Chapter Five
Chloe woke up warm and wel rested. Oh, she'd missed beds like this - pil ow-top mattresses with soft, silky sheets and thick duvets that were light and yet perfectly warm al at the same time. Stil , becoming her own person again these past six months since filing for divorce, even if it meant she'd been sleeping on cheap, scratchy sheets and a rock-hard single bed, had been better than soft beds and fancy shoes.
That urgency to start running again tried to steal through her, but for the moment she was just too darn comfortable to do more than stretch and snuggle down deeper beneath the covers. She closed her eyes and tried to go back to sleep, but despite how nice it was to lie in the middle of a big bed like a lump of lazy, rather than rush off to the diner she'd been working in these past months to serve a bunch of ass-pinchers greasy eggs, she just couldn't nod off. Not when thoughts of Chase kept sliding in, one after the other, insidiously sweet.
And hot.
She'd crawled na**d between the sheets the previous night, so exhausted that she immediately fel asleep. But in the light of the morning that was now streaming in through the sheer curtains at the window, she remembered - in vivid, Technicolor detail - just what she'd done in the bathroom.
Just what he'd seen.
She instinctively covered her cheeks as they grew hot.
She wouldn't beat up on herself for masturbating in the delicious tub. She wouldn't even cal herself out for the way his name landed on her lips as she came. And there real y was no point in being angry with him for walking in on her "private time," not when the only reason he'd come looking for her was because he'd clearly been worried about her. He hadn't been hoping to catch her with her hand between her legs.
But what had come after - the fact that she hadn't flat-out insisted he leave the bathroom, the way they'd teased each other, the fact that she'd actual y cal ed him Hotstuff to his face - she could hardly believe any of it had happened.
And yet, despite the way her stomach clenched as she tried to force those memories away, the smal spot of warmth that had settled in behind her breastbone before she fel asleep remained.
Al because Chase hadn't come at her. He hadn't frightened her. Or tried to dominate her in any way.
Some women, she knew, liked that sort of thing. They found it exciting to have their power taken away. Once upon a time, she'd been tantalized by fantasies of being held down. Of being bound.
Of being helpless in her passion, of the idea of being able to let go completely with a man who loved her.
She couldn't imagine ever feeling that way now. No, she'd never let anyone take her power away ever again. And Chloe couldn't see one possible reason that she might be tempted to let anyone control any part of her life like that. Not a single one.
She closed her eyes, knowing she was being a coward lying here in this soft bed. She should be on the phone, cal ing the police, filing a report.
She should have done it last night, but she'd been so spooked by the way her ex had come after her that she hadn't been thinking about anything but getting away. Far, far away from him.
But knowing what she should do and feeling strong enough to do it were quite clearly two completely different things.
Final y giving up on getting any more sleep, with her mind reeling in a dozen different directions, she pushed off the covers and slid out of bed.
"You were good last night," she told it like a fond lover before she headed for the bathroom.
She stood beneath the deliciously warm shower spray, feeling safe and warm, at least for a little while. She wasn't going to hide here forever, of course. But for the rest of the day, if she could manage it without getting in anyone's way, she'd hang out in the vineyards. Maybe even taste a little wine.
Pretend her life was normal for a while.
Normal. That sounded real y nice.
Forcing back the voice inside her head that told her avoiding the inevitable would only make it harder to take care of the ugliness later, she worked to convince herself that she deserved a tiny bit of normal. Didn't she?
After drying off and putting on her jeans and T-shirt, she ventured out into the suite.
Okay, so maybe she'd taken longer than normal drying her long straight hair. It wasn't that she cared about looking good for Chase. It wasn't that she was nervous about seeing him again.
Oh, who was she kidding? No one, that's who.
The bruise on her face wasn't going to terrify smal children or anything, but it wasn't particularly attractive, either. Add that to her wel -worn jeans and T-shirt and she wasn't anywhere near looking her best.
She took a deep breath and threw her shoulders back before rounding the corner of the hal way to where it opened up to the kitchen.
It was empty.
Disappointment reared up in her before she could shove it down. Or pretend it hadn't been there at al .
