Star-Crossed Letters (Falling for Famous #1)(79)

He closes his eyes, and when he opens them, they are clear. Determined.

“That’s why I let you think I had a girlfriend. I could have told you about Cassidy’s real role in all this. But I didn’t because I don’t trust myself with you. I needed something to keep you away. Every time you look at me… Christ, Olivia.”

With a gentle, shaking hand, he traces my eyebrow, my cheek, down to my jaw. I hold so still; I forget to breathe.

“You look at me with those big gray eyes like I’m the sun and the moon, and I don’t deserve it. My life will fuck you up. I mean, look at what’s already happened. You could have been killed.”

“I wasn’t. That had nothing to do with you,” I interject.

He ignores my protest. “You could have died because I’ve been too weak to keep away from you. So, when you assumed that Cassidy and I were an item again, it was easier to let you think that. I’m sorry for misleading you.”

“You don’t have to protect me, Chase. And I’m tired of you making decisions for me in the name of keeping me safe. I can make my own decisions. I have made my own decisions. I’m here, with you. You keep telling me what you should do. But what do you want?” I ask in an urgent, impassioned rasp, our faces close.

I wait for his answer as he gazes at me with a closed-off ferocity I can’t read. And then his face shifts. A shake of his head and a small smile, like the sun in a storm-filled sky. “You. I only ever want you.”

His mouth descends on mine in a long, drugging kiss, and all my questions, all my doubts, all my fears of not being enough fly out of my head.

When we finally come up for breath, he pulls away a fraction. I make a mewl of dissatisfaction. He quirks his lips at the disgruntled sound.

“I need you to understand that being with me isn’t easy. We’re here, on the beach, because it’s beautiful. But I can’t take you to dinner or to the movies without a crowd forming and us running from photographers.”

I wave a hand. “I don’t care about all that. Though I think we can get creative if you want to be incognito in public. I was talking to Emma and Daisy, and they had great ideas about costumes.”

He laughs. “Lord save me,” he says wryly. He presses his lips softly to mine, and my eyes flutter shut again. “I’ll hear about their ideas later,” he says, pulling away slightly. “For now, I have a great idea.”

“What?” I have some great ideas as well. They involve his lips back on mine.

“Remember, one of your risks is skinny-dipping.”

I smile, butterflies in my heart. “I already checked that off the list, Chase.”

“It doesn’t count in the pool. It has to be in the ocean, Olivia.”

“Says who?”

“Says me.” He downs the rest of his glass of champagne, stands up, and offers me his hand.

Of course I take it.

He pulls me up. I wish I could say I was smooth and graceful, but I stumble in the sand as we race to the edge of the water together. We laugh as the cool wind whips my hair around my shoulders and face.

He discards his shirt. His jeans go next until he stands before me, clad only in boxers. At first, I think he might take those off too, but sadly, he keeps them on.

He steps behind me and extends his arms, blocking me. I look back at him in question.

“So there aren’t any prying eyes. The guards are watching. They’re not close, and they probably can’t see much in the dark. But I don’t want to take the chance. Your body is for my eyes only.”

“Are the guards why you’re still wearing your boxers? It’s not skinny-dipping without getting naked.”

He raises an eyebrow. “I’m trying to be a gentleman. But just say the word, and I’ll be happy to take them off.”

“Hmm. I’ll think about it,” I tease.

The interesting thing about risks is, the more you take, the better you get at them. At least, that’s the only explanation I have for how easy it is to shed my dress and stand before Chase in just my underwear. It helps that it’s dark enough to feel a layer of protection from my insecurities.

If I thought his gaze was hot before, it scorches me now. “Pretty girl,” he whispers, his breath caressing my ear, as we step into the surf hand in hand, Chase just behind me.

The moment is magical. It’s perfect.

It’s—

“Gah! Cold!” I squeal as a small wave slaps at my legs.

Chase laughs. “You wimp.”

“I’m not a wimp. I’m sane. This is freezing.”

He makes a clean dive into the deeper water. “It’s only cold for the first minute. After that, it’s awesome. Refreshing.”

“Refreshing, my ass.”

“Your ass is spectacular.”

That makes me move toward Chase’s magnetic, possessive gaze. I mentally swear like a sailor the deeper I get, but Chase is right. It’s refreshing, especially when he catches me around my waist.

“There’re no sharks in here, right?” I eye the dark water with suspicion.

“Maybe. This could be Sebastian’s dastardly plan to get you to swim with them.”

I hit Chase.

“Ow!” he says, rubbing his shoulder. “For a girl who can’t run, you sure hit hard.”