A Chance at Love

by Silvia Violet

  “So tight. But you’ll take my cock, won’t you?”

  “Yes! I’ll take anything for you.”

  “So eager.” Chance reached under Darren and stroked his cock. He thrust into Chance’s hand, already primed to go off.

  “Too close. Can’t—”

  “You can. You won’t come until I tell you to.”

  Darren wasn’t nearly that confident. His climax was right there. If Chance just—

  Chance let go. “Ready for my cock to fill you up?”

  “God yes!”

  “Good.”

  Darren heard Chance open the condom wrapper. He turned to watch as Chance rolled it on and then slicked himself up, but when Chance moved behind and took hold of his hips, he dropped his head back down and drew in a shaky breath.

  Darren gasped when Chance pushed the head of his cock inside him. His ass cheeks burned from the spanking, and he knew this would hurt, but that didn’t stop him from wanting it so bad, he would do anything to keep Chance there.

  “I’ll go as slow as you need me to, okay? Do you trust me?”

  He trusted Chance more than he’d ever trusted anyone. “Yes.”

  “Breathe.”

  He did, and Chance pushed in farther. Then he rocked back and forth slowly until Darren thought he would lose his mind.

  “More. I need more.” He tried to fuck himself on Chance’s cock, but Chance squeezed his hips tighter.

  “I’m controlling this.”

  “Can’t. Take. It.”

  “You can. And if you’re very good, I’ll go faster. Eventually.”

  Darren shuddered. The mere sound of Chance’s voice was almost enough to make him come. “Why do I like this so much?”

  “You just do. You don’t need a reason. Enjoy it.”

  “I am.” He pushed back, catching Chance off guard and taking him deeper.

  Instead of pulling away, Chance drove in, giving Darren all of him.

  Chance’s body slapping against his sore ass made him cry out. “Fuck!”

  “Is this what you need?” Chance’s voice was hoarse with his own desire.

  “Yes!”

  Chance pulled out slowly, tormenting him, but then he thrust back in and kept going. Darren gripped the table so hard, he knew his hands would be aching later. But he didn’t want this to stop. He could feel his climax building, his balls drawing tighter. It was so good, so right, so exactly what he needed.

  “Oh God. Chance, I—”

  “Yeah, me too.”

  Chance took Darren’s cock in his hand and worked him.

  He was close, so close. “I don’t want this to end.”

  “There can be more later. Enjoy the release. You need it.”

  He did, so badly, and Chance’s words pushed him over the edge. He cried out as he arched his back. Come coated Chance’s hand and spattered the kitchen floor.

  Chance rode him through his climax, and then with a loud shout, he bucked against Darren and came. When he was done, he sagged over Darren back, and Darren sank down to his forearms, thankful he’d chosen a sturdy table.

  “That was amazing.”

  Chance nodded against his back. “I’ve missed you. Missed this, the way we connect.”

  “Me too. So much.” Darren realized he was crying again. He’d been right before. He’d fallen in love with Chance, and he didn’t want to let him go.

  ***

  When he woke the next morning, Chance rolled over and stretched, having forgotten where he was. When he opened his eyes, he was startled to see Darren watching him with a wary expression.

  Images of the evening flooded his mind. Dancing in Darren’s kitchen. Darren bent over the table. Darren’s ass bright red from the spanking Chance had given him. Darren crying out as they fucked. And then later, Darren on his knees, sucking Chance with such intensity, such desperation, and Chance coming so hard, he saw stars.

  “Last night,” Darren said. “What was that?”

  “Comfort.” Chance was too scared to let it be anything else.

  Stop being a fool. You love him.

  “Is that all?”

  “I…I’m not sure.”

  “I know I’m having a hard time right now, but I never stopped hoping you’d call and tell me you wanted to try again.”

  Chance brushed the back of his hand over Darren’s cheek. “I still don’t know if we can make this work.”

  “We could talk it through so we both know what to expect.”

