S is for Second Chance

by Annie J. Rose

  “I told you, less risk.”

  “I don’t believe you,” she countered.

  I shrugged, leaning back, laying my arms on the armrests. “Like I said, I heard your father is in a bit of a tight spot. I can help. This deal could be the foothold he needs to climb out of the hole he’s made.”

  She slowly shook her head. “No. You’re not doing this to help the man who snuck a deal out from under you. What is your endgame? What do you want from my father?”

  My eyes drifted back down her chest, hoping for another little peek at her cleavage. If only I had some magical powers to flick open that one tiny, little button. I remembered the taste of her skin. If I closed my eyes, I could conjure up the image of her naked, her creamy globes with the perfect pink nipples jutting forward.

  “I assure you I want nothing from Ron Savage,” I murmured, trying to dispel the image of her naked body from my mind.

  I heard her sharp breath and jerked my eyes up to see her glaring at me. “Oh my God,” she breathed. “If it isn’t him you want something from, you want something from me.”

  I smiled. “Tit for tat.”

  Her lip curled. “I should have known by the way you were looking at me.”

  I frowned. “How was I looking at you?”

  Then it hit me. She thought I wanted sex. She thought I was going to demand sex in return for giving her dad a hand. The idea had never crossed my mind. Apparently, I wasn’t all that great at the revenge game. I would have thought of that idea myself. It was good.

  “I know you, Devin. I know that look in your eye.”

  She wasn’t wrong. I had been thinking about sex. I probably did have that look she was referring to. “Elly, I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I said, feigning innocence.

  She shook her head. “I can’t believe you. You know how important the company is to him, to my family.”

  I smiled and nodded. My mind was whirring. Was she actually considering the idea? My eyes drifted down her front and over the length of her legs. I would love another chance to be with her. I had craved her touch.

  What could it hurt to take her up on her offer, whether she was actually offering or not? How far was she willing to go for her father? I had already seen what she would do once before—was she still willing to use her body to get what her father wanted?

  I couldn’t stop the smile from spreading over my face. It was the perfect revenge. I only wished I would have thought of it myself. Damn, Ron Savage was a ruthless man. I was going to enjoy destroying him.

  Chapter 6

  Elly

  I felt like I was on a roller coaster that I hadn’t gotten the chance to check on before climbing in and being strapped down. I didn’t know what was coming, but I knew the ride would be filled with lots of ups and downs and twists and turns. I was already feeling a little sick to my stomach. I had slept very little last night.

  All night I lay in bed, wondering what the hell Devin was up to. What kind of revenge was he seeking? Something had to be motivating him to try and put together a deal that would require us working together. He certainly didn’t need my father’s money, influence, or power. In that respect, Devin held all the cards. He was the one driving the coaster, and I didn’t like what that meant.

  Last night or rather very early this morning, it hit me. He wanted me. Not wanted me in the sense a man wants to love a woman, but he wanted my body. He wanted to use me. Three years ago, when I had walked into his office for the first time, I had no idea what to expect.

  From the very moment we had met, there had been explosive chemistry between us. We both felt it. He flirted and I flirted back. He was so damn charming. Devin had been the older man that I was forbidden to touch. Of course, I’d touched. The forbidden fruit factor was no joke. I couldn’t resist his charming personality and his good looks.

  “Hello?” Devin’s deep voice cut through my reverie.

  I blinked, staring at the man who was staring right back at me with hungry eyes. Gone was the playfulness I remembered from our first time working together. Now there was a predatory look in his eye that was a little intimidating. And hot. Goddammit! Why was I still attracted to him?

  “I’m sorry, you were saying?” I asked, keeping my voice cold.

  “I think it was you who was making a suggestion,” he said smoothly.

  I frowned at him. It was like déjà vu all over again. I was right back in his crosshairs to try and save my father. Three years ago, my father had sent me to Devin’s company to find out what Devin was up to. My father had told me Devin was a liar and a cheat and was working to steal a deal right out from under him. I had believed my father and wanted to defend him. I had risen to the challenge and played my part. I had never expected Devin to be the man he was.

  And I had never expected to fall for the man that was my father’s nemesis. But I had. I had fallen for him, and it turned my world upside down. Neither Devin nor my father knew just how much it had hurt me to learn the truth.

  “I’m not making a suggestion,” I managed to say. He was leering at me. His eyes locked on my breasts. I refused to squirm. I would not let him unnerve me.

  “It certainly sounded like that to me,” he practically cooed.

  “What happened in the past is the past. It would be a mistake to do that again.”

  His smile grew and the lecherous look in his eye increased. “We have a very different idea of what qualifies as a mistake.”

  I shook my head. “Devin, what do you want? I am in no mood for games and I’m sure you have better things to do with your time.”

  That smile on his face only grew bigger. Had I only poked the proverbial bear? The way he was looking at me made my skin hot, and my insides were doing a dangerous dance of lust and desire. I couldn’t want him. I couldn’t be attracted to the man. He was dangerous. Being in the room with him was a risk I should have known not to take.

  However, I had taken it for my father—again. I vowed it would be the last time.

