Taking Chances

***

I slipped out of bed the next morning to use the restroom and freshen up a bit, smiling the entire time. I was still on cloud nine from Brandon telling me he loved me. I’d known I was in love with him for a couple weeks now, but I had been too afraid to tell him. I guess that was one thing I could thank Carter for, he made us skip the awkward moment of telling each other for the first time. Carter. I rolled my eyes. He’d left me ten voicemails and dozens of texts last night apologizing, and I hadn’t said one thing back to him. I hated what I’d lost from our friendship in North Carolina, but he was just too different now, I didn’t know how we could even continue on being friends, especially after what happened last night. I mentally shook myself as I pulled my hair back into a loose low bun, I didn’t want to think about him right now. I just wanted to go back to my boyfriend, and spend the weekend wrapped up in his arms.

After I shut and locked his bedroom door, I froze where I was, taking in the remarkable sight of Brandon. God he was sexy. His ta

“Harper.” He breathed as he stared into my eyes.

“Good morning.” I whispered and covered his mouth with mine.

He gripped my hips and moved slightly, trying to get more comfortable, he moaned and I gasped when his arousal pressed against me. I rocked my hips against him and my eyelids fluttered shut from the incredible feel of it. I had no idea what I was doing, but I didn’t want to stop. There was a slow burning that started low in my stomach and with each rock of my hips it grew greater. Brandon’s hands slid up my bare stomach, undoing the one button when he reached it, and continuing to my chest. He sat up, pressing his lips to the swell of my breast, exploring it before making his way to the other. My breaths were embarrassingly loud, but I couldn’t seem to care enough to try and stop it as he caught my nipple between his teeth. I arched my back and let my head fall back as I experienced each sensation for the first time. One of his hands trailed back to my hip to assist in my rocking, but I grabbed his hand in mine, grasping the side of my underwear and tugging on it. Realizing what I was doing, he slid me off his body and onto my back, he barely hovered above my side as he propped himself up on an elbow.

Brandon’s lips were on mine, his free hand trailing from my jaw to my underwear. When his fingers stopped at the top, I took his hand and moved them just inside of the satin, to let him know exactly what I wanted. I couldn’t even continue to kiss him as the burning in my stomach instantly increased when his fingers moved against me. A pressure I can’t explain started building between my legs and I moaned loudly when he slid a finger inside me, moving it in rhythm with my hips.

Minutes past and the sensation got to be too much, I didn’t know what was happening and part of me wanted him to stop, but the other part wasn’t ready yet, “God. Baby…I.”

His lips hovered over mine as he spoke softly, “It’s okay sweetheart, let go for me.”

I didn’t understand what he was talking about, but when I arched against his hand one more time, my entire body racked with an intense, exhilarating explosion. Brandon’s mouth on mine muted most of my pleasured cry as I gave over to the mind-blowing spasms continuing throughout my body.

That’s what he meant by let go. Oh. My. Word.

Brandon wrapped his arms around me and pulled me so I was half-lying on his chest. He kissed my temple and rubbed soft circles into my back. “I love you Harper.”

I nodded against his chest, still trying to get my breathing back to normal, “I…love you…so…oh wow.”

His silent laugh shook my body and he squeezed me tighter while bringing the comforter up around us. He peppered my cheek and jaw with kisses as he held me until my already completely relaxed body succumbed to sleep. Just before I gave in, I swear I heard him vow to love me forever.

6

“Why are you being like this?” I hissed.

He just continued to look at me like I was the biggest inconvenience possible, and I had no idea why.

“Did I do something to offend you? You haven’t said a word to me since Sunday.” And it was freaking Thursday, “You have been so bipolar lately, I don’t even know what to expect from you.”

Keeping his mouth shut, he raised one brow causing it to disappear under his shaggy hair. Chase and I had been having the most bizarre relationship lately and it was making my head spin. Bree had been taking me to her parent’s house for family day every Sunday for a month, and though it had been awkward at first when Claire, their mom, had hugged me as soon as I stepped in the door; I soon fell in love with her and her husband Robert. They were extremely loving, fu

What was frustrating, was Chase’s drastic mood swings. Over the last three weeks, he’d started talking to me less and less during the week, but if we were at his parent’s house, he wouldn’t leave my side and you wouldn’t believe he was the same guy I’d met my second night in California. He was hilarious, sweet and an incredible artist. Listening to him banter back and forth with his dad usually left the rest of us in tears and he treated his mom, Bree and I with such respect, it was mind blowing. If anyone’s drinks started getting low, he was already refilling it, he always made sure we were comfortable and had everything we needed, and his kisses on his mom’s cheeks had to be the most loving thing I’d ever seen come from him.

The biggest shock was when I’d gone to Chase’s room in his house to tell Bree I was ready to leave, and stumbled upon a sketch book. I confronted him about it later at his parent’s, and he ran upstairs for a minute and brought down an armful of them. He was extremely talented and I shouldn’t have been surprised when he told me he was a tattoo artist at the shop Bree had taken me for our piercings. The way his eyes lit up as I gushed over each drawing tugged at my heart, and I tried desperately to push those feelings away. I’d spent a couple hours last Sunday watching him work on a few new pieces he wanted on his forearms while the whole family watched a couple movies in the living room. At some point I must have fallen asleep on the couch I’d been sharing with Chase because an explosion on the TV jerked me awake.

~~~

“It’s just the movie,” he whispered in my direction and ran his fingers over my cheek, “don’t move yet Princess.”

“Don’t move? Why?”

“I’m almost done, give me another minute or two.”