  “No more surprise family visits?” Chance asked.

  “I told Mitch he wasn’t welcome here anymore. I won’t tolerate him insulting you. I’m really sorry about that morning. He… As a kid he pushed me around, made me do his bidding, and sometimes I forget I have power over him now.”

  “Darren, I… I didn’t realize.”

  He shook his head. “It’s okay. I just didn’t want you to think our relationship meant nothing to me.”

  “I never thought that. Not really.”

  Darren took Chance’s hand and squeezed it. He wanted Darren—nothing about how he felt had changed—but the idea of a relationship with him still seemed crazy. Darren cared about him. Chance was sure of that. But would it ever be love for him the way it was for Chance?

  “I’m leaving town tomorrow. My sister is graduating in a week, and I’m doing a collaboration with one of the professors I worked with at Rice. I’ll be in Texas for two weeks, but when I’m back… Maybe. I need time to think. I wasn’t prepared for this.”

  “And yet you came.”

  “I did because I…” No, he wasn’t going to say it. If Darren didn’t feel the same, he wasn’t ready to know, and if he did, it wasn’t fair for Chance to confess his love when he wasn’t sure what he wanted.

  “What?” Darren asked. He looked so damn hopeful.

  “I will always be here for you, no matter what else happens between us.”

  “Thanks.” Chance could see the disappointment in his eyes. “I know you think you didn’t fit in, but Mrs. Smithfork doesn’t like anyone. A lot of the others found you absolutely charming. They’ve asked about you. Caitlin wants to see you again.”

  “I just don’t know.”

  “You have to try something more than once to really know if you like it. What about the kids at the equine center? Do they all love riding when they first get on a horse?”

  Darren had him there. “No.”

  “And do you encourage them to try again?”

  “Of course I do, but that’s a skill they’re learning. It’s not the same.”

  “Dealing with donors, with people who think their money makes them better than other people, is a skill too.”

  Chance hadn’t really thought of it like that. “I guess you’re right.”

  “Of course I am.”

  Chance raised a brow.

  “I don’t want you to leave.”

  “I know, but I have to go to the lab. I’ve got to set some things up before my flight tomorrow.”

  Darren sat up and kissed him. It was gentle, sweet, so filled with love, Chance almost did tell Darren he’d fallen for him, that he was scared of how much he felt. Instead, he stood and gathered his clothes.

  “I’ll call you after I’m back, okay? Even if…even if I…”

  Darren nodded. Chance hurried into the bathroom then. If he spent any longer with Darren, he was going to agree to things he probably shouldn’t.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

  Darren’s mother’s passing and then his need to catch up on work had prevented him from having lunch with Caitlin for a couple of weeks, so he’d been thrilled when she agreed to meet him that day at one of their favorite restaurants.

  “How are you?” she asked after the waitress took their order.

  “Better. Not good, but better.”

  She studied Darren for a moment. “You saw him, didn’t you?”

  How the hell did she do that? There was no point in asking who she meant. “Yes.”

&nbs
p; “Annnnd?”

  “I called him a few days after the funeral. I needed someone to talk to. He came over, and I had a bit of a breakdown.” He wasn’t going to tell his niece about the rest of his evening.

  “Then you slept with him, and—”

  “Caitlin.”

  “I’m an adult now. Remember?”

  Darren sighed. “I asked him if he wanted to try again, and he said he’d think about it.”

  “Hmm.”

  Darren didn’t like her calculating look. “What?”

  “He feels vulnerable because he thinks he’s not old enough or good enough for you, right?”

  “Right, but I don’t understand why.”

  She waved dismissively. “Men are stupid. That’s why.”

  He started to argue, but a pointed look from her had him closing his mouth.

  “You need to show him you’re willing to be vulnerable too.”

  Darren remembered telling Chance about his childhood. Then he remembered bending over the table, naked, while a fully dressed Chance spanked him. He cleared his throat and pushed that memory away. “I’ve been vulnerable with him.”

