It Started with a Crush by Piper James

Chapter Eleven

Sage

Iwas a jumble of nerves by the time I got to Belle’s house. I’d decided to ask Chase about my idea to see each other in secret and changed my mind dozens of times throughout the week. Despite how much I wanted to see where it might go, I was scared.

Scared he’d say no.

Scared he’d say yes.

If we did this thing and someone found out… It could end in ruins. My reputation at the school would be shot. And the old biddies in town would have a field day with the juicy gossip.

But if we didn’t, if I kept my mouth closed and tried to be friends with Chase Perry, I’d never feel his mouth on mine again. And that would be a fucking tragedy.

Because the one constant this week was my opinion that our kiss had been hotter than hell, and I wanted it again. I wanted to see his face light up when he saw me. I wanted to hear his laughter ringing in my ears. I wanted to feel his hands on my body.

And shit, I was getting myself all worked up, and now I had to go inside and face everyone and pretend nothing was going on.

Slamming the car door behind me, I walked slowly toward the front door. The Perry’s truck was already here, but I didn’t see Ember’s pickup or Dakota’s car. I briefly debated going back and waiting until the girls got here, but before I could decide, the door flew open and a small body hurdled through the opening.

“Miss Barlow!” Daniel shouted, flying forward to tackle me in a big hug.

A laugh exploded from me at the impact, but I managed to keep my balance and not tumble backward. Daniel released me and backed up several steps, his round little face pink as he spoke.

“Sorry. I was just excited to see you outside of school.”

“That’s okay, buddy,” I said, ruffling his hair. “I’m happy to see you, too.”

His blush faded as a gap-toothed smile lit up his whole expression. I returned his grin, but before I could say anything else, movement on the porch caught my eye. I looked up to see Chase leaning against the balustrade, his elbows propped on the wooden beams as he smiled down at us.

That smile. Fuck. I’m definitely going through with my plan. Tonight.

“Hi,” he said to me as Daniel charged past him into the house. “It’s good to see you.”

“You, too,” I said. “I’m sorry I never texted you back. I just had a lot to think about.”

“It’s okay,” he said, shrugging lightly.

“Hey, you two. Get in here so Sage can say hello to my brothers,” Belle’s voice called out from inside.

“Max and Marshall are here?” I asked as Chase held out an arm for me to precede him.

“Yeah. Apparently, Ryder invited them as a surprise for Belle. She had no idea.”

“That’s amazing,” I said, feeling my heart expand.

I was so happy for Belle, finding a love like the one she had with Ryder. That man would do—and had done—anything just to make her happy.

“Sage,” Marshall said when his gaze landed on me. “So good to see you. Come meet my wife and son.”

Marshall gave me a big hug before introducing me to his new wife, Felicia, and their son, M.J. He was the most beautiful toddler I’d ever seen, with his mom’s dark hair and his dad’s blue eyes. He was screeching happily as Thanos licked his face in short, quick strokes.

“Hey, Sage,” Max said, giving me a side-armed hug. “This is Karly.”

“So nice to meet you,” the redhead exclaimed, going in for a hug of her own.

Karly Parker was exuberance personified, with a quirky sense of humor that put me right at ease and had me laughing within minutes. She handed me a margarita and pulled me to the side, speaking in conspiratorial tones like we were old friends.

“So, what’s the deal with you and Chase?” she asked, arching one red eyebrow at me.

“His son is in my class. I’m a teacher at the elementary school,” I hedged, my heartrate spiking.

If I couldn’t hide my feelings from a literal stranger, how was I going to keep it from people I saw every day, who’d known me my whole life? This was bad.

“Huh,” she said, tilting her head. “I thought I sensed something between you. Pity. He’s hot as fuck.”

“Who’s hot as fuck?” Max asked, moving in and wrapping his arms around her from behind.

“Chase,” she said honestly, nodding her head in that one’s direction.

She squealed as he spun her around, his mouth landing on hers with too much passion for a family gathering. I watched with wide eyes as she melted against him, taking everything he gave as her hands fisted into his shirt.

“Who?” he asked, pulling back slightly.

“Who what?” she asked, her voice dazed.

“Good answer,” he said, smacking her on the ass before wandering off with a grin on his face.

I watched him go, my head shaking involuntarily. I’d known Max Parker most of my life, and I’d never seen him so…relaxed. He had always been kind of uptight, but I guess love affected people in different ways. It looked good on him.

Ember and Dakota walked through the door together, and the introductions started all over again. I found myself staring at Chase as he talked to Noah, and as if he sensed it, his eyes darted over to meet mine. I swallowed thickly, forcing myself to hold the eye contact and not look away. His amber gaze burned me up, the intensity of it making me hot all over.

I was going to do it, regardless of the risk. Karly was right. There was something between us, and I intended to find out exactly what it was. And exactly what it could be.

* * *

Dinner was fun.With good food, lots of laughter, and several ridiculous toasts in Ryder and Belle’s honor, everyone was having a great time.

I caught myself watching Chase, a lot, as he interacted with Daniel. He was so good with him, always patient and positive. Daniel was learning to use a knife to cut his steak into small pieces, and Chase praised him on his effort even as he obliterated the poor hunk of meat.

