The Soldier's Baby Surprise (For the Baby's Sake, Book 1) (2 page)

Chapter Two

             
Willow leaned back in her seat and exhaled heavily. “If one more guy comes up to this table with lust filled eyes, I’m going to scream.”

              “Why? It’s a compliment,” Geneva retorted with a wink. “As long as they respect your personal space and the word no, it’s okay.”

              “Yeah, well it’s early and people aren’t past the limit of intoxication yet.”

              “Give me a break, Willow. Everyone here is not a raging alcoholic. People who come to Slippery Slope know that sort of behavior isn’t tolerated. No matter what the name of the establishment might indicate otherwise. So just relax and go with it.”

              Willow closed her eyes briefly and tried to focus on breathing slowly. She didn’t know what was wrong with her tonight. No she didn’t want to be out tonight, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t try to enjoy the company of her best friend for a little while. Perhaps if she let her guard down a little she might actually have fun. Perhaps the strong alcoholic beverage would help.

              As she reached for her drink, she smiled at Geneva. “You’re right. I’m being a really bad friend right now. I’m promise I’m going to do better, starting now.”

              Geneva reached across the table to squeeze Willows hand. “Great. Now let’s—
oh my God!
”

              Willow frowned at her friend, as she cut off in mid-sentence. Geneva had glanced to the side, only to do a double take, then her eyes widened in shock. When Willow went to look, Geneva’s grip tightened as she refocused on her.

              “No. Don’t.” Geneva squirmed in her chair and licked her lips. “Remember when you just said a moment ago that you’re going to scream if another guy walks up to our table?”

              Willow stifled a groan. This was too much. All she wanted to do was enjoy a simple drink with her friend, have an awesome girls night out, then go back home. Clearly, it was too much to ask.

              “Don’t give me that look, Willow. I think you’re going to like this guy. Just give him a chance before you automatically shoot him down.”

              “Give him a opportunity for what?” Willow asked. “I’m not here for some casual hookup. I don’t have time for that.”

              “You could if you allowed yourself to,” Geneva whispered a few seconds before the guy in question stopped near their table.

              Her best friend discreetly released her hand, but Willow didn’t turn to look like Geneva did. Instead she focused on her drink.

              As she took a sip, she had to give this guy credit. He hadn’t crowded the table like the two previous guys. This one actually seemed to recognize and appreciate the meaning of personal space.

              “Good evening, ladies.”

              Willow’s heart rate sped up. The husky timbre of his voice sent a shiver down her spine. When she finally looked up, the greeting she’d been about to utter, froze in her throat.

              Before her stood a tall, well-built man. His red button down shirt was loose, but still managed to reveal that a massive chest was beneath it. The well-worn jeans revealed long, well-muscled legs that told her he was just the right height to climb. Which said something, considering she was five feet and nine inches in height herself.

              Her breath caught in her throat at the thought, even as she continued her perusal of him. She’d saved the best for last. Letting her gaze continue upward, she studied his face. He had short brown hair and eyes that appeared to be blue, but the lighting kept her from being able to determine the exact shade. His face was angular in a way that she’d seen described in a few of the romance novels she’d read. His nose had definitely been broken a few times, but it added to his character. The rest of his face was rounded off with a sharp jaw line and full, kissable lips. She was so tempted to stand up and test them, that she had to force her legs against the bottom of the booth to keep from getting up.

             
Have mercy! He was freaking gorgeous!

              “I hope the two of you are enjoying yourselves.”

              “We are, but I have a feeling it’s about to get better,” Geneva responded.

              Willow wanted to scold her friend for being so forward, but she couldn’t take her eyes off the sexy man standing before her. What shocked her was he didn’t seem to be able to stop staring at her either.

              “I hope I don’t disappoint you,” the handsome stranger responded.

              Willow couldn’t get her mouth to work, but thankfully Geneva didn’t appear to have the same issue.

              “I don’t think that’s possible,” Geneva retorted.

              When he chuckled, a tingle made its way down Willow’s spine. What was it about this man that made every part of her respond? It was frightening. She’d never responded to a man so strongly. For once in her life, she didn’t know what she should do. That scared her even more.

