Fernando Chantal-Chase.pdf

Chase Resisting Love #1 Chantal Fernando and Dawn Martens

DEDICATION TO US. TWO BOOK LOVERS AND STAY AT HOME MOTHERS, WHO MET BY CHANCE AND BONDED OVER THE WRITTEN WORD AND TO THE READERS, FOR GIVING US A CHANCE! TO KRISTEN ASHLEY WHO GAVE US THE INSPIRATION FOR WRITING. SINCE SHE WRITES SUCH KICK ASS BOOKS!

Prologue I watch her from across the backyard, where I’m leaning against a wall. She is so beautiful; she is dressed in white and looks so ethereal. Like an angel. I keep staring at her, hoping for her to glance up. To notice me. To see if she feels this attraction I’m feeling for her. I’ve never felt anything like it. She is chatting with another girl, and laughing loudly. I find my own lips twitching. I don’t know what it is about her that draws me in, but I’ve never felt this towards a woman before. More than lust. Something.. else. Something that makes me want to protect her, cherish her. “Don’t even go there,” I hear in a dangerous rumble from behind me. It’s my friend, whose house I’m currently visiting. I ignore him, my eyes still on the angel, but he continues, “I wouldn’t let you near any of my sisters or cousins, but not her, definitely not her.” I bite the inside of my cheek. “She’s a good girl, and only seventeen. Come on let’s get out of here.” He slaps my back in a friendly gesture, as if to soften the blow of his words. I glance longingly at her one last time, before I turn around and follow him. I know I don’t deserve her. But that doesn’t mean I’ll stop wanting her.

Chapter One I was screwed. And not in a good way. I glanced back at the newspaper in my hand, the page full of red circles. After seeing five different places that were close to my university, I was down to the last one. The others had been terrible. I don’t even want to go into what the guy at the last house offered me; I hope he was still lying on the floor in the fetal position after I kneed him in his junk. I started classes in one week and I still had no place to stay. I repeat- I was screwed. I grew up in a small town with my family, and I’d driven up from there to look for a place. I’ve been staying in a motel for the last two nights, trying my luck for a decent place to stay that’s in this area. I stare at the ad for the last place. Room available for rent. 100 per week. Perfect for student. It’s only five minutes away from my uni which is perfect. I lay the newspaper down in the front seat of my black Subaru Forrester Sti GT and drive towards the house. I park my car behind a black expensive looking jeep and make my way to the front door. There is a sexy looking Harley in the drive way too. The house is gorgeous, two storey and modern, all cream and black. I knock on the door, and no one answers. I wait a few minutes and knock again. This time the door opens. A guy sticks his head out, blonde hair mussed. He looks two or so years older than my twenty, and I must say he is pretty cute. Pale blue eyes, a straight nose, and full lips, the bottom one pierced with a small hoop through it. Hot! He looks me up and down and grins, his blue eyes crinkling, ‘Hello’. His grin is contagious and I find myself grinning too. “Hi I’m Layla. I’m here about the room for rent?” He looks confused for a moment, but then nods in realization. “Of course, come on in, Layla.” I glance down and only then, realize he is shirtless, only wearing a pair of boxer shorts. I blush and look at the floor, and then I hear him chuckle. I slowly raise my eyes to his amused ones. “Come on, I’ll give you a tour. I’m James by the way.” The house is amazing, spacious and surprisingly tidy. Considering this is my last option I feel like I’ve won the lottery. We pass four bedrooms and I’m very curious as to who else lives here. James shows me the guest room and it’s perfect. I thought it would be tiny but it’s more than enough room for me. James clears his throat. “So are you a student then?” I nod. “Yes I start next week.” He smiles. “Great! Well you seem normal enough. Definitely cute enough.”

The last part was mumbled under his breath. I laugh. I know what he means, considering the last few places I just checked out. It’s harder than you’d think to find non creepy people to share a place with. “Are you wanting the room?” He asks softy. He looks almost hopeful. I glance around once more, I’m a little hesitant to share a house with men, but this place is amazing, and I’m currently out of options. Oh what the hell. I nod. “I would love the room.” “Perfect! You don’t have any problems with parties and stuff like that do you?” he asks seriously, “because this is kind of a social house.” His lips twitched into a smile when he said the word ‘social’. I laugh. “No, I think the whole university lifestyle will be an experience.” “Excellent!” he responds enthusiastically. “Any other questions?” I shake my head no. James smiles. “Welcome to the family. I think the landlord is going to be thrilled at my choice of tenant. He’s away for work at the moment. Let me know if you need any help moving your stuff, okay?” He offers his hand and I take it, expecting a hand shake, but instead he places a soft kiss on my hand. I blush. “I promise we are awesome roommates, you have nothing to worry about okay,” he says in a gentle voice. Weirdly, I believe him. I get no creepy vibes from him at all. “I’ll hold you to that, James,” I tease, causing him to chuckle softly. “We’re gonna be fine. Just yell out when you want a hand with your stuff.” I thank him and step into my room, smiling to myself. I leave the house and go to the motel room to collect my belongings. I didn’t bring much, a huge suitcase and two boxes. I still needed to purchase all my school books, stationary and necessities. James had given me a key to the house, and I’d offered him the bond and rent money, but he told me so take it up with the landlord when he gets home. He seemed like a funny guy, he even made a comment about feeling free to bring my hot friends over. I chuckle to myself, because at the moment friends are something I didn’t have in abundance. I come from an extremely large family, and this is the first time I am doing anything on my own. Instead of scaring me, the thought of independence thrills me. After my sister left the nest to travel, my mother has become extremely overbearing, and as much as I love her it feels good to be away from all that. By the time I return to the house it’s evening. I grab my suitcase and wheel it to the door, pulling out my key to open it. The sight that greets me when I walk into the kitchen has me wondering exactly what I have gotten myself into. Two guys stand there, along with James, laughing and eating pizza. They all look at me when I enter, all with surprise except for James who is wearing a huge grin. “Layla! Come and have a seat, I’ll carry your stuff into your room.” As James does that, I awkwardly place myself on a stool at the breakfast table, with two pairs of eyes

