Hunks Pulled Over

by Marie Rochelle

  Being around Emerald made him feel good. He wanted to make her experience the same emotions but she was knocking down his advances at every turn. Other women he pursued in the past never found problems with the way he flirted with them.

  Yet, Emerald acted like all of his compliments were insults to her. Suddenly, a light went off in Chance’s head. It hit him like a ton of bricks where he was going wrong with Emerald. He was treating her like the other women he had dated and tossed to the side because he never thought about having anything long term with them.

  Chance wanted something deeper with Emerald. He knew she was different when he saw her in the medical examiner’s office. He couldn’t get something new if he was using the same old tactics from previous relationships.

  Emerald probably already had preconceived notions about him because of Shauntie and Sapphire. Women loved to talk and his way with females must have come up in their conversation more than once.

  Brian and Nash had already decided Emerald was too good for him because they took it on their own to lie about knowing her. Why couldn’t they have been honest about knowing Emerald? Another person who might try to keep him from dating Emerald would be Sapphire.

  She wasn’t a fan of his anymore after his insults concerning her? Yet, none of them mattered. Emerald was attracted to him. No matter how much she tried to put a fight against him, he knew the truth because he saw the hidden desire in her eyes every time she looked at him.

  He just couldn’t help imagining what could truly develop between him and Emerald. Something about her screamed unrealized potential and unexplored possibilities. An irresistible urge to experience them to the fullest pushed him not to give up.

  Over the years, Chance had crashed and burned throughout his life. Yes, those times were extremely painful to him, but he rose from every one of them and grew as a person. All of those previous situations had given him the stamina he needed to win over Emerald.

  Another reason he felt Emerald could be running from him was every single time they were together some kind of potent exchange happened, sparks flew and it was hard for either one of them to deny a strong link was there.

  His attention was captured by it at their first meeting and probably so was Emerald’s despite the fact she might find a way to deny it over and over.

  Why couldn’t she see that they might be able to have something special off the powerful emotional connection they shared with each other? Whatever was between them only came around once in a lifetime.

  For him to be able to make what he want to happen, Chance decided to stop trying to figure out how he knew Emerald and give all of his attention to the present.

  Chance hungered to discover more about what made Emerald tick. She was a very beautiful, unique woman that was making him finally see why Brian and Nash decided to stop going out every Friday night and devote their time to only one special woman.

  Emerald didn’t know it, but tomorrow morning she was going to encounter a new Chance. He wasn’t going to let her run from him any longer. She might not be aware of it, but Emerald had given him the slight glimpse about a treasure that was lying deep inside of her character which completely called to his fascination about solving mysteries.

  He was going to figure out everything he could about Emerald and in the process win her over until she realized in the end how much he could bring into her life.

  Chapter Sixteen

  At her job the next morning, Emerald strolled off the elevator trying not to yawn because of her restless night of sleep. She continued on down the hallway, but stopped dead in her tracks when her eyes landed on Chance. The gorgeous man who invaded her dreams last night was leaning against the wall. .

  Damn, Chance was persistent! She would give him credit for not knowing how to take no for an answer. Putting on a blank face, Emerald got herself together as fast as she could and went on down the hallway toward him.

  She tried not to let her eyes wander over how good he looked this morning in his uniform. She saw why other women probably threw themselves at him. He looked extremely sexy.

  What was wrong with her?

  She shouldn’t be thinking about Chance like this. Could she still be feeling the effects of her hot dream about him last night and early this morning? “Good morning, Officer Cutter. How can I help you?” she asked in the best professional voice she could muster up.

  Pushing his body away from the wall, Chance’s appreciative stare roamed over the black pencil skirt and white top she was wearing, and then he looked at her in the eye.

  “I wanted to apologize to you about how I acted last night at Sapphire’s party. I shouldn’t have come on so strong. Since our friends are getting married pretty soon, I want us to be able to get along with each other for the sake of them.”

  Emerald didn’t want any strain between her and Chance either when they were around the other couples. Her past with Chance wasn’t going to change, but she could at least try to be more cordial when she had to be in the same room as him.

  It had taken a lot for Chance to come here and apologize to her. She hated to admit it, but she was impressed by his actions.

  “I agree with you. We shouldn’t have any animosity between us around our friends and I think mostly it was coming from me. I’ll work on getting better with it.”

  “Wonderful,” Chance said as he took a step closer to her, an irresistibly devastating grin spreading across his face making her stomach do flip flops.

  God! How was it possible for Chance’s sex appeal to get even stronger over the years? Emerald wondered.

  “So, are we calling a truce?” Chance asked, sticking out his hand for her to shake.

  She glanced down at his outstretched hand then reluctantly placed hers inside of it. The instant their skin touched a sizzling spark raced throughout her entire body. It was hot and fast. Emerald’s eyes shot up to Chance’s face looking to see if he felt the same thing and she could tell from how his blue eyes grew a shade darker that he had.

  “Yes, I will agree to a truce. I think we both can be in the same room and not want to have the constant tension that is there now.”

