Made her gasp as she pulled her feet back with a mock glare, “You’re so mean,” Sloane said, smiling as she returned her attention back to the book in her hand.
Keeping his gaze on her, Chase reached over and paused the audio file that he’d forced himself to listen to every day, twice a day, for the past three months to numb the effect loud noises had on him. For the first month, it had been hell on earth, but now...
He was bored out of his fucking mind.
Within seconds, the house was once again blissfully silent and he could focus on the small woman that was driving him crazy. For a moment, he was content to sit there, watching her as she read. God, she was so fucking beautiful, Chase thought, taking in her short hair that he loved running his fingers through, the way that she worried her bottom lip between her teeth as she tried to bite back a smile, and…
He wished that he’d met her first.
He wished that she’d been the one that he’d spotted in that orange grove. He never would have been able to let her leave that orchard without stealing a kiss, Chase thought, unable to help but smile only to feel every last ounce of amusement leave him as he remembered the thoughts that had gone through his head as he’d laid under that rubble waiting to die.
He’d said his goodbyes.
He’d prayed that his men had managed to get out of the building in time. He’d thought about how much he was going to miss his sister, how much he loved her, how much he’d wished that he could be there to watch her children grow up. He’d worried about Amy, terrified that no one would be there to take care of her only…
Even as he laid there, knowing that he was about to die, he hadn’t thought about how much he’d loved her and that was probably the only reason why he hadn’t lost his mind at the prospect of never seeing her again.
If it had been Sloane…
God, he couldn’t even fucking think about being trapped under that rubble and realizing that he would never see Sloane again. He would have lost his fucking mind. He never would have survived waking up in that hospital alone, finding out that she’d left him, but even as he sat there telling himself that Sloane would never do something like that to him, he knew that he would never allow it to happen for one simple reason.
He would never allow himself to fall in love with her.
Losing Amy had damn near destroyed him, he couldn’t imagine going through that with Sloane. No matter how much he wanted her, and god, did he want her, he couldn’t keep her. He couldn’t risk losing her and he knew that it was only a matter of time before something happened and he was forced to live without her.
She should have gone back to work a month ago, but neither one of them had brought it up yet and to be honest, he wasn’t ready to say goodbye yet. He wanted a little more time with her before it was time for her to leave. Even then, he knew that it would take some time before he would be able to finally let her go.
He just wanted a little more time with her. He planned on visiting her after she left, but he knew that sooner or later that wouldn’t be enough for her and she’d finally tell him goodbye. When that day came, he’d be more than ready to let her go. She deserved better than him, better than a man that could never love her.
He’d tell himself that she was happy and safe and that would have to be enough for him. But for now, he was going to enjoy what little time they had left.
“So,” came the softly sighed word as Sloane tossed her book aside so that she could climb onto his lap, “I was thinking.”
“Yeah?” Chase asked, leaning in to brush his lips against hers simply because he couldn’t help himself.
“About the gala for Shadow House this Friday,” Sloane said as she reached down and took his hands in hers, entwining their fingers together as she settled more comfortably on his lap.
“What about it?” he asked, absently running his thumbs along the back of her hands.
“I was thinking that you should bring me,” she said, nodding solemnly.
“I suppose I could do that,” Chase murmured, deciding not to mention that he’d already planned on doing that. He’d already bought the tickets, bought a tux, canceled his classes for the day, and rented the second most expensive suite the hotel had to offer. He would have rented the most expensive suite the hotel had, but Hunter already beat him to it.
That was fine, Chase thought as he leaned in to kiss her because he planned on making this a night that they never forgot.
*-*-*-*
Roman Palms Hotel
Orlando, Florida
“You look beautiful,” came the softly spoken words that drew Sloane’s attention to find Chase, standing in the doorway, looking unbelievably handsome in a black tux with a matching shirt and tie.
For a moment, all she could do was stand there, watching him through the hotel’s ornate mirror and felt her heart skip a beat. She’d never seen anyone as handsome as Chase, Sloane thought as she watched him walk into the large bedroom. She’d always thought that he was handsome but over the past few months…
Something had changed, he’d become more confident, more relaxed, and happier than she’d ever seen him before. He smiled more, laughed easier, and was so incredibly sweet that she hadn’t been able to help but fall in love with him. She wanted to spend the rest of her life with him and do all those things that she never thought that she would want, but she wanted them with him.
When he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her back against him so that he could press a kiss against the side of her neck, she found herself opening her mouth to tell him everything only to decide against it.
She wanted tonight to be perfect, Sloane decided as she tilted her head back so that he could brush his lips against hers. “Thank you,” she murmured softly, loving the way that his lips pulled up into a pleased smile as he brushed them against hers one more time.
“We could skip the party,” Chase suggested in a soft murmur as he pressed a kiss against her jaw.
“Deb would never forgive you,” she pointed out with a smile as she leaned back against him.
“Yes, she would,” he murmured absently as he pressed another kiss against the side of her neck. “I’d just tell her that you beat me and wouldn’t let me go.”
“You’re evil. Did you know that?” Sloane asked with a mock glare even as she debated asking him where his cane was only to realize that it was pointless since he was too stubborn to listen to her.
“Yes,” he suggested in a seductive whisper as he ran his hands teasingly along her sides only to run his hands slowly over the soft swell of her belly, making her wonder if he already knew.
Not that it should come as a surprise. For the past six months, they hadn’t been able to get enough of each other or maybe the problem was that she hadn’t been able to get enough of him. God, the things he did to her…
She should have taken the test when she’d first suspected that she might be pregnant, but she’d wanted to wait to find out, terrified to find out that it was all just a dream. Tomorrow, she would find out, but tonight…
Tonight, she planned on telling him that she loved him.
Chapter 37
God, he couldn’t seem to take his eyes off her.
He’d never seen anyone more beautiful, Chase thought as he stood in the elevator, running his eyes over Sloane, taking in the shy smile that she was trying to hide from him to the incredible emerald dress that hugged the generous curves of her breasts only to soften around her hips and ended just above her ankles with a graceful slit running along the side, giving him a glimpse of a lightly tanned leg and–