Chance Encounters

by Jessica Prince

“Love you right back. Even if I don’t always agree with you.”

  Then the moment was broken by Landon’s little voice. “Mom! Patrick’s eating the potpourri again!”

  Chapter 22

  Chance

  AS I FOLLOWED Melany into her friend Constance’s house, I asked myself how I ended up in this situation.

  Then I remembered.

  Sex. It was because of sex. More specifically, sex with Melany, which was better than any other sex I’d had since I first started doing it at fifteen years old. It might have been because, once we started and Melany finally discovered what all the fuss was about, she blossomed under my touch, becoming completely and totally uninhibited. Or maybe it was because I cared about her on a level I’d never felt for another woman. But whatever the reason, it was sex that had me agreeing to help her babysit her best friend’s three little boys so her and her husband could have a night out.

  And as soon as I crossed the threshold, I regretted my decision.

  “Auntie Melly!” was screamed from three different directions at the exact same time, so loudly I feared for the well-being of my eardrums. It sounded like a herd of elephants was trampling through the house as they rushed Melany and tangled her legs in a group hug. For reasons unknown, the smallest boy was buck-ass naked as he did this.

  “Hi, my angels!” Melany cooed as she leaned down to embrace them… even the naked one. “I’ve missed you guys!”

  “Angels, my ass,” I heard Constance mumble under her breath as she made her way toward us. “Thank you, guys, so much for this,” she said louder, leaning in to place a kiss on my cheek. In the time that Melany had been living with me, I’d had the opportunity to really get to know Constance and her husband Frank. They were good people, and I loved that they had Mel’s back all these years when no one else did.

  “No problem,” I lied, lifting my gaze and tipping my chin in Frank’s direction in a non-verbal hello. Melany had moved further into the house with the boys, and I took the opportunity to quietly voice my question. “But I have to ask… why’s the little one not wearing any clothes?”

  “That’s Patrick. Just go with it,” Frank said in a pacifying tone. “The night will go a lot smoother if you don’t ask questions.”

  Constance nodded sagely before adding something that was more than a little frightening. “But keep a close eye. Potty training has been a struggle lately. I swear, he’s like a dog marking his territory.”

  “What?”

  Her smile got big at my outburst. “Just kidding…” Then it disappeared when one of her eyebrows shot up as she added, “Or am I?”

  “Kids!” Frank hollered before I could make a run for it. “Come give hugs and kisses! Mommy and I are heading out.”

  The three of them ran back into the entry—Patrick, thank Christ, wearing clothes this time—with Melany on their heels and bid farewell to their parents.

  “Go. Have fun,” Melany told Constance, as she hugged her. “We’ve got it covered here.”

  I wanted to say I wasn’t so confident about that, but I wisely kept my mouth shut. The second the front door closed, I heard a sullen, grumpy little boy ask, “Who’re you?”

  My head jerked down to find the oldest boy glaring up at me, his little arms crossed over his puffed-out chest as he regarded me with cool dislike.

  “I’m Chance,” I answered, mimicking his aggressive stance. “Who’re you?”

  “I’m Deacon,” he replied. “I’m gonna marry Auntie Melly one day, you know.”

  At that, my gaze shot to Melany to find her biting back a laugh. I turned my attention back to the little boy who’d just thrown down. “Is that so?”

  “Yep.” He popped the P and uncrossed his arms so he could lean into Melany’s side, giving me an “I told you so” look when she rested her hand on the top of his head. Jesus, the kid had game, I had to give him that.

  “How old are you?”

  “Five and three quarters,” he answered like those three quarters added fifteen years to his age.

  “Well, Deacon, just something to think about, but when you’re eighteen—which, in the state of New York, is how old you’d have to be to legally marry—your Auntie Melly will be—” I did the math quickly in my head. “—roughly 44 years old.”

  His eyes bugged out and his jaw dropped as he exclaimed, “That’s old!”

  “Exactly.” I nodded, earning a murderous look from Melany. “It’s very old. You sure you still want to marry her? She’ll probably be covered in wrinkles and stuff by then.”

