Second Rate Chances

by S. C. Stephens

  Glaring back up at Reggie, Chance spit out, “She saw you?” Reggie nodded, puffing another cloud of smoke through his teeth. Irritated, Chance stood and pushed his shoulder back. “I have cleanup work to do now, idiot, so get back into your car and I’ll deal with you and Garrett later.” Scowling, Reggie moved around to the driver’s side. Chance followed him. Grabbing his forearm, Chance hissed, “Don’t ever come to my place again. You’ll ruin…everything.”

  Reggie sniffed and narrowed his eyes. “Courtyard, tomorrow at noon. Don’t be late.”

  “I won’t.”

  Reggie got in his car and Chance slammed the door in his face. Hearing Makayla groan, Chance hurried over to her while Reggie pulled away. She started to sit up as Reggie’s car vanished down the alley. Squinting, her face contorted in pain, Makayla looked around and then up at Chance supporting her. “What…happened?”

  Relief coursing through him, Chance smoothed the hair on the back of her head, tenderly caressing the bump he could still feel. Makayla winced and touched the bump as well. “I’m not sure, but I think you fell.”

  Trying to stand up, Makayla grumbled, “I’m suing your ass if my jacket’s ruined.”

  Chuckling at her comment, Chance helped her to her feet. “I don’t think my homeowner’s insurance covers clumsiness.”

  Once fully standing, Makayla seemed to be hit with a flood of memories. Her blue eyes shifted to the empty space where Reggie’s car was once parked. She pointed at the space. “There was a man….smoking. He looked dangerous…”

  Chance kept his face light, while his insides darkened. If Reggie had done anything to her… Smiling, he tilted his head. “Because he was smoking? You know that’s a horrible cliché, right?”

  Makayla narrowed her eyes at him. “No, because he looked…” She frowned. “I don’t remember…”

  She looked really upset by that, by the fact that she couldn’t remember quite what Reggie looked like. Chance felt like smiling wider. If she didn’t remember Reggie, that was a good thing. A small bit of goodness from her approaching headache.

  Chance only shook his head and shrugged. “You were out here alone when I got home, Makayla. I didn’t see anybody else.”

  Makayla shivered and held her arms close to her body. “Someone was here.” She inhaled. “I even still smell the smoke.”

  Chance shrugged again, hoping she didn’t smell the smoke on him. He’d have to change his clothes once they got inside…maybe shower. Great. How would he explain that away? Reggie…dumbass. Rubbing her arm, Chance gave her a concerned smile. “You’re freezing…let’s go inside.”

  Walking over to the back door that Chance used as a front door, Chance saw an opportunity. He sighed as he saw it, but knew that opportunities had to be seized when they presented themselves. Internally swearing at how much this was going to hurt, Chance purposely walked over a patch of slick sludge right next to a sink hole filled with murky water. Whenever it rained heavily, runoff from the neighbor’s berm left a trail of dirty slime across his drive, culminating in the small lake beside his yard lined with mud and slippery foliage. It was a spot Chance usually took great care to avoid. If he really lived here, he’d have fixed the drainage problem first thing.

  Making sure that he released himself from Makayla, so she wouldn’t fall again, Chance let himself lose control on the loose collection of mud and bark. From there, gravity took over and Chance didn’t have to do much, except look like an idiot. Cursing, he made sure as much of the filthy water splashed on him as possible. Well, now he had a reason to take a quick shower. Damn Reggie.

  Makayla’s eyes widened as she stared at his prone position on the ground beside her. Then she started to laugh. Forcing a frown to his face, Chance looked properly humiliated as he glared up at her. “Thanks, your sympathy is overwhelming.”

  Laughing so hard tears were streaming down her cheeks, Makayla shook her head. “Sorry, I’ve just never seen someone bite it that hard.” She wiped her eyes and shook her head. “Look at you…you’re soaked.”