  “Maybe personally, but have you tried to do something he likes that makes you uncomfortable?”

  “Like horseback riding?”

  She nodded. “That could work.”

  “When we were at the equine therapy center, he said he’d like to teach me how to ride, but I put him off. I’ve only been on a horse once, and it was…intimidating.”

  “You run a foundation that gives away hundreds of millions of dollars, and you let a horse intimidate you?”

  “Hush.”

  Caitlin laughed, and then Darren did too. It felt really good.

  “So tell him you’ll learn to ride.”

  Would that be enough to win Chance over? Suddenly, he had a crazy idea. “I’m going to do something even better.”

  Caitlin gave him a wary look. “What?”

  He pushed his chair back from the table. “I’ll tell you later. I need to go.”

  “You haven’t even eaten.”

  “I know, and I’ll make this up to you, but I’m going to be out of town for a few days.”

  She was looking at him like he’d lost his mind. “Out of town? Darren, what are you planning?”

  He ignored her questions, instead giving her a quick hug and hurrying from the restaurant. He needed to make plans quickly. Chance was only going to be in Texas for a few more days.

  ***

  Darren pondered his options in the airport gift shop. He could bring Chance flowers—not a bad choice, but it just didn’t seem right. Chance deserved something more…like this. He picked up a giant Toblerone. Seriously giant. It weighed about ten pounds and was close to two feet long, and it was Chance’s favorite candy. He imagined carrying it onto the plane. Then he imagined the look on Chance’s face when he realized Darren had flown with it. Yes, it was perfect.

  As he placed the candy in the overhead bin, he did, in fact, get numerous strange looks, along with one offer to buy it from someone in serious need of a chocolate fix. Once he settled into his seat, he pulled out his iPad, but he soon realized he was reading the same paragraph over and over without comprehending it. After they were in flight, he tried a movie, but it just became something to drown out the sounds of the plane. He’d never been this antsy on a flight before. He tried walking down the aisle of the plane and back, but that didn’t help. The only thing that was going to calm him down was getting there.

  Finally, the plane touched down in Houston. Now all he had to do was get a rental car and make the hour’s drive to the ranch.

  ***

  Or two hours. Or three.

  He slammed his hand against the steering wheel. Fucking traffic. He was so close to his exit, but the traffic was creeping along, and now he was second-guessing himself. He should have called and warned Chance he was coming. Or maybe he should have just waited until Chance was back in San Diego. No, that wouldn’t be the same.

  Was this plan insane or brilliant? He didn’t know anymore.

  Finally the traffic broke apart, and he was moving again. He took the exit and concentrated on the directions his GPS gave him. At last, he was turning into the long driveway of Emerson’s Ranch.

  When he turned off the ignition, he took a steadying breath and prayed: please let this work out. He unhooked the seat belt he’d used to secure the Toblerone and wrestled it out of the car.

  Shit. Whoever answered the door was going to think he was a lunatic. He considered turning back. No, you’ve come this far. Follow through, or you’ll never know how this ends.

  He climbed the porch steps. A big picture window allowed him to see into the family room. The furnishings looked cozy and inviting. Maybe he’d be okay after all. He rang the bell.

  Several dogs started barking, and he heard a shout. “All right. I’ll get it.” The voice was female, a teenager, he guessed.

  Sure enough, a girl who looked fourteen or fifteen opened the door. She had to be one of Chance’s sisters; they had the same strawberry-blond hair and hazel eyes.

  “Um. Hi,” she said.

  “Hi. I’m here to see Chance.”

  She eyed the Toblerone. “Is all that chocolate for him?”

  “Yes, but maybe he’ll share.”

  “Hmm. Hang on. I would invite you in, but you’re a stranger, and Mama has rules.”

  “As well she should,” Darren said.

  The girl turned away. “Chance! Chance! It’s for you.”