  He grew thoughtful for a few seconds before tipping his head up at Melany. “Sorry, Auntie Melly. I don’t wanna marry a wrinkly old lady.”

  “I understand,” she said with a small giggle. “Why don’t y’all go watch TV? I put it on Lab Rats for you guys.”

  They ran off with shouts of excitement, leaving me along with a narrow-eyed Melany. “Winkles and stuff?” she deadpanned, propping her hands on her hips. “Really?”

  “Hey.” I shrugged, stepping close to wrap my hands around her tiny waist. “The kid was encroaching. What did you expect me to do?”

  Her eyes went wide as she rested her palms on my chest. God, I loved it when she touched me. The only thing I enjoyed more was when she let me touch her, preferably when we were naked. “Encroaching?” She laughed, and I felt it all the way in my groin. “You make it sound like I’m your territory to mark.”

  She was; she just didn’t realize it yet.

  There were very few times when Melany’s naivety grated on my nerves, but this was one of those few. She still had it in her head that everything happening between us was some sort of test, like a goddamned practice run for her or something. I was normally a patient man, but when it came to her, I was quickly losing patience. I wanted her in my bed, not just my apartment. I wanted to have free reign to kiss her and touch her and make love to her whenever the urge came over me. I wanted her to be 100 percent completely mine. And what’s more, I want to be hers.

  The longer we spent in this weird limbo, the more intense my feelings grew. I needed her like I needed air. I knew what I wanted from Melany, but I was still trying to navigate her out of the dark. I had to tread cautiously or I’d risk scaring her off. I’d employed every tactic I could think of to make her see I was the better man, that Logan couldn’t give her what I did, but she was too slow on the uptake, and it was slowly driving me insane.

  And the shittiest part of the entire situation was that it was all my fault. I was the one who’d suggested our friends-with-benefits arrangement. I was the one who told her it would help with “the plan.” I was a fucking idiot.

  “I like to argue whenever possible. Keeps my skills in the courtroom up,” I lied with a smirk on my face, trying to cover up what I was really feeling.

  Then the strangest thing happened. The brightness in her eyes dimmed and her shoulders slumped at the same time her hands fell away. If I didn’t know better, I’d almost think she looked disappointed.

  But she quickly smiled up at me before I could be sure and took a step back, making me think it had all been in my head, that I was only seeing what I wanted to see. “I was planning on making cookies for the boys. You want to help or would you rather go and watch Lab Rats?” she asked with a teasing wink as she backed toward the kitchen.

  I followed her like there was an invisible thread that kept me connected to her. I just couldn’t help myself. “You really think sugar is a good idea?” I chanced a reluctant glance toward the living room, praying they hadn’t gotten up to anything in the two minutes we’d left them unsupervised.

  She threw me a look that said I was being ridiculous as she rounded the counter and began pulling things out of the fridge. “They’re harmless, really.”

  As soon as the words left her mouth, a deafening crash carried in from the living room followed by a young voice yelling, “We’re okay!”

  Somehow, I doubted that.

  Melany

  SO I MIGHT have f
ibbed just a bit when I convinced Chance to help me babysit by telling him it would be a breeze.

  It most certainly was not a breeze. It was anything but breezy. It had only been an hour and a half since Connie and Frank left, but the Trio of Terror had already managed to create a trail of destruction.

  “Next time you ask me for a favor seconds after I’ve gotten off, remind me to say no,” Chance grumbled up at me from the corner of the living room, where he was furiously scrubbing at a pee stain on the carpet—all thanks to Patrick and his irrational fear of the toilet.

  “I don’t understand why he just won’t use the bathroom like his brothers,” I muttered, as I finished wrestling the squirming two-year-old back into his clothes—for the third time. The kid really liked being naked.

  “’Cause Deacon said if he sits on da potty a snake would come up and bite his butt off,” Landon supplied from his place on the couch, his eyes never leaving the TV screen.

  My head snapped to Chance to see him staring at me with a mixture of fear and appreciation in his eyes. “You have to hand it to him. That’s a pretty good prank for a five-year-old.”

  “It is not!” I scolded, picking Patrick up and placing him in my lap. “Sweetie, a snake isn’t going to bite you if you use the potty, I promise.”

