Breathe (27 page)

He broke it.

“Faye, we’re still standing outside.”

That was when I blurted, “I was leaning toward a cat.”

After that was when Chace threw his head back and roared with laughter.

I liked it but still, I bit my lip.

When his eyes dipped down to me, he said through his waning laughter but he said it gently, “Baby, climb up the fuckin’ steps.”

I climbed up the effing steps.

I didn’t get to the top before Chace bent low and took my hand so the last two steps I did it hand and hand with his.

He started to guide me across the porch to the door and I spied two rocking chairs with a table between them.

White picket fence. Nothing but plains and ranches and mountains all around. It was darkening dusk so I couldn’t see but I already knew the views from his house would be astounding from every angle, the kind you would never get used to.

Those rocking chairs would be perfect to sit in and read for hours in the summer. Or sit next to Chace and do absolutely nothing and be happy doing it.

Somehow, this thought and how beautiful it was made me tug on his hand, turn slightly into him and go up on my toes.

His body gave a slight jerk as if he was surprised but he still stopped with me and bent his head as if he knew I wanted his ear.

Which I did.

Because, into it, I jumped the gun and let it all hang out.

“I brought clean panties and a toothbrush,” I whispered and held my breath, not moving, not even to breathe.

Chace didn’t move either. Not a muscle. I didn’t even sense him breathing.

Oh God. Oh frak. Oh
God.

Then suddenly Chace moved and he did it to let go of my hand, bend low and I was flying through the air but doing it safe in his arms, one of them behind my knees, one of them around my waist.

I automatically curled an arm around his shoulders, tipped my head back and I did this last just in time for his mouth to take mine.

Holding me, he opened the storm door and carried me over the threshold kissing me.

So I guess I did it right.

* * * * *

A phone was ringing.

It wasn’t the first time. In fact, it was the third.

I heard it but I didn’t care. And I didn’t care the other two times either.

This was because I was on Chace’s bed, in Chace’s bedroom, with Chace’s mouth on mine, his tongue in my mouth, his hand down my pants and I was
this close
to coming.

This had happened fast, starting with the kiss Chace gave me while carrying me all the way to his bed. It was like the kiss he gave me before we went to The Rooster. Wild. Abandoned. Fiery. Exquisite.

Luscious.

But it was more
luscious
because he was doing it
carrying me to his bed.

You couldn’t get more luscious than that.

He kept kissing me as he bent a bit, the light went on and he laid me on my back in his bed, immediately following me in.

I knew he wasn’t controlling this. Not even close. I knew this when his hands went up my shirt and I felt them for the first time, warm skin against skin.

I liked this so I reciprocated, tugging his shirt out of his jeans and my hands pushed inside.

But I liked what they encountered more. Oh my fraking Lord, I liked it a lot more. Hot, smooth, hard with lots of interesting planes and bunches and ridges to trail my fingertips over and discover.

My touch had an astounding effect and that was Chace’s hand gliding from my waist to my ribs and curling around my breast over my bra. Nearly instantly when his hand reached this destination, his thumb slid firm over my hard nipple.

No one but me had ever touched me there and suffice it to say, Chace doing it while kissing me, lying mostly on me, his firm, hot skin under my hands while in his bed sent shafts of fire through me the likes I never experienced. The likes I didn’t even know existed. The likes I liked a whole heckuva lot.

So much I tore my mouth from his on an arched neck, whimpering moan.

This also had an astounding effect and that was both of Chace’s hands going to my jacket and yanking it down my arms. Then he pulled me up and jerked it away, tossing it to the floor.

After it went my shirt.

This might have freaked me out if his mouth hadn’t found mine, my back hadn’t again found bed and his hand hadn’t again found my breast and, last, his thumb hadn’t retraced its path then gone backwards for another swipe.

I wasn’t wrong that the first time was magnificent because the second and third were just as fraking good. So good, I arched my back and whimpered into his mouth, my hands tugging his sweater up.

Chace got the message I didn’t even know I was sending. I would know this when he tore his lips from mine, arched away from me, put his hands behind his shoulder blades, ripped his sweater off and tossed it aside. My shaking hands immediately and instinctively went to the buttons on his shirt. I got one undone before his back bowed, his body shifted, I lost purchase on his shirt, his hand lifted my breast and his mouth closed on my nipple over my bra.

Okay, oh frak, okay, the thumb swipe, magnificent. His mouth,
sublime.

My back arched so deep, it left the bed and a low, long, quiet moan rose out of my throat then I had his mouth back on mine, his hand and thumb back at my breast. I got another rough, wild, deep, wet,
long
kiss and I was already lost. But at his kiss, I knew I never wanted to be found.

My hands were moving. Having minds of their own, they went everywhere they could find, touched everything they could reach, took in as much as they could get. Including running over his hard behind, one hand rounding his hip and then it happened.

Not even thinking, just acting on instinct, so turned on, so out of life and into Chace, my fingers grazed the hard evidence of arousal.

I gasped into his mouth because I liked it. Not a little, a lot. It wasn’t a surprise. But it was a gift, knowing I gave him that, feeling it, knowing that was all for me.

And wanting it.

Chace growled down my throat.

Oh my fraking, fraking
Lord,
but I liked that a whole lot more.

His hips jerked away, his torso came up, my eyes slowly opened and his hand went to my belt. I felt it tugging as my hands went back to his shirt.

