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"Yes," he agreed. “How about putting on pants?”
“Chase, there’s nothing wrong with my dress. It’s not revealing at all.”
“You look fucking sexy in it.”
“I’m not changing.”
“Hannah—”
“Chase!”
I stared him down until he closed the door. Then he walked around the car.
“By the way, do you have plans today or tomorrow?” he asked once inside.
“No. I figured your parents might need help both days, so I’ve left them free.”
Chase smiled smugly. “Excellent.”
"So, what's the plan for today?"
"My parents said the basement needs a bit of a cleanup, so today they want to sort through everything the previous owner left. My brothers are coming too."
"Should we buy breakfast for everyone?"
"No, Griffin is in charge of breakfast. Wyatt is bringing coffee. Knox and Finn will be in charge of lunch.”
“So what are you bringing?" I asked.
"You."
"What do you mean?" I ran my hand through my hair, all the way down to the ends.
"Mom was delighted when I told her that you're joining us too. I haven't seen her this excited in a long time."
"Why?"
"I don't think I've introduced her to anyone I dated in years."
I wanted to stop the car, straddle him right there, and kiss him thoroughly.
We arrived at the store ten minutes later. It was close to La Jolla and surrounded by modern condo buildings. I was betting that Elijah had gotten tons of requests from real estate developers. No wonder he’d been so cagey. Chase must have paid a fortune for it.
I stepped out of the car, holding the gift bag in one hand. Chase took my free hand, leading me to the entrance.
The two-story building was made out of limestone. The windowsills were white and looked a bit worn, but I liked that. It gave the place a rustic charm. As did the old-fashioned, arched wooden door. It was cozy both on the outside and the inside, although it was in complete disarray.
There were boxes everywhere on the first floor. A small counter with shelves behind it spread around the entire floor. But there was no one here.
Chase led me through a small door that probably connected to a supply room. My jaw dropped when he opened the next door. This wasn’t a supply room. If anything, I’d call it the sunroom. It overlooked a cute and sizable backyard. But it was empty too.
"Holy shit, this room is amazing," I exclaimed.
“I know. My brothers and I spent a lot of time back here. My parents set up desks along two of the walls so we could do our homework after school. Mom liked us being here because they could check on us from time to time.” He smiled, pointing to where they all sat.
I wrapped my arms around his torso, placing my chin on his sternum and looking up at him. Chase was fairly tall, over six feet, and I tucked nicely under his chin, just shy of five feet seven. "I'm glad you could get it back."
He squeezed me against him. "I'm happy too."