His Second Chance Read online

  She shook her head before looking at the ground. “The time change sucks, the people can be crankier and the flights are long,” she explained. Soon, we were climbing in the back and pulling away from the curb. “So where are we going?” she asked as she began to undo her hair. I watched, riveted, before responding.

  “The hotel first. I need to check in and if you want you can change out of those clothes.” I glanced down at the fitted blazer and white button up that she wore tucked into the slim skirt.

  She was brushing her fingers through her hair, completely oblivious to me watching. “That would be nice. I don’t like to wear it any longer than necessary,” she admitted. Leslie slipped the blazer off and tossed it to the side. “There, that’s better.”

  “You’re so beautiful,” I said softly. The words were out of my mouth before I could stop them, not that I really wanted to. It was the truth and she deserved to hear it.

  She blushed and looked away. “You’re just saying that.”

  “No, I’m not,” I insisted. “You always have been but now… now you’re breathtaking.” I couldn’t help but stare as she looked down and gave me a sheepish look. Her long dark lashes fluttering against her cheeks. My hand reached out on its own, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear.

  She looked up surprised for a moment before she leaned into my hand. I took it as a sign of encouragement and let my thumb graze her cheek. I watch as it slid over her soft skin, and my palm joined it. Using both hands, I brushed all of her hair away from her face so I could get a better look at her.

  When I looked into her eyes, I could see the apprehension there. She looked worried, but for what? Did she not trust me? I knew I had done a number of things over the years that could be considered questionable in our time apart, but I knew I would never hurt her. Not for anything. I gave her a small reassuring smile. Returning it, I watched as her tongue darted out and wet her lips. Once my eyes locked onto them, I felt as though I were being drawn to them. Against my will, I felt myself leaning in closer, praying I wasn’t about to scare her away. If I did, I didn’t know if I could live with myself. Instead, I moved as slowly as possible, giving her plenty of time to move if she didn’t want it. She was like a graceful doe that I was terrified I may spook.

  Our lips pressed together tentatively. A slight peck before they parted and our tongues touched. Carefully, I tasted her before deepening the kiss. Our mouths moved together effortlessly, as if we’d kissed a million times before that. Like they already knew every aspect of the other and had no trouble creating their own passionate dance.

  I slid closer to her, pulling her body to mine. Feeling her wrap her arms around me caused my heart to expand in my chest. I let my fingers slide down her body, feeling her curves as they went. I knew what I really wanted to do was to rip all her clothes off and take her right there in the back of that limo, but I knew I had to control myself. Leslie wasn’t like the other girls. She was smarter and more levelheaded than that. Besides, she deserved to be treated with respect. She deserved to be treated like a queen.

  My hand moved up to her hair and I buried my fingers in her soft strands. I gripped a handful and pulled her head back gently as I moved my kisses from her mouth down to her neck. I nipped at her flesh as I licked and kissed her pale skin.

  “Wait,” she said softly. “Please.”

  “It’s okay,” I whispered into her skin.

  “No, no. I can’t,” she said as she started to push me away. I could feel my cock pressing against my jeans and I didn’t want to stop but wasn’t going to force the issue.

  “Okay,” I groaned slightly as I released her. “We can stop.”

  “Thank you,” she said quickly as her eyes darted around. “I just… this all seems just a little fast.”

  “I’m sorry,” I said as I began to think more clearly. “I didn’t mean to move so quickly.”

  “No, it’s fine,” she said shaking her head. “I mean, it’s not that I didn’t like it. I just… I’m sorry.”

  “Don’t worry about it,” I said, adjusting myself. I knew this was going to end up hurting but that was my fault. I shouldn’t have gotten quite so excited so quickly. But her mouth had tasted like honey and her skin like lavender. I wanted to wrap myself in her scent and never wash it off.

  Sitting back, I had to be content with just looking. At least for now.

