Taking Chances (Taking Chances 1)

I huffed and wrapped the towel tighter around me, “I told you, I'm with Brandon now.”

“I said a good reason Princess.” He deadpanned.

“That's a perfectly good reason! And it's the only one you're going to get.” I bent down and picked up the towels, when I stood back up he was right in front of me.

“Harper.”

“No Chase,” I shut my eyes so I wouldn't get distracted again, “Please just – just don't. I really like Brandon. Besides, you have plenty of girls who are fine with being treated like shit by you, I'm not one of them. Go find another brainless bimbo to screw and get out of your system.”

I heard his sharp intake of breath, but kept my eyes closed until I was on my way back outside. Setting out the dry towels, I flopped onto my stomach and tried to forget about Chase. Brad fired up the grill a little over an hour later, and Bree was lying out next to me as the guys talked about going surfing tomorrow. It was easy enough to keep my eyes off Chase's bare chest, but the stupid goose bumps wouldn't go away and Brandon was taking forever to get here. I was so focused on where Chase was, not even five feet away, and trying to hold a conversation with Bree that I didn't even notice Brandon until he wrapped his arms around me and lifted me off the ground. I shrieked and kicked for a second before I realized it wasn't one of the other guys about to throw me back in the pool, which had happened two more times since my hallway encounter with Chase.

Brandon just laughed and pressed his lips to mine, “Mind if I steal you away for a few minutes?”

I didn't miss the fact that Chase abruptly stopped talking, “Not at all, I'm yours for the next three days.”

We were in the house before he spoke again, “We need to cover you up sweetheart.”

“Why? Do you know how long it took Bree to talk me into wearing this thing?”

He set me down on his bed and slowly raked his eyes over my body. Heat spread across my cheeks and I had to force myself not to cover myself. “Remind me to thank her for that later, but I don't have enough patience tonight to continue watching the rest of the guys look at you like they want to eat you.”

I frowned and ran my fingers down his cheek, “Bad day babe?”

“Something like that.” he snorted and dropped his head to mine.

“You wanna tell me about it?”

“It's not a big deal, just people trying to piss me off.”

“Like...?”

He kissed me hard and crawled onto the bed to hover over me, “Don't worry about it sweetheart, it's nothing I can't handle.”

I just stared at him for a few minutes, hoping he'd elaborate, he didn't. “Fine, I'll go change so we can get back out there.”

Brandon's eyes warmed and the corner of his mouth tilted up. “I just got my girl alone again, I'm not ready to share her just yet.” He bit at the hollow at the base of my neck and let his teeth lightly graze across my collar bone. The shivers I never seemed to be able to control surged up my spine, causing him to grin. “I love knowing I do that to you.” His husky baritone voice was enough to make it almost happen again.

Bringing his mouth to mine, I tried to take advantage of our current situation by pulling at his bottom lip with my teeth, he groaned and slid in between my legs, pressing his body firmly against mine. I pulled his shirt over his head and trailed my fingers down his back, a shiver of his own made me giggle and repeat the trail. His lips followed the bikini top's string down my chest, when he reached the swell of my breast a hand found the ties on my hip for the bottoms and started to pull the string but suddenly froze and pulled away.

“Maybe you should go change, we need to get out of the bedroom.” He looked down my body again and stepped away, “Like now.”

After I changed into actual clothes, we joined everyone outside as the burgers were coming off the grill and I tried not to look for Chase, who was now gone. First thing Brandon did was thank Bree for her hand in my earlier outfit, she winked at both of us before running back to the side of some new guy named Ryan. We grabbed our dinner and Brandon pulled me onto his lap, always keeping one of his hands on me. The guys started in on a small game of football once we were done, while Bree and I cleaned up all the leftover food. Brandon came bounding into the kitchen and pulled me in for a sweaty kiss.

“We're getting in the pool, you want to join?”

I looked to Bree for her answer and turned to press my lips to his again, “Sure, let me change back into my suit. I'll be out there in a second.”

He shrugged out of his shirt as he walked out the back door, Bree hit me with a dish towel to get me to stop watching him.

“What? I'm allowed to look, he's mine.”

She laughed and put the rest of the food in the fridge, “Well why don't you get back in that suit so he can look too?”

