Mrs. Mason gives me a small smile. “She’s not here, honey.”
Hesitantly, I ask, “What do you mean, she’s not here? Is she sick? Did something happen to her?”
“No, not at all. Here… read this.” She hands me the piece of paper that she’s held in her hand since I arrived.
As I take a seat on the nearby couch, I quickly glimpse at the letter, which is obviously written by Chloe. I recognize her handwriting from all the times I sat behind her in History class just watching her as she worked away, oblivious to the fact that I couldn’t concentrate on anything but her.
All the time I was supposed to be in a relationship with Sophia, I was secretly crushing on her best friend. She never knew. Why would she? I mean, I’m supposed to be in a relationship with her best friend, and all I did the whole time we were together was want and crave her best friend.
And now, I finally have her, she ups and leaves, flying out to New York this morning. Well, that’s what her letter says, anyway. She explains that Jim from Sloan’s Photography called her last night and asked if she could get on the next flight to New York as she’s needed urgently.
Well, I for one, am not buying it.
Chloe was with me last night, and she never mentioned that to me. Plus, why would she leave without a word?
She’s gone.
She’s really gone.
Felling my phone vibrate in my back pocket, hope fills me thinking perhaps it’s Chloe, but when I look down at the screen, the name Sophia is displayed.
Sophia, shit!
How the hell am I going to tell Sophia the truth about Chloe and me? I can’t just break it off with her without any reason. Sophia will want to know why, and I don’t want to lie to her, but I don’t want to say I slept with her best friend either. Not when that best friend isn’t around to explain her actions.
No, I’m going to have to think about how I’m going to deal with all of this.
Pressing the cancel button allowing for the call to go to voicemail, I decide it’s not the time to tell Sophia right now. I know I’m being a coward, but Sophia deserves better than a quick break up over the phone, and especially in front of Chloe’s parents.
“Is that Chloe?” Mrs. Mason asks.
Lifting my eyes to hers, I reply, “No, sorry. It’s not Chloe.”
Disappointment flashes through her eyes, and she takes a seat beside me. “I’ve tried to call her, but she won’t answer.”
“She’s probably on the flight. I’m sure she’ll call soon,” I say, not believing my own words.
She nods and sniffles. “I’m sure you’re right. This is just… not like her.”
Agreeing, I get up off the seat and tell them I need to leave because I have training today.
Another lie.
Mr. Mason understands and shakes my hand.
I take one last look at their staircase.
She’s gone, and she’s not coming back.
DOMENIC
Present
I haven’t seen Chloe in five years. The night before she left for New York was the last time I ever saw her in person. She hasn’t taken any of my calls or replied to any of my messages. Even the ones I made to Sloan’s Photography when I rang to find out if she worked there, which they confirmed she was.
I probably left a dozen messages, but she never returned any of them.
Until today, I never understood what I did or said that made her up and leave without a word or any explanation. As far as I knew, she enjoyed herself that night, and fuck, so did I.
Her body responded to me so well, and I know for a fact she came. A girl can’t fake it the way her body felt beneath mine.
Fuck! I haven’t been able to forget that night. No matter how many women I’ve slept with, they can’t compare to Chloe. And now, now she’s back in my life, and if she thinks she can come back to Vixen Falls and leave without explaining her actions, then she has another thing coming.
When Coach said we were going to be featured in Sleek Sports Magazine and Sloan’s Photography was coming out to take the pictures, I somehow knew it would be Chloe.
I’ve been following her career, her social media pages, anything where I could get a glimpse into her life. But I was angry, no furious, and the thought of Chloe coming back here made me flip. I tried everything I could to forget her, even almost got to the point of proposing to Cassandra to try and move on.
And now, here she is, looking hotter than ever.
She’s aged but in a good way. She is now a woman. A hot woman with sexy toned legs that had me hot all over when she walked into the gym today. Her eyes are still large and dark, eyes I can get lost in if she would stay with me long enough.
She’s wearing a little makeup, her lips are glossy and lick-worthy, but they are now fuller, making me want to suck and bite them.
I told myself when she arrived in Vixen Falls, I wouldn’t give her the time of day because she didn’t deserve it. Coach, however, had other ideas and gave me no choice. He instead gave me an ultimatum to go out with Chloe tonight, or else I won’t get to play this weekend, so I agreed.
When I walked into the bar tonight and got a glimpse of Chloe, I knew I wasn’t letting her go again. I still feel the same as I did five years ago.
I want her.
I’m not letting her leave me again.
“Please, Chloe, will you do this for me and give me one last chance.”
“You can’t be serious.”
“I’ve never been more serious,” I whisper, my eyes roaming her body.
I see her shudder, and I know I am affecting her. She is fighting this, but why I have no idea why.
She clears her throat, trying to compose herself, then bores her eyes into mine. “Let’s get this straight, I’m here on business, and that’s all. I’m here to take some photos, then I’m out of here. I don’t care what—”
Her words are caught in her throat because just like that, I don’t let her finish her sentence. I don’t need to hear about her leaving because there’s no way I’m letting her go again. Not if I have anything to do with it, so I smash my lips to hers in a hungry kiss. I moan and instantly feel a flutter in my stomach. Being with Chloe is the only time I have ever felt these butterflies of excitement. That has to mean something, right?
