“And do you like what you see?” Chase asks while he trails a finger down my bare arm.
I lay my head on his chest, loving our silent bond. “I do. You helped me find myself.”
Chase kisses the top of my head, and this time, he speaks aloud. “What do you want to do today? We were kind of busy last night for you to tell me your plans.”
“That’s right,” I say, laughing lightly. My body is sore, especially the spot between my legs. “I thought maybe I could give you a tour of Channon Vineyards today?”
Chase’s finger pauses on my skin, and he doesn’t answer. A few seconds pass, and still nothing.
Finally, I sit up and stare down at him, only to see a wolfish grin spread across his face. “Why didn’t you answer me?”
He chuckles. “Because I’m shocked. I never thought you’d want me there.”
“Eh,” I shrug like it’s no big deal, “you have a first-class ticket inside of my brain. If you’re going to steal my ideas, you don’t have to be at my winery to do that.”
Chase’s expression turns serious. “I would never do that, Kara. You know that.”
I do now. “And I would never steal your ideas,” I admit in all honesty.
Chase lifts and takes my chin in his grasp. “To answer your question, I’d love to tour your winery. I’ve wanted to do it for a long time now.”
Closing the distance, I kiss him. “Great. I’ll give you a special tour.”
Chase’s eyes darken with need. “Oh yeah? I can’t wait.”
My cell phone rings, so I roll across my side of the bed to the nightstand where it sits. Evangeline’s name flashes across the screen, and my stomach turns jittery. I haven’t heard a single word from her all night about how it went with Xavier.
I snatch the phone up quickly and answer, “Hey.”
“Good morning. Did you have a good night?” she asks.
My cheeks burn with all the thoughts running through my head. Chase laughs under his breath, clearly seeing visions of us in bed together.
“It was fantastic,” I answer.
Evangeline giggles. “Yeah, I bet it was.”
“All right, enough about me. How did it go with Xavier?”
The line goes silent for a second, but then her voice comes back with a hint of sadness. “Not bad. I know he still has feelings for me, but he agrees we can’t be together the way he is now. Power is too important to him. So I told him he’ll know where to find me if he wants to talk more.”
“And where is that going to be, E? You move around all the time.”
Evangeline clears her throat nervously. “That’s the thing. I was hoping I could come with you to California. The Timberwolf pack could use a good witch. Plus, you could use a friend. I know how hard it is for you there.”
I blink hard to keep the tears at bay when I look over at Chase.
He brushes the hair away from my face and nods. “She’s more than welcome to fly back with us. I’d love to have her join our pack.”
Excitement bubbles in my veins. “Did you hear Chase, Evangeline?”
“Yes,” she laughs. “Please tell him thank you. I’ll see you guys in a little bit.”
We hang up, and I can’t remember the last time I felt so happy. I set my phone down on the nightstand and roll back over to Chase to kiss him. “Thank you. I could use Evangeline in California.”
Understanding flashes in his eyes. “I know.”
I bite my lip. “I could also use her in Wyoming.”
His eyes stretch wide. “Wyoming?”
“Yes,” I reply, slowly sitting up. Staring down at Chase, I sigh. “We got a little distracted last night when I mentioned I knew what I had to do to get the bracelet off.”
Chase squeezes his eyes sheepishly. “Sorry about that. I got carried away.” He sits up and takes my hands in his. “What do you want to do?”
A sense of warmth spreads through my belly. I know what I’m about to do is the right thing. But, hard as it may be, I have to face it.
After taking a deep breath, I let it out slowly. “I’m ready to apologize to Amelie and Zayne.”
Chase smiles as if he already knew that’s what I had to do.
“I know what I did was wrong,” I continue. “It’s time I face them and ask for their forgiveness. The Royal pack members are your friends. Even if they don’t forgive me, I want them to know I’m not a threat.” I shrug and avert my gaze. “Maybe Laila will see the truth and take the bracelet off.”
Chase’s hands cup my cheeks, and I willfully turn to face him. “I’ll be by your side the entire time.”
Placing my hands over his, I can feel the tension leave my body. “I know. It’s one of the reasons why I feel like I can do this.”
Chase brushes his lips to mine. “When do you want to go?”
“Today. I don’t want to waste any more time.”
29
KARA
This morning went by quickly, and now I’m on a plane heading to Wyoming. I already gave everyone at the vineyard a raise, and they’ll see it reflected on their next paycheck. Brooke agreed to keep watch over everything for when I return. When will that be? I don’t know, but hopefully, soon. I’ve missed Channon Vineyards. Especially with Valentine’s Day being only two days away.
Chase smirks over at me, and I know he heard my inner thought about the infamous day of love.
“Valentine’s Day, huh? Are you a romantic, princess?” he teases.
Evangeline snickers, and when she swivels her chair around to face us, I glare at her. “Don’t humor him.”
She faces her chair forward again, her seat shaking from her silent laughter. “I like the whole private jet thing. The seats are huge, and I can get up whenever I want.”
It’s not like normal flying. The cabin is spacious with two sets of four chairs on either side, both with a table to share. In the back of the plane is a bedroom and a small kitchen area with a refrigerator and sink.
Chase places a hand on my thigh and smiles. “How do you like the plane? Kind of nice to know I can take you anywhere you want to go, right?”
I set my hand over his. “That’s not what I care about, Chase. Although, it will be nice not having to bother with the hassle of a busy airport.”
“That’s the truth,” Evangeline calls out.
Leaning my head back, I close my eyes. I gave Chase a tour of the winery this morning, and I think it surprised a lot of my employees. Their gapes of astonishment were answer enough. They know I’m not one to invite the competition into my domain, and Chase’s wine is our top competitor. They’ll be shocked when they find out Chase and I are together. What will our future as winemakers be? That’s something we have yet to discuss.
“We already know we work together,” Chase says in my mind.
Keeping my eyes closed, I smile and answer him back. “True. It’s just I don’t know what happens to my vineyard. The vision showed us in your study in California. So where does that leave my home in Virginia if I’m living across the country?”