Page 11 of Running Winter

“Well.” Chase looked a little strange for a minute, a smile on his face that I’d never seen before. “We ended up kissing a bit more in the bedroom—”

“Oh, you sly bastard,” I muttered, now feeling well and truly fucked off.

“But I stopped it.” Chase shrugged, and I shook my head at him.

“Why?”

“One—because you have her in your sights, and I’m not that kinda guy. Two—she may be hot, but I don’t even know her.”

I’m speechless. I could categorically say if the tables reversed, I would have banged the ass off her.

She was that hot.

“One, you’re a fool, two, thanks, but it was you she was getting hot and heavy with—and three—Herrod?!”

Chase grinned then before sighing.

“She was scared because of those assholes at the party. So I offered to take her home, and she happened to be...Heather Herrod.”

I’m still confused.

“Jared’s older sister,” Chase added helpfully.

“What the fuck? A college girl, I knew it!” I grinned triumphantly until the realization hit me. “Oh, hell no. A Herrod?”

Chase nods with amusement, and I shake my head with annoyance.

“What was she doing at a high school party in the first place? Who was the boy at the fair?” I demanded as Chase filled me in.

“Pretty boy at the fair was her cousin, and she went to the party with Jared, who disappeared, leaving her alone,” Chase said darkly, shaking his head.

“So you dropped her home?” I asked, noticing we had pulled up outside my home.

It was so early; all the blinds were down.

We’d probably get gunned down for turning up at this hour.

“Yep.” Chase popped the P before getting out of the car.

“Yet you stayed the night,” I said slowly, grinning at him. “If you fucked her, you can tell me. I’m a big boy.”

Chase rolled his eyes as he stretched, and I imagined for one second how it would be if we both wanted the same girl.

To be honest, I’d probably walk away.

Chase barely liked anyone, so if he did, it would mean it was genuine.

Me, on the other hand, I’d just wanted to fuck Heather, so it was entirely different. Plus, she was a Herrod, and that had put me off.

“I told you, we kissed.”

“But did you kiss again at her house?” I pressed as Chase set his lips in a firm line.

“Maybe. But—”

“You do like her!” I exclaimed as we walked up the long drive to my house. “You dirty dog.”

“Will you shut up? It’s early, and I don’t much want to meet your Dad in a bad mood.”

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