“Hank will know.”
He smiled. “Hank’s good at keeping secrets, don’t worry.”
How he knew that, I had no idea.
* * *
I lay in bed, eyes wide open, staring at the ceiling as I thought about Chance downstairs. Everything had gone as planned, and as promised, we didn’t bring any unwanted attention to us. By the time I was ready to sleep, Chance had set himself up on the couch in the living room to be as close to the door as possible if Earl did decide to show up again.
I thought it was sweet. And charming. And everything else that made my stomach flutter like butterflies. He didn’t have to do this, but just knowing he was downstairs made me feel a lot better. Although it did feel odd having someone else in the house. I wondered what it would be like in the morning. I couldn’t remember the last time I had breakfast with someone in my own kitchen, let alone Chance.
Let’s just hope he isn’t some serial killer, okay?
I smiled to myself. This was so unlike me. It was true, I hardly knew the man, but he made me feel safe, and that was all that mattered really. I found it strange that I was scared of a man I had been married to for a few years, yet felt unbelievably comfortable around another I had only known for two days.
Serial killer or not, I wanted him downstairs. A part of me wanted him upstairs, too.
Why not invite him upstairs, then? He’s already here. God knows you could use a good time. When’s the last time you felt a man inside you? A man who really cared?
“Never,” I whispered. I closed my eyes, letting the voice in my head play with my thoughts just a little. It was odd how close I felt to Chance, how open I had been to him. There was just something about him, a quality that made me weak in the knees. Hot, sure. Tall and handsome, double check. But that wasn’t all. The fact that he had sat down and listened to me the way he had, that just gave him a completely different edge that far surpassed the line of sexy. A part of me wished we had more time together.
Then use the time you have.
I opened my eyes and stared up at the ceiling. I pondered the thought, long and hard, and just thinking about Chance holding me, his hands all over my body, made me a little wet. I closed my legs and curled onto my side, trying to think of anything else to get my mind off the absurdity of what I was considering.
But it wouldn’t go away.
Now or never, girl. Get your ass up and at him.
I made up my mind instantly, threw the covers off, and rolled out of bed. The hardwood floor was warm against my bare feet, and I quickly made my way down the hall. I hesitated at the top of the staircase. What if he didn’t want me that way? What if this was a one-way street? I couldn’t bear the thought of being embarrassed in my own house. If he turned me down, it would be impossible to avoid him until he left.
Worth the shot. Go for it.
I bit my lip, threw caution to the wind, and made my way downstairs.
He hadn’t slept yet and was sitting on the couch, clad only in a pair of pants, holding a book in his hands and reading the back. In the dim light
of the table lamp, his body seemed to ripple with muscles, and I found myself staring for what seemed like forever. He must have felt my presence, because he quickly turned to where I was standing and frowned.
“Ashlyn?” he asked, putting the book down on the coffee table. “What’s wrong? Did you hear something?”
I bit my lip again and shook my head, willing my body to move instead of just standing there like an idiot.
“What is it?” he asked again, slowly standing up.
My eyes traced the lines of his muscles, and when I looked into his eyes, the ocean blues were glimmering like a sea under the moonlight. I could have stared at him forever. Instead, I forced myself forward, moving quickly before my mind caught up with my emotions and started screaming about how much of a mistake this would be. He watched me approach, confusion etched all over his face, but he didn’t pull back when I wrapped my arms around his neck and pressed my lips against his.
He kissed me back. And the way he did removed any doubt in my mind that he didn’t feel the way I did right now. His hands held me by the waist and his lips entangled with mine. I kissed him with urgency, a deep need that I did not know I had, and was rewarded with much of the same.
“Ashlyn, are you sure you –”
“Shut up, Chance,” I interrupted, kissing him again, pushing my body closer to his until I felt like I could somehow dissolve inside him. His lips were warm, his hands strong, and I felt like my body would go completely numb against his touch. He found his way under my shirt, wrapping me in his arms as his hands explored my back, the intensity of our kiss magnifying as he touched me. I wanted him to hold me like this forever. I wanted to feel his hands all over my body. I wanted his lips to explore every inch of me.
My hands explored his naked chest, tracing the lines of his muscles as I sighed into his kiss. I felt my entire body sizzle, an excitement rising inside me that was so overwhelming, it threatened to consume me completely. His hands found their way to the small of my back, and as he pulled me closer to him, deeper into his embrace, I could feel his excitement, too.
“Upstairs,” I mumbled against his lips.
He didn’t reply, only looked at me and waited until I grabbed him by the hand and led him up the flight of stairs to my room. As soon as we were past the threshold, he turned me around to face him and picked up where we had left off. His hands ravaged me, feeling their way across every inch of me, his lips devouring me hungrily. And I kissed him back with equal need, equal hunger.