Chapter One
Becca
I couldn’t believe I had been so naïve to actually get into his car and listen to a word he had to say. Somehow, I was a slave to his charm and charisma. Traffic crawled along the city block making the situation even tenser. I needed to focus on my interview, not the gorgeous man in front of me that always seemed to find a way to capture my attention and heart. Since the moment I had gotten into his car we hadn’t spoken at all. I second guessed myself and wondered why I even bothered. I could feel him staring at me, but I didn’t want to look at him. Every muscle in my body was tense. I folded my hands neatly in my lap and stared out of the window.
I willed myself not to look at him but couldn’t stop myself. Finally I gave in. His face was stiff and contorted into an expression that seemed to mirror my feelings perfectly. Clearly we were both very uncomfortable. Every time we met each other, there just seem to be more problems. I was with Chris now. Chris was drama free and I liked that. I had to remove Chance from my life. I stared at him as flashes of last night’s dream raced through my mind. His eyes pierced my soul and I quickly turned away as I thought about my dream and how his hands had danced around my body.
I shifted in the supple leather seats and glanced at my watch. I had only been in the car a few minutes, but it felt like an eternity. I had agreed to give him five minutes and I wanted at least one answer. “So, why were you so close to Johnson Boone?” I glanced over to him, knowing his eyes would melt me. He stared hard at me, almost trying to find the answer within me. I found it hard to keep his gaze, my breath was caught somewhere in my chest, struggling to release.
“I was there for you, actually.” He said softly, his body shifted ever so slightly toward me. The back of the car was spacious, but still, we were closer than I would have preferred. Already practically squashed against the door, I didn’t have room to shift away. “I couldn’t figure out how to contact you. Finding you at your office was my last resort.”
“Oh.” I said, my face widened with surprise. I put aside my feelings of embarrassment about Chance knowing I had been fired.
“I just…really wanted to talk to you.” He swallowed heavily. He nervously adjusted his collar and continued. “I was impressed with the things you told me on our way to Vegas…about your background, things you’ve done. I managed to find out some more about your projects. Very impressive.”
“Thanks.” I murmured, not sure if I should feel flattered. Was it sweet or creepy that he looked up my work, then went and talked to my old boss to try to get in contact with me? I wasn’t sure. “I appreciate that, but I’m not that great. I had a lot of help.” And now I needed a lot of help. I tapped my foot as I glanced at my watch, still nervous about my interview and also realizing Chance’s allotment of time to speak with me was running close to its end.
“I have to disagree with you on that.” He smiled. His eyes fixed on mine as he leaned just a bit closer. I felt a tingle travel through me as he continued and I looked away. “I want you to run the marketing campaign and public relations for my new restaurant.”
My heart sunk to my stomach and goose bumps immediately covered my body in a wave. “Oh.” I stiffened, not looking at him. My eyes drifted back toward him and then back to the window. I wasn’t sure what to say. On the surface, it sounded like an amazing opportunity, but I wasn’t sure if it was a ploy to get closer to me or whether he actually needed my help. Any job he had for me would probably be a great opportunity. But being around this man was not good for me, especially not at that moment. I was in the beginning stages of a new relationship, and even though I didn’t want to admit it, I still had lingering feelings for Chance.
“There’s also another property of mine that is being developed. I could use your…” He continued talking as I stared out of the window, allowing his voice to trail off into the background. This was all a bit too much to take.
I didn’t know if he actually thought I was talented and that’s why he wanted me to work for him, or was it because he just wanted to keep sleeping with me? Was he taking pity on me because I was now jobless or was it something else? Thoughts raced through my head as I remembered our conversation about Sara and our time together. I thought about the girl he was with the other night.
His friend’s fiancé.
I wondered how much of what he said was actually true. A surge of anger spread through me as I thought about everything.
Chance’s face lit as he continued to talk and smile at me. Indeed he was handsome, especially when he smiled like that. That chiseled jaw, those dreamy eyes, and most of all, his soft kissable lips. I bit my lip as I remembered how hot the sex between us was. His strong hands on my body, moving me, making me squirm. My lips tingled with the memory of his soft lips against mine. No one had ever made me feel as amazing as Chance had. But that wasn’t a good enough reason to just go with the flow and believe everything he said.
I wasn’t a naive teenage girl anymore. I had to be smart and trust my instincts. All of my friends were either in a relationship or getting married. That was something that I knew I wanted. Now was not the time to be playing around, especially when I was currently unemployed. I literally had nothing going for me right now. I needed to get back on track. And I just couldn’t trust Chance. And without trust, I couldn’t have a relationship with him, not romantically or in business.
“…So what do you think?” Chance stared at me, waiting for my response.
“Chance…” I looked into his eyes, my face stiff and stern. I needed to be firm. I was tired of falling for this guy, over and over. Falling for his charm, his charisma, his fantastic chiseled features. Even if this were really a job offer, I knew I couldn’t just be professional with him. If we were together, working together, I was certain that I would fall for him all over again. There was just too much chemistry between the two of us. “…I really don’t think that would be a good idea.”
“I understand that everything hasn’t exactly gone smoothly between us.” Chance nodded his head as he played with his hands. “But please, I think you’re perfect for this. This could be great for both of us.”
“No, I’m sorry.” I paused. His frown and concerned filled eyes began to overtake me and I knew I needed to get out of this situation.
“Please reconsider.” Chance shuffled through his sleek black brief case and pulled out an envelope. “Here.” He laid the envelope on my leg. “This was the offer I had prepared to give you at Johnson Boone. I was prepared to hire you away from them. Please, at the very least, read over it before you decide.”
“Chance.” I let out a heavy breath. I looked at him, then at the envelope. I grabbed it and stuffed it in my purse. “You can let me out here. Thank you for the ride.” The car pulled over and I grabbed the door handle, ready to escape, to forget about Chance, but still, there was a small part of me that wanted to, at the very least, think over his proposal. As much as I didn’t want to admit it, even to myself, I did need the money.
“Becca?” Chance probed.
“I’m not going to promise anything, Chance.” I pulled the door open and extended a leg outside. “I’ll look it over.”
“Thank you.” He smiled faintly. I could remember his expression when he spotted me on the sidewalk. His eyes widened, he was practically smiling from cheek to cheek. He had flashed his perfectly straight smile. I hated how hot he was, but loved it at the same time. Someone like him, pursuing me was something I wasn’t used to.
“I have to go.” I stepped out of the car, not looking back.
“Goodbye.” He said with a heavy breath.
I straightened my blouse, shut the door, and then headed inside.