His body tensed. “What?”
“I’m sorry, Chance.”
“For what?”
“I thought you’d fired him. I thought you were a horrible, heartless bastard.”
He pulled her tighter to him. “It’s okay, Love. That’s what everyone was supposed to think.” He turned his head and his lips brushed her forehead. “Now, what’s going on with Kenny?”
Her voice cracked as she shared all that Kenny had shared with her. “Don’t tell him I told you this, okay? He’s far too proud. He wouldn’t want people worrying about him or pitying him.”
“When would I tell him? It’s not as if we’re golfing buddies. Besides,” Chance sighed, “I’ll be gone soon.”
She frowned. That’s right. Chance would be gone and, eventually, Kenny. In different ways, but both forever beyond her reach from then on. She couldn’t bear to think about it anymore. She was too raw, too vulnerable. Sniffling again, she remembered something. “What is it you were about to say earlier?”
“Huh?”
She looked up at him, with her head still on his shoulder. “Something about it being best that I don’t work?”
“Oh, that.” Glancing down at her before looking up again, he shook his head. “It’s nothing.”
“Tell me, asshole.”
Smiling, he let his head fall back on the loveseat. “I just thought maybe you could use some time away from the station. You know, after seeing your da—Frank, maybe you shouldn’t work tomorrow. And now with this latest turn of events with Kenny, I actually think that might be best.”
“No,” she said, yawning. “Work is the only thing I have. I’d go crazy if I stayed in tomorrow.”
Chance chuckled softly. “You have got to get a life outside of work, Love.”
“I know.” She gave him a sleepy smile. “Kenny basically told me the same thing.”
“So are you going to make that change?” Chance asked.
Stephanie nodded. It was official. She no longer hated the schmuck. He wasn’t even a schmuck anymore. In fact, she liked him. Was Kenny right? Did she more than like Valentine? Her pulse raced at the thought of risking her heart when she never had before. “Everything’s changed already,” she said softly.
Chapter 27
The next morning at the station, Stephanie felt almost renewed. She’d decided there was no way in hell she was standing around twiddling her thumbs while she waited for Kenny to die. She would come up with a plan, simple as that.
The station could throw a fundraiser or something of the sort. She’d have to run her ideas by the interim GM, of course, but the thought of having to talk to him at all didn’t disgust her anymore so that was a huge plus.
Thoughts of Chance filled her mind as she headed to her office. He had stayed with her, holding her until her eyes had grown heavy enough to close when the day’s emotional upheavals finally took their toll. When she’d woken up, she’d been in bed, snug beneath the covers and in nothing but her underwear.
The thought of him undressing her sent a tingle up her spine. Even though she knew he would have been nothing but a gentlemen—not to mention, he’d seen her in far less than underwear a time or twenty—the thought made her slightly embarrassed, and a whole lot hot.
She actually licked her lips when she had a sudden image of his cock, standing at attention and glistening with moisture from her mouth and pussy. The damn man had turned her into a sex addict. Maybe she’d sneak into his office later and let him fuck her senseless.
She had to make the most of his talents before he left. The thought of that threw a damper on her lust. It didn’t smother the flames completely—hell, what could?—but it definitely took her recently overactive libido down to about a five. For now.
Amber rushed up as Stephanie unlocked her office door. “What happened this weekend? I call you Saturday evening and you’re in freakin’ Beverly Hills?” she whispered furiously. Her focus drifted down to Stephanie’s necklace. She leaned in, her eyes widening. “Holy shit,” she said slowly.
Stephanie gasped. “Snickerdoodle, watch your language.” She smiled when Amber threw her an ‘are you serious’ look. She walked into the office with her friend fast on her heels.
“Spill it,” she said, sitting down in front of Stephanie’s desk. “Did Clayton give you that?”
Scoffing, Stephanie took off her coat and hung it on the rack beside the door.
“No?” Amber tilted her head. “Who else could afford—”
Stephanie just smiled as she went to stand behind her desk.
“Mr. Valentine?” Amber cried as quietly as she could.