on me. I knew my cheeks must have been bright red, as I waited for someone to talk. James walks back in and saves me by introducing everyone. “Layla, this is Kade, who lives here with us, and our friend Derek.” I look at Kade, eager to see who else lives here. He looks a lot like James, with his white blond hair and blue eyes. His hair is longer than James, down to his chin, and slightly wavy. They are definitely related. Derek has brown hair and deep brown eyes, and is very handsome and muscular. Hell, they all are. Hotness overload. A soft sigh escapes me. They all say hi to me and offer me some pizza and beer, which I politely decline. “Oh, are you one of those girls?” Kade asks with a smirk. “What kind of girls are you referring to?” I say, eyes narrowed. “You know, won’t eat in front of a guy, or maybe just counting every single calorie,” he says, and I can hear the challenge in his tone. I burst out laughing. While yes I am a little shy, which would be part of the reason I declined, but the main reason was that I’m not very hungry. He raises his eyebrow at my laughter. “Since we will be living together, you will be able to see for yourself that I am neither of the type of girls you mentioned. But way to stereotype, Kade,” I retort. “Trust me, I eat a lot. You’re going to see something special,” I say with a wink. Kade chuckles, slapping his hand on the table. “So where are you from, Layla?” Kade asks, his voice now husky and low. “Umm, well my mother is Sri Lankan and my dad’s Australian. They live a couple hours down south from here.” My hair is long, thick and black, my skin tanned and my eyes almond and brown, hinting at some sort of mixed ethnicity. James walks over to me and affectionately wraps a lock of my hair around his fingers. “Can you cook?” he asks with a devilish smile. I laugh and look into three pairs of hopeful eyes. “Sorry, but, not at all.” I’m holding back a laugh, because they all look heartbroken. I can in fact cook, but I don’t tell them that. Kade sighs dramatically. “That’s okay, good thing we have a drawer full of menu’s.” “It is 2013 you know, you can pick up a frying pan and learn to cook yourselves,” I say simply, “gender equality and all that.”

“What’s the fun in that?” Kade snickers. James chuckles, “Layla’s already busting balls.” “I think you are just what this house needs, Layla,” Derek says, giving me small smile. Kade gives Derek a reprimanding look. “Don’t even think about flirting with our new roomie Derek, she’s way smarter than that.” Kade folds his arms over his broad chest, drawing my eyes to his ripped arms. I glance up at him to see his eyes twinkling. Busted. I shrug it off, “Come on, you’re all pretty sexy,” I blurt out. Crap, did I just say that? Masculine approval all around. Yes, I guess I did. “But Kade is right, I am smarter than that.” I throw a wink at Kade. He grins, opens a beer and hands it to me. This time I accept. Kade sticks his beer out to me and I clink it with mine, giggling. These guys are good fun. We all make small talk. Play a bit of PS3, in which I must say, I am not too bad. I excuse myself and go unpack and shower. I wonder which of the boys I’m sharing a bathroom with, considering there is masculine products all over the place. After calling my parents and assuring them all is well, I jump in bed and fall asleep.

