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  Sookie just shook her head. "Let's skip the D and M tonight, if it's all the same to you. I'd rather throw a few back and then get thrown around the dance floor."

  "Happy to oblige," Chase said. He downed his beer and signaled a passing member of the wait staff for two more . . . drawing a cry of outrage from Sookie when he revealed they were for him. Two more beers quickly followed, and then a free round of shots purchased for every man and woman, courtesy of one of the drunker cowboys.

  Pretty soon, Chase's world was spinning, and it had nothing to do with the alcohol. He had Sookie in his arms and he was twirling her around and around beneath the fairy lights, and she was laughing with her head tipped back as they went. It wasn't a dance in any particular style; Chase supposed they could join with the line dance off to the side and try for something more appropriate to the setting, but the urge to break formation after falling in line the past few years of his life, now, with Sookie, was too powerful to ignore.

  When the jukebox slowed its tempo down, so did he. He pulled Sookie in close, and when she pillowed her head on his chest, his heart nearly melted from the proximity.

  They kept swaying even after the song ended. He gazed down at her and saw that her eyes were closed peacefully. "You falling asleep on me?" he asked.

  She drew back, raised herself up on her toes, and kissed him. "Want to go home with me?" she suggested quietly.

  Did she even need to ask? "You know I do."

  It was only later, as Chase moved between her legs, serenaded by her sighs and moans, that he realized they hadn't escaped the evening's turn toward the deep and meaningful after all. No matter how he changed up their rhythm—no matter how he might flip their positions—the sex they kept coming back to was slow and tender. No matter how impersonal he tried to make it, she pressed the heat of her body against his and undulated her curves until they were one. He couldn't help groaning, or reaching down between thrusts to stroke her sweat-soaked hair, or let his fingers drag worshipfully along any shuddering part of her that was in reach. He was powerless to take charge like he had so many times before, and for once, Sookie didn't fight him for the fun of it. They had dropped more than their clothes at the door, and Chase had never felt so naked.

  I have to end it, he thought in wonder. The next time their hips collided, the thought was blasted out of his mind. He felt like he was viewing his own realization behind a glass case at a museum, like it was ancient already, a relic from a time before he had known with certainty that he would not end it. If every room in the museum represented a part of history, then the thought of ending his fling with the gasping pilot was dated:

  Before Chase Kingston fell in love with Sookie Logan.

  Chapter 12

  Sookie

  Breakfast together at Dyna's was becoming a post-sex ritual with Chase on the nights he stayed over. Sookie had a special post-sex, pre-breakfast ritual that involved hunting the diner for any sign of her brother before sitting down.

  "Hank's already been in, sweetheart," Dyna said. Her mouth was thin, but her kind eyes twinkled with both amusement and exasperation. Sookie knew where Dyna stood on her poor relationship with her brother, and she could guess the woman's opinion of Chase by proxy. Dyna didn't like seeing Sookie running around with the firefighter, but that was only because Dyna still remembered the girl Sookie had once been: fragile, uncertain, perpetually broken-hearted. Dyna couldn't know how Sookie had grown in the years since she'd skipped town, what strengths she'd gained. She couldn't know that this thing with Chase was just a fling, and that they were both happy with the arrangement they had worked out.

  Sookie nodded thankfully, then glanced over her shoulder as she dropped down into her usual seat. Chase was catching up with a couple of guys from his squad. He looked perfectly at ease inside the diner, unlike the first time she’d clapped eyes on him. Despite his cocky exterior, he hadn't been able to hide the fact he was an Alaskan fish out of water—now, his familiar presence seemed to warm the diner, making even the low-lit booths and alcoves glow just a bit brighter. His booming laugh was as natural now to these surroundings as the bubble of the coffee pot or the sizzle of bacon hitting the skillet.

