Amelia wasn't looking for love. She wasn't looking for anything. All she wanted was to enjoy her vacation and celebrate her best friend's wedding. Little did she know she would develop feelings for a complete stranger. Maybe he felt the same way abo...
For the second time that day Amelia found herself locked in a passionate embrace with Chase. How did this keep happening? That just goes to show how very little control she had over anything. Maybe he was right. She shouldn't worry about where this was leading because she couldn't stop herself from being attracted to him, or liking him, or wanting him.
He had his hands woven in her hair, angling her head so that he could kiss her deeper. The sensual way he moved his lips made her toes curl and goosebumps appear on her arms. Oh my God! He was a great kisser! She couldn't get enough of this.
One of his palms came around the side of her face to cup her cheek. Breaking the kiss, he used his thumb to trace her bottom lip which was a little bruised from the stubble around his lips. She looked up into his eyes and what she saw was a man who desired her. The intensity of his gaze made her look away.
"Lia."
He breathed her name and rested his forehead against hers.
"When we get back to New York..." He paused, "I would like to continue seeing you, spend time with you...get to know you."
This was really happening, wasn't it? She wasn't imagining it. Chase was real and he wanted to know her. She was jumping for joy on the inside. She couldn't believe she was going ahead with this, with him. It was both exciting and frightening. She couldn't wait to tell Gracie.
He must have mistaken her silence for a no because he whispered, "please say yes."
"Yes," she answered and felt her heart come alive in anticipation of the time they would spend together.
"Thank you, I'll make it worth your time," he said confidently.
That filled her heart with joy. To think that this guy thought she was worth it and he just met her, while she spent four years with a man who had no idea of her true value. She needed to stop comparing him to Jack. They were not the same and Chase shouldn't be measured by someone so dreadful. That's something she will work on she promised herself.
"Look, it stopped raining."
"Think we can make it back now?" She asked.
"It might be a little difficult, but nothing we can't manage. Plus I'll carry you if I need to." He winked at her.
"Well I hope it doesn't come to that."
She was suddenly mortified at the idea of him picking her up bodily and traipsing through the jungle. Imagine if Gracie and Derek saw. She would never hear the end of it.
They both left the shed and started making their way back. The trail was now a muddy mess and she was being extra careful. Chase had permanently taken one of her hands and gripped tightly whenever they came to a particularly rough patch. She knew he was preparing himself for her to fall and almost laughed at his concern.
He guided her the entire time. The trip back felt much quicker than the time it took to reach the waterfalls. She was starting to feel like herself around Chase. Just a couple hours in his company and she didn't feel like he was a stranger at all. Something about being with him felt familiar. Almost as if her soul recognized his soul, like they were connected on more than a human level.
No misfortune struck and they arrived back at the starting point unharmed. The trip back took its toll as their wet clothes started to dry on them and mud accumulated on their shoes. She desperately needed a shower and was sure he did too. So much for the scavenger hunt. She supposed they could resume it later. He was still clutching the bag with the two items they'd found so far.
"What room are you in?" He asked nonchalantly.
"Two sixteen," she replied.
"I'll walk you there. I'm sure you want to get out of those wet clothes."
"Definitely, I need a shower. I'm not a huge fan of mud."
"Didn't think you were," he said laughing.
His eyes had a joyful spark when he laughed like that. She felt pleased that it was from something she'd said.
They walked leisurely back to the resort. Their fingers were loosely interlaced. She felt that there was something reassuring and tender in the act on his part. She was glad that the magical spell of their kiss in a rainstorm wasn't broken, even after it was over. The fact that he made sure a part of his body was still touching hers maintained the same connection she felt when they were kissing.
And what a connection it was! She couldn't believe she'd behaved so wantonly, throwing herself at him like that. It's been a really long time since she kissed a man and her hormones took over for a few minutes. She needed to reel it in and keep herself in check before she did something she would regret. But it was just so hard to resist him when he was being all charming and perfect. She sighed.
Well at least Gracie will be happy with these turn of events, she mused. I wonder how she'll react when she finds out we kissed, not once, but twice. She should be pleased since she wanted something like this to happen. But maybe things were moving too fast? She didn't know. All she knew was that she was going with the flow and it felt good.
They'd arrived at the resort and made their way up the stairs to the second floor where her room was located. The resort had an interesting layout. There were no elevators and the hallways were open to the outside. It was sort of like one long balcony with rooms placed side by side, so that everyone had a view of the ocean from their windows.
He walked her up to her door.
"Here we are."
"Yep, this is me."
They both stared at each other awkwardly. She didn't know what to say and it appeared that he didn't either. She fiddled with her keys and he shifted from one foot to the other. They both smiled shyly.
She turned to open her door. As she placed the key in the lock, she felt him step up right behind her. He placed a hand on her hips and another on the door frame to her left.
He placed his lips close to her right ear and she felt his hot breath as he murmured, "thank you for a wonderful day."
He placed a tiny kiss right behind her earlobe. She instantly felt all the hairs on her body stand to attention.
Turning her head slightly she said, "thank you for showing me something new."
"Maybe you'll let me do it again?" He asked in a seductive voice.
"Maybe," she told him with smirk.
"I can't wait." He gave her waist a squeeze and released her.
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To all my lovely followers,
I just want to say thank you for your kindness and continued support. Thanks for sticking with Chase and Amelia up to this point.
Please do leave your comments and feedback. Enjoy this chapter.