  Chance appeared behind her. “For me? Who is—” When he saw Darren, he froze. “Dare? What are you—” His eyes dropped to the Toblerone. “Oh my God!”

  Darren briefly considered running away, but that would possibly be even more embarrassing.

  “It’s for you. I bought it in the airport in San Diego.”

  Chance’s eyes widened. “And took it on the plane?”

  “Yes. I thought you’d like that.”

  “I love it, that you did that, that you remembered my favorite candy. But what are you doing here?”

  “I decided this would be the best place for you to teach me how to ride a horse.”

  Chance’s sister leaned around him. “You came all this way just for a riding lesson?”

  “Why are you still here, Mandy?” Chance growled.

  “Because I want to listen.”

  “Go away.” He pushed at her shoulder.

  “I will if you give me some chocolate.”

  “Later, okay?”

  She flipped him off and walked away.

  Chance stepped onto the porch and closed the door behind him. “We’ll have slightly more privacy out here.”

  “All right.”

  He studied Darren for a moment. “So you want to learn to ride?”

  “What I want even more is for you to understand that I’ll try anything you want me to, even if it scares me. This isn’t one-sided. I can learn about your world too, even when I don’t fit in.”

  “Darren, that’s… Wow.”

  “And one other thing.” Since he’d come all this way, he was going to lay all his cards on the table.

  “Yes?”

  “I love you.”

  Chance made a strangled noise. “What did you say?”

  “I love you. I want to make this work, and I don’t care how old you are or how different or—”

  “I love you too,” Chance blurted out. “I’ve known since like the second time we were together, but I told myself it couldn’t be true because I was afraid of ending up hurt. Then I hurt you instead. I’m sorry.”

  “It’s not your fault, and I know this still seems crazy. You and me.”

  Chance glanced down at the Toblerone. “It’s my kind of crazy.”

  “Me being here or the candy?”

  “Both.”

  “So will you teach me to ride?”

  Chance grinned. “It would be my pleasure.”

  “Will you try goin
g out with me again?”

  “Yes.”

  Darren exhaled. “Thank God.”

  Chance glanced over his shoulder and frowned. “Right now, I want to drag you to the barn and show you the tack room.”

  “Is that a euphemism?”

  “It sure as fuck is,” Chance said. “But I think you better come in first.”

  Darren tensed. “Are all your sisters like Mandy?” He could only imagine the interrogation Chance’s sisters would give him once they got him cornered.

  “Oh, some of them are much worse. But you’ve got to come in and meet them anyway, or they’re going to fall through the window.”

  Darren glanced over and saw four faces pressed firmly against the glass. “Holy shit.”

  “Yeah. I love them, but they’re going to want to know everything about you.”

  Darren braced himself. “I can handle it.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Yes, because they’re part of your life, and I want to be part of it too.”

  “Darren, I was going to call you when I got back and say yes, but I still wasn’t sure things would work for us.”

  “And now?”

  “Now I’m sure.”

  Darren tried to forget about their audience. “Can I kiss you?”

  “Within reason,” Chance said.

  Darren laughed as he pulled Chance to him. The kiss went on longer than it should have with his family watching, but it had been too long since he’d had Chance in his arms. Finally they pulled apart to the sound of catcalls from inside, and Chance took Darren’s hand in his.

  “Come on, Dare. I want my family to meet the man I love.”

  Dear Reader,

  Thank you for purchasing A Chance at Love. I hope you enjoyed it. If you like age gap romance you may also enjoy the Thorne and Dash series which starts with Professional Distance. If you’d like to read a contemporary stand alone, try Coming Clean. I offer a free book to anyone who joins my mailing list. To learn more, click here.

  Please consider leaving a review where you purchased this ebook or on Goodreads. Reviews and word-of-mouth recommendations are vital to independent authors.

  I love hearing from readers. You can chat with me on Facebook in Silvia’s Salon, and you can email me at silviaviolet@gmail.com. To read excerpts from all of my titles, visit my website: http://silviaviolet.com/books.