Page 79 of Check & Chase (Breakaway #1)

Emma

Chapter Fifty-One

“ K eep your eyes closed.”

Chase’s voice is full of excitement as he guides me carefully through what I assume is the entrance of the beach house he’s rented for our honeymoon.

I’m still in one of my outfits from the wedding, a simple white dress I changed into after my skating performance, and my new husband is apparently determined to continue the night of surprises.

“If I trip and break something on our wedding night, I’m filing for annulment,” I warn, though there’s no heat behind the threat.

“Such little faith,” he teases, bringing us to a stop. “And after I trusted you to blindfold me earlier.”

“That was different.”

“Details.” I can hear the smile in his voice. “Okay, just a few more steps.”

I let him lead me forward, curious despite my fake reluctance. After my surprise at the rink, I hadn’t expected Chase to have something planned too.

“Almost there,” he murmurs, adjusting our direction slightly. “Step up here, one small step, that’s it. Now stop. ”

We’re definitely inside now. I can smell something wonderful—the ocean breeze through open windows, flowers, and candles burning.

“Chase,” I begin suspiciously, “what did you—”

“Open your eyes,” he interrupts, unable to contain his excitement any longer.

I blink as my vision adjusts to the soft golden glow of what must be a hundred candles scattered throughout the beach house living room. Rose petals create a path across the floor, leading to a table set for two, with champagne, strawberries, and what looks like an envelope placed in the center.

“Oh my god,” I breathe, taking in the romantic scene. “Chase, this is beautiful.”

“Welcome to our honeymoon suite,” he murmurs softly, watching my reaction. “Do you like it?”

I turn to him in disbelief. “You arranged all this? While recovering from knee surgery and planning a wedding?”

“I had some help,” he admits with a grin. “Your brother and Tyler may have coordinated with the rental company. But the details are all mine.”

The fact that we were both planning secret wedding surprises is so perfectly us that I start laughing.

“We really are a matched set, aren’t we?” I observe, reaching for his hand. “It’s beautiful, Chase.”

The windows frame a stunning ocean view, moonlight dancing on the waves. The entire space has been transformed into a romantic retreat, with twinkling lights strung across the ceiling and flowers everywhere.

“There’s more.” He nods toward the envelope on the table. “Open it.”

I raise an eyebrow. “Another surprise?”

“The big one,” he confirms, shifting his weight nervously.

I move to the table and pick up the envelope, sliding my finger under the seal. Inside is what looks like a contract. I scan the first few lines, then freeze, my heart suddenly pounding.

“Chase,” I whisper, looking up at him with wide eyes. “Is this… ”

“A contract with the Wolves,” he confirms, his smile threatening to split his face. “I’m joining your team, Emma.”

“But what about the contract with the Bears?”

“I turned it down,” he explains, moving closer. “Talked to management about my priorities changing after the injury, after the wedding. They weren’t happy, but they understood. The Wolves made an offer that worked for everyone. Jackson may have helped negotiate some of the terms.”

“You’re joining the Wolves,” I repeat, still stunned. “We’ll be working for the same team.”

“No more rival franchises,” he confirms. “Just one team, one city, one home.”

“The house,” I suddenly realize. “The one I bought while you were in surgery. That’s why it was the perfect location.”

The thoughtfulness of this plan—giving us time to settle into marriage before adding the dynamic of being on the same team, making sure his recovery isn’t disrupted—is so perfectly Chase that it makes my heart ache.

“You’re incredible,” I tell him, crossing the distance between us to throw my arms around his neck.

His arms wrap around my waist, pulling me close. “So you approve of the surprise?”

“Approve?” I laugh against his lips. “Chase Mitchell, you just rearranged your entire career to be with me. Approve doesn’t begin to cover it.”

He kisses me deeply, our bodies fitting together perfectly. When we finally break for air, his eyes are dark with desire.

“We should celebrate,” he suggests.

“Definitely,” I agree, already working at the buttons of his shirt. “Though maybe we should blow out these candles first? Fire hazard and all.”

He laughs, the sound vibrating through his chest against my palms. “Ever practical, Mrs. Mitchell. Hold that thought. ”

He moves around the room, putting out the clusters of candles. I watch him, still marveling at how smoothly he moves despite his knee brace, at how much he’s willing to sacrifice for us to be together.

