Military Romance Collection: Contemporary Soldier Alpha Male Romance (55 page)

Chapter 11

Chase saw the moment the shyness overcame Erin, and he was determined to work some sort of magic spell to bring back the confidence she’d had just minutes before. He let his eyes graze her skin the way his lips had, and he nearly choked on his own arousal as he perused her full breasts with taut, pink nipples, the flat smoothness of her stomach, and the curve or her hips after a narrow waist.

She was every man’s dream, and he caressed her skin with soft strokes that made her sigh and close her eyes. The panic faded slowly, and she was that sensual being again, the woman practically begging for the attention of a real lover. Chase was going to show her exactly how a woman should be treated in bed. It was his only goal, and if he satisfied himself in the process, it would be a bonus. He could always take care of himself. This might be the only time he had the pleasure of being with Erin.

He slid her pants down her legs, and she barely noticed until he kissed his way back up, bending her knees and folding them outward so he could nibble at the sweet spot of her inner thigh, just before the juncture with her center. He watched her face through his eyelashes as he did and saw her eyes pop open, her mouth form a circle as she gasped in delight. And he could smell her sex as her moisture leaked and wet her panties. Those, too, came off, and this time, he scraped his teeth back up until he found the juncture.

Knowing she would scream out in ecstasy, Chase took her nub into his mouth, suckling and teasing it with flicks of his tongue. Instantaneous pleasure coursed through her, and she arched her back, whimpering with her release. He drank it in, lapping at her folds and circling her core as she shivered and moaned. He knew exactly what to do with a woman, and it didn’t take long to find the sweet spots on Erin.

He took a chance and darted his tongue in and out of her center several times, and she poured into his mouth with her passion, her entire body convulsing with a second, larger wave of pleasure. She gasped and cried, “Oh, my god, Chase! Oh, please!”

He smiled to himself. “Please what?” he growled, and then he ran his tongue over her cleft, chuckling as she moaned again.

“Please!” she repeated, and this time, she grabbed at his shoulders and tugged. Apparently, she was rendered speechless, and Chase felt he’d done well. Given another chance, he’d do better, but he was desperate for his own release, yearning to be inside her. There was no way he was going to ignore her request right now. He crawled up her body, settling his knees between her thighs and looking down at her in admiration. She was so beautiful, in every way, and he kissed her, making love to her mouth.

As he did, he pressed into her, inch by inch, and she breathed her ecstasy into him. She wrapped her legs around him and used her leverage to lift her hips, urging him in deeper. Chase answered her with longer, deeper, faster strokes, thrusting harder while trying to hold back and be gentle. He refused to finish until she’d been fulfilled, and he didn’t want to be harsh and rough with her.

But he couldn’t keep his cool for long. Her inner walls gripped at him, pulsing around him with such force they literally milked him, and when he released, it came so fast and instantaneously that it surprised him. And the surprise made it even better, his whole body feeling it instead of just a localize sense of relief.

He could barely hold himself up, his arms shaking and ready to collapse. Chase looked down at Erin through hooded eyes and saw the lazy smile of absolute satisfaction twisting on her face. Breathless, he couldn’t say anything, and when she pulled him down on top of her, he didn’t resist. If she wanted him to rest on her, Chase wasn’t going to worry about crushing her, no matter how small and frail she seemed.

He huddled into her, careful not to hurt her, and buried his face in the good side of her neck, breathing her in as he gave his body a chance to recover. He could still feel the heat and heavy pulse in Erin’s veins, but she was calming down, too, and he let his heartbeat sync with hers. With the soft rhythm of her breath tickling over his shoulder, Chase lost track of time, and he didn’t care. He could have laid there forever.

But eventually, he rolled off her and pulled her gently back against his chest, grabbing the covers from the unmade bed and throwing them across both bodies. She was snoring with a soft, purring sound almost instantly, and he didn’t even bother to get up and turn off the light.

***

Two weeks passed by so fast Chase’s head spun. In fact, the first week was a blur of activity, getting Erin back to the station for another statement, as well as to file a restraining order. Then, she had to identify her attacker in a lineup and appear at the arraignment to show the damage he’d done.

Picking up a few things at Erin’s apartment didn’t go smoothly, either. Laura was pissed, and when she threatened to burn all of Erin’s things, Chase called Greg, his Cobra brother, who owned a moving business and got a truck out. Together, they loaded up everything that belonged to Erin and took anything she wasn’t bringing to his place to a storage facility. Chase paid for three months up front. He had every intention of moving her in with him permanently now.

Erin started working at the beginning of the second full week she spent in his apartment, a job as a booking agent for the hotel. All she had to do was take calls and read scripts about the different package options, then fill out the information on the computer system. She was learning all the information quickly, of course, and seemed happy.