  And God, he looked good in the morning, especially considering they rarely kept their hands off one another in the night long enough to fall asleep. She had given him the boot on more than one occasion in the beginning, even going so far as to bundle his clothes and toss them to him in the driveway when he turned his best pleading, puppy-dog eyes on her. It was all a game—they both knew she wouldn't have thrown him out if they didn't have work in the morning—and as their weeks together progressed, Chase got better and better at talking his way back in. He rarely set foot in the driveway anymore unless it had been his intention all along to leave. Sometimes it was Sookie now who pulled him back in.

  When he turned and caught her looking, he grinned just for her. She quickly held up a menu to pretend like she wasn't totally busted.

  What was with her this morning?

  He said goodbye to his coworkers and sauntered over. "Have I told you just how damn delicious you look this morning?" His compliment drifted to her from behind the shielding menu.

  "You've told me frequently," she said. Didn't matter. Her heart still thrummed every time she heard the insatiable hunger in his voice.

  "Oh, I'm not talking to you," Chase corrected as he plucked the menu out of her hands. "I'm talking to the flapjacks printed on back here. Think I know what I'm ordering this morning."

  Sookie snorted. "Seriously? Who calls pancakes flapjacks anymore?"

  "Only true gentlemen," Chase said staunchly. "We're a dying breed."

  Almost as if on cue, the bell chimed, and the diner door pushed open. Sookie was mid-eyeroll at Chase's claim, so she was the first to see the face of the man who ducked inside the establishment. The blood froze in her veins.

  "I'm telling you that you scored when you met me. I'm—Sookie, what is it?" Chase gazed into her face, his smile twitching to an empty standstill. "Hank?" he guessed without turning around.

  The man by the door surveyed the diner. His eyes lit on Sookie's. She rose as he started toward her . . . but managed to be standing less defensively by the time he arrived. Chase glanced between the two of them and rose as well, although he was clearly confused.

  "Sookie," the man said in astonishment. "I had no idea you were in town!"

  'The not-knowing was mutual," Sookie said. "Chase, this is my . . . friend. Jason. We go way back."

  She thought she was being diplomatic, but Jason undercut her in the next instant. "We used to date," he explained as he extended his hand to Chase. "Pleasure to meet you." Sookie watched their hands pump, and wondered if she only imagined Jason's skin breaking out into patches of white as Chase cut off his circulation.

  "Good to meet you, Jason." If it was a lie, Chase did a great job of sounding cordial.

  Sookie shook her head. I'm imagining things, she thought. Worse, maybe she was actively fantasizing that Chase would feel possessive of her when confronted by a past flame. She definitely had to knock it off.

  "Listen, I hope I'm not interrupting anything . . ." Jason glanced back and forth between them, ". . . but would you have time to catch up? I understand if you have plans." Another significant look at Chase.

  "I've got time after my shift tonight," Sookie suggested. "I'm flying a chopper for the National Guard, but it's a routine patrol tonight. I should be back down again by seven." Admittedly, she had been looking forward to spending an evening in with Chase . . . but she had never expected the opportunity to talk to Jason face-to-face to come again. There was so much she had left unsaid between them, so much she needed to get off her chest and establish once and for all.

  Jason's eyebrows rose. "No way. Now I'm really glad I happened to run into you. You'll have to fill me in on all the crazy stories you have." He nodded to himself, his gaze suddenly turned inward. He looked disappointed by his own story as he added, "I'm just in town
looking after my parents' house. They couldn't make it up from Florida this year, so I came to housesit for them. You know: good son stuff," he joked.

  Sookie had to laugh as well. While Jason seemed taller and more distinguished, he was still totally white bread. "Still have your old number?"

  Sookie nodded.

  "Great! I'll give you a call later this evening. I'll look for you!" he added, cheesily pointing upward.

  Sookie shook her head, chuckling, as he walked off to take the booth Dyna had cleared for him.

  "Guess we're off for tonight," Chase said.

  Sookie turned back to him. His tone was neutral, but she still burned guiltily to think he had been a party to that exchange. She had jumped on Jason's invitation, afraid the chance to heal old wounds would never come again, and she had done it at the expense of a night together. Still, it wasn’t like Chase would mind, right? They had both deliberately denied themselves the privilege to mind what the other did, hadn't they?