When he returns, his expression has shifted from playful to intense. “Now, where were we?”

“Right about here,” I murmur, finishing with his shirt buttons and pushing the fabric from his shoulders.

His hands find the zipper of my dress, slowly drawing it down my back. “I’ve been wanting to do this since I first saw you in this dress.”

“Just this dress?” I tease, stepping back to let the fabric pool at my feet, leaving me in nothing but lace underwear.

“That too,” he admits. “But I was a bit distracted by the whole ‘holy shit I’m actually marrying Emma Anderson’ thing.”

I close the distance between us again to work at his belt. “And don’t you forget it.”

“Never,” he promises, capturing my lips in another kiss.

We barely make it to the bedroom before our clothes are gone. The master suite glows from the moon outside, rose petals scattered across the bed, champagne chilling in a silver bucket nearby.

“You really went all out,” I breathe, letting him guide me toward the bed.

“I had motivation,” he explains, easing down beside me carefully, mindful of his knee. “I wanted our first night as husband and wife to be unforgettable.”

“Mission accomplished. But we’re just getting started.”

His hand catches mine. “Wait. No touching yet.”

I blink, caught off guard. “What? Why?”

Instead of answering, he reaches into his pocket and pulls something out—a familiar length of black silk.

My mouth falls open. “Is that the blindfold from the wedding? You kept that?”

“Hell yeah I did,” he grins, the playful glint in his eyes turning wicked. “Did you really think I was letting this go to waste, Mrs. Mitchell?”

A shiver runs through me as he gently ties the soft fabric over my eyes.

Darkness wraps around me, sharpening every other sense. I hear the sheets shift as he moves, feel cool air on my skin, and then—his hand, warm, on my inner thigh.

“You are so beautiful, Em,” he whispers. “Every inch of you.”

I gasp as his fingers skim upward, teasing. Then his head dips, and his mouth finds my pussy. He takes his time, building me up slowly, then faster. I’m lost in the sensation, the blindfold making everything more intense. My hips arch off the bed, seeking more, needing more.

“Fuck,” I moan. “Don’t stop.”

He groans low, the sound vibrating through my clit. He knows exactly where and how to touch me, how to make the pressure build. My fingers clutch at the rose-covered sheets, my breath coming in short gasps as my first orgasm spreads through me, warm and intense.

“God, Em,” he murmurs against me. “You taste incredible.”

He kisses his way up my body until his mouth finds mine. I taste myself on his lips, the rawness of it making my head spin.

When I catch my breath, I reach up and untie the blindfold. The silk slips away and light floods back in. I blink, eyes adjusting, and then smile.

“My turn,” I whisper.

Before he can react, I flip him onto his back, careful of his knee, and loop the blindfold around his wrists, securing them to the headboard with a firm tug.

“Think you can get out of that, Mr. Mitchell?” I tease.

His eyes burn into mine, heavy-lidded and dark with want. “We’ll see, baby.”

When I sink down onto his cock, a low, broken sound slips from both of us. He fills me completely, stretching me just right. I pause, adjusting to the fullness, my palms braced on his chest as he lets out a sharp breath.

“Fuck, Em,” he groans, his head tipping back, eyes fluttering shut. “You feel so fucking good wrapped around my cock. ”

I start to move slowly, rocking my hips to grind against him. The friction builds fast, and I can feel him trying not to buck up beneath me, his wrists pulling at the blindfold tied above his head.

I reach between us, fingers pressing tight circles against my clit. His eyes snap open and lock onto mine.

“That’s it,” he pants. “Let go for me, baby. Let me see you come.”

The climax builds fast, curling low in my belly. I’m almost there when I feel it—a jolt through his arms, the sudden snap of fabric giving way.

“Hey—!” I gasp, but I don’t get the rest out before his hands are on my hips, flipping us over, careful but quick.

I blink up at him, stunned. “You got out?”

He grins down at me, breathless and smug. “Hell yeah I did. That thing was never holding me, baby. I was just giving you your moment.”

Then he begins to move, driving deep and hard enough to steal the air from my lungs. Every stroke hits just right—so good it blurs the line between pleasure and pain. My fingers claw at his back, nails digging into his skin as I gasp against his shoulder.

