Page 110 of Mine Forever
Chase stops in front of me, and his gaze travels from the top of my bun to the tips of my heels.
Heat blooms in my belly, and it’s all I can do to keep my knees from buckling when he’s so close to me.
I can smell his cologne and the scent that’s just…Chase.
How does one explain pheromones?
“Eden, my God. You look…” He blows out a breath. “You take my breath away.”
My eyes flick away from his for a moment. “Thank you.”
I clear my throat, trying to gain some footing. I don’t know what the hell to do with my hands, so I clasp them in front of me. “What are you doing here? I’m supposed to meet Liz.”
He looks at me from under his lashes, his thumb rubbing his lower lip. A tiny smile plays on those lips that make me remember too many things I’d rather forget. “Yeah, that was me.”
I jerk my head back. “Why would you do that?”
“Because I wasn’t sure you’d talk to me after the way I treated you.”
I scoff. “Of course I would have talked to you. We have a business arrangement.”
“I don’t mean professionally. You’re the consummate professional. You wouldn’t have shut me out there.” He pauses, his intense emerald-green gaze on me. “I meant just you and me.”
The way he says “you and me” makes a million tiny wildfires ignite in myblood.
But I can’t say he’s wrong.
If he’d contacted me, I may have told him to fuck off and hung up.
He broke my heart—worse this time because it isn’t just young love—and I miss the hell out of him, but I’m not going to let him walk all over me.
“I don’t have time for this, Chase.” I start toward the door and almost make it, but he’s quick.
He steps between me and the door, his back against it. “I’m sorry I brought you up here under false pretenses, but I need to talk to you. And I didn’t know any other way.” He sighs. “Look, give me five minutes. Just five. After that, you can walk out that door and never give me another thought if that’s how you feel. Please?”
There’s no playful tone or dancing eyes to his plea, as if he’s saying it just to get to me.
No, the only thing I see in his eyes is hope.
Damn it, it’d be easier to tell him to shove it if he were joking around. But that hopeful look tugs at my delicate heartstrings.
Not to mention, he’s just too damn close to me.
I step back. “Fine. Five minutes. Say what you need to say.”
“I love you.”
My eyes narrow. “Oh, really? But love isn’t enough. Isn’t that what you told me?”
“Yeah, but I was wrong.”
I blink. “Come again?”
“I said I was wrong.” He closes his eyes and thumps his head back on the door. “Blurting out ‘I love you’ isn’t the first thing I wanted to say, but as usual I can’t seem to think straight when you’re so close to me.”
Join the club, buddy.
He opens his eyes and looks down at me. “The first thing I wanted to say was I’m sorry. I acted like a total asshole the day you left. And while it doesn’t excuse my behavior, I need you to know why I acted that way.”
