Free A MATTER OF TRUST by Kimberley Reeves Page A

air left his lungs in a whoosh when she suddenly came flying out of her room and barreled right into him.
     
    There was a howl of pain from both of them; one from Chase because she’d rammed the cast into his ribs, and one from Maddy because she felt as if she’d just collided with a brick wall. The impact left them both nursing wounds and glaring heatedly at each other, and though she felt a twinge of guilt for once again battering his broken arm, she thought there was a good shot he’d dislocated her shoulder which put sympathy on the back burner at the moment.
     
    Chase rubbed his side, wincing when his fingers hit a particularly tender spot. “You’re determined to cause as much bodily injury as possible while you’re here, aren’t you?”
     
    “Me! How was I to know you were blocking my doorway?”
     
    “Maybe if you’d exit your room like a normal person instead charging through like your tail was on fire…”
     
    Maddy shot him a scathing glance. “I wouldn’t have been rushing to get to you at all if you hadn’t been yelling for me. I thought you’d fallen down the stairs or something and it scared me to death.”
     
    A slow smile spread across his face. “Really? You were worried about me?”
     
    “Don’t let it go to your head,” she said dryly, “I’d have done the same for any injured animal.”
     
    Chase couldn’t stop the laughter that bubbled up in his throat, and though Maddy didn’t seem to find as much humor in it as he did, she lightened up enough to give him a tentative smile. What it was about her that stole his breath he couldn’t really say, all he knew was that she stirred something deep in his heart and he didn’t ever want that feeling to go away.
     
    There wasn’t more than a foot of distance between them, but it might as well have been a canyon as far as he was concerned because even an inch apart at that moment was too much. He needed to touch her, taste her lips, breath in her scent, but when he reached out to pull her into his arms, Maddy backed away from him.
     
    ****
     
    “I meant what I said, Chase. I won’t have you playing with my emotions.”
     
    His arm dropped back to his side. “That wasn’t what I was doing, you must know that.”
     
    “You think taking me to your room and letting me crawl into your bed naked when you had no intention of making love to me wasn’t playing with my emotions? Do you have any idea how humiliating that was for me?”
     
    “You know damn well I wanted you just as much as you wanted me.”
     
    “Oh really? Is that why you made up that ridiculous story about waiting for the right person?” Maddy crossed her arms, her anger beginning to pick up steam. “Let’s be honest, Chase. The truth is you were afraid I’d become a clinging vine if I gave up my virginity to you. That’s why you hook up with women like Angela, so you don’t have to worry about them falling in love with you for who you are and the only thing you have to worry about protecting is your pocketbook.”
     
    “You don’t understand…”
     
    “You’re right, I don’t understand. I don’t understand how a man who obviously had the passion to build a successful business and acquire a home like this would stop short of having it all. The big house and fancy cars and all the money in the world won’t make you happy in here,” she tapped her chest, “not when you have a different woman on your arm every Saturday night.”
     
    “Maddy…”
     
    “No, I’m not finished. Look, Chase, I’m not saying I’m the one for you, I’m just saying I might have been. But you won't ever know that because you’re so afraid to open up your heart to anyone you’d rather pass up the chance at something truly wonderful than admit it terrifies you.”
     
    “It does terrify me.” He stepped closer, but this time he was ready for her evasive action and caught Maddy around the waist before she could get away. “You’re right about the other women