Chapter Two I wake up to an empty house, for which I am grateful, and I feel more comfortable checking the place out. The house is pretty big. Five bedrooms, three huge bathrooms, and they have made a small gym for them to work out in. After a morning of arranging and organizing my room, I do some grocery shopping, University book shopping and pick something up to eat. When I get home I almost run into Kade, who is just leaving our bathroom. Yes, it’s Kade that I’m sharing it with. I feel a little awkward sharing a bathroom with a guy. I don’t even have any brothers, so this is really out of my comfort zone. “Hey,” I say a little shyly, as Kade offers me a faint smile. “Layla! Just who I was looking for. Come on, I need you to come somewhere with me,” he says excitedly. “Where?” I ask suspiciously, as he grabs my arm and pulls me out the front door. He opens the door to his Hummer and lifts me up onto the seat. “Umm Kade...” This almost feels like I’m being kidnapped. “Relax Layla,” he throws a cheeky grin my way, “it will be fun. I just need your help with something.” Huh. “Um... okay,” I mumble. The ride is silent, but not uncomfortable. Kade has a presence about him. I don’t know how to explain it, but I feel like he is the kind of man who you could tell anything to, and he would reserve judgment. Nine inch nails are playing as I stare out the window and wonder where the hell he is taking me. I can’t help but feel both nervous and excited. Approximately fifteen minutes later, we pull into the car park of a rough looking bar. The motorcycles all around suggest it’s a biker bar. My door is pulled open and Kade pulls me into his arms and puts me down on the floor. Let’s have a drink!” he suggests thoughtfully. I look at the time on my phone, one pm. “A bit early, don’t you think?” I muse. “Live a little Layla,” Kade says as we walk into the bar. We sit down on battered red bar stools and Kade orders us two beers. I lean closer to him and whisper, “You going to tell me why we are here?” Seriously. The curiosity and suspense are killing me. “Like I said, I need your help with something,” he says mysteriously. I sigh, and sip my beer. “This is my favorite bar,” he says randomly.

“Okay?” “And here comes the reason I need you here. I owe you Layla,” he says quickly. “Kade, what the hell are you... Who the fuck is this bitch?” I turn around and come face to face with an extremely mad woman. Her face is red, and she looks like she is going to kill someone. And that someone would be me. “Kate,” Kade nods dismissively. “This is my girlfriend. I told you we are done, so you need to get the picture sweetheart. It was fun while it lasted but as you can see I’ve moved on.” He puts him arm around me and pulls me against his extremely hard body. I pinch him, hard. He laughs. The bastard laughs! Kate stares me down, and then hisses “He’s just going to use you and spit you out; he will come back to me. Enjoy him while you can.” Kate storms out, shaking her hips exaggeratingly. When she is out of view, I turn around and glare at Kade. “Was that seriously necessary?” I growl. Kade nods, “Yes. This is my bar. She kept coming here, making scenes and causing drama.” “How did you even know that she would be here?” I ask. “One, I’m usually here around this time, and two, a friend of mine messaged and told me.” I roll my eyes, “Give a girl a little warning next time would you!” Kade laughs. “I will. Come on, this is a bonding experience. Don’t you feel more comfortable with me now? I know last night you were a little iffy around us. I know it’s hard to be around such a sexy man as myself, but you will get used to it in time Layla.” He looks smug. I playfully slap his arm. “You are too much Kade! I’m going to have women making voo doo dolls and stuff, out to get me,” I mumble dryly. Kade kisses me softly on the cheek, causing me to blush. “I owe you Layla.” “Yeah you do! Come on let’s play some pool while we are here.” “Can you stop bending over so low when you hit the ball?” Kade growls so only I can hear. “What?” I ask, confused. “There are men, staring,” he gestures to my chest, “at your tits!” I look down at my chest, and only the slightest bit of cleavage is showing.

“That girl Kate had ten times more cleavage than me and you’re giving me a lecture?” I hiss defensively. Kade crosses his arms over this chest, pool cue still in one hand. “Is that the kind of girl you want to compare yourself to? Kate?” I shut up. I pull up my top. And I give Kade a dirty look. Kade grins his approval. ****** I’m sitting in my room, surfing the internet. I’m seriously bored. I have nothing to do; I’ve already organized, cleaned and called my parents and Nikki. I have no idea what James and Kade are doing, but I heard a few voices out there and I’m feeling a little shy to just walk out there. I pull out my kindle and start reading some J.R Ward when there is a slight knock on my door. “Yeah?” I call out. “Can I come in?” It’s Kade. “Sure.” He opens the door and sticks his head in, taking a look around. “What can I do for you Kade?” I ask him. He chuckles. “You are asking for a sexual innuendo right there.” I roll my eyes. “What’s up?” He walks over and sits on my bed, making himself comfortable. “Well, it seems you have been hiding in your room all day, so I wanted to tell you to stop being a snob and come and hang out with us. We’re having drinks on the deck.” “Who is ‘we’,” I ask him. Kade lifts an eyebrow. “Does it matter?” “I guess not,” I mumble sulkily. “Come on, don’t be shy. This is your house too,” he tells me in a serious tone. “Okay,” I say, exhaling hard. I jump out of bed and walk out with Kade. When I only see James sitting