  “Yes, it will!” Deacon, who was sitting next to Landon, said. “It’ll bite his butt off!”

  “Butt off! Butt off! Butt off!” Patrick repeated, clapping his chubby little hands together gleefully. He jumped from my lap and went to join his brothers.

  “Well, at least he didn’t shit on the carpet,” Chance offered unhelpfully.

  “Language,” I snapped. He winced in apology, but it was too late.

  “Shit! Shit! Shit!” Patrick screamed, making Deacon and Landon laugh hysterically.

  “Dammit!” I cried, then gasped when I realized what I’d just let slip.

  Before I had a chance to get control of the situation, all three boys were chanting shit and dammit at the top of their lungs. Constance was going to kill me. Frank would find it hilarious, but his wife was going to murder me for sure.

  Chance looked like he was trying his hardest not to bust out laughing. The jerk.

  “Can I have a cookie, Auntie Melly?” Landon asked, all sugar sweet and doe eyed.

  I narrowed my eyes at his innocent, cherubic face, knowing it was all an act. “Nice try, buddy. Dinner’s ready. Let’s go eat and you can have a cookie after.”

  Surprisingly enough, they didn’t give me any grief and went to sit at the kitchen table without a fuss. Knowing the three of them were picky eaters, I’d decided on a box of macaroni and cheese—a fail-safe when it came to kids. Constance kept the pantry stocked with boxes of the stuff, and all three boys dug in like it was a delicacy.

  Chance, however, sneered at the bowl in front of his chair like it contained rotten garbage and quirked a brow at me. “Seriously?”

  I pointed my fork at him. “They like it, so you’ll eat it, and I don’t want to hear any complaints.”

  One corner of his mouth kicked up in a sexy grin, and heat instantly pooled low in my belly. “Fine,” he said, chuckling before shoving a bite into his mouth.

  “Are you Auntie Melly’s boyfriend?” Deacon asked just as I’d shoveled a helping of mac and cheese into my mouth, causing me to choke and cough like crazy. “What do you know about boyfriends and girlfriends?” I asked once I could breathe again.

  Deacon actually rolled his eyes, a five-year-old chock-full of attitude. “I gots like, three at school.”

  “But… you can’t… that’s… you’re in kindergarten!” I sputtered, aghast.

  “Kid has to start somewhere,” Chance added, a devilish gleam in his eye. “I had girlfriends when I was in kindergarten, too.”

  “I’m gonna have five girlfriends!” Landon shouted, and my heart immediately went out to Constance for all her future struggles, while, at the same time, I could almost feel my ovaries shriveling up. There was no better birth control than babysitting these boys.

  “So,” Deacon spoke up, looking back to Chance. “Are you?”

  I swear to God Chance looked at me with a knowing glimmer in his eye, and I thought maybe, just maybe, he was aware of my feelings for him. I held my breath, both excited and scared to death of what he might say. I didn’t want to ruin what we had, but I also couldn’t help but fall for him a little more each day. I was an idiot to think I could start sleeping with him and keep my feelings from getting involved.

  “We’re just really good friends,” Chance answered, shooting me a playful wink. I forced a smile in return, but on the inside, my heart cracked just a bit more.

  Chapter 23

  Melany

  I WAS IN the middle of drafting a proposal for Collin on a new build out he wanted to pursue. It was a huge deal. The popular five-star Hammerly Hotel chain was looking to expand. They wanted to build not only in Manhattan, but in Rochester, Ithaca, Albany, and Syracuse as well. If Collin got the deal, he’d be the lead architect responsible for every build out in New York state. It would make the firm ungodly amounts of money and would mean huge bonuses for Collin’s department. Myself included. Not to mention, the awards the firm would be nominated for and the press a deal like this would garner. I wanted to do everything in my power to help Collin nail this proposal.

  This meant I’d been working longer hours than usual and was running on little sleep, but if he signed this client, it would all be worth it.

  “How’s the apartment hunt going?”

  I was in my zone, so I hadn’t noticed Logan standing at my desk, let alone heard his question. “Huh?”

