Chance brought his mouth down to mine as he slowly slid into me and every worry I’d had fell away. Feeling him lose restraint, his breathing heavy and excited as our worlds melded into a hotness I’d only dreamed about.
As his kisses deepened and my body arched into his with desire, I felt my world explode into a medley of rapture and a craving for more.
“You’re an incredible woman,” Chance whispered, hovering over me as I blinked open my eyes to see him studying me. “I’ve never. . .”
I held my finger to his lips. I didn’t want anything to take away from this moment.
He rolled over and pulled me into him, and I let out a relaxed sigh as my body curled into his. I didn’t lose myself in his arms, I found myself, and I didn’t want to let go.
“I’ve been missing out,” I whispered, feeling him pull me in even closer.
“So have I.”
Chapter Eighteen
“Do I think it’s bad that you wrote to Mark you have a lover?” Holly could barely keep in her laughter. “Or that you used the term lover?”
I giggled. “It does sound a little archaic.”
“To say the least.” She smoothed her hands over her red flannel shirt. “I just imagine it being said like luvaaah.”
I cringed as she dragged the word out. “I couldn’t resist. I mean a lot has changed in the last forty-eight hours. It was only fair that I added why he needs to stay in Illinois and not waste my time or his.”
“Did you still mention that you forgave him?”
“Oh, yeah.” I waved my hand at her. “I put in all that b.s.”
I was a changed woman.
Not really.
I did some quick digging and saw his latest fiancée called off the wedding about three weeks ago. A bit of giddiness might have erupted this morning as I did one last celebratory shimmy at my house. I had divorced Mark from my heart years ago. Probably close to the day he ditched me under the wedding bells, but getting the memory of being tricked out of my mind was an entirely different ordeal.
“Did you tell Chance?” she asked.
“No. I didn’t really think waking up in his arms, turning over and saying, guess who I heard from last night, was the best way to start out our first morning together.” I smirked. “I’m sure Mark will go away. He finally got a taste of his own medicine, and his only hope to make himself feel better is out the window.”
“True.” She made herself a cup of tea and took a seat at one of the tables. Chance was going to pick me up at the shop for our trip to Portland.
“Anyway, I haven’t mentioned it to Chance. He had to go back to Hound Island yesterday to get some stuff ready for the Portland trip, and I didn’t really see how I’d bring it up. I’d like to think Mark is a done deal and I won’t hear from him again.”
“We can hope.”
“I personally think we should hope, pray, cross our fingers and toes . . . you name it.” I chuckled. “I just can’t believe that’s what having sex is supposed to be like.”
Holly laughed softly, but I saw sadness flicker through her gaze. “I just had no idea you didn’t have these experiences with Mark.”
I pointed at her. “I’ve been missing out, but I’m glad I know what to be on the lookout for in the future.”
“With the right person.” She nodded and glanced at an older couple walking by the store hand in hand. “How are you going to handle his move?”
My heart did an unexpected flop.
“I’m trying not to think about it. I know odds are that he’ll be taking off in a month or two for good and he should. He needs to prove to himself that he can be successful again pursuing his dreams. He got kind of taken out last time by something beyond his control.”
Holly slowly nodded, but a large smile spread across her lips, and I followed her gaze to see Chance’s car pull up in front of the shop.
A thrilling sensation shot through me at the idea of getting to spend so much time with Chance. Portland was supposed to be a fun city, and needless to say, I had Chance cancel the other hotel room. I nearly hopped over the counter to give my sister a hug and drag my suitcase out the door.
“Don’t think twice about the shop. I’ve got it handled.” Holly gave me a quick squeeze just as Chance opened the door.
I nearly tumbled into him and he beamed.
“A little excited?” He laughed.
“Very.” I stood on my toes and gave him a quick kiss, but he brought me in for a longer one, and every ounce of my being knew this was going to be an incredibly memorable trip.
“You ready?” he whispered.
I nodded, opening my eyes slowly before he slipped his hand into mine and grabbed the suitcase.
“Drive safe and I’ll see you in a couple days,” Holly shouted after us as Chance shoved my suitcase into the trunk.
I slid into the passenger seat and Chance climbed into the driver’s seat. He started the engine and turned on the MP3 player.
Salt-N-Peppa’s Shoop blared from the speakers and I groaned. “Four hours of Shoop?”
He laughed and pulled onto Main Street and I sank deeper into the seat.
“There are blankets and pillows on the backseat, along with snacks.”
“Road trip,” I sang into the air, looking at Chance. He seemed so at ease. I was impressed. He had a lot of decisions ahead, and yet, he appeared to be relaxed and enjoying himself.
When I’d finally decided where I wanted to move, I was a mess. It took me two years of planning before I made the actual leap to Fireweed Island.
“You know, I think you could be right about my parents’ cottage being haunted.”
He smiled and flashed a sideways look. “Really?”
“Yeah. I went into my mom’s closet and found an old newspaper article about the woman and her family who’d lived there. I did get a little prickle on my flesh being there. I’m sure it was in my head.”
He nodded. “Sad story, isn’t it?”
