The Look of Love (The Sullivans #1)(54)

Everything.

Chloe’s mouth grew drier and drier during their drive back to Marcus’s winery, her heart pounding harder and harder.

She tried to talk herself around all the reasons she shouldn’t be freaking out.

1. She wasn’t a scared virgin.

2. She and Chase had already had sex lots of times.

3. He loved her.

4. And she was pretty damn sure she was falling in love with him.

Oh God, that was exactly the problem.

She loved him.

Chloe wasn’t actually sure it would be easier to be the one in control of their lovemaking tonight if she didn’t love him, but two bodies coming together, a tangle of mouths and hands and limbs that were a world apart from emotion, from love, seemed so much easier all of sudden.

Just sex. That had been what she’d wanted. Or, at least, it had been all she’d told herself she wanted from Chase.

But her heart knew better.

Her heart had always known exactly what it longed for.

And her heart would never deny that love—pure, honest love—was all she’d ever wanted. All she’d ever needed.

A part of her was surprised that Chase hadn’t tried to ease her nerves during the drive. She could feel his concern, just as much as she could feel his desire. She knew he didn’t like watching her sit beside him with her insides shredded and torn. But instead of jumping in to save her, instead of trying to smooth everything over for her, he was giving her space to work things out on her own.

God, she only loved him more for that, for the faith he had in her to know the right thing to do, even when she was convinced she didn’t have the first clue.

As they drove through the Sullivan Winery gates, Chase reached for her hand and she could feel his confidence, his love, settle in through her skin, shimmying in past her flesh to her bones, all the way down to her soul.

A smile finally came to her lips, the first one since she’d won their game and realized what she’d done to herself. “Let’s go in.”

They let go of each other’s hands only long enough to get out of the car. It felt so right to walk beside Chase, to feel his strength, his steadiness beside her. Instead of waiting for him to open the door, she put her hand on the unlocked doorknob and pushed it open, leading the way into the living room.

“That first night, when you brought me here, I was scared,” she admitted. Strange how that was the easy part of her admission. Harder, so much harder, was saying, “Somehow, even then, even when I didn’t think I’d ever be able to feel anything again, I wanted you.” She put her hands on either side of his face. “I wanted to touch you.” She brushed her fingertips over his jaw, then up against his cheekbones and into his hair. “I wanted to know if you’d make my skin burn the way it is now.” She pressed up on her tippy-toes and said, against his mouth, “And I wanted so badly to taste you here.”

Her lips barely brushed his, just enough for her to know that he tasted a little like the chocolate from their dessert and the wine they’d had during dinner. But mostly he tasted like Chase…the beautiful man who had brought her soul back to life.

She slid her hands through his soft, dark hair, then down the back of his neck to his shoulders. “I wanted to undress you and see if you were as perfect as you looked.” She could feel his heart beating against her palm as her fingers went to the buttons at the top of his shirt. “I had a hunch you would be,” she whispered as she uncovered his chest, one glorious inch at a time.

She had to press her lips against his bare skin and a low groan rumbled from his chest, but he didn’t try to take charge of her night with him.

She couldn’t keep her hands from shaking as she worked open the rest of the row of buttons, pulling the hem of his shirt from his pants before slipping it off his shoulders and letting it fall to the floor behind them.

“I’ve never really had a chance to just look at you.” Even as she said the words, his muscles across his chest and abdomen were flexing and tightening. “You look a little tense,” she murmured, enjoying being in control like this so much more than she ever would have guessed.

She moved close again and pressed her palms flat against his chest and began to stroke over his pecs, the indentations of his abs rippling as she caressed him. “Does that help?” she asked him in a naughty voice.

“Yes.” His lie was raw.

Hungry.

Borderline desperate.

She leaned in, pressing her lips to the curve of his neck and shoulder. “Then I’ll have to do it more.”

She licked at his skin, wetting it before she nipped at him with her teeth. For a moment, she knew how a vampire must feel, how hard it must have been for Edward not to sink his teeth into Bella’s sweet flesh in those vampire movies she’d watched alone this year.

He groaned again, his skin and muscles vibrating against her outstretched hands.

Somehow, she dragged her mouth from him to continue what she’d started.

He was hers for the night.

Hers.

Chloe planned to wring every ounce of pleasure, of joy, from these precious hours, from every sweet minute with Chase.

Placing her fingers over his belt buckle, she began to work the leather. His skin was warm everywhere she brushed against it and her little hum of happiness sounded in the silent room.

“Lovely.” Chase’s compliment resonated through every cell in her body, coming to a stop right behind her breastbone. “The way you look when you’re undressing me.” He paused, waiting until she lifted her eyes to his. “You undo me, Chloe.”