  Chapter 4

  Leslie

  As I did my best to collect my thoughts and slow my hammering heart, Brett continued to talk. I half listened, distracted by the tenderness of my lips after his scruff left them feeling swollen. On the outside, I was remaining calm, but on the inside my mind was screaming at me, wanting to know what I was thinking.

  I didn’t trust. That was a part of who I was now. I didn’t want to get close to Brett which was what caused me to pull away. I was sure he was just doing all of this to put a check next to my name. He probably had a list of women from his past that he’d wanted to bed and he had thought this was the perfect opportunity to check one more off of his list. Well, not this woman. Not today. I wouldn’t fall into his trap. I didn’t trust him, which was what caused me to pull away. There was no way I would make myself vulnerable to him. The best thing to do would be to keep my distance.

  Oh, but he was so damn good looking. He still had that little smirk that he did when he was talking that used to drive the teenage me wild. Part of me was kicking myself for pulling away. If I hadn’t, who knew how far we’d be by now. Of course, he’d probably stop once he found out I was a virgin. But through the years I’d never found anyone that I trusted enough to give it to. Although back in the day, I’d fantasized many times about giving it to Brett.

  How many nights did I used to lie awake at night after we’d spent time together just thinking about him? I knew at the time I was too young for us to be together, but that didn’t stop me from thinking about it anyway. Hoping he could see past my age and like me for who I was. How many times did I long to see that look on his face? The one I saw today when I met him in the airport. It was a dream come true and utterly terrifying. I wasn’t that same little girl anymore. I didn’t trust easily or wear my heart on my sleeve. Those days were long gone.

  He excused himself as his cell phone rang and I nodded as he took the call. He looked out the window to the passing buildings and I watched him talk. I needed to get a grip. If he truly wanted to hire me to decorate his new place, I needed to keep this relationship professional. Otherwise, how in the world would I be able to take myself seriously? He was giving me the opportunity of a lifetime here. If word got out that I was his interior decorator, I could quite possibly start my career that way and give up the airline. That could be the beginning of a dream come true.

  But as I gazed at the stubble on his chin that had left my skin tender not so long ago, I knew I wanted him just as badly as I had all those years ago. Perhaps even more. As he grew older, his face had grown much more defined. He was a grown man now and it showed. I knew the sorts of things he’d been doing while we were apart. He was a part of an extremely rich family so his name was plastered all over the tabloids like all the other celebrities. I knew about the women he’d dated and the drugs. Whenever I saw those pictures of him, I knew the smile wasn’t real. I could see the pain in his eyes that he was desperate to cover up. He had looked hollow and lonely, even when he was surrounded by people.

  “Sorry about that,” he said as he hung up the phone. “Just had to deal with a little business stuff.”

  “Not a problem,” I said. I was curious as to what kind of business but I wasn’t going to pry. It wasn’t my place. If this was going to be professional, I had to keep my distance.

  “Looks like we’re here,” he said as the limo came to a stop.

  I leaned forward to see where we were and saw we had pulled up outside a five-star hotel called, “The Archer”. It was one of those places that only the ultra-rich or government type people stayed. I immediately felt out of place.
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  “Actually, I think I’ll just catch a cab and go find a room somewhere,” I said quickly as we climbed out.

  “Nonsense. You should at least change first and let me buy you dinner,” Brett said as he guided me toward the doors. Since my bag was being pulled from the back of the limo, I decided that a meal couldn’t hurt. I was actually pretty hungry. I pushed my reluctance away, telling myself I could do this. Nodding, I headed into the chic hotel with him.

  The building itself on the outside was white with the exception of two big, square, black columns that framed the doorway. As we entered through the glass front, I saw as those black pillars actually took a right angle into the building and then went across the ceiling toward the bank of elevators on the far end. Everything was black and white with various textures everywhere. I had almost forgotten what this life was like. Beautiful places staffed by beautiful people. Walking up to the desk with Brett, I noticed the woman behind the desk was strikingly beautiful. I felt a little ridiculous in my air hostess uniform as she looked down her nose at me.