“Beyond sad. I just can’t imagine.” I shook my head. “And to top it off, everything that he thought he’d lost, he would have gained back in days. If only he’d lived long enough to know and then Dorothea.” I sighed. “So tragic.”
“It’s sad that it’s often tragedy that highlights how powerful an emotion love is in the world.”
“That’s really true.” I nodded and looked out the window as we wound down the hill to the ferry terminal. “And there are so many forms of love. I’m starting to realize different types come into our lives at the time we most need it.”
The ferry worker guided us onto the ferry, and Chance parked his car on the top ramp where directed. The water looked calm for a winter’s day, even though I was feeling anything but.
I was excited to see the opportunity Chance was about to explore, and it would be fun to see his old stomping grounds. I didn’t want to be a distraction, and it didn’t help that the weird email from Mark was in the back of my mind, nagging at me like the obnoxious event that it was. He was like a bad hangover, always lingering in the background ready to ruin a perfectly good time.
“Why’d you get so suddenly quiet?” Chance asked, unbuckling his seatbelt and turning in the car.
I let out a quiet groan and tipped my head back. “Remember how I told you about that little mishap at the altar?”
He smiled and nodded.
“Well, it’s been silent from the groom in question for years.”
Chance let out a slow breath and my eyes stayed on his.
“Until a couple nights ago.” I bit on my bottom lip.
“When you left Billy’s really quickly?”
I nodded and drew in a deep breath, except it didn’t make me feel any better.
“The last time I ever talked to him was prior to the wedding. He didn’t even have enough balls to tell me he wasn’t going through with it in person so to get a surprise email years later was shocking.”
“I bet.” Chance’s expression fell. “Was the message just a
light and fluffy read or was there a point behind it?”
“With Mark there’s always a point or a hidden agenda. He said he felt awful about what he did.” I rolled my eyes, feeling the ferry set sail. “He wrote that he booked a trip out here and needed to see me.”
Chance looked disgusted and glanced out the window. “Why now?”
“I can’t even imagine. As you know, I’ve done a great job of keeping myself off of social media. Everything written about my store doesn’t even mention me so how he found where I lived, I have no clue.”
“I bet I know.”
“How?”
“Your parents.”
“They wouldn’t tell him.” I shook my head.
“They wouldn’t have to. You came from a small town. Mark probably noticed that your parents were selling their home, and he was able to find out where they moved to.”
My heart sank.
“I bet that’s it. It didn’t even dawn on me.”
The ferry dock in Seattle was already coming into view, and the disembarking instructions echoed through the air.
“So when is he coming out?” Chance asked.
“Hopefully never.” I shuddered. “I wrote him back that I accept his apology, and there’s no need to come to Seattle to do it in person.”
“If he’s already bought the ticket—”
“He can cancel it just as easily,” I interrupted, feeling sick about the whole thing.
“Have you heard from him since you wrote that?” His brows lifted.
“No.”
Chance nodded, turned back in his seat, and buckled up as the ferry docked, and we were back on our way to Portland.
An unsettled feeling hung over me as I thought about Chance’s last question. Was Mark still planning on popping up or did he get the message?
“If you need any help taking care of the problem. . .” Chance flashed a grin as he pulled onto the Interstate.
“I’ll be sure to let you know.”
Chance slid his hand to my knee and I immediately felt not so alone.
“I’m excited about our trip to Portland. I can’t wait to see where you called home and the restaurant.”
“I’m looking forward to the trip too.” His finger slowly circled my leg and a swarm of butterflies took flight in my belly.
“You have the magic touch.” I laughed, resting my head on the seat.
“Or you’re just the right recipient.”
“So what’s on the agenda?” I asked and he chuckled.
“The agenda is a little loose. Tonight, I wanted to take you to the restaurant for dinner, introduce you to Brad, and listen to what he has to say. I thought an extra pair of ears would be helpful.”
“Sounds good to me.”
“And tomorrow, maybe tour the city during the day and order room service at night.”
“I’m onto you,” I teased, laughing.
“I hope so. I’m as transparent as they come.”
“Not even close.”
By the time we pulled up to the hotel, I’d already had two accidental naps and was still groggy.
“Okay, sleepyhead,” Chance said, leaning over to kiss my cheek. “We should get checked in and make our way to the restaurant.”
I drew in a slow breath as I thought about the dream I’d awoken from. It was actually less a dream and more a memory of the night I got to spend with Chance and the hope for a repeat soon.
“I can’t believe I slept so much.”
“You’re probably more stressed about the email than you realized.” He pressed his lips into a line and cocked his head. “I’ll help put the guy in his place however you want.”
“I know that about you and love it.”
His hand fell to the door handle and I leaned over to kiss him.
The softness of his lips was exactly as I remembered, and I couldn’t wait for more this weekend.
It didn’t take very long to get checked into our room and ready for the night. The suite had a view overlooking the river, and the space was sparsely decorated with mostly modern décor. It felt very different than most things on Fireweed Island.
“You look absolutely gorgeous,” Chance said, coming up behind me as I swept my hair into a French twist. He wrapped his arms around my waist and softly kissed my neck. My body trembled from the softness of his lips and the desire that swiftly overtook my senses, but I knew we had a place to be.
