Fighting Chance

by Lynn Rider

  “Smith,” I say, catching his eyes before he shuts the door. “Is he really your brother?”

  “Not by choice.” He closes the door and walks away.

  37

  Chance

  I hide behind the curtain, waiting for Mia to finish reading the note I left on the counter. She walked in a minute ago, gently dropping her purse and dance bag on the mudroom bench before stepping into the kitchen and finding what I left for her.

  When she first walked in, there was a worry in her expression and I fucking hate myself for putting it there. Last night she came home from work and emotionally, I was in bad shape. I rustled with the hauntings of my mother and Edward’s words, worrying my baggage would define me.

  It doesn’t.

  I won’t let it.

  Her gaze lifts, eyes scan the room and I find myself holding my breath, feeling like a kid playing hide-n-go-seek for the first time. Her eyes drop, tossing the paper on the counter and picking up the plastic mask. She carefully unclips her bun, slowly shaking her head and her blonde hair uncoils, falling into soft waves down her back, my dick jumping with the sight. She wraps the elastic band around her head, securing the mask and lifts the red Nerf gun into the air before she looks around, a smile covering her beautiful face.

  I stop breathing again, but this time for a different reason. It happens every time she graces me with that smile. It’s so carefree, showing her genuine happiness. It has quickly become my daily mission to see it as often as possible.

  “Come out…come out, wherever you are,” she sings, slowly walking around the kitchen. I smile when she lowers, opening and closing cabinet doors she knows damn well I wouldn’t fit in. She quickly spins on her heel and raises her gun, her smile more playful and I’m almost tempted to jump from behind the heavy curtain and pin her down on the kitchen floor.

  “You know this really isn’t fair…my coming in and you already hiding. Expect turnabout fair play, Chance. Now that we have these, expect to be assaulted on a regular basis,” she teases opening an upper cabinet now and I almost laugh. “You’re probably watching me like some sort of lion, just waiting to pounce on its prey.” She steps around the island, her body fully visible, the idea of pouncing becoming harder to resist.

  I scan the length of her long-toned legs in her light grey yoga pants and a pink oversized sweatshirt, draped over her slim body. She walks in here each night looking so feminine. I’m torn between fucking her so deep she won’t know where I end and she begins, or delicately wrapping her in my arms to protect her from the likes of men like me. My dick thickens, straining against my zipper, casting its own vote.

  Mia circles the dining room table and I step from behind the curtain. She must sense the movement because before I can raise my gun, she’s turned, firing yellow foam balls my direction in rapid succession. “I knew you were over there!” she manages out through her giggles as she hides behind the large column.

  I shoot off, emptying my canister of bullets as I close in on her. She tries running, but I jump over her discarded mask and gun, dropping my own on the rug next to hers and capture her by the waist and haul her over my shoulder. “I got you,” I say huskily, carrying her up the stairs to our room, leaving a trail of her giggles behind us.

  I throw her on the bed and she sits up, yanking her sweatshirt from her body before I pounce on top of her, caging her to the mattress with my arms. “I got you,” I repeat, looking into her eyes. “And I don’t ever want to let you go,” I say meaning it. I lower my lips to hers, ignoring the spark of confusion that mars her beautiful face, deciding to leave the talking for later.

  She easily folds into my body, her tongue meeting mine in a delicate dance. She begins grabbing at my hoodie. Once my sweatshirt is gone, I sit up, straddling her, and look down at her ballet-clothed body. “You’re beautiful Mia. Every time I see you like this, I’m in awe of you. So graceful and delicate.” A pink blush colors her cheeks and her hair in wild tresses drapes over the pillow.

  “I feel the same way about you, Chance.” She reaches forward, her gaze dropping to where her fingers inch over the ridges of my abdominal muscles. “Your body is like a machine. So rugged and brute, conditioned to deliver pain…” she looks up, her eyes locking with mine. “But it’s only ever been gentle, showing me the best possible pleasure.”

  I lower, kissing her, and within minutes we’re both naked and I’m sliding inside of her.

