Chasing Me (30 page)

“I’m going to the hotel with Uncle Luke!” Jazzie tells Grayson. “He’s gonna take me to the pool and we’re gonna have a sleep over. He got me tattoo paints too, but Bits didn’t like them.”

Gray looks up at me knowingly, shit. Of course Daisy told him. I may be proposing, but I’m not running off to Vegas. I’ll marry that gorgeous red head on a beach somewhere then fuck her in a cabana boy hut. All while those assholes play with their flower tattoos. Flowers aren’t the only way to be sweet, guys. Getting slash marks over my heart, though, that was totally fucking killer. My way of saying my Tiger Lily dug her claws in and got straight to my heart, like she said she would. Her imprint though is deeper than any ink I could get, but it was also a way to include her brother in my proposal.

Thankfully, Luke and I are able to co-exist without further bloodshed. No, we don’t like each other. There’s not going to be any kind of bromance so swallow that fantasy now. Chase and, now, Jasmine love him, which means I can look over the hothead. Just like he says he can see past my swollen ego. As if I give a shit, but as long as the girls are happy, so am I. Luke is not a member of my fan club, though most men are intimidated by my degree of extraordinary.

“Ever since we got pregnant, things have been so crazy. I never expected to feel so settled once he finally got here.” Gray says, watching Chase rock back and forth on the other side of the room.

“Yeah, we.” Daisy huffs sarcastically.

“
We
, my ass.” Chase argues playfully. “I didn’t see you squeeze a seven pound person out of one of your holes. I also missed where he sucked on your tit.”

“Hey,” I shrug when he looks to me wide-eyed for help. “Don’t look at me man, I know better than to slack on doling out credit. I bow at these beautiful women’s feet.” Dramatically, I kiss Daisy’s hand. “All I wanna know is, how did I miss dinner and a peep show?” Waggling my eyebrows I tease, “How would one get a nursing bra curtain call?”

“You’re such a pervert.” Chase scolds as the door opens.

“You ready Jazzie?” Luke says peeking his head into the room. “We better go if you’re wanting to swim.”

After saying our goodbyes to Gray, Daisy, and the baby; Mack loads up the ‘Burban and heads toward the hotel to drop off Luke and Jazzie. Up until now, I wasn’t nervous about asking her. I was calm and collected about the entire thing, steadfast in my decision to have both my girls have my last name.

Now that the paperwork is final and Jasmine is now a Chesterfield, only one thing left. For Chase to become my wife, to have my last name. It won’t happen tomorrow, but it will be soon if I have my way. Embracing that thought was easy, asking her with the possibility of her saying ‘no’, that’s the thing that has my palms sweating like a virgin on prom night.

She couldn’t possibly say ‘no’ to me, right?

Well just in case, I had the one and only Daisy help my ass in the art of woo. I mean I can charm Chase naked any day, but this is a bit more delicate. So, with Daisy’s ideas and mixing in a few of my own, tonight will be a night neither of us will ever forget. In a good way, I hope.

Chase

“Are you sure you’re alright?” I ask Hunter for the fifth time since we left the hospital. Every few minutes he’s squirming in the seat and fumbling with his pants.

Hunter’s eyes snap to mine nervously. “Sure, fine.” He says, fidgeting again. Shoving his hands into his pockets, he stares out the window.

No one has said anything, the ride is completely quiet after Jazzie and Luke are gone. No banter, no joking, nothing. The tension in the vehicle is thick, making me wonder what the hell could be going on. The entire day has been a clusterfuck. Hunter, Mack, and Daisy run off this morning before I even finished my coffee. Some excuse about last minute shit that needed to be done to surprise Grayson. Next thing I know, it’s mass hysteria because Daisy’s water broke somewhere and Mack isn’t even with them. He’s on his way to pick up my brother, who suddenly has been planning a trip that I had no idea about.

What the hell is going on around here?

“Hey, how about we watch a movie?” I ask when we stop in front of the house. “I don’t know what to do with myself in a quiet house.”

