Chapter 13: Just a Dream

CHASE

My eyes shot open. My skin was warm and damp, and my member throbbed painfully beneath the sheets.

I propped myself up, letting the sheets pool around me while I rubbed my hand across my face.

I turned to my side to see the bed was empty. The sky showed faint streaks of orange and red, signaling the rising sun.

A dream.

~A fucking dream.~

What was wrong with me?!

I hardly knew the woman, had barely kissed her, and yet here I was, dreaming about her…

I tore the sheets from around me, walking toward the bathroom with frustration in my steps. I still had an hour until I had to get up for work, but there was no way I was getting back to sleep now.

I turned on a cold shower. It was something I did every morning, only this time, I was extremely aroused and sexually unfulfilled.

I stepped inside, but the frigid water did little to suppress the urge to relieve this growing itch of frustration.

Without thinking, one hand pressed against the wall to keep me steady as the other wrapped around my cock and squeezed. I twitched at the tenderness. I couldn’t remember the last time I felt so…sensitive. But that also meant I wouldn’t last long.

Water smoothed the way as my hand slid along my length, building that feeling of eventual release.

I was so close, just needing that little extra nudge until I unraveled.

My eyes instinctively clamped shut as flashes from my dream immediately invaded my mind, giving me the final shove I needed to send me over the edge.

A vision of green eyes captured my focus just in time as my balls tensed, and I released my seed over the tiled wall.

I groaned, uncaring of my volume, as I climaxed.

The ringing in my ears and a momentary feeling of faintness made me stumble into the corner of the shower for support.

It took me a moment to gain my bearings, my cock still pulsing from coming so hard.

I found myself at an impasse with my feelings.

One moment, I felt guilty for thinking of Kiana in that way, given that she clearly wasn’t interested. Yet another part of me recognized it as a harmless fantasy that could potentially prevent me from acting on the dream I had just experienced and making a fool of myself.

A dream I had a feeling wouldn’t be the last to find me in my sleep.

If that was the case, I was well and truly ~fucked~.

KIANA

I reclined on the bed, feeling refreshed and rejuvenated, like I had just woken up from a refreshing twelve-hour nap. I rolled over, reaching out for my bedside table, but my hand met more mattress instead.

I sat up abruptly.

~This isn’t my bed.~

The air was infused with a spicy aroma laced with a hint of wood. It enveloped me, too. It smelled like…

~Chase.~

A sudden wave of anxiety struck me as I realized I was staying here for the weekend. I hadn’t stayed at another person’s house in years—not to mention alone with someone I’d found myself wanting to kiss on more than one occasion.

I spotted my phone on the dresser. Glancing at the time, I bolted from the room. I was already late for my lecture!

Panic subsided as I remembered agreeing to attend classes online today.

As my heartbeat slowed, I realized I couldn’t stay in Chase’s shirt all day, so I began searching for something else to wear. I didn’t have enough time to go home and grab clothes from my place, so I rummaged through the closet in the guest bedroom.

I’d hoped his cousin or an ex had left something behind that I could wear, but the closet was empty.

I remembered Chase saying I could go into his room if I needed anything. I felt bad for invading his privacy, but he did offer, and I needed something more appropriate to wear.

I entered his room quietly, knowing he had already left for the day, yet still nervous that I’d somehow find him there.

I ventured into his huge closet. His clothes were meticulously arranged like he had either an abundance of time or a keen obsession with order.

Not a bad trait to have.

~How many suits does one man need?~ I wondered as I dug through his ridiculously large closet.

I found a pair of gym shorts that were too big for me, but they would have to make do—they were the smallest thing I could find. I put them on under the shirt, then went back out into the hall to hunt for his office so I could catch up on my lectures.

I found his office on the second attempt. A laptop sat open in the center of his desk, ready to use.

The thought of snooping through his desk crossed my mind. However, logic had me deciding against it. He’d been such a gentleman thus far. It wouldn’t be right to repay his kindness by rummaging through his personal things.

Instead, I logged onto my account, settled into the chair, found a notepad and pen, and started the recorded lecture.

CHASE

“How’d it go last night?” Lucas asked, lounging on the sofa in my office.

“Uneventful,” I replied.

“I doubt that. I only wish I could have seen Joanna’s reaction to your new date,” he said with a chuckle.

“Crystal intervened.” I couldn’t help but smile, only imagining what she could have said to her.

My cousin may look like a model saint, yet when necessary, she had a mouth that could silence even the most fearsome men.

“I bet that went swell,” Lucas said sarcastically.

My personal phone started to ring, interrupting our conversation.

I glanced at the caller ID and sighed.

“Hi, Dad,” I answered.

“It’s about time you picked up,” he scolded.

“I’ve been busy,” I replied curtly, sensing that this call had a hidden agenda behind it.