  “Mr. Jackson, checking in?” the woman asked politely. Her straight black hair was pulled back severely and she had what seemed to me to be too much black eye makeup. It was covering both her upper and lower lids. Her lips were painted a bright, vixen red.

  “Yes please,” he said as he sat his phone down and dug for his wallet. “I also would like to get a room nearby for Ms. Brown.”

  “Oh, you don’t need to do that,” I said, shaking my head. “I can get my own room.” When the woman arched a perfect brow at me I added. ‘“Someplace else, of course.”

  “I insist,” he said as he pulled a card out and slid it across the counter. “You’re my interior decorator and just traveled to do a job for me. That means I should cover your expenses,” he explained.

  I knew I hadn’t ever actually accepted the job offer, but standing at the front desk of a swanky hotel, I didn’t see any good reason to turn it down. After all, he was basically handing me my dream job on a silver platter. I was a little nervous that perhaps I was missing something, but I knew Brett. Or at least I used to. He used to be a man of his word, so perhaps I should take him at it. I watched as he signed the bill and accepted the keys to our rooms.

  “Your bags will be up very shortly,” she promised and Brett turned away from her without a glance. She seemed to give me another look as if to understand who exactly I was to be running around with Brett Jackson. I couldn’t help but smirk as he led me toward the elevators.

  “You know, I didn’t need you to get me a room here,” I said simply after we entered the elevator.

  “I know,” he said with a grin. “But I thought it would be smart to have you nearby so we can talk about your ideas and help me find a place.”

  “You mean, you don’t already have a place bought?” I asked surprised.

  “Nope, I figured I would pay you to help me with that part too. If you don’t mind?” he seemed to catch himself assuming I would help and looked slightly worried. “You’ll help, right?”

  I debated for a moment but decided since I was already in this far, I might as well commit. “Sure, it’s no problem. I have a little time.”

  “Great,” he said, clearly relieved. “I do have a list of places to look at but just haven’t had a chance yet. I mean, I could have based on the pictures online.” He shrugged.

  “I don’t blame you,” I said shaking my head. “I wouldn’t want to buy a place until I stepped through the door and was able to actually be there. Pictures can be misleading.”

  “Yes, they can,” he said, his voice sounding distant. Once again I was reminded of all of the photos of him through the years with his family and the women. I wondered to myself if that was what he was thinking about or if there was something else he wasn’t saying.

  The elevator dinged and we stepped out before we began down the hall.

  “I’m surprised there isn’t some guy that gets paid to show you to your room,” I scoffed as we read the room numbers.

  “That’s part of the reason why I chose this place. I always hate it when they do that. Like I can’t manage to read the signs on my own,” he said shaking his head. “Here we go, this one’s yours,” he said pointing at a shiny black door. “And this one across the way is mine. I’ll take a quick shower and then I’ll come over to talk about what we’re going to eat.” Brett handed me my key and smiled. “I’m really glad you’re here, Leslie.”

  I smiled and felt a blush creeping up. “I am too,” I admitted. “Although I still think you could do better than me.” I realized the double meaning of my words as they slipped from my lips. I looked down at the neutral toned carpet and fought my embarrassment. I’d meant that he could find a better interior decorator, but the other meaning would also apply. I wasn’t some rich girl that was his equal now. I was just an air hostess that he used to know.

  “Leslie,” he said softly, not moving. His words were like a spell that forced my eyes from the floor and up to his. “There is no one better than you.” he reached out and touched my chin before turning and letting himself into his room.

  I stood there, frozen for just a moment before I shook myself out of it. I turned and slid the key into the lock on my door before turning the handle and letting myself in.