  Chance looked down at himself, pleased. Yes, he was soaked, and already sore. Groaning, he swore again. With pleading eyes, he looked up at Makayla. “Could you help me, instead of laugh at me?”

  She instantly bit her lip to halt the chuckles; it was adorable. Extending her hand, her eyes turned from playfulness to remorse. “Are you okay? That looked like it hurt.”

  Wincing in earnest, since it really had hurt, Chance grabbed her hand and stood up. “It hurt my pride worse than my body…” Frowning at his true statement, he looked over the mud-droplets covering his clothes. “So much for your knight in shining armor.”

  Makayla sighed and wiped some mud off of his cheeks. “I’m a big girl…I don’t need a knight.”

  She gave him a warm smile filled with hope. Chance swallowed. Being around her was difficult at times. She had this bad habit of making him want to be a better person. She had this horrible way of squirming under his skin and making him tell her all sorts of things that he didn’t want to. Like this afternoon, at the bank. He’d wanted to profess his adoration of her when they’d had their little moment outside. And, in a way, he had. He’d said he wanted her. He’d said she was loving, funny, sweet, and he wished he was worthy of her…and he’d been completely honest.

  He did want to be worthy of her. He did want her. A part of him wanted Makayla in his life from here on out. But that wasn’t a possibility. Not anymore. And Chance knew that. It made every moment he spent by her side just a little painful. Especially when she whispered magic things into his ear. Things like, “I’m starting to have feelings for you.” It was exactly what Chance needed to hear for his con to work…but it was exactly what Chance, the man behind the con, wanted to hear for himself. It killed him a little to hear it…because he couldn’t keep her. None of this was real.

  Feeling his heart cracking as he stared into her open, honest eyes, Chance shook his head. “I’m a mess…I should take a quick shower.”

  Makayla’s face brightened and she nodded. “Okay. I’ll just…hang out…and wait for you. Then we can watch our movie.”

  Chance grinned. She was going to spy while he was in the shower, that much was obvious. Well, it wouldn’t do her any good. His home was perfectly “dressed.” Colton Burke lived here and he—trying to reform his deceptive ways to impress the girl he was falling for—hadn’t done anything wrong lately. Any sordid deeds that Chance was up to was kept far away from “Colton.” Except for Reggie’s unexpected arrival. Idiot.

  Unlocking his door, Chance watched Makayla frown a little. Her plan must have been to hope his door was open so she could snoop around his house while waiting for him to come home. Interesting. Wasn’t a bad plan, except Chance never left his doors open. As he ushered her into the kitchen, he wondered if she’d have broken into his home like Reggie and Garrett had. Probably not. She seemed hell bent on following the rules. Hopefully he could cure her of that soon.

  As she stepped into the middle of the room, her mouth open a little as she looked at the pristinely kept home around her. Chance closed the kitchen door and watched her. Twisting to look back at him, she shook her head. “This is really nice, Chance.” Cocking an eyebrow, she added, “Is it really yours, or are you squatting?”

  Chance chuckled and shook his head. She was actually pretty close. The home was in foreclosure. The market was slow enough, the banks in trouble enough, that Chance could stay here for quite a few months without a single person asking him anything. Except the nosy neighbors. But really, as long as Chance smiled and looked completely harmless, no one much questioned his story of purchasing the home. It was a tactic that he and his father had used on numerous occasions as they’d run cons up and down the country.

  “It’s mine, Makayla.” For now.

  Putting her hands on her hips, Makayla didn’t seem as easily convinced as his neighbors. Of course, she knew a thing or two about him…the cookie cutters along the street didn’t. “How does a par
t-time security guard afford a spread like this?”

  Looking around the room, Chance put a sad smile on his lips. “My grandma passed a few years ago…left everything to me.” He met Makayla’s eye and shrugged. “I was her favorite.” Chance sighed, wishing that were true. He’d never met his grandparents…didn’t even know who they were. His mother or his real father either, for that matter.

