At some point during the drive back to his place, the mood shifted from playful to solemn. I could tell something was weighing on Chase's mind, but it wasn't clear whether it was related to hockey or something else. Whatever it was, maybe it would explain his multiple altercations in the game earlier tonight. I was tempted to ask but I knew when he was reticent like this, prying wouldn't get me anywhere.

After a few minutes of silence, Chase spoke up. "Have you talked to Derek lately?" He signaled, pulling onto the main street of his neighborhood. The veins in his forearms bulged as his hold on the steering wheel tightened. Suddenly, he seemed tense, and now I was too. We rarely discussed my brother, for obvious reasons.

"About what?"

"I met with him the other day."

Alarm bells sounded in my head. When Chase was vague with details and slow to get to the point, it was a fishing expedition to determine what I already knew. Which in this case was nothing, as I was taken completely by surprise by this revelation.

Though, Derek was acting strangely when we last spoke.

"Why did you do that?"

Chase parallel parked against the curb and shifted the truck's ignition into park, killing the engine. He unbuckled his seatbelt, turning his body to face me. His expression was neutral to the point of being unreadable. If I had to guess, I might have said he looked nervous, but since he rarely was, it was hard to say for certain.

A wave of uneasiness washed over me. Please tell me they didn't have some kind of argument about me or Luke.

Chase cleared his throat, shifting in his seat. His brows knit together and I could tell he was weighing his words carefully.

"I may have lent him some money."

"You what?!" I stared at him, unblinking. It wasn't what I was expecting him to say. "Why am I only hearing about this now?"

Everything came together. This explained Derek's evasive behavior over the phone. He told me Christmas was back on at our parents' and said things were less dire financially, but he'd been unable to explain why. After several dodged attempts to get answers out of him, I'd given up. Derek was a terrible liar, but when he stonewalled me, he was impossible to crack.

"I asked Derek not to tell you. If you think about it, it's progress, because we were able to get along. Right?" Chase raised his dark eyebrows, giving me an innocent look, but it was the kind where he clearly knew he'd done something wrong. He was still in a charcoal gray suit from his game earlier, with his tie removed and the top buttons of his white dress shirt unbuttoned. It was hard as hell to get mad at him when he looked like this. And he knew it.

"Don't change the subject."

Then again, he did have a small point. The fact that Derek and Chase agreed to meet, engaged in a discussion that must have been at least civil, and came to some kind of agreement was oddly encouraging—even if I wasn't sure how I felt about the money part.

I frowned, twisting my leather purse strap in my hands. "Is that why...Christmas? Because last night, I found out Christmas was back on at my parents' place. I've been racking my brain, trying to figure out how that was suddenly possible from a financial perspective. You're telling me that was you."

"Possibly?" Chase gave me a sheepish look that cut through my defenses like a hot knife through butter. He was great at evoking a specific combination of emotions in me—frustration mixed with amusement and affection. Lucky for him, it usually led to hot sex. If I wasn't careful, he was going to seduce his way out of answering my questions and skip straight to the sex part.

"Was it?" I repeated, trying to stay firm. It was fortunate we were in the vehicle and not yet inside; if this conversation was happening in his bedroom, it would be taking a dramatically different trajectory.

"Technically, I offered your brother money in the form of a long-term loan. What he did with it after that, I can't say."

I nodded but said nothing. My mind was trying to process the situation, but I was going in circles without any resolution as to how I felt.

"James." Chase nudged me. "You mad?"

I turned to look at him. "I don't know?"

Mad wasn't the right word. Exasperated, maybe. There was a war of other emotions raging in my mind in addition to that. The whole situation made me feel vulnerable, somehow, which was why I had hesitated to tell him in the first place.

Everything else aside, I forgave Luke for doing so much worse—repeatedly. Thoughtless things, hurtful things, horrible things. It had my sense of right and wrong all kinds of skewed. I didn't know what was and wasn't worth getting upset over. Especially something with good intentions behind it from someone who'd been nothing but good to me.

"I feel really torn here. On the one hand, I see what you were trying to do. On the other, I can't believe you did that." The last words were harsh, but my tone wasn't. Raking a hand through my hair, I nervously combed through the tangles at the ends. I was overdue for a haircut I couldn't afford, which was ironic given the topic at hand.

"For what it's worth, I'm sorry for going behind your back." Reaching across the center console, Chase took my hand in his. His skin was warm and rough, large hand enveloping mine. He gently stroked my palm with his thumb, moving back and forth.

"I appreciate the apology." My shoulders relaxed as the combination of his words and bodily contact eased some of the tension I'd been holding. "How much did you give Derek, exactly?"

"Five grand."

My breath snagged. As in, five with three zeroes after it?

"Carter." I grimaced. "That's a lot of money." At least, it was in my world. I could live off that amount for a long, long time. I lived on significantly less than that, in fact.

"I've spent money on worse things."

I widened my eyes. "Five thousand dollars' worth?"

