Chase just looked down at me and as my words sunk in, he seemed to relax a little.
Taking my hand, Chase trailed my soft skin as I held my hand clenched at my side. His fingers danced against my skin and I swear electricity flowed through my veins. “Look, you don’t have to be so defensive with me. I was just trying to help,” he said, calmly this time.
I stood with my mouth hanging open for far too long before I found the courage to speak again. I couldn’t let Chase affect me like he was. I had to gain control of the situation.
“I told you, I don’t need your help. I really don’t need help from a guy who can’t stand me,” I finished, as I defiantly crossed my arms and glared his way.
I decided enough was enough. Shoving my hands into his massive and rock-hard chest, I pushed Chase backward and away from me until I had enough room to move away from him. I started to walk back to the kitchen where I planned to take a short break and collect myself.
“For the record, I think you are beautiful. I am only watching you because I don’t want someone else to touch you and hurt you,” Chase said.
“Wait, what?” I asked, as I shook my head.
“Look, you need to learn some self-defense moves. Sure, here at the casino we have security to rush in and help if you get into trouble, but what happens when you are out alone?” he asked, clearly bypassing my confusion from his previous statement. “Plus, I shouldn’t be telling you this, but word around the casino is that Tennasyn, Rossi’s daughter, is working with her dad again. She is beautiful and lethal and would be able to sniff out a sweet girl like you in a heartbeat. I just want to protect you,” he added, a genuine concern on his face.
“I don’t have any money to pay for a class,” I said, as I hung my head.
“I will teach you,” Chase said, more as a command rather than a question.
“When?” I asked. I couldn’t stop myself from being a little bit intrigued by his claim.
“Tomorrow afternoon. Meet me in the gym. I used to fight so I know specific moves you could use to target an attacker,” Chase said, before he began to walk away.
He left me no chance of arguing or even telling him I was busy. I was pretty certain it didn’t matter what I had said, Chase was going to teach me self-defense rather I liked it or not.
My heart dropped all the way down to my stomach and my breath faltered as Chase spoke those words. By the time I turned around, he was gone.
What in the hell just happened?
CHAPTER 10
Chase
“For the record, I think you are beautiful. I am only watching you because I don’t want someone else to touch you and hurt you,”
What was I thinking? Watching Lizzie at work was pure torture. She was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen in my life and there was this powerful force inside me that made me want to grab her and take control of her just to make her mine. I had never felt such a pull toward anyone before in my life, but I couldn’t deny that it was there. It was like magic.
I hated how every guy in the room watched her. I hated that when she licked her lips, I knew that they were all imagining her lips on their cocks. It took everything in me to not punch every guy that walked into the casino. I wanted to scream and shout and tell them she was mine. But she isn’t.
Being around Lizzie made me feel like a wild animal who was on the prowl. This wasn’t right, but I had to get to know her. When she had agreed to go out with me, I swear I felt like I was dreaming.
When she said she was a virgin, I almost came in my pants. Somehow those words slipping past her sweet lips were the hottest things I had ever heard. I loved the fact that no other eyes had ever seen her body naked or that some guy's hands had never intimately touched her.
It was her pure honesty that drove me to share myself with her. I was falling hard for this girl.
****
“Are you sure about this?” my friend and coworker Jax, asked as he watched me get ready.
Giving him a glare, I dared Jax to ask another question. He was probably the only person in my life who could get away with asking me personal questions. We had been sparring partners when we first started fighting MMA. He was a hell of a fighter and continued to fight after I was hurt, but after a while, he grew tired of the fights and the crowds. He asked me to help him get a job, and he’s been my right-hand man ever since.
“It’s just a few drinks. No big deal,” I shrugged, as I tried to act like being around Lizzie didn’t rock my entire world.
“I don’t know man, I’ve never seen you look at a girl the way you do Lizzie. Sure, you have had some nice ass before, but there is something different about this girl,” Jax noted, as he started to read into my mind.
I hated how he could see through my own bullshit. He was right and that only pissed me off more.
“Lizzie isn’t just some piece of ass,” I bit back, clearly not able to control my anger when it came to this girl. “She is sweet and beautiful and there is just something about her…” I trailed off, as I realized what I was saying out loud.