Chloe’s hands come out and rest on my chest, and pressure is placed there, but I don’t give up. I walk her backward toward the tree and kick her feet apart as I rub my hard-on against her, so she knows exactly how turned on I am.
“It’s been five years,” I whisper against her lips. “How many men have you slept with?” I ask at the same time biting down on her bottom lip then swiping my tongue along the seam. “How many?” I repeat.
She moans as I bring my hands up to cup her breasts through the shirt she’s wearing.
“Have they made you feel like this?” I continue, trailing hot kisses down her cheek and beneath her ear. “Did they make you come?” I growl, pinching on her nipples.
She moans, and it’s like music to my ears. Then I cover her mouth with mine, delving my tongue inside hers. She feels amazing in my arms. Her breasts are a perfect size, larger and firmer since the last time I had my hands on them. She’s so beautiful, she literally takes my breath away.
“So?” I ask her between kisses. “Are you going to give it to me?”
“Give you what?” she asks breathlessly.
“Give me another chance to prove how great we can be together?” My hands slide around her body to her back, then down her sweet ass, and I lift her. Chloe’s legs wrap around my hips, and I pin her against the tree and look deep into her eyes.
Chloe’s eyes are still closed, and her mouth is open.
I smile. “Chloe?”
She flutters them open. “Oh, um… yeah?”
“You gonna give me a second chance?”
As if coming out of a daydream state, she places her hands on my shoulders with pain shining through her eyes. She drops her legs to the gr
ound, and I miss her heat instantly.
“What was I thinking?” she breathes out as she moves away from me. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have let this go so far,” she says, then she turns to walk away.
No, this can’t be happening again.
My heart beats rapidly at the thought of losing her. “You can’t be serious, Chloe. You can’t kiss a guy like that and act like it was nothing. You know you want this.”
She turns to face me. “And what about Cassandra,” she asks with her arms folded, jealousy now clear.
I take a few steps toward her and stop at reaching distance. Moving a few strands of hair out of her face, I ask, “What about her?”
She widens her eyes. “Just like that, you will let her go? You obviously love her. Why else were you going to propose to her?”
“To forget you,” I admit, my voice coming out more like a murmur. “I thought if I moved on and got married, I could concentrate on my future, and maybe just maybe, you would be out of my mind once and for all.”
The light of the moon shines down on her beautiful face, exposing the moisture growing in her eyes.
Clearing my throat, I try to explain how serious I am and why. “Chloe, I know now that Cassandra didn’t have a chance at making me happy. And the reason I know that’s true is because just seeing you today confirms how strong my feelings are for you even after all this time. And I can’t ignore that. Can you? Do you feel this?” I ask, moving in closer, our breathing mingling with each other’s as our chests come together.
CHLOE
Present
I can’t do this.
I can’t.
Not again.
I can’t think with him this close, so I turn and run.
Dealing with all these emotions are simply too much, so I run as fast as I possibly can.
He smells amazing.
Hot Domenic Reed, the star quarterback, wants me.
Me.
He wants us.
My heart flutters with his admission. Why is it so hard for me to believe this is happening? Isn’t this exactly what I’ve always wanted? To be Domenic’s girlfriend. Something I had dreamed of being since that first day in high school when I laid my eyes on him for the first time—his blue eyes, his dark hair that has a way of looking tussled all the time—he’s delicious.
There’s nothing holding us back now.
Sophia is happy. She has a new man in her life.
We are older. We don’t have to worry about the other kids at school.
We are just us.
Except us is now different.
We have different lives, we are different people.
Could I handle being with a jock who has women constantly following him, begging for him to sign something, whether it’s a piece of paper or a piece of skin? They will always want him. I don’t blame them, let’s face it he’s hot as sin, and any girl can see that, but can I share him with those women?
I need time to digest everything.
I need time to think.
Without Domenic around me.
His scent causes me not to see properly, let alone think straight.
Why is this so damn hard?
I came to Vixen Falls, not knowing what awaited me. Domenic’s initial reaction upon seeing me had stunned me. But at the same time, I wasn’t surprised at all. I knew what I did back then was wrong, but now dealing with him wanting another chance is all too much.
He’s missed me.
God, he even admitted that to me.
If only he knew how I stayed up at night remembering every touch, kiss, and words he spoke that night. How I wish I could take back running away without a word.
Like him, I’ve tried to forget about him with other women. I’ve dated a couple, but none came even close to the feelings I had for Domenic and how he made me feel.
I never expected my night to turn out this way. I envisioned him storming in, sitting there bored, and me doing all the talking. Well, that’s how it started until I walked out, and then everything changed. I wasn’t expecting to hear about how he still wanted me and how he wanted another chance.
This is simply too much for me to handle.
