Love's Second Chance (Second Chances Series)

by L. P. Dover

  He grinned. “You look amazing.”

  Moving forward, Galen kissed me lightly on the cheek before he entered my condo. He whistled as he took in the disaster of my dwelling. “Do I need to find you a decorator?” he teased.

  I rolled my eyes playfully. “No! I just haven’t taken the time to unpack.”

  What Galen didn’t know was that I had a beautiful house but I was too afraid to go to it. My goal was to get the courage to go back, but until then I’d stay at the condo. “Are you ready?” Galen asked.

  Nodding, I grabbed my bag. “Yep, let’s go.”

  He saw my bag and smiled. “Are you going on vacation?” he joked. “I should have known you wouldn’t pack light. I guess some things never change.”

  I narrowed my eyes at him, trying to look intimidating but all he did was laugh and walk past me out the door. “It’s not that much,” I countered, hoping he would hear me. Taking a deep breath, I picked up one of my bags and locked the door. The whole time descending the steps the butterflies fluttered away in my stomach. I was looking forward to the night.

  “We’re here!” Galen announced.

  My eyes went wide at the sight before me. He brought me to one of the most highly sought out museums in Charlotte. I had always wanted to come here, but every time Carson would try to bring me he would get a page from the hospital and have to leave. My throat tightened and I felt a slight twinge of guilt thinking about that. It made me feel like a traitor to Carson. He tried to take me to the museum so many times, and now I was there with another man. I loved my husband and always would, but in all reality I had actually fallen in love with Galen first. Was it bad that I never actually stopped loving him?

  “I can’t believe you brought me here,” I said in awe. “I’ve always wanted to see this museum.”

  “I know,” he admitted. “I remember you saying something about it years ago.”

  Gazing over at him, I smiled. “Thank you. It means a lot to me.”

  We exited the car and he took my hand as we made our way to the door. An elderly gentleman opened the door with a big smile. “Good evening, Mr. Matthews,” he then looked to me and said, “and to you, Miss Anders.”

  “Good evening to you, James. Is everything to what we discussed?” Galen asked the elderly man.

  James grinned. “Everything is set up, sir. Enjoy your evening.”

  “I don’t see how I’m ever going to be able to top this date,” I said softly to Galen.

  “I’m sure you can come up with something. You were always creative, and I mean that in every aspect,” he whispered gruffly in my ear. Just those words made my body tingle in all the right places.

  Once James walked away, Galen led me up the stairs to what looked like different sections of the museum. Staring wide-eyed, I took in the glorious sights before me. “Are we alone here?” I whispered while looking around at the unoccupied exhibits.

  Galen smirked devilishly and explained, “I rented it out for our date. I wanted to make sure you enjoyed it.”

  “How in the world did you ever think to plan this?” I asked.

  He shrugged. “I have my connections, but like I said before, you mentioned you wanted to come here so I made sure to bring you. Not to pry or anything, but did your husband not do things like this for you?”

  I shook my head. “No, not this extravagant, but he had his ways of making things special.”

  “Does it bother you to talk about him?”

  “A little,” I confessed. “I guess it just feels weird talking about him with you.”

  “Well, just so you know, I don’t mind if you do. I don’t want you to think that you can’t talk to me about him, okay?”

  “Thank you for that. It means a lot,” I said softly.

  Galen and I walked around the museum in silence. Looking around, I couldn’t begin to fathom how much it must have cost for Galen to do this for me. Everywhere I turned sculptures and art took me away. Chills ran down my body with each new piece I saw. The entire museum was a work of art, a place of peace, and it was all mine for the time being. Galen and I observed the museum for what felt like only minutes, but it ended up being a couple of hours.

  “I have another surprise,” Galen murmured in my ear. His breath against my ear made my skin prickle with chills. Placing his hand on the small of my back, he led me to another room. Soft lighting adorned the ceiling, and in the middle of the room was a small dinner table decorated with a red and black tablecloth with covered dishes on top. Two glasses of white wine were already poured, and off to the side of the room were two waiters standing at attention.

