Can't Take the Heat
Can't Take the Heat
Chapter 7
Chapter Wordcount: 1007
“Rayce,” he said quietly.
She still refused to answer.
He sighed, watching her and took a blind leap.
“You think you’re the only one who’s thought about it?”
She opened her eyes; her brow furrowed and slowly sat up and turned to look at him.
“What?”
“Us. You think you’re the only one that’s wondered what it would be like?”
She stared. What the hell was she supposed to say now?
“Chase,” she forced.
“Shut it. You’re my best friend, you know how much I care about you, you think you’re the only one who’s entertained the thought of the two of us together? I mean hell, Rayce, we’ve got everything else a relationship could possibly have besides the…intimate…part,” he said waving his hand. “You can’t honestly tell me that it doesn’t feel right when we’re curled up on the couch watching a movie, or sleeping in on the weekend in bed. I…” he paused, scarcely believing he was actually going to say it. “I love you…I think maybe I always have. Hell Rayce, you were the only person I gave a rat’s ass about back at Manticore, but lord knows I didn’t even know what love was back then.”
The silence was grating on her nerves like a pumice stone. She frantically tried to come up with something to say, anything to break the awkwardness.
“Oh my god,” she whispered.
Oh yea, that made it better.
Alec smiled. “Rayce…”
“You don’t mean that, you’re…my friend…the heat, it’s just the heat, messing with your…cat…genes.”
“You really think it’s the heat?”
She was scared to admit that she didn’t think it was.
Scared to admit she didn’t want it to be.
“When they paired us up as breeding partners, I’m not gonna lie, I was, I dunno, happy, I guess. You know damn well I would never have forced you, but if you had been willing, well, I would have. Hell, I mighta made a move before now if you had ever given me some sort of sign.”
She stared at him in disbelief. He waited patiently for a response but could see he had shocked her speechless, he almost laughed.
Emotions and thoughts were swirling in her head threatening to consume her mind in an apocalyptic tidal wave, not to mention the stupid side effects of the heat that was still screaming at her to jump him.
“Chase…”
“Don’t talk yourself out of it, I know you’re in heat right now and a little, confused, but give me one good reason why we wouldn’t work.”
“You’re my friend.”
She knew how lame it sounded the moment she said it.
“I think that’s more of a pro than a con,” he shrugged.
“Are you serious?” she barely whispered, after several uncomfortable minutes of silence.
Good thing he was transgenic, with enhanced hearing, or else he never would have been able to hear her.
“Yea, I am.”
She continued to stare.
“Rayce,” he sighed, “Tell me you don’t care, tell me you don’t want this and Ill leave right now.”
She couldn’t tell him that. Even without the heat-induced haze, because he was right. She had always wondered. Wondered what it would be like to be held in those arms as more than just a friend, wondered what it would be like to let herself love him completely, wondered what it would be like if he loved her back and yes, even wondered what it would be like to be able to run to him when she was in heat.
He scooted closer to her ever so slowly, eyeing her like an animal backed into a corner, which oddly enough wasn’t that far off.
“Chase…”
She wasn’t even sure why she had said his name.
“What babe?” he growled.
“I…” she swallowed hard. “You’re serious?”
He smiled, “Yea I am.”
He was so close she felt like she had a fever, her body responding but her mind, thankfully was too shocked to give over to the pull of the heat.
“Promise me something.”
He looked into her eyes, confusion ghosting across his face.
“Anything.”
“If…we, I mean,” god, was she really going to say it? “If we, do this, promise me I’m not gonna lose you as a friend.”
He smiled, “Never,” he said quietly.
Her eyelids fluttered as she finally allowed herself to blink and broke contact with his eyes, and swallowed hard past the lump in her throat.
He reached up slowly and cupped her cheek, running his fingers through her hair.
She closed her eyes, feeling as if she had just grabbed an electric fence, her whole body going numb in an instant.
He leaned forward, nuzzled her cheek softly, and smirked when he heard her purr.
His eyes darted over her face, although she still had her eyes closed, he could still read her thoughts, her feelings, something he knew now came from years of being so close to someone.
He kissed the corner of her lips softly, “Let it go baby.”
She inhaled shakily but didn’t respond. He could tell she was fighting it; afraid that what she was feeling, what he was feeling was just because of their animal instincts.
He took his free hand and laced his fingers within hers, smirking when he realized she was shaking.
He ran his thumb over her cheek, back and forth, before kissing her lips gently.
“It’s okay,” he whispered. “I know it’s not just the heat, I know you love me, I love you too Rayce, just let it go…let me help you.”
God, he sounded tender, just how she had always imagined. Then again, he had always been more open, more honest and caring with her than he had ever been with anyone else.
She took one more shaky breath before jumping into the flames. If you’re gonna go down, do it in a blaze of glory.
She kissed him hard, pressing her lips against his.
His other hand instantly shot to her cheek, cradling her face in his hands and kissed her back.
