Take A Chance

by Micalea Smeltzer

  She clapped her hands together excitedly and ran forward to take them from him.

  “Day’re bootiful.” She grinned up at him and he bent down to be at her height so that he could hand them over.

  “I’m happy you like them.” He smiled at her like she was the cutest thing he’d ever seen, and something inside my chest stirred.

  He stood back up and smiled at me, his dimple flashing.

  “I’ll go put these in some water and then we can head out. Mia, can I have yours?” I asked her, holding my hand out.

  “Can I puts dem in my room?” She asked, not wanting to let go of the flowers.

  “Absolutely.”

  “O’tay.”

  She handed the flowers over and I fixed each bouquet in a vase before heading back to the door. Hayes dropped his hand to my waist and waved at Sadie and Ezra with the other. “We won’t be out late.”

  “Oh,” Sadie grinned, “take all the time you need.”

  “Sadie,” I hissed, pink staining my cheeks.

  She laughed. “I feel like a parent sending my kid out for prom. Quick, Ezra, get your phone and take a picture.”

  “No! No pictures!” I cried, embarrassment deepening the color in my cheeks.

  It was too late though, Ezra was already snapping away while Sadie clapped her hands and danced on the balls of her feet.

  “You kids have fun.” She winked, all but pushing us out the door.

  When the door closed behind us I turned to Hayes with wide eyes.

  “She is so bossy,” I grumbled.

  Hayes merely chuckled and reached for my hand. He guided me to his truck and then helped me climb into the massive thing. His hand landed on my butt and he gave me a small push.

  Once I was seated I turned to glare at him. “You did that on purpose.”

  His eyes sparkled with laughter. “Maybe.”

  I huffed and reached for the seatbelt as he closed the door.

  He hopped into the truck and the engine roared to life a moment later.

  He turned the volume down on the radio and glanced at me. “You know,” he smiled sheepishly, “I haven’t put this much effort into impressing a girl in…well, a long time.”

  I laughed. “Is that a good thing or a bad thing?”

  “Good, definitely good.” He nodded. “It means I care enough about you to try.” He winked.

  I guessed he had a point there.

  Taking a deep breath, he said, “I know you have your reservations about me. Hell, the magazines don’t tend to paint me in the best light…and I have done some shitty things in my life. But I’m different now. This isn’t a game to me. Okay?” He gave me an earnest look before his eyes fell back to the road.

  I nodded. “I know,” I whispered.

  And even though it was hard to acknowledge I did know that. The Hayes I’d gotten to know this past summer was amazing, and kind, and…maybe a little—or a lot—naughty at times.

  “Where are we headed?” I asked, glancing out the window at the darkened sky.

  “My house.”

  “Your house?” I echoed.

  “Mhmm,” he nodded, tugging his delectable bottom lip between his teeth before letting it go. “Is that okay?”

  “Yeah, of course. I’m just surprised, that’s all.”

  He shrugged, adjusting his hold on the steering wheel. “I’m not going to lie, I thought about taking you to a fancy restaurant, or whisking you away to D.C. or Baltimore for the evening, and about a million other things. But in the end I decided that none of those things were you. I knew I could do something special just by sharing myself with you.” Smirking, he added, “And by ‘myself’ I do mean my person and not my cock.”

  “Oh my God,” I muttered, fighting a laugh as I leaned my head back against the seat.

  “And I’ll be making dinner of course.”

  “You’re making dinner?” I couldn’t keep the surprise from my tone.

  Smiling crookedly, he said, “I might be a rock star, Little Bird, but I’m not completely incompetent.”

  “What are some of your other talents?” I joked.

  He tapped his lips as he pondered the question. “Hmm, well I think you’re well acquainted with them.” He winked.

  “Hayes!” I lightly smacked his arm, my whole body blushing an unattractive shade of red. I was sure it matched my hair and my poor freckles probably stood out even more.