“You’re not doing a very good job at getting us out the door,” I whispered.
Chance slid his hand down my hips and pulled me deeper into his body, allowing me to feel every part of him.
“Not doing a good job at all.”
I spun around slowly in his arms, and he gently kissed me. His arms looped around my waist and I cherished this moment. Whenever I was in his arms, I felt like the rest of the world’s problems didn’t exist and it felt nice and safe.
His lips broke from mine, and I opened my eyes to see desire flicking through his gaze.
“I’m not going to be responsible for your tardiness,” I teased, trailing my finger along his chest. He picked it up and kissed the tip.
“What about now?” His blue eyes held mine steady and my pulse raced with longing.
Chance’s phone buzzed just as I almost relented.
“Phew.” I smiled. “That might be important.”
I steadied my breathing as he stepped away to look at his phone.
“Anything earth shattering?” I asked, grabbing my purse.
“Nah.” He picked up his suit jacket, slipping it on before he wrapped his arm around my waist, and we walked out of the suite. “Apparently word has gotten out I’m back in town.”
Chapter Nineteen
“You’ve been here recently, I imagine?” I asked as we stepped onto the elevator.
“About a month ago.” He pressed the lobby button.
“Was it odd walking back into what was once yours?”
The elevator spilled us into the lobby bustling with guests checking in for the evening. The restaurant was a short walk from our hotel, which made it nice.
“It was weird. I immediately saw all the things that had been changed, all the things I wanted to change.” The chilly wind blasted us both as we walked onto the sidewalk. Chance pulled me in tighter to shield me against the breeze as we made our way to the restaurant. “It’s a tough decision to step back in. There’s no guarantee I can make it work again. The restaurant has continued to get good reviews in the restaurant circle. Brad has hired excellent chefs and much of the staff even stayed on, but it’s a little unnerving.”
“I bet.”
Up ahead, I saw a crowd of about four or five couples congregating on the sidewalk outside of what appeared to be a restaurant, but there was no sign.
“Is that where we’re headed?” I asked.
I felt Chance take in a deep breath as he nodded.
“Must be a good sign if people are waiting,” I said, trying to be encouraging.
I hated to admit it was surprisingly difficult to be positive about this venture even though I knew I should be.
“Or the hostess is lousy at seating.” He squeezed me tightly as we walked into the lively restaurant.
What stunned me was how little this felt like the Chance Harlen I knew. Similar to our hotel room, the décor was cold, sleek, modern and lacking personality. It was like the restaurant didn’t want to take a stand so it just sided with bland.
Back on the island, everything about Chance was lively and spirited and in direct contrast to this place.
The hostess smiled when she spotted Chance and immediately grabbed two menus.
“Good to see you, Mr. Harlen.” She looked at me like I was a bug needing to be squashed and I hid a smile. “Your table is ready.”
I spotted several empty tables and tried to deduce why if there were empty tables were there people standing in both the lobby and on the sidewalk waiting for a seat.
“Is there a reason not all the
guests have been seated?” Chance asked as we followed the hostess to a window table.
“We seat in ten minute increments for the kitchen schedule,” she answered. “Brad has been trying to take pressure off the line cooks,” she said softly so diners couldn’t hear.
Chance unbuttoned his suit jacket as he pulled out my chair. I took a seat and watched him walk around the table, observing the restaurant.
“Has there been a problem with service once diners have been seated?” he asked.
“We’ve had some complaints he wanted to address.” She placed the menus in front of us and handed Chance the wine menu. “Yelp reviewers never hold back.”
“Thank you, Sherry,” he told her and glanced over at me.
“Not how you ran it?” I asked, picking up the menu.
“I’ve never heard of what he’s having them do. One thing that gets on people’s nerves the most is having to wait for a table when they can obviously see empty ones.”
“I can understand how that would be annoying,” I agreed, as a server filled up our water glasses.
I looked around the restaurant, debating whether or not to ask Chance about the décor, but he did bring me down here to listen to my opinion.
“Did the restaurant look like this when you owned it?” I asked quietly.
Chance smiled and shook his head. “Not in the slightest.”
I let out a silent sigh of relief, and my shoulders must have given me away because he laughed.
“It’s pretty bare. So would you keep it this way or . . .”
“I’d need to come in and revamp it completely.”
“Which adds extra costs right on top.”
He nodded and brought in a deep breath. “But it’s got to be done. This has absolutely no personality.”
“I’m glad it’s not just me who thought that.” I grimaced and he chuckled.
“Tell me your first impressions.” He eyed me carefully.
“Like you mentioned, seeing the empty tables makes me think things aren’t organized if there are so many people still waiting to be seated. The bar is active, but it is also front and center. I think it’s odd that while the décor is rather bland, the wait staff looks like a free for all. I don’t see a consistent theme in their uniforms. Also, I smell more booze than I do food, and if you’re running a restaurant, I’d imagine you’d like it to smell good.” I glanced at the open menu quickly. “But the food looks fantastic.”
Chance at Love on Mystic Bay (Island County Series Book 6) Page 15
