Banging Reaper (Pounding Hearts 1)

“Almost as good as sex?” I ask with a smirk.

“Out of all that, that’s what you focus on, huh?” he asks.

I bite my lip and shrug my shoulders. How can I not think about sex whenever I’m around him? He has supernatural pheromones. Even as sweaty as he, even as stinky as he is right now, I’d so jump his bones.

Chase shakes his head as if he can’t believe me and picks up his second sub, taking another huge bite.

“You can’t do this forever, though, right? You’ll have to retire at some point.”

Chase nods and continues to chew.

“When do you plan to retire?”

He doesn’t answer and I get the hint he doesn’t intend to. I guess that’s secret or something.

“Do you have plans to do something if and when you retire? Like something else?”

“Yep,” Chase answers easily. “I’ll put my real estate license to use and take over some of the reins from my dad.”

I nod, remembering he told me his dad was in the real estate business.

“That sounds cool,” I say and glance down at my phone. I’ve been checking it all day hoping I’d get a call about the internship. I only have three more paid weeks off before I have to take Ethan up on his offer.

“What about you, Avery?” Chase asks, balling up his sandwich wrapper. “What do you want to do? What are you going to school for?”

“I want to help people,” I say and look up from my phone, smiling. “I’m working on my human services degree. I would like to get involved in a program or start a program that helps troubled youth.”

“Oh?” Chase asks with interest. “Why troubled youth?”

I sigh and glance at my phone. “I guess because I was one? I mean, I kind of know how much it sucks to feel like the world is just out to get you. And it’s not like you asked for any of it…. You didn’t ask to be born.”

“That sounds very admirable,” Chase says quietly.

I shrug, feeling incredibly self-conscious. I’m not doing it to be admirable or to have people think that of me. “Sometimes, and I know this from personal experience, it just helps knowing someone else out there gives a fuck.”

Dale returns from his call and Chase has to get back to work. I clean up our mess then head back to my bench. I alternate between checking my phone and watching Chase.

The way he pushes himself, the way he challenges himself, there’s so much inner and outer strength to it. I can only admire him for it. I know I couldn’t do that to my body. I’d cry like a little baby if I tried to.

But then another part of me is weary. He’s training so hard, pushing himself because he wants to hurt Ethan. This situation is so fucked up, I keep pushing it to the back of my mind, not sure how to deal.

When I hooked up with Chase, I had no idea he and Ethan were up for a rematch. If he didn’t seem so surprised that I didn’t know, I may have even believed he deliberately kept the information from me. If he wasn’t so considerate, wasn’t so obviously into me, I may even worry he’s just with me to fuck with Ethan. But I’m fairly confident that’s not the case.

At least I certainly hope it’s not.

If I knew Chase was going to fight Ethan, would I have agreed to go on a date with him? I’m not sure. Probably not.

But now it’s too late to take last night back. I told Chase I’m his and I meant it. I just don’t know how all of this is going to work out.

When he’s done, Chase hits the shower before walking up to me and pulling me against his side.

“Up for coming back to my place?” he asks as we walk out of the gym.

“I’d love to,” I tell him regretfully. “But I hate leaving Sebby alone two nights in a row. Want to hang at my place?”

Chase shakes his head, unlocks my door for me and holds it open for me. “Nah. Why don’t you just bring him back to my place? We can swing by and pick him up.”

“Seriously?” I ask, completely surprised he’d be willing to do that.