              Then he did something that made her heart leap into her throat. He knelt down beside her, until they were eye-to-eye.

              “I won’t ask to join you, because clearly that’s what the two men before did. Instead I’m going to get straight to the point. I’m interested in getting to know you better. However, I don’t want to interrupt a night out between friends.” He shifted slightly. “So tell me, if I leave you my number, will you promise to call me at a more convenient time?”

              Willow opened her mouth to respond, but no sound came out. 

              “I think that means yes,” Geneva finally stated.

              Willow vowed to kill her as soon as she could get her brain to function.

              “Can I have your cell phone?” he asked.

              When Willow didn’t move, Geneva handed him hers instead. “Here you go. This way I can ensure she calls you.”

              He put the number in and handed it back to Geneva. “By the way, my name is Chase. What’s yours?”

              “Willow.”

              Her name came out so quickly she blinked, but she didn’t have time to process the insanity of the entire situation.

              One corner of his mouth curved upward as he extended his hand to her. The moment they touched, it felt as though an electrical current had zapped her. If he felt the same sensation, he didn’t let on.

              “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Willow. Now, I’ve taken up enough of your time. Enjoy the rest of your night and I look forward to hearing from you.”

              He pressed a kissed against the back of her hand before releasing it. She watched as he rose gracefully and made his way back across the bar to his group.

              “Willow?”

              She jumped as Geneva broke the spell she appeared to be under.

              “Yes?”

              “Are you okay?”

              Willow looked back over at Chase, who’d retaken his seat. As if he knew she was watching him, he glanced over in her direction and winked. She shook her head and turned back to the front. Reaching for her drink, she downed half of it, ignoring the dual sensation of the cold from the ice and the burn from the alcohol. She was pretty certain she’d just experienced an out of body moment.

              “Willow?”

              “
What?
” she snapped before she could catch herself.

              Geneva laughed. “Oh my, he really has you in a tizzy doesn’t he?”

              “Whatever,” Willow mumbled, as she down the rest of her drink.

              “No, not whatever. I’ve never seen you react that way to a man. It doesn’t hurt that he’s gorgeous and military.”

              Willow shook her head. “He’s perfect for you, but definitely not for me.”

              “I beg to differ. I have a feeling that Mr. Chase is exactly what you need in your life. I think it’s fortunate for you that he doesn’t seem like the type that gives up once he sets eyes on something he wants.”

              “That’s what worries me,” Willow stated. 

Chapter Three

              It took everything Chase had in him to sit back and pretend that he was completely relaxed without a care in the world. He was doing his best to focus on the conversations going on around him. Every once in a while he was able to throw out a word or two in response. Truth was, he wanted to race back over to Willow and make her his in every way known to man. Thanks to his military training, he knew that wasn’t the way to handle her. Her body language told him he had to hand her with finesse. Now he just had to be patient.

              It was going to be difficult to do though. He didn’t have a lot of time to spare. With his imminent departure tomorrow, he wanted to get to know her better before he left. A thought that should have scared him beyond everything else. He’d vowed to avoid attachments.  But he couldn’t deny that Willow had him wondering what it could be like.

              It wasn’t all about the physical either. Yes, she was a beautiful woman. When he’d knelt down beside her at the table the first thing he’d noticed were her delicate feminine features. High cheekbones accentuated a slender face. Her eyes, a light brown, full of inquisitiveness and mystery. Her skin, a flawless toffee color, like rich coffee with just the right amount of cream. Her nose was short, the bridge straight. Her lips were generously curved and full, making him wonder what it would feel like to kiss them.

              However, it was more than her beauty that captivated him. She gave off a vibe that called to him. The moment he laid eyes on her, something had clicked. He knew she’d felt it too, the moment they’d touched. It’d been hard to release her hand and go back to join his group. But it’d been for the best. His goal had been to show her he was different from the other guys that had walked up to her. Considering she hadn’t been able to take her eyes off him since he’d come back to his table, he figured he’d been successful.

              Frustration surged through him. When he’d come to Slippery Slope tonight after receiving the invite from a few of the men in his company, the last thing he’d expected was to meet a woman who made him question exactly where he was in life. He’d only planned to have a drink or two then go home and get some well-needed rest. He had to be up early in order to make sure everything was ready for his company to ship out.

