Taking Chase (6 page)
“It wasn’t necessary but it’s neighborly. You’re new to town and I got you into a car accident your very first day here. Lordy, I can’t believe I did that. I hope you don’t think worse of me.” Polly blushed furiously.
Cassie had of course but found herself unable to hold her anger now that she was face to face with Polly. “Everyone in this town adores you, Mrs. Chase. I appreciate you coming by, I really do. And no, I don’t think worse of you. Accidents happen.” Especially if you’re Polly Chase apparently.
Polly laughed and drank her tea. “Not bad for a Northerner.” She winked. “Northerner? I’m from Los Angeles.”
“Exactly. If you’re not a Southerner, what are you then?” Polly waved it away and Cassie just laughed and tried not to stare at how high Polly Chase’s hair was. It was like an engineering marvel.
In the end, Polly stayed for an hour and wrangled a promise that Cassie would come to dinner sometime within the next month.
Bowled over, Cassie watched her whip away from the curb and nearly hit an oncoming car. The capper was the gay wave she sent to her nearvictim as she drove away.
Chapter Four
As the days passed, Cassie began to truly live her new life. No one knew about her past and it was like a weight lifted from her. Most days she even forgot about Carly until some odd thing would remind her that a year ago she’d been someone else.
Three days a week Cassie worked at the bookstore, spending her spare time making jewelry. She’d spoken with Dee and would begin to sell her stuff at the Sunday Market that coming weekend. The detailed work took time and attention and she found it really good physical therapy for her fine motor skills. She wouldn’t do surgery again, but she was able to hold the tools without shaking and manage all the finish work.
Her friendship with Penny had continued to deepen and damn if it didn’t feel good to have a girlfriend again. Terry had never allowed her to go out with friends, wanting all her free time to be spent with him. He was always jealous of friends and family. Over time she’d pushed them all away rather than get into continual fights with him over it. In any case, her friends had all been pretty smart cookies, they’d seen his behavior, commenting on it and it was just easier to not have to deal with the embarrassment.
She’d even begun to see a therapist twice a week and found that talking about her time with Terry had started to help. Began to understand how it all happened and also that she wasn’t a bad person. Still the guilt and shame were hard to part with.
Petal began to be home to her. Her residents like an extended family. Cassie got to know her neighbors in the fourplex, most especially Matt Chase. She certainly had no plans to complain that because of Matt she saw Shane Chase nearly as often. It seemed like he was at Matt’s all the time. Truth was, she was beginning to like him too. He knew she was skittish and respected her space. He never rushed up on her or surprised her. For a big man, he was surprisingly gentle with her each time their paths crossed. There was something disarming about the way he treated her. Not so much like he felt sorry for her or pitied her but he was careful, respectful of her.
As a whole, every Chase family member she met she’d taken a liking to. Polly, as predicted, was impossible not to like. There was something irresistible about her. Maybe it was that Polly just sort of accepted Cassie, warts and nerves and all and didn’t seem to notice. It just felt so
normal
. And normal felt good.
normal
. And normal felt good.
Three weeks after Cassie had started at the store, she and Penny were closing up when Maggie came in.
“Hiya, Penny. Hey, Cassie, I saw you had some pretty flowers on your front porch. Looks nice. Kyle was impressed when we stopped over at Matt’s on the weekend.”
Cassie just smiled. It wasn’t like she could get a word in edgewise with Maggie Chase if she tried. But as it turned out, Maggie, like the rest of the Chase clan was simply a nice person and fun to be around.
“It looked so forlorn, I wanted to make it more colorful. Just trying to make it a home, you know? What are you up to?”
“Well, I have an ulterior motive for being here. You and I haven’t really hung out much and I’m on my way to The Pumphouse for some beer and staring at some Chase brothers. Tonight is their pool game and really, we just gossip and watch tight butts in faded jeans. Sounds good doesn’t it? What do you say? You and Penny should come and hang out.”