  "Yeah. Sorry about that. It's just . . ." Sookie toyed with her fork, wagging it back and forth like she could trick her brain into coming up with a better excuse through hypnosis. She settled for the truth. "Things didn't really end well between us. I always wondered if I'd get a chance to have a personal talk with him again.” She looked up and suggested quickly, “Why don't we get together tomorrow? I had such a good time last night . . . I hate to postpone any more fun we might have together." She tried on her best devilish smirk, but when Chase seemed unconvinced, she leaned in quickly to kiss him. That surprised him—they had both agreed to implement a 'no PDA' rule at Dyna's, especially after they’d nearly wrecked her restroom the last time they got feisty.

  "Sounds great," he said. His eyes glanced off the clock above her head in barely the time it took to read its hands. "Hey, I gotta get to the station. Call me when you're free, all right?"

  Sookie tried to mask her disappointment as he rose. They hadn't even had time to order anything together, but she supposed she should be going as well. Running into Jason, while serendipitous, had also suppressed her appetite. She knew the things she had to say to Jason, and they weren't going to be easy for either of them to digest . . . but she felt certain it would help her move forward in a positive way, and the new Sookie was all about propulsion.

  She just wished she could have skipped seeing the distracted look on Chase's face. Maybe he was only thinking about his own work, Sookie reasoned, even though she knew in her heart it was a lie. Unexpectedly running into Jason had to be the reason for Chase's sudden distance, but she had faith the fireman would work through any jealousy aroused from having her ex around.

  Sookie had no intention of getting back with Jason, anyway—and even if she did, it wasn’t like she and Chase were an actual item.

  This will be good for us, Sookie thought as she departed for the airstrip. She had no way of knowing what Chase currently expected from their fling, but even she could see it was starting to get too cozy. Maybe Jason had arrived at the exact right moment to dump a bucket of chilly reality on her newest torch. This will be good for you, Sookie. Everything is happening in accordance to what you wanted. You're having hot, no-strings-attached fun with a smoking fireman from out of town; you get a second chance to clear things up with Jason; hell, you're even pissing off Hank with almost every breath you take. You're in complete control of your life, and you answer to no one.

  Whatever was going on with Chase, she couldn't let it follow her into the air. She needed to fly with a clear head, especially since her sky was more choked with smoke each passing day.

  It was getting harder to see her way clear.

  Chapter 13

  Chase

  Fucking Jason.

  "You don't look happy," Hank noted.

  Chase glanced up from the foam tank he was refilling. He was confined to the airstrip today doing material prep. He supposed it was what he deserved for showing up early and appearing overzealous. He couldn't exactly tell his chief that his sudden enthusiasm stemmed from needing to get as far away from Sookie—and any ex-boyfriends—as possible.

  "I'm doing grunt work." Chase made sure to grunt his response appropriately. "Forgive me if I'm not out dancing in the streets."

  Hank had always driven his men hard, but recently the chief seemed to be working them harder than ever. As much as he complained, Chase didn't really mind it—usually. He had survived this long on the squad because he was a hard worker, and always pushed himself to go further, to do better. Putting up a protest was all posturing, all expected behavior, on his part.

  If he was being honest with himself, he appreciated that the chief saddled him with so much responsibility. It was a stark contrast to his father. Chase didn't want to say he needed someone to impress, so . . . he wouldn't.

  "You think this assignment is beneath you," Hank said as he began to pump his own tank. "But if you took a second to really think about it, you'd realize your chief is doing the fucking grunt work right alongside you. And he's faster at it. I'd leave you alone if I thought it'd make you more efficient, Kingston, but it's obvious you'd rather stew than get shit done. So what's up?"

  "Nothing," Chase said.