              They were getting ready to serve another tour in Afghanistan. He was certain it wouldn’t be their last either. Still, he had two goals. The first was to complete their missions successfully. The second was to bring everyone in his company back safely. Unfortunately, the second one would probably be virtually impossible. It was a volatile place with a lot of people who wanted to do harm and would stop at nothing.

              “Excuse me, sir.”

              Chase looked up at the waitress who’d spoken. “Yes?”

              “The lady across the way sent this drink over.”

              Even before he turned to see who it was that sent it, he knew. But he looked over at Willow. She was focused on the straw in her glass, but the grin on her friends face told him what he needed to know. He accepted the beer from the waitress. At that exact moment Willow’s gaze met his. He tilted the neck of the bottle in her direction in thanks. She gave a slight nod then turned her attention back to her friend.

              Turning back, he took a sip of the cold brew, as he contemplated his next move. A few seconds later his cell phone vibrated. It was a text message from an unknown number. He swiped his finger across the screen to read it.

             
The drink Willow sent means she’s interested. But you’re going have to come to her.

              Willow is a little gun shy. Geneva.

              He studied the text message for several minutes. Taking a deep breath, he released it slowly as he began to formulate a plan. When he finally looked up, Willow’s friend Geneva stared at him with one of her eyebrows arched high. He chuckled. Willow and her friend appeared to be like night and day. He was just grateful her friend was in his corner. Something in his gut told him he’d need all the help he could get.      

* * * *

              “Do you want another drink?” Geneva asked.

              Willow shook her head. “No, I’m pretty sure I’m drunk as it is. I just bought a drink for a complete stranger for the first time in my life.”

              “And it was a good thing. He acknowledged you for it.”

              “Yes, but now I’m not sure I want him to.”

              Geneva smiled. “You’d have to be out of your mind to not want a man like him to pay attention to you. Besides, he definitely noticed your gesture of good will.”

              The instant the words left her friends mouth, Willow stiffened. She didn’t have long to prepare herself. A heartbeat later Chase appeared by her side again. Before she could speak, he extended his hand to her.

              “I would offer to buy you another drink in return,” he began, “but you don’t strike me as much of a drinker. So how about a dance instead?”

              Everything within her screamed
yes
, so she rested her palm against his and allowed him to help her to her feet. She looked back at Geneva who shooed her away.

              “I’ll be fine. Go have fun.”

              As they neared the dance floor, a slow song came on. Something about a woman sighing because the man appeared to be doing something right. The instant Chase pulled her into his embrace, she could relate one hundred percent. Instead of fighting the feeling, she closed her eyes and rested her head against his chest.

              It felt so good to be in his arms. He moved her around the dance floor as if he’d been doing it all of his life. Before she knew it, the song had come to an end and she couldn’t make herself beg for another second in his perfect close hold. Fortunately, she didn’t have to. One slow tune turned into two, then to three, before the spell was broken by something upbeat. She was tempted to make up her own slow melody just to keep dancing, but Chase stopped, then pulled away. She leaned back to find him smiling.

              “Let’s go back to your table and talk a little,” he requested.

              She gave a quick nod and allowed him to lead her off the dance floor. Apprehension flickered through her because she knew there wouldn’t be any privacy. It was already a struggle to keep her wits about her with Chase speaking. Adding Geneva to the mix would be a disaster.

Fortunately, as soon as they arrived at the table her friend shook her empty glass as she slid out of the booth.

              “You two have a seat and chat, while I go take care of some unfinished business with the bartender.”

              For once, Willow didn’t argue with her best friend. Chase gestured for her to have a seat inside the booth. She sat down, but was surprised when he slipped in next to her.

              “Would you like something to drink?” he asked.

              “No. I have my soda to finish.”

              “Done drinking for the night?”

              “Yes. You guessed right earlier when you stated that I’m not much of a drinker.”

              One corner of his mouth curved upward. “Nice to know.”

              She angled her body toward him. “What about you? Do you come here often?”

              He studied her a moment as if he thought she’d wanted to ask something else. “No I don’t. I’m just here to show support to my men before we ship out.”