Walking back to the road and not looking back, my heels dig into the dirt as I quickly raise my hand to the cab that’s driving toward me. The driver stops. I immediately open the door, take a seat in the back, and thank him for stopping. Just as I am giving the cab driver directions, the other side door of the back of the cab opens, and Domenic takes a seat beside me.
“What are you doing?” I ask, surprised.
He doesn’t reply, just gives me that panty-dropping grin.
“Excuse me, miss… is this man with you?” the driver asks while looking at me over his shoulder.
Gazing between the driver and Domenic, my voice comes out softly when I reply, “Yes.”
Domenic’s holds my hand that’s now resting in my lap, and I look up at him when I feel a slight squeeze.
“Don’t fight it, Chloe, you know this is right.”
I bite down on my bottom lip and look over at him, squeezing his hand back. I don’t say anything, I don’t need to, so instead, I smile because I know he is one hundred percent right.
CHLOE
Present
As the cab drives through the darkened streets, I keep my gaze out of the window with Domenic’s hand still in my lap, his warmth comforting me, making me feel safe. I look over at him now and then, but he’s also caught in his own thoughts as he too is looking out the window, the shadows of the night covering his features.
I wonder what he’s thinking?
It’s not long before the cab driver stops in front of Vixen Lodge, and a bellboy is there to open my door. Before I can pay the driver, Domenic is reaching over and handing him cash.
“I got this.”
“Thank you.”
Exiting the cab, I wait for Domenic as he walks around the car to me.
“Mr. Reed, it’s a great pleasure to have you here. If you need anything during your stay, just ask. Whatever you need,” the bellboy adds excitedly.
“Thanks, but I have all I need right here,” Domenic answers looking at me, his eyes filled with lust, and what else? Love?
The heat I felt before between my thighs begins to burn when I see the need in his eyes, which is causing goosebumps to cover my skin.
My thighs squeeze together to simmer the ache that’s begun.
“Of course, you do. The name’s Henry… if you do happen to need anything.”
Domenic doesn’t reply. He locks his hand in mine and leads us through the lobby doors and inside the lodge.
We turn the corner to the elevators, and once he presses the button, he pulls me in front of him, so my back is against his chest.
His hardness digs into my lower back, and I push up against him to tease him some more. Feeling his intake of breath, I smile to myself, knowing that he’s as hot for me as I am for him.
Domenic leans down, his hot breath washing over my ear. “What floor?”
Swallowing hard, I am feeling nervous and excited all at the same time. My heart beats loudly in my ears, and I answer breathlessly, “Twelve.”
“Twelve it is,” he replies as he kisses me just under my ear before the elevator doors open, and he leads me inside, pressing on the number twelve.
My eyes take him in as he concentrates on the numbers moving above the elevator doors.
He’s wearing washed-out denim jeans that are snug on his firm butt, his legs standing slightly apart and leading down to his Nike sneakers.
I shouldn’t be doing this.
I know I shouldn’t.
But right now, I want him, and the rest I’ll deal with tomorrow.
Domenic turns and leans up against the wall, and we stare at each other, drinking in one another. The air between us is so thick you could cut it with a knife.
The lust in his eyes has me moaning inwardly, growing impatient to have him inside of me. I know I’
ll regret this in the morning, but right now, Domenic is all that matters.
When the elevator announces we have arrived on my floor, he smirks and holds out his hand to me. Accepting it, I follow behind him.
“Which room?” he asks over his shoulder.
“Twelve twenty-two.”
He nods then as we reach the door. I pull out my room card from my bag and swipe the card into the door until the green light flashes. Domenic pushes the door open and holds the door for me as we enter. Taking small steps toward the bed, I turn to face him as he walks toward me seductively.
All the air vanishes from the room when I see the hunger in his eyes.
Nerves hit me in the pit of my stomach, and I ask, “Do you want a beer?”
He shakes his head.
“A wine, perhaps?”
He shakes again, all the while he’s taking small steps toward me, only stopping when he’s a hair’s breadth away.
“The only thing I want in my mouth is you.”
My mouth turns dry, and I lick my lips, trying to get some moisture.
Domenic’s hand wraps around my neck, and steadily he brings me in for a kiss.
The kiss is slow, passionate, and is filled with so much emotion.
I’ve missed you.
You mean so much to me.
I’m desperate for you.
My hands wander on their own accord and slide up his arms, loving the feel of his muscles beneath his jacket. He tastes of beer, mint, and I drink him in and enjoy every taste, every touch. His hands run down my shoulders, and then he’s removing his jacket and letting it fall to the floor. Instantly, my hands travel up his chest and begin to unbutton his shirt.
Domenic’s breathing picks up as I run my palms over his bare skin, sliding them over his chest and flat stomach then up to his shoulders where I roll the shirt off his back and throw it to the floor where he left his jacket.
Domenic’s kiss turns urgent and hungry, and we begin to pant. His hands quickly make use of my buttons, and with impatient fingers, he rips it open, forcing all the buttons to pop and fly off around us.
Giggling, he pauses the kiss then smiles against my lips.
One Last Chance: A Sports Romance Page 7