Page 28 of Chasing Secrets
“Good, right?” he asked, voice husky.
Jalen nodded, once again aware of how intimate this felt, sitting on a bed, sharing food, Chase feeding him fruit like they were in some romantic movie. Except this wasn’t a movie and Chase wasn’t just some hot guy. He was the man Jalen had fallen in love with. It wasn’t just physical attraction. Chase had pulled Jalen out of hell, had gotten him clean, and treated him better than anyone had in his entire life. The guy was sweet, kind, caring, and selfless. How could Jalen not fall in love with him?
That thought was both terrifying and exhilarating.
“So,” Jalen said, desperate to break the tension, “you never told me how you ended up in Crimson Hollow. Two hundred and forty years is a long time to wander before settling down in the middle of nowhere.”
Chase cut a piece of French toast, considering. “Needed somewhere quiet. Somewhere with mountains and forests.” He lifted the piece toward Jalen’s mouth. “Somewhere I could run free.”
Jalen accepted the offered bite. Chase’s eyes tracked the movement, lingering on Jalen’s lips as he chewed.
“And the pack?” he asked after swallowing.
“Zeppelin and Vaughn found me, then we found the rest of them along the way. Or they found us.” Chase brushed away a crumb from the corner of Jalen’s mouth with his thumb. The casual touch sent heat blooming across Jalen’s skin. “Pack is family. Once you find that, you hold on.”
One of the nights Jalen had been fighting a fever, he’d thought about his mom. Her precious baby brother could do no wrong, and she wouldn’t have believed Jalen if he’d told her. But the more he’d thought about it, the more he was convinced she had to have known something was going on. Jalen had been withdrawn whenever he was at her house and Derek showed up. Or was she really that damn blind?
“Must be nice,” Jalen murmured. “Having people who actually give a damn.”
Chase’s expression softened. “They give a damn about you too, you know. Preston asks about you every day.”
“Why?” Jalen couldn’t keep the genuine confusion from his voice. “I’ve been nothing but a burden since I got here.”
“That’s not how family works.” Chase set his plate aside and took Jalen’s, placing it on the nightstand. The loss of that buffer between them made Jalen’s heart beat faster. “You’re not a burden. You’re my mate.”
There it was again. That word. Mate. So simple yet loaded with meaning Jalen couldn’t fully grasp.
“How are you feeling today? Really.”
Jalen grabbed a strawberry, biting into it. “Better. Clearer. Like I can actually think straight for the first time in years.”
“Good.” Chase’s smile did something weird to Jalen’s heart rate. “That’s really good.”
“Still can’t believe you put up with all that.” Jalen gestured vaguely at himself. “Not exactly my finest moment.”
“Getting clean never is.” Chase fed him another piece of French toast. “But you did it. That’s what matters.”
The pride in his voice made Jalen’s chest tighten. “Yeah, well, having a supernatural nursemaid helps.”
“Nursemaid?” Chase raised an eyebrow, looking more amused than offended. “Is that what I am?”
“You’ve been…” Jalen searched for the right word. “Patient.”
“Patient,” Chase echoed, his voice dropping lower. “Is that your way of saying you’re ready for me to be less patient?”
“We haven’t even kissed,” Jalen blurted out, immediately wanting to smack himself as heat crawled up his neck. Way to state the obvious, genius.
Chase set the tray aside, careful not to spill anything. The bed dipped as he moved closer until their knees touched. “What exactly do you want, Jalen?”
The sound of his name in that deep voice made Jalen’s stomach flip. “I want…” He trailed off, gaze dropping to Chase’s mouth. “I want you to kiss me. If you want to.”
“If I want to,” Chase repeated, a hint of a smile playing at his lips. “Baby, I’ve wanted to since the moment you called the cops on me.”
Chase moved even closer, the mattress dipping under his weight. He leaned in slowly, one hand coming up to cup Jalen’s jaw, thumb tracing the curve of his cheekbone.
“Last chance to change your mind,” Chase murmured, close enough now that his breath warmed Jalen’s lips.
“Do I look like I’m changing my mind?” he sassed.