  “Hey,” he raised his hands in defense before grabbing the steering wheel once more, “I don’t know what you’re thinking in that pretty little head of yours, but I was referring to my wicked awesome skateboarding tricks. Granted, I’m a little rusty, but I’m getting back into it. The teenagers at the skate park can be real dicks though.” He turned to me with a sad face. “I wiped out and tore up my elbow and the fuckers laughed.”

  Now I was laughing at him.

  “You’re just as mean as them. You should be saying, ‘Oh, Hayes, let me kiss your war wound and make it all better.’” He mimed in a high-pitched voice.

  I snorted. “Not happening.”

  “I had a feeling you’d say that.” He sighed.

  He turned off the main road and the truck wound around the mountain, going higher and higher. We passed a few homes—ones so large I could fit my whole house into it three times.

  When we could go no higher he turned into a driveway.

  I gasped in awe. The home was huge, but not as large as some of the others we’d passed. Even still, it didn’t lack grandeur.

  It was done all in brick with a three-car garage jutting out the front. Above the front door was a large window and through it I could see a lit chandelier.

  I’d never stopped to wonder what kind of home Hayes lived in, but if I had thought about it this was the last thing I would’ve expected.

  “What do you think?” Hayes asked, seeming a bit embarrassed. “I know it’s quite large for one person, but I fell in love with this land and I wanted to build my dream house here.”

  “It’s beautiful,” I answered honestly, “but not what I was expecting.”

  “What were you expecting?” He asked, truly curious.

  I shrugged, still staring at the home in awe. “I guess I expected something more modern. Like a sleek condo or something.”

  He chuckled. “Yeah, that’s not really my style.” He parked the truck and turned off the engine. “Are you ready to check out the inside?”

  “No, I was planning to climb a tree first.”

  He threw his head back and laughed. “I should’ve expected that kind of response.”

  “Yes, you should’ve.” I scolded him lightly with a smile touching my lips.

  I undid my seatbelt and he grabbed my hand to halt me from getting out.

  “Let me help you. I wouldn’t want you to break an ankle getting out of this thing.” He winked playfully and jumped from the truck.

  No way in hell was I waiting for him so I quickly opened the door and hopped out, landing on my feet.

  Hayes stopped in front of me, shaking his head. “Why can’t you listen to anything I say?”

  “Aw,” I patted his chest mockingly, “now where’s the fun in that?”

  Huffing a breath he closed the door and locked his truck.

  He led me to the front door and grabbed his keys, digging around for the right one.

  “I normally go in through the garage,” he explained. “Aha!” He chimed, holding up a key. “Found it.”

  He slid it into the lock and swung the door open.

  My eyes were met with dark hardwood floors, toffee colored walls, a sweeping staircase, and arches leading back into what appeared to be a family room. To my right sat a home office that was decorated pretty sparsely with a wooden desk, heavy chair, and a sleek laptop. On my left was a little nook with filled bookshelves and several comfy looking leather chairs.

  “This way.”

  Hayes took my hand, leading me deeper into his home.

  “This is the kitche
n.” He pointed unnecessarily to the room.

  It had tall cherry wood cabinets, golden colored granite countertops, and appliances any chef would drool over.

  “Dining room.” He motioned to the room across from the kitchen.

  A large table sat beneath a glimmering chandelier. I’d never seen such a big dining table before and I figured he must have had it custom made to accommodate all off his friend’s and family.

  “And the family room.”

  “This might be my favorite room,” I breathed, craning my neck back to take in the massive cathedral like ceilings.

  The wall across from me was covered in windows, while the one to my left boasted a massive fireplace surrounded by intricate woodwork. The other walls were painted a darker shade from the one in the entryway and it made the large room seem cozy. In front of the fireplace was a tan suede sectional positioned on top of a fluffy beige rug.

  “It’s my second favorite,” he grinned, “my bedroom is number one of course.” His perpetual smirk stained his lips. “My bed is super comfy. Would you like to test it out?”

  I tried to hide my smile but failed miserably.

  “Ah, there it is.” He poked my cheek. “Your smile is beautiful, but you hide it.”