on the deck, drink in hand, I turn and give Kade a look. He gives me an easy smile in return. I sit down, and James hands me a beer. “Done hiding?” James teases. I blush. “Oh come on Layla, I’m just playing. You don’t need to hide from us,” he says. I’m about to respond when a girl walks out onto the deck. Short white shorts and a white net top, I can practically see her breasts. She takes a seat on Kade’s lap. “Eve, this is Layla, she lives here with us,” Kade introduces us. Eve pouts. “She lives here... with you?” She repeats slowly. “Yep,” Kade replies, popping the P. “I don’t like it,” she replies after a few moments. “You don’t need to like anything,” Kade says before taking a sip of his beer. I glance over at James who is text messaging someone. I stand up and head for the kitchen. “Where you going Layla?” Kade asks instantly, thinking his girl is running me off. “To the kitchen, I’ll be back.” He nods. I walk into the kitchen and decide to bake some brownies. I’m just putting them into the oven when Eve walks in. She steps into the kitchen like she’s on a mission, and stops right in front of me, trying to intimidate me. It doesn’t work. Here is the thing about me. I don’t like confrontation, and I don’t like to fight. I don’t like to get involved; I like my life drama free. But that doesn’t mean I won’t fight back. I don’t let anyone disrespect me. People tend to mistake my kindness for weakness. Their mistake. “Listen here; if you even think of putting moves on Kade, you will regret it. He is mine and just because you live here, and you’re convenient pussy for him, you aren’t going to have him,” she spits out at me. “What exactly are you going to do about it?” I goad. I have no intentions on doing anything with Kade, but this girl is asking for it. “I will get Kade to kick you out, you whore!” She screeches. I’m about to tell her exactly where she can shove that threat, when Kade walks into the kitchen, rage flashing in his eyes. “Get out Eve, and don’t bother coming back,” he growls. “What? But Kade, I...”

“You have the fucking audacity to talk to my friend like that? I don’t need that shit. Leave now, Eve,” he demands. Eve stomps away, shouting a few curse words at Kade before slamming the front door as she departs. “You don’t put up with any of that shit okay Layla,” he tells me, his voice now gentle. “You live here, you be comfortable here. You get first priority. Anyone says shit to you, or you don’t like something, come to me or James, we will take care of it,” he says as he gently tugs on a lock of my hair. He is so damn sweet. “Thanks Kade,” I say softly. “No need to thank me, you can just share whatever your baking that smells so damn good,” he says, his eyes twinkling. I laugh. “Of course I was going to share; I baked enough for a small army.” Thirty minutes later, I bring out the brownies and vanilla ice cream. We all sit out on the deck eating. “This is fucking good Layla,” Kade growls, “The woman can bake.” “It seriously is,” commends James. “Wait, I thought you said you couldn’t cook?” I stifle a laugh and say, “Baking is not cooking.” Kade glances over at me and grins, “I think we are gonna be the best of friends,” he says before shoving a huge spoonful of brownie in his mouth. I laugh.

Chapter Three My third night in the house was fun. Kade and James make me feel welcome, so it’s not as awkward as I thought it would be. We end up watching a few movies, and playing more PS3. It turns out I’m pretty good at Call of Duty, and Kade kept muttering ‘wifey’ comments every time I played well. We order Chinese for dinner, and when I try to pay, Kade and James almost have a fit. I ordered my usual honey chicken and fried rice, and the guys ordered enough to feed an army. When they finished everything, I must say, I was impressed. The next morning, I wake up when I hear noises in the kitchen. I walk out wearing a pair of track pants and a tank top. “Hey James,” I mumble sleepily. “Mornin’ Laylay,” he greets. “Laylay?” I repeat disbelievingly. James just grins. “Oh come on! Find something better than that please!” I beg. “Hmmm I quite like Laylay. How about princess?” he asks. “Princess Laylay?” I must look horrified. James bursts out laughing. “Maybe. I do like star wars,” is his reply. Ugh. That’s princess Leia not Layla. But whatever. “What are you doing today?” I ask after I put two pieces of toast in the toaster. “Got some shit to do in a bit.” James, always so vague. I’m not going to lie, I’m curious as hell about James. He is so laid back, calm, easy going and sometimes very quiet. The saying ‘It’s the quiet ones you need to look out for’ reminds me of James. There is something there under that gentle exterior. “So tell me about the illusive landlord. I’m curious as hell.” “He comes and goes, you might only see him once a month or so,” James says. “And?” I want more information than that. “And he’s here now. But I think he’s leaving today.” “Doesn’t he want to meet his new tenant?” James just gives me a small grin, and doesn’t say anything else.

