The Nashville Bet Read online

  He felt the soft material of her panties—a vision of her hot-pink panties from their first night was still seared into his brain. He slipped his fingers under the edge, and lower, until his fingers pressed into her warm flesh. At the same time, he swirled his tongue in her belly button.

  She sighed and it was music to his ears. Chase explored deeper, stroking her sensitive folds until she gasped. He let go of her hands and they immediately held his head, gently pushing him lower. He kissed his way down and, lifting her hips, he slid her shorts and canary-yellow panties down her long, tanned legs. Chase hooked an elbow under her knee and lifted, opening her as he shifted between her legs.

  His mouth followed his hand and she became alive under him. He explored her with his tongue and his fingers, seeking, pressing, licking and sucking until he found a combination that was magic to her. She moaned and lifted her hips, her fingers pressing urgently into his head to keep him tight to her.

  He needed no encouragement and when her body stiffened and her knees clamped on him, Chase gripped her ass, holding his mouth to slick heat. He drew her orgasm until she cried out and went lifeless on the bed. He looked up at her and never had he seen anything more beautiful. Her arms flung wide, her white top jumbled around her breasts, clad in a canary-yellow bra, her auburn hair wild on the pillow and her shapely knees next to his ears.

  Chase was happy he could bring her pleasure. It was something he never wanted to stop doing. He moved up the bed and lifted her shoulders to pull her top over her head. She raised her arms and he removed it completely. She opened her eyes, her lips partially open and shiny, as if begging him to kiss her again.

  He stood, ready to get rid of his own clothes, but seeing her like that stole his breath away and he was frozen to the spot. The yellow bra was delicate and pretty yet unbelievably erotic with its little black bows. He would never tire of looking at her tanned, lean body.

  Chase tossed off his shirt and reached for his belt. “I could write a song about you.” He didn’t tell her he already had.

  She swung her legs over the side of the bed and reached for his hands.

  “Is that so? Well, then, I’m going to give you something to really write about.” Her voice was sexy and husky and she looked up at him with those eyes. He felt all his will vanish as she licked her lips and pushed his hands away.

  “Are you now?” he said in a tight voice and thrust his fingers into her hair when she had his jeans undone and pushed down.

  “Yes, I am,” she said softly, and lowered her face to him, running her hands around his hips to grab his ass, her hair falling in a curtain around her shoulders and his forearms. The dim lighting shone off the long, wavy strands and he locked his knees when the sweet heat of her tongue touched his cock.

  But this wasn’t how he wanted it to go. He wanted to make love to her. Cherish her. Bury himself in her. He gently pushed her away.

  “Ava, no,” were the hardest two words he’d ever spoken.

  She looked up at him, alarm and hurt reflected in her eyes. And he hated that he’d put it there.

  Ava held his thick, hard length. She could barely contain the trembling of her body, she was so incredibly turned on. Plus, this was after he’d already given her an earth-shattering orgasm. She wanted to drag him down on to the bed next to her and taste him, just like he’d done to her. Seeing him without his shirt—the perfection of his shoulders, the muscled chest dusted with hair and his intricate tattoos, and oh, his extraordinarily toned torso and belly—she ached to see more of him again.

  Getting his jeans off him had been her goal. But now she looked up at him, suddenly embarrassed by him stopping her. She was at a loss for what to do. What man stopped you from giving him oral sex?

  “I want to make love to you first,” he growled.

  Apparently, this man did.

  Relief flooded through her: she wasn’t being rejected. Instead, he was only thinking of her and a shared intimacy. She squeezed her hand around him and stroked. She loved how his head dropped back and his great body trembled under her touch. He grew impressively harder. She stared up at him, not finding any words to express how wonderful he looked to her. It made her wish she was a writer so she could compose the perfect sonnet to describe him.

  “Ava, keep that up and—”

  “Are we just going to talk all night, superstar?”

  He looked down at her. “No, ma’am.”

  She melted under the fiery heat of his gaze. Letting go of him, she grabbed his hand and fell back on the bed.