  “I totally agree with you,” he answered.

  Emerald tried to remove her hand, but Chance held on to it and wouldn’t let go.

  “I need my hand back.”

  “I’m sorry, but I can’t let it go. I still need to apologize for something else.”

  Emerald frowned. What was Chance talking about? He had already apologized to her about what happen at the party. What else was left?

  “What do you owe me another apology for?” she questioned.

  “You’re about to find out,” Chance answered right before he yanked her to him and kissed her.

  The kiss sent the pit of her stomach into a wild swirl. His moist, firm mouth demanded a response as his lips continued to explore hers. His tongue traced the edges of her mouth before slipping inside. Her calm was shattered with the hunger of his kisses. Chance’s mouth left hers to nibble at her earlobe. “Sweetheart, you taste so good. I love kissing you.”

  Hearing Chance call her sweetheart was like a bucket of cold water being dumped all over her entire body. Easing her hands between their bodies, she shoved him away from her and took a step back.

  “What is wrong with you? Why did you kiss me?” Emerald demanded glaring at Chance. Her body was still on fire. She wasn’t expecting him to kiss her. He had totally surprised her with his actions.

  “I’ve wanted to kiss you for a while, so I did it,” Chance confessed, like it wasn’t anything. “Have dinner with me tonight.”

  The question was tossed out there so suddenly Emerald just stood there gawking at Chance. He must be out of his mind if he thought she was going to do anything with him.

  “No.”

  “Why not,” Chance demanded not backing down. “Do you really have a boyfriend? If not, are you seeing someone right now?”

  “I’m not involved with anyone, but that doesn’t me
an I want to go out on a date with you.”

  “Emerald, you’re trying so hard to deny there’s something between us, but you feel the same thing as I do. So, I’m going to help you along,” Chance told her as he walked around her body. “I’ll be at your house around seven o’clock for our first date. Be ready.”

  Spinning around, Emerald stared at Chance’s back as he sauntered towards the elevator. “I’m not going anywhere with you” she called after him but he ignored her and continued to get onto the elevator.

  How dare Chance think he could tell her what to do? Emerald fumed silently as she opened the door to her workplace and stormed inside.

  Taking off her coat, she hung it on the coat rack next to the door. Emerald spotted Dr. David over at his desk working on paperwork left over from the other day. “Good morning, Dr. David,” she said wondering why he was so quiet. Usually she never got a chance to say a word before he was telling her something was wrong.

  “Morning, Ms. Stone,” he answered without looking up from his desk. “Did you notice the surprise left on your desk this morning?”

  Surprise...what was he talking about?

  Turning around, Emerald gasped at the vase of red roses sitting at the side of her desk with a card placed against the front. She didn’t waste any time rushing over there to see who they were from. Picking up the card, she flipped it open.

  Emerald,

  Thank you so much for the wonderful dance last night.

  I had a great time with you. I can’t wait to see you on our date tonight.

  Chance

  She tried not to smile, but she couldn’t help it. Chance warned her that he wasn’t going to take no for an answer and this proved he wasn’t. She would have to give him some extra points for this.

  “How long have you known Officer Cutter?” Dr. David asked from behind her.

  “Not that long,” Emerald replied. Bending over, she took a whiff of the roses. She loved getting flowers, but she never got them a lot from the guys she dated.

  “He seems very interested in you. I was surprised when I got here this morning and found him standing in the hallway with the roses.”

  Emerald was shocked to find Chance waiting for her too, but she didn’t say anything to her boss about it. He only needed to know so much about her personal life.

  “I’m pretty sure he’s only being nice because of the upcoming wedding. Our friends all want us to get along with each other.”

  “Anytime a man sends a woman flowers, especially red roses, he’s interested in more than a friendship to please their mutual friends,” Dr. David told her.

  Her boss might be right, but she wasn’t going any further into this conversation with him. She had to keep things as professional as possible with him. “How about we put Officer Cutter and the flowers to the side?” she suggested. “I still need to finish up the work from last week before I dive into today’s work.”

  “Sounds good to me. If you can’t read something I’ve written just let me know. I know sometimes my writing can be pretty bad.”

  “All right,” Emerald replied. She picked up the vase of flowers and placed them out of the way because if she didn’t she would be staring at them for the rest of the day.

  Last night, she was totally against the idea of Chance being anywhere around her but after the killer kiss they shared in the hallway and the roses waiting for her, she was rethinking her rush to judgment about him.

  People could change. Why not him?

  Chapter Seventeen

  “Do you have any clue what’s going on between Emerald and Chance? I saw the two of them dancing awful close last night at our engagement party.”

  Looking up from the work orders on his desk. Nash found his beautiful fiancée standing in the doorway of his office. This morning when he left her house Shauntie was still asleep in bed. She looked so peaceful that he hated the thought of waking her up, so he left her a note on the nightstand instead before taking off for work.