  Makayla’s eyes softened as she stepped towards him. Placing a hand on his arm, she shook her head. “I’m sorry.”

  Chance nodded and sniffed. “Yeah, well…I thought real estate would be a good investment, and setting down roots seemed like a good idea at the time.” Chance frowned. Setting down roots? Why had he told her that…? Guess his mind was still daydreaming about the impossibility of being with her long term.

  Makayla smirked at the look on his face. “How much did you lose?”

  Meeting her eye, Chance grimaced. “It’s not pretty.”

  Makayla chuckled and nodded. No, if Chance actually had bought this house a few years ago, he would have lost quite a bit of money on the deal. Such was the way with real estate nowadays. One of the reasons Chance had stopped doing property cons. You know the market is bad when even a crook won’t touch it.

  Smirking at her while she chuckled at him, Chance pointed to the arch that led to the living room. “If you want to wait in there, I’ll just go upstairs and clean up.”

  Makayla nodded and practically bounded into the room. Chance smiled, wondering how far she’d take her little impromptu inspection. She’d probably search every room, every drawer, every nook and cranny. Her heart would probably race, as she thought of him returning at any moment, possibly catching her in the act. Walking slowly up the stairs to the second floor, Chance decided to take his time. The more she looked, the less she’d find. Maybe she’d start to trust him if he appeared to be exactly who he said he was. And even his power bill was under the name Colton Burke. According to the city of Plymouth, New Hampshire, Chance was Colton and Colton was Chance.

  Chance lounged under the hot water, smiling at the thought of Makayla being a super spy downstairs. He really would need to teach her a thing or two if she was going to consider becoming a police officer. Shutting the water off, he frowned. Why couldn’t she have said her life’s dream was to be a beach bum? Chance could have worked with that. It made his option of convincing her to set up the bank manager out of civic duty less likely. Even without proper evidence, even knowing that he might walk, her training would probably make her want to go through the proper channels. That obviously wouldn’t help him rob the bank…Chance would have to get started on a plan B.

  Shaking his head, Chance brushed his teeth, in case Reggie’s stench was still on him, got dressed, and headed back downstairs. Plodding with heavy steps, and even clearing his throat a few times so Makayla would know he was coming, Chance made his way to the living room. He found her sitting on the couch, innocently waiting for him. Eyeing the room casually, he spotted things out of place here and there. He’d need to tell her to be more careful while she was rifling through people’s belongings. Smiling at her, he noticed the flush in her cheeks and the way her chest rose and fell. Telltale signs that her heart was racing, that she was rushing with adrenaline. He’d have to tell her to work on controlling her body as well. It was a dead giveaway that she’d been up to something.

  Deciding that he couldn’t just let her get away with invading his privacy, Chance tilted his head at her. “You…okay? You seem, I don’t know, flushed.”

  Makayla bit her lip and her eyes widened nervously. Ah, Makayla, you’ll need to play it cooler than that if you plan to catch me. Hmmm…did he want her to catch him?

  Not showing a hint of his inner turmoil to her, Chance sat beside her on the couch. Running his fingers through her silky hair, he murmured, “Were you up to something…nefarious while I was gone?” He wanted to laugh at the look of panic on her face, but schooled his features. He also wanted to lean in and feel those plump lips again, but he schooled that desire as well. He was nothing if not disciplined. Well, most of the time anyway.

  Finally, Makayla locked gazes with him and seemed to find her self control. Leaning into his side, she told him, “Well, I did scope out your DVD collection.” She raised an eyebrow. “The Italian Job, Ocean’s Eleven, and Catch Me if You Can… Something you want to tell me?”

  Chance paused his fingers. He’d never realized his movie collection was so…focused in one specific genre. Damn. He’d have to pick up some romantic comedies soon. Nice catch, Makayla. Maybe he’d underestimated her.