How long had it been since she’d gone out with girlfriends for beer and burgers? And pool? “Pool?” Cassie grinned. “Really?” She loved pool. Before marrying Terry, she’d played several times a week at the tavern near the medical school. After they’d gotten married, he’d bought a table for the house. Of course he couldn’t deal with losing so eventually she refused to play with him.
But as Brian was so fond of telling her, she had to start living her life again and who cared what Terry did or didn’t do? He was long gone. “From that slightly scary look in your face I take it you play? Those boys play every Friday night. I’m sure they’d love for you to join them.” “Shane would,” Penny said as she locked up the back door and came toward them. Cassie blushed and Penny chuckled. “Come on, Cassie. Anyone with eyes can see how he looks at you. He’s smitten.”
“I uh. Well, he’s just being nice. And I think he suspects I’m up to no good. But yes, I love pool. Or I did. I haven’t in a few years. I used to be pretty good.”
“Well then I think some beer, gossip and watching you play pool with some handsome boys is just the ticket.” Maggie grinned and they all headed out.
Liv and Dee were already waiting at a table near the doors when they arrived. Once seated, Cassie tried to pretend that she wasn’t watching every move Shane Chase made. The man was so big and bad but there wasn’t anything threatening about him despite that. She loved the color of his hair, sort of coffee brown with a hint of blond. He had a savage kind of handsome that she found herself thinking of during the day. Many times during the day.
Forcing herself to focus on the women at the table, she tried to put him out of her mind. She did not need any more men.
As if he felt her gaze on his skin, Shane turned and noticed her there with Maggie and the others. So tall and striking. She stood out every time he saw her. The woman was seriously beautiful.
“Oh for cripes sake! Just go over there already.” Kyle took his shot and rolled his eyes as he straightened. “You look like a starving man. It’s pathetic.”
“Yeah, the last time I saw that look
you
were wearing it.” Marc chuckled. “Go on, Shane.” “I will, only because you three won’t shut up until I do. Bunch of old women.” He leaned his cue off to the side and headed toward their table. “Hi, Cassie. Nice to see you here.”
you
were wearing it.” Marc chuckled. “Go on, Shane.” “I will, only because you three won’t shut up until I do. Bunch of old women.” He leaned his cue off to the side and headed toward their table. “Hi, Cassie. Nice to see you here.”
Cassie looked up at him and smiled hesitantly. She’d lost most of her fear with him but there was still a shadow of it in her eyes. He wanted to wipe it away.
“Hi, Shane. How are you all tonight? Who’s winning?” The sound of her voice, smoky sex and velvet seduction, stroked over his skin and made his gut tighten. “Cassie here loves to play pool,” Maggie said with a grin.
Shane adored his meddling sister-in-law at that moment. “That so? Well, show me what you’ve got, then.” He held out his hand and Cassie scooted out of the booth, grabbing his forearm instead to help herself stand.
The shock of the cool, soft skin of her hand touching his arm shot through his body. As always, she seemed so many things at once. Strong and independent, yet vulnerable and scared. And he was seriously messed up if a woman’s hand on his arm made him cow eyed. He was so pathetic he wanted to kick his own ass.
He motioned toward the table in the back and she walked ahead of him. Which was fine with him. He had no problem at all watching the delectable sway of her denim-clad ass. And it was a mighty fine ass, Round and high and juicy. Did she wear a thong? Boyshort type panties would look nice too, just a nice little slice of her cheeks showing out the bottom. Okay that had to stop or he’d be embarrassed in about a minute or so.
“Cassie’s gonna play a game with us. She says she used to be pretty good. So let’s take it easy on her.” Shane cleared his throat and thought about the college football scores to get rid of the substantial hard on she’d given him.
Rolling her eyes, she grabbed a cue and chalked the tip. All four men watched, rapt, as she blew off the excess. Annoyed, Shane elbowed Matt and glared daggers at Marc but both men just shrugged and Kyle laughed.
“Rack ‘em up, boys.”
Oh, the way she said that made his heart stutter. Didn’t matter what she said, he was sure she’d sound drop dead sexy ordering a grilled cheese sandwich.
“Ante’s ten bucks,” Matt said with a wink. Cassie snorted, pulled a ten out of her jeans and slapped it down on the side of the table.