  “Galen, this is amazing,” I breathed in awe. “Thank you for this.”

  He guided me to the table and pulled out my seat. “You’re welcome.”

  Galen took the seat across from me and motioned for one of the waiters. The waiter came and removed the covers from the dishes. Steam released in one huge cloud, and once the smoke cleared there sat an Oscar styled filet mignon, a shrimp cocktail, steamed vegetables, and a loaded baked potato. The smell was pure heaven, and if I wasn’t trying to be a lady I would have devoured the food in just a matter of seconds.

  “I thought secluding the museum was amazing, but this is absolutely wonderful.”

  He took a sip of wine. “Thank you. I’m really glad you like it. Do you remember all the galleries we went to for Jenna’s openings?”

  “Of course I remember.”

  “Do you want to know one of the main reasons why I brought you here?” he asked. At my nod he continued, “I loved the way your face would shine when you looked at the paintings. So serene … like an angel. I wanted to see that look on your face again. I know you’ve been saddened with grief the past few months, and I can still see it in your eyes. I just want you to know that I’m here and I would do anything to make you happy.”

  I believed him … I believed every word he spoke. I was sure he could figure out a million ways to make me happy. At that moment, I was thinking of a few that didn’t involve art. His lingering gaze made my body hot to the core, causing me to squirm in my chair. He stared at my lips when I took a sip of my wine, and he licked his own seductively before he took a bite of his food. I remembered that tongue very well, and how warm it felt when he used it to tease my … What the hell?! I was going to orgasm just thinking about his tongue on certain places of my body. Being sexually frustrated was dangerous, especially with Galen in the mix.

  Putting my hands to my forehead, I hid my eyes, hoping he couldn’t see my blushing cheeks. “Oh my God,” I hissed softly.

  “Are you okay over there?” Galen laughed. “Is there something you want to say?”

  I shook my head and took a bite of my food. “No, just memories is all.”

  “Ah, good ones I hope?” he added.

  I shrugged, not giving him an exact answer. The meal was the best dinner I’d had in a long time. Being by myself, I didn’t treat myself to such luxuries. It seemed kind of pointless when all I’d be doing was eating alone. We finished our food slowly. When the dishes were cleared, I was assuming a dessert would follow, but it didn’t come. Galen stood and offered his hand instead.

  “We have another destination for that, Korinne.” Furrowing my brow, I looked up at him, confused.

  “What are you talking about?” I asked, reaching for his hand.

  Pulling me in tight against his chest, he brushed his lips against my ear. “Dessert,” he whispered seductively. “Our dessert will be somewhere else, but just as delicious.”

  Just the close contact made me flush with desire, and I couldn’t stop my lungs from desperately trying to take in air. My core tingled, and if I didn’t get a release soon I was going to burst. It had been way too long since I’d felt desire for another man. I was sure the idea of his dessert didn’t involve chocolate, but something of a more hard and sexual variety.

  “Let’s go,” I said softly, biting my lip.

  We made it to the car, and by the time we got
there I felt flushed and euphoric with the thoughts of what was to come. Galen put the key in the ignition and we headed on our way. I was assuming our next destination would be his house. We passed by house after house, and I grew tense when I saw that we were heading toward the direction of the home I shared with Carson. Had he lived near me this whole time and I didn’t know? Thankfully, he turned us down another lake view neighborhood. After going through a maze of streets, I saw his house up ahead nestled on top of a hill. I knew it was his because of Big Blue sitting in the driveway.

  “Wow!” I exclaimed. “You have a beautiful home.”

  “Thank you. I designed the whole layout and had it built,” he answered, sounding proud.

  One of the doors to the five car garage opened and Galen drove his Ford Mustang inside and parked. My eyes grew wide when I saw all of the vehicles he had in his garage.

  “Do you think you have enough cars?” I teased jokingly.

  He furrowed his brows and looked at all the different cars. In a serious tone he said, “No, I think I could use one more.” He stood there for a few seconds while I stared at him with my mouth hanging open. Surely he wasn’t being serious about that, I thought. Laughing at my wide-eyed expression, he reached for my bag. “I was kidding. Come on, let me show you around.”