  They tumbled on the sheets and he rolled on to his back, taking her with him, and she straddled his hips. He had her bra undone and off in a flash and reached into the bedside-table drawer. He pulled the package out and Ava fell off him, snuggling into his side, and watched as he sheathed the condom over him. One day, perhaps there’d be no need for one. The thought startled Ava so much it made her wonder why she’d been adamant about a long-distance relationship not working. But before she could think any more he moved over her, reached between them and she lifted her knees.

  He drove into her, pushing her up in the bed with the force of his thrust. “Oh, Chase.” She clutched him and met him thrust for powerful thrust. This was wild, passionate and raw. Ava locked her ankles around him and he gathered her in his arms. They molded together, moving in time, their sounds filling the room until he brought her to the edge and she exploded all over again. Squeezing her eyes shut, she didn’t even try to stop the scream of pleasure that ripped from her and mingled with his roar of release in the quiet solitude of his bedroom.

  Chase buckled over her, his breath harsh; their bodies were coated in a sheen from their exertion. Ava didn’t want him to move. The weight of him on her was reassuring, domineering, possessive and…loving. She wanted him to stay there forever.

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Loving Ava all night long was what he was born to do. But not for just one night…every night. Right now, Chase needed to put Ava out of his mind. It was the hardest thing to do after their fantastic night last night. But waking up early on a Saturday morning for rehearsals and sound check for tonight’s performance hadn’t been easy. He needed to be focused. Singing with Lance and getting that down pat was a major career high. His initial set was for fifteen minutes early on in the program, but he also had the two songs later with Lance. The more he thought about it, the more he grew excited, thinking about singing Ava’s song. He’d decided he wanted to. He had to sing it. Even if it wasn’t perfected yet, he would sing it from his heart.

  Backstage was a flurry, as it always was during the CMAs; this was what he loved about country-music life: the intensity, the hustle, the bustle, the music, the sounds, the people.

  His Martin slung over his shoulder and holding a cappuccino, Chase leaned against a pillar and watched Kelly Clarkson do her thing. It was when he was in the company of talent like her that he was filled with awe and wondered just how he’d ever managed to get to this point.

  She finished her set and as she walked off the stage Kelly stopped in front of him and he straightened, putting his cup down on a chair.

  “Chase Hudson! I love ‘You Drive Me Crazy.’ It’s such a great song. Maybe one day we can do a duet.”

  “Ms. Clarkson, I appreciate your words and I’d be more than honored to do a duet with you.” Chase was a little star-struck and did his best not to look like a buffoon.

  She reached out her hand and he shook it. “I look forward to it. I’ll have my people call your people.” She gave him a big smile, and then she was off in the flurry of her entourage.

  Chase had not expected that to happen; it actually made him feel giddy.

  “It looks like you’re about to swoon, big guy.” A familiar woman’s voice behind him made him crack into a big grin. He spun around and saw Fiona Johns.

  “Well, if it isn’t the top entertainer of the year, or is it the last two or three years?” He was thrilled to see her. Fiona launched into his arms and he g
ave her a huge hug, swinging her around.

  “Chase, it’s so good to see you. What have you been up to? I love your new song, by the way! Has any woman snagged you yet? Are you going out on tour, because I want you to come with me if you’re not? I hear you’re singing with Lance tonight. Why aren’t you singing with me?” She was a firecracker and shot a million questions at him, which was totally like her.

  He laughed, tossing his head back. “Whoa there, lady, you’re making my head spin. One question at a time.”

  “Listen, my rehearsal’s soon. Once I’m done, how about we catch up?” She held his forearm and nodded. “Yes?”

  “Sounds perfect to me. Let’s fit something in.” She stood on her toes and planted a big kiss on his cheek, then she was gone, her long, dark hair streaming out behind her.

