Taking Chances (16 page)

I glanced at
the people looking at us and tried to quiet my voice, “Carter, you’re my best
friend. Don’t do this. Don’t try to change things between us, let’s just go
back to how we were.”

“Did you never
understand anything I did for you? Did you not hear everything I’ve ever said
to you?” He looked at me incredulously, “I have never thought of you as just my
best friend, I even asked your dad if I could date you and he made it clear as
long as I was in his unit, I couldn’t. But I knew you would be leaving soon, I
knew that was our chance to be together.”

“Carter,” I said
softly, “I love you, but not like that. You even said it yourself, I’m like
your little sister.”

“You know I was
lying. I had to because you didn’t even wait five fucking seconds before
hooking up with the first guy that you came across.”

My jaw dropped,
“Jason!” I hissed.

“Just give us a
chance Blaze, I can love you and take care of you better than he can. Better
than anyone can.”

“I’m in love
with Brandon, but even if I wasn’t, I would never think of you that way. I’m
so–”

His lips were
on mine again, and I leaned as far back as I could, “Stop!” I yelled as I
shoved him off me.

As soon as he
was a few feet away, someone grabbed me from behind and pulled me back further
at the same time that Brandon plowed into Carter with his shoulder, knocking
both of them to the ground. Sean and another Marine, Anthony, were on top of
Brandon trying to pull him off, followed closely by Drew and Zach. I shot
forward but Derek held me to his chest telling me not to get in the middle of
it. As they started pulling each other off, Brad came out yelling for everyone
to back off. It took a few more party goers for the fight to end, Anthony and
Sean held Carter back as he continued to lunge for Brandon, I was surprised to
see he wasn’t bleeding anywhere. Brandon just stood there with his hands down
at his sides.

“What…nothing?!”
Carter hissed, “You claim to be some fighter, let’s see it!”

Brandon
continued to not move or say anything.

“DO SOMETHING!”
Carter yelled.

“Enough!”
Brad’s voice boomed across the back yard. “Get out. The three of you need to
leave. Now.” Looking around him he threw up his hands, “Never mind, everyone
get out. Party’s over. If you do not live or stay here, get out!”

Everyone
started shuffling in, keeping a distance from the two Marines dragging Carter away.
He was still taunting Brandon, who was now standing beside me, replacing
Derek’s arms with his own. He wasn’t stopping me like Derek had though,
Brandon’s arms were full of warmth as his fingers made small circles on my side
and back.

“You okay?” He asked
softly, still watching Carter leave.

“I’m fine, did
you hurt him?”

“All I did was keep
him on the ground.”

I nodded and
buried my face in his chest, “I swear I had no idea about any of that.”

He chuckled, “I
know
you
didn’t know, doesn’t mean the rest of us didn’t.”

“What do you
mean?”

“Like he said
sweetheart, everything he says to you or about you is laced with how much he
wants you. You just didn’t realize it because you thought you were only
friends.”

I felt
incredibly stupid. “How much of that did you see?”

“The whole
thing, it just took me a while to get through everyone to you.” He tilted my
head up and I was surprised to see a wide grin on his face as he leaned in
closer to me, “And I love you too Harper, so much.”

A smile
stretched across my entire face as I hurried to press my mouth to his,
murmuring how much I loved him against his lips.

After everyone
left, we cleaned up from the party quickly, but when the guys and Bree sat down
to watch a movie, Brandon grabbed my hand in his and led me to his bedroom.
Flipping off the light, he locked the door and changed with his back to me as I
slipped into a tank top and shorts. When we were under his comforter, he
wrapped his arms around me, pressing my chest to his.

“I’m sorry if
you wanted to stay up with them, it’s just been a long day, and all I want to
do is be with you.”

I pressed my
face into his neck, placing a light kiss into the base of it, “This is
perfect.” After a few silent minutes I laughed softly, “I really was starting
to enjoy the parties here too. I guess I’ll have to go back to avoiding them,
too much drama.”

“One of these
days, everyone will get the hint that we’re not going to leave each other.
They’ll back off.”

“I hope so.”

“I love you
sweetheart.”