  I was amazed at the variety of cars he had. He had a brand new Land Rover, a 1972 Chevrolet El Camino SS, a 1958 Chevrolet Corvette, and over in the corner I saw two motorcycles. Cringing at the sight of them, I silently prayed that he was careful when he rode. He opened the door, and once inside the house I was shocked at what I saw before me. Two sets of winding stairs led to the upper levels of the house while the lower level was open and full of life. What surprised me most was that it looked vaguely familiar. Why did I recognize this place?

  “Does it look familiar?” Galen asked from behind me.

  “Yes, but I can’t place it,” I said. Looking around the room, I took everything in; the patterns, the furniture, and the layout. It all looked like something that I would’ve designed.

  Galen came up behind me and turned me around. For the first time he looked unsure, nervous even, as he stared into my eyes. “It’s because you designed it,” he revealed sheepishly.

  Shaking my head, I stared at him bewildered and confused. “How? I don’t understand.”

  He took a deep breath before explaining. “It was about a year ago. I knew you were married, and I didn’t want to come between you and your husband or cause problems, so I had someone hire you to decorate their house. The design was actually for me. I know it might seem kind of creepy that I did that, but I didn’t know what else to do. Someone’s home is a personal place and I didn’t want to put you in that situation.”

  He lowered his eyes and turned to put my bag on the nearby table. I wondered what I would’ve done if I knew it was Galen behind that project. At that moment, I knew I would never know, but after his admission something was urging me forward, something that pulled me to him like a moth to a flame. The feelings I had for this man were strong before, but nothing compared to the abundance of emotions I was feeling in that moment. If I didn’t get them out I was going to explode. He had done so much for me, believing in me with every fiber of his being, and hadn’t asked for anything in return. I knew what I was about to do would be life- changing. With each determined step, I made my way over to the man that was beginning to steal my heart … again. Fear and desire coincided within me, but I couldn’t stop. I knew I shouldn’t let him in, but I couldn’t deny the way my heart was beating for this man. It was as if all of my desires, all of the pent up emotions and feelings in my body had me desperate for this man’s touch, Galen’s touch. The man I fell in love with years ago. His eyes grew wider the closer I got, but I knew I wasn’t going to back down. I needed to feel him in every way possible, and I needed it then. In one swift move I crushed my lips to his and wrapped my arms around his neck, holding him tight. His arms engulfed me, protecting me in his embrace, but also unsure of what to do.

  “What are you doing?” he groaned, breaking away from the kiss. “I thought you wanted to take things slow.”

  A fire so hot burned behind those pale blue eyes of his, and I knew taking things slow wasn’t going to happen. “I don’t think I can,” I breathed against his lips.

  “Please don’t say that. I don’t think I can control myself if you let me in. I’ve wanted you from the moment I saw you, and it’s already hard enough to keep my distance.”

  “I don’t want you to keep your distance.” I sighed. “I need you, Galen, and I need you now.” Those words were all it took for the fire to consume him, to consume us both.

  In one quick motion, Galen picked me up and I wrapped my legs around his waist. I could feel him hard and ready against my core, and I ached to have that hardness inside of me. Moaning into his mouth, I kissed him feverishly. He carried me down a hall to where I assumed his bedroom was. Once we entered, Galen rushed over to the bed and crushed me into the mattress with his weight. He kissed along my neck, up to my cheek, and across my lips. Exploring his mouth with my tongue, I devoured him, tasting him greedily.

  Galen broke away from the kiss and lifted my sweater over my head, tossing it to the floor. My bra was gone in the next instant, and was immediately replaced with his soft, warm lips, trailing across my breasts until he found a peaked nipple. He sucked firmly, kneading them hungrily, while I arched my back wanting him to take more. My core tightened and grew wet with need. He separated my legs with one of his knees and thrust his hips between them, rubbing against my inner spot. It had been so long since I tasted the pleasure of desire, and I knew I’d probably orgasm just by the movement alone. It was building and I wanted him to take me, to make love to me like he did all those years ago.