  I lowered my head, my hair falling over my shoulders.

  I startled when his warm fingers touched my chin, lifting my eyes to his.

  His face was shadowed with seriousness as he stared at me.

  “Don’t hide yourself from me.” His voice was nothing more than a husky whisper. “I want to see it all. Your smiles. Your frowns. Your worries. Your pleasure. Everything that makes you you. Give it to me.”

  I pulled in a lungful of air, overcome by his beautiful words. “I’m scared,” I admitted. Those two words took every ounce of courage I possessed in my body. Admitting you were afraid was one of the most difficult things to own up to as a human being. We were programmed to always say that we were fine or good—that showing fear is a sign of weakness. But it’s not. It’s one of the bravest things you can do to surrender that fear from yourself and place it into the open palms of someone else.

  “Don’t be,” he breathed, closing his eyes and leaning forward to press his lips to the top of my forehead. “I’ve got you.”

  His hands skimmed up my arms before coming to a rest against my cheeks.

  His stare was unwavering and I couldn’t look away from him if I wanted to.

  “Take a chance on me, Arden. I know it might not seem like it, but I’m a sure bet.”

  I pulled in a shaky breath. “Don’t break me.” I whispered into the heated air between us. “I know I might not seem fragile, but I am.”

  He smoothed his thumbs against the round curves of my cheeks. “I’ll take care of you,” he vowed, “I could never hurt you.”

  I grasped his shirt between my hands. “I trusted a man once, I loved him with all of my heart, and he hurt me in ways you can’t even begin to imagine. But getting to know you these past few months…” I paused, laughing under my breath. “You’ve managed to breach every barrier I built around my heart without even trying.”

  Hayes’ whole body had gone rigid at the mention of my ex. “What did he do to you?” He pleaded with me to open up, to spill every dark secret that tormented my brain. “Tell me.” His fingers tangled in the silky hair at the base of my skull, tilting my head back so my gaze was locked on his.

  “Not yet,” I shook my head adamantly, “I promise I’ll tell you, but please, not tonight.”

  I didn’t want this night to be tainted with memories of Todd.

  This was the night I was willingly handing over my heart to Hayes and I wouldn’t let Todd take this moment from me. I’d been letting him rule my decisions for far too long, it was the only reason I’d been able to resist Hayes for four months—because even before I slept with him that boy had been weaseling his way into my heart from the moment I met him.

  “Okay,” Hayes relinquished to my pleas. “Not tonight, but soon?”

  I nodded.

  “I can live with that…although I might hunt down the fucker and kill him with my bare hands.” His words were a growl and a muscle in his jaw jumped.

  I reached up, taking the side of his face into one of my hands. His body instantly relaxed at my touch and I smiled at the fact that I affected him as much as he affected me.

  “He’s not worth it,” I told him, “trust me.”

  “He must’ve been a fucking idiot to treat you horribly and abandon his daughter.”

  “You have no idea,” I sighed.

  Breaking away from his hold the tension from my body slowly leaked away.

  “No more mentions of him tonight.” I gave Hayes the best stern expression I could muster. It probably wasn’t all that scary considering it never fazed Mia.

  “Who?” Hayes winked.

  I smiled. “So…are you going to feed me on this date or let me starve?”

  “Baby, I’m a feast for your eyes, isn’t that enough?” He jested.

  Laughter burst free of my mouth and I doubled over clutching my stomach. “That’s the cheesiest thing I’ve ever heard.” I wiped tears from my eyes.

  He shrugged, his grin firmly in place. “I thought it was pretty decent considering I saw it on a Popsicle stick.”

  I laughed harder.

  Only Hayes could go from super serious one second to giving me an idiotic pickup line the next.

  He held out his hand, waiting for me to place mine on top.

  When I did he guided me out of the family room and into the kitchen.

  He pulled out one of the barstools for me and urged me to sit down.

  He strolled over to the refrigerator and began pulling out various dishes. He set them on the counter and then grabbed two wine glasses.