  “Chance,” she whispers and I begin moving, gliding in and out of her. I lower my lips, trailing kisses down her jaw toward her neck and across her collarbone. My hand skims up the gentle curve of her breast before taking one tightened nipple between my fingers. A soft moan cuts through the silence as I squeeze it delicately. My eyes lift to hers, squeezing again and her lids fall, long lashes fan over her cheek as a deeper moan escapes her lips. I grasp the weight of her breast in my palm, angling her rose-colored nipple toward me before devouring it with my mouth. I suck on it in greedy, desperate measures, drawing her nipple into a stiff pebble and then softly flicking my tongue over its firmness. Mia’s rhythm shifts under me, her back arching away from the mattress, rocking faster into my unhurried thrusts.

  “You want more,” I whisper, taking her other nipple into my mouth.

  “I’m close, Chan…” her words fall into a long pleasurable inhale when I push deeper with my next thrust. Her hands wrap around my shoulders, drawing me closer and guiding my lips to hers. Her tongue slides against mine with an increased vigor as her release becomes more imminent.

  When another moan comes from her throat, reverberating with our connection, I drive in deeper, shuttling in and out of her body faster. Her grip tightens, her hips undulating with the new rhythm as the walls of her pussy tighten. A soft whimper and another moan fill the silence, her eyes flutter, her breathing coming in short huffs, my name spilling from her lips as she falls apart under me.

  I slow my strokes, my lips trailing the length of her neck, never able to get enough of the way she tastes. Her hands roam my back and sides, her legs wrapping around me, forcing me into a stillness I can hardly handle. I brush my knuckles over her cheek, soaking in the vision of her messy hair, flushed cheeks and kiss-swollen lips as I begin moving again, this time more slowly.

  I weave my fingers in her hair, locking her gaze on mine.

  I need to see her.

  More in this moment than any other.

  “I love you, Mia.” Her eyes close. A single tear sneaks between their crease, sliding ever so slowly down her face and my breath catches as my body stills inside of hers. I hadn’t thought about her reaction. Her glassy eyes open, finding mine and a small smile spreads across her lips and I breathe again.

  “I love you too, Chance.” I smile with relief as I push deeper into her again. I wrap my arms around her, relishing in the sweet sound of those words on her lips.

  “Say it again, Mia.” I drive deeper, giving her everything I have, but needing her to give me everything in return.

  “I love you Chance,” she whispers and I still, buried deep in her body as I come.

  The fucking pounding on the front door has me flying down the stairs, ready to rip Smith a new ass for showing up three hours before our flight. I was just chasing Mia’s naked ass toward the shower when the doorbell rang. I hardly had enough time to consider following her or putting on pants before the annoying banging started. The beating happens again as I cross the living room and if I didn’t know better, I’d think there was a fucking kid on the other side of the door by the impatience between knocks.

  I swing the door open and my angry words die off when little arms circle my waist. “Chance! We didn’t think you were home, but the gate was open,” Brandon says, letting go and storming into the house. Realizing I forgot to check it after Mia got home last night, my eyes flick the length of my long drive before meeting the eyes of someone who I wish would just drive off. The side of a bridge.

  “Sorry, Chance.” Matthew says softly. My eyes dro
p to find his just as he looks to the floor. I don’t know what he’s apologizing for, but the apology and worry in his eyes are unnecessary. He’s done nothing wrong, and I don’t want to make him think for a one minute he has.

  “I’m glad you’re here. I’ve missed you.” I rustle his hair and whereas Brandon snuck right on by me, Matthew waits for me to step to the side. “I’m glad you’re home,” I add as he walks through the foyer. He turns, smiling that bright smile, his green eyes free of the previous tension and I smile, momentarily forgetting all about the bitch getting out of her car and walking up my front porch.

  “Chance,” Michelle says brightly as she huffs up the last two steps.

  “Michelle. What can I do for you?” I ask coldly.

  “I was hoping you would invite me in and we could talk.” I step inside, leaving the front door open. If she thinks she’s getting a warm invitation, she’s fucking delusional. I’ve been calling her all hours of every day, trying to sort out another visit. I’d given up in the previous week only under Edward’s advice of letting the courts deal with it.

