Page 131 of Make Me Trust Again
Kyle pulls his hand out of mine and rushes to them, clearly clueless about what’s going on. Shadow’s ears perk up, but she doesn’t move a muscle. The other dog that’s with them stands up, his tail wagging excitedly as he starts toward Kyle. The dog is big, almost as big as Shadow, and a twinge of worry makes my belly clench.
“Kyle—” I go after him, but his back is to me, so he doesn’t hear me.
“Duke, hold.” Chase’s voice is steady.
The dog slows down when he hears the command; his gaze lingers on Kyle before turning to Chase. “Hold,” Chase repeats calmly, waiting a few seconds to make sure he has the dog’s attention before giving a new command. “Sit.”
Duke plops his butt on the ground, but his gaze darts to Kyle again.
Chase calls out to Shadow, who joins him, the two of them making their way to the new dog. He slips his hand into his pocket and pulls out a treat. The dog jumps to his feet immediately, so Chase repeats the command, and only when the dog’s seated, does he give him the reward.
“Good boy.” He scratches him between his ears before his gaze meets mine. “He’s not aggressive, and Kyle already met him the last time, which is why he got excited. He won’t hurt him.”
My throat bobs as I swallow, my heart still racing wildly inside my chest.
“Okay.” I let out a long breath and nod, my eye still on the new dog. It looks similar to Shadow in terms of build, but he seems more… wolfish, I guess. His short fur is a mix of whites, grays, and blacks, and his eyes are two different colors. “I just panicked for a second.”
“It’s normal. He’s big, and you don’t know him.”
No, I don’t, but I know Chase. And he won’t let Kyle get hurt.
Contrary to me, my son isn’t the least bit fazed by the two dogs as he joins Chase and proudly announces, “Mom said I could get a dog!”
His brows shoot up. “Did she now?”
Kyle nods eagerly. “I can pick out one. How cool is that?”
Chase ruffles his hair. “Very cool.”
Kyle’s grin grows even bigger as he basks in Chase’s attention. The new dog lets out a soft whine, but doesn’t move a muscle, so Chase gives him the command to release. Both dogs dash for Kyle, their excited barking and Kyle’s giggles filling the air.
Chase watches them for a moment before turning around. His dark eyes lock on mine, swallowing me into their depths as he slowly makes his way to me. With each step, I can feel my heart race faster. It’s like I’m falling into a dark abyss, and I’m unable to look away from him. I don’t have to look away because I know he’s going to be there to catch me.
Will he, though?
He lifts his hand, his fingers brushing a strand of hair behind my ear. They linger for a moment, the tips of his fingers skimming over my cheekbone. “What’s wrong?”
“I—”
It’s unnerving how good this man sees through my walls and fears and insecurities. How good he sees me.
“Sweetheart?” His thumb slides over my cheek, and tingles run down my spine. “Did something happen?”
John happened. But I refuse to bring him up right now.
“Umm… No. Nothing like that.” I shake my head, suddenly feeling self-conscious under his watchful gaze, my words coming out in a rush. “I didn’t want to bug you, but the guy at the front desk had a call. He recognized Kyle from when you brought him here, and he told us to go out back, which is what I did. I didn’t realize you were busy an?—”
Chase slides his hand to my neck, his fingers rubbing at my tense muscles. “Breathe.”
I suck in a sharp breath and hold it for a second. The tight knot in my stomach loosens at his warm touch, the way those calloused fingers massage my skin and send shivers all the way to my core. His thumb skims over my pulse point, eyes darkening when he feels the furious beat of my heart.
“Chase—” His name comes out on a shaky exhale, that grip on me tightening slightly.
“There are kids present, you know that?”
My eyes widen at the sound of the female voice. When I turn around, I find the woman, who was with Chase, standing next to us, an amused glimmer in her eyes. Any trace of the vulnerability that was surrounding them when I first saw her is now gone.
Chase lets out an annoyed growl. “Don’t you have anything better to do, Mae?”
