Page 46 of Chasing Lyric
My heart thrashes wildly, my breath refusing to steady, no matter how I chase it. I’m speechless, undone, by the view, by the wildness of the moment, by Chase himself.
I take the risk and turn toward him. And instantly, the world sharpens. The hum between us roars alive. His muscari-blue eyes catch mine, and the intensity in them electrifies me so fiercely I tremble where I stand.
Ba-dum.
Ba-dum.
Chase’s breath is fast and shallow. One hand is still holding mine while the other comes up, swiping a piece of my hair that’s blowing in the wind away from my face. His palm gently caresses my cheek as I nuzzle into him, needing to feel him so badly. My stomach flutters like never before as I inch closer.
Chase steps nearer too.
The chemistry between us is so palpable, you can almost see it electrifying the air around us.
This man… he does something to me.
He wraps me in his blanket of warmth, making me feel secure, but also letting me know I have my own strength at the same time. There’s something so powerful in that. He’s a giver. He has the strength to know how to take too. There’s a connection here, and it’s leaving me gasping for air.
His fingers gently edge my head toward him. My heart rapidly fires, while my eyes don’t leave his.
I lick my lips.
This is it.
Chase is going to kiss me.
He leans in, his hand moving from my cheek into the back of my hair, his fingers threading through my locks and pulling me ever so gently closer. My heart leaps into my throat, my lips scorching hot, begging to taste him.
We inch closer, closer. His breath wisps against my mouth, then there is a slight pressure against my lips, and they pop and sizzle. His lips brush mine again when a sudden flash of light appears from the direction of the gate.
“Hey!”
Chase and I yank apart, the loss of what should have been our first kiss slicing through me as the shout hits my ears. A tubby security guard barrels toward us, flashlight bobbing wildly, his voice puffed up with authority.
I freeze, deer-in-the-headlights, my hands flying up in surrender. “Oh my God—”
But Chase isn’t the surrendering type.
He snatches one of my hands, tugging it down hard, and before I can blink, he’s yanking me with him. “Run!”
The sudden force jerks me off balance, my stomach lurching as I stumble into motion. A gasp tears from my chest. “Holy shit! Are we gonna be arrested?”
“Not if you keep up!” His laugh is wicked, breathless, echoing behind him.
I squeal, half terror, half exhilaration, as my legs kick into overdrive. My flats slap the concrete with punishing thuds, each breath ripping ragged through my lungs. The guard’s flashlight’s beam dances across us, and I can hear his wheezing shouts, his footsteps pounding far too close.
The rush propels me faster. My heart’s thundering in my throat, but all I can think is,we’re criminals, we’re criminals, we are actually doing this.A hysterical laugh bubbles up even as panic claws at me.
Chase’s grip is a lifeline, his fingers tight around mine, hauling me along. We tear past the guard, who shakes his fist and yells something about trespassing. I don’t dare look back. My focus narrows to the sound of our feet hammering thepavement, the night air ripping past, the way my chest burns like it might burst.
By the time we reach the truck, I’m gasping so hard I can barely stand, every muscle trembling, laughter and something else propels me to a dizzying high.
Chase yanks open his door, vaults in, and fires the engine alive.
I collapse into the passenger seat, bent double, clutching my stomach as hysterical laughter pours out of me. My ribs ache, my cheeks are wet with tears of amusement and fear, and release all at once. “I can’t… I can’t breathe—” I wheeze.
Chase grins across the cab, wild and unrepentant. “Best cardio of your life, Starlight.”
I grin cheekily at him, slowing my breath. “Well, I can think of another way to do cardio that ismuchmore satisfying.”
