Leaving Home by Chase, A. (life books to read .txt) 📗

cattle with Jackson, while Les is going over the accounts with me. I thought I’d leave him alone for a little bit while I gave you a call.”

“Good to know, though I’m a little nervous to meet all of your friends.”

Actually, Chaz was terrified of meeting the men Peter called his family. He wasn’t good

enough for Peter, and Chaz was afraid someone would figure it out.

“Why? They’re all great guys. Trust me, they won’t hate you, and I’ll put in a good

word for you,” Peter teased.

Chaz chuckled. “Just one word? You’re not going to sit them down and tell them

everything you like about me? Doesn’t seem right to me.”

Peter grunted. “The list is so long, I’m not sure I have time to tell them everything

before you get here.”

www.total-e-bound.com

LEAVING HOME T.A. Chase 121

“Well played there. It’s not like I’m going to be asking for your hand in marriage or

anything like that,” Chaz pointed out.

“Right.” Peter hesitated, then went on, “Umm… Chaz, I have to ask you something.”

“Go ahead.” He wasn’t sure he wanted to hear what Peter wanted to ask, but he

couldn’t really say no.

“While I know we haven’t known each other that long, and really only spent two weeks

together, I have to ask. Are we getting serious, or am I just a distraction?” Peter fell silent.

Chaz waited to see if Peter had anything else to say, but nothing was forthcoming. He

cleared his throat.

“You are a distraction, Peter, just not in the way you’re talking about. I’m not hanging

out or sleeping with you simply because I need something to do. I have a lot of other

interests to keep me busy. The reason you distract me is because I can’t think of anything except you.” He cringed at what he was admitting out loud.

Peter inhaled sharply. “Really? You’re not just saying that because you think I want to

hear it?”

“I don’t talk about things like that on a whim. I’ve never said anything like that to any other man. I like you, Peter. Hell, I could possibly fall in love with you, given time.”

Fuck! He slammed his hand on the steering wheel. He hadn’t meant to say that either.

What the hell was wrong with him? He wasn’t someone who revealed his hand this early in a relationship. Well, actually, he’d never told anyone that. Why was Peter different?

Silence greeted his statement and stretched until Chaz was pretty sure Peter had hung

up on him.

“Peter?” He should’ve hung up. Actually, he should’ve never answered the phone in

the first place.

“I’m still here. I’m processing what you said. Did you really mean it? Could you fall in

love with me?” Peter snorted. “God, I sound like a girl.”

“No more than I do,” Chaz pointed out.

“True, but answer me,” Peter demanded.

Chaz took a deep breath before saying, “Yes, I mean it. I really like you, and I haven’t

been able to think about anything else since we met.”

Peter laughed. “Join the club, man. It’s been difficult to get anything done because all I can think about is you and what we’ve done together.”

www.total-e-bound.com

LEAVING HOME T.A. Chase 122

The last part of the sentence was said in a whisper. Chaz smiled at the shyness in Peter’s voice. So adorable, considering everything they’d done before Chaz had left for the next

event.

“I assume Les is still there with you,” he commented.

“He’s in the other room, but I didn’t want to talk about what we’ve done in front of

him. It’s private, and I don’t think I’ll ever become used to discussing it with anyone but you.”

“Good. I don’t want you talking about sex with anyone else, and I don’t want you to

think about having it with anyone else either. I’ve decided I’m going to be the possessive type.” He shrugged, even though Peter couldn’t see him. “Not sure why, when I’ve never

cared about the other guys I’ve fucked like that.”

Yawning, he swerved slightly as he drove. An hour into the drive, and he was dead on

his feet—or ass, since he was sitting. Maybe he shouldn’t have taken all those pills before he’d left.

“I might drive as far as I can today, then stop. My back might not allow me to drive

straight through.” He hated admitting that to Peter.

He heard another voice in the background of Peter’s phone, then Peter said, “I have to

go now, Chaz. Call me when you stop, and drive safe.”

“I will. Bye.” He pushed the end button before taking a drink of his soda.

After another four hours, he pulled off the highway, then found a hotel to stay at. Chaz

checked in, praying he could get to his room without dropping anything or crumpling to his knees. He got the door unlocked, shoved it open, then carried his bag in.

Chaz dropped the bag on the floor, not caring about any of it. He fell face first onto the bed and was asleep before he could think about taking off his clothes.

* * * *

Warmth on his face woke him, and Chaz blinked, opening his eyes to see he’d forgotten

to draw the curtains when he’d got into the room. Wow… It was crazy bright out. He rolled over to check the time. It was eleven o’clock. He’d slept far longer than he’d planned, and his back complained about the position he’d been in the entire night.

www.total-e-bound.com

LEAVING HOME T.A. Chase 123

Shit! He’d forgotten to call Peter again. Peter was going to be pissed off if he kept not calling him. Chaz struggled to sit up, then looked around to find his bag. He’d stuck his phone in there when he’d arrived at the hotel.

His bag was on the floor just inside the door, so he pushed to his feet before making his way over there. Chaz dug out his phone to check his voicemails. There was only one from

Peter, and he didn’t sound upset.

“I guess you probably fell right asleep when you got to wherever you chose to stay. Just

call me when you wake up tomorrow.”

Chaz deleted the message, then dialled