“Ladies first,” Shane said, motioning for her to go ahead. “You sure about that?” She stood, hand on her hip. “Of course. Guests and ladies first.”
Cassie shrugged and took her first shot and proceeded to wipe the floor with them. Shot after shot, she’d call and sink it. She cleared the table without breaking a sweat.
Turning back to them, a sexy grin broke over her lips. Satisfied, she grabbed the money and tucked it into her pocket. “Thanks boys. That was a very profitable few minutes.”
“You’re a pool shark!” Shane had been dumbfounded but now he found himself even more attracted by this mystery woman. Okay, so watching her bent over the table as she played helped a bit too.
“Nah, not anymore. See I could have played dumb and suckered you in until the pot was much bigger and then kicked your asses. But I played true from the first shot. I wasn’t even sure I could still play this well. I’m glad I still have it.” She smiled and Shane’s cock sprang from hard to impossibly hard.
“You guys underestimated me.” She patted her pocket. “The element of surprise, boys. Kept me in milk money.” Her laugh was honeyed sexual heat.
“Another game?” Shane wanted her there longer.
“I need to be getting home. I have to be up early to get all of my stock ready for the Sunday market day after tomorrow. It was a pleasure taking your money, though. Enjoy the evening.” She waved back over her shoulder as she walked away.
“Totally devious.” He shook his head in wonder. “She’s the perfect woman.” Shane watched her go to the table and say her goodbyes to the women there. “I’m going to be sure she gets home okay.” Blindly, he shoved his cue at one of his brothers, heading toward the door that she’d just walked out of.
“Cassie.” He’d noticed how prone to spooking she was so he made sure to always make a lot of noise when he approached her.
She turned, a bit startled but relaxed when she saw it was him. “Hello, Shane. What’s wrong?” He looked good coming toward her. Handsome and masculine.
“I just thought I’d offer you a ride home. Police escort and everything.”
“Oh, that’s all right. I have my car just up in front of the bookstore.” “I’ll walk you to it then.”
He didn’t give her much chance to run away when he fell into step next to her. The heat of his body rolled over her as they walked. The more she was around him, the less he scared her, but still, it was hard to not cringe when he walked so close to her. He just took the world for granted. Lived without fear of being assaulted or raped. Men his size could walk around any time without worry. She wished she knew what that felt like. For even just a few minutes.
He was patient as she unlocked her car but stopped her from getting in with a gentle hand at her shoulder. “Cassie, uh, would you like to get dinner sometime? Maybe go dancing?”
“I…well, I don’t know if I’m ready to date just yet.” Her words came out in a rush and the tenderness she brought out in him bloomed through his heart. Damn, what was it about this woman that got to him so deeply?
“Just yet? Are you with someone? I should have asked.” He knew she was divorced of course. Nothing stayed a secret very long in Petal. Hell, her landlord share that tidbit innocently enough the first night she’d landed in Petal and Shane had done a background check as well.
“Not anymore. I’m divorced.”
He wasn’t sure what emotion was in her voice as she’d said it. Sadness? Did she miss the ex? Pain? Was she afraid? It was petty of him but he far preferred that she hated her ex than her still wanting him. “Oh, it’s still new. I’m sorry.”
He tried to stay patient as possible, watching as she took deep breath and licked her lips before deciding to answer him. “It’s not really new. I’m not pining away for him or anything. It’s…complicated.” Her voice trembled at bit at the end and he locked his knees to keep from moving to her.
The fear was there, unmistakable. “I know you’re afraid of something. You can trust me, you know. I want to help. You can share your story with me. I like you, Cassie.” His voice was soft and he had to grip the top of her car door to keep from reaching out to touch her.
Her big blue eyes looked up at him for long moments, wavering. But at the last minute she looked away for a split second and when she looked back, the moment had passed. “I’m…it’s not something I like to talk about. Anyway, I should be getting home.”
“Just come as my friend then. I won’t rush you. I want to get to know you. Unless you’re not attracted to me at all. In which case, I’ll back off anything other than just being friends.”
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