’m okay considering how angry he looks. He also looks like he’s had more to drink than I thought he did as he starts to rock back and forth.
I’m ready to give him a piece of my mind, even if he’s in this state, he needs to know he can’t toy with me like this. He doesn’t get to decide that he’s gonna fight over me but not claim me as his. Either he wants me or he doesn’t.
Before I can tell him as much, he’s being pulled back into the commotion and I can’t help but yell for him.
“Chase!” I shout and Davis shoves me back behind him, keeping me away from them crashing their fists into each other’s faces. Chase looks right at me, hearing me through the commotion and chaos. I hate this, every second of it. His chocolate brown eyes connect with mine before he’s hit again. He falls unconsciously to the floor, and I swear my heart lands with a thud next to him.
I hear Drew yelling, kicking those guys out of the house while watching Jake, Monroe, and Hunter try to get Chase up off the floor while Max keeps people back.
I’m gripping my feather necklace with one hand and Evie’s hand with the other. I’m shaking like a leaf. My nerves are as high as the sky and I hold my breath when the boys manage to drag a limp-looking Chase into Drew’s room.
I can’t look away from the door. I can’t help myself and start walking towards them. Davis pulls me back to him and my hand falls from Evie’s. She follows Max into Drew’s room and looks back at me before the boys shut the door.
“Sloaney, we just had a whole conversation about this. About you deservin’ more than what he’s givin’ you. You go in there and now you are the one playin’ games, it won’t be just him. You need to decide what you really want here.” I nod in understanding at Davis, but he knows. Not even his solid brotherly advice is gonna stop me from going in that room.
I steady myself in front of the door and give a knock. I’m not sure what my plan is but I know I want to be there with him. And also for Evie.
No one answers and I’m debating knocking again when the door opens. I’ve got a bird’s eye view of Monroe checking Chase out on the bed. He’s laying flat on his back while Monroe checks his pulse.
I’ve heard he was a volunteer firefighter back home which makes loads of sense. He always seems to know what to do when situations get outta hand. He may be a total party boy but he’s also smart as a whip. And right now, I need him to tell me this silly and stupid man is okay.