Chase took her to get the stitches removed, and that lifted a huge weight off her shoulders. At the end of the second week, she took her exam to get her GED and got an incredible score. That elated Erin beyond words, evidenced in her bouncy mannerisms, her huge smile, and her chatter about it. She looked amazing in the wardrobe Billie, Dalton’s famous fashion designer girlfriend, insisted on donating, and the more time Chase spent with her, the more he fell for her.

Nights were passionate and sometimes lasted very late, since Chase’s schedule wasn’t consistent. But it also came from spending time at the clubhouse, where the guys seemed to adore her and clapped him on the back for being lucky. And Brock actually seemed proud of him. After all, there wasn’t enough time or circumstance for Chase to get angry or aggressive and get into a fight.

He rarely got Saturday nights off, so he wanted to take advantage of this one and take Erin on a real date, the kind that had no strings attached and involved real conversation or none at all, if that’s what she wanted. And he intended to tell her over dinner that he’d fallen for her and wanted her to stay with him. He couldn’t be sure, but he had a good feeling about it and hoped Erin would be as excited about a future together as he was.

Reaching across the table of the standard issue restaurant – because Chase figured she’d had her fill of fancy ones – he took her hands in his and said, “I don’t know if you realize how far you’ve come in a short time, Erin.”

She rolled her eyes and blushed. “It helps that I had to change my number. I got to just sort of disappear from the scene, thanks to you.”

He nodded. “Well, you’ve done a lot of work to get here. And I’ve come a long way myself. I still had a little growing up to do. And I don’t think I’ll ever be a serious, no-nonsense sort of guy, but I’ve realized something being with you.” She gave him a questioning gaze, and he prepared to lay it on her. “I realized that, as I grew and matured, I did it because I wanted to be a better man for you. Everything I do now, I think about you and how it will affect you.” He rubbed his thumbs over the back of her hands, using the feel of her skin to calm his nerves. “The truth is, I’m in love with you. I think I fell for you the night we met, but now, I’m not sure I can put my feelings for you into words. It’s just so strong, and I don’t know how to handle something like this. All I know is that I want you to stay with me. Move in permanently. We’ll get a bigger place or a nicer place, if you want. Just tell me you feel the same.”

Her face, almost completely healed now, didn’t register any emotion, and Chase was so anxious he just wanted to walk out the door right now and throw himself in front of a speeding bus. Erin hadn’t jumped for joy, and that was enough to tell him what her answer would be. He felt his heart shattering.

Chapter 12

Erin couldn’t pinpoint her reason for hesitating, other than perhaps dumbfounded shock. She had thought Chase might want to talk about an exclusive relationship or maybe moving in together, but she hadn’t expected him to confess to being in love with her. It was something she’d imagined but never thought would actually happen.

Now, her emotions swirled in confusion – joy and fear and excitement and suspicion – and she had to get them under control so she could tell him exactly what she was thinking. She didn’t have an answer as long as she couldn’t find her own thoughts.

Finally, she smiled and felt tears prickling at her eyes. “I’ve never been in love before, Chase, so I don’t know for sure if that’s the right way to describe how I feel about you. It feels so much bigger than those words. They just don’t seem adequate. But to answer you, I love your apartment as it is. We don’t have to go anywhere else. I just want to be with you, wherever you are. I know this is fast…” She trailed off at the relief and enthusiasm on his face.

“Fast is fine, when it’s right. You know, Brock and Tanya had their troubles, but they literally fell in love in two days. And Dalton and Billie fell in love in less than 24 hours. I think we’ve been trying to reassure ourselves from the start.” He gave her that crooked grin that shot right through her heart. “I honestly don’t care if it’s been a day or a decade. I know my own feelings, and I love you, more than I thought it was possible to love anyone.”

Erin didn’t mean to cry, but she’d never experienced tears of joy before, and this was amazing. She had put a past behind her that she never wanted to start with, and now, she’d found a man she thought was her soulmate. Chase couldn’t be any more perfect for her.

As they left the restaurant, she laughed in embarrassment. Quietly, she leaned in toward Chase’s ear the best she could, considering she wasn’t wearing heels, and said, “I didn’t tell you this before because I didn’t want to admit it. Or put any pressure on you. But you’re the first and only man who has ever given me an orgasm.”

He stopped walking and stared at her like she’d told him she was really a man or something. She shrugged as her cheeks heated. “I’ve never had a real boyfriend, and before I came to Vegas, I slept with a couple of guys I tried to date in high school. That was it. None of my clients have ever cared about my enjoyment, and I’ve spent seven years faking it.”

Chase gave her a serious look, grabbing her shoulders and locking eyes with her. “Listen to me, Erin. Don’t you ever fake it with me, okay? If I’m not getting the job done, you tell me what I need to do to fix it. I don’t want you ever left unsatisfied, okay?”