  He shook his head; she was something else. They had met way back—like, fifteen years ago—when both of them had started writing and singing, doing gigs at the local music holes and then finally the Bluebird. There was never anything romantic, just a strong friendship bond. He was looking forward to talking to her. Maybe a female perspective could help him figure out how to maneuver through the situation with Ava. It was times like these that he wished he had a sister.

  “Chase Hudson, you’re up. Sound check.”

  Chase drew in a deep breath, suddenly feeling a little bit nervous. It wasn’t like him to have nerves, but there was a hell of a lot going on emotionally for him. His biggest worry was Ava. All he had with her was the remainder of today and tomorrow before she left.

  He was determined to do his damnedest to make sure it wasn’t for good.

  Fiona was waiting for him after his sound check and hooked her arm through his. “Come on. We’ve just got a few short minutes to catch up.”

  They went and grabbed a coffee and found a quiet corner with a couple of chairs.

  “So what’s new?” Fiona leaned forward on her knees, a coffee cup dangling between her fingers.

  “Geez, what’s new? It’s been a bit of a crazy ride the last little while. But I’m loving it. You, though, you have really done great. I’m happy for you.” Chase really was: it was good to see someone who worked so hard do well.

  “It definitely has been a challenge. But I was up for it, grappled my way through, and you know how it goes,” she said in a secret tone of voice, her eyes wide. “I love it, though, and my label is super-good to me.”

  “Any man in your life?”

  She waved her hand and made a phssst sound. “When do I have time for a man? I have been on tour steadily for the past year and I’m booked out for the next eight months. And, by the way, I want you to join me at some point,” she said, and pointed her finger at him.

  “I would like that. Give me some dates and I’ll take a look at my schedule.”

  “Now you,” she said. “Tell me what’s going on with you. I’ve seen those Instagram photos with you and this red-headed siren. Who is she?”

  Chase put the cup down and sat back in the seat, crossing his arms. That came out of the blue, but if he could talk to anybody about Ava it would be Fiona. “I just met her the other night. And we’ve pretty much spent every moment together since.”

  Her eyebrows shot up. “Really? So the elusive Chase has been caught? She must be something pretty special to have snagged you.”

  Chase was quiet. Hearing Fiona say the words he’d been thinking only drove deeper that he needed to do something to make Ava see it.

  “Yeah, something like that. She is pretty special. Only she’s hesitant on any kind of future.”

  “Why?” Fiona looked concerned.

  “Because we’d have to have a long-distance relationship. Ava is the epitome of a dreamer and a romantic, but she’s also insanely practical. Plus, she’s not all that keen on being in the public eye. I’m trying to respect her space but also romance the hell out of her so that she doesn’t want to end our relationship after this weekend.”

  “What’s your plan, then?”

  “I need to make one last-ditch attempt. I think I’m going to do it tonight.” He drew in a deep breath and frowned. “Yep, it has to be tonight.”

  “What are you thinking? Are you going to do something public or something private?” Chase saw the look of concern on Fiona’s face.

  “Public. I’ve got a new song—”

  “That you wrote for her?” Fiona leaned forward with interest.

  Chase furrowed his brows ‘Yeah, how did you know?”

  She lifted a shoulder and said mysteriously, “It’s a small town. Anyway, forget it, just tell me more.”

  Chase frowned. He’d have to find out who’d been talking. “We just put the track down yesterday, and it’s pretty damn good.”

  “Uhm, are you sure putting her on the spot like that is the right thing to do? If she’s skittish now, that might make her bolt.”

  “I don’t think so,” he said in a low and thoughtful voice, and shook his head. “Even if our story isn’t meant to have a happy ending, I know Ava, she’ll appreciate me doing this. Like I said, she’s a romantic and, if this isn’t romantic, me bearing my heart and soul to her on stage in front of thousands of people and on television, I don’t know what it is. I have to know I’m doing everything I can do in order to win her over.”

  He saw tears fill Fiona’s eyes. “Oh, Chase, honey, I hope you know what you’re doing. You could be in for a world of hurt.” She leaned forward and put her hand on his knee and squeezed.

