Chapter Thirteen

This night certainly had taken a swift detour. While he cooked the fish over the fire Chase glanced at Ava, sitting on a chair he’d pulled out from the shed. She didn’t seem uncomfortable or disappointed that they were here. Quite the opposite, she seemed amazingly content. He was pleasantly surprised, since he had originally been dubious she would be able to relax and enjoy herself so easily. He was thrilled it had turned out this way. Sitting out here was one of his favorite ways to decompress.

“The fish is ready.” He set the mesh grill, another item he had stashed in the shed for occasions such as these, with the sizzling fish on the stump she’d been sitting on earlier. “It’s hot, so let it cool a bit and we can move the chairs.”

“Oh, like a makeshift table. Perfect.” She stood and went to grab her chair, but he nudged her aside. His mom would never let him hear the end of it if he let Ava do the heavy lifting. He brought both chairs over to the stump and held one for Ava while she sat down. He tested the temperature of the fish with a quick touch before breaking it up with a fork.

“Thank you for bringing me here,” Ava said. “I never thought my night would wind up like this.” She reached for a piece of fish, holding it between her fingertips. She nibbled on it for a temperature test before taking a real bite.

“I was just thinking the same.” He also took a piece and popped it into his mouth. “There’s nothing like fresh-caught fish cooked on an open fire.” He smacked his lips and made an exaggerated mmhm sound.

“I definitely agree. I didn’t realize I was this hungry.” She took another piece and swallowed, closing her eyes and enjoying the flavor bursting in her mouth. “Mmhm is right.”

They ate in silence for a little while then Chase started to clean up and Ava began to help. This was a first for him. He’d gone camping with a woman or two in the past, but they’d been content to let him take care of everything. Yet Ava pitched in without question. She didn’t seem to mind getting her fingers dirty. Plus, she still hadn’t put her boots back on. He glanced at her toes and they were painted a bright green with some kind of sparkly jewels on them. He smiled.

As he went about dousing the fire and putting everything away in the shed, with Ava’s help, he knew he wanted to suggest that she come back to his house. He was just mulling over the right way to bring it up.

She raised her hands to her nose and sniffed. “While I do like fishing and all, now I kind of smell fishy. And my butt’s wet.” She looked at him and laughed. “You know what I could use right now?”

The way she tilted her head, her hair tumbling down over her shoulder and a sweet smile curving her lips, got his heart racing. “Actually, I don’t think I can guess,” Chase answered her as he lifted his tackle box on to the stump.

“A shower.” She reached her hand up into her hair, bundled it like she had in the truck, before arching her back and shaking it out. He could watch her all night. Demanding a shower? It certainly appeared so.

“A shower? I didn’t expect you to say that.” Chase put his hands on his hips and thought about it. “There’s only one place to get a shower around here, unless you want to take a dip in the creek…”

She bent to pick up her boots, which she’d placed earlier at the base of a massive, old tree, and looked at him from behind the fall of her hair. Her eyes were sparkling and her lips were shining and Chase knew his life would never be the same after this chance meeting tonight.

“As much as I’d love to jump in the creek, I could use soap, I think. I feel kind grotty and my hands smell fishy.” She held up her hands and wiggled her fingers.

“Soap, huh? You have two choices, then.” He paused, really wanting to just sweep her off to his house.

“And they are?” She stepped closer to him.

“I can either take you back to your hotel…or…we can go to my place, which isn’t far from here.” Chase was holding his breath as he waited for her answer. He knew what he wanted her to say.

She was considering her options and it disappointed him that she didn’t immediately pick his house.

“If I go back to the hotel, I’ll face a barrage of questions from my friends. And, additionally, I know they will be highly disappointed I did not stay overnight with you. So, I choose your house,” she whispered, and stepped into him, placing her hand on his chest before sliding it up to slip her fingers under his hair and caress the back of his neck.

Boom. There it was. This wonderful woman who had fallen into his world, quite literally, had decided to stay with him. Chase was transfixed. He took ahold of her shoulders and pulled her closer. She let out a tiny little whimper and her lips parted as if waiting for his kiss.

Happiness and desire surged through Chase. He was surprised to realize how devastated he would have been if she had chosen to leave.

“Well, we certainly don’t want to disappoint your friends…” They stared at each other for a few beats and he leaned over her, drawing her closer still until her body was flush to his.

“No, don’t take it like that. I didn’t mean—”

He heard a little bit of worry in her tone and wanted to put her at ease. He sensed she was the kind that usually put others’ feelings ahead of her own and would never intentionally hurt anyone, so he was quick to reassure her. “I’m only teasing you. You haven’t hurt my feelings.”

“Oh good. I didn’t want to do that. But trust me, my main reason for staying at your house is purely selfish.” She tipped her face up to him.

He brushed a soft kiss over her lips but it quickly shifted. The kiss was different this time. It ignited a fire, an intensity, an urgency that he had to hold back from bursting out of him. This new, raw emotion that played through them when their mouths met, tongues touched and the sigh that came from her nearly brought him to his knees. She clung to him and he cradled her in his arms, almost unable to breathe. When he thought he would explode, he gently stepped back, held her, his breathing rough. She was the same.