  Smiling, Chance shook his head. “You caught me…I’m a sucker for caper movies.” He brought both his wrists together and held them out to her. “Arrest me.”

  Makayla eyed him for a moment, then laughed. Chance melted into her side. She’d taken her jacket and shoes off, making herself comfortable in his home. Her blouse was clingy, molding to her body in all the right areas. Chance felt a little of his self-control slipping as he stared at her. She was so beautiful…it was a shame, really, that he’d have to break her. Chance bit his lip, hating that thought.

  Makayla studied him as he studied her. Tilting her head, her long locks draping over her shoulder, she asked, “You okay?”

  No, I’m not. I’m a horrible person doing horrible things to you…and I hate myself for it. But if I don’t do them, if I walk away, Garrett is going to get pissed…and I don’t know what he would do then. It’s safer if I con you. You’re safer…if I deceive you. Ice flashed through him as he considered how true that statement was. Garrett was not a good person to piss off.

  Not saying any of that inner monologue, Chance smiled as seamlessly as he could. “I just can’t believe you’re here…with me. It seems too good to be true…” He sighed. That was true.

  Flushing, she looked down. “I’m not…I’m really not anything special, Chance.”

  He lifted her chin with his finger. “That’s not true. You are special…very special.”

  Not able to help himself, that famed self-control flying right out the window, Chance brought his lips to hers. She greeted him instantly, welcoming his body with her own. Their kiss was soft and sweet, almost innocent. Then Makayla slipped and reached up to thread her fingers through his hair. Grabbing a handful, she pulled him into her. Chance’s heart rate spiked. She could be so forceful at times…it only emphasized her loneliness. He wanted to ease that ache within her, wanted to be everything he could to her…for now.

  He pressed her against the back of the couch, his hands sliding along the silky fabric of her tight shirt. She wrapped a leg around him, pulling him even closer. Chance was sure this wasn’t what she’d had in mind when she’d asked to come over…and he knew they weren’t ready for the big moment yet…but he was enjoying this way too much to stop it.

  His tongue sliding against hers, he clenched his hand around her hip. Chance was breathing heavier as he slipped his hand around to feel her backside. She moaned in a way that started making things very difficult for Chance. He knew he needed to stop this, but really, all he could think about was pushing her down and lying on top of her.

  Apparently, Makayla felt the same.

  Her breath as hard as his, she wiggled her way down, so that her back was flat to the couch. They stared at each other for a second, then her arms cinched around his neck, drawing Chance down to her. Knowing he shouldn’t, Chance settled himself over her. Her legs wrapped around him instantly, pulling him in, inviting him to press his aching body against hers. And he was aching. As much as he prided being able to control his emotions, controlling his lower body from reacting to…this…was too much to ask.

  Dropping his head into her neck, he groaned as they squeezed his body. It satisfied them both. Makayla murmured something, holding his head close to her. Chance needed to stop this…it was too soon…he just couldn’t find the words. And Chance never had trouble finding words. It was part of his gift, part of his curse. For once, Chance wa
nted to ignore the con. He had a beautiful woman in his arms. He wanted to make love to her…and worry about the rest later.

  He started unbuttoning her shirt, exposing the creamy skin inch by inch. She moaned and dropped her head back, pushing his down so his lips touched each section. Breathing heavy, Chance trailed his mouth across her flesh. When he got to her bra, he slipped the cup aside. Just a quick taste, that’s all he wanted. Makayla cried out, and Chance took the moment to press his hardness against her again. She been neglected so long…Chance wanted to fill that void, right now.

  His mouth not moving from her nipple, his fingers traveled to the waistband of her skirt. Quickly finding the zipper along her hip, Chance loosened the material and slipped his hand inside before he could stop himself. Makayla’s hands tangled in her hair as she arched her back. She wanted this so bad. She wanted Chance to touch her, to satisfy her…that much was clear to Chance. And he couldn’t stop himself…not anymore.