"Well, no," he admitted. "I know I joke about being an idiot, but I'm responsible when it comes to finances. I'm not going to be one of those athletes who blows through their paychecks and ends up broke. My dad drilled being frugal into my head before I even learned how to count."

"This isn't what I would call being frugal."

But the mention of his father made it that much harder to lean into being angry with him. He always seemed so vulnerable whenever the subject came up. And it so rarely ever did that I didn't want to risk him shutting down on me emotionally.

"Do you want to get into the money thing?" He asked, tone gentle. "Because we can. I'm fine with it, but I don't want to make you uncomfortable."

Make me uncomfortable? I was already there. Chewing my bottom lip, I glanced out the window at his house. The lights were off and it didn't look like anyone was home. A chill had started to seep into the truck interior now that the engine was shut off. I wasn't sure why we were still parked outside instead of going in, but it was difficult to pause the conversation now that we'd started.

"I don't need specifics," I said, glancing back over at him. "I'm just a little confused."

"Let's just say I have enough for you not to worry about this. Promise."

I shook my head. "Five thousand dollars is a lot of money, no matter how you slice it."

Chase uttered a cross between a sigh and a frustrated growl, slumping back in his seat. "I have no way to counter that without getting into specifics."

I didn't want to look like I was asking for his bank account balance, because I definitely wasn't, so I changed the subject.

"Why didn't you ask me if you could help?"

"You would have said no." Defensiveness struck me and I opened my mouth to protest. He gave me a look, cutting me off with his end-of-discussion voice. "Tell me it isn't true."

It was true. One hundred percent true. That's why he went ahead and did it anyway.

I pinched the bridge of my nose. "You truly are the most stubborn person I know. You literally just do whatever you want, don't you?"

"Kind of, yeah. Been doing it for nearly a decade." He broke apart from my gaze, looking down at our hands entwined on the black leather console between us. His brow furrowed and I could tell that what followed was difficult for him to say. "After my dad died, my mom checked out mentally. I was forging signatures on school permission slips and completing my own hockey registration online by the time I was twelve. I've been calling the shots for almost as long as I can remember."

My stomach pitched. More vulnerability, more difficulty staying angry with him. And honestly, this explained a lot about why he was the way he was sometimes. I knew, deep in my heart, that he did it because he cared and thought it was the right thing. It was the calling the shots without me part that was the issue.

"We have to be a team. You know, make big decisions together."

"I know." Chase tugged my hand and pulled me closer to him. "I guess some habits are hard to break. I'll try to do better."

"Okay." I nodded. "That's fair."

He tipped my chin up and his deep brown eyes held mine, so full of affection that it nearly made my heart burst. "I love you."

"I love you, too."

He leaned over the console, brushing his lips against mine for a heartbeat. Just long enough to make me melt, but brief enough to leave me wanting more. It had the intended effect of making me that much less angry and that much more distracted. A shiver ran down my body and I wasn't sure if it was from the chill or his kiss. Probably both—the temperature within the truck had dropped into unbearable territory and my teeth were nearly chattering. Since Chase ran at a million degrees all the time, he hadn't noticed, but I was turning into an icicle.

"I'm freezing," I said. "Let's go inside house and finish talking there."

Or not talking, as I suspected the case would soon be.

Once we were safely inside with the luxury of insulation and central heating, I turned and started to head down the hallway. Chase grabbed me by the hips, pulling me against him, and walked me a few steps backward so I was up against the wall in the front entry. His lips tugged into a grin that was impossible to resist.

"You know..." He dipped his head, planting soft kisses along the base of my throat. One hand slid down my backside, gripping me. A rush of heat ran through my body from head to toe, eliminating any remaining trace of chill immediately. "I could make it up to you."

"Oh? How's that?"

His lips traveled up the curve of my neck, hovering over the shell of my ear. "We should go upstairs first, because I don't know when the roommates will be home. And it requires getting you naked."

Shrugging off my suit jacket, I tossed it onto the desk chair as I slowly walked Bailey over to the bed, eyes locked onto hers. Having her on top of me in the truck was a tease in the best possible way, but now I wanted the real thing.

The edge of the bed hit the back of her legs and we came to a stop, still standing.

Bailey gave me a playful look, batting her eyes at me. "So, what did you have in mind?"

"I don't know, how mad are you?"

"Oh, pretty mad." She tried to look angry, but her mouth tugged at the corners.

"Guess I have my work cut out for me, then." By the time I was finished with her, she wouldn't remember what we'd talked about in the truck. I leaned in to kiss her again but halted as she froze in response, her smile fading.

"What about your—" she bit her bottom lip, cool fingers gingerly tracing from my forehead to my jaw. "Your face. Does it hurt? I don't want to hurt you."

I shook my head. "Nah. I'm about to be so distracted I won't remember they're even there." I wasn't acting tough, either; it was the truth. I'd already long since forgotten about both injuries. And the game. And anything else, for that matter.

