Chapter 8

 

Chase followed the familiar path, checking every minute or so to make sure Rebecca was keeping pace. It wasn’t a particularly hard trail, but athletic ability sure helped the climb. Rebecca seemed to be doing just fine, pausing every now and again to take it all in.

He loved watching the awe in her eyes, the sheer joy whenever she pointed out a large mushroom or a scattering of wildflowers. He would love to see her face if they actually saw a moose. He smiled thinking about it.

“How you doing?” he asked.

“Great,” she said. “How often do you come here?”

“A handful of times throughout the year. Not nearly as much as I used to.”

This place used to be his saving grace. After his mom died, he would spend hours getting lost in the trees and ignoring life. He refused to cry in front of his sisters, but some days his emotions got the better of him. Those were the days he spent out here the most. Instead of crying, he would walk off his emotions until his thighs burned and he didn’t have the energy to shed a single tear. This place he was bringing Rebecca to see was special to him. It was a place he came to when alone to reflect and center himself. His own personal oasis that he had never felt the need to bring anyone to see, but for some reason, he wanted to show it to her.

She was going through a rough time and hiding from her life, so he hoped that by showing her his special place that it might bring her some measure of peace as it had for him many times before.

They finally made it to the top, and Chase looked out at the wide-open space, an endless abyss infinitely stretching across the horizon, before turning to her. Her brown hair slipped from her ponytail and the light breeze tossed it across her face. She didn’t seem to notice, eyes completely focused on the view.

“It’s something, isn’t it?” he said.

She was silent for a moment as her gaze moved across the tree tops. “Rise above the clouds and you will find the sunshine,” she said and he looked at her with curiosity. She caught his eye and smiled, a slight tinge of pink blooming on her cheeks. “It’s something my dad used to say when times were rough. Being up here is like seeing the meaning to those words. If that even makes sense.”

He reached into his backpack and pulled out two bottles of water, handing her one. She took it, her eyes never leaving the skyline.

“When I was younger I would come here to talk to my mom,” he said. “I thought being closer to the sky meant I was closer to her.” He had no idea why he just told her that. It was his own personal secret that he held dearly.

Rebecca took her eyes from the horizon briefly, but he couldn’t look at her. The emotion was too raw, and he wasn’t ready to show her that side of him yet.

“How’d she die?” she asked, looking back out to the treetops.

“Car accident.” He’d come to terms with it the best he could a long time ago, but the words still stabbed relentlessly at his heart. “She was driving home after a late-night shift. Fell asleep behind the wheel, veered off the road, and hit a tree. Died on impact.”

“I’m so sorry.”

“She didn’t suffer,” Chase said, walking over to a boulder and sitting down. He bent down and picked up a stick, fidgeting with it. “It’s not much, but it’s something.”

“What about your dad?”

Chase took a deep breath and let it out slowly. He didn’t talk about that worthless use of space. Words were more than he deserved. If Chase had his way, the man would be erased from existence.

“He was an alcoholic. Abusive. He took off when I was ten. Best day of our lives.”

“That’s why you don’t drink,” Rebecca said, closing her eyes and nodding as the realization hit her.

“It’s not that I don’t drink. I will have a beer with friends or for a special occasion. I just…” Chase didn’t know how to put into words what he felt, but for her he tried. “I know I’m not my father. Our personalities couldn’t be any more different, but I watched what alcohol did to him. I’m afraid that whatever it provoked in him is in me, too, and I don’t want to ever find out.”

“I don’t know you all that well, but other than your strong dislike for cats, I don’t think you have an abusive bone in your body.”

“How can you say that? Like you said you don’t even know me.” They were basically strangers, slowly learning more and more about the other, but how could she make such a bold claim? Especially after the attitude he copped with her on their first encounter.

“Because when Willy freaked out on you and the ladder teetered. You could have thrown him to save yourself but instead you held onto him tightly, risking yourself for his safety.”

“Maybe I just didn’t want to hear you yelling at me that I hurt your cat. After all, you did yell at me for scaring him.”

She laughed. “That was after you were safely back on the ground. You had no idea that was coming while you were up there. Besides, you’re a fireman; it’s in your nature to help people. Someone like that doesn’t purposely hurt someone.”

“Some of the most admired people turn out to be monsters. People you think you know, can trust.”

