The bartender kept my drinks flowing and I felt myself loosening up more and more as the alcohol took over my body. When Grant asked if I was ready to leave, I agreed and he led me out of the restaurant, his hand resting on the small of my back. If it hadn’t been there, I’m not sure how I would have made it out the front door.
I pulled my keys from my pocket, but they were quickly plucked out of my hand. “No way Leah, I’m not letting you drive home. You certainly aren’t in any condition.”
“And you are?” I raised an eyebrow at him and he smirked at me, holding his arms out to the side of him and walking a perfect straight line across the parking lot.
“We sat there for like two hours, Leah and I had one beer. You on the other hand, well I think I lost count. They most definitely should have cut you off a while ago. I’ll take you home if you want or maybe back to my place.” My stomach fluttered with nerves when he said the last part. Had I been leading him on all night or what? I knew he had a crush on me, he basically came right out and said it. Was it wrong to want a little bit of human connection tonight, especially with someone who I barely knew. Grant definitely wasn’t treating me like a delicate flower.
I shrugged my shoulders and leaned against his car. “Maybe I’ll just stay here all night.”
“I don’t think that’s a very good idea. You never know who’s roaming these parking lots at night. It’s probably not safe.” His warm breath tickled my neck as he inched closer and he looked down at me with intense eyes. He reached down and ran a finger lightly across my cheek. I wasn’t sure what to do. My feet were frozen to the ground, but it actually felt nice to have someone touching me, it made me feel...alive.
“Leah-” I didn’t let him get any further. I don’t know if I could blame my actions on the alcohol clouding my brain or how my emotions had been turned off for the past month.
“Just shut up,” I whispered against his teeth and crashed my mouth into his. He took control immediately, winding his hands in my hair to pull me closer, and probing my mouth with his warm tongue like he had been waiting for this kiss for a long time.
It felt...I don’t know how it felt. He was aggressive, almost like he was trying to eat me alive as he cupped my ass to lift me up against the car and slid his fingers underneath my shirt. My legs wrapped around his waist and I sunk my fingers into his dark brown locks. If anyone in this parking lot wasn’t safe, it was definitely me. I had no clue what I was doing, but I knew one thing. He wasn’t my husband.
**********
I woke up to a warm body sprawled over me, one arm wrapped around my waist, and the other lifting my shirt to expose my bare stomach. I squeezed my eyes shut, wondering what in the hell was going on. Brown eyes ran through my head and I winced, hoping I hadn’t just made a really huge mistake that could mess my life up even more than it already was. What was his name, Grady or Brant? No, Grant.
Warm, open-mouthed kisses trailed up my stomach, sending shivers down to my toes. I reached down, running my hands through the hair that belonged to the head currently working on me, and let out a small sigh of relief when I felt the familiar scruffiness of my husband’s head.
He slid up my body and stared down at me when he heard me. Those green eyes were looking at me so intently; I couldn’t help but reach up and run a hand along his strong jaw.
“I’m sorry, baby,” he whispered out in his husky voice, leaning down to bury his head in the crook of my neck. “I shouldn’t have yelled at you last night. Please forgive me.”
I swallowed over the lump in my throat, knowing that Chase was the last person who needed to be forgiven. I was the one who had messed up. Chase lifted his head, smoothing back the curls that had fallen across my cheek. “I forgive you, Chase,” I squeaked. The guilt that was eating away at me seemed like it grew even bigger. Like I needed to forgive him.
He leaned down tentatively, probably afraid I was going to push him away, but I couldn’t. I already felt guilty enough that I had let things go so far with some guy last night that I had just met officially. How far did things go exactly?
My head was a blur and pounding, by my guess I had my first ever hangover. How people could drink like that all the time like my mother, I would never know and she did almost on a daily occasion. Feeling like shit is not my idea of a fun time.
Chase pulled my bottom lip in between his teeth, lightly nipping it before sucking it into his mouth. When he let go of my lip and finally intertwined our tongues, a moan escaped. He always tasted so good.