Addison made it back for the wedding,” Emily Wright said, joining Chase and the brothers at the bar.
“Real nice,” Chase muttered, taking in Addison’s legs, her just-soft-enough thighs.
“Didn’t your mama teach you it’s not polite to escort one lady to a wedding and make eyes at another?” Emily asked him.
“Make eyes at who?” Jake punched Chase in the arm. “That’s my baby sister. Stop staring.”
Chase rubbed his bicep but didn’t bother taking his eyes off Addison. Addy. Sweet, young, smart, and so-fucking-sexy Addy.
As if sensing him, Addison turned and their eyes locked.
Her hair, the color of dark, rich honey, fell past her shoulders in fat curls, brushing over her bare skin. Her black dress hugged her curves and ended just low enough that her ass didn’t show, just high enough to make Chase have to work real hard not to think about the next few inches north.
In the two years since she’d picked up and left for Paris, Chase hadn’t forgotten her, hadn’t forgiven her, and hadn’t stopped wanting her.
Fuck, but he wasn’t prepared for this.
He pushed away from the wall. He needed some air.
He wove through the crowd, beer in hand. Before he realized what he’d done, he found himself five yards from Addison.
Gravitational pull of the sun , he reminded himself.
He stood rooted in place, unwilling to take a step closer, unable to take a step back.
She caught sight of him and treated him to a grin, the kind that changed her whole face and lit up the room like a thousand-watt bulb.
He wanted to kiss her so damn badly, his mouth went dry.
She smiled and gave a little wave.
Chase didn’t wave back but nodded toward the exit.
If you’re going to burn, might as well go down smiling.
Chapter Two
A shiver rushed up Addy’s spine as Chase strode out the wide open barn doors. She’d been planning to avoid him—drop in, celebrate the sudden and unexpected marriage of her best friend to her brother, fly out tomorrow night. Avoid scandal at all costs.
But Chase’s hot eyes? That knowing grin? How could she say no?
Biting her lip, she turned to her best friend.
“It’s my wedding, and I say you should go after him,” the bride ordered with a smile, adjusting her veil.
Addison swallowed. “Stace, that might be a mistake.”
Stacey arched a dark brow. “Better loved and lost, they say.”
Those were dangerous thoughts, and last time she’d explored them, she’d ended up alone. In Paris.
This can’t happen, Addison .
Two years later and the memory of his words still caused an ache in her chest, a knot in the pit of her stomach.
She followed Chase out the back of the barn and toward the creek.
She caught sight of him just as his broad shoulders disappeared over the hill.
When she reached the crest, Chase was sitting on the river bank. His black dress shirt pulled across his shoulders as he rested his thick forearms on his knees and stared into the rushing water.
Quietly, she made her way to his side and lowered herself beside him. She stretched out her bare legs, and the clay earth, cool in contrast to the hot, humid air, sent a chill through her.
“Welcome home,” Chase said, not looking at her.
“Don’t tell me it’s good to have me back,” she said. “Not if you don’t mean it.”
Chase turned to her. His eyes were hot and something like anguish colored his features. “I don’t know if it’s good or not.” He looked away and focused on the water as if looking at her was too difficult. “So, Stacey and Harrison. Crazy, huh?”
Addy frowned and pulled her bottom lip between her teeth. “A whirlwind romance, I guess.”
“Yeah.” He nodded. “Good for them,” he said softly.
Since he wouldn’t look at her, she studied his profile. He scratched at the stubble of his short beard. Chase was masculinity personified, the kind of rough-and-tumble sexy that made a girl’s ovaries take up pole dancing and aerobic strip tease classes.
In
“Real nice,” Chase muttered, taking in Addison’s legs, her just-soft-enough thighs.
“Didn’t your mama teach you it’s not polite to escort one lady to a wedding and make eyes at another?” Emily asked him.
“Make eyes at who?” Jake punched Chase in the arm. “That’s my baby sister. Stop staring.”
Chase rubbed his bicep but didn’t bother taking his eyes off Addison. Addy. Sweet, young, smart, and so-fucking-sexy Addy.
As if sensing him, Addison turned and their eyes locked.
Her hair, the color of dark, rich honey, fell past her shoulders in fat curls, brushing over her bare skin. Her black dress hugged her curves and ended just low enough that her ass didn’t show, just high enough to make Chase have to work real hard not to think about the next few inches north.
In the two years since she’d picked up and left for Paris, Chase hadn’t forgotten her, hadn’t forgiven her, and hadn’t stopped wanting her.
Fuck, but he wasn’t prepared for this.
He pushed away from the wall. He needed some air.
He wove through the crowd, beer in hand. Before he realized what he’d done, he found himself five yards from Addison.
Gravitational pull of the sun , he reminded himself.
He stood rooted in place, unwilling to take a step closer, unable to take a step back.
She caught sight of him and treated him to a grin, the kind that changed her whole face and lit up the room like a thousand-watt bulb.
He wanted to kiss her so damn badly, his mouth went dry.
She smiled and gave a little wave.
Chase didn’t wave back but nodded toward the exit.
If you’re going to burn, might as well go down smiling.
Chapter Two
A shiver rushed up Addy’s spine as Chase strode out the wide open barn doors. She’d been planning to avoid him—drop in, celebrate the sudden and unexpected marriage of her best friend to her brother, fly out tomorrow night. Avoid scandal at all costs.
But Chase’s hot eyes? That knowing grin? How could she say no?
Biting her lip, she turned to her best friend.
“It’s my wedding, and I say you should go after him,” the bride ordered with a smile, adjusting her veil.
Addison swallowed. “Stace, that might be a mistake.”
Stacey arched a dark brow. “Better loved and lost, they say.”
Those were dangerous thoughts, and last time she’d explored them, she’d ended up alone. In Paris.
This can’t happen, Addison .
Two years later and the memory of his words still caused an ache in her chest, a knot in the pit of her stomach.
She followed Chase out the back of the barn and toward the creek.
She caught sight of him just as his broad shoulders disappeared over the hill.
When she reached the crest, Chase was sitting on the river bank. His black dress shirt pulled across his shoulders as he rested his thick forearms on his knees and stared into the rushing water.
Quietly, she made her way to his side and lowered herself beside him. She stretched out her bare legs, and the clay earth, cool in contrast to the hot, humid air, sent a chill through her.
“Welcome home,” Chase said, not looking at her.
“Don’t tell me it’s good to have me back,” she said. “Not if you don’t mean it.”
Chase turned to her. His eyes were hot and something like anguish colored his features. “I don’t know if it’s good or not.” He looked away and focused on the water as if looking at her was too difficult. “So, Stacey and Harrison. Crazy, huh?”
Addy frowned and pulled her bottom lip between her teeth. “A whirlwind romance, I guess.”
“Yeah.” He nodded. “Good for them,” he said softly.
Since he wouldn’t look at her, she studied his profile. He scratched at the stubble of his short beard. Chase was masculinity personified, the kind of rough-and-tumble sexy that made a girl’s ovaries take up pole dancing and aerobic strip tease classes.
In
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