Page 80 of Chase
She tilts her head towards the dark ceiling elongating her neck while her delicate hand harshly grips the back of mine. She holds on tight while I suck on her sweet skin. I drag my teeth across the red mark before tracing her pulse with the tip of my tongue.
“You gonna sing for me, Birdie?”
She croons out a string of sexy sounds that I feel under my lips as her now marked throat vibrates. My girl shakes all over and sings me a pretty song when her little pussy comes all over my hand.Goddamn, that was one of the most beautiful sounds I’ve ever heard. And fuck, do I want to hear it again.
I don’t give her a fucking second to recover before rolling her onto her back. I position my leaky cock between her thighs and push inside, stealing the air right outta her lungs.
“It’s time for an encore, gorgeous girl.”
Chapter Forty
IWAS HAVINGone of those dreams when you're falling and you wake up right before you’re about to hit the ground. It felt like my whole world was about to crack and splatter like an egg in a hot skillet. I woke up startled to the point I bounced awake in Chase’s arms and gave us both a scare.
Once I sat up and caught my breath, I knew what had happened. I had come down from the emotional highs of the night and was left to deal with the lowest of the lows. Withinseconds he had me in his arms and maneuvered us so I was straddling his lap.
I anchored myself to his body when a strong combination of fear, anger, and anxiety started to course through my veins, flood my thoughts, and fill my eyes with tears.
All of this is my fault. I feel so bad that I ever had a second thought about Will and started scratching my arms as hard as I can. I drag my nails over my skin to try to get the guilt out. I feel like such a fool for ever giving that awful man a moment of my time.
“Birdie.” Strong yet soothing hands cover mine, peeling my determined fingers away from my arms. He places them on his naked chest, holding my wrists in place. “Claw me instead.”
This man. My precious, protective, beautiful man. I’d never ever hurt him or disturb a hair on his handsome head.
“None of this is on you.” I turn my face away in shame. I shoulda shut Will down from the start. “Look at me, gorgeous.”
He’s using that bold and buttery tone of voice, the one that I’m powerless against, and I can’t help but fall apart like a crunchy taco when his big hands cup my cheeks. He wipes away my fallen tears and tilts my face up toward him.
He’s staring back at me with so much determination and passion in his rich brown eyes, that the gold streaks glow like lightning in a heat storm. It’s like he wants to burn off all the bad in my head and heart.
“Don’t ya see what a mess I’ve made? You coulda been the one to get arrested tonight.” I hate these words and what they mean.
He presses his forehead against mine and melts away all the terrible thoughts running buck wild in my head. It makes me feel safe enough to share, like he’ll take it away if it gets too hard for me.
“Tell me why you’re crying,” he says into the sliver of space between us.
I tell him about every interaction I’ve had with Will and it's clear as day that his focus on me doesn’t make a lick of sense. He had no idea I existed before a few weeks ago and now he’s hell bent on getting me to go out with him. He’s made a fool outta himself over a girl he doesn’t even know. And never ever will.
He certainly upped the ante last night. He was unpredictable and high as a kite. And it wasn’t the fun kind ya get from a few gummies or from a couple of pen hits.
No, this was downright scary. He was acting erratic and wasn’t making sense. He was aggressive and wasn’t put off by the physical altercations with Chase at all.
He didn’t care one bit when campus security and police got involved. Why wouldn’t that all be enough for him to stop this nonsense? He was still shouting my name after he got himself arrested.
I just want him to leave us alone. Chase now has to answer to his Coach and who knows what this may mean for his scholarship. I can’t imagine this staying quiet. Not when people were out and about with their phones in their hand. I bet the hot tea is already spilling all over campus.
“I’ll always protect you and keep you close. He’s not getting anywhere near you.” He leans down and kisses me like his lips are telling the truth. His tongue pleads for me to believe him. And I do… without a shadow of a doubt I do.
Chapter Forty-One
SHE FELLinto a restless sleep and kept tossing and turning until I rolled her to her side. I curled around her like a weighted blanket and we stayed like that for a while.
When her little fingers started scratching her arms, I held her hands and could feel how tense she was. I massaged her palms and traced over the pads of her scarred fingers. I’ve noticed the bandaids in the past but never thought anything of itand now that I know, there’s no way in hell I’m going to let my songbird hurt her wings.
It took a few minutes, but eventually, her body relaxed and she fell into a deep sleep. I kissed a promise into the top of her head to keep her safe always. I’d protect her at all costs, even if meant from herself.
I played with her fingertips and pressed the pad of my thumb into her nails. They weren’t crazy sharp but they still left red marks on her skin. I meant it before, she could dig into me when she needs relief. I want her to take her pain out on me. I want every fucking ounce of it. I’ll take it all if it means she doesn’t have to hold on to any.
Her phone started ringing and didn’t fucking stop no matter how many times I sent, “Daddy’s Communication Director,” to voicemail. Whoever the fuck that was could wait. My sleeping beauty needed to rest.