The orgasm hits me hard. It’s nothing like the first one. This one is sudden and intense. My whole body clenches before a hot rush of wetness pours out of me, soaking both of us.

“Holy shit,” I whisper, burying my face in my hands. “Did I just…”

He catches my wrists, pulling them away, and grins down at me.

“Yeah, baby. You just squirted all over my cock. For the second time now.”

He kisses me fiercely as he starts moving again, this time chasing his own release until he comes with a deep, guttural moan, his hips stuttering as he spills inside me.

We stay like that for a while—his forehead pressed to mine, both of us breathless and trembling, hearts still racing.

Eventually, he eases down beside me, curling his arm around my waist and tugging me close.

He presses a soft kiss to my shoulder. “You okay?”

I hum, nuzzling into his chest. “More than okay. ”

He holds me close, warm and solid. The chaos of the day fades into the background, and I feel it—the peace that only comes when you’re right where you’re supposed to be.

“I love you, my beautiful wife.”

“I love you too.”

Neither of us speaks after that. We don’t need to. There’s only the sound of the ocean outside, and the rhythm of our breathing slowly syncing again.

I still have one more surprise before we go to sleep, though.

“Hey baby?” I murmur.

“Yes, Mrs. Mitchell?” he responds sleepily.

I slip out of bed, ignoring his disappointed whimper at the loss of contact.

“Close your eyes,” I instruct, moving to my small bag in the corner. “I have one more surprise.”

“More surprises?” he questions, but closes his eyes. “Haven’t we had enough of those to last a lifetime?”

“One more,” I promise, retrieving the small item I’d hidden so carefully. My heart pounds as I return to the bed, placing the object in his outstretched hand. “Okay, open.”

Chase blinks his eyes open, then looks down at what I’ve placed in his palm. A positive pregnancy test. For a moment, he just stares at it.

“Wait, what? You’re pregnant?” His eyes snap to mine, wide with shock. “We’re pregnant?”

I nod, suddenly unable to speak past the lump in my throat.

“Oh my god,” he breathes, tears immediately filling his eyes. “Oh my god, Emma.”

He drops the test on the nightstand and pulls me into his arms, burying his face against my neck. I can feel his tears on my skin, his body trembling.

“When did you find out?” he asks, pulling back to look at me.

“After the dinner,” I admit. “That’s why I disappeared with Maya for a little bit. I suspected, and she went with me to get the test. ”

“You found out on our wedding day?”

“Perfect timing, right?” I laugh through my own tears.

“We’re having a baby,” he says in awe, sliding down my body to press his lips to my belly. “Hey there, little one. It’s your dad.”

His voice is so tender, so full of love that fresh tears spill down my cheeks. I run my fingers through his hair as he continues talking.

“You picked the perfect day to make yourself known, you know that? On the day I married your amazing mom.”

He presses another gentle kiss to my stomach.

“I can’t wait to meet you. I can’t wait to teach you how to skate, how to hold a hockey stick. Or maybe you’ll be a figure skater like your mom—that would be pretty awesome too.”

His hands cradle my belly carefully, as if already trying to protect our tiny child.

“I promise I’m going to be the best dad I can be. I’m going to love you and your mom more than anything in the world. Team Mitchell, the three of us.”

He rests his cheek against my stomach, his voice dropping to a whisper.

“You’re already so loved, little one. So incredibly loved.”

I can feel his tears on my skin again, his joy so pure and overwhelming it radiates from him. I’ve never seen Chase like this—completely unguarded, his emotions laid bare.

“I think he or she already knows,” I whisper, stroking his hair. “Can already feel how much their daddy loves them.”

He looks up at me, grinning like an idiot.

“Thank you,” he whispers against my skin. “For this family we’re creating. For everything.”

He presses one final kiss to my belly before moving back up to hold me in his arms, one hand still protectively over my stomach where our child grows .

As I drift toward sleep, Chase’s voice continues, soft and tender, speaking to our baby about all the adventures waiting for them, all the love surrounding them, all the dreams we already hold for their future.

The last thing I hear before sleep takes me is my husband’s voice, promising our child the world—and I know with absolute certainty that he’ll move heaven and earth to keep that promise.