  “Do you want any?” He asked, uncorking a bottle and pouring one glass, but hesitating over the other.

  I gave a small nod and he filled it up halfway.

  I took the glass while he turned on the grill built into the countertop.

  “What are we having?” I asked, trying to peer at the plates he was slowly uncovering.

  “Steak, baked potatoes, roasted vegetables, and dessert of course.” He grinned boyishly as he arranged the plates.

  “You’ve put a lot of thought into this,” I commented.

  He ceased what he was doing and looked up. “Of course I have.”

  He seemed offended that I would think anything else.

  “It’s nice,” I assured him, “better than nice actually.”

  Like Hayes had said, he could’ve taken me to a fancy restaurant—and that’s what I’d expected—but this was a thousand times better. I didn’t need to be impressed, I just needed him in his true form.

  I finally picked up my glass of wine and took a tentative sip. I was a picky drinker, but the delicious liquid that splashed against my tongue before sliding down my throat was absolutely incredible.

  “Wow, that’s good,” I commented, taking another sip.

  Hayes chuckled, laying two thick steaks on top of the grill. “I have it shipped in from this little vineyard I stumbled upon in Napa Valley.”

  “You went to a vineyard?” My eyes widened in surprise.

  I had a hard time seeing Hayes, with his perfect hair, fancy sneakers, and straight-legged pants, traipsing through a vineyard.

  “Hey,” he put a hand to his chest, “I’m cultured. Just because I’m a rock star doesn’t mean I’m all about the party life…okay, I will admit that I used to be, but the last six months or so…it hasn’t been appealing.” He shrugged. “But yes, I went to a vineyard.”

  “You’re full of surprises,” I shook my head, mystified, “what else do you have up your sleeve?”

  “I like to hike.”

  “Hiking? Really?” I mused.

  He grinned and rubbed his jaw. “I know I might look more like a Renaissance sculpture, or so I’ve been told,” he shrugged, “but I’m all for getting down
and dirty now and then.” He winked before turning his back to me and opening the oven door to check on the baked potatoes he’d left cooking while he picked me up. Turning back around he placed his hands on his narrow hips. “Now you have to tell me something about yourself that I’d never guess.”

  “Hmm,” I mused, trying to think of something. I was really a rather boring person. “I’m a beast at ping pong.”

  He chuckled, leaning forward to rest his elbows on the counter. “Really?”

  I nodded. “My brother had a table when we were younger and I got really good at it because I wanted to beat him.”

  “You have a brother?” His brows rose in interest.

  I nodded. “He lives in North Carolina now with his wife and kids. We don’t see him much anymore.” I frowned, shrugging my shoulders.

  “Any other siblings?” He asked.

  “No,” I took another sip of wine, “you?”

  “Two sisters.” A wistful smile touched his lips. “One older and one younger. Jessica, my older sister, lives in Manhattan now. She’s married with a son. She’s a lawyer. And Jaclyn, my younger sister, is currently living in Washington state.” Frowning, he mumbled, “I’m pretty sure she sells pot for a living.”

  I snorted, unable to help myself. “Seriously?”

  He nodded. “She’s always been a bit of a…”

  “Free spirit?” I suggested.

  He pointed at me. “I was going to say oddball, but let’s go with that one. It sounds nicer. She’s cool though. I miss her. I miss both of them actually…fuck, I never thought I’d say that when I was growing up. Let’s just say, growing up the middle child with two sisters wasn’t always fun.”

  “Aw, did they turn you into their doll?” I cackled mercilessly.

  He frowned. “How’d you know? They were very into blue eye shadow, hot pink lipstick, and bows. Oh, God, the bows.” He buried his face in his hands, stifling his laugh.

  “I bet you made a very pretty girl,” I joked.

  He looked up and his eyes had darkened to a stormy navy blue. He stalked around the counter and slid the barstool out so that he stood between my legs. Looking down at me from his looming height, he growled, “I’m all man, Little Bird. And don’t you forget it.”

  He lowered his head, suckling my neck before going higher and tugging my earlobe between his teeth.