There was a bowl of freshly cut fruit on the kitchen island, along with an array of pastries that had her empty stomach growling. She had already picked up a chocolate croissant - her favorite! - and bitten into it by the time she noticed the note tucked beside the pretty red and yel ow fruit bowl.
Chloe,
Good morning. I hope you slept well. Sorry I couldn't stay to keep you company for breakfast.
Please come join us out in the vineyards when you're done eating.
See you soon,
HOTSTUFF
P.S. Almost forgot. There's fresh squeezed o.j. in the fridge. Gotta make sure you get your vitamin C.
Surprised laughter rang out in the empty kitchen.
Chloe couldn't believe he'd signed his note with the nickname she'd given him. In her experience, men didn't have funny bones. Especial y not when the joke was at their expense.
Looking in the fridge, she found the juice and poured herself a tal glass. Settling on one of the bar stools, she picked up the note and read it again, a smile stil playing on her face.
Us meant Chase and his brother, right? She fought back a prickle of unease that she might have to meet more people than that. Frankly, she didn't even want to meet his brother. But since she'd availed herself of his hospitality last night - right now, too - she wouldn't feel right if she didn't at least thank him for letting her crash in his guest house for a night. As soon as she was settled again, she'd get to work on a new quilt as a proper thank-you gift.
The croissant was down to little crumbles on the granite counter top and she was picking each one up with a wet fingertip before she admitted to herself that she was stal ing again, hiding out in the guest house so she wouldn't have to face Chase.
It was a beautiful day outside. She should go and enjoy it while she was here.
Chloe stepped out onto the wide covered porch. Shading her eyes with one hand, without thinking, she careful y scanned the area in front of her to secure her surroundings.
Even though she felt safer than she had in a while, she suddenly felt like trouble could come from anywhere, just when she least expected it. Just like it had last night.
Every time she thought about what had happened, she felt so stupidly na?ve. How had she missed the signs that her ex had been on the edge?
Thinking about it made her stomach feel like a tight fist was wrapped around it, clenching tighter and tighter.
Normal. She'd been planning to pretend everything was normal.
She took one deep breath and then another as she fought to repress her swirling emotions, her fears. Final y, when she felt steadier, she looked around her with a surprised gasp.
After the rain the previous night, the vineyard sparkled in the sunlight. The leaves on the vines were bright green, almost as if a child had painted the scene in primary colors with fresh crayons.
The vineyard was blissful y quiet, except, she noticed as she walked down between a tal row of vines, for the birds that were cal ing playful y back and forth to each other. As their cheerful songs filtered into her, she took a deep breath of the fresh air, the clean scent of dirt and growing plants and nature.
Unfortunately, a few moments later, her idyl was interrupted by the fast sound of footsteps and what sounded like a teenage girl sobbing. Chloe barely backed into one of the vines in time to avoid being trampled by a tal , thin girl.
Chloe's heart thumped hard as she waited - and watched - for someone to come running after the girl. But when the coast was clear a few moments later and she stepped back into the middle of the dirt path, she found the elaborate ties on the girl's dress had caught on a set of thick vines.
Chloe quickly made her way over to her. "Hold on a second and I'l get you unstuck."
The girl's eyes were wide and stil ful of tears as Chloe worked on one of the silky threads.
Even though she was wondering what on earth the girl was doing wearing a dress like this - one Chloe knew first-hand must have cost a fortune - in the middle of a vineyard on a weekday morning, she asked, "What's wrong?"
"He's so mean!"
Chloe's heartbeat, which had barely slowed, kicked back into overdrive. Feeling incredibly protective, she asked, "Who's mean? Your boyfriend?"
The girl shook her head, strikingly beautiful even with tear-streaked cheeks and tangled hair. "I wish. He's so gorgeous," she final y said, fresh tears fal ing down her cheeks, "and so mean!"
Why did they al do this to themselves? Chloe wondered. What was the al ure of fal ing for guys who treated them like dirt? Was it some secret part of the kindergarten curriculum for girls?
Chloe had finished untangling the silk threads from the vine, but the girl was stil crying - big, wracking, dramatic sobs.
"Thank God, you found her."