I pulled my eyes away from him to catch Belle’s gaze on me, a knowing smirk on her face. I shook my head slightly with a frown, and she chuckled and turned to speak with Marshall’s wife, Felicia.

Fuck. I hadn’t even nailed things down with Chase yet, and already I was fucking up. Of course, Belle already knew my plans. As I let my eyes wander over the rest of the group, it was clear no one else had noticed.

Ryder and Noah were having a good-natured debate over the ranch renovations as Marshall listened raptly, Ember was gabbing with Karly, and Ethan and Max were having a quiet conversation. Dakota seemed off, and I made a mental note to ask her about it later.

“Time for bed,” Chase called out, and my heart stuttered.

Daniel groaned, and I realized he’d been talking to his son. Not me. Of course, not me.

“Can Miss Barlow tuck me in?” Daniel asked, giving me the biggest pair of puppy dog eyes I’d ever seen.

“Sure, buddy. I can do that,” I said, standing.

“Get some sleep, bud. We have to be up and at ‘em early to catch the biggest fish,” Belle said, shooting him a wink.

As Daniel said good night to the others, I moved away from the table to wait for him near the hallway. Chase stood and walked over, stopping next to me.

“Thanks,” he said. “I didn’t know he was going to do that.”

“It’s fine,” I said. “I’m more than happy to help.”

His smile took my breath away, and my body leaned toward him of its own volition. His smile fell as his muscles tightened, and a fire banked in his eyes, but the moment shattered as Daniel slammed into our legs, wrapping an arm around each of us.

“I’m ready,” he said, grinning.

“Grab your pj’s and brush your teeth,” Chase said, and I could hear a slight catch in his voice.

“Okay, Dad,” Daniel said, then rushed past us into the hallway.

“Sage,” Chase breathed, but I shook my head.

“Not yet. After,” I said, sucking in a shaky breath as I headed for the guest room I’d seen Daniel rush into.

Once we had Daniel all ready for bed and tucked in for the night, Chase gently pulled the door closed behind us. I walked across the hall and into one of the other spare rooms, flicking on the light as I went. Chase followed me inside, closing the door behind him. He leaned back against it, his eyes burning into me as he waited for me to speak.

“I don’t want to be friends,” I blurted, then shook my head at his stricken expression. “I mean, yes, of course, we’re friends. But I don’t want to be just friends.”

“What do you want?” he asked, his voice somehow deeper than usual.

“More,” I breathed. “But Chase, if we do this, no one can know.”

“What do you mean?” he asked, the sexual tension between us evaporating.

I swallowed against the lump that popped up in my throat and took a deep breath. “I know it’s a lot to ask, but all of my fears about dating a student’s parent remain. I feel…something when I’m near you. Something I want to explore further, but I can’t risk my job. So, I’m proposing we explore it together while keeping it under wraps. At least, until the school year is over.”

“You want me to be your dirty little secret?” he asked, one eyebrow arching high up his forehead.

“I wouldn’t put it like that,” I said, trying to ignore how the way he said the word “dirty” affected me, “but…yes.”

He pushed himself away from the door, moving slowly like a lion stalking a gazelle. “So we’ll sneak around like a couple of star-crossed lovers, hiding our relationship from everyone?”

I nodded, holding my ground despite my instinctive desire to move backwards. “All except Belle. She knows me too well and already figured it out.”

“So, Ryder probably knows,” he said, nodding as if it were a fact.

I shrugged. “I’m not sure.”

He stopped directly in front of me, his hand slowly rising to tuck a lock of my hair behind my ear. A shiver coursed through me, and one corner of Chase’s mouth turned up.

“Keeping it secret could be fun,” he said, tucking his chin to stare up at me from beneath his thick eyelashes. “Exciting, even.”

“I know it’s a lot to ask,” I repeated. “But…I…want…”

“I do, too,” he said huskily when my words trailed off. “I’m in. Let’s give it a shot.”

“Really?” I asked, surprised he’d agreed so easily.

“Really,” he said as he pressed his forehead against mine while holding my gaze hostage. “Should we seal it with a kiss?”

My head had barely began to nod when his mouth landed on mine. This kiss was different from the first. Hot and needy from the onset, his tongue pushed between my lips as his hands landed on my hips, jerking me closer.

I ran my hands up his chest, over his shoulders, and into his hair, which felt like silk between my fingers. I kissed him with wild abandon, groaning when his hands slid from my hips to my ass, kneading it firmly.

A boom of laughter echoed from the other room, and we split apart like two teenagers caught making out on the couch by an angry parent. My chest heaved as I fought for breath, and Chase looked to be having the same problem. I smoothed my hands over my shirt as Chase ran his fingers through his hair.

“It’s a deal, then?” I asked, my lips curving up into a smile.

“It’s a deal,” he confirmed, nodding.

“We should get back before someone notices how long we’ve been gone,” I said.

“You go ahead,” he said. “I’ll hang back a couple of minutes, and if anyone asks, tell them Daniel needed a cup of water or something.”

I nodded in agreement and tried to move past him. His hand snaked out, pulling me back for a quick, firm kiss on the lips before he released me. I let out a trembling breath, shook out my shoulders, and plastered a serene smile on my face before heading back out to the party.

“Time to test my acting chops,” I murmured, trying to bolster myself.

I could do this. We could do this. And after that kiss, I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that it would be worth it.