“Let’s go.” He grabbed his tackle box and reached for her hand with his free one. Entwining their fingers, he led her back to his truck and swung his tackle box into the bed.

They stood for a moment beside the truck.

He didn’t imagine that she leaned a little closer to him. Nor did he imagine the desire in her eyes. And he most certainly didn’t imagine the way her tongue swept around her lips in a tantalizing tease.

In a perfect world Chase would kiss her, lay her on the soft grass and make love to her here, surrounded by the nature he loved, but a chill was creeping through the forest and he noticed goose-bumps on her arms as he ran his palms down them. “You are a siren, Boots. And Lord help me but your song is hypnotizing.” He held the truck door open for her and then helped her in.

“How far to your house?” She settled her skirt over her knees and put on her seatbelt as he slammed the door shut and walked to his side. Climbing in, he told her, pointing, “Just down that track there.” She peered in that direction, narrowing her eyes.

“But that’s not a road. That’s practically a game trail.” She leaned forward in her seat and then looked at him. “Are you sure you know where you’re going?”

He chuckled and started the truck, punching the seat warmer for her. “Trust me, yes. You are full of surprises. How would a city girl know about game trails?”

She shrugged her shoulders. “Wildlife television shows. Plus, my daddy made sure I had a well-rounded education.” Her voice held a teasing lilt to it again and he realized, once again, that this woman ran deep. He was going to enjoy diving through those depths to find out who she was beneath all the layers.

The growl of the truck’s engine broke the serene silence of the forest. The headlights pierced the night gloom and he drove carefully down the two lines of tire tracks. It was a tight fit under a canopy of trees that created a tunnel through the foliage, and the branches almost brushed the sides of his truck. “Keep your eyes peeled. You never know what animal might decide to give us a showing.”

“Really? It’s been a while since I’ve seen a whitetail.” She trained her eyes out the front window.

“They live around here, but I can’t guarantee any’ll make an appearance.”

After about fifteen minutes through the trees they emerged at the beginning of the driveway up to his house.

Chase felt nerves kick in. Which was ridiculous. But suddenly he wanted to impress Ava. He wanted to her love his house and feel comfortable in it. It was really too early to tell, but he was starting to think that one night wouldn’t be enough.

Ava was looking out the passenger window, fiddling with her bag, as the moonlight spilled across her hair and skin. It gave her a mystical glow, like a magical forest fairy had danced her way into his truck. One who could fish with the best of them and laughed off getting muddy. Now he wanted to see if she could be more than that. Chase had started falling under her spell the moment he laid eyes on her in the Wildhorse but he knew now, with each passing minute, there was no turning back.

…

It was like a fairy tale. The small paved road wound through some lovely rolling meadows with miles of white fences that glowed in the moonshine. It was ethereal and she saw darker shapes of horses in the fields, which she’d like to imagine were unicorns.

When they rounded the last stand of trees, a house on the far side of an oval loop appeared between the trees. Ava drew in a sharp breath.

“Is this your house?” she asked in awe.

“Yup. It’s mine.” She heard the pride in his voice.

“It’s stunning. And all those fields we just passed…” She hitched her thumb behind them.

“Those are mine, too.” He pulled up to the grand portico, its columns a combination of stone and wood. Strategic lighting on the house, in the gardens and in the trees beyond made it all seem so surreal.

“Wow.” It was the only thing she could say. Never in million years would she have expected him to have such a house. She would’ve expected a rustic bachelor pad, not this gorgeous mansion, and the beautiful gardens were just that…beautiful. It just didn’t seem to match up with his burly cowboy persona.

She wasn’t one to be starry-eyed over someone’s wealth or possessions—people were just people at the root of it—but this was beyond anything she’d ever encountered. Ava wondered where it had all come from. Sure, she could just google him again, but it would mean more when he chose to share. Something told her there was a bigger story to Chase.

Physical attraction was important but she wanted to learn more. To find out more about just who this man was. And, boy, she was eager to do that. Not because of all these trappings but because he had an aura to him that hinted at something so much deeper and she wanted to know the man. Him.

He came around and helped her down from the truck. She inhaled the scent of the night.

“It’s beautiful. Peaceful and serene. Do you live here all alone?”

“This is my haven. I much prefer to be here, working on my ranch and doing business in my home office. Of course, I have a foreman to oversee the day-to-day, but I like to keep my hand in. I also built a home recording studio. It’s not much, but it lets me get music down when the inspiration strikes.”

He led her up the wide stairs to a door that looked like it was made out of a tree. Beautiful leaded windows framing either side let her peek inside to the foyer.

Chase pushed the door open. “Welcome to my home.”

She glanced up at him and the look on his face touched her heart. It wouldn’t matter if he was leading her into a double wide. She was with him. And that’s what counted.

He reached out his hand. “Shall we go inside?”

Ava stared up at him as she took his hand. She was here, with this man who did all kinds of wonderful things to her with just a look.

Now it was time to find out what kind of things he could do to her with his body. It seemed like days ago when Fredi had asked her to picture her dream man. She didn’t think she would have ever pictured Chase, and yet he seemed to be everything she’d ever dreamed of. He gave her a slow wink.

Oh my god.

The moment felt heavy; as if, when she crossed his threshold, everything in her life would change. Squeezing his hand, she stepped forward.