Chase? When had he come upon them? And how could the warm voice that had threaded through al of her dreams last night have her body heating up this quickly?
The girl wrapped her long, slim fingers around Chloe's wrist and held on tight. Tight enough that any greeting Chloe might have uttered was swal owed up in a gasp of pain as long, perfectly manicured nails dug in between the veins in her wrist.
Chase's eyes were warm as he scanned Chloe's face. "How'd you sleep?"
One look into his eyes was al it took for her to immediately forget the sting in her wrist. He looked so concerned. And so ridiculously beautiful that it actual y stole her breath away.
Somehow, she managed a way-too-breathy, "Good."
He smiled, a big, heartfelt smile that immediately turned Chloe's insides to liquid goo. "Good.
I'm glad."
The girl dug her nails in harder. "It's him," she hissed, frowning at the gentle interplay between the two adults.
Chloe tried to shift her wrist from beneath the girl's talons. "What?"
"He's the one who made me cry!"
Chloe turned from the girl to Chase. Trying to get everything straight, Chloe said, "You made her cry?"
Rather than answer her question, he addressed the girl directly. "Amanda, we're losing the proper light. I need you back in place. Now."
The girl's pout rivaled that of a three-year-old. "It's not fair."
"I don't have time for your tantrums, Amanda."
What in heck were they talking about? This pretty young girl couldn't be his girlfriend, could it?
And what did he mean by "getting back in place"?
Stil protective of the girl, she moved to put herself between the two of them. "Look, Chase,"
she began, "she is real y upset about something."
The girl elbowed her out of the way and Chloe had a strange feeling that she'd just made the mistake of standing in Amanda's limelight.
"I want to be in the front!" The girl's big eyes were calculating. "Promise me I'l be the lead for the rest of the day and I'l go back."
Chase's expression didn't change. He wasn't angry. He wasn't laughing. He was simply focused. Determined. Chloe had the distinct sense that he rarely, if ever, didn't get exactly what he wanted.
A slight shiver came over her as she remembered the way he'd looked at her with such intense desire the previous night. What would have happened if he'd thrown in this focus? This determination?
Would she have ended the night alone in that big, delicious bed?
Or would she have had company?
She barely managed to pul herself down to earth in time to hear him say, "Here's the deal, Amanda. Either you get back over there and do your job or I cal a cab and let your agent know that this is the last time you and I wil have the privilege of working together."
"But Chase," the girl whined, "it's not fair!"
He shrugged, and pul ed his cel phone out of his pocket. "Napa Val ey. I need the phone number of a cab company."
The girl al but leapt across the field to grab the phone from his hand, her sharp nails raking even harder across Chloe's skin as she abruptly let go.
Of course Chase was faster than the girl, raising his hand high above his head and stepping to the side so that she had to catch a vine to keep from fal ing.
Chase put the phone back to his ear. "Yes, I need an airport pickup at the Sul ivan winery."
"No!" The girl shrieked so loud Chloe's ears rang. "I'l go back and do whatever you want."
Chase didn't shift the phone away from his ear as he simply told Amanda, "You won't question me again." It wasn't an inquiry. It was a statement.
The girl agreed, nodding her head. Hard. "It's just that I found out that my boyfriend is sleeping with my roommate and I hate them both and I'm so upset."
At that point, the girl changed tactics, clearly doing her best to blink her huge eyes at him and look equal y pathetic and beautiful. Chloe knew if she ever tried to pul that off, she'd just look like she had a nasty cold.
"I'm real y sorry I'm messing up the shoot."
Surprisingly, a hint of a smile played on his lips. Was Amanda being forgiven that easily? In Chloe's experience, men weren't so forgiving. "Apology accepted. Now why don't you head on back and get your makeup cleaned up."
The girl turned and trotted back on her mile-long legs, leaving Chloe and Chase alone.
"Teenage girls." He mock-shivered. "After dealing with my sisters for so long, I should have known better than to work in a field that depends on them."
"What's going on here?" Chloe realized, too late, that she sounded like a bad fifties movie come to life, the matron walking in on a scene she couldn't comprehend.
"I'm a photographer. We're shooting a magazine spread here for the next few days."
