Free Stripped by Adriana Hunter

Chase’s eyes, something I hadn’t seen
before. It made my heart swell, something I’d only read about in romance
novels, but that’s what it did. There were sudden tears in my eyes at the raw
emotion I saw on Chase’s face.
    He
came quietly, his face against my chest, arms tight around my body, the only
sounds a soft exhalation that might have been my name. I held him a long time
after that, rocking slowly in the water.
     
    ***
     
    We
ate the dinner Rachel had left, sitting down at one end of the long dining room
table. I was beginning to think the woman was a ghost, leaving behind delicious
food before heading back to the spirit realm.
    “No,
she’s real. But she’s got a sixth sense about when I’m here or not. I rarely
see her. We get along great, but she’s territorial about her kitchen when she’s
in it, so I give her a wide birth and she cooks when I’m out. And she’s got the
men to cook for, out in the bunkhouse kitchen. So she’s a busy woman.”
    “Does
she live here on the ranch?” I was devouring a small plate of casserole,
something creamy and delicate, with what I suspected were homemade noodles.
    “No,
she’s from town. But she’s here early, stays late and doesn’t complain. Or,
rarely complains. But when she’s got something to say, you’ll know it. She’s
never been one to keep her peace if she’s got something she thinks needs
saying. And she rules the roost out in the bunkhouse. Those men toe the line
she draws. I’ve told her time and again I have a place for her at the club;
she’d make an excellent dominatrix.”
    I
laughed. “Do you miss the club? You don’t talk about it much.”
    He
chewed in silence for a moment. “You know, I haven’t thought about it much, at
least not when you’re around. You’re a good distraction.” There was another
moment of silence.
    “You
know, I meant what I said last night.” His voice was low.
    “Last
night?” I looked down at my plate, knowing I was blushing.
    “When
I said you should be here all the time. I meant it.” He was still watching me.
I played with my food, my mouth suddenly dry, heart thumping wildly. Calm
down, Abby. Take a breath.
    He
reached across the table, taking my hand. “I don’t say these things on a whim, Abby.”
    I
looked up at Chase. “I don’t know what to say.”
    “Don’t
say anything. I’m putting it out there. It’s what I do. You should know by now
I don’t hold back, in anything. When I want something, I go after it. When I
like something, I buy it. When I find a woman that does to me what you do,
makes me feel like I do, I want her around me, as much as possible.”
    “How
do you feel?” My voice was barely a whisper. I managed to hold his gaze.
    “Do
you want a declaration of love? I can’t give you that…yet. My heart isn’t
easily given away; it’s been trampled too many times. I can tell you that in
the short time I’ve known you, I’ve grown to like you quite a bit, for a city
girl. I enjoy our time together. You’ve become an important part of my life. I
look forward to seeing you and I miss you when you’re gone.”
    He
rubbed his nose, a sheepish grin back on his face. “To be honest, I wouldn’t
let Marie change my sheets after you left last week. They smelled like you…like
us…and I didn’t want to give that up. She finally got them off the bed when I
wasn’t paying attention.”
    He
stood suddenly, holding out his hand, smiling down at me. “Come on, let’s
dance.”
    “Who
would have thought that you were such a romantic,” I teased, my eyes lit up
with desire.
    I
took his hand and he led me down the hall to the living room. There was a collection
of electronics on a bookcase and he punched a few buttons. Music filled the
room, apparently from some artfully hidden speakers.
    “Oh, Robin
Hood. I remember this.”
    Chase
took me in his arms, holding me close, my head resting on his shoulder. I let
him slowly dancing me across the floor to the raspy, sexy