Chapter 27

CHASE

Inever slept. I spent the night giving my girl everything I was, and as I lay here watching her sleep, a plan forms in my mind. Jax was right. This girl deserves romance and more. I roll over, reaching for my phone on the side, and message Jax.

I want to propose to Brooke.

Didn't you already do that ??

Shut up

You were right, I did it the wrong way, and it's meaningless. We talked and she's not ready to be my fiancée yet.

So why are you proposing again?

I'm not, not right now but soon, when she's ready

Man, you are so confusing.

What do you have in mind?

I'll come over later, I'm dropping her off soon, she's meeting Harper and this new guy.

Damn, Asher isn't gonna take that well.

I know, but he's not ready for her. He won't let her in, and she can't wait for him. That girl deserves a bit of happiness.

Yeah, I guess.

I'll talk to you later.

I click the button on the side of my phone, the screen darkening as I think of Asher. He's right, and tonight is going to be interesting. Brooke arranged for us all to go out; we need to blow off some steam, and Harper needs some company. She's taking us to some sort of karaoke night at a bar in town. Sounds like my worst nightmare, but my girl loves it, so I'll suck it up.

She stirs in here sleep, and I nuzzle into her neck. "Come back to me, Brooke," I whisper softly, kissing her neck. "I need you." She stirs again, and her eyes slowly flutter open. She stretches out on the bed, and I instantly feel my cock begin to harden. She looks so delicious stretching out naked in my bed. I'll never get used to that sight.

She smirks up at me. "You're looking at me like I'm a steak and you're a starved man. Surely you're not ready to go again? I lost count last night." She giggles, and its music to my ears. I take her hand, pulling it to my cock as it pulses for her, wrapping her hand around it as I stroke myself with her. She bites that lip, and God, I want to bite it for her.

"Baby, I am in a permanent state of this when I'm with you."

She moans slowly as she feels me grow in her hand. I want nothing but to spill over her petite, slender fingers right now, but she needs to go. I pull her hand from me.

"But I can wait. You're meant to be meeting Harper in forty-five minutes."

She bolts upright.

"Oh my god, why didn't you wake me sooner?"

I chuckle, "Because I like to watch you sleep."

"Because that's not creepy at all." She laughs, leaning forward to land a kiss on me.

I pull her on top of me, feeling the kiss. She's right. I'm a starved man, and the only one who can feed this hunger inside of me is her.

She moans into my kiss, a little sigh of satisfaction before she pulls back and smacks me on the chest. "Urgh, you're such a distraction, Chase Anderson."

I laugh, letting go of her hips as she jumps up, making her way into my ensuite. "I love when you say my full name, scolding me like a little boy."

"That sounds kinky." She giggles as she picks up the toothbrush I got for her. It made sense, so I picked up some toiletries for her, and she brought some clothes over as she's been staying here a lot recently.

"Sorry baby, but what can I say? I prefer to be the one on top."

She rolls her eyes playfully and I stand up. My cock still aching from her touch. She looks over at me as I stand in all my glory, my cock still hard from her touch. "Down, boy." She grins, and I laugh before grabbing a pair of boxers from my drawers.

"Well, maybe you need to stop walking around my apartment naked."

"Well, maybe if you didn't undress me every time we go to bed."

I shrug. "I like you naked, and I never hear you complaining."

She comes out from the bathroom, beginning to get ready, throwing some kind of makeup shit on her face that she doesn't need cause my girl is naturally fucking stunning. I don't say anything, though. If my girl wants to put makeup on, then that's her choice. I pull on a pair of sweatpants before giving her a hug from behind. "I love you."

She smiles in the mirror at me. "I love you too."

I let go, satisfied. We both finish getting ready and twenty minutes later, we're in the car.

"So, I'll meet you at the bar tonight, yeah?"

"Mhm. I'll come with the guys. You know none of us are gonna sing, right?"

"Oh, I dunno, a few drinks…I reckon I can get at least Jax up there."

I burst out laughing because she's right. If any of us would get up there and embarrass ourselves, it's Jax.

I pull up at the coffee shop she's meeting Harper at and get out of the car, wanting to make sure she's not waiting alone, when I see Harper out of the corner of my eye walking around the corner. Some blond jock's arm casually shrugged over her shoulder. I don't like him immediately.

"Who is this guy again?" I look down at Brooke.

"His name is Kyle. He's on the football team at our college."

"And where did she meet him? At a game?"

"Well, we've been to parties before, and he was friends with your brother, but they connected at your so-called party."

My mind clocks over. I don't remember Nate ever talking about this guy, but it's not like we were close. I make a mental note to ask my mom about him, and why the fuck would he be at Devin's party?

"Hey guys."

Harper's voice pulls me from my thoughts.

"Hey," I say gruffly as Brooke pulls out from under me and embraces Harper.

"You must be Kyle," she says. "I remember seeing you around at parties and the games."

"Yeah." He grins and almost flexes. I definitely don't like this guy. He goes to hug Brooke, but I put my hand out, extending a handshake to stop him.

"I'm Chase."

He tips his head, grinning, showing off his teeth. "You're Nate's brother, right? Man, I'm sorry to hear what happened to him."

No, he's not. There's not an ounce of sympathy in his voice.

"What are you uh doing here? I thought I was meeting my new girl's friend?"

"I'm her boyfriend."

"Aren't you a little old for her man? Aren't you like thirty or something?"

Brooke scowls. "Well, that's rude. He's twenty-six."

He holds his hands up in mock surrender.

"Cool cool, whatever floats your boat, man."

Now it's awkward.

"Uh, shall we grab a coffee? Nice seeing you, Chase."

I open the door. "I'm gonna stick around, could do with some caffeine myself."

"I thought you had to go to Jax's?" Brooke looks up at me curiously.

"Yeah, I do…but uh, this is more important. I wanna meet the guy that knew my brother."

He tenses slightly. "Good friends, were you?" I ask.

"Yeah." He pushes his idiotic blond hair from his face.

"Really?"

"I mean, we were on the same team. Truth be told, there was a little rivalry. I got turned down for quarterback, and I've been on his back ever since vying for the position."

"Let me guess? You got it now?"

"Well, I dunno yet, not till we get back. Not the way I wanted it, but I know I can do him proud."

Brooke digs her elbow in my side, scolding me clearly, but there's something off about this guy.

"Come on, baby, let's order," he says, walking Harper to the counter.

"What is wrong with you?" Brooke whispers.

"I don't like him."

She sighs. "Look, I know Asher has a thing for her…"

"It's not that."

"No? Then why are you interrogating him after seconds of meeting him?"

"That's just it, Brooke, I've never met him before. Nate threw a party in the summer last year. I'm good with faces—if he was friends with Nate, he would have been there. Nate was careful of who he was friends with."

"So? Chase, I'm sorry, but it's not like you knew everyone Nate liked or hung out with. Look, I need you to ease down a bit, Harper is clearly happy."

She does, it's true. Even now, she's looking up at him as they order their drinks with googly eyes. Urgh.

"Fine, I'll be nice, but I don't trust him."

She reaches up, kissing me on the cheek. "Thank you. Now go to Jax's and leave us alone…for me."

She smiles sweetly at us.

"Do you have your knife?"

"Oh, for fuck's sake," she says, rolling her eyes at me.

"Fine, I'm going, but be careful."

"We're in a crowded coffee shop, babe. Nothing is gonna happen."

I leave as she basically pushes me out the door, but one thing I do know is I'm gonna get Jax to check him out. That guy is hiding something.