I was lost.
CHAPTER 3
My head swirled, whirled, skirled. Lunacy and madness boiled in my brain, heat moved within me in convection circles of desire, clouding my heart and body.
I pushed against him, or I thought I did. I intended to, meant to. But somehow I was moving into the living room, the back of my thighs bumping against the edge of the couch. I moaned, meaning to say "no," but all that emerged from between our locked lips was the moan. It sounded, even to me, all too much like encouragement. My body was betraying my heart and mind. I knew this was wrong. I didn't even want this. Not really. I didn't love Chase.
But his lips burned against mine, his tongue explored my mouth, my gums and teeth and tongue. His hands were branding my arms, sliding down to the damp towel, touching the swell of my hips and then up the silk of my thighs.
No, no, not this, not like this . My thoughts were fragments of denial.
I lifted my hands to his chest and pushed, pushed, pushed . He didn't budge. He only kissed me harder. His fingers brushed the dip of my hip where leg met pubic bone. So close, and I knew all too well how much fire he could spread in my body with a single finger.
No! The word wouldn't come out.
His hand slipped up my front, spreading the edges of the towel apart to reveal my skin, my belly, my breasts, and then the wet terrycloth was falling down around me and I was bare to the air, my breasts crushed against the cotton of his black T-shirt, my pussy brushing against the supple leather of his pants, his erection hard against my belly.
Fingers brushed the bottom of one breast, traced a circle around my nipple, traitorously erect. I forced my body to remain still, to not arch into his touch.
I heard footsteps on the stairs. The front door was wide open. Anyone walking by could see me, naked, clutched to Chase, lips locked in a kiss.
If Jeff sees me like this, he'll never forgive me.
The thought provided enough impetus to rip away from Chase. I pushed with all my strength against him, stumbled backward, tripping over my towel.
"No!" The word scraped past my throat, a ragged denial. "No, Chase! I'm not with you. I can't do this. I don't want to do this. Go. Just...go."
I crouched, one arm across my breasts, the other across my privates, to lift my towel and wrap it awkwardly around me. Chase had seen me naked, making a mockery of my modesty, but to me it was a gesture of refusal.
"Anna, please, I know you said we weren't right for each other, but I couldn't just leave, not without—"
"Barging into my home and jumping me?" I was angry, now, embarrassed. I couldn't see past Chase's broad shoulders, but I felt a presence beyond him. "The door is wide open, Chase. Do you even care what I want?"
"But we've been together before, in other places—"
"That's over , Chase. We are over." Anger was quickly ebbing away, stealing my strength. "You need to leave. Please. Just leave."
Chase didn't move. He just stood there staring at me, eyes wavering, alternating between the hard anger of rejection and the soft hurt of love denied. He took a step toward me, and I backed away.
I heard Jamie's door open behind me, but I didn't turn to look at her. I heard a foot shuffle on the carpet behind Chase. I squeezed my eyes closed in a vain, wishing for none of this to have happened. I could feel Jeff's anger, even without seeing him. It was a palpable force.
I stepped to the side, and there was Jeff, dressed in pressed khakis and a crisp white button-down, sleeves rolled up to just beneath the elbow. His brown hair was getting longer, enough to run my fingers through, and his dark brown eyes were blazing.
"Jeff, it's not what you—"
"Shut up, Anna," he said, his voice calm and deadly quiet. He turned his eyes to Chase. "I'll give you one chance to walk the fuck away before I break you in half, pretty boy."
Chase seemed to swell up, get bigger. His fists clenched. I knew what was coming, and I had
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