Oh. Now things were starting to make sense. Feeling suddenly awkward, she said, "I was just coming out for a walk. It's so beautiful."
"Lovely," he murmured, and she was instantly reminded of the way he'd said, "My God, you're lovely, " the previous night.
Feeling her cheeks go hot again, she dropped her gaze to the dirt. "Thanks for setting out breakfast."
She watched his feet move closer, until he was standing close enough that she had no choice but to lift her head to face him. "I'm glad you liked it,"
he said softly, and then he was brushing his fingertips across her cheek to the corner of her mouth. "You've just got a little bit of chocolate right here."
There was nothing for it but to stop breathing entirely while he was touching her. She couldn't remember a man ever being this gentle with her before.
And then he moved his finger the slightest bit, so that it was in front of her lips, and some previously latent devil inside of her - the same one that had convinced her that masturbating in the tub last night would be a good thing - had her opening up her mouth and licking the chocolate off.
She heard a groan come from way down deep in his chest. "Chloe."
Oh God, she was this close to kissing him, a man who was stil a stranger despite the fact that he'd seen her na**d and provided her a warm, safe place to spend the night.
No!
Stumbling back, the branches from a tal grapevine lancing her between the shoulders, she said,
"You should get back to work. They're probably waiting for you."
But he didn't move, didn't so much as shift his weight. Instead, he simply smiled at her, that intense heat stil in his eyes. Along with something that truly had her shivering in her shoes.
Determination.
Focus.
"I'm sure they're stil working on Amanda's makeup," he told her, but she heard what he was real y saying loud and clear. I'm not going anywhere.
So why don't you stop trying to run and just give in to what we both want? It'll be good. I promise.
Wanting desperately to negate the hot, pulsating desire between them, she said, "Al caps is a bit much, don't you think?"
He frowned for a split second before he caught on and grinned again. "I figure if I'm going to have a nickname like Hotstuff, I might as wel own it."
How could she do anything but grin back at him? He was just so darn likeable. It wasn't his fault that he was sexier than sin. She shouldn't keep holding that against him.
"Come with me." He held his hand out. "I'l introduce you to the crew."
She looked down at his hand. She badly, so badly, wanted to take it. But she couldn't.
Tel ing herself he'd understand if he knew her reasons - and that he probably already understood due to the bruise on her cheek - she simply stepped beside him and started walking. She didn't have to look at him to sense his disappointment that she hadn't reached out for him, too. But he didn't say anything as he fel into step beside her.
"This is such an incredible part of the country," she said. "How long has your brother owned the winery?"
"Nearly a decade. We al thought he was crazy, at first, taking al those farming classes at UC
Davis. Now we're al wishing we'd thought of it first."
She turned to him in surprise. "Don't you love what you do?"
That moment when his eyes connected with hers shocked her every single time. He should be the one in front of the camera, knocking down female hearts like dominoes with that incredibly potent gaze.
"I do," he agreed. "But that doesn't mean I don't sometimes think about cutting down on the traveling and settling down with a pretty wife and a backyard ful of cute kids."
"Are there cameras fol owing us?" she joked, making a show of looking over her shoulder.
"No, why?"
"Because you just said pretty much what every single, thirty-year-old woman on the planet wants to hear. And actual y sounded like you meant it."
"What about you?" When she frowned, he said, "Is that what you want to hear?"
Refusing to acknowledge the pang of longing, she shrugged. "Just thinking about making it through the next day, right about now," she said in as offhand a manner as she could manage.
She could see the models and crew waiting for him, but instead of hurrying over, he stopped walking and turned his back to everyone else. She had no choice but to stop, too.
"I took care of your car." He gave her a smal smile. "It's been towed off to a better place."
Working to fight down the panic at being completely without a vehicle she said, "It didn't have many miles left on it anyway." She tried to smile back.
"Thank you for dealing with it. I'l pay you - "
He cut her off before she could finish her sentence. "Stay, Chloe. Stay here at the winery while we're shooting for the next few days."
She licked her lips, shook her head. "You're busy. And I need to..." She paused, knowing al she had ahead of her were problems, at least for a while.
"Stay," he said again, more softly this time, but with that determination, that focus she was so afraid of threading through every letter in the word.