“I’m gonna run out and give out some applications. Know if there are any salons close by?” I ask around a mouth of toast. “Um, I only know of one I pass on the way to University. On Cedar Street.” “Cool, thanks. I’ll go there then.” “Good luck princess Laylay.” James grins at me cheekily. I cringe at the new nickname. I make my way to my room and hear noises coming from the master bedroom. I guess the man who owns this house, is here today. Not thinking anything more of it, I close my bedroom door and get ready. About thirty minutes later, I hear feet stomping out in the hallway, and then murmurs. I then hear a girl’s voice raising. I quietly make it to my door and hear, “What the fuck, I’m good enough to fuck but you won’t even offer me coffee?” My mouth drops open. I can’t help a small giggle. Then another voice, one I don’t recognize. A deep voice. “I said to get out. You know the rules. We come home, we fuck, and you leave. You should have left last night.” “Fuck you, everyone was right. You weren’t even that good in bed!” “Good, that means you won’t come back for more. Get.” I hear the front door slam shut. Wow, I wonder if all one night stands end like that. Awkward much. A few minutes later, I hear the door shut again. I finish getting ready and make my way to the kitchen to grab some juice before I leave. Kade and James are both standing there chatting. I walk out with a huge question on my face. Kade smirks, “Just our landlord trying to get rid of his latest conquest.” James laughs, “Yeah that man gets all the nut cases. Lucky you missed it.” “So when do I get to meet him?” I ask as I pour my juice. James and Kade glance at each other. “Probably won’t. It’s rare he’s here. But when he is here, he’s usually not alone. So you might hear more of that.” Oh great. I’m living in a man whores house. “Hey, the drama could be entertaining,” I say with a smirk. “I’ll see you guys later!” “Later Laylay.” Both guys chime behind me.

I cringe. At least they haven’t thought of saying ‘Layla I wanna lay ya’ yet. When I arrive home a couple hours later, I am an employed woman. One less thing for me to worry about, and I’m glad. Kade and James are sitting at the table when I walk in. “Laylay! You’re home. Come play cards with us!” James says. I grin. “Give me a sec.” I go into my room and put down my hand bag, change out of my high waisted skirt and blouse and put on my leopard print onesie. I walk out and the boys burst out laughing. I roll my eyes and sit down ready to play cards. “What the fuck is that, Layla?” Kade asks with a smirk. “My onesie? Just the comfiest thing ever! Now what card game we playing?” I ask eagerly. “Is that outfit meant to put us off our game? I think it may be working,” James muses. “How about we make this game more interesting?” I ask them. They both look at me, curious. “Strip poker?” James asks, looking eager. “Um... no. I was more thinking along the lines of if I beat you; you never call me Laylay again.” I am brilliant, I muse. “And if you lose?” Kade replies. “What do you guys want?” I groan. They both glance at each other, before grinning evilly. “You need to learn how to cook our favorite meals,” Kade says slowly. I try to hold in my laugh. “And then you cook wearing something extremely skimpy. Like lingerie, or a bikini,” adds James with a grin. “You guys are perverts!” I scoff, outraged. They both laugh. “Okay, deal.” We shake on it. A few games of blackjack later and I’ll never hear the word Laylay again.

Chapter Four I walk half asleep into the kitchen the next morning, having a craving for a soda. I open the fridge and pull one out, opening the can and taking a huge swig. I can hear someone clearing their throat. I close the fridge and look over at Kade, whose eyes are currently wide. “What?” I mumble grumpily. He looks down and nods at my body. I glance down. Oh shit. I’m wearing nothing but a cami and my superman underwear. I put down my soda and sigh. “I’m sure it’s nothing you haven’t seen before,” I say, my face going slightly red. Kade chuckles, “Not so sure about that princess.” I gasp. He laughs. “You said no Laylay, not princess.” “Guess you can’t win them all.” I groan. Oh well, princess is much better than Laylay. “You have a fucking hot body. I don’t mind enjoying this view every morning,” Kade says, his gaze roaming to places it shouldn’t. “My eyes are up here you perve!” I hiss. “So since we’ve decided we can walk around the house in our pajamas in the morning, expect to see me naked tomorrow.” He laughs again and walks off. I shake my head and go back into my room, taking my soda with me. That evening, I walk out of my room and into the lounge area, wanting to watch a movie. Kade and James are sitting there, both with a girl each. I slowly take a step back, trying to leave without being noticed. I think I’m safe when I hear a rumbled, “Princess get over here.” I sigh. Kade. I stick my head inside the room. “Yes?” I ask innocently. “Get your butt in here,” he says with humor in his voice. I groan and walk into the room taking a seat on the lone recliner. I realize the girls they are with are twins, both blonde bombshells. They are both staring at me like they want to kill me. I look from one to the other, then back at Kade, raising a sardonic brow. His lip twitches. I look over at James who is glancing over at me, amusement dancing in his eyes. I ignore them and start watching the movie, which happens to be The Avengers. About twenty minutes later I glance over and Barbie one is kissing Kade’s neck, and Barbie two is playing with James’s lip ring with her tongue. Okay then. I stand up. “Well. I’m just going to..” I gesture to outside the door, “Because this is just. Awkward.” I walk out, hearing the boys’ chuckle behind me. Those two!