  “Your apartment,” he said, looking a little disheartened at my lack of attention. “I asked how the search was going.”

  “Sorry.” I sighed and reached up to massage my temples with the tips of my fingers. I’d been staring at my computer for so long I felt a headache coming on. “I’ve just been swamped with this proposal and was zoned out. I didn’t see you there.”

  He smiled at my explanation, and instead of moving along like I’d hoped he would do so I could get back to work, he made himself comfortable, resting on the edge of my desk. “That’s all right. I get it. But you look like you need a break. Why don’t we go out for lunch today?”

  I looked at him apologetically and explained, “Thanks, but I really can’t. We’re on a strict deadline to get this done.”

  His smile dropped to a crestfallen frown. “Well, how about if I help you out where I can? Then you’d have a bit more free time.”

  I arched a brow and rested my elbows on my desk. Just like Collin, Logan was a partner as well. He should have been swamped with his own projects. “That’s nice, but don’t you have your own client projects you should be working on?”

  “Nothing on too strict of a deadline at the moment,” he explained. “Besides, I prefer my team to have a healthy work/life balance. Keeps productivity up. Something Collin doesn’t seem to understand, apparently. Maybe you should see about transferring.”

  That comment didn’t sit well with me. At all. Collin was a fantastic boss who was always considerate to the members of his team. He hardly ever demanded overtime and was hands-on in everything, making sure to pull his own weight instead of passing it off to one of the lower-level employees. I didn’t like Logan’s blasé insult of him.

  With a heavy frown, I told him, “I would never consider transferring away from Collin. He’s a wonderful boss.”

  Logan’s hands went up in a placating gesture. “I wasn’t trying to be offensive. It just looks like you’re under a lot of stress. I’m sorry if that came across poorly.” How he thought I could interpret what he’d said in any other way was beyond me, but I was too busy and tired to give it any more thought.

  “That’s all right. I understand,” I lied, because I didn’t understand, but I didn’t have time to worry about what he meant. I was just about to tell him I really needed to get back to work, implying as pol
itely as humanly possible that maybe he should go back to his own office, when my cell phone rang, saving me from that particularly awkward conversation. Saved by the bell.

  “Sorry, I have to get this, but I’ll talk to you later,” I muttered. Logan didn’t look pleased, but he caught the hint, stood from my desk, and headed toward his own.

  “Hey, what’s up?”

  Chance’s deep, sultry timbre came through the line. “Hey, honey. Busy day again?” It was, but just the sound of his voice went a long way in melting away some of the stress. My head was so wrapped up in Chance that I didn’t even stop to consider that I welcomed a distraction from him, while one from Logan simply irritated me.

  “Yeah, and it will be for a while now. It’ll probably be another late night, too.”

  “Okay, that’s what I was calling about. If you’re working late, I’m going to stop by with some takeout. You haven’t been eating enough this week.”

  That warm, melty sensation I was growing accustomed to when it came to Chance hit my belly once again. “That’s sweet. I’d really appreciate that.”

  “Then consider it done.” He started to say something else, but the phone on my desk began to ring, the caller ID stating it was Reception. “Hold on a sec. My desk phone’s ringing.”

  I pulled my cell a few inches away and lifted my desk phone from its cradle. “Hey, Sam. What’s up?”

  “Hi, Mel. I know you’re really busy, but security in the lobby just called up. There’s a woman downstairs causing a disturbance.”

  My entire body froze solid as the blood in my veins turned to ice. “What?” I whispered, panic starting to seep in.

  “I’m so sorry. But they told me she’s claiming to be your mother. They’ve already called the police, but—”

  “Oh my God. They called the police?” I interrupted on a squeak, my voice rising as dread took over.

  “They asked that you come down and talk to her. Try and diffuse the situation.”

  “O-okay. I’ll… I’ll b-be right down.” Oh no, my stutter had returned, along with that nervous anxiety I’d worked so hard to get control of. I hung up on Sam, my head swimming. It felt like I was suddenly stuck in a tunnel with the walls closing in on me. In the distance, I could hear Chance’s voice calling my name. That was what snapped me out of it.