Just One Week (Just One Song) Read Online Free Page B

out as soon as I stopped taking his phone calls. A twinge of jealousy hits my stomach at the thought of other women rubbing their hands through his hair, so I take another large swallow of my wine to push it down. “You know what? Never mind. I want you to come with me. Are you in or out?” His voice is softer now, and there’s a hint of a smile on his lips, but I can tell from the tightness in his body that he’s still annoyed with me. Without looking at me, he drains the rest of his beer, throws it in the garbage can, and heads to my fridge for another.
    I can’t figure out why he’s watching me like this, why he even cares anymore that we haven’t spoken, or why he looks a little bit nervous – maybe – as he waits for my answer. The thought of spending hours on a plane with him makes me uncomfortable, knowing he’s going to ask me again about why I haven’t returned his calls. On the other hand, leaving on a chartered jet tonight sounds a lot better than waking up at three in the morning to catch a commercial flight.
    “Fine. I’ll go pack.”
    Chase takes a pull from his beer and plops himself down on my couch like he belongs in my small space. “Good.”
     

     
    We pull up to a private strip just off LaGuardia Airport’s main terminals. I’ve flown on a private jet for work a few times, and once with Nicole, but all of those times were out of Minneapolis where Nicole and I used to live. For some reason, riding in a rented limo and boarding a small charter plane with Chase leaving New York and heading for L.A. makes me feel silly. Like I’ve suddenly stepped into a life that’s not my own. Now I understand how Nic felt when she first started dating Zack. As her best friend, I could see how good Zack was for her. It was as if he instinctively knew she needed slow and gentle in a relationship, and he gave it to her. But watching someone start dating someone as famous as Zack from the sidelines was a lot easier to deal with rather than it happening directly to me.
    I’m still nervous as I stare at the plane. It’s just Chase. We’ve known each other almost two years now and it’s just an airplane ride. This doesn’t mean anything more than Chase being the nice guy he normally is.
    Except Chase isn’t nice. He’s strong and powerful. His temper flares quickly when he’s irritated - at least when I’m irritating him - and he doesn’t put up with my sassy crap. He gives as good as he gets and we can spar back and forth for hours before a simple shoulder shrug from one of us calls it quits and we move on. He’s also the sexiest and most incredible lover I’ve ever had. His body is large and the first time we hooked up, I almost worried that he would crush me with his weight, but he’s gentle and attentive in bed, sometimes. Other times, he’s demanding and rougher, taking me wherever he can easily pick me up and move me. His hands are large and rough, callused from holding drumsticks in his hands for hours every day and when he picks me up and wraps his hands around my waist, his thumbs and fingers touch – completely covering me. He’s also smart, has an incredible sense of humor, successful, and in love with his job, but he mostly just likes to have fun.
    He’s essentially everything I would want in a long-term relationship, if I wanted one.
    “It’s not going to crash, you know.” Chase’s deep voice breaks me out of my thoughts.
    I frown when I realize what he said to me. “What?” I ask, confused.
    “Your breathing picked up when you saw the plane and your cheeks are flushed. I thought maybe you were suddenly afraid to fly.”
    I laugh softly. Oh god, my body just totally got turned on thinking about Chase and his hands and the great sex we used to have and he caught me. I’m such a moron.
    He gives me a funny look when I laugh, but I wave him off. “I’m fine. No problems at all.”
    He watches me with a questioning look in his eyes, then nods once and climbs out of the car.