  “No, I don’t,” he answered. “Chance did ask me and Brian did we know her, but Brian lied and told him we didn’t. I think he was still upset over the stuff Chance implied about Sapphire.”

  “I think Chance likes her,” Shauntie said, walking into his office and closing the door behind her. “I hope they get together. They would make a good-looking couple and then both of my girlfriends would be in great relationships.”

  “Do you really believe Chance wouldn’t get bored after a few weeks with Emerald and move on to someone else?”

  Shauntie came around his desk and took a seat on his lap. “You’ve met Emerald. Do you think there’s one single thing boring about her?”

  Wrapping his arms around Shauntie’s waist, he planted a kiss on the side of her neck. He really wasn’t worried about whether Chance or Emerald got together or not. All he cared about was picking a wedding date, so he could make Shauntie his forever.

  “Can we talk about something different? Emerald and Chance are both consenting adults. Whatever they decide to do or don’t decide to do with each other isn’t really any of our business.”

  “I can’t believe you don’t care,” Shauntie complained, hitting him on the shoulder. “They are our friends. We should want them as happy as we are.”

  “Baby, are you truly happy with me?” A part of him still worried about whether he was good enough for her. Shauntie was a beautiful woman and could do so much better than him. What if he was holding her back?

  “Nash, I love you more than words could say. I was lost until you came into my life. Don’t ever doubt how much you mean to me.” Shauntie planted a kiss on his mouth then moved back.

  “That’s good to hear because I’m not about to give you up especially after I put that ring on your finger.”

  Raising her hand, Shauntie held up the ring and looked at it. “I love my ring and I never plan on taking it off. I only want my girls to find the same thing I have with you.”

  “Sweetheart, Brian and Sapphire are in love with each other. I’m pretty sure marriage is in their future. Don’t worry about them.”

  “I know.” Shauntie sighed as she lowered her hand. “I guess that I want all of us to be in love and happy.”

  “I know you do and your big heart is one of the qualities that I love the most about you,” Nash admitted as he ran his hand up and down Shauntie’s leg. He could never touch her enough.

  “Nash, you are so amazing. I can’t wait until I become your wife.”

  “If you’re really serious about that I think we should get married on Valentine’s Day.”

  “You can’t be serious,” Shauntie gasped, leaning back from him. “That would give me less than three weeks to plan our wedding. I need more time than that.”

  “I’m dead serious,” he said, staring at her. “Why don’t you think about it and let me know?”

  He would have married Shauntie the day after he proposed, but she wanted more time to plan the wedding of her dreams and Nash wanted to give his fiancée everything she wanted. However, he was losing patience. He didn’t think he could wait much longer to make her his wife.

  “I’ll think about it, but I don’t think I’ll change my mind,” Shauntie admitted. “Okay, I love being here with you like this, but I need to get to work.” She got up off his lap and stood next to his chair. “I only stopped by here because I wanted to see you since you were already gone when I woke up this morning. I hate waking up alone in bed now. I miss having your big body next to mine.”

  “I saw you sleeping and I didn’t have the heart to wake you up. By the way, don’t fix anything for dinner. I’m going to take you out.”

  Nash watched how Shauntie’s face lit up with pleasure. He loved making his woman excited. She was his everything.

  “Oh, where are we going?” Shauntie asked, smiling down at him.

  He shook his head. “I’m not telling you anything, but wear something sexy. I want to show off my gorgeous woman.”

  “Are you sure that
you can’t give me one teeny tiny hint before I go?” she pouted.

  “Positive. Now get out of here before you distract me more than you already have,” he said then slapped Shauntie on the ass before sliding his chair back underneath his desk.

  “Fine, I’m leaving but I want you to know I’m very upset with you for not at least giving me a clue about our plans tonight.” Shauntie spun around and headed for the door.

  “Baby, I love you,” he hollered after her.

  “Honey, I love you more,” Shauntie told him before walking out of his office.

  ****

  After Nash was sure that Shauntie was gone, he reached for the phone of his desk. He needed to call Brian to see if he knew anything else about Chance going after Emerald. He wouldn’t let Chance’s next conquest be with one of Shauntie’s best friends.

  Chance wasn’t going to ruin what he had with Shauntie. Brian would be on board with him. They would put a stop on whatever Chance was up to with Emerald.

  If Shauntie came here to talk to him about it then she was concerned too and she shouldn’t be worried about Emerald’s love life. The only thing on her pretty little mind should be thinking was their upcoming wedding.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chance was going to show up tonight. Emerald just knew it as she slipped her feet into her favorite pair of comfortable tennis shoes. The idea of not being home had crossed her mind, but why should she run away from her own place? Chance invited himself over, so he would have to deal with whatever way she decided to treat him tonight.

  Emerald had thought about calling her mother for some quick advice when she’d gotten home from work, but she didn’t do it. She wasn’t in the mood to hear one of her mother’s pep talks. Something like: ‘Don’t be afraid to open your heart. Now don’t let him take advantage of you, but don’t hold your emotions so tightly that you’ll miss out on a great guy.’