The next morning I’m in the kitchen, fully dressed, when Kade walks into the kitchen. Butt naked. I scream and cover my eyes with my hands. “Kade!” I yell. “What? I warned you,” he says nonchalantly. “Kade go and get dressed right now! And I better not see your naked ass again or I’m going to be the biggest cock block. EVER!” I hiss at him. He just laughs gleefully and takes his time around the kitchen. That is it! Later that night, the Barbie twins come over again. I’m surprised, I’ll admit. Two nights in a row must be the biggest commitment these guys have ever made. They skip the preliminaries, and head straight for their bedrooms. I knock on Kade’s door once but he doesn’t answer. So I start banging on it. He finally answers it, wearing nothing but a harsh scowl. He sees me and his eyes narrow menacingly. “Hi,” I say cheerily. “Someone better be dying princess,” he threatens. My smile gets bigger. “Was just wondering if you wanted to hang out?” I ask innocently. Kade growls, and slams the door, and I burst out laughing. I knock again and the door opens instantly this time. “Unless you want to join us, I suggest you stop,” Kade says followed by a long suffering sigh. I fold my arms against my chest, and say nothing. Kade also folds his arms and continues to hold my stare. I hear a frustrated ‘Kade!’ in the background, and I give him a smug look. A few moments pass. “Fine!” he caves, “You won’t see me naked around the house again. Well played Layla, well played.” He chuckles, pats me on the head and slams the door again. ****** I walk, half asleep, to the bathroom, shuffling my feet, ready for a shower. When I open the bathroom door I get the shock of my life. Kade. In the shower. Butt naked (Obviously).

But that wasn’t even the worst part. Kade wasn’t alone. I scream. The woman wraps the shower curtain around her, and Kade just steps out, smiling, in all his naked glory. “Good morning Layla. Shower’s free!” The man has no shame. I turn and run to my room, hearing Kade laugh behind me. I bury my head in my pillow. An hour or so later when I finally gather enough courage to face Kade again. I walk into the kitchen and stand in front of him. He’s tying his blonde hair at the nape of his neck with a manly leather band, and gives me a smirk when he sees me. “Finally out of hiding?” he teases. “Look, I’m going to pretend that never happened,” I say sagely. “Pretend what never happened?” asks James as he walks into the kitchen. Oh great, here we go. “Layla walked in on Sarah and I in the shower,” Kade mentions casually. James laughs, “You are going to scar the poor girl for life bro.” “Hey, she walked in.” “Yeah, because the door wasn’t locked! Boundaries Kade! We need some,” I say in a singsong voice. “I think I should have a bathroom to myself. You two can share. Come on, please?” I add, batting my eyelashes. “I’ll think about it,” Kade says thoughtfully. “You do that. By the way, make sure you don’t kill someone with that thing,” I say pointing towards his crotch. I’m serious. It was massive. Kade gives me a full on belly laugh. I can hear James laughing too. I retreat to my room. The next day when I go into the bathroom, all of Kade’s stuff is gone.

He moved to James’ bathroom for me! I do a little victory dance. ****** I’m being lazy, lounging around on the couch when my phone beeps with a text from my best friend Nikki. Nikki and I have been friends since grade two. We sat next to each other in class, and we complimented each other perfectly. I was a little shy and Nikki was... not. We have been partners in crime ever since. N: Come to my place tonight! Let’s go clubbing. Get ready with me. XX I sigh. Nikki wanted me to stay at her house with her parents but it’s over a thirty minute drive to my University and I didn’t want to impose with her family. I text back: L: Okay I’ll be at yours in an hour.☺ I pack an overnight bag and walk out of my room almost colliding with Kade. He looks at my bag and demands nosily, “Where are you going?” “Staying the night at my friends.” “You have friends?” he asks cheekily. “One,” I say truthfully, causing him to shake his head at me. “Give me or James a call if you need anything, okay?” he says sweetly. I nod and give him a small hug, which he returns, wrapping his arms around me tightly. Kade gives good hugs. “See you tomorrow. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do!” I call out, as I walk to the front door. I open the front door and come face to face with James. “Where do you think you’re going?” he asks me nosily. “Out,” I answer evasively. “Out where?” he counters. “To a friend’s house.” “Does this friend have a penis?” he asks ridiculously, narrowing his eyes at me. “No, but if she did I would love her anyway,” I reply.