Stephanie shrugged and sat down. “It was a gift.”
“I’ll say.” Amber stared at the necklace. “I hope you know you’re packing some serious cash around your neck, girl. You’d better have security walk you out to your car later.”
Stephanie smiled. “Chance’s grandfather guesstimated it was about sixty grand, but he had to be joking.”
“Chance’s grandfather? Since when is he ‘Chance’ instead of Valentine, schmuck, bastard, asshole—”
“He,” Stephanie said, raising her voice to drown out Amber’s, “isn’t as bad as I thought. And as for this,” she touched the diamonds around her neck, “I’m sure he wouldn’t have dropped that much cash on me.” She shrugged. “It was probably a few thousand, if that.”
Amber threw her head back and laughed. And laughed. She finally looked at Stephanie as she dabbed the corners of her eyes with the tip of her pinky finger. “Steph, there’s no way in hell that thing was only a few thousand dollars.”
She rolled her eyes. “I’m sure it’s not real. Some amazing cubic zirconia work, yes.”
“Get it appraised. I guarantee that sucker is worth more than forty grand. Mr. Valentine’s no slouch.”
Stephanie considered that. If the necklace were indeed real, that money could go a long way toward helping Kenny. She’d hate to part with it—it was absolutely gorgeous—but helping Kenny was more important. None of this mattered anyway. There was no way Chance had given her something so valuable. Had he?
“Back to...” She sat back and gave Stephanie a dreamy sigh. “Chance.”
“What about him?” She hoped she sounded nonchalant because she surely didn’t feel that way whenever that man’s name was mentioned.
“I mean, what a bastard, right? Thank God he’ll be out of here soon.”
“Yeah...” She tilted her head as she thought about it. “I’ll kind of miss him, though.”
Amber lifted an eyebrow. “You’re joking.”
“No.” She smiled at the incredulous expression on her friend’s face. “He has a few good qualities I guess.” She sat back in her chair. “He’s smart and funny. He’s charming, you know, in an infuriatingly smug way. He has a good heart...when he, ah, wants to.”
Clearing her throat, she made a point of thumbing through a small stack of papers on her desk.
“Oh my God,” Amber said slowly. “What the hell happened this weekend?”
She kept her eyes averted. “What do you mean?”
“It sounds as though you more than like the boss now. Hmm... Have you slept with him?”
Her entire body grew hot. “Maybe.”
Amber’s mouth dropped open. “Maybe, hell. Details, woman! Is he as good as he looks?”
She looked her right in the eye. “Better.”
Amber made a purring sound and Stephanie laughed. She regarded her friend closely. Though she appeared to be as cheerful as ever, Amber’s brown eyes were a bit less sparkling than usual. “What’s up with you?”
Amber frowned. “Huh? Nothing.”
“Amber,” Stephanie said, narrowing her eyes. They shared a long, silent stare-down.
Amber finally caved. “Carly’s being Carly. She said some crazy stuff about taking the anchor position from me.” She waved her hand. “Whatever.”
Shit. Having Amber worry about this had been the last thing Stephanie
wanted. She fought the urge to hunt Carly down, and do enough damage to send her plastic surgeon’s kids through college.
Stephanie might give Amber a hard time, but she’d be damned if she sat around while anyone else did. “What did she say?” she asked calmly.
“‘Enjoy being morning co-anchor while you can’ or something like that.”
Stephanie laughed. “She’s so full of it. Don’t worry, girl. Your job is safe. Chance knows there’d be no end to his pain if he allowed that woman anywhere near the morning spot.” She smiled as she thought of various, sexual ways she could hurt him.
“Look at you, Steph. Laughing and smiling... I haven’t seen you this happy since, well....” She frowned. “I’ve never seen you this happy. I think you’re falling for the sexy schmuck.”
She waved the comment off. “Please.” She wasn’t worried. The only way she’d succumb to love would be if it were genuine and everlasting. And since, for her, that only existed between the covers of books and in movies, she was safe.