  I glance over to the boys, sitting at the kitchen island, losing themselves in a huge bowl of cereal. The way they’re rapidly shoveling it in with one heaping spoonful after the next tells me it’s probably the first thing they’ve eaten today.

  I take a deep breath, counting to ten before shifting my attention back to Michelle. The years haven’t been kind to her. Her salt and pepper hair I remember from years past has turned grey. Deep lines crease her face and around her lips from years of smoking, and her clothes would be better suited for someone thirty years younger. I watch as her gaze drifts lazily around my house. It’s the first time she’s been inside and by the way her eyes slowly peruse everything, I can tell she’s impressed.

  “What do you want, Michelle?” I ask, getting down to why she’s here at eight o’clock in the morning. I’m happy to see the boys, but her impromptu drop in couldn’t have come at a worse time. Mia is upstairs getting ready to head to the airport for our flight to Portland and Smith should be here in the next hour.

  “The boys don’t have school today,” she says nervously.

  I glance their direction. In between shovel-sized bites, they’re both focused with the cartoon on the back of the cereal box. I look down at the chunky watch on my wrist, making my point that I have somewhere to be. “What does that have to do with me?” I say, lifting my eyes to hers.

  “I thought maybe you’d want to spend some time with them.”

  “And you just thought of that today? What about all the times I’ve called, trying to schedule visits?”

  She glances back at them, her posture straightening. “If you don’t want them in your life, we’ll leave,” she says louder than necessary, garnering the attention of both boys. I raise my palm, telling them to stay put. Brandon quickly settles back into his bowl of cereal while Matthew’s eyes linger for a second longer. When Brandon says something to Matthew, gaining his attention again, I turn, shifting my back toward the kitchen before landing my angry gaze back on Michelle.

  “Don’t come in here playing mind games with me!” I quietly seethe before pausing to look over my shoulder at the kitchen to make sure they can’t hear us. “I want those boys more than anything and I know that you only want them for what it will get you. So cut to the fucking chase and tell me what it is you want.”

  A slow smile forms across her lips, the transformation in her growing stature obvious. I just played right into her, giving her the upper hand we all know she’s been hoping for. “You’ve quit calling and I was beginning to think you didn’t want them anymore. I gave you too much credit. I knew coming here today was going to be profitable.”

  “How much do you want?”

  “I want to negotiate. I was ready to do it when you brought them home after your last visit, but you sent that big bodyguard instead.” She shrugs, but the confidence still gleams in her dark brown eyes. Fuck they remind me of my mother. “When Monique told me how much you were paying her, I didn’t believe it.” Her eyes skitter around the room once more. “But when I saw how she was living, I knew selling her pussy wasn’t bringing in enough money to support that habit of hers.” I internally recoil as she chuckles to herself.

  I have no loyalty to my mother and there’s nothing this bitch can say that would make me defend her in the slightest, but her whoring around is still not something you want thrown at you without warning. I take a deep breath, realizing she’s got the upper hand.

  “And honestly, I can’t believe after the way she neglected you and allowed all those men to take her beatings out on you, that you’d even help her. I thought for sure once you left, she’d never hear or see from you again,” she says matter-of-fact.

  I glance back to where the boys sit, knowing it’s only because of them, I came back.

  “This has been a nice trip down memory lane. Is that all you wanted to talk about?” My voice is level, holding an element of indifference, but I feel anything but. My blood swishes in my ears with the memory of a childhood I’m doing everything to forget. Her eyes drop to my hands and a smile covers her wrinkled face when she sees my bunched-up fists.

  “Don’t act like you’re going to hit me, Chance. If you were going to hit a woman, it would’ve been your mother.”

  “What do you want?”

  “I want to provide them with a good home—”

  “This is a good home.”

  “I can give them stability. You can’t. Your mother used to tell me all about you running around with your whores.” She chuckles. “I guess you’re the apple that didn’t fall far from the tree.”

