Stronger Together (bxb) ✔

Chapter 43 - Chase

Chase's POV

Warmth and comfort engulf me and the faint mocha smell that Diego always seems to exude wafts into my nose. Light snores tickle my ear, producing an involuntary giggle. I very carefully twist around in Diego's comfortable arms, trying not to wake him.

The face of a sleeping god greets me and I giggle again. His messy hair, made messier by me playing with it until I fell asleep, falls over his right eye. I watch as his nostrils expand slightly with each serene breath. My eyes drift down to his cherry coloured lips and I smile. Those lips kissed my hair twice yesterday!

With touches as light as a feather, I start caressing Diego's face. I run my index and middle fingers over his eyebrows and down his pointed nose, stopping just above his top lip. My fingers slide down his lush lips and I gasp at their silky texture. I gently pinch his bottom lip, pulling it away from his mouth and giggling when I release it.

My gaze drifts back up to roam Diego's face and I shriek when I find his dark brown eyes looking at me with amusement. He chuckles at my reaction and squeezes me a little tighter in his arms.

"Good morning, little lamb," Diego's raspy voice coos. He graces me with a sleepy but jovial smile, showcasing his gorgeous dimples, before pressing a kiss to my forehead.

The kiss sends a pleasant tingling feeling coursing through my body, causing my heart to thump excitedly. His soft lips linger on my forehead for a few seconds, as if savouring the moment before pulling away. I gasp and my eyes widen at his actions. This is the first time he's kissed me on my skin but I know it won't be the last because I'm already craving more and more of his touch.

"Shit! Chase, I wasn't thinking," Diego mutters, trying to untangle himself from me.

I grip him closer, refusing to let him budge and he stops moving to search my face. "I liked the kiss. All the kisses actually," I reply, staring into his eyes, needing to let him know that it's alright.

His eyebrows knit together for a second before he gasps. "Oh my god! I didn't realize that I kissed you yesterday, it was just an instinct. I-"

He stops talking when I giggle and place a finger against his lips. "How about you treat me like you would any other boyfriend and if I don't like something I'll tell you."

Diego looks weary for a few seconds as he tries to read my face but I know he'll find no hesitation and nothing but sincerity there. I really want to give our relationship a real shot and I want him to stop holding back so much.

"You have to promise to tell me if you don't like something even if it's something that you generally like me doing but you're just not in the mood at the moment. You have to be completely honest with me. I will never be upset about it and will stop immediately. So you have to tell me. The last thing I want is to hurt you." From his stern tone I can tell that Diego is dead serious and will only agree to this if I swear to be honest.

"I promise I'll tell you," I say with a wide smile trying to convey my conviction.

It seems to work because Diego nods and I see him visibly relax at my promise. "In that case," he says, pulling me closer and wrapping his arms around my lower back. "It's my turn." With that he reaches up and gently strokes my eyebrows with his thumb before moving to my cheek.

"So beautiful," he coos, following the trail to my chin and then up the other side of my face. I smile and my eyes flutter close as I enjoy his pleasant touches. "Perfect. I have the perfect boyfriend," he whispers, more to himself than to me. That elicits a tiny giggle from me which becomes more intense as he tenderly brushes his fingertip against my closed eyelids.