The Look of Love (The Sullivans #1)(25)

Because he wanted her.

And he knew she wanted him.

* * *

Marcus found them in his study and glanced down at the family photo in her hands. “Whatever he’s saying, Chloe, it’s all lies.”

Chase watched her grin up at his brother. “Oh,” she said with a teasing frown. “So I guess that means you’re not a superhero, after all?”

Marcus laughed, clearly pleased with her comeback. “Everyone left to go dancing in town. How about I open up a bottle of the good stuff for the three of us?”

“The wine you’ve served so far tonight has been amazing. You have better stuff?” Chloe asked, clearly incredulous.

“Prepare to have your mind blown,” Marcus replied.

Despite the fact that his brother was clearly enjoying being around Chloe, Chase couldn’t shake the sense that something wasn’t right with Marcus. As the oldest Sullivan, he’d always carried more of the burden of making sure everyone in the family was okay. But tonight he seemed edgier than normal. Wound too tight.

Before meeting his girlfriend, Jill, Marcus had been just as much a dog as the rest of the Sullivan boys. But in the past two years, he’d straightened up to the point where Chase almost didn’t recognize him. He missed getting up to no-good with the oldest of the Sullivan clan, but he’d assumed his brother was preparing to marry Jill and settle down with a bunch of kids.

They followed Marcus into the living room, which looked out over the moonlit vines and pool patio. As he uncorked a dusty bottle that still smelled of the caves, Chloe said, “I really shouldn’t have any more, but how can I resist?”

The three of them sat down and Chase loved how easy she was with his brother. Just knowing Chloe was near, just being able to see her smile, to hear her laugh, made everything so much better. And his life had been pretty damn good before she came into it, so that was really saying something.

“Everyone was saying what a great help you were at the magazine shoot today,” Marcus told her.

She looked pleased by his compliment. “I had fun.”

“She completely saved the day, actually.”

Chloe rolled her eyes. “That is so not true.” She took a sip from her glass. “Oh. My. God. This wine is so good it should be illegal.”

Marcus smiled. “Glad you like it.”

She took another sip. On a near-moan, she said, “This isn’t even close to like. It’s love all the way.”

In an instant, Chase went rock hard in his pants. All it took was hearing her moan…and say one little four-letter word.

A word that he hadn’t even been searching for. Because he hadn’t realized it was missing from his life.

Until now.

Until Chloe.

“So,” Marcus said, “where are you from, Chloe?”

She instantly snapped to attention, sitting up so fast in her seat that the wine sloshed almost to the rim of her glass. “I’m in the process of moving, actually.”

She took a gulp of wine and Chase tried to use Sullivan telepathy to tell his brother to shut up.

It didn’t work.

“Where to?” Marcus asked.

Chloe took another gulp before replying. “I’m still looking at my options.”

As soon as Marcus refilled her empty glass, she shot up out of her seat. “I’ve got to go visit the powder room. Excuse me.”

Marcus waited until she’d left the room to say, “What the hell is going on? She’s got that bruise pretty well covered up tonight, but how’d she get it in the first place? Did that happen when she drove off the side of the road?”

Every time Chase thought about how she’d gotten the bruise, he wanted to hammer his fist into something.

No, not something. Straight into the face of the guy who had hurt her.

“I don’t know for sure. She hasn’t trusted me enough yet to say.” He gave his brother a warning look. “Don’t push her anymore. On anything.”

Marcus raised an eyebrow. “You like her.”

“It’s way beyond like,” he said, echoing Chloe's comment. Only he was talking about something a hell of a lot more important than an expensive drink. Talking more to himself than his brother at this point, he said, “I just need her to stay a few more days. And then maybe she’ll give me a chance.”

“I’ve never seen you like this before.”

Chase shook his head, as surprised by what had happened to him as anyone. “And here I thought I was coming here for nothing more than a few days of meaningless sex with—”

Marcus cut him off. “With one of your models?”

Chase snorted. “No. No way. You know I stopped sleeping with models years ago.” He knew his brother was going to be pissed off when he told him, “I was planning to hook up with Ellen.”

Marcus narrowed his eyes. “My employee, Ellen?”

“That’s the one.”

“God-damn it, Chase, you can’t screw around with someone who works for me. All I need is for her to get a broken heart on account of you and then having her take it out on my winery.”

Chase held up his hands. “Look, the hookup didn’t happen, okay? So don’t get all bent out of shape about it. I met Chloe before Ellen and I could get into any trouble. And you’ll be glad to hear that Ellen seemed fine with being let down.” Ignoring his brother’s glare, he gave in to the need to confide his feelings to someone, and admitted, “I’ve never been like this before, never felt like this with anyone but Chloe. And I haven’t even touched her yet.”