CHAOS (Beneath The Secrets Book 1)

Song- I Want It All, Cameron Grey

I know I shouldn’t tease him, but he’s impossible to resist.

There’s a tiny part of me that doesn’t want him to stop when I tell him to. Well, maybe a bigger portion.

The way he looks at me, like he’s seeing through me to my innermost thoughts, it’s unnerving and addictive.

I want to be seen, wanted, and even loved.

Can I have that with him? Or will he turn out to be like his brother?

Maeve changes everything I thought I knew. She’s a huge factor in every decision I make.

Why can’t I stop thinking about him? All day at work, I kept hoping he’d saunter in and take a seat.

He makes me feel beautiful when he watches me, as if I’m the only person to exist.

Driving home, my mind wanders to his tattoos and piercings. I wish he would make me feel like he did that night years ago.

Lost in his touch and the intensity of the moment.

I almost don’t notice him leaning against his motorcycle outside of my house.

No. My hair is a mess and I’ve been running all day. I don’t know if I’ll have the willpower to deny him again.

Why should I?

Maybe I should just give in.

Unless he’s not serious. And I’m just a game. The prize at the end of the chase.

I bet if I give in, he’ll get bored and move on.

It’s a chance I don’t want to take.

He looks up as I drive past. His eyebrows raise and fall when I don’t turn into my driveway.

I give him a small wave and a smile before hitting the gas. Taking the corner a little fast, my tires chirp across the pavement.

My heart pounds in my ears at the thrill of his expression.

“Joke’s on you, Jax.” I grin at the windshield as I speed past the houses.

There’s a park just ahead. If I hide the car behind the pavilion, he shouldn’t be able to see me.

When I turn off the engine, I hold my breath, listening for the rumble of his bike.

Hugging myself in excitement, I hear him drive by.

I did it! I feel like a master prankster… who has to pee.

If I go straight back home, he’s probably going to double back.

The public bathrooms aren’t far, just to the side of the big empty lot and nestled between some trees.

As I’m washing my hands, I catch my own reflection. My cheeks are flushed and my eyes are the brightest I’ve seen them in months.

I guess I just needed a sexy biker to chase me around.

When I push the door open, I freeze.

He’s leaning against my car.

Shit.

What do I do?

The tree line extends away. Maybe I’ll keep this game going a bit longer.

Darting toward the heavy pines, the needles crackle in the dry heat of the evening. Passing a boulder taller than me, it radiates the stored warmth of the afternoon sun as I run past.

“I know you’re close, tigritsa. I can hear you.” His heavy footsteps follow mine.

My pulse spikes as I push between two thick trunks and sprint towards a playground.

Fighting the giggle trying to escape my throat, I duck under a wooden bridge and hide behind a long, enclosed slide.

I try not to breathe too loudly so I can listen for him.

The soft rubber matting makes it impossible. All I can hear is the voice in my head screaming at me to lose and let him catch me.

A flicker of movement catches my eye. I can see his feet beneath the wooden beams as he walks away from me.

Slowly, I work my way around the slide to the open end and push myself inside.

My work sneakers grip the smooth plastic surprisingly well, and I shimmy up the dark tube to the small alcove at the top.

Where is he?

I thought for sure he was heading to the jungle gym.

Raising myself slowly, I peer over the short wall to see if I can spot him.

A hand lands on either side of me and his broad chest presses against my back.

“Thought you could run?” His warm breath bathes my sweaty neck as his lips brush my ear.

“Yes,” I stammer. I’m more winded now than when I was running.

It’s like I’m suffocating in his presence.

“Now that I’ve caught you, does that mean I get to eat you?” he growls, his body vibrating against mine.

The round ball of his tongue piercing drags across my collar, sending a shiver of electricity down my spine.

“Because I can still taste you after all this time.”

My fingers tighten into the wooden grip as I take a deep breath.

And throw myself back into the shadows of the slide.

I can’t stop the laughter that escapes as I fall away from him.

When my shoes hit the ground, I gather myself to run, but his powerful legs wrap around me from behind and we both tumble to the earth.

I get up before him and squeal as I run towards the shade of a pirate ship playhouse. The massive sails snap in the low breeze. They cover my gasp of surprise when I feel his hands surrounding my waist.

He picks me up, my feet dangling in the air, and sits me on a big concrete cannon so I straddle it.

Pushing his hips between my knees, his burning palm works to my throat and he tilts my face up to look at him.

“It seems I’ve found a pirate’s treasure.” His thumb traces my jaw as he stares at my lips.

Damn, I want him to kiss me.

A buzz interrupts us.

The hand on my neck stills as he pulls out his phone. His face darkens as he looks at the screen. “Fuck. I have to go.”

I cover his fingers with my palm. My pulse is so fast, I can feel it through his knuckle.

My teeth roll my lower lip between them. “Jax, I⁠—”

How do I tell him I don’t want him to go? That I like how much he wants me, but I worry it will change once he knows what I’m hiding.

“I like this game, sweetheart. Let’s see what happens when I catch you next time.” He flashes a mischievous grin before he takes off in a sprint.

A cool evening gust pushes my sweaty shirt against my skin, making me shiver.

“Just leave me here then, dickhead!” I call out after him.

What the hell just happened?

Doesn’t he know I was just about to give in?

Is there such a thing as a boxing emergency?

The more I think about it, the crankier I get as I stalk back to my car.

He left me panting and practically begging for more. Why did he just leave?

Maybe next time, I won’t let him catch me.