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  Chasin’s Surrender

  Gemini Group Book 5

  Riley Edwards

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  Chasin Murray

  “Uncle Chasin?”

  “Hey, Rory,” Chasin answered Rory as the call transferred from the SUV’s Bluetooth to his cell.

  “What are you doing today?”

  “Going kayaking,” he answered, scanning the empty marina.

  “Bummer.”

  Chasin smiled at the disgruntled response from the little girl who’d stolen his heart.

  “What are you doing today?”

  “We’re taking the Pooper Cooper to Aunt Kennedy’s. Alec said we were gonna barbeque,” Rory announced in her sweet, singsong voice.

  Chasin snorted. Pooper Cooper was Alec, Macy, Caleb, Rory, and Jocelyn’s new puppy—his name was Cooper, but Pooper Cooper was of the tamer nicknames Alec had given the pup.

  “Don’t think I’ll make it out this time, doll.”

  “Total bummer. I wanted another ride in your race car.”

  “Sports car,” he corrected. “Besides, I’m not driving it today. My kayak doesn’t fit on the roof, silly.”

  “Oh, right.”

  Rory was silent a beat and Chasin patiently waited. This was something that had started after the little girl had been taken and was forced to witness the murder of her grandfather, made worse by the killer being her biological father. Aurora now clung to those she loved. She called Nixon, Jameson, Weston, Holden, and Chasin often. She also called McKenna, Kennedy, Silver, and her Aunt Becky with great frequency.

  None of them minded, even when she grew silent thinking of something else she could say just to keep them on the phone. In the months since she’d been taken, Rory was making progress, she was nearly back to her old six-year-old fun self. Something Chasin knew Alec took great pains to make happen.

  “School’s out next week,” Chasin reminded her, breaking the silence so she didn’t have to. “Wanna go bowling then have lunch after?”

  “Yes! But you can’t be a sore loser when I bet you again.”

  Damn, but, he loved the little girl.

  “Deal. Now I’m gonna let you go so you can get over to Aunt Kennedy’s. Tell your mom and brother I said hello.”

  “Jossy, too?”

  “Yeah, sweetheart, Jocelyn, too.”

  “Okay. See you next week.”

  “Next week, sweetheart.”

  Chasin disconnected and tossed his phone in the cup holder.

  Ten minutes later, he was paddling down the Chester River. The air temperature had started to warm but the water still felt chilly.

  Silence.

  This was what he needed.

  Chasin Murry knew himself well enough to know he hated change. He liked steady, uniformed, controlled. It had been part of why he’d been a good SEAL.

  Even when he and his team had to improvise and adapt, they did it with great care—controlled. Outcomes weighed.

  Life was a chess game. He liked to understand his opponent’s next three moves before he made his.

  But over the last year, so much had changed. Nix found McKenna. The unbelievable happened and Jameson had fallen in love. Weston and Silver got together and now they had Dylan. Alec found his family. Even Holden had changed.

  And there Chasin was, looking in from the outside, living in the big farmhouse all by himself, watching his friends live their lives.

  It wasn’t jealousy or loneliness that ate away at his insides—it was more than that. It felt like loss. Something was missing. His chest ached with it.

  Goddamn, I’m a pansy-assed idiot.

  Chasin was deep in thought, deliberating the direction of his life, when he heard the scream.

  His head snapped to the right just in time to see a woman fall off a dock and splash into the chilly water.

  Without thought he abandoned his kayak, dove in, and quickly made his way to the splashing woman. He wrapped his arm around her waist as he treaded water and he heard her gasp in surprise. Her unusual golden eyes widened in…fear.

  “Can you swim?” he asked.

  “W-what?” the woman sputtered.

  “Swim? Do you know how?”

  “Yeah.”

  Chasin released his hold and immediately felt the loss.

  What the fuck?

  “Did you hurt yourself?”

  “Um…just my pride.”

  Chasin smiled at her quip and allowed himself to take in her features. Even with her brown hair wet and in disarray, she was stunning. And those golden eyes had him hypnotized.

  “I was trying to rearrange the furniture on the dock. I got too close to the edge and fell in,” she explained.

  Chasin glanced over at the dock. The planks were only a foot or two above the water.

  “High tide.”

  “Huh?”

  “It’s high tide, you didn’t have far to fall.”

  “Oh. Well, thanks for coming to my rescue…”

  Was that an invitation to introduce himself?

  “Chasin Murray.”

  “Chasin,” she repeated and smiled. “A Hebrew name meaning strong and mighty.”

  “How do you know that?”

  “I’m full of useless information.” The woman shrugged her shoulder.

  “You have a name?” Chasin grinned, enjoying their easy banter while bobbing in the water.

  Her head tilted to the side and she stared at him expectantly. “You don’t know who I am?”

  Chasin’s body tensed at her question. There was no chance he would’ve forgotten this woman, but the way she asked told him he was missing something. A feeling he didn’t like.

  “Should I know who you are?”

  His unease grew as she continued to study him. “No. I…um…figured with a town as small as this, rumors would’ve made the rounds.”

  “I don’t pay attention to rumors. There a reason rumors would be going around about you?”

  “I’m new around here.” She lifted her shoulder, trying but failing to look casual. “Just figured people would talk.” That was a lie. “I’m Genevieve Ellison. I’d shake your hand but mine are both in use keeping me from drowning.”

  “I wouldn’t let you drown. But we should get out of the water.”

  “Yeah. Thanks for your help.”

  Chasin wasn’t done helping just yet. Or maybe he wasn’t ready to leave the beautiful Genevieve.

  She didn’t swim to the dock. Instead, she moved to the shore, found her feet, and that was when Chasin got his first look.

  Soaked cut-off jean shorts clung to the sweetest ass he’d ever seen. Long, tanned legs seemed to go on forever—thighs that were strong and thick. Thank Christ the water was cold—it helped combat the erection threatening to give him away.

  “I lost my flip-flops,” she noted, picking up her foot to show him.

  Chasin quickly yanked the Velcro cuff from his wrist and pulled his kayak to the shore.

  “You’re wet,” Genevieve blurted, then covered her outburst with a groan. “Well, that sounded stupid, of course you’re wet.”

  Damn, she was cute as fuck.

  “Wanna come up to the house? I’ll get you a towel.”

  Chasin glanced across the green expanse of her yard and found a three-story brick house—more like a three-story mansion. Then he looked back to Genevieve. She had to be around his age—early thirties. Maybe the house belonged to her family. Such was a lot of waterfront property in Kent County.

  Old money.

  Way out of his league so he couldn’t keep her—but he sure as hell could have fun with her.

  “A towel would be appreciated.”

  His mouth curved up into a smile he knew women responded to, and he took a step closer. Her eyes had dropped to his mouth and his smile widened.

  “You cold, babe?” Chasin drawled.

  Those sexy as hell golden eyes snapped to his and mischief sparked.

  “Nope.” Her head tilted slightly, her lips twitched, and her gold orbs heated. “Why do you ask?”

  The faux innocent tone she used was flirty and playful.

  Oh, hell, yeah, they could have some fun.

 

 

  Riley Edwards, Chasin's Surrender

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