My heart
soared, “I love you too.”

***

I slipped out
of bed the next morning to use the restroom and freshen up a bit, smiling the
entire time. I was still on cloud nine from Brandon telling me he loved me. I’d
known I was in love with him for a couple weeks now, but I had been too afraid
to tell him. I guess that was one thing I could thank Carter for, he made us
skip the awkward moment of telling each other for the first time. Carter. I
rolled my eyes. He’d left me ten voicemails and dozens of texts last night
apologizing, and I hadn’t said one thing back to him. I hated what I’d lost
from our friendship in North Carolina, but he was just too different now, I
didn’t know how we could even continue on being friends, especially after what
happened last night. I mentally shook myself as I pulled my hair back into a
loose low bun, I didn’t want to think about him right now. I just wanted to go
back to my boyfriend, and spend the weekend wrapped up in his arms.

After I shut
and locked his bedroom door, I froze where I was, taking in the remarkable
sight of Brandon. God he was sexy. His tanned upper body was bare, trailing my
eyes down, I bit my bottom lip as I looked at his muscled V, leading down to
his loose shorts, all but the waistband hidden by the comforter. My body
started warming just looking at him, and all I could think about was running my
hands and lips all over him. Looking down at myself, I made a decision to start
this weekend off right. I slipped off my shorts and tank top, grabbing the gray
and white button down shirt he’d been wearing last night, I pulled it on leaving
all but one of the middle buttons undone. Glancing in the mirror, I decided to
keep my hot pink satin underwear on, and pulled my hair out of the bun, giving
it some fluff. Before I could talk myself out of it, I crawled onto the bed,
one knee on either side of Brandon’s body, and placed my lips to his muscled
stomach. His body twitched and I pressed my lips a little higher up the next
time, smiling when he moaned in his sleep. I kissed my way up his body, he opened
his eyes wide when I sat firmly on his lap and nipped at his throat.

“Harper.” He
breathed as he stared into my eyes.

“Good morning.”
I whispered and covered his mouth with mine.

He gripped my
hips and moved slightly, trying to get more comfortable, he moaned and I gasped
when his arousal pressed against me. I rocked my hips against him and my
eyelids fluttered shut from the incredible feel of it. I had no idea what I was
doing, but I didn’t want to stop. There was a slow burning that started low in
my stomach and with each rock of my hips it grew greater. Brandon’s hands slid
up my bare stomach, undoing the one button when he reached it, and continuing
to my chest. He sat up, pressing his lips to the swell of my breast, exploring
it before making his way to the other. My breaths were embarrassingly loud, but
I couldn’t seem to care enough to try and stop it as he caught my nipple
between his teeth. I arched my back and let my head fall back as I experienced
each sensation for the first time. One of his hands trailed back to my hip to
assist in my rocking, but I grabbed his hand in mine, grasping the side of my
underwear and tugging on it. Realizing what I was doing, he slid me off his
body and onto my back, he barely hovered above my side as he propped himself up
on an elbow.

Brandon’s lips
were on mine, his free hand trailing from my jaw to my underwear. When his
fingers stopped at the top, I took his hand and moved them just inside of the
satin, to let him know exactly what I wanted. I couldn’t even continue to kiss
him as the burning in my stomach instantly increased when his fingers moved
against me. A pressure I can’t explain started building between my legs and I
moaned loudly when he slid a finger inside me, moving it in rhythm with my hips.

Minutes past
and the sensation got to be too much, I didn’t know what was happening and part
of me wanted him to stop, but the other part wasn’t ready yet, “God. Baby…I.”

His lips
hovered over mine as he spoke softly, “It’s okay sweetheart, let go for me.”

I didn’t
understand what he was talking about, but when I arched against his hand one
more time, my entire body racked with an intense, exhilarating explosion.
Brandon’s mouth on mine muted most of my pleasured cry as I gave over to the mind-blowing
spasms continuing throughout my body.

That’s what he
meant by let go. Oh. My. Word.

Brandon wrapped
his arms around me and pulled me so I was half-lying on his chest. He kissed my
temple and rubbed soft circles into my back. “I love you Harper.”