  “I provided for them back then and I’m prepared to do it again, so maybe her whoring was a bit different than mine,” I bite out, defending a lifestyle I want nothing to do with anymore.

  Her eyes shift to Matthew and Brandon, sitting at the counter, pouring more cereal in their bowls. “I didn’t realize boxing paid this much. I’ll admit, when I set out this morning, I had a number in my head.” Her eyes land back on mine, her smile growing. “That number has grown after seeing all this.” She swirls her hand around the room in a grand gesture.

  “What is it?” I ask, my patience wearing thin with the conspiratorial gleam in her eyes. Just like my mother. Ready to strike a deal to serve her interest.

  “It doesn’t work that way, Chance. First you have to stop all fight for custody. When that’s done, we’ll figure up a price that I want in my account each month.”

  I cross my arms over my chest and tuck my hands under my folded arms, fighting the urge to wrap my hands around her neck.

  “And what happens to the boys?”

  “They have a good life. That’s what we both want.”

  “One more than another,” I mutter, briefly looking to the boys. When my eyes meet hers, triumph is written all over her face, reminding me once again of my mother. It doesn’t feel like it was all that long ago that she and I stood in one of her little run-down kitchens, striking a very similar deal, with a promise that it would be beneficial for the boys.

  It wasn’t.

  “It doesn’t work that way, Michelle. I made that mistake once. Those boys belong with me.”

  “Give me a break, Chance! You’re not grown up enough to raise two boys on your own—”

  “He doesn’t have to raise them on his own. We’re going to fight you. We’re going to win. And we will raise them, together.” Mia’s voice is firm as it projects over my shoulder, getting closer and surprising the shit out of me. I twist as she steps to my side, wrapping her soft hand around mine, her glare never leaving Michelle. “Don’t you dare come here and make threats. You don’t know Chance or the incredible man he is. If you thought for one second you could win, you wouldn’t even be here. So, I suggest you get your pathetic ass out of our house and crawl back under whatever rock you’ve been hiding under his entire life.”

  Michelle’s mouth hangs open, at a loss for words and I beam
proudly at the way Mia has struck her silent. Her mouth closes, her eyes look to me and I smirk. “Drop them off on Monday!” she says, spinning on her heel and storming out the door.

  I turn to Mia, her angry glare still pinned hard on the front door. “I have two things to add.” Her eyes slowly glide from the door in my direction. I step forward, weaving my fingers in her hair as I cradle her face between my palms. “First, you fucking kicked ass and I love the shit out of you,” I lower, making sure her eyes are on me. “Second, thank you,” I say with a smirk, thinking about her ferociousness again, before kissing her.

  “That was three things,” she murmurs, slowly opening her eyes and smiling.

  “So it was.” I run my thumb over her cheek, tilting her lips toward mine again.

  “Chance, did Michelle leave?” Matt asks from across the room, breaking the spell. Mia steps back, telling me she’d forgotten the boys were here just as much as I had.

  “Yeah,” I answer, feeling the loss of Mia as she steps back further and flattens her hair with her hands. When a flush of embarrassment colors her cheeks, I pull her back to me, wrapping my arm around her shoulders before turning toward the boys.

  “What’s the suitcase for?” Brandon asks, glancing over to where Mia’s suitcase sits at the foot of the stairs. We’re supposed to fly out in just over two hours.

  Shit…shit…shit!

  38

  Mia

  I playfully push Chance toward the door, wearing the fakest of all smiles, hoping to convince him this will be okay. It will be okay. I silently remind myself.

  “Are you sure?” he asks once more, unmoving as his eyes scan my face, looking for cracks in my facade.

  I force my smile to hold, needing to convince him to walk out that door and leave me with Matthew and Brandon. I internally shiver with the thought. It’s not kids per se, it’s Brandon, he scares the shit out of me, but Chance and I are a team. When I told Michelle we’d fight her, I meant it as much as the promise I’d made to Chance just two nights ago on the patio. They didn’t deserve to be used as a pawn by his mother and certainly not by his aunt.