Page 15 of Rescuing Sadie

“Overnight flight?” Sadie asked as she turned to pick up her purse from the kitchen table.

“Yeah, I’m a flight attendant. I used to work the international routes, but after the Egypt thing, I really wasn’t interested in that much anymore. So now I work the shorter domestic flights. I’m headed to Los Angeles tomorrow, will spend the night, then come back the next day.”

“Do you have those a lot?” Sadie asked.

Rayne shrugged. “Enough that Ghost gets grumpy when I’m gone too long. But honestly, I prefer the day trips because I’ve found that I don’t sleep well by myself anymore.” She smiled, apparently not at all shy about sharing. “There’s just something relaxing and calming about falling asleep in Ghost’s arms and waking up the same way.”

Chase held up his hands. “Gettin’ too close to too much information there, sis.”

“Whatever. TMI would actually be if I’d said that we both like to sleep naked so when I wake up horny, we don’t have to take the time to pull off our clothes. Ghost can just rip the covers off and—”

Rayne stopped speaking and laughed when Chase put both hands over his ears and began to hum so he couldn’t hear what she was saying.

Rayne turned to Sadie. “He’s so easy to tease.”

Sadie tried not to laugh, she really did, but Chase looked so miserable, she couldn’t help it. She’d seen Chase in action; he was one tough, scary guy. But at the moment, he looked like he wanted to throw up at the mere mention of his sister’s sex life.

“Not fair that you guys are ganging up on me,” he pouted after he’d lowered his hands. “Seriously, sis. Not cool. You know I don’t want to hear about your sex life.”

“Tough. It’s payback for all those times you made my life miserable when we were growing up.”

“Come on, let’s get this over with,” Chase said grumpily. “Too much sister time is bad for my health.”

Rayne merely laughed and hooked her arm with Chase’s. “You love me, you know it.”

“I do. But if you don’t stop torturing me by talking about your sex life, I’m going to have to do something drastic.”

“Like what?” she taunted.

They waited while Chase locked the apartment door and then they all headed down the stairs, Rayne in front, Chase following her, and Sadie bringing up the rear.

“Turnabout is fair play. You want to know about my sex life? What my favorite positions are, how I like to be touched, and how good my woman feels when I’m inside her?”

Sadie would’ve fallen down the stairs if Chase hadn’t been in front of her. Hearing him talk about sex so casually, to his sister no less, made her heart skip a beat.

Chase caught her easily, keeping her upright. His eyes met hers as he added, “How every time I look at her, I want to tear her clothes off and make her scream for me?”

Sadie held her breath. Oh my God. Was he talking to her or his sister?

“Ewwww,” Rayne said, continuing to move down the stairs, not even noticing that Chase had stopped. “Gross! Okay, you’re right. I have no desire to think about you without any clothes on. It was bad enough I saw everything you had when you were ten and I accidentally walked in on you in the bathroom. I’ll stop teasing you about me and Ghost. Ick!”

“Chase,” Sadie whispered. “We need to go.”

“I do, you know,” he said softly, ignoring her warning.

She tried to hold back the question, but couldn’t. “Do what?”

His eyes roamed from the top of her head down to her chest, then back up before his nostrils flared and he took a deep breath. “Never mind,” he muttered. Then leaned close, kissed her forehead before making sure she was steady on her feet again, and continued down the stairs.

Sadie stood stock-still for a heartbeat. She could feel the warmth of his lips on her forehead even though he was no longer touching her. She’d seen her uncle kiss her aunt like that countless times. It was an affectionate gesture. One that had always touched something deep inside her. That easy affection between them was somehow much more intimate than if they’d publically shared a tongue-curling, passionate kiss. It was something they did when they were around their kids, or Sadie, that showed how much they loved each other.

And Chase had just kissed her the same way.

She was so screwed.

Sadie knew, at that moment, that she wanted Chase. For as long as he’d have her. One night, two. It didn’t matter that they disagreed about stuff all the time. It didn’t matter that she was only supposed to be staying with him until Jonathan was caught. It didn’t matter that it would tear her heart out when she left to go home to Dallas. She’d take what she could get, soak it all in, and try to pick up the pieces of her heart when he let her go.

“Coming?” Rayne called up to Sadie as she stood on the steps, frozen, as if Chase’s lips had turned her to stone.