I nodded
against his chest, still trying to get my breathing back to normal, “I…love
you…so…oh wow.”

His silent
laugh shook my body and he squeezed me tighter while bringing the comforter up
around us. He peppered my cheek and jaw with kisses as he held me until my
already completely relaxed body succumbed to sleep. Just before I gave in, I
swear I heard him vow to love me forever.

“
W
hy are you
being like this?” I hissed.

He just
continued to look at me like I was the biggest inconvenience possible, and I
had no idea why.

“Did I do
something to offend you? You haven’t said a word to me since Sunday.” And it
was freaking Thursday, “You have been so bipolar lately, I don’t even know what
to expect from you.”

Keeping his
mouth shut, he raised one brow causing it to disappear under his shaggy hair.
Chase and I had been having the most bizarre relationship lately and it was
making my head spin. Bree had been taking me to her parent’s house for family
day every Sunday for a month, and though it had been awkward at first when
Claire, their mom, had hugged me as soon as I stepped in the door; I soon fell
in love with her and her husband Robert. They were extremely loving, funny, and
honestly I liked spending time with their family more than the parties at
Chase’s house. Especially if they were like last week’s with Carter’s
declaration of love.

What was
frustrating, was Chase’s drastic mood swings. Over the last three weeks, he’d
started talking to me less and less during the week, but if we were at his
parent’s house, he wouldn’t leave my side and you wouldn’t believe he was the
same guy I’d met my second night in California. He was hilarious, sweet and an
incredible artist. Listening to him banter back and forth with his dad usually
left the rest of us in tears and he treated his mom, Bree and I with such
respect, it was mind blowing. If anyone’s drinks started getting low, he was
already refilling it, he always made sure we were comfortable and had
everything we needed, and his kisses on his mom’s cheeks had to be the most
loving thing I’d ever seen come from him.

The biggest
shock was when I’d gone to Chase’s room in his house to tell Bree I was ready
to leave, and stumbled upon a sketch book. I confronted him about it later at
his parent’s, and he ran upstairs for a minute and brought down an armful of
them. He was extremely talented and I shouldn’t have been surprised when he told
me he was a tattoo artist at the shop Bree had taken me for our piercings. The
way his eyes lit up as I gushed over each drawing tugged at my heart, and I
tried desperately to push those feelings away. I’d spent a couple hours last
Sunday watching him work on a few new pieces he wanted on his forearms while
the whole family watched a couple movies in the living room. At some point I
must have fallen asleep on the couch I’d been sharing with Chase because an explosion
on the TV jerked me awake.

~~~

“It’s just the
movie,” he whispered in my direction and ran his fingers over my cheek, “don’t
move yet Princess.”

“Don’t move?
Why?”

“I’m almost
done, give me another minute or two.”

I heard his
hand moving back and forth across the paper slowly and waited until he kneeled
down in front of the couch so his face was directly in front of mine. My breath
caught and his electric blue eyes glanced down to my barely parted lips. His
tongue absently wetted his lips and his teeth lightly bit down on his bottom
one as his gaze roamed my face.

“Why couldn’t I
move?” I managed to ask when he started closing the distance between us.

He abruptly
stopped and blinked a few times, “Oh, um. Well…here. Just don’t freak out,
okay? I wasn’t trying to be creepy.”

“You’re not
supposed to tell someone not to freak out, those words alone cause them to
freak out.”

Chase smirked,
“Okay, well then don’t hit me or use your pressure point training on me again.”

Before I could
roll my eyes at him, he brought his sketch pad up in front of me and my jaw
dropped. I felt my cheeks burn and he took that the wrong way. Snatching the
pad of paper back up, he cursed softly.

“I knew it was
creepy.”

“Chase,” I
breathed and shook my head in an attempt to clear my thoughts, “that wasn’t
creepy. Can I see it again?” When he didn’t make an attempt to move I reached
my arm toward the book, “Please.”

He handed it
over with a sigh and looked at me with a sad smile, “I’m sorry, but you looked
too perfect. I couldn’t let that opportunity pass.”