“What the hell?” Chance laughs as soon as he sees me and I grin as I drop everything on the bed with a thump.
“Well, you wanted to do something and get to know me so I’m going to show you my number one guilty pleasure.”
He eyes the food warily before glancing up at the TV on the wall. “You’re not going to make me watch chick flicks, are you?”
“Oh, hell no. It’s way better than that.”
He lifts a brow, fighting back a smile. “Porn?”
“Ew!” I yell, throwing a chocolate bar at him and hitting him square in the chest. “Not porn. Besides, I thought what we did was way better than any porn I’ve ever seen.”
He grins, flashing me a dimple as he nods his head. My cheeks burn. I can’t believe I said that.
“Yeah, there’s an idea. Let me go melt this,” he says, holding up the chocolate bar, “and I’ll lick it off your body.”
“Do you want to learn something about me or not?” I ask, propping my hand on my hip and he nods, patting the bed next to him. With a smile, I crawl up and sit next to him before grabbing the remote and turning the TV on. It takes me a few seconds to find my favorite ghost hunter show but when I do, he laughs.
“This is your guilty pleasure?”
I nod. “Uh-huh.”
I press play and he wraps an arm around my shoulder, pulling me into him as he kisses my forehead.
“Thank you,” he whispers and I feel it right in my chest because I’m giving him a tiny little piece of me and I like that he recognizes that. Tossing another piece of candy at him, I nod and pull away slightly.
“Just don’t eat all the chocolate and we won’t have any problems.”
He wraps his arm around my waist and pulls me closer as the episode begins playing in front of us. “I’ll remember that.”
Chapter Nine
Carly
My hand trembles as I brush a piece of hair out of my face and I frown, shaking it at my side like that might somehow expel my nerves. Glancing back up at my reflection, I dab some concealer on the dark rings under my eyes. The stress of this past week is obviously taking its toll on me and I’m not in the best shape to go plunging back into the world I hate. On top of that, I have to deal with my mother, which is trying, even on my best day. There is a small part of me that is really relieved Chance will be there with me but mostly, I’m just annoyed that he seems to be winning this unspoken battle we’ve been participating in.
I woke up this morning wrapped in his arms and my first reaction was not to get away from him. Instead, I snuggled closer and smiled when his arms tightened around me. Then, he convinced me to do something I’ve never allowed another guy to do before – take me out for breakfast. This isn’t me. I don’t become the sentimental girl anymore or put emphasis on things that mean nothing but when Chance comes around, it’s like he erases my past. I’m a sixteen-year-old girl again and he’s just a boy who makes my heart race. Of course, as soon as he leaves, the spell fades and I hate myself for being so weak. Nothing good can come from this – I know that – but it does nothing to stop me.
The real problem is I have no idea what is happening between us. I’m trying so hard to keep things casual and then as soon as he comes around, all that flies out the window. We’ve only had sex twice, but it feels so much more significant than that. Maybe the problem is me. Maybe along with losing my mind this past week, I’ve also broken boundaries that were there for a reason. I need to find a way to stop it; I just don’t know how.
A knock at the door pulls my attention away from the mirror and I take one last look, sighing as I run my hands down the front of my dress. After slipping my heels on, I grab my clutch and march to the door, determined to get control of this situation again. Swinging the door open, I pause, my eyes widening as I take in the man in front of me. Chance grins as my gaze travels down his body, appreciating the way that he wears the hell out of his black suit.
“See something you like?” he asks, winking at me with a knowing smirk on his face and I take another moment to look him over before shrugging.
“Not bad. Although, I half expected you to show up in jeans, so anything is an improvement.”
His brow arches and he shakes his head as he slips his hands into his pockets, looking casually cool and hot as hell. “If we had time, I would haul you inside and fuck some of that sass right out of you.”
“Sure, you would.” I chuckle, trying to cover up my desire. My hand trembles for a whole new reason now, remembering the way he controlled my body Tuesday night and I contemplate dragging him inside instead of attending this gala.
“Keep it up, Princess. I’d love to prove you wrong later,” he assures and heat rushes to my cheeks as I bite my bottom lip and drop my gaze to the floor. Taking a step toward me, he nudges my chin with his finger, guiding my gaze back up to his and I’m met with a triumphant smile.
“I thought we had an agreement about the lying.”
I shake my head. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Sure, you don’t.” He chuckles as he holds his hand out to me. “Ready to go?”
I nod and he reaches forward, gently grabbing my hand and lacing his fingers through mine before guiding me out of my apartment. He doesn’t release me as I lock the door and unwelcome warmth spreads through my chest as I peek over at him. A smile teases his full lips, but he doesn’t meet my eyes as we walk down the hallway to the elevator. I hate that he knows he gets to me despite all my efforts to keep our relationship casual. There’s a certain helplessness, which accompanies it that I hate. Stopping in front of the elevator, he presses the button and moves behind me, holding my hips in his hands as his warm breath fans out over my neck. A shiver winds down my spine as I struggle to keep my eyes open.
“You look even better in this dress than I remember,” he whispers and my heart pounds in my chest as I fight back a moan. How the hell can he make me feel like he’s touching me everywhere with just his words?
“Thank you.”
“I’m looking forward to seeing it drop to the floor later.”
The air punches out of my body and my eyes flutter closed as I savor his touch. “You say that like it’s a sure thing.”
The ding of the elevator drops me back in the present and my eyes open just as the doors slide back, revealing an empty car. We step inside, taking up the exact same position as before against the back wall. He feels so solid against my back and it’s difficult to not just melt into him. His grip on my hips is tighter this time as he presses his lips to the bare skin of my shoulder.
“Tell me something,” he prompts and I peek over my shoulder, meeting his eyes.
“What?”
“What do you have underneath all this lace?”
Turning away, I stare at the doors again with a smile on my face. “Maybe nothing. Maybe more lace. Guess you’ll just have to wait and see.”
“Fuck that,” he growls, grabbing the fabric by my thigh and dragging it up my leg as I glance up at the panel to see how much time we have before we reach the lobby. It ticks down slowly as my heart races and I pant in anticipation.