Right now, I was focused on one thing and one thing only.

Bailey unbuttoned my dress shirt, moving on to unfasten my belt and pants. My fingers landed on the hem of her soft black sweater, tugging it up and over her head. Her lacy black bra showcased her small breasts perfectly, and I had a hunch that she was wearing skimpy underwear that matched. In a blur, we were both half-undressed and I was fully fucking hard, ready to bend her over the bed, but I had plans for her before things went any further. I undid the button to her jeans, kneeling down to peel them off her body and tossing her pants and socks aside. I was right—she was wearing nothing but a tiny scrap of black lace that sat on her hips. So hot. Sometimes, I still wasn't sure how I got so lucky.

"I love undressing you," I murmured, still kneeling in front of her. "It's like unwrapping a present."

Slowly, I kissed my way back up the soft skin between her legs. Nudging her legs a little wider, my hands gripped her inner thighs, holding them apart for access. She let out a soft, throaty sigh as my lips found the juncture of her inner thigh, circling the outer perimeter. Tension coiled in her body and her breath grew shallow. I knew she was waiting for me to move on to her most sensitive spot, but I was taking my time. Teasing her was half the fun.

"These are very, very sexy." I ran a finger along the inner hem of her lace underwear. My mouth landed on her center over top of the thin material and she let out soft gasp. Her hands sank into my hair, tugging and pulling me closer.

"I wore them for you," Bailey said, voice strained.

"In that case, we can keep them on for now." I tugged them aside, closing my mouth over her clit and sucking gently. She moaned, throwing her head back as my tongue laved against her, savoring ever minute. Being between her legs was one of my favorite things in the world.

"Chase..." My name was a shaky breath across her lips. "I don't think I can stay standing if you're doing that."

I grabbed her hips and pulled her down to sit the edge of the bed, legs spread wide. She leaned back on her elbows and I placed a hand on her stomach, pushing her to lie on her back. Then I yanked her closer to me, draping her legs over my shoulders and working her mercilessly with my mouth.

Bailey cried out, one hand fisting the comforter and nearly pulling it nearly off the bed. I slid a finger inside her soaking wet heat, followed by another. Her hips started to move in rhythm with my strokes. Hips tilting, one hand pushed me up against her while the other still clenched the blankets. She clenched around my fingers as she began to near the peak.

I pulled back and looked up at her, pressing a thumb where my tongue just was and working in small circles. "You want to come?"

"Yes." She whimpered, cheeks flushed pink and eyes glassy.

"Say please."

"Please."

Her body jolted as my mouth found her clit again, devouring her. With another few strokes of my tongue, her back arched, legs shaking uncontrollably. She cried out again, pleading for me not to stop, coming apart in my mouth. Her hips swayed against me over and over again. Eventually, she slowed and stopped moving against me. I eased off her, pulling away and giving her a break before she got too sensitive.

Leaning on one elbow beside her, I studied her face. "Still mad?"

Her skin was dewy, expression dazed, and hair a tangled mess. She always looked so fucking hot after an orgasm.

She laughed. "No, but I feel a little weird about how noisy I was just now."

"Baby, that was so fucking hot that I'll think back on it daily."

"But what about you?" Her fingers slid down my body, beneath my waistband, hand wrapping around me. Pleasure shot through my body in response to her touch.

"Well, I want to bend you over this bed and make you come again."

Bailey gave me a wicked smile and pushed me onto my back. Her breasts brushed my skin as she planted a trail of kisses down my chest, down my abs, working lower as I helped her tug off my black boxer briefs.

"But I'm liking the idea of a detour along the way, if that's what you're suggesting."

She gripped me with one hand and took me into her mouth, tongue sliding over the tip in a way that felt agonizingly pleasurable.

"Fuck." I sucked in a sharp breath, gently threading my hand in her long hair. "Your mouth feels so fucking good."

She hummed a low laugh, mouth vibrating against me. After another minute or two of watching her, I was dangerously close to losing it.

"Baby." I squeezed her shoulder. "You're going to have to stop if you want me to make good on the rest."

Bailey looked up with a cute little smirk. "Okay." She crawled up to the head of the bed beside me.

"Let me get a condom." Hands nearly shaking with desire, I grabbed one and tore it open, unrolling it quickly. I yanked down her underwear and came to hover over her again, our mouths crashing together. I had planned to fuck her from behind but suddenly, I wanted to be able to see her face.

I slid a hand up the side of her throat, pulling back from our kiss. "Look at me."

Bailey opened her eyes, blinking as I came into focus. Her gaze stayed locked on mine and she drew in a breath as I pushed inside of her. I started to thrust, and she let out a throaty moan; the sound was feminine and vulnerable, somehow it almost undid me.

I stilled, hovering over her. Suddenly, there was a lot going on in my head.

"What's wrong?" She whispered.

Nothing was wrong. Everything was right. Everything.

"I just love you." I dipped my head, biting her neck gently. "And I love fucking you."