I clumsily managed to get two more buttons undone before the zip went down on my jeans and I heard Chace’s gruff, thick, deeper than normal voice call, “Faye.”

My eyes moved to his and not even knowing why, just feeling the word come from deep in my soul, needing to say it, needing him to get it, I whispered, “Please.”

His hot eyes holding mine, his hand slid in.
Straight
in. Inside my panties, fingers curving around, his middle one pressing in and my hips left the bed to push into his hand as my eyes closed. I felt my lips part, but mostly I felt nothing but how unbelievably
awesome
it was to have Chace’s hand down my pants.

“Fuckin’ beautiful,” I vaguely heard him mutter then when his finger moved and I started to understand what heaven felt like, I equally vaguely heard him order, “Want that mouth, baby.”

My chin tipped down instantly and he took it.

Oh jeez. That was better.
Tons
better.

Unable to do anything else, my fingers curled into his shirt tight. I held on and gave him my mouth, felt what he was doing with his finger and I held tense, my whole body, like if I let go, it would shatter.

He stopped kissing me long enough to murmur against my lips, “Move with me, Faye, your hips. Don’t fight it, give into it.”

My brain couldn’t process much but my body obviously heard his words because my hips started working with his hand. Sliding back to his forth, forth to his back and that was
a whole lot better.

“Chace,” I breathed against his mouth.

“That’s it,” he whispered against mine.

Already built, it started pulsing, throbbing, it was going to explode.

I quit breathing.

Chace stopped his finger moving, slid one inside…
inside…
that would be inside
me
… and I gasped but then let no more air in or out.

“Faye, honey,
breathe.
”

I did what I was told and breathed, his finger slid out of me and started doing what it was doing before and his mouth took mine again in a kiss.

Through this, the phone rang twice.

Now I was there. I was there. I knew that feeling. I also knew it was going to be better than ever. The best. The absolute best.

I tore my mouth from his because I couldn’t take his tongue anymore. It was all too much, too much goodness. I shoved my face in his neck and gasped as it happened. Driving through me, making me clutch on tight, shove my face deep, buck my hips against his hand, the heat of it rushed through me, burning me to a cinder.

I was right. It was.

The absolute best.

When I came down, slowly, lazily, it felt like it took years and I didn’t care if I lost that time, it felt that good, the phone had stopped ringing and I was no longer on my back but on my side. My leg was thrown over Chace’s hip and one of his arms was tight around my waist, holding me close to his body. His other hand was in my hair, tucking my face in his throat. Both of my hands were still clutching his shirt.

My breathing started evening out, my fingers relaxed, my hands went flat against his back and I heard Chace gently ask the top of my head, “How you doin’?”

I was fine. I was beyond fine. I could die right there and be happy. Not, of course, that I wanted to do that but that was just how fine I was.

“I’m good,” I whispered.

“Good,” he whispered back.

I pressed deeper into Chace and his arm got tighter around me.

Then I closed my eyes tight and called, “Chace.”

“Right here, honey.”

I pressed my lips together and then I did what I had to do.

I announced, “There’s something you have to know.”

“I know it.”

I blinked at his immediate answer, this action leaving my eyes open but I was so surprised at his quick response, I didn’t have it in me to notice I was staring up close at his very attractive throat which was an opportunity I would normally take time to savor.

Then I asked, “You know it?”

“Yep.”

“You know what?”

“That I’m the first man to have his hand down your pants and later, I’m gonna be the first man who does other things to you too.”

Yep, he knew it.

Oh God.

I closed my eyes again and dipped my chin, uncertain whether to be embarrassed or whether, from his tone which was gentle, quiet but straightforward, not to be and his hand curled warm around the back of my neck.

I felt his lips on the top of my hair.

There he whispered, “Faye, darlin’, I want you to hear this and get it, what you just gave me was the most beautiful thing I’ve ever been given in… my…
life
. What you’ll give me later I know from what I’ve already had, not just now but since I’ve known you, will be even more beautiful. With me, anytime, anywhere, you’re safe. But of the anytime and anyplace you’re with me, the place you’re safest is right here, in my bed. You never have to be embarrassed. You can ask questions. You can react how you want. You can be who you are. If I’m doin’ something you don’t like, you can stop me. Nothin’ will ever happen in this bed that you’ll be uncomfortable with. I swear to you, baby. You’re safe here and you always will be.”

These words were awesome.

But still.

I took in an unsteady breath, opened my eyes and started falteringly to ask his throat, “You don’t think that I… I mean, that I haven’t… uh –”

He cut me off to say firmly, “No.”

“But, at my age, the fact that –”

“No, Faye.”

I took in another unsteady breath and whispered, “Really?”

His fingers gave my neck a gentle squeeze. I read his message and pulled in another halting breath before I gave him what he nonverbally asked for and tipped my head back.

His was already tipped down and his eyes immediately captured mine.

My teeth immediately captured my lower lip. His gaze went to my mouth before coming back to my eyes.

“You didn’t hear me which means you didn’t get me,” he said softly.

I let my lip go and mumbled, “Um…”

He dipped his head closer, touched his mouth to mine and pulled back half an inch before he whispered, “Baby, you gave that to someone else, it wouldn’t be mine. Now it’s mine. No one can ever have it. It’ll always be mine. I love it. I think it’s beautiful. So I absolutely do not think the town’s sweet, cute, pretty, shy librarian who held onto that for as long as you did then gave it to me is anything but really fuckin’ good.”