The Look of Love (The Sullivans #1)(48)

Ellen looked back at Chloe, who was unbuckling one of the models’ bondage-inspired evening dresses. “Doesn’t really look all that complicated from where I’m standing. Heck, I practically got singed when you guys touched.”

He knew Ellen was right. There shouldn’t be anything complicated about a guy falling in love with a girl. Funny, in all the years of women falling for him, he’d never thought it would end up like this—with him losing his heart to a woman who was so afraid to lose hers.

And now, all he had was one final night to try and talk her around from couldn’t to forever.

He felt Ellen’s hand on his arm again. “A few nights ago, I was really disappointed that things didn’t happen between us, but honestly...” She flicked another glance at Chloe. “I really hope this works out for you. She’s very sweet. You make a beautiful couple.” She smiled widely at him. “How about I block out a weekend for you next year, just in case?”

Chase immediately saw a breathtaking vision of Chloe in a long white dress waiting for him surrounded by vines.

“Good luck, Chase.”

Ellen walked away and he turned back to watch Chloe carefully wrapping up one of the dresses they’d used that afternoon. He’d never relied much on luck before, never liked counting on something so elusive, so unpredictable. He’d always figured on talent and hard work to get him where he wanted to be.

But this time, Chase was afraid luck was exactly what he needed.

Chapter Fourteen

Chloe waved goodbye to everyone in the van as it drove toward the Sullivan winery gates, saying, “I’m really sad your shoot is over.”

“I am, too,” he replied as they walked back inside the guest house. It was always hard to shut the door on a good project. Especially this one, that had turned out to be so incredibly special. But, at the same time, he was glad that it was just down to him and Chloe now.

He slid his hand through hers, lifted it to his mouth, let his lips linger on her knuckles. “Would you go out on a date with me, Chloe?”

Surprise flickered in her eyes. “We’ve already talked about this.”

“I’m not talking about the future. Just tonight. That’s all I’m asking for.”

He could see her uncertainty, the way she was grappling with what she wanted...and what she felt she should be doing.

Finally, she said, “We both know I’m a sure thing tonight,” one side of her mouth moving up into a little smirk. “You don’t need to spring for dinner first.”

He wasn’t ready for the spark of anger that lit in him at the fact that she still seemed to think sex was enough for him, wasn’t ready for the impulse that had him challenging her with the words, “You want to have sex?”

Her eyes were tormented as she lifted her chin and came right back at him with one tortured word.

“Yes.”

His mouth came down over hers, but even then he was careful with her, despite the fact that he was pushing down her shorts and panties.

“Chase,” she moaned against his mouth, urging him on by pressing her hips into his hands, helping him strip her lower half bare.

He gauged her desire, her need, and knew that it was as big as his before saying, “I promised to always give you what you want. Tell me what you want.”

Her eyes were dilated almost to black and he could see everything she was trying to block out, everything she was trying so desperately to hide from.

“Please just take me.”

He pulled open her shirt, his mouth finding the tip of her breast through the pink lace bra. At the same time, her fingers were on his zipper, pulling, yanking and then he was in her hand and she was wrapping her long, slender fingers around him, stroking him so that he was impossibly hard.

He’d just promised her anything she wanted, vowed one more time to give her everything. And even though his heart felt like a bomb had hit it at the way she kept trying to put distance between them, he lifted her ass with his hands and told her, “Wrap your legs around me.”

He drove into her before either of them could take their next breath and her flesh tightened, grasped, clenched around him. He knew she wanted him to drive into her mindlessly. He knew she wanted to pretend that what they had was just attraction.

But damn it, he couldn’t do it.

Even for her, even when she’d just asked him point blank to do her, he couldn’t just take her like an animal against the front door.

“Chloe.”

Her eyes, which had been closed tight, opened slowly, blurry with lust. And all that emotion she didn’t want to feel. All that emotion that she was trying to push away because it hadn’t come at the right time or place. Because she wasn’t ready for it. Because she thought she needed to be strong and walk away from him tomorrow morning.

“I can’t do it, sweetheart. I can’t pretend this is just sex.” Chase needed to look into her face, wanted her to have to acknowledge the truth of what was between them as he said, “I love you.”

She sobbed out his name before kissing him like she’d die without his kisses.

His body took over, then, pure instinct as he drove into her, as she lifted herself up over him, then down so that they were connected utterly. Perfectly.

He felt her inner muscles go a split second before she gasped against his mouth. And then her head was falling back and she was driving her pelvis into his, entirely lost to the pleasure, to the way their bodies sparked and charged together.