Page 42 of Make Me Trust Again (Bluebonnet Creek #3)

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

ROSE

Coming to the surface, I turn around and find Chase still sitting where I left him. My stomach clenches, something that feels a lot like disappointment burning inside me, but I push it back as I let myself float on the lake.

Weightless.

Free.

I’m finally free.

At some point since I got here, the sun has set. The lake is slightly chilly, making goosebumps rise on my skin. Not that I mind it; it makes me feel alive. I can hear the soft buzzing surrounding me, a few fireflies flying above the lake.

A light in the darkness.

But they’re not the only ones.

Here, away from the lights of the town, thousands of little stars shine brightly across the black background, illuminating the night alongside the crescent moon.

I thread my arms slowly through the water, keeping my gaze on that immense sky, my mind going through all the possibilities.

I can do anything. Be anybody. But am I strong enough to reach for it?

Reach for him? But what if he rejects me once again?

Sucking in a breath, I turn around and dive underwater as I swim back to the shore. I cut through the water, pushing myself until my lungs burn with the need to breathe.

As I come to the surface, my body collides with another one. Hands fall on my shoulders to steady me.

I blink my eyes open, my vision blurry as I suck in a sharp breath. My heart does a little flip inside my chest as the person in front of me comes into focus.

“Ch-Chase?”

A shiver runs down my spine as he cups my face, his thumb gently brushing away the strand of hair that’s stuck to my cheek.

He was standing in the water, shirtless, the soft moonlight illuminating his naked chest, the light and shadow casting a glow over the scars crisscrossing over his torso and arms.

He came.

He actually came.

“What—”

“You cut your hair.”

I blink, unsure if I heard him correctly. His gaze is fixed on that strand of shoulder-length hair, rubbing it gently between his fingertips.

“You noticed.”

Chase looks up slowly, his gaze meeting mine with that silent intensity of his that sends a shudder running down my spine. “Was I not supposed to?”

My tongue darts out, sliding over my lower lip. “Nobody ever notices.” The admission slips out, barely a whisper. “Sometimes it feels like you’re the only person who actually sees me.”

Even in the darkness, I can see something flash on Chase’s face.

Something I’m not sure how to name. I hold my breath, my words seem to echo in the quiet as that sizzling tension between us grows stronger, buzzing brightly like those fireflies surrounding us.

That’s how this thing between us feels—small, just a flicker of light, but enough to cast away the darkness.

Chase’s hold on me tightens. “Rose…”

My name is a low growl, almost like he’s in pain. His eyes drink me in, and I can see the demons fighting in their depths as he watches me. His thumb slides over my cheeks, my jaw, his eyes following every movement as if he’s trying to memorize the lines of my face.

I nibble at my lower lip as his thumb skims over the underside of my mouth. My lip pops out, a soft whimper coming out of me at the barest of touches. He’s standing so close I can see his pupils dilate, and yet, he’s still holding onto that steel control of his.

“I got my divorce papers.”

I hold my breath as my rushed words ring in the air around us. Chase’s body goes completely still. It’s like all the air has been sucked around us as he just stares at me, unmoving. His gaze is locked on mine, observing, waiting.

Nervous, I graze my teeth over my lower lip, waiting for some kind of reaction, but there is nothing—just utter stillness.

Did he not hear? Based on his reaction, it’s highly unlikely. Maybe he changed his mind, and this isn’t what he wants. Me. I’m not what he wants. I can feel the color rise up my neck, and I’m grateful for the darkness so it can hide at least some of my embarrassment.

“It’s over, I?—”

I lower my head.

Or at least I try to, but Chase’s fingers hold me still.

“Fucking finally.”

And then it’s like something inside him snaps. His hand slides to my nape, his other one grabbing my waist and pulling me flush against him as he leans down and captures my mouth.

A current of electricity zaps through my body.

From the top of my head all the way to the tips of my toes, it feels like my whole body is burning with this pent-up tension that’s been building between us for the last few weeks with every long look, every brush of our fingers, every moment we spent together.

I slide my palms over his pecs and around his neck, pulling him closer as his tongue dives into my mouth, a low, painful groan coming out of his lungs as our bodies collide, his hard length pressing against my belly.

A shudder runs through me at the feel of him—his hard to my soft.

The mix of cool water and Chase’s warm skin makes goosebumps rise on my arms.