I smiled and rushed back to Brandon's room. I had just grabbed my suit when Brandon's phone chimed, I glanced at his desk where it sat and continued to take my shirt off. After the top was securely in place it went off again twice. Looking at the door to see if he was coming through, I stepped towards the desk and sucked in a shocked gasp. I barely managed to fall into his chair as I stared at the offensive little screen before it went black. Going through his phone was probably too much an invasion of privacy, but he's my boyfriend, and what I had caught a glimpse of was definitely my business. Bringing the screen back to life I saw he had five texts from someone named Amanda. Sliding to unlock his phone, it instantly brought up the texts and my jaw dropped. It was the girl that had been in the group with Brandon on Monday outside of class. The one Breanna had said kept flirting with him the week before. I immediately saw the picture of her face and bare breasts, as well as the one I'd originally seen of her...um...nether regions. My heart clenched as I read the three other texts,

Amanda - 'I miss you already, can barely wait ‘til tomorrow'

Amanda - 'I can't wait to feel your lips all over me again'

Amanda - 'I'm ready for you'

I dropped the phone and choked on a sob. This couldn't be happening. I felt like someone punched me in the stomach and ripped out my heart. I took deep breaths to calm my stomach so I wouldn't throw up and shakily walked over to where I'd discarded my shirt. Throwing everything else back into my bag, I ran through the house and out the front door, tears streaming down my face for the first time in years. This is exactly why I wouldn't ever give Chase and me a chance. This is how his life is, but at least he doesn't hide it like Brandon seems to be doing. A sob racked through my chest as I thought about him and I had to lean up against someone's car before I continued my way down the driveway. I hadn't expected something like this from him. I was a few blocks from the house when I heard a car slow down.

“Harper?”

Groaning, I kept my head down and continued my trek.

A door shut and footsteps quickly approached me, “Harper what are you – are you crying? What's wrong?”

I angrily wiped the tears away and stepped around him, “Please leave me alone.”

“What happened?” He wrapped his hands gently around my arms and bent down to try to look in my eyes.

“Nothing happened Chase, just let me go.”

“Like hell, you’re crying and walking through a dark neighborhood. Talk to me.”

“Why are you even out here?”

“I'm going in to work, now tell me what he did.”

I breathed a miserable sounding laugh, “Don't act like you don't know. You tried to warn me, you knew he would do this.” My phone rang and after a quick glance to confirm it was Brandon, I ignored the call and shoved it back in my pocket.

“Princess, I promise you I have no idea what you're talking about, but I'll kill him for hurting you. Please tell me what happened.” He wrapped one arm around me, and tilted my chin up with his other hand, anger and worry etched in his face.

Another cry escaped my mouth and I crumpled into his arms. He held me and whispered soothing words into my ears until my phone rang again, I ignored it. “Can you take me to the dorms, please?”

“You sure you want to go there?”

I nodded into his chest and wiped at my cheeks again.

“Kay, get in the truck Princess.” He helped me in before running to the driver's side. “Is that him calling again?”

“Yep.”

“Are you going to answer it this time?”

“Nope.” I hit ignore for the third time.

He let go of the seat belt and scooted toward me. Cupping my face, he wiped away the remaining tears with the pads of his thumbs. “Tell me what happened.”

I opened my mouth to speak but my phone rang again, “What Brandon?!”

“What the hell Harper, what's wrong?”

“Seriously? You're really going to play that game with me?” I puffed and dropped my head into my other hand.

“Sweetheart, what are you talking about? Where did you go? And where's all your stuff?”

“I left.”

“I got that, but where are you going?”

Tears started streaming down my face again, “Please stop calling me Brandon.”

“Wha– Harper, why?”

“Why don't you ask Amanda?” I sneered, “I'm sure she'd be more than happy to show you why I left.”

He cursed away from the phone, “Harper, I swear –'

I hung up and turned my phone off.

After a few silent minutes, Chase grabbed my hand in his and spoke softly, “Who's Amanda?”

“Apparently she's some girl he's sleeping with. Bree and I saw her on Monday with him and a group of guys.” I wanted to smack myself. I thought he was incredible for trying to keep my innocence intact, but instead he'd just been holding off because he was sleeping with other women.

He glanced at my face, eyebrows furrowed, “Why do you think he's cheating on you?”