“I can tell. David Clark rang me up. He mentioned you and Joanna aren’t an item anymore. He wanted to know why, but I told him the truth: that my son doesn’t tell me anything anymore.”

My fingers rubbed my temple harshly at his rather noticeable dig. “My bad,” I responded dryly.

Just hearing Joanna’s name made me cringe. She must have complained to her father. Although that wasn’t surprising. She always expected Daddy to solve her problems with a flick of his wallet.

“I wish you’d given me a heads-up. That guy’s a real piece of work,” he grumbled.

“I’ve been swamped, Dad. Must’ve slipped my mind,” I replied.

“Obviously. Just like everything else going on in your life,” he retorted, his voice laden with sarcasm.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” I sat higher in my chair.

“David also mentioned you’ve got a new lady in your life,” my dad said, his interest clearly piqued.

I sighed in frustration, wishing my parents hadn’t found out, especially not like this. I knew what they would expect now.

“Bring her home next weekend. Your mother will be thrilled to meet her,” he concluded.

I needed to come up with an excuse—and fast.

“We’re still in the early stages, Dad. Plus, I’ve got a mountain of work to tackle.”

“The business won’t collapse if you take a weekend off, Chase. It took me some time to understand that. And by then, the most crucial years of my life had already passed me by in the blink of an eye,” he responded, his tone firm, although laced with a hint of regret.

There was no arguing with my dad. He was as stubborn as me—maybe even more so.

“You were serious enough to take her to a charity event, Chase. You obviously wanted her to be seen with you. Also, I want to ensure she’s nothing like Joanna,” he insisted. “That gold-digging brat,” he muttered under his breath.

I had to maintain the charade. My parents couldn’t know the truth. I rubbed my temples a bit too roughly. I didn’t have a choice. “All right, Dad. See you next weekend.”

Great. How was I going to break this news to Kiana? I ended the call and buried my face in my hands.

“Shit,” I muttered.

I could hear Lucas cackling in the background. He found this whole situation hilarious.

I shot him a glare.

“What? Can’t blame me for finding this amusing. You’ve barely been ‘dating’ for a week, and you’re already introducing her to the parents.” He continued to laugh.

He was right. This was a different kind of challenge. My parents would see right through her if she didn’t play her part well.

I wrapped up work early and headed home. I arrived just before five to a quiet house.

I was heading toward the bedroom when I heard a muffled noise from my office.

When I opened the door, I found Kiana sitting at my desk. She was comfortably dressed in my shirt and gym shorts, which hung loosely around her hips.

I observed her in silence as she concentrated on the laptop, engrossed in every detail. Her brows knitted together as she absentmindedly chewed on the end of the pen, completely oblivious to my presence.

She looked adorable, and seeing her in my clothes stirred something within me. I felt my cock twitch as I struggled to look away.

A groan nearly escaped me. I found myself enjoying the sight a bit too much. Watching her sitting cross-legged in my chair only opened the floodgates to more scenarios similar to the dream I’d had last night.

A vivid image of her flashed in my mind, an image I ~shouldn’t~ have entertained.

I shook my head, mentally chastising myself. ~I shouldn’t be thinking like this!~

I couldn’t stand it any longer, so I cleared my throat loudly enough to capture her attention. She paused the recording and glanced at me shyly, as though she had been caught doing something she ought not to have.

~Damn those innocent doe eyes.~

“Have you eaten?” I inquired, attempting to break the quiet.

Her eyes flickered to the corner of the room for the briefest of moments as though trying to remember. She stammered, “Y-yes.”

That was the worst lie I’d ever heard. I don’t think she even ~attempted~ to conceal it.

I walked over to the laptop and closed it. She leaned back in the chair, regarding me with a puzzled expression.

“That’s not going anywhere,” I said, pointing to the laptop. “Come on, I’ll whip us up something to eat.”

KIANA

I was about to argue with him. I needed to finish my lesson. However, my hunger got the better of me. I hadn’t realized how long I’d been working until I glanced at the wall clock.

I perched on the kitchen island while Chase cooked.

The aroma was heavenly. I watched in admiration as his back muscles flexed while he stirred the pot or added ingredients to the pan. He looked like he knew his way around the kitchen—another trait I hadn’t expected to discover.

If this was what my weekends were going to consist of, who was I to complain?

I offered to help, but he quickly declined. So, I sat and observed, patiently waiting for my meal. Oddly enough, I didn’t feel awkward at all.

He wrapped up his cooking and set the plate before me. He took a seat next to me, diving into his own meal.

I’d never had a man cook for me before. And the fact that it tasted amazing was a bonus.

~Is there anything he can’t do?~ I wondered.

“I can’t believe you spent the whole day here without eating. Don’t do that again,” he admonished.

“Okay,” I agreed, feeling sheepish.

“You’ll need to be ready to take a trip next weekend,” he mentioned casually.

“Why?” I questioned.

“We’re visiting my parents.”

~Wait, what!~