I tilt my head to the side, my tongue meeting his in a sensual dance. My heart is galloping inside my chest as I try to feel more of him.

He nips at my lip before his tongue dives deeper, the push and pull ripping a needy sound out of my throat.

I curl my leg around his waist, my palms running down his muscled back.

Closer.

I need him so much closer to me.

It’s insanity. This need to be near him. To feel more of him. I just can’t get enough of him.

Chase’s thumb slides over my throat just as another needy moan comes out of my lungs.

Breaking the kiss, he pulls back only to continue tracing kisses over my jaw and down the side of my neck.

“Chase, I…” My fingers curl, but his hair is too short, so I just end up scratching him slightly. Not that he seems to mind.

“Do that again,” he pants, pressing his forehead against mine.

Again?

“What?”

His thumb skims over my neck gently as those dark eyes bore into me.

“I might not be able to hear you clearly, but I can sense it.” The pressure on my neck tightens, just slightly.

Not enough to cause pain or bruise, but enough so I can feel it.

“I want to feel every little sound and moan you make.” His nose brushes against mine.

His mouth is so close I can feel its softness against my lips.

“What should I do to get you to make them for me, sweetheart?”

The softly spoken endearment sends another ripple of desire through my bones.

“Kiss me again,” I whisper, our mouths brushing, but before I can actually press my lips against his, he tilts his head and kisses the hollow of my neck.

“Here?”

A soft sigh escapes me, and I can feel his mouth curve against my skin as he moves his head lower, that hand still holding onto my neck.

“Or maybe here?”

He kisses the top of my breast, just above the rim of my bra.

“No, that’s not it.” He moves even lower, this time, his tongue flicking over the lacy material that’s plastered over my nipple.

“Chase…” My head falls back, my hips rolling slightly, seeking friction.

He takes it as an invitation and sucks my nipple deeper into his mouth, and a low moan rips out of my lungs.

It’s too much. His hot mouth, just the right pressure of his tongue, the wet lace clinging to my hard nipple… It’s all just too much.

A low rumble makes his chest shake under my hands.

Blinking my eyes open, I look at the man in front of me, who’s observing me intently with those dark eyes as if he doesn’t want to miss anything.

Pleasure fills my belly, and I can feel the warmth rising up my cheeks.

It’s been so long since I’ve been desired that I almost forgot what it feels like.

Not that it ever felt like this before.

It isn’t just desire either. It’s being with Chase. His calloused hands on my body make my skin prickle. The stubble on his jaw sends shivers every time he kisses me.

He makes me feel alive.

Wanted.

His teeth graze over my nipple before he lets it pop out of his mouth. “So fucking beautiful.”

I cup his cheek, my finger rubbing over his square jaw as I lean down. “You make me feel beautiful.”

His pupils dilate as he closes the distance between us, capturing my mouth in a hard kiss. He’s devouring me, like a starved man, and I can’t get enough.

I hold onto his face, moving closer, but my leg slips. Chase curses softly as he steadies me, his hands slide down to my ass, and he hoists me into his arms.

“Chase!” My legs curl around his waist as he takes us back to the shore. “What are you doing?”

“Getting out.”

“Put me down, I?—”

I don’t get to finish because his mouth is on mine again as he sits down in the shallow part with me in his lap.

I can’t even be angry with him for shushing me when he’s kissing me like this.

Like he needs me to breathe, and I’m his air.

My hands slide down his chest, but his fingers wrap around my wrist, holding it in place.

“You don’t have to touch them.” I blink, confused by his words. “The scars. You don’t have to touch them.”

He’s worried about his scars?

I shake my head gently. “We all have scars, Chase. It just so happens that yours are visible.”

Pulling my hand out of his grasp, I trace the path of his scars, the dips and valleys over his muscles.

My tongue darts out, sliding over my lower lip as I debate it just for a split second before pressing my mouth against his chest, just over his heart, where one of the bigger scars is.

He could have been gone. He could have been gone even before our paths crossed again, and I’d never get to know the amazing man he’s become.

His body shivers at the touch, but he doesn’t push me away.

I take that as his agreement as I move lower, placing kisses over his chest and abs until I get to the waistband of his boxer briefs that are doing nothing to hide his arousal.

His muscles twitch, eyes closing for a second as his Adam’s apple bobs.

My fingers slip under the waistband, wrapping around his hard length.