Her breath was trapped in her throat. She glanced down at her hands and processed what he said. Her mind spun in a hundred directions, and she desperately tried to glue the pieces back together that had suddenly been shattered by his admission.
Chase tucked a thumb under her chin, bringing her gaze to his steady eye contact. “What’s on that mind of yours?” he asked.
“Oh, I’m just realizing that I had this all wrong. I thought you wouldn’t cross that line with me because I was Brody’s little sister.” She reached up and cupped his cheek. “But I guess I should have known better. Nothing stands in your way when you want something. Proof in point, you being in my bed right now.”
He took hold of her hand and kissed her palm. “That’s very much true.”
She hesitated, then asked the most important question of all. “If Brody wouldn’t stand in your way, then why are we not together?” She’d never doubted he shared her feelings. Not a single time.
His eyes went soft, voice equally gentle. “Because where would that get us? Maybe together. Maybe fighting to make it work when we both knew you would be moving to Vegas and I would always stay here in River Rock. It would be cruel to the both of us.” He stroked her chin, giving a sweet smile. “Brody’s only request was that I give you time to decide what life you wanted: Vegas or River Rock. And I agreed, not only because he’s my closet friend but because it was the right thing to do. Your dreams matter, Harper. I wouldn’t take them from you.”
Sudden tears welled in her eyes and her chin quivered.
“I’ve made you upset.” He frowned.
She shook her head, controlling the tears with a long, deep inhale, and managed to choke out, “Sometimes I think it’s easy to forget how much love I’ve got around me.”
Intensity filled his expression, and he began leaning forward. She mirrored his move, ready to feel his warmth, when her phone rang. She glanced over her shoulder, looking at the screen. “It’s Faith.”
“You better get it.”
She grabbed the phone, hit the call button, and raised the phone to her ear. “Hello.”
“Hey, it’s Faith.”
“Hi.” Harper restrained her squeak as Chase gathered her in his arms, laying her back then spreading her legs with his hands. She cleared her throat. “Do you have any news for me?”
“Brody proposed,” Faith said, an obvious smile in her voice. “Which I’m guessing you already knew was going to happen.”
“Maybe.” Harper sucked in a deep breath, watching Chase kiss his way up her thigh, the scruff of his beard ticking her inner thighs. “I take it you said yes.”
“Of course, I said yes.” Faith paused. Then, “So, that’s why I’m calling. Brody and I got to talking last night, and since you’re leaving on the weekend, we thought it might be best to do things quickly and have the wedding this week. I mean, why wait? Right? Besides, Brody really wants you there at the wedding.”
“Okay.” She could always fly back for the wedding, but that thought died when Chase’s tongue flicked over her clit.
Her fingers tightened in the bedsheets while Faith said, “We’re heading back soon, but do you want to come shopping with me??
?
“Shopping?”
“Yeah, you know, for the dress.”
“Right, the dress.” She arched her back, melting into the pleasure.
“The GPS says we’ll be there in a half an hour. Does that work?”
“Yup.”
“You’re at home?”
Her chin lifted to the ceiling as Chase slid one finger inside her, then another. She dug her heels into the mattress. “Mm-hmm.”
“Okay, see you in . . .”
The rest of what Faith said drifted over Harper’s subconscious. When silence came, Harper said quickly, “Yeah, sounds good. Bye.” She made sure to end the call before dropping the phone onto the mattress. Releasing the moans that she’d been holding, she threaded her fingers into Chase’s hair, grinding her sex against his mouth. He pumped his fingers, sucked on her clit, and with a high-pitched scream, she came against his mouth with a hard shudder.
* * *