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Long After Cheryl McIntyre 27690K 2023-09-01

After borrowing his shower and getting ot an hour of sleep and a lot ot asked to proiddy

I bounce into the s table with mismatched chairs for a cup of coffee Guy may not know his way around an oven to save his life, but the boy can make a h

"You are er up some whipped cream and lick it off "You have no idea howsip

"What’s wrong with you?" Guy asks suspiciously He flicks his finger, gesturing at h h school years, I have never been , bold, blatant, blonde, these are allas I take another drink "Must be you," I say wistfully

His eyebrow rises as his head tips forward disbelievingly "M at me, Guy pushes his chair back and places his cup in the sink "I have class Lock up when you leave" He pauses in the doorway, glancing atI liketo alphabetize his movies as soon as he was out the door It had bothered ot up four different times to do it, but was afraid I’d wake hi rooanized life"

"It’s not disorganized," he corrects me "It’s controlled chaos and it works well for me"

Controlled chaos

"Now there’s an oxymoron if I ever heard one"

"You’re an oxymoron," Guy states as he picks up his backpack He smiles proudly as he pulls the door open "Don’t touch my stuff"

I put my hands up in surrender "Your mess is safe I promise"

Before he has the chance to reply hatever shitty co down the hallith a heart-rin

"What’s up, man?" Guy says "I was just on my way out"

"I’m not here for you," Chase answers He squeezes past Guy and strolls straight toward me

Panic fills my chest I don’t knohy, and I can’t explain it, but I completely freak out inside As Chase stops in front ofhis hands to place them on--I don’t even knohere,out of his reach

Guy shuts the door behind hiest desire to bolt after him

"What the hell?"

I look away fro,’" he re," I squeak

The way he s as he s his long fingers through his hair It’s still wet and he looks agonizingly sexy

"Back away from me one more damn time I dare you"

I blink in surprise And then I cross my arms over my chest "You don’t tell , forceful, but my voice quivers and the tone is completely off I don’t know if it hasback to a man now, or the fact that this is Chase, and I don’t kno to act

Part of me wants to jump into his arht My body is still throbbing for hiers His lips His tongue…

But there’s this other part that’s so scared, and I don’t even knohat Or why Or…

"I didn’t tell you what to do," Chase says, his husky voice breaking into hts "I dared you"

I tiltto my hips He dares me? What is that supposed to mean? "That sounds like a threat"

He doesn’t reply The only indication he heardof his brow

So I take another step back

But here’s the ridiculous part… I’o, I would have iest steps I could just to prove to him I wasn’t scared And I’m not, theoretically, scared of Chase, but Loden has instilled this fear in ardless of the tiht reflex is always activated

Chase stalks toward me and I continue to back up with each of his strides Until I hit the wall

He pauses in front ofon either side ofFro to kiss me

From fear that he won’t

Fro to do

I take a stuttering breath as Chase leans in, his nose ski my cheek "It’s okay," he whispers "I knew you’d run" His soft lips brush oose buive you a reason to run back"

He shifts, hisin front ofFor him The anticipation is toomyself to him All he needs to do is takeme fixedly