Page 12 of Serenading Reagan
Reagan: Ooops I guess I forgot to mention it… I’m in Seattle this weekend. I promise I’m not with another man—much less two… Unless my brother and his husband count? Don’t tell me you’re jealous of them…
Chase: Hey, I’d be a fool not to be jealous of you spending time with any guy who isn’t me. But, I’m relieved to hear you’re with guys who won’t want you the way I do. But I can’t lie, I wish you were here instead.
Reagan: I’ll be home tomorrow afternoon…
Chase: And available for our date? Please say you won’t make me wait any longer.
Reagan: Yes. :)
Chase: Yes, you’re available or yes, you’re making me wait longer. I need some clarity Red…
Reagan: OMG, Chase, you are ridiculous. Yes, I’m available!
Chase: Good answer, beautiful. I’ll pick you up at 7 tomorrow. Dress casual, I know you’ll look stunning.
Satisfied that he had finally made firm plans for his date with Reagan, Chase sat back on his stool and took a long drink from his beer. The smile on his face must have told Ryan something had happened, because he wandered over and leaned in front of Chase and fixed him with an inquisitive stare.
“I take it you talked to Reagan?”
“Yeah, man, we’re going out on our date tomorrow night,” Chase replied.
Ryan nodded, stood up and crossed his arms in front of his chest. “That’s great. Just remember, dude, I like you, but Reagan is like family. Don’t hurt her.”
“Trust me. Hurting her is the last thing I want to do. I want to treat her like the goddess she is.”
Satisfied, Ryan held his hand out for a high five. “Now that, I approve of. Hope you two lovebirds have a great time.”
Chase watched Ryan walk back down the bar, kiss Anna, and return to serving customers. He wanted that. A relationship full of easy affection and passion. Somehow, he knew the passion between him and Reagan would be explosive.
Chapter 7
The next evening brought an odd sense of déjà vu for Reagan. She could vividly remember sitting on Callie’s bed, watching her best friend despair over what to wear for her first date with Jake. Now Reagan was the one pulling apart her closet, only she didn’t have Callie there to help. The newly married couple were due back from their honeymoon tomorrow and Reagan knew she’d have a lot to update Callie on when they got together.
For now, Reagan had to figure things out for herself. She had briefly considered calling Anna or Melanie, one of Callie’s colleagues that Reagan had become friends with, but that idea had been dismissed quickly. For one thing, she was running out of time—Chase would be here in just under an hour. Also, Reagan knew Melanie would push her to wear something far more daring than she was ready for, and Anna was busy at the pub with Ryan.
Chase had said to dress casually, but had refused to tell Reagan anything else about what they would do tonight.Jeans it is…with a decisive nod to herself, she pulled on her favorite pair of distressed denim capris. A flowy tank top, jewelry and some wedge sandals completed the look. Late summer was her favorite time of year. Warm enough for light clothes, but not too hot, so she didn’t need to dress too revealing in an attempt to stay cool.
As she examined her reflection in the full-length mirror on the back of her bedroom door, Reagan turned from side to side. Objectively, she knew her body was seen by some to be sexy and feminine. But thanks to growing up in the era of airbrushed models and unattainable standards of beauty, she could never fully quiet the insidious voice inside that existed to criticize her size and shape.
Reagan shook her head and walked away from the mirror. Now wasn’t the time to judge her appearance, not minutes before Chase was set to arrive. Now was the time to try and calm the butterflies that danced in her stomach. She knew they were equal parts anticipation and nerves. The anticipation was fine, exciting even. It had been so long since Reagan had looked forward to a date. Even Eric had never stirred her arousal like Chase did. The nerves, however, she could do without. So, fully dressed and with time to spare, Reagan went into her kitchen to pour a glass of wine. Drink in hand, she wandered over to her small patio and settled down on the large, circular chair she had out there. She’d bought it with Callie and Anna months ago. The memory brought a smile to her face, as she remembered her friends’ teasing words about how perfect the chair would be to cuddle with someone. So far, no one had been in the chair except Reagan.Maybe Chase will change that…She shivered at the thought of snuggling up under the stars with him. She could envision his strong arms holding her tightly. They probably wouldn’t even need a blanket, not with his hot body pressed close.
Reagan sighed, finished her wine, and took her glass back into the kitchen. With a glance at the clock, she realized Chase would be here any minute. The butterflies were still there, and when she heard a knock at the door, they intensified. However, as soon as she opened the door to see Chase standing there, the nerves disappeared and were replaced with the slow burn of attraction.
His eyes traveled up and down her body leisurely. She tried to gauge his reaction by the expression on his face, but failed. That is, until he looked her square in the eyes and she was taken aback by the heat smoldering there.
“Damn, Red, I said dress casual and here you are looking like a million bucks,” he drawled.
Reagan blushed at the compliment. Her heart believed he was telling the truth, even as her head tried to deny it.
“Thank you,” she said nervously. “Without knowing what we’re doing it was hard to figure out what to wear.”
Chase’s eyes twinkled. “But isn’t a surprise more fun?”
“I suppose so.” She grinned in response, then grabbed her purse and shut the door behind her. When she turned around, she gasped. Chase was right there, so close she could feel his breath on her bare shoulder. He leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to her cheek.
“Couldn’t resist. I’d apologize, but I’m really not sorry.”
Reagan felt the flutters of sensation from that simple kiss all the way to the center of her body. Emboldened by the feeling, she replied, “I don’t want you to apologize. I want you to kiss me again.” She stared up at his steely grey eyes, watching them come alive at her words.
