Page 71 of Beneath the Stars (Sugarlake 1)

“I ain’t sayin’ nothin’ she don’t already know.”

The shame burns my cheeks. Chase’s mouth opens but I squeeze his arm tighter. “Please… leave it.” My voice is a whisper.

Chase stares at me, his shoulders tense and his jaw twitching before he nods sharply and puts his eyes back on the road. We get Daddy home in one piece. I told Chase to wait in the car, but he wouldn’t hear about it. He helps Daddy inside, setting him up in his recliner with a glass of water and ibuprofen.

I’m relieved once we’re back in his truck. The boulder of Daddy’s problems and my shame for causing them sits heavy. I’m ready to wallow in misery alone.

Chase sits with both hands on the steering wheel, but he doesn’t turn the engine on.“Wanna go for a drive?”

I grip the handle of the passenger door. Part of me is screaming to open it and run away from him. But the bigger part of me wants to give in. So I say yes.

Before I know it, we’re back at the lake, lying beneath the stars.

31

Chase

Marissa surprised me with a weekend visit. I should be thrilled the woman I’m in a relationship with is here. As it is, I’m annoyed. It’s my first weekend at my new place, and I was planning on enjoying the solitude. But I’m not a complete asshole so I let her in with a smile on my face. What am I supposed to do, tell her to leave?

“I’m so excited to see where you grew up,” she says, making herself comfortable on my couch.

“Mmm.” I sit down next to her.

“What’s wrong? Are you upset that I came?”

“Not upset, just… I wish you would have called first.”

“I thought it would be a nice surprise. You’ve been tense whenever we’ve talked on the phone. I thought I’d be a good stress reliever.” She has a wicked smile as she reaches down and palms my lap. I’ve been half-hard all week from thoughts of Goldi, so it doesn’t take long for my body to react, my cock stiffening under her touch.

I haven’t really been stressed like Marissa thinks, just distracted with thoughts of Goldi. How she’s dealing with her father. How fucking badly I want to take away the sadness from her soul. It’s not my place. She has Becca. Jax.

Envy slithers up my spine when I think of them together. He was always half in love with her, I’m sure the feelings have only grown. But it doesn’t matter. I have Marissa. A gorgeous, successful woman who wants to give me the world. What the fuck am I doing wasting thoughts on someone who I’ve already lost? Goldi wants nothing to do with me. It’s time I accept it.

Marissa still has her hand in my lap, and I reach down, gripping her wrist. I run my hand up her arm, around the nape of her neck, tangling my fingers in her hair and bringing her mouth to mine. If she wants to be my stress relief, I’ll let her.

All my pent-up energy goes into fucking Marissa. Hard. But I feel dirty. Like I cheated on Goldi. Which is truly an extra level of some fucked-up shit. I should feel the opposite, since it was the image of honey-blonde locks and lush curves that made me come, not the woman who was underneath me.

I brush my hand through my hair as I look at Marissa who’s lazing in bed next to me, still naked. She sees me staring and rolls toward me, throwing her leg over my hip as her fingers play with the hair on my chest. “Mmm… I could get used to this.”

I absentmindedly rub her back as I ponder whether this is something I could get used to. Could I see myself with her, here? It’s not unpleasant, having her warm my bed. A nice pussy to feast on and an intelligent mind to talk with. There are worse things to come home to.

My phone vibrates on the end table, bringing me out of my thoughts. Marissa pokes her head up to look at the screen. It’s a random number she wouldn’t recognize. But I do. My heart speeds up, and I push Marissa off me as I sit up to answer.

“Goldi.”

She says she needs me and I’m out of bed in seconds, holding the phone between my ear and shoulder as I throw on my clothes.

“What are you doing?” Marissa asks, leaning on her elbows.

I hold up my finger so she knows I’ll answer her in a second. I’m sure she’s wondering who’s on the phone, but my mind is only worried about Goldi. Complete tunnel vision. I repeatedly fucked-up when she needed me before, no chance in hell I’m going to let that shit happen again. I’m so damn happy I gave her my number.

I hang up the phone after getting her address.

Hands creep around my waist as I grab my wallet and keys. Shit. How did I forget Marissa was here?

“Are you going somewhere?”

“Yeah. A friend needs some help. Car trouble.”

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