****
“Come in,” Stephanie said without raising her head from the paperwork she was filling out.
“Is this a bad time?”
She looked up to see Chance peeking in and gave him a little smile. “No, what’s up?”
“The dance.”
She looked at him blankly.
“The Valentine’s Day thing, woman. You asked me to be your date, remember?”
“Oh,” she said slowly as she sat back, crossing her arms. “I remember that now. I thought you’d agreed, but then you considered dumping me for Carly. Nice.”
Smirking, he walked in, closing the door behind him. “Who told you?”
“I overheard you, you asshole.”
He sat down in front of her desk. “I’ve reconsidered.”
She peered into his eyes. “Yeah?”
“I’d rather go with you.” Chance licked his lips. “You still want to come with me?”
She gulped. Hell yes. She instantly wanted him right there on her desk. “Should I?”
He gave her a sly smile. “I don’t think you can help it.”
She rolled her eyes. There was that arrogance that made her stomach do its weird flip-flop thing. “I may want to...come with someone else now.”
“I doubt you would,” he said, leveling a steady gaze her way. “Or could.”
She suppressed a smile. “Shut up, Valentine.” There was something she needed his okay on, and there was no time like the present. “I have an idea that may help Kenny—if you give me the go ahead, that is.”
He sat back, folding his hands behind his head as he listened to her idea to hold a fundraiser. The bastard had the gall to look uninterested.
Stephanie raised her hand and snapped her fingers. “Hello. This is important.”
“Yeah,” he said casually, “I’ll consider it.”
She gave him a hard look. “Well, consider it sooner rather than later. Kenny doesn’t have forever to sit around waiting for Chance the Magnificent to take his sweet ass time reaching a decision.”
“All right, all right.” He smiled before pausing for a moment. “Don’t you want to know why I dropped by to see you?”
Stephanie squinted at him. She was curious. Normally, he barked at her via intercom to get to his office. The idea that he’d missed her and just wanted to see her crossed her mind, and she immediately pushed it away. “To be a pain in my ass?”
He cocked his head. “Oh, I can be a pain in your ass, Love,” he said with a low, seductive voice. “Just say the word.”
She bit her lip as they sat there staring at each other. She’d never even considered anal sex before, but damn it, she knew he’d given her just one more thing to fantasize about. Her stomach tightened. “What did you want to see me about?”
There was no way she was acknowledging his naughty allusion. There was no way she could without it being obvious that he’d piqued her interest.
He raised his eyebrow. “What? No comment about what I just said? Scared?” He smiled when she flipped him off.
Since she had his attention, there was another matter to clear up. Again. “About Amber’s position as morning co-anchor...”
He rolled his eyes. “It’s still safe, Love.”
She grunted. “It better be. I swear, Valentine, if you give that spot to Carly or anyone else, I will—”
“Hey, you may want to be nice to me. I could throw some of that god-awful music you like into the evening’s rotation.”
“Since when does the general manager have say over the kind of music that’s played at the annual party?”
“Since I became the general manager.”
“And you’re going to play a bunch of sixties music?” She wrinkled her nose. “I can’t really see the board members shakin’ their groove things to Hendrix and Joplin.”
“Oh, but you can see them dancing to the classy sounds of the eighties.”
She held up her hand. “I didn’t say that. It’s just,” she shrugged, “well, we usually have nothing but a jazz band.”
Chance pretended to yawn and patted his open mouth. “Snooze.”
She laughed. “Yes, actually.” Leaning forward, she narrowed her eyes. “So I get at least a few eighties songs, right?”
He scoffed. “One, if you’re lucky.”
“Come on, Valentine. I’ve been nice to you.”
“Ha.”
“I’ve been...as nice as I could be to you,” she amended. And because she still had visions of his cock dancing in her head, she said, “I could be extremely nice to you right now.”
“Watch it,” he said, his gaze sliding to her chest. “I’ll take you up on that.”
Her pussy began to throb. “That’s what I was hoping,” she said softly as she stared at his mouth.