  “My time is my concern. We’re here to talk about an arrangement that will benefit both parties. You’ve suggested I had ulterior motives. You put it out there, not me.”

  I cleared my throat. “I did, only to make sure you understand that one night was a mistake. Mistakes are meant to be learned from, not repeated.”

  Devin scoffed, his lips tugging up at the corners of his mouth. “That I completely agree with you on, but I’m not sure I would call what happened a mistake.”

  “I do,” I said firmly.

  He grinned, shrugging a shoulder. “We’ll agree to disagree.”

  I fought the need to look down at my blouse to make sure all my buttons hadn’t popped open. The way he was ogling me made me feel like I was stripped bare. How could one man’s stare unnerve me so badly? I could practically feel his touch on my bare skin with the way his eyes continuously raked over me. It was making me crazy. I felt flushed and hoped like hell I wasn’t blushing.

  It was time to put an end to it all. I had the advantage. I had something he wanted. Something only I could give. I could leverage that to get my father what he needed to pull himself out of the giant hole he had created for himself. It was risky and completely unorthodox, but we were backed against a wall. I had to do something. I pushed aside all my apprehensions and general morals and turned on the sex appeal. I smiled at him and very slowly uncrossed my legs without completely flashing the man and then recrossed them. It got the reaction I was hoping for. I saw his nostrils flare as his eyes darkened. He stared at my legs, the skirt riding high on my thigh. I bounced my foot a little, watching his eyes focus on the red pumps I knew he loved. He had a thing for red. Like a bull.

  “I think we could probably make a deal,” I said in a husky tone.

  He smiled and leaned forward. “I’m always eager to hear a proposal.”

  “Fine, I do have a proposal,” I said. I offered him a coy smile, letting him draw his own conclusions.

  His satisfied chuckle
almost had me backing out of what I was about to do. He had planned on me offering myself up as the sacrificial lamb. He’d wanted me to do it. I hated that he felt like he was winning. Technically, I supposed he was. “I’m listening,” he said, his eyes flashing with amusement.

  “One night,” I said, and my stomach churned. “I will be yours for one night. After our night, you walk away. You leave my father alone and you let him finish this deal he’s been working on. You and I will never see each other again.”

  He leaned back, his hands pressed together as he pretended to consider the offer. He was going to take it. We both knew it was what he’d been angling for. It was all about the show. He wanted to drag it out. Maybe he expected me to beg. That wasn’t going to happen. “One night?” he questioned.

  “One night. That’s it. Then you walk away from this deal. The terms of this agreement stay between us. No one, not my father, not Toby, no one knows how we reached the agreement. You can say whatever you want to preserve your image, but what happens will not ever, ever be discussed.”

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

  “Not really,” I said with a shrug. I could play it cool just as well as he could.

  “This all just came to you?” He smirked. “I doubt that. You’ve thought about it, thought about your terms.”

  I knew he wanted me. I could see it all over his face. We’d worked closely together long enough for me to learn his body language. I wasn’t the innocent young woman I had been back then. I was wiser and understood the power I had. I had felt his need, his desire. I saw that same desire when we’d bumped into each other in the lobby of the start-up. He still wanted me. It was my secret weapon.

  “Specific prevents confusion,” I quipped. “I don’t want there to be any confusion about what this means.”

  He said nothing. I suddenly got the feeling he was about to laugh in my face. Maybe I didn’t have the power I thought I did. Maybe I had just made a complete ass of myself. Was that his goal? Did he want to embarrass me? Humiliate me? I was already trying to think of a way to backpedal out of the situation. I could say I was joking; say I was testing him. Anything than admit I had actually offered him the use of my body in exchange for a business deal.

  “Okay,” he said and leaned forward with his hand extended.

  I blinked. He was actually agreeing to it? “It’s a deal?” I asked, my voice barely a squeak.

  He grinned. “Be at my place tomorrow night.”

  “I—”

  “Tammy, you can show Miss Savage out,” Devin said, pushing the button on the intercom.

  I looked at him feeling completely shell-shocked and wondering what the hell I had just done. “Shouldn’t we discuss the details?” I asked.

  The door opened behind me to the assistant I had met earlier. “Tammy will show you out.”

  My mouth dropped open. “When?” I asked, trying to make sense of it all.

  “Tomorrow evening, let’s say seven.”

  “This way, please,” the assistant said, her voice firm.

  I was being thrown out of the office. He obviously didn’t trust me to show myself out. I tossed him a look over my shoulder. I was not going to show fear. “Tomorrow,” I said.

  “I look forward to it,” he replied.

  I felt a shiver run down my spine. Dread or excitement, I wasn’t sure which. I walked out with my chin high, ignoring the looks I got from the other employees. Some would remember me. I refused to show any shame or guilt.

  Tammy pushed the button for the elevator without saying a word. When the doors slid open, I stepped inside and turned to face her. Neither of us said a word as the doors closed. She didn’t like me. I didn’t care.

  I wasn’t sure if there were cameras in the elevator. I kept my composure, pretending I was just leaving a typical business meeting. The moment I was outside the building and a good block away, I stepped inside an alcove and leaned against the brick wall. I dragged in several deep breaths, trying to figure out what the hell I had just done.