I’m given an easy smile. “Why can’t she stay here?” “Why can’t I stay there?” This conversation is bizarre. “Can I come with you?” he says, catching me off guard. “Umm, no,” is my genius reply. His lip twitches, drawing attention to his sexy lip ring. “Well. If the million questions are over, I’ll see you guys tomorrow.” I walk off to my car. “Call us if you need anything!” he calls out. Those two! What would I possibly need? Babying me much! The thought makes me laugh. I drive to Nikki’s and walk straight through the house without knocking. They would have been offended if I knocked. I have heard that lecture from her mother many a time. The house is two story’s and made of brick. It’s huge, but has this homely feel to it which I love. I always feel comfortable here. I find my best friend in her room, looking through her wardrobe, a huge pile of clothes on the bed. A Nirvana song plays in the back ground. She turns and sees me, a huge grin replacing the scowl on her face. Her auburn hair is in a high pony tail, her face free from makeup. Her green eyes are large and mesmerizing, her nose, cute as a button. She hates when I tell her that. Nikki is studying public relations at University, and she is very ambitious. She is the kind of girl who knows what she wants, and will work hard to get it. “Layla!!!” She runs up to me and hugs me enthusiastically. “Hey! Having trouble finding something to wear tonight?’ I gesture obviously at the pile on her bed. She shrugs sheepishly, “I think I have it sorted. I need to get laid tonight. Need to look sexy!” I giggle and lay myself flat on my back on the small space of her bed that isn’t covered in clothes. Her room is all Nikki, bright bold colors and very creatively decorated. We get something to eat from the kitchen, Nikki’s parents were at work, but her mum always has food in the house. After we are full, we commence with the beautifying. I stare into the mirror, line my dark brown eyes with black kohl and several layers of mascara, and then contemplated what to do with my hair. My hair was my favorite feature, it was dead straight and down to my waist, so black that it looked blue. It was so thick and full, and I had it cut in layers to make it lighter and easier to manage. Black- blue wisps covered my cheeks and framed my heart shaped face. I decide to leave it how it is. I put on my favorite red lipstick and I was good to go. We jump in a cab and head to the club.

I walk into Club Deception, Nikki’s hand in mine, and sit on a stool. The club was pretty classy, compared to some of the other ones around these parts. It was a newer club, and seemed to be pretty popular. We were already a little tipsy, and I had the not so brilliant idea of doing a couple of tequila shots. I was wearing my best little black dress, it was short, tight, and completely backless, and I had to wear a bra with it, because my boobs were above the required size that was acceptable to go without. Royal blue stilettos gave my outfit a little color. Nikki’s auburn hair was in wild curls up to her shoulders, her eyes sparkling with gold glitter. She wore a one piece black playsuit and black strappy heels. “Two tequila shots please” Nikki ordered. “Layla, there are some seriously hot guys here tonight!!!” Nikki’s eyebrows waggled suggestively, making me giggle. The thing was, she didn’t have to tell me that. I had my eyes on someone, and he was currently looking in our direction. Thick messy black hair, a chuck of it falling on his chiseled face. Crystalline blue eyes framed in thick inky lashes, and a body to die for. Broad shouldered, his hips narrowing and I could just imagine what it looked like under his black jeans and shirt. And heaven help me, I could see some tattoos peeking out on his arms. The only thing wrong with the picture was that he was surrounded by women. Three women to be exact. All beautiful, and all standing close to him vying for his attention. But for some reason, his eyes weren’t on them, they were on me. Our eyes connected, and for a moment, it was like everyone else disappeared. Nikki noticed where I was looking and murmured a very apt “Fuck me.” She elbowed me, bringing my attention to the shots. We did ‘cheers’ and took down one shot each. I grabbed her hand and took her to the dance floor. Nikki and I danced for two songs, laughing the whole way, showing off our moves. We both loved to dance. I suddenly felt someone’s eyes on mine and glanced over to see Mr. Mysterious watching me. His gaze was steady and intense, and when I stared back, he didn’t look away. I felt goose bumps on my arms; I don’t think I have ever felt such intense attraction before. “Layla, dance with him. He can’t keep his eyes off you and he is freaking hot!” Nikki broke me out of my trance with her comment, and I looked away. I suddenly felt hands on my hips and I turned to see a cute guy dancing behind me. He wasn’t being too touchy feely so I danced with him a little. Some other guy asked Nikki to dance, so we were both enjoying the music. All of a sudden I see Mr. Mysterious walk up to me and takes my hand in his. His eyes on mine, he pulled me slowly away from my dance partner, entwined my hand in his, and pulled me off the dance floor. I glanced at Nikki, she grinned and nodded at me. The guy I was dancing with tried to grab my other hand, but Mr. Mysterious shot one look at him. And if looks could kill. The guy walked off and grabbed someone else to dance. Replaced in two seconds. Lovely.

I was gently pushed against the closest wall, and piercing blue eyes met mine. “What’s your name beautiful?” I inwardly sighed. His voice was mesmerizing. Deep and sensual. “Umm, I’m Layla.” He grinned at me, and a dimple popped out. I almost swooned. I took in his facial features. His bottom lip was slightly fuller than the top, and I wanted to bite it. His strong jaw and straight nose were placed perfectly on his beautifully angled face. His eye lashes were so thick and long, it was completely unfair, but the beautiful eyes they framed were what really captured my attention. They were hypnotic, wide blue depths. And I wanted to get lost in them. His tall frame made me feel tiny and feminine. I’m 5’5 so he must have been about 6’3. “Layla, I’m Chase.” He spoke my name reverently, almost like he was tasting it on his tongue. “Nice to meet you Chase.” I smiled coyly. “Trust me, the pleasure is all mine. Countless women in this club, but fuck, for some reason I can’t keep my eyes off you.” His lip tugged down in a small frown as he said it, like he wasn’t sure why. “I’m sure you say that to all the women.” I attempt to flirt. “Perhaps I do, but this time I really mean it,” he replies huskily. “Well, what are you going to do about it?” Holy hell, did I really just say that? A smile now tugged at the corner of his mouth. “Well I was thinking about tasting those luscious red lips of yours.” His eyes search mine, gouging my reaction. Apparently finding what he was looking for, he continues, “And I’m a man who usually gets what he wants.” His grin was wicked. “Then by all means...” I whisper seductively. He runs his finger from my temple, brushes my hair back grasping the back of my neck. “I’m going to kiss you now, Layla.” He whispers in my ear. Before I could nod, his lips came down on mine gently, like whispers of kisses. Then he leaned into me and kissed me harder, his full lips devouring mine. I wrapped my arms around his neck and got lost in his kisses. When he finally pulled away from me, we were both panting. He kissed my lips once more, and then my forehead. “Fuck, even better than I thought. You taste so fucking sweet.” He looks at me curiously, like he has no idea what to make of me. “Hello, Chase,” a voice cooed from behind us.