“I know,” Rebecca said, and the way her eyes darted down, Chase sensed there was even more to her own story. “But you’re not a monster, despite your brooding.”

“My father was. Watching what he did to my mom, to my family… that’s not something you forget. Like I said the day he left was the best damn day of our lives. Losing my mom sucked, but for four years I got to see her happy. In the grand scheme of things, four years doesn’t seem like a whole lot of time, but after years of my father’s wrath, those years felt like an eternity.”

“You still miss her,” Rebecca said more as a statement than a question.

“Every damn day.”

“I miss my parents, and they’re still alive. I couldn’t imagine what that kind of loss would feel like.”

He tossed the stick to the ground. “It sucks.”

“I bet it does.”

He glanced at her, ready to force a smile, but seeing her green eyes focused solely on him, he didn’t have to put much effort into it. He took her hand and drew her toward him. She sat down beside him, her leg pressing against his. “Tell me about your parents,” he said.

She looked back out to the horizon. “You haven’t looked me up on the internet?”

“No,” he said honestly. Even after what Brooke told him he couldn’t bring himself to do it. “Why would I do that when I can just ask you?”

Her eyes met his and there was an unspoken appreciation shining back at him. He imagined not many people let her present herself without already having a preconceived notion of who she was. It was exactly why he’d avoided those ridiculous gossip sites.

He wanted to know the real Rebecca, not the characters she played or the identity people thrust upon her without regard to the actual truth.

“My life wasn’t always so glamourous,” she said, tilting her head away from him as if she was ashamed.

He rested a finger under her chin and urged her to look back at him. “You have no reason to be embarrassed. Not with me.”

Her eyes softened as she held his gaze. “I grew up in a trailer park,” she began. “But it’s nothing like the movies make it out to be. We were a small community, and we looked after our own. Kind of like this town. Everyone was battling their own demons, though. My dad worked three jobs to pay the bills, and my mom worked as a waitress until chronic pain made it impossible for her to keep up the grueling schedule.”

“I bet they’re happy that you’re successful. They don’t have to worry about the bills anymore.”

Rebecca laughed. “Not my parents. They refuse to leave the trailer park. I even bought them a house but they won’t live there.”

“That’s insane.”

“Like I said, it’s a close-knit community. If someone bought you a house tomorrow but you had to leave behind the place you’ve called home all these years, would you?”

Chase didn’t even need to think about it. “Probably not.”

“Exactly. They won’t take money from me either, which is super frustrating, but I’ve found ways around it.”

“Like what?”

“I called their insurance company and set up an auto-pay on my checking account. Did the same thing with a few of their credit cards.”

“Did they ever notice?”

“Of course they did, but I wasn’t going to stop so they gave in. It’s not much, but it gives me peace of mind knowing there are a few less bills they have to take care of.”

“You’re a good daughter.”

She scoffed. “Not according to the tabloids. According to them, I’m ashamed of my parents and wrote them off the minute I got on that bus and left. While I drape myself in the newest designer clothes and get chauffeured around my parents are struggling to get by.”

“Why do you care what they think? You know the truth.”

“I know, but they’re putting these lies out there about me and people believe them. I shouldn’t care what they think, but it’s hard not to.”

“I didn’t know anything about you until you came here, but from what I’ve heard since, it seems you’re respected in the industry, admired by many. I mean I’ve never seen Miguel so star struck.”

She laughed.

“And,” Chase said, pulling her close until her legs straddled him. He needed her close so there was no mistaken what he was about to say. He waited until her green eyes met his. “I think you’re pretty damn special, and that has to count for something.”

She cupped his cheek and kissed him lightly, stirring a deep-rooted hunger inside him. The slight gold specks in her eyes sparkled as she leaned back and ran her fingers through his hair. “It does.”

His big hand grabbed her waist sinking into the perfect curve and rested just above the flare of her hip. “I’m thinking it should at least count for double… if not triple.”

“You think very highly of yourself.”

“I know what I’m worth.”

“Do you, now?”

He nodded before capturing her lips with his. She moaned against his mouth, her hips rubbing against him in slow torturous circles. His fingers clenched the bottom hem of her shirt, holding her close.

Her hand urged his up, taking her shirt with it. She slipped out of the pink material, and he tossed it to the ground beside them. Fancy black lace molded to her body and he ran his finger along the edge where lace met soft skin.