Previous: Chapter Six | Next: Chapter Eight
Chapter 7
Chapter Wordcount: 1007
“Rayce,” he said quietly.
She still refused to answer.
He sighed, watching her and took a blind leap.
“You think you’re the only one who’s thought about it?”
She opened her eyes; her brow furrowed and slowly sat up and turned to look at him.
“What?”
“Us. You think you’re the only one that’s wondered what it would be like?”
She stared. What the hell was she supposed to say now?
“Chase,” she forced.
“Shut it. You’re my best friend, you know how much I care about you, you think you’re the only one who’s entertained the thought of the two of us together? I mean hell, Rayce, we’ve got everything else a relationship could possibly have besides the…intimate…part,” he said waving his hand. “You can’t honestly tell me that it doesn’t feel right when we’re curled up on the couch watching a movie, or sleeping in on the weekend in bed. I…” he paused, scarcely believing he was actually going to say it. “I love you…I think maybe I always have. Hell Rayce, you were the only person I gave a rat’s ass about back at Manticore, but lord knows I didn’t even know what love was back then.”
The silence was grating on her nerves like a pumice stone. She frantically tried to come up with something to say, anything to break the awkwardness.
“Oh my god,” she whispered.
Oh yea, that made it better.
Alec smiled. “Rayce…”
“You don’t mean that, you’re…my friend…the heat, it’s just the heat, messing with your…cat…genes.”
“You really think it’s the heat?”
She was scared to admit that she didn’t think it was.
Scared to admit she didn’t want it to be.
“When they paired us up as breeding partners, I’m not gonna lie, I was, I dunno, happy, I guess. You know damn well I would never have forced you, but if you had been willing, well, I would have. Hell, I mighta made a move before now if you had ever given me some sort of sign.”
She stared at him in disbelief. He waited patiently for a response but could see he had shocked her speechless, he almost laughed.
Emotions and thoughts were swirling in her head threatening to consume her mind in an apocalyptic tidal wave, not to mention the stupid side effects of the heat that was still screaming at her to jump him.
“Chase…”
“Don’t talk yourself out of it, I know you’re in heat right now and a little, confused, but give me one good reason why we wouldn’t work.”
“You’re my friend.”
She knew how lame it sounded the moment she said it.
“I think that’s more of a pro than a con,” he shrugged.
“Are you serious?” she barely whispered, after several uncomfortable minutes of silence.
Good thing he was transgenic, with enhanced hearing, or else he never would have been able to hear her.
“Yea, I am.”
She continued to stare.
“Rayce,” he sighed, “Tell me you don’t care, tell me you don’t want this and Ill leave right now.”
She couldn’t tell him that. Even without the heat-induced haze, because he was right. She had always wondered. Wondered what it would be like to be held in those arms as more than just a friend, wondered what it would be like to let herself love him completely, wondered what it would be like if he loved her back and yes, even wondered what it would be like to be able to run to him when she was in heat.
He scooted closer to her ever so slowly, eyeing her like an animal backed into a corner, which oddly enough wasn’t that far off.
“Chase…”
She wasn’t even sure why she had said his name.
“What babe?” he growled.
“I…” she swallowed hard. “You’re serious?”
He smiled, “Yea I am.”
He was so close she felt like she had a fever, her body responding but her mind, thankfully was too shocked to give over to the pull of the heat.
“Promise me something.”
He looked into her eyes, confusion ghosting across his face.
“Anything.”
“If…we, I mean,” god, was she really going to say it? “If we, do this, promise me I’m not gonna lose you as a friend.”
He smiled, “Never,” he said quietly.
Her eyelids fluttered as she finally allowed herself to blink and broke contact with his eyes, and swallowed hard past the lump in her throat.
He reached up slowly and cupped her cheek, running his fingers through her hair.
She closed her eyes, feeling as if she had just grabbed an electric fence, her whole body going numb in an instant.
He leaned forward, nuzzled her cheek softly, and smirked when he heard her purr.
His eyes darted over her face, although she still had her eyes closed, he could still read her thoughts, her feelings, something he knew now came from years of being so close to someone.
He kissed the corner of her lips softly, “Let it go baby.”
She inhaled shakily but didn’t respond. He could tell she was fighting it; afraid that what she was feeling, what he was feeling was just because of their animal instincts.
He took his free hand and laced his fingers within hers, smirking when he realized she was shaking.
He ran his thumb over her cheek, back and forth, before kissing her lips gently.
“It’s okay,” he whispered. “I know it’s not just the heat, I know you love me, I love you too Rayce, just let it go…let me help you.”
God, he sounded tender, just how she had always imagined. Then again, he had always been more open, more honest and caring with her than he had ever been with anyone else.
She took one more shaky breath before jumping into the flames. If you’re gonna go down, do it in a blaze of glory.
She kissed him hard, pressing her lips against his.
His other hand instantly shot to her cheek, cradling her face in his hands and kissed her back.
Previous: Chapter Six | Next: Chapter Eight