“Oh! Shoot. My bad. Good job, Miss Casey. He is f-i-n-e, fine.”
“Thank you, Daisy,” Ashley gritted out, then tugged Chase toward the front of the room.
He took her hand in his and matched her frenzied pace. He was able to lean down and whisper, “Thank you for saving me.”
She glared up at him. “Did you want to be saved?”
“Yes.” He met her challenging gaze with one of his own. “Do you want to date me?”
Ashley blew out a breath and Raoul announced, “And our couples are all here! Let’s introduce them.”
“Chase!” his basketball friends all screamed for him as the rest of the crowd clapped politely.
Chase lifted a hand to wave, trying to smile and act happy, but Ashley was messing with his head. All he wanted was to get her alone and talk for hours. He had to focus on helping her through this game show, but tonight he was determined to get some answers from her.
He had lots of questions. Why did she keep ditching him? Would she kiss him again? Most importantly—would she date him, seriously date him? He’d never felt like this about any woman. Forget his pride. He was pursuing Ashley with everything he had.
Chapter Six
Ashley half-listened to Raoul and the crowd, some of the men cheering raucously for Chase. She didn’t know he had friends here at the resort. Not of the male variety, anyway. She didn’t know near enough about him. She wanted to get him alone and ask a lot of questions. Right now, she couldn’t think what questions. All she could think about was Chase’s hand around hers and the intent way he’d looked at her and asked if she wanted to date him. The answer would be a screaming yes… if she knew he wouldn’t cheat on her and she could break her pattern of engaged by Christmas, planning a spring wedding, and ditching the groom, sometimes on the wedding day.
Sadly, she was falling in love at Christmas once again, and the red flags that she’d missed before were all there with Chase. Women flocked to him, he was extremely handsome, and he was a natural flirt. She frowned. Was he a natural flirt? She’d actually only heard him flirt with her. He hadn’t encouraged the front desk girl or the gorgeous brunette from the gym, even though Ashley had seen both of them blatantly flirting with him. Even the woman who’d pulled him into her room. He hadn’t said anything flirtatious back to her, but he’d walked in that room on his own two feet.
Dang, she was confused.
“I think you’re supposed to be smiling as they introduce us,” Chase whispered into her ear, his warm breath doing a number on her sensitive skin.
Ashley was startled back to reality. Chase lifted their joined hands to wave to the crowd as Raoul cried out, “And our beautiful dating couple. Wow, these two look good together, don’t they?”
“Chase! Chase! Chase!” his friends hollered.
Ashley’s stomach swooped. She wished this wasn’t a farce and that scared her. Her family and friends would flip out if she fell in love during the holidays once again. Her mom would definitely tell her off and have a conniption fit. But as she looked at Chase … Would they really make a fuss? Or would they be thrilled she’d found someone as incredible as Chase?
Was eighth time the charm?
“Thanks,” Chase replied smoothly for them.
“We don’t know nearly enough about our dating couple. Ashley, can you share the dirt on you two?”
Ashley forced a bright smiled and said, “We don’t want to tell you too much or it might ruin the suspense of the game questions.”
The crowd laughed, but a few booed at her attempt to distract them.
“All right, all right.” Raoul put up his hands and winked. “At least allow me to introduce our beautiful wedding coordinator, Ashley Casey, and her boyfriend …”
The word boyfriend made Ashley’s heart race. After all her failed attempts at dating and being engaged, she’d think it was a panic attack, but with Chase at her side, her hand in his, it was a good kind of race.
“Chase Hamilton,” Chase said, waving his free hand and gifting the crowd with his charming smile. Several women ahhed.
“Where are you from, Chase?” Raoul asked.
“Missoula, just like Ashley.”
“And what do you do in Missoula, my friend?”
“I’m a dermatologist.”
“Ooh.” Raoul whistled and the crowd applauded. “So our handsome boyfriend is also a doctor. Good choice, Miss Casey, very good indeed.”
Ashley kept smiling as some of the women in the crowd eyed Chase like he was a large slice of strawberry cheesecake and they were officially done with their diets. Her hand tightened around his and she cuddled in closer and rested her head against his shoulder. “Thank you,” she said to Raoul. “I’ll fight to keep him.” She gave the brunette from the gym this morning a significant look. The woman returned it and then some, her eyes narrowing and her lips thinning. She was obviously ready for battle.
Chase released Ashley’s hand and wrapped his arm snugly around her back, splaying his palm around her hip and warming her clear through. “She doesn’t have to fight. She’s already won my heart,” he said.
The crowd cheered, loving that. After a few seconds, Raoul waved his hands to calm them down. “I’m sure we’ll hear more sugary sweetness from our loving doc soon.”
Ashley didn’t know how to react to the words “loving doc.” Chase wasn’t in love with her. He was only helping her out. Had she gotten them into a mess because she wanted the show to go well?
Raoul gave instructions and seated them in hard chairs that had been placed back to back. He handed them pads of paper and pens to answer the questions. Ashley wondered how much of Chase’s sweet line was for the crowd. He’d asked her if she’d date him. Did she really dare take that leap again?
She only half paid attention as Raoul chatted and teased and the questions began. They weren’t doing the traditional newlywed game where the couples were split up and each answered questions separately. They would both answer the question, then Raoul would read their answers and of course give them a hard time. Daisy from the front desk was keeping score. Even though she’d approved it, Ashley couldn’t remember what the prize for winning was. She doubted they’d win anyway.
“And every time you get an answer right, we get to see a kiss,” Raoul announced happily.
The crowd roared their approval.
Ashley’s stomach dropped and then lifted and then swirled as if she was a human roller coaster. What on earth? Raoul had added that in without her approval. She had to kiss Chase if they got the answers right? In front of this crowd? She was terrified to commit to any man, but nothing had felt as good as kissing Chase. Even if she couldn’t commit, she could kiss the dickens out of him when they got an answer right and it wouldn’t mean they were together. Wait a minute. That would mean she was playing him. She didn’t feel right about that.
She suddenly noticed the other couples writing their answers. She hadn’t even heard the question. Oh my. She glanced around and caught Daisy’s eye and mouthed. What was the question?
Daisy smiled and then giggled. She hurried to whisper in Ashley’s ear, but Raoul noticed. “What’s wrong here, pretty girls?”