“You’re stunning,” he said.

Her cheeks flared red, and she bit her lip. “You don’t think I look like a frog?” she asked and Chase’s head jolted back.

“Who the hell said you look like a frog?”

She shrugged. “Some random person in a comment section.”

“You need to stay off those damn sites. Those people don’t know what the hell they’re talking about.”

He wished he could track down every last one of those trolls and knock them out. Men like that didn’t deserve to breathe the same air and get away with saying such horrible things.

“I know it’s silly. I shouldn’t have said anything. I just get insecure easily and…”

He didn’t mind her insecurities they made her real and just like everyone else. But just because he understood them, appreciated them even, he never wanted her to feel anything but confident with him.

He framed her face with his fingertips. “You never have to be insecure with me. Ever. You hear me?”

She nodded.

“Good.” He kissed her again tenderly yet possessively, savoring the feel of her lips on his. He could easily fall for this girl, and he needed to be careful. She wasn’t here to stay, and once her scandals blew over she would be leaving to get back to her life.

Her extravagant life—something he knew nothing about.

He wasn’t naïve enough to think she would give up her career and stay in the middle of nowhere. The idea was preposterous, but it didn’t mean he wasn’t going to enjoy every second he had with her.

He dipped his head, dragging his tongue along the lace before giving one final kiss to the plump skin.

Digging deep for control, he reached for her shirt and went to pull it back into place.

“What are you doing?” she asked.

“I figured we could take this somewhere a little more private. That is if you want to.”

She shook her head. “Every day of my life I spend hiding, and I’m so tired of it. Out here…” She turned looking out toward the vast array of dense forest then back to him. “With you I feel free. Don’t make me go back into hiding.”

How the hell was he supposed to say no to that? He let the shirt drop from his fingers and ran his hands up her back, settling on the single clasp. With one precise snap, she fell completely free from the constricting material.

She lifted her arms up and leaned back, letting the midday sun shine down on her pert pink nipples. A liberating smile curved at the corner of her mouth as she bent back toward him, draping her arms around his neck.

“The sun has never felt so good,” she said just as she lowered her mouth to his.

She tasted like the sunshine, warm and inviting. Her tongue moved with his in a perfect dance as her hips rocked against him.

He dipped his head, taking her nipple in his mouth. A sexy moan slipped from her lips as she arched into him, pressing her center against his erection. His hands slid across the silky, smooth skin of her back, holding her in place as he lapped at the hardened bud.

He moved to the other, showing it just as much attention, licking and sucking, pulling it into a tight bead. His lips trailed up her neck, stopping at her mouth. His body shook with need, teetering on the edge of losing control. He wanted her, no, he needed her. He needed to be inside her, feel the slick heat of her body tighten around him.

The desire slammed into him fast and hard. He grabbed her face, crashing his lips to hers and filling her mouth with hard, deep thrusts of his tongue.

His unleashed desire was a hint of what was to come as much as it was a warning. He was beyond the point of stopping, unless she wanted him to but she needed to let him know.

She knotted her fingers in his hair and held him just shy of what he wanted most. Her teeth slid over her kiss-swollen lip, and she waited until his eyes met hers. “I want you to know that I usually don’t do this. Despite what the tabloids say.”

“I told you I don’t read that garbage.” His body vibrated, erection pressed harshly against the fly of his pants, but the saddened look in her eyes made him find a sliver of control.

“I know but—”

He took her face in his hands and shook his head. Those assholes held too much of her and she needed to let them go. What they thought didn’t matter. All that mattered was that they were here right now together. He needed her to see that. “I don’t care what they say. Understood?”

She nodded. “Just know that this isn’t me, but when I’m with you it just feels…”

“Right?” he asked because that was how he felt. Like two missing pieces that fit perfectly together in every way imaginable.

“Exactly.”

He didn’t let her finish, crushing his mouth to hers and making her see that what they shared might have been fast, but that didn’t take away how special it was. It was rare to meet someone and to have such a connection with that person, an undeniable attraction that lived in him like it was a part of who he was. He wasn’t going to take that for granted, not for a single second.

She rocked against him again, his control slipping closer to the edge. He wanted to be inside of her, feel her silken warmth tighten around him as she cried out his name.