  “I know it. And I think it’s the right thing to do. But how about we take a selfie? I know she’d get a kick out of that.”

  “Anything for you.” Fiona hopped out of her seat and came over to stand beside Chase.

  They both snapped a couple of selfies and Chase attached one to a text.

  Chase: Look who I found backstage after my sound check. Did I ever tell you we were good friends?

  He didn’t expect to hear back from Ava quickly so when his phone chimed almost immediately he chuckled and held it up to show Fiona.

  Ava: OMG! You know that amazing superstar Fiona? OK, I demand that you get her autograph for me. Oh wait a minute, the girls see the picture and they want autographs too.

  Chase laughed and showed Fiona the comment. She also chuckled and took Chase’s phone from him.

  Fiona: Hi Ava, Chase told me all about you. I’d be happy to give you an in person autograph tonight. I’m pretty sure you’re going to be here for his performance, right?

  Ava: Holy crap, I’m actually texting w/ Fiona Johns? I can’t believe it. Yes, I—WE—will be there. We have a suite, so you’re more than welcome to pop up and see us.

  Fiona: LOL, I’ll see what I can do. Here’s Chase back. Great to meet you by text. By the way, you have an awesome dude here.

  Ava: I know.

  Ava was stunned, and her friends were gathered around, equally star struck she was texting with Fiona Johns.

  “Oh my God!” Celia was nearly screeching. “You were just texting with one of the biggest country superstars. And look at you, you’re calm. I think I’d be a hot mess.”

  “What am I going to do? I just have to talk back to her like a normal person. But wow, that was pretty mind-blowing.”

  “No kidding.” Bonni was peering at Ava’s phone to look at the texts and photo again.

  “What have we just done? We have fallen down Alice’s rabbit hole. All this fantastic stuff that’s been happening to us ever since we got to Nashville and met Chase.” Excitement bubbled in Fredi’s voice, which was very unusual for her.

  Ava plopped down on a bench in the rotunda. The girls had insisted on coming back to the Country Music Hall of Fame because they’d been rushed the last time. And here she was in the middle of this fantastic place with so much going on. She had a wonderful man who wanted them to have forever together. Ava was overwhelmed. With everything being thrown at her so quickly, her usual practical self was having difficulty digesting it all.

  “I wonder i
f she’ll come to our suite later?” Celia asked and sat down beside Ava.

  “That would be super-cool,” Fredi said. “But she’s such a superstar, I doubt it. Hey, guys, I want to go over and look at those displays. There’s some really amazing fashion here and I didn’t get to see it all last time.” She wandered off and Bonni’s phone rang.

  She held up the phone. “It’s Quinn.” She answered it and found a quiet spot to talk to her love.

  Celia put her arm around Ava. “How are you doing, sweetie?

  Ava sighed and closed her eyes. She didn’t really want to answer the question because she knew, no matter what she said, it would raise the issue she was facing.

  “What’s the matter, Aves?”

  “Oh, nothing and everything,” she moaned.

  “Well, that doesn’t make any sense. Tell me what’s going on. Come on, fess up.”

  Ava let out a big puff of air and turned her head to look at her friend. “You know we had those bets, right?” Celia nodded. “I won the first bet, and he won the next two. So I asked him what he wanted.”

  “What he wanted? Do you mean, like, because he won the bets?” Celia leaned forward and hung her hands between her knees.

  “Yeah, and he shocked me. I thought it would be something fun with a sexual nature to it, but it wasn’t.”

  Ava was quiet, thinking about it. Somehow, right now it didn’t seem as terrifying as it had when they talked about it last night.

  “Are you going to tell me or leave me in the dark guessing?” Celia nudged her arm.

  “He wants to see me after this weekend.” There, she had said it.

  “And that is bad how?” Celia inquired, and Ava heard a bit of humor in her voice.

  “It’s not funny.” Ava frowned and furrowed her eyebrows.

  Celia held her hands up in supplication. “I know it’s not funny. I’m not trying to make it funny. But we talked about this before and I thought you were going to give it a go.”