He said it almost angrily, and Erin realized he was angry that no one had given her any real pleasure before. “I love you,” she whispered, marveling at what a wonderful man he was. He put his hands on her cheeks, finally able to cup her face again, and poured his love out in a brief but sentimental kiss.

“Isn’t that sweet?”

The interruption would have been offensive, but the voice it came from was terrifying. Erin’s phone was instantly in her hand as she tucked herself as close to Chase as she could get. “I have a restraining order against you, James. If you touch me, or come any closer, I’m calling it in.”

She felt Chase tense the minute he realized what was going on. “Get out of here, man. You’re on my turf, and I have plenty of people to call who won’t be as kind as the cops. They’ll get here a hell of a lot faster, too.”

“Are you threatening me?” James asked, and Erin tried not to start shaking. She wanted to run, but her feet were glued to the spot. She couldn’t let Chase go after him – he probably had a weapon. And she couldn’t let the Cobras get in trouble for whatever he’d just threatened to do to James. And as she tried to think of a way out of this situation, Erin’s fear was confirmed. James pulled a gun out and pointed it at them, holding it at his hip so it just looked like his hand was in his pocket. “Come on, hero. Come at me now.”

She felt Chase flinch, wanting to go at him, but she squeezed his hand to hold him back. Erin couldn’t let him get hurt or killed trying to save her again. “What do you want from me, James? You want your money back? You want what you paid for? Tell me what I can do to get you to stop threatening me.”

He inclined his head in acknowledgement. “See? That’s the cooperation I was looking for all along. I want what I paid for, and I want you to drop all the charges against me.”

Hoping Chase wouldn’t react, she nodded. “Okay, James. Let him go, and I’ll come with you. We’ll get a hotel room, and I’ll call when we’re finished to drop the charges.”

“Erin, no!” Chase shouted, his face almost purple with his rage.

She put a hand on his chest and locked eyes with him, trying to convey the message to back down. “It’s alright, Chase. James deserves what I owe him. Just wait here, okay?”

He clenched his jaw and fisted his hands at his side. “Don’t do this, Erin. Please.”

“I’ll be fine. Just. Wait. Here.” She needed him to stay right where he was if she was going to get out of this unscathed. “Promise me.” There was desperation in her voice she didn’t have to fake.

He shook his head, but he didn’t move as she stepped away from him, slowly and carefully approaching James with a seductive grin and a sway of her hips. She had to keep his attention on her, and she knew exactly how much he wanted her body. He’d been all too up front about that from the start. Her heart pounded with her fear, but she swallowed it, refusing to let it come to the surface.

When she reached him, Erin leaned into his chest, gazing up at him with her lips slightly parted, and she put a hand on his shoulder. “Of course I’ll take care of you, honey,” she said, slipping into work mode. She told herself this wasn’t her; it was just a role she was playing, and that helped her control her reaction to the man. He revolted her, but she had to pretend to be into him if she was going to make this work.

“Damn right you will,” he growled, and she could already feel his physical reaction to her growing in his pants.

Swallowing hard as bile rose in her throat, she rubbed herself against him, egging it on. She cut her eyes quickly down to his hand and saw that his hold on the gun was slack. That was exactly what she needed, and she turned around, her back to James, and rubbed her ass against his erection as she looked at Chase. She forced him to meet her eyes as she said, “See? I have no problem with James. He’s handsome and well endowed.” When she knew she had Chase’s attention, she gestured with her eyes at the gun, not moving her head at all.

She saw the realization in his eyes and turned back to face James. “Come on, sweetheart, give me a preview. I never got a real kiss from you, big guy.” His irises disappeared as his pupils dilated with his arousal, and Erin knew this was the moment. She curled her hand behind his neck and pulled him down toward her lips, her tongue out with promise.

James was completely focused on her, and she heard the scuffle of Chase’s boots as he moved swiftly behind her. Moving just as quickly, Erin stepped aside, and Chase ran headfirst into James’ solar plexus, knocking the wind out of him as they both went down on the ground. The gun fell from James’ hand and clattered on the pavement, and Erin dialed 9-1-1 instantly. But as she did, Chase caught a blow to the chin and nearly lost consciousness. There wasn’t time for the cops to get here.

She glanced at the gun, and she dove for it before James could get up and recover it. Clicking the safety off and cocking the chamber, she shouted, “Chase, move!” He glanced back and scrambled out of the way just as James got to his feet. With a steady hand, she trained the gun on James, aiming straight for his chest.

James froze as the operator answered, and she said, “I was just attacked by a man I have a restraining order against. He took a swing at my boyfriend, and he tried to kidnap me. He had a gun, and I managed to get it away from him. He’s going to need an ambulance.”

She hit the mute button on the phone and saw the terror in James’ eyes as she pulled the trigger. He fell back, hitting his head as a red starburst spread over his white shirt. She told the operator, “You might want to hurry.” Then, she collapsed as Chase caught her and took the phone from her hand.