“The last thing that house will ever be is quiet.” Hunter chuckles pulling me from the car.

Cam shrugs, “Sorry Sweets, I’ve got a date with a drummer.” Turning on her heel, she follows Aiden and Mack into the house, leaving me alone with Hunter.

“Here,” Hunter says, holding up a black bandana between his fingers.

“What the hell is up with you Hunter?” I laugh, watching his eyes. “Have you been drinking? No,” I gasp. “Luke’s ink was laced with some toxic shit and this is just the side effects of a bad acid trip.”

“Very funny,” Hunter wraps the cloth over my eyes. “Now you’ll just have to trust me, won’t you?”

Without being able to see, I allow Hunter to lead me. One step in front of the other, he guides me up the walk and into the front door. I concentrate on the floor under my feet, concrete to tile, tile to wood, wood to carpet. The door to the basement creaks as it opens. “Step down Tiger Lily, I won’t let you fall.”

I count the eleven steps before we stop at the bottom. “Is this really necessary Hunter?” I ask when his arm tightens around my waist. My other senses heightened by the lack of sight, the smell of him, his warmth as he presses against my back. I’m trembling, dying for this man to touch me, but he doesn’t move. Hunter is happy just to hold me against him.

“Holding you is always fuckin’ necessary.” He purrs against my ear, my entire body trembles. “Fuck, there’s so much I want to say, but none of it matters. It doesn’t make a shit’s bit of difference.” He mumbles, tensing against me. Hunter fists the hem of my dress, pulling it up around my hips. Rough calluses on his fingertips skimming along my stomach, tracing the line of lilies up to my bra before pulling the dress over my head.

“Mmm,” I moan. Turning, I wrap my arms around his neck in desperation to feel more. Unable to see, I press my face into his neck to breathe him in.

“I have only one thing to ask you before I lay you across the bar and bury my face between your legs.” He growls into my ear and my knees nearly go weak. “Marry me.” He blurts.

Pulling back, I rip the cloth off to uncover my eyes. “Did you just ask me to marry you after…” I stop and take in the living room, candles are lit on nearly every flat surface. I can’t help grinning at the shot glasses and tequila on the counter. Even in the midst of all his sweet, Hunter would never put out champagne or wine.

“After telling you I’m going to spread you out on the bar we ate eggs and bacon on this morning and tongue fuck you until you shatter every window in this house with your screams?” He finishes for me while fumbling in his pocket. “Yeah, babe, so if you’d answer me that’d be great. I wanna fuck you on every surface of this place wearin’ nothing but this.”

“How did you do this?” I ask in disbelief.

Hunter blows out an impatient breath then shrugs. “If you must know all my secrets, I had some help from Mack and Daisy. I wanted to go all out. You gonna marry me or what?”

“Are you crazy?” I ask, a sob rumbling up from my chest. Meeting his eyes, I watch as they soften.

“God damn insane I tell you.” He replies matter of fact. Hunter’s face goes completely serious as he studies my eyes. “I’ve been crazy about you ever since you opened that mouth of yours. Marry me Tiger Lily. All that’s left for you to take is my name; you already have my heart.”

Tears stream down my face, “Yes, I’ll marry you.” Hunter’s smile nearly splits his face as he slides the ring onto my finger. Lifting me into his arms her lies me on the bar, spreading my thighs. “No wedding in Vegas.” I blurt.

Hunter’s eyes stay locked on his hands as they travel up my thighs. “No, Vegas is for the spooners babe. Plan out whatever the hell you want. We’ll write our own vows to say on a beach somewhere. Honestly, I don’t care where, but on our honeymoon, we spend every minute fucking through the ‘
To do to Chase’
list in my head. I call it the Cuntersutra.”

A thousand smart ass comments swirl in my head, but are scattered by his hands on me. The way his tongue wets his lip hungrily as he slides my panties down my legs nearly has me begging. He stares at me like a man starved and all I want is for him to take everything from me. The look on his face tells me he needs it just as badly as I do.