  "If you don't want to talk, I guess that's fair enough," Hank said. "I haven't exactly been welcoming our conversations recently." The chief really did seem willing to drop it, but a question itched in Chase's brain now. His tongue wagged against his clenched teeth.

  "Who the hell is Jason, anyway?"

  "Jason? Jason Lewis?" Hank paused in his work, looking genuinely surprised to hear the name. "He and Sookie grew up together. Everyone in town knew they were a match before they did, and, well . . . you know how small towns are. It was pretty much expected that they would get married."

  Hank disappeared behind his foam tank and resurfaced moments later, wearing a meditative look. "Not entirely sure why they didn't make it, but I wasn't surprised. I always thought that guy was too serious for Sookie. She didn't need someone to control her, or try to fit her into some traditional small-town mold. Aggravating as she is sometimes, she was never someone who was meant to be tamed. A guy like Jason couldn't handle Sookie." Hank shook his head. "But they broke up after I left town. I have my opinions, but sometimes I'm not sure it's right I voice them. I wasn't the best brother to her for a while . . . and I didn't really keep myself up-to-date with her life."

  "She may act like she resents it, but you have to know it means something to her that you're here now," Chase said. "Even if she can't admit it to herself."

  Hank shrugged, looking unconvinced. "Jason Lewis . . ." he resumed thoughtfully. "It's been years since I thought of him. What's it all to you, anyway?"

  Chase glanced up sharply, but there had been nothing in his chief's tone that implied an opinion one way or another. For once, Hank genuinely seemed as if he was just making small talk, nothing more . . . and Chase was damn suspicious of the sudden turn. Usually Hank took any interest in Sookie on Chase’s part personally. Usually the threat of flying fists seemed just around the conversational corner.

  "It's not anything to me," Chase said, realizing only after the words were out that there had been no winning way to answer Hank's question. "I mean . . . it's just something to talk about. Jason's back in town, that's all."

  Hank shook his head and muttered under his breath. A little louder, he said, "How'd Sookie take the news?"

  Guessing we were together at the time, Chase thought. He busied himself priming the tank in front of him as he brainstormed a diplomatic way to answer. "Seems like she took it all right," he said finally. "She's going to catch up with him tonight, anyway. Doesn't seem like she's taking the idea of a reunion too badly at all."

  "Something about coming back to your hometown after a long absence makes you see things different," Hank said. "It forces you to finally see all the things you might have done wrong in the past. And it puts you in a mood to fix your mistakes."

  Chase's hands froze in their work. No matter how hard h
e tried to get them going again, they wouldn't cooperate. He avoided looking at Hank for as long as he could, but the silence stretched between them, and he finally couldn't take it anymore. He glanced up and was surprised to find Hank staring off into space. He had never known his chief to lose himself in thought almost mid-sentence like that.

  Hank was obviously reflecting on something. Still, Chase couldn't help wondering if the warning was meant for him.

  Hank snapped out of it eventually. "Don't worry about it right now," he advised. "You just keep focused on filling those tanks, Kingston."

  "Yeah, yeah." Chase would have waved him off had he not been using both hands to prep said tank. "I'm going, I'm going."

  But if Hank was right about one thing, it was that Chase's efficiency suffered from being distracted. Try as he might, he couldn't get Sookie out of his head. The memory of her wild laughter as he’d spun her around the dance floor last night persisted. When he replayed the image to its conclusion, he relived the moment he’d banded her tightly against him, followed by the moment she raised herself up to entwine her arms around his neck and seal her warm lips against his . . .

  Chase shuddered and closed his eyes. He needed to back off. It would be the best thing for him—and the best thing for Sookie. He could admit now that he had failed in keeping his emotional distance—he was only human, after all—but the important thing was he had caught it in an early stage. Speculation that he was falling for his squad's Angel had been only that: speculation.

  A little material prep, and he'd be ready to pursue his fling with Sookie again tomorrow. If she still wanted him. If Jason didn't manage to win back tonight what he had so idiotically let go in the first place.

  Fucking Jason.

  Chapter 14

  Sookie