We both glanced at who was talking, a gorgeous looking brunette with cat-like green eyes. She was one of the three women he was standing with before. Chase simply nods his head at her politely, and then returns his attention to me. Not liking being ignored, she steps forward and places her hand on Chase’s arm. Chase glances down at it irritably, and then looks back at the girl. “I’m sorry....” “Billie,” the girl replies in a throaty voice. “Right, I’m not interested. Sorry,” Chase drawls. Billie who is now wearing a petulant scowl, is about to say something else, when Nikki walks over. Nikki narrows her eyes at Billie and comes and stands next to Chase, moving her out of the way. Billie huffs and walks off, finally getting the picture. Nikki gives me a devilish grin. I roll my eyes at her. Nikki loves drama. I remember this one time she punched a girl, for no other reason than she was giving us dirty looks. She’s a tiny spitfire. Redheads apparently do have bad tempers. “Nikki this is Chase. Chase, Nikki,” I introduce. Chase smiles, “Hello Nikki. I don’t want to say bye to Layla yet. Can I take you home?” “Sure, can we get some food on the way?” Typical Nikki. Chase chuckles. “You bet.” We walk to Chase’s car and Nikki whistles. “What car is this?” she asks curiously. “Aston Martin,” Chase replies. Nikki’s mouth is in the shape of an O, staring at the car. “It’s sexy!” is her reply. I roll my eyes and give Chase a small smile. Nikki tells Chase to pull over when we pass her favorite burger place, and she runs in to get her food. “Do you want me to get you something to eat, Layla?” Chase asks. “No thanks, I’m not very hungry right now,” I tell him. And it’s the truth, I’m way too nervous to eat right now. All I can feel are the butterflies in my stomach. Chase frowns. “Layla, are you sure? I think..” Nikki jumps back in the car, a huge bag of food on her lap. “We can go now!” She calls out merrily. We drive to her house in a comfortable silence. We pull into her driveway and Nikki opens her door. “Thanks for the ride, Chase. Layla, text me when you get home safe.” She emphasizes the word safe and glares at Chase when she says it, causing his lips to twitch. The dimple almost makes an

appearance. “No seriously. I’ll be pissed if you turn out to be a serial killer or something.” Chase’s body is now shaking with silent laughter. “Bye Nikki, I’ll talk to you tomorrow.” I wink at her. “Yeah you will!” she replies and then walks off. We wait until she’s inside safely and then drive off. “How drunk are you Layla?” Chase asks me quietly. “Not at all”, I reply instantly and it’s the truth. I feel sober. I’m pretty sure his kiss sobered me right the hell up. He takes my hand in his and rubs my knuckles with his fingers. “Come stay the night with me.” He makes it more a demand than a question. I so want to, but I know I shouldn’t. I’ve never done anything like that before. A one night stand. He must see the battle going on in my head because he amends, “We don’t need to do anything tonight Layla, just come stay the night with me, no expectations.” Oh what the hell. I want this man, and you only live once. “Okay,” I agree. He smiles and releases his breath like he is relieved. “So, tell me about yourself. What’s your ethnicity? You are stunning, but I can’t put my finger on it. You are so damn beautiful.” I blush. “Well, my mother is originally from Sri Lanka, and my father is Australian.” I expect him not to know where the hell Sri Lanka is, like most people, but he surprises me. “Sri Lanka, wow. I’ve always wanted to go there,” he tells me. I grin. “You’re a cricket fan aren’t you?” I ask him, already knowing the answer. His chuckle is rich and gives me butterflies. “You got me there,” he replies with a small grin. That’s the only reason people tend to know where Sri Lanka is. For some reason people tend to think that Sri Lanka and India occupy the same geographic location. I continuously get asked, "Isn't Sri Lanka the same as India?" which is an excellent way to get me worked up. If it was the same, what would possibly be the reason for being separate countries? It's a small island underneath India with separate foods, languages and customs. Sure there are similarities, but yes, they are different! Okay, rant over.