A roaring fire ripped through him, sending red hot flames of hunger spiraling to the surface. “I want you,” he said, kissing a path down her collarbone.

“Then take me,” she said, the hot touch of her breath adding fuel to the raging inferno. Her fingers slid down his chest and unbuttoned his pants with one fluid flick of her fingers.

Whatever control he had was completely lost when she managed to free him. He went to grab for the top of her pants, but she wrapped her hand around his length and stroked him. Hot-blooded lust consumed him. His head fell back, a prisoner to her touch, absorbing every sensuous movement.

Her lips landed on his, taking the lead, driving him mad until all he could focus on was the sensations flowing through his body, the steady stroke of her hand and the way her mouth fit perfectly against his.

Pressure began to build, tiny sparks of ecstasy gathering together racing toward completion. He wasn’t falling over the edge without her. He grabbed her hand, halting her ministrations.

“If you don’t stop, this is going to be over before it starts,” he said, his breath coming out hard and heavy.

Her tongue dabbed at her lip, a tiny moan slipping past her mouth as her hips swiveled against him. She wanted him; he had no idea why but he wasn’t going to make her regret it because he wanted her, too. More than anyone before. He didn’t see her as Bex Shepard like the world did, he saw her only as Rebecca. Rebecca, the sweet girl with the one-eyed cat who would snap back at him without a moment hesitation was heaven in his lap.

She grabbed his face and kissed him starting off sweet and seductively then turning desperate and hungry. He reached for her pants. “Lift up so I can get these off of you.” She did as he asked, allowing him to pull the black material down her legs. She kicked off one sneaker, and Chase peeled the constricting material off one leg, leaving the other pant leg dangling from her ankle. Her legs wrapped around him, the black silk of her underwear drawing his attention to the creamy skin of her thighs.

He pulled the silk aside and ran his finger along her wet folds. Her body shuddered as she moved against his finger. A slew of moans rumbled up her throat as he dipped a digit into her heat.

“Oh yes…” Her nails dug into his shoulder as she flung her head back. A sexy blush spread up her neck and through her cheeks, and he smiled, knowing every hot prickle of heat running through her was because of him.

He wanted to breakdown her barriers and help her stand on the edge and fly free. He took her nipple between his teeth, and she cried out his name, the one word echoing through the late spring day.

She was so wet and so ready for him. He needed to be inside of her as much as he needed to breathe the air around them. He reached over to his backpack and pulled out his wallet, retrieving a condom.

Rebecca pressed hot open-mouthed kisses to his neck, her hands traveling under his shirt and up his chest. Tremors wracked his body as the anticipation grew to be almost unbearable. He slid the condom into place and positioned himself at her center. Rebecca slowly slid onto him, one excruciating inch at a time until he was fully seated in her.

A satisfied moan rumbled in her throat as she encircled her arms around his neck. Her hips dipped, and he settled his hands on her waist, guiding her.

He looked up at her taken aback by her natural beauty. Her eyelashes fluttered against the tops of her cheeks as she got lost to the sensations. Her plump bottom lip called his name and he brought his mouth down on hers. Their mouths came together in a clashing of teeth, frantic and carnal.

Their bodies synced, moving as one as he buried his hands in her hair. His tongue mimicked the slow deep thrusts of his body, and she met him with the same amount of intensity.

The only sounds were their bodies coming together and their breaths hot and heavy. He held her waist following the slow steady rocks of her body against his. She leaned back her body arching toward the sunlight.

His hand roamed up her small frame, enjoying every perfect curve. She straightened and he urged her mouth back to his. Her tongue found his in a rhythmic dance, moving and sliding together.

He ran his hands through the soft brown strands of her hair before drawing back and looking at her. Two green eyes met his, heavy with passion.

Words didn’t pass between them, but they didn’t need to. The green depths of her eyes reached out and spoke to his soul. He held her gaze as he continued to move inside of her, watching as that passion turned to unrestrained desire.

He moved faster, and his thumb found her swollen nub, rubbing tight circles until that desire exploded. She cried out his name—the best damn sound to ever cross his ears—as her body shook with uncontrollable tremors. She collapsed against him, her body still convulsing, her face pressing against his neck, and her warm breath skating across his heated skin.

He thrust into her one final time and jumped over the edge with her, flying high and breaking free.