  I had just made a deal with the devil. The ramifications of my deal would likely haunt me for the rest of my days, but I couldn’t back out. It was done. I pulled myself away from the wall, stepped onto the sidewalk, and proceeded to hail a cab to take me to the apartment.

  I told myself I could spend one night with him and then walk away and never return. I would go back to my life in LA with my little girl. My dad could figure out his own mess next time. I was done. I was not going to keep putting myself in Devin’s path to benefit my father. He was a grown man. If he kept digging himself into a hole, he was going to have to figure out how to fix it.

  I was not going to sacrifice myself again.

  Chapter 7

  Devin

  I tried to close my eyes and banish the images of her, but she wouldn’t go away. I had tossed and turned all night. When I opened my eyes and saw it was too early to leave my bed, I tried to go back to sleep. I needed rest. She was haunting me. The dreams had lessened over the years, but after seeing her again, they had amplified again.

  I had not been able to stop thinking about her since she’d walked out of my office. That wasn’t true. I hadn’t stopped thinking about her since we’d run into each other. I groaned. Again, not entirely accurate. She’d been on my mind since the moment I had laid eyes on her three years ago. She got under my skin, which I had always prided myself on being rather thick. I wasn’t weak.

  How was it possible that one tiny little woman, naive and wide-eyed, had taken me down? A one-night stand did not mean anything. At least it didn’t use to. Then she happened. Sex with her one time had turned me into a man I didn’t recognize. I was convinced she’d put a spell on me. I had been with plenty of women, and none of them had done to me what she had. She’d shattered me. I had never given a person that kind of power. Until her.

  Tomorrow, she would be in my home. She would be offering up her body to me. She would be mine for the taking, but I wouldn’t take her. I wouldn’t fuck her. I would let her offer herself. I wanted her to feel raw and vulnerable, and then I would reject her explaining that mixing business and pleasure was a bad idea. She’d look at me, horrified and embarrassed, and I would feel a modicum of satisfaction. She would ask me why, and I would give her no reason. Nothing. It would be part one of my plan coming to fruition.

  Part two would be me wiping Ron Savage off the map. He’d be bankrupt. His daughter would see him for the disgrace he was. The Savages would be nothing more than a distant, bad memory. She would realize her mistake in fucking with me. She didn’t respect me now, but she would when I was through with them. Except the thought of having her again was making my mouth water. My cock ached with need only she could satisfy. Thinking about her was destroying my resolve to follow through with the plan. I couldn’t falter. I was so close. The finish line was in sight. I just had to cross it.

  “One little fantasy,” I whispered. “One last time.”

  I closed my eyes, trying to conjure up a memory. I vividly remembered the first time I had ever laid eyes on Elly Savage. My assistant had brought her in, introducing her as my intern. She’d walked in wearing a shy smile and looking at me with innocence in her eyes. She looked like an angel dropped straight from the heavens. She’d worn no makeup; her long blonde hair had been pulled back in a ponytail, and her lips had a perfect pout. I initially thought she was too young to be an intern. Then I looked at her very womanly body and realized she wasn’t.

  I remembered when our eyes met, and that shy smile combined with a slight lift of one shoulder had done me in. My insides had warmed, and my dick had jerked to life. From the moment I saw her, I knew she was dangerous. I had avoided her for a week. I knew I couldn’t be around her. She was a delicate flower, and I was afraid of the temptation she posed.

  Everything changed when the manager of a project went on vacation. I’d been forced to pick up the project and needed help. Elly had been all too eager to
offer. It had been a deal we’d been working on putting together for months. So I’d set aside my attraction to Elly in order to get the job done.

  Elly was smart. She was observant and learned very quickly. She became an asset. I was impressed by her organization skills and her willingness to work hard, even when there was no real benefit to her. She wanted to help because she was eager.

  I groaned, my conscious mind fading as I delved deeper into the memory. It was such a good memory. It was the memory I used when I needed relief from the ache in my balls. I was only a little ashamed to admit it had only been me and my hand and more bottles of lotion than I cared to admit since her. In true dream fashion, the images that played in front of me were a little hazy, lacking the vibrant colors of everyday living.

  “Thank you for dinner,” she said with that smile that turned me inside out.

  “Thank you for staying late and helping me out with this.”

  She flashed another smile. “I can’t believe no one else wanted to stay. This is a huge deal.”

  I sighed. “They don’t get it. You do.”

  “I certainly do.”

  I dropped another stack of papers on the desk and tapped them with one finger. “I need one of these in each of the packets.”

  “Got it,” she replied, grabbing the stack and sitting on the floor. She had been helping me put together the documents that I would be handing out in packets at the meeting that was being held at the end of the week.

  I had been stressed about getting everything ready in time. There was so much riding on the proposal. It was going to be my first big deal. My first big move as the head of the company. I was grateful for her help. Without her, I probably would have floundered. She was a lifesaver.

  “You don’t have any other plans tonight?” I asked, sitting at my desk and stuffing more envelopes.

  She softly laughed. “Nope. I’m a boring girl.”