When she came back down, Chase had sat on the edge of the tub again and was holding her in his lap, his cheek resting on her shoulder. His hands traced an idle, smooth circle along her lower back, following the curve of her spine.
Madison didn’t protest when he leaned back, his vibrant blue eyes hooded. Those dimples appeared on his striking face, and she wanted to kiss them. She wanted to do all kinds of things. Starting with repaying him…
Madison reached down, wanting to feel his length, but he stopped her. “We still need to talk,” he said, his fingers pressing into the flesh of her hips again as he placed her on her feet.
Talk? She didn’t think she was capable of forming a coherent sentence. Tiny droplets of water sprayed from her soaked hair when she shook her head.
Chase chuckled as he rose. Reaching around her, he grabbed the towel and slowly, carefully dried her off before wrapping the oversized material around her breasts.
“Now,” he said, pressing a kiss to her forehead, “I can concentrate.”
She stared up at him, doubting how affected he really was when he could engineer her lust like that and not take any pleasure for himself. Stirrings of unease began in her belly, a not-so-pleasant thing to feel after something so mind-blowingly wonderful. “Well, I can’t.”
Taking her hand, he led her out of the bathroom to the bed. She sat, clutching the edge of the towel, very unsure of everything again. Especially when his emotions were on lockdown, his face blank, but his eyes…
He stood before her, legs spread in a powerful, dominant stance. “I want you.”
You have me, she wanted to say. “I think we’ve established that.”
His lips curved at the corners. “And you want me.”
“Another known fact,” she said. A well-known fact, that is, but there was no need for her to point that out. “Where is this conversation going?” Because she wanted to finish it, strip him naked, and finally get him where she’d always wanted him. Oddly, a heart-shaped bed was never in her fantasies, but she was okay with improvising.
“And I care about you. I really do.” Chase knelt before her, his eyes meeting hers. “There’s only one option.”
Hope was back again, beating at her insides like a hyper butterfly. Caring about someone didn’t mean loving her, but Chase wasn’t the type of man to proclaim his undying devotion, especially with the daddy issues. But she could work with this. And of course, there was only one option. Cut the crap and be together. Face her brother, admit that they cared for each other, and deal with it. Together, she could prove to him that he was nothing like his dad. That he was worth everything. Then they could finally discover if there really was a fairy-tale ending for them. And of course, lots and lots of sex in the near future.
“I agree,” she said, fighting a goofy grin that would make her look like she’d been smacked with the idiot branch.
“Good. Great.” His shoulders relaxed. “Because this is what we both need.”
God, did she ever need this—need him.
Chase smiled. “And once we do it, then…things will be normal again. It’ll be over.”
She started to nod in agreement, because she was still knee deep in her fantasy coming true, but what he said slowly sank in. Icy dread drifted over her skin. “Come again?”
“Having sex,” he explained as he rose and leaned forward, placing his palms on either side of her thighs, caging her in. “We do it. Get it over with. Because obviously we can’t go back to things being normal until we do.”
That horrible chilled feeling seeped through her skin, leaving her numb. “Being normal?”
“Yeah, like things were before. We can be friends again.” He placed a large hand on her shoulder, and she flinched. Chase frowned. “No harm. No foul.”
Madison was having a hard time processing what he was saying. How long had she waited to hear him admit that he cared for her, wanted her, and this…this was added onto the end, like a disclaimer of doom?
An ache opened up in her chest.
He cupped the nape of her neck, tilting her head back. He placed a kiss under her chin, the gesture so sweet and gentle tears filled her eyes.
Because the gesture really meant nothing.
“Say something, Maddie.” He let go, moving back onto his haunches.
She wasn’t sure if she could say anything. A lump had formed in her throat, and it was quickly moving up. Her insides felt bruised, and when she spoke, her voice was hoarse. “So…so that’s the magical fix? We have sex to get it out of our systems?”
“I wouldn’t call it a magical fix,” he said, head cocked to the side. “But it’s something, right?”
It was something, all right, and no matter how badly she wanted him, it wasn’t enough. And God, did that sting like a bitch? No, it was worse than a sting. It was like being cut wide open.
“Wow,” she murmured finally, somewhat dumbfounded. “That’s such a romantic proposition, how could I refuse?”
His lips formed a tight line. “You don’t need to be a smartass about it.”
She laughed, but it was brittle sound. “How am I supposed to be, Chase?”
Standing straight, he took a step back and shook his head. “Maddie—”
“Let me get this straight,” she said, coming to her feet. Her legs shook. Her one free hand trembled as she crossed the distance between them and stopped. “You’re worried about disrespecting Mitch by being with me and you don’t want to treat me like your dad treated your mom, but somehow, in your head, sleeping with me to get it out of your system is less offensive?”