And, ultimately, that was the main reason she needed to leave. Because she had no intention of getting involved with another man. She was stil learning how to be alone, how to rely on herself, how to trust again. It hadn't even been one year since filing for divorce. She wasn't ready for another relationship.
And she definitely wasn't ready for determination. For focus.
Or for a man whom she could so easily - too easily - lose herself in completely.
She shook her head. "I'm sorry. I c - "
"Please."
He hadn't come any nearer, hadn't gotten in her face and demanded her agreement, but the gentle entreaty in his voice was like warm arms wrapping around her, pul ing her close.
"Don't agree to the whole week. Just take it one day at a time."
And one night at a time, too.
She heard the words even though he hadn't said them. And that was when Chloe knew just how weak she real y was, because she couldn't stop herself from saying, "Okay."
She could feel Chase studying her, knew he didn't like her answer even though she'd just given him exactly what he wanted. But whatever he was about to say was interrupted by a skinny young man with big, thick-framed purple glasses.
"Chase," the man said, "everyone's ready for you."
His gaze continuing to hold hers for another long moment, Chase slowly turned to the person she assumed was his assistant.
"Jeremy, this is Chloe. She's my special guest. Be sure to show her a good time today, would you?"
Jeremy's eyes flashed over the bruise on her cheek before quickly flitting away. "Oooh, someone to share al the gossip with."
The young man reached for her hand and grasped it before she could pul away and then he was walking away with her and chattering in her ear.
Chloe threw a desperate glance at Chase over her shoulder, only to find him grinning at her.
How did he always manage to be three steps ahead of her?
And - just as she'd asked herself last night - why the heck didn't she mind a whole lot more?
Fifteen minutes later, Jeremy had her settled into a comfortable chair where she could watch the action. Chase was photographing three young women in absolutely gorgeous bal gowns.
Amanda had been positively stunning. But al three together? She couldn't stop herself from turning to Jeremy and remarking, "That's a whole lot of beautiful up there, isn't it?"
Jeremy sighed and looked at Chase in clear admiration. "And can you believe he doesn't even know it?"
There was no holding back her laughter, loud enough that everyone - including Chase - turned to look at her.
"I was talking about the models," she clarified.
Jeremy shrugged. "They're al right."
Of course, the truth was, she agreed with his assessment: Chase was better looking than al of the models combined.
Nonetheless, the young women were al shockingly attractive. Rather than being jealous, Chloe told herself she was glad they were there to remind her that she had nothing to worry about when it came to Chase. How could she have actual y let herself get caught up in thinking, Oh no, he wants me so much, and What am I going to do if he's determined to have me?
She chuckled again, realizing how ridiculous it seemed now that she'd seen the models he was practical y close enough to kiss as he got into position for another shot. It might be a whole lot of beautiful out there in the vineyard, but it was definitely a whole lot of delusional where she was sitting.
Silently laughing at herself, Chloe suddenly felt worlds better. Maybe she actual y could hang out here for a few days. Maybe she could extend
"normal" for a little while, before she had to buckle down and face al that ugliness again.
Because, real y, how could Chase possibly want anything from her when he had these other visions of gorgeousness around? Sure, she was cute.
Pretty, even. But she certainly wasn't looking her best, with no makeup on and al bruised and wearing crappy clothes.
And yes, okay, so it would probably kil her a little bit to see him flirting with - or kissing - one of these beautiful young things.
Then again, as she watched him work for the next hour or so, she realized Chase didn't play those kinds of games with his models. Obviously very good at what he did, while he was great at making the models feel great about themselves, it wasn't like he was playing off some sort of, 'sHey baby, I want to do you, so show the camera your fuck-me face' game.
Chloe was surprised to feel her own creative juices flowing, even though she'd never cared much for either fashion or photography.
Her true passion was quilting and as she watched him work, she realized that more than fashion was coming to life. The way Chase manipulated the canvas of models and clothes and the natural background of the vines and mountains and sky was so bril iant that simply watching him was helping her develop a new eye for composition. A new vision for the way she could block her next quilt.