              “Ship out?”

              “I’m in the Army. In the morning, my men and I head out for a stint in Afghanistan.”

              Her heart skipped a beat as his words sunk in. They only had one night. He would be gone for several months starting tomorrow. She was tempted to crawl over him to get out of the booth, get Geneva and escape to safety. But something told her Chase wouldn’t go for that. Deep down, she knew she wouldn’t either.

              “You look as though you want to run,” he stated.

              “I do,” she responded, before she could stop herself.

              She blinked slowly, then reached for her soda. What in the world was wrong with her? Perhaps it was the potent drink Geneva had convinced her to take earlier. She didn’t know what was in the alcoholic beverage but she sure did feel devilish.

              “Why?”

              That had been the one question she’d hoped he wasn’t going to ask. But he had, so she had to be honest.

              “Whatever this is between us frightens me.”

              He reached for her hand. “I believe it is called chemistry.”

              She stared down at their intertwined hands as she tried to figure out the confusing emotions racing through her. Why was she so attracted to a man she’d just met? What was it about him that made her want to let her guard down? A few heartbeats later, she looked back up at him.

              “So, what are we really doing here?” she asked.

              “Getting to know each other, I hope. Yes, I have less than twenty-four hours left in town and I don’t want to waste it.”

              “I have a rule not to get involved with military men. I work with a few ladies where they’ve taken that risk and it hasn’t worked out well.”

              “What do you do?”

              “I’m a clerk down at the district court.”

              “Interesting,” he replied.

              “It has its moments.” She cleared her throat. “So how do we handle this?”

              “How do you want to?”

              She frowned as he answered her question with one. Yet, she knew honesty was the best policy.

              “I don’t do casual relationships.”

              “Why not?”

              Her scowl deepened. “They don’t mean anything.”

              “True, but sometimes its best that way,” he replied.

              “Is that what you want from me?” she asked.

              “Truthfully? No it isn’t. However, I’m at a point right now where that’s all I can give you. I leave on a plane in the morning. I won’t be back for six months.”

              She looked back down at their intertwined hands, doing her best to remain calm while a war of conflict swirled within her. At this point she knew she should just get up and walk away. She could honestly say she’d never had a one-night stand. Based on what Chase was saying to her, that was pretty much what this was going to end up being. But she wanted it. Even if it was all she could have, she yearned for it. Something in her gut told her that a chance with a man like him might not ever come around again. Everything within her screamed that he was worth the risk.

              “Okay,” she finally stated.

              He reached up and cupped her cheek in the palm of his hand. “You reserve the right to say no at anytime. I will understand.”

              “Thank you,” she responded, even though she had no plans to. She was thirty-two years old and rational enough to make this decision. As much as she’d wanted to blame it on the alcohol earlier, she hadn’t had enough to even claim to be inebriated.

              He interrupted her thoughts when he slid from the booth and held his hand out to her. “Let’s take another stroll around the dance floor.”

              Sliding her palm across his, she rose to her feet with his assistance. The sensations swamping her as he led them over to the other dancers threatened to overwhelm her. What was it about him that called to her on such a deep primitive level?

              Something told her she was about to find out.

              She rested her head on his chest and swayed to the gentle beat of the music. This time it was a soulful ballad she couldn’t quite name. But it didn’t matter, that wasn’t what was important right now.

              She lost track of how long they moved around the floor, until another fast song came on. Slowly, she pulled back to peer up at him. He was such a handsome man. She could hardly believe he was single. 

             
Wait!

              She didn’t know that for certain. All she knew was he was in the military. This was crazy. She was contemplating being intimate with complete stranger. Chase studied her closely.

              “If you’re having second thoughts this doesn’t have to go any further.”

              She frowned. “It’s not that I’m having seconds thoughts, it’s just…are you married?”

              He chuckled under his breath as he held up his left hand. “No, I’m not. Nor do I have a girlfriend or children waiting in the wings.”

              “How old are you?”

              He laughed outright this time. “Thirty-six. What about you?”

              “Thirty-two. No husband. No boyfriend. No kids.”

              “Anything else you want to know before we head back to the table and make Geneva aware of our plans?”