  “Galen,” I whispered. My voice was raspy with a want so great I could barely focus. Lifting his head, he licked his lips enticingly while he stared at my mouth.

  “Are you okay? Do you need me to stop?”

  Shaking my head, I moaned, “No, it feels too good for you to stop.”

  He smirked seductively before taking my bottom lip between his teeth, sucking and pulling, driving me over the edge. His hands left my breasts and travelled down to the waist of my pants. Unbuttoning them easily with those lithe fingers of his, he then slid a hand down in between my legs. Rubbing my nub gently, Galen slowly entered me with his long, warm fingers. A gratifying moan left my lips and I arched my back, moving my hips along with his strokes. I could feel the orgasm building and there was no way I was going to be able to stop it from coming.

  “Galen!” I cried out. “Oh, my God, Galen!” I closed my eyes as the force from the orgasm had me exploding from the inside out. Galen’s hooded gaze swept up and down my body while I rode the final waves of orgasm.

  “You are so hot,” he admitted heatedly once I came down from my high. I moaned, wanting more of him, more of his touch, and he eagerly complied. He began to pull my pants down slowly over my hips and past my thighs until he finally got them removed, along with my underwear. He kissed his way up my leg to my stomach, and then across my breasts until he reached my lips.

  “Are you on birth control?” he asked with a hint of nervousness. I shook my head and looked away. There had been no reason for me to be on it since I hadn’t been with anyone in a long time, but there was also another reason.

  “No, I’m not.” I sighed, and he turned my face to look at him.

  “Talk to me, Korinne. Why do you have that look on your face?”

  I took a deep breath before revealing my terrible secret. The tears threatened to spill, but I kept them at bay. “I’m not on birth control because I can’t have kids, or at least it’s really difficult for me to. Let’s just say I have ovarian issues. Carson and I tried, but it turns out we couldn’t.” The tears began to fall and I felt ashamed with having to admit I was defective. If Galen wanted kids he sure wasn’t going to get them from me.

  “Korinne,” he
whispered gently. “Everything will be okay. You’re perfectly fine the way you are.”

  I nodded, but the tears kept falling. The mood had cooled and what started out as an amazing and heat filled night turned into something depressing. Galen moved from in between my legs to lay down beside me. Propping himself up on his elbow, he wrapped a well-muscled arm across my bare stomach. He didn’t seem angry at all about our abrupt stop, and I couldn’t have been more thankful. When I got the nerve to look at him again he smiled gently, his eyes showing nothing except concern and understanding.

  “Did you really want kids?” he asked apologetically.

  I nodded. “I did and I still do. The misery I felt when I found out we couldn’t have children was devastating. There’s always that one percent possibility that I could still have one on my own, but the chances of that are very slim. We were going to adopt, but Carson passed away before we ever signed the papers.” Looking away for a second, I hesitated before asking him the same question. “Have you ever thought about having children?”

  He looked me in the eye and smiled. “I’ve thought about it sometimes. You know, there are a lot of children that need to be adopted. I think it was a good idea that you were going to do it.” Releasing the breath I’d been unconsciously holding, I sighed with relief. I didn’t want to deprive him of having children of his own, because if he stayed with me he wouldn’t have them. Galen would make a great father. He was a completely selfless, caring, fun-spirited, and had the most loving heart of anyone I knew. However, what really sparked my interest was that he was single and not married. Any woman in her right mind would have jumped at the chance to be with him.

  “Why aren’t you married? I’m a little shocked that you’re still single,” I asked skeptically. I knew he was dating someone before, but I didn’t know what happened to her or how long they had been separated.

  He turned his head away and looked at the ceiling. Judging by his reaction, I guessed things with his last girlfriend didn’t turn out too well. “You don’t have to answer,” I said quickly. “I didn’t mean to pry, I was just curious. You’re an amazing guy and I can’t believe that you would even be single.”