“Ah holy shit.” I moan when he slides two fingers into me, curving them so that I arch my hips to seek more. My body aches in desperation, the deep seeded need he placed there months ago has never gone away. God, I hope it never does. I crave him, need him, love him, and he loves me. Hunter is both, my dragon and my knight, two sides of the same coin.

Wow, who knew that a little prologue I wrote at midnight on a stormy night in October 2013 would turn into all this? Who knew that a secondary character would get so much love? Not me, that’s for sure! Hunter is for the readers. I hope that even though Hunter did not screw everything that walked, you come away knowing him and loving him more than before. Don’t be sad, this is not the end. Shaft is by far from over. Spin offs and more Shaft is coming, there’s no way to stop it. Hunter’s book is done, as you see, but he’s not done talking.

Katheryn Kiden, thank you for allowing me to have Shaft with IronSound Records. Even if they didn’t play more of a role in this book. Hear that? It’s me kicking your door. LMAO.

The original OSGs. (Original Shaft Groupies) Chelsea Camaron and Jenn Rivera, you ladies have been there since page one, hell before page one! Thank you for keeping my head outta my ass and fingers on the keyboard. So many times I wanted to throw the laptop and rush this, but you kicked my ass back where it belonged. Jenn, the Henry chapter! Pure genius babe, would not be the same book without it! CC, you’re epic vacation revelations! Every time you go away somewhere my characters get inspirations! Drive by Wieners and beach hut book names, I love it! Your poor Mister, having to handle your giggle fits over wiener dog warning stickers! LMAO that shit is still hilarious! The boys are just as much yours as mine in a way. Sure, they mostly came from my brain, but wouldn’t be nearly as epic without you two. Above anything else: you two just get it. You’ve helped them grow and loved them through their asshole stages. Except Tad and Landon, no love for their asses! Ever! For everything you two have done there are not enough thank you’s. <3

Mel Pahl, you kick ass! My covers, my formats, and well everything. The laughs, and the ‘fix my shit’ sessions. One day we will meet up and Bojangles is on me lady! <3

Asli you once again save me from all things grammatical and blundery. I love how hard you fall for my characters and the insights you give me that I didn’t see. You made this book so much more than it was!

Renee Giraldy, Hunter is yours babe. You laid claim like the wild, loyal woman you are and whatever piece of him you can find lying around, is all yours. HA HA HA

Tonya Nagle and Amy McGlone of Turn the Page blog, you ladies have become so much more than connections. More than just two women I know, that run a blog, and live a state over. You are friends. I have shared with you things WAY before others and adore both of you kick ass ladies! Thank you for everything you do to support us Indies!

My groups on Facebook! Controlled, Group Therapy, and Our Very Clean Family. You are my safe place, to vent, or to lose myself in-between word counts and plot lines. You are family in every sense of the word!

Bloggers, Readers, and every one in-between: these books, me making this my career, is made so much better because of every one of you. I could write a series with nothing but thank you’s to every one of you. Those who post pictures and comments to my pages, send me encouragement, you all make the dream so much better. Every piece of bacon porn posted to my page, every Cunterism you find, brightens my day when I am so swamped in everyday life. Shaft, and especially Hunter, have taken on lives of their own. I am floored getting messages from people all over the world who love my characters, saying how hard I made them laugh or fall in love. It pushes me that much harder. Thank you.

My family, and my Hubs. I love you all like mad. I can’t say enough to show my gratitude for your support. All the things I miss due to a deadline that I’ve set for myself, my red-lined stress level at times that scares even me. OH the hormones that get in the way when I am tore up over a character… which happens a lot. The fact that I forget to call my mother, or my grandmother… all the shit I get for forgetting things because I am too engrossed in my character’s story line. I get mad, I threaten to quit and Hubs, you love me through it and encourage me. We have our rollercoaster baby, the rough and the crazy, but I love you hard. For everything we have, and yet don’t have, it’s all worth it. Every minute! <3