Fortunately, now that she was firmly convinced she had nothing to worry about anymore when it came to Chase "wanting" her, she could al ow herself to acknowledge just how awesome he was. She even let her insides go a little gooey.
At least now she could chalk her feelings for him up to artistic genius...rather than how good-looking or how charming he was.
"Oh my god, hot boy alert!" Jeremy's voice sounded squeaky.
"What? Where?" Chloe asked, looking around and seeing that Chase was busy shooting pictures a hundred yards away.
"To your right," Jeremy stage-whispered and she fol owed his gaze across the field to the very good-looking man who was walking toward them.
"Who's that?" she whispered back, even though she didn't know why they were whispering.
"It's Marcus." Jeremy said the name reverently.
Oh my. That was Chase's brother?
There were six of them?
Like Chase, Marcus was ridiculously good looking. Stil , while she recognized pure male beauty when she saw it, her heart wasn't pounding and she wasn't getting breathless and wanting to touch herself, or anything. Stil , there was no denying the powerful al ure of the Sul ivan men.
"I real y need to see a photo of the whole family," she muttered to herself, not intending for anyone to hear.
Of course, Jeremy heard and saw everything. "Their genes are insane," was his response. "Their mother used to be a model, back in the day. And their father was probably Cary Grant or something."
Chloe didn't say anything more - not now that she knew Jeremy was the worst, and most delicious, kind of gossip - but she was thinking that having six brothers and two sisters this good-looking al in one place must be too much for the eye to behold.
"Just watch. I can't even speak around him," Jeremy told her. "I'm going to go to pieces even though I knew he'l never ever play for my team and it doesn't make any sense for me to be so nervous.
I hate how the best ones are al total y, completely hetero."
As he approached, Chloe decided Marcus looked a little bit older than Chase, and a whole lot more serious. Then again, maybe it was because he had a suit on, whereas her Sul ivan was in jeans.
Her Sullivan?
What the heck was wrong with her? Chase wasn't hers. She was merely hanging out in this perfect world for a little while before heading back to her real life. She couldn't afford to get attached to anyone or anything here.
"Hey, Marcus." Jeremy stuttered out another, "Hi!"
Poor Jeremy. He was so nervous, Chloe actual y forgot to be nervous herself. She even forgot to put her hand over her cheek to cover the nasty bruise.
She was about to reach out her hand to introduce herself when Jeremy blurted, "This is Chloe.
She's with Chase. He found her last night on the side of the road."
Chloe shot him a horrified glance. She knew she should have kept her mouth shut with Jeremy about how she and Chase had met.
Clearly mortified by what he'd said, two bright pink spots appeared on his cheeks. "I need to check on things," he said before running off.
Jeremy wasn't the only one who was mortified. Wil ing her composure to come back after that embarrassing introduction, she held out her hand.
"Hi, it's so nice to meet you, Marcus."
"Nice to meet you, too, Chloe."
Marcus had a low, slightly rough voice that was undeniably attractive. Only for some reason, it didn't do anything for her. Wel , hardly anything. Heck, she was human, wasn't she? It wasn't her fault that she wasn't completely blind to male beauty. She was more than a little complimented by that quick flash in Marcus's eyes when he'd first looked at her that told her he thought she was an attractive woman.
"So, you met my brother last night?"
She swal owed, trying not to be defensive. "I did. On the side of a road, just like Jeremy mentioned. My car skidded into a ditch and I was lucky enough that he drove by during the storm."
"I'm glad he was able to help."
"And I'm glad to get the chance to meet you because I wanted to thank you for - " She felt terribly awkward as she said, " - for letting me stay the night in your guest house."
The look on his face told her he had no idea she'd even been there. A beat later, he said, "Any friend of Chase's is a friend of mine."
He was very sweet, but she knew what he had to be thinking. It was what any person in his right mind would think upon hearing Chase had picked her up last night and taken her to the guest house.
Just the two of them, al alone in the beautiful house, with al those beds...and bathtubs. From Marcus's standpoint, what reason could there possibly have been for them not to get it on?
"Real y, it's not what you - " But she couldn't get the rest of the sentence out. Not without flashing back to that moment in the tub when she was coming and saying Chase's name and he was there.
