Page 65 of Beneath the Stars (Sugarlake 1)

She looks down for a second, running the palms of her hands over her outfit, straightening the wrinkles. It’s an innocent gesture, but fuck if it doesn’t make me think of how I’d like to glide my hands all over her body.

“Oh… um, yeah. Thanks.” She walks over and takes the coffee. Our fingertips brush. The contact lasts for less than a second, but a jolt shoots through me, catapulting my heart into my throat. She backs away quickly, taking the coffee with her as she rounds the desk and sits. I lean back against the opposite wall, taking sips from my cup as I watch her. She’s stacking piles of paper and moving around folders, fingers fumbling.

She pauses, her head snapping up. “Do you need somethin’ else?”

My gut tenses as I feel the shift in her demeanor. “Is this how it’s gonna be, Alina? Hot and cold all the time?”

She looks to the ceiling before heaving a sigh. “Listen. I don’t—I don’t know what you’re expectin’ from me. But I can’t do this.” She points back and forth between us.

My chest pinches. The lightness I felt this morning disappearing with the weight of her words. “What do you mean by this?”

“This! Us! You can’t just bring me coffee, and—and be all sweet and charmin’. That’s not you. That’s not the Chase I remember.”

“People can change, Alina. Maybe you should get to know the new me.”

“I don’t wanna get to know you. Last night was a mistake. I should never have gone with you.” She shakes her head.

Fuck, that hurts.

The balloon of hope that was floating around inside me pops, and I crash back down to earth.

My soul is raging against her words, beating against my insides and trying to tear out of my skin to get to her. To remind her. I grip my hair, the sting of the roots keeping me grounded. “Okay.”

“Okay?”

My hand drops to my side and I swallow down my want—my fucking need—to beg for her forgiveness. To let me atone for my mistakes. “Okay. I get it. I do. I thought maybe we could move forward. Be friends. Fuck, you have no idea how badly I want us to be there. But if you need me to stay away, I’ll do that. I’ll keep my distance... but can you do me a favor?” I walk over, ripping a corner off a piece of paper, and grab a pen from the cup holder. I write down my number and slide it to her.

She picks it up. “What’s this?”

“That’s my number. Put it in your purse, or better yet, program it in your phone. Just… I want you to have it. In case you need it.”

She juts out her chin. “I won’t.”

“And that’s fine. But if you change your mind, I’m here.”

She sneers. “I’ve heard that before.”

Fire sparks in my veins. The need for her to see me for who I am now making my tongue sharp. “You heard that from a dumbass kid who took for granted everything that mattered. A kid who didn’t know how to hold on to the best fucking thing in his life.” I lean forward, my knuckles pressing down on the desk, my eyes begging her to see the truth in my words. “Believe me when I tell you, that kid is gone.”

She sucks in a breath, her baby-blue gaze searching.

I point to the piece of paper

in her fist. “Keep it. Just in case.”

I spin, walking out the door, blood pumping in my ears, and my heart beating with fervor.

It’s not until the end of the day when I feel her eyes on me again. I’m a sweaty mess. All the other guys have left, but I stuck around, taking my frustration from our earlier conversation out on the walls. Who needs Doc when you’ve got a sledgehammer?

I drop the hammer to the ground, my torso twisting as I look at her.

She’s in the middle of the room, gawking at the destruction. I smile at her. “Not what you expected?”

She looks around the room. “No. Not really. It’s a mess in here.” She narrows her eyes. “This is what we’re payin’ y’all to do?”

I chuckle as I take off my eyewear, setting it on my head. I lift my shirt to wipe the sweat from my brow. Her eyes sear into me, mouth parting as she stares at my stomach, watching as the fabric falls back down. Fuck, I love the burn of her gaze. “Do you wanna try?”

Her mouth snaps shut, her eyes widening. “What? No, I can’t do that.”

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