  His words echoed in my ear but I temporarily pushed them aside as I saw my beautiful room. One whole wall was a window looking out over the city with a small balcony just outside. The railing for the balcony was also glass, so it gave the illusion there was nothing there. The room I was standing in was a semi modern looking living room with bits of abstract art here and there. A sculpture in the corner and a unique light hung down over the couch. The seating area was a step down and a fluffy grey rug was on the floor in front of it. I slipped my shoes off and kicked them toward the wall as I headed for the double doors nearby. Pulling them open I first noticed the king-sized bed that seemed to be overloaded with pillows. My small little suitcase was placed on a white velvet bench at the foot of the bed. I took a moment to wonder how they had managed to beat us but quickly dropped it. While the living area was all neutral colors, in here the color was more of a warm rose and I loved it instantly. I began to untuck my shirt as I took in the huge tv and other gorgeous furnishings. Next, I found the bathroom and the glass walled shower.

  I returned to the bedroom and grabbed my bag, remembering that Brett said he was taking a shower. I really wanted to get the feeling of all those passengers off of me, so I quickly turned the water on and began to strip. With each layer, it was as if I was tearing down the walls I had put up in my mind to block out what he’d said in the hall. I was trying to ignore his words, I had to. There was no way I could think about what he said and keep things professional.

  “There is no one better than you.”

  That sentence echoed over and over in my head as I lathered my hair and began to scrub.

  “There is no one better than you.”

  I worked up the suds with the complimentary soap and washed my face. The words themselves could be seen as harmless, but that cool, husky way that he’d said them drilled a hole into my brain.

  “There is no one better than you.”

  They were still echoing as I stepped out and dried off. Every nerve ending in my body seemed to stand at attention as I wiped the beads of water away. I needed to forget what he said before he showed up at my door. I had to force those words from my brain so that I could be around him and act like a professional. I didn’t see any other way to survive this. I had to get a grip.

  I hadn’t packed anything too nice, opting more for comfort than anything. I tugged on a pair of faded but comfortable jeans and a fitted button neck top. I pulled my favorite bracelets and rings from the bag and slid them on, finally feeling a bit more like myself. I had socks and shoes in my bag but opted to stay barefoot for now. It wasn’t often that I got to walk around somewhere with such plush rugs and I wanted to enjoy it.

  I strolled over t
o the window and gazed out upon the city. The sun was dipping low on the horizon, even though to me, it was still early in the day.

  “There is no one better than you.”

  His words seemed to dance around me as I stood there, caressing my skin. I let my mind wander back to the limo and the feeling of his lips on mine. Before he’d kissed me, I had mentally been fighting the same urge. I’d wanted to see if it was still there, that chemistry that had drawn us together 9 years ago on that night. Boy was it. It had felt as though the temperature in that limo had gone up a thousand degrees when we started to kiss. I’d wanted to strip my clothes off and beg him to take me right then. Virginity be damned. Besides, if I was honest with myself, part of me had been saving it for him.

  No other guy in all these years had made me feel even an inkling of what he’d made me feel before. So in my mind, they were never quite good enough. Either they weren’t as thoughtful, weren’t as compassionate or just didn’t listen like him, it was always something. How could I give myself to someone when I knew they weren’t the right one for me?

  I stopped that thought in its tracks. I didn’t necessarily think Brett was my “one”, but he might have come close. By now, I had seen enough crap in my life that I didn’t really trust anyone. Add that to all the things the gossip columns had said about him and I found it hard to let my guard down with him. How could I have a relationship with someone I didn’t trust?

  But you don’t have to have a relationship with him to sleep with him, a small voice inside said. It reminded me that he still obviously held something for me. I was suddenly irritated with myself for stopping him in the limo. I wanted his hands on me in the worst way again.

  A knock on the door pulled me from my thoughts and had me hurrying toward it. I pulled it open to see Brett standing there before me. He had a different pair of jeans on, and now a black shirt. A silver cross hung around his neck and he smiled. “May I come in?” I nodded and stepped back to let him enter. “You look really great,” he said as he took in my appearance. “Although I have to admit that the uniform is ridiculously sexy,” he chuckled and looked almost embarrassed by his admission.