So yeah, maybe it was exactly what Marcus thought.
She felt a blush cover her cheeks as she realized there was, quite clearly, nothing she could say about the previous evening without sounding like a total freaking idiot.
Planting a smile on her face, she said instead, "You're winery is beautiful. Just stunning."
Marcus was clearly pleased with her compliment. "Thanks. How about I give you a tour?"
No question about it, their mother had raised her Sul ivan boys wel . The only problem, as far as Chloe could see, was that it had also turned them into lady kil ers, one and al .
How could a woman possibly resist those faces? Those bodies? Especial y when they came with manners?
"That's very nice of you, but I'm sure you have far more important things to take care of."
"I love showing people around the property. That's part of the joy of this for me - watching other people take it in."
Just then, Chase stepped up. As the two men did their half-handshake, half-hug, Chloe barely held back a sigh of pure female delight at al that beautiful y made testosterone in front of her.
"I see you've already met Chloe," Chase said. "Sure did. I was just offering to show her around."
It only took a mil isecond - and one pointed look - for the brothers to have a very important silent conversation.
Chase: I know you think she's pretty. Don't ever think about it, not even for a second. She's mine.
Marcus: I've got a girlfriend, remember? Besides, I wasn't going to lay claim to her. I can see that she's yours.
Chase turned to Chloe. "We're taking a break for lunch and even though the girls don't always eat, the rest of us do. How about you and I go for a short hike to the top of that hil and have a picnic?"
He lifted the basket he'd had Jeremy put together that morning in anticipation of seeing her.
Fortunately, Marcus deftly let her off the hook from his previous offer by saying, "Hopeful y I'l see you tonight for dinner, Chloe."
Chase watched her expression shift to indecision. She'd agreed to stay the day, but now his brother was basical y asking her if she was going to stay the night, too.
"I don't have anything other than this to wear," she said, gesturing to her clothes. "So, thanks, but it would probably be best if - "
Marcus smoothly cut her refusal off in a show of brotherly love at its finest. "My suit's coming off as soon as I'm done with my final meeting."
With Marcus going out of his way to make Chloe comfortable, she final y agreed. "Okay.
Thanks."
Chase owed his brother one.
The two of them hiked up the hil side and the view took her breath away. Chase took a waterproof blanket out of the basket and laid it on grass that was stil damp from the previous night's shower.
"Wow, you real y come prepared."
"I've got a good crew."
She nodded. "They're al great." Jeremy had introduced her to Alice, the stylist, Kalen, the makeup artist, and Francis, who was in charge of lighting.
The words, "I liked watching you work,"
came out before she could hold them inside.
His smile was like a warm caress over her skin. "I liked you being there. I was trying not to show off."
Amazed by how easily he could make her smile and laugh, she said, "Most guys don't admit stuff like that."
She half-expected him to say something like, "I'm not most guys." Instead, he asked, "So, what do you do?"
He was being so careful with her. She felt it in every glance, every word. Even now, when he could so easily have asked her where she was from or why she was running, he was getting to know her another way instead. Just as he hadn't touched her without her permission last night. It was as if there were a silent agreement between them that he wouldn't push too far or get in too deep before she al owed him in.
The question was, would she dare let him in?
Chloe didn't have an answer. How could she, when she was afraid to even acknowledge the question?
He handed her a gourmet sandwich and as she took it, she said, "Wel , I've been waitressing."
He nodded. "But what do you like to do?"
Most people would have stopped at her day job. But not Chase. He was truly interested. And that honest interest went a long way toward shoving aside her reluctance to talk about herself. She paused before answering, "I make quilts."
People never knew what to make of that. Most assumed it was a hobby. Others just thought it was plain weird or boring. Men, without exception, dismissed it as just another housewife craft.
"Tel me more."
Downplaying it like she usual y did, she said, "I like seeing how fabrics come together in patterns."
"I've photographed a few quilt shows and art quilts for various publications, so I know a little bit about it, but I'd love to know more. When did you start?"
Chloe rarely had a chance to wax on about her love for quilting. Not since she'd last been a member of a quilting guild years and years ago. She missed those women - and their shared passion - terribly.