He lifted his eyebrow. “Here?”
“Now,” she said, standing. She walked over to lock the door before turning to him.
He smiled as he stood up. “You can’t get enough of me.”
“Shut up.” She was pushing everything on the desk aside when she felt his hands on her breasts. Her head fell back as his cock, stiff and ready, pressed against her ass. Putting his lips next to her ear, he growled. It was enough to send her spiraling out of control.
Chance bent down to lick and suck on her neck as he slid his hands up her thighs, pushing her skirt up.
After fumbling with the buttons on her blouse, she took it off. He unfastened her bra, and it fell away. She rubbed her nipples as she moved her ass slowly against his dick.
“Mm,” he said, caressing her through her damp panties, “I want this.”
She gasped when he circled her clit with his finger. “Then take it.” She turned her head. “Please tell me you have a condom.”
“Shit.”
“What?” she cried.
Chance laughed against her neck as he moved one hand up to knead her breasts. “Kidding.”
“I should kick your ass.”
“Maybe...but not right now.” He stepped back and a few seconds later, he reached around to hold a condom up to her face.
She frowned. “Where’d that come from so fast?”
“Let’s just say I was prepared.”
“Arrogant. So sure I’d want you.” She heard the rustling of clothes as he dropped his pants.
“I was hoping.” He brushed her hair away from the back of her neck before pushing her down on the desk. “And I was right.”
“You’re such a—” She moaned when she felt his cock pushing into her tight, wet pussy. Chance leaned forward as he began to thrust. “Oh my God...” He was hitting some really fantastic spots from this angle.
Groaning, he began thrusting into her harder. “This won’t last long, Love. Sorry.”
Smiling, she reached back to pull one of his hands to her breast. “You’ll make it up to me,” she said breathlessly.
“Ah, shit...” He bit back more curses while he slid his other hand in front of her t
o rub her clit.
Gasping again, she fondled one of her breasts while Chance handled the other. “Yes, fuck me,” she panted. “Harder.” His husky grunts and groans pushed her closer to the edge. “Oh, shit!”
“Quiet, Love,” he ordered as he continued to ram his cock into her. “This is a place of business.”
She began moving her hips in a circular motion and soon had him cussing up a storm. “Shh!” she scolded.
She smiled when she heard him mutter, “Fucking brat.”
Chance pushed into her even harder and, at the same time, increased the pressure his fingers applied to her clit. Their breaths grew choppy and shallow as they careened over the edge.
She felt his body go rigid just as her own tensed in preparation.
“Shit,” he cried. Grunting, he jerked against her.
“Yes, yes... Oh my God,” she yelled as she came, rocking her hips against him as hard as she could.
Stephanie finally found the strength to stand up straight after he got off her. She heard the rustling of clothing again behind her as she put her bra on and grabbed her blouse.
He put his lips next to her ear and rubbed his thumb over her bottom lip. “See? If I say you come with me, you come with me. That’s just how it is.” He slapped her on the ass before leaving the office and closing the door behind him.
Stephanie smiled. Fucking cocky bastard.
Chapter 28
As Chance strolled into work the next day, he knew he had to face it. He was way past being sexually addicted to the brat. Seeing her was the first thing on his blasted mind when he woke up in the morning—and the last thing as he fell asleep. Things were getting too risky now.
He’d gone to her house that night with every intention of firing her rude, grumpy, insubordinate ass. She’d finally pissed him off enough for him to take his grandfather’s advice. Then she’d started to cry, and it had damned near killed him. Well, the shock of seeing her cry had damned near killed him.
A vulnerable Love wasn’t one that was put on display so it had taken him aback. More than that, it had hurt him to see her like that. All he’d wanted was to kill whoever had hurt her, which he thought was good ol’ intoxicated Frank. Turns out, no one had hurt her—not directly anyway—so there was no one for him to go after. It was a helpless feeling and he hated it. There was no way in hell he was firing her after that. Logically, he knew he still should, or his grandfather would only do it himself, and he wouldn’t be at all nice about it.
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