Which was probably why she actual y found herself tel ing Chase, "I started quilting when I lost a close friend from col ege in a car accident. She had been such a passionate quilter. Her mom actual y owned a store in town. It was the only way I could think of to keep up my connection to her. And it gave me something else to think about - the motion of my hands and the needle, the patterns of fabric and shape, the building of something that I could create. Sometimes I can almost feel her watching me from up above with a smile on her face."
"I'm sure she is."
She started at Chase's words. Had she real y just said al of that to him? Somehow he had gotten her to talk about her passion for quilting - a subject that would have put nearly every guy on the planet to sleep.
She wasn't at al comfortable acknowledging that Chase had just become the exception. And that it had felt so good to share herself with someone who was real y listening.
She was being stupid, letting herself think that this fantasy of sitting with a gorgeous guy on a hil top in Napa Val ey had anything to do with her real life.
It didn't.
She put down her sandwich and made herself face him, but before she could say anything, he said, "Uh-oh. That's not a good look."
She wasn't going to smile. There was no place for grinning when she was about to set him straight, when she was about to make her position on the two of them perfectly clear. "Why are you being so nice to me?"
"I like you."
The glow his words caused was too bright. Too warm. Forcing herself to blot it out, she said,
"You don't know me."
"I'm starting to."
No pauses. No smooth words. No trying to charm her into agreeing with him. Didn't he realize just how much harder his honest responses were making this for her?
"Is this what you do?"
"What am I doing?"
"You keep helping me, making me breakfast, asking Jeremy to be nice to me al day."
He frowned and she could see that he was confused. "Is there something wrong with wanting to make you smile?"
Oh. Wow. Why did he have to say that?
She couldn't think of any other man who'd simply wanted to make her smile. Not even the man she'd married.
Frustrated with herself for being so soft - so easy to turn to goo - she made herself come at him one more time with, "I get it if you're into saving people, but - "
"I'm not a saint, Chloe. I'l always take care of my family, but I've never gone out looking for women who need to be saved. And it's not why I asked you to stay."
His low voice cut her accusation off in mid-stream and she found herself unable to look away from his serious expression. Feeling like a big jerk for doing anything and everything she could think of to try and keep herself from doing something real y, real y stupid like fal ing for him, she said,
"Look, Chase, you real y have been nice." Despite having been slow to hand her a towel last night, she silently amended with a flush. "But, we're not going to do...wel ...you know."
Ugh. She wasn't used to having conversations like this.
She half-expected - half-wanted - him to tel her she was wrong. That they were, in fact, going to end up doing well-you-know if she stuck around much longer.
Instead, his expression grew perfectly serious. "Earlier, when we were out in the vineyard, when I asked you to stay, you didn't want to. But I didn't let up until you final y gave in." He ran a hand through his hair, clearly upset with himself. "I would never want to force you to do something you don't want to do, Chloe. I don't ever want to take something from you that you don't want to give me."
This was the perfect opening. Her chance to tel him she'd never had any intention of staying, to make it clear that there was no connection between them, and that it was time for her to be moving on.
So then, why did she find herself saying, "I wanted to stay."
The pure truth of that statement resonated within her solar plexus. Turned out the truth didn't care if she wanted it to be true, or not.
"I want to stay," she said again in a firmer voice. She wanted to spend more time with Chase.
She shouldn't. But she did.
His grin came back, softer this time, and somehow even more potent. "Good." And then, "You were saying something about how you and I aren't going to do...?" He paused, letting the unsaid words hang in the air between them.
She should have come back with a quick retort, something to put him in his place. But right at that moment, with the Napa Val ey sun shining down on her and grapevines budding to life across rol ing hil s as far as the eye could see, there was nothing left but honesty.
"I haven't had a male friend in a very long time."
He was silent for a long moment, and even though the butterflies in her stomach had her keeping her eyes on the horizon, she could feel his gaze on her.
"I'd be honored to be your friend, Chloe."
Her breath caught in her throat, then, and she liked him so much it was almost impossible not to grab him and kiss him.
Sure that he could hear her heart beating in her chest, it was so loud to her own ears, instead of kissing him she had to be content with whispering,
"I like you, too."