Chapter 30
Later that evening, Stephanie answered the knock on her front door to find Chance standing there holding his Jackhuahua. She gave him a tired, but genuine smile. “What’s this about, Valentine?”
He smirked. “If I say I just wanted to check on you because I was worried, would you kick my ass?”
“I’m too tired for ass kicking tonight—you’re safe.”
“Then,” he shrugged, “I just wanted to check on you because I was worried.”
Stephanie took Chewy from his arms. Sometimes the best medicine was a dog. She’d forgotten how much comfort they could provide simply by being there. Chewy licked her face and she didn’t even cringe this time. In fact, she was reminded of Lana-Marlene and instead of feeling like it was just one more thing to be angry about, she actually felt happy. She had focused on the bad for far too long, nearly her whole life.
Frowning, Chance shut the door. “Since when did you two bond?”
“Shut up,” she said, placing Chewy on the floor. He immediately bounded off to explore. “He’s not going to piss or crap in here is he?”
“Ah, such a genteel, tasteful little lady.” Chuckling, he shook his head. “You’re something—”
“Thank you,” she said softly.
He took off his coat and placed it over the arm of the couch. “For what?”
“Everything.”
Chance stared at her a few moments before waving her gratitude away. “It’s nothing.”
She smiled. Yeah, it was nothing. He’d only kept her from falling apart, cared about her, been a friend. She had been right. He was honorable. She walked to him and placed her hand on his cheek. “Thank you,” she repeated.
Silently, they stood there gazing into each other’s eyes.
Chance bent down slowly, placing a gentle kiss on her cheek. “You’re welcome,” he whispered. His breath warmed her face as he spoke.
Stephanie turned toward it, and their mouths touched. She inhaled deeply, wanting his breath, his essence, as close as possible. Chance slid his arms around her waist as they brushed their lips over each other, back and forth. He pulled her to him, and she sucked in a breath.
Rules were made to be broken.
She wasn’t sure who initiated the breaking of this particular rule, but in a flash their tongues touched and she lost every ounce of will in her body. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she moaned into his mouth. Chance pulled her in tighter. She felt his heart pounding in his chest. Maybe it was hers. Her heart was racing too.
The sweet, wet kiss went on and on until she thought she would pass out. Stephanie held on to him with a firmer grip for fear she’d hit the ground otherwise. The kiss ended, and they pulled apart to gaze into one another’s eyes.
“Love...” Chance reached up to brush her hair out of her face. “I’m sorry.”
She shook her head. “It was my fault. I’m sorry.” She closed her eyes, concentrating on the feel of his fingers in her hair. She wasn’t a coward. She had to own up to the truth, to her feelings, even if they made her a fool. She would at least be an honest, brave fool. She took a deep breath and opened her eyes. “That was a lie,” she said quietly.
“What was?”
“I’m not sorry.”
The corner of his lips tilted ever so slightly. “What about the rule?”
“Screw the rule.”
“You sure?”
“Yes,” she said without hesitation.
“Good.” Chance smirked, putting one unnaturally sexy dimple on display. “Because I’m not sorry either.” He grabbed her face and kissed her again. His tongue slid into her mouth in slow, rhythmic motions that set her body ablaze.
Stephanie pushed his suit jacket from his shoulders before unbuttoning his shirt. He let go of her only long enough to take them the rest of the way off. Then, he captured her face again, bringing it in to cover her mouth with his.
She rubbed her hands over his bare chest. He needed to be naked, and it needed to be soon. “Chance,” she said, though the sound was muffled by his mouth.
He grunted.
Stephanie found the strength to pull away. Damn it. Now that she’d started kissing him again, she didn’t want to stop. Her chest rose and fell rapidly while she tried to catch her breath.
He frowned. She was delighted to see his breathing was as labored as her own.
“Naked...now,” she panted. She moved one hand down to stroke his hard cock through his pants.
He growled. “I agree,” he said, ripping her blouse open and sending buttons flying.
Gasping, she wasted no time. While she ditched the ruined blouse and her bra, he rid her of her pants. Soon, she stood there in nothing but panties as he cupped her breasts.
He licked his lips. “Damn it, Love,” he said, rubbing his thumbs over the stiff peaks, making them harden even more. “You’re gorgeous,” he said quietly. He picked her up, and she wrapped her legs around him as he swirled his tongue around her nipple.
Moaning, she grabbed a handful of his hair. “Chance, please...” Her voice was unrecognizable. She’d never sounded so full of raw, unabashed need before. Even worse, she no longer had the decency or good sense to be ashamed.
He carried her to the bedroom and gently placed her on the bed before shedding the rest of his clothes. She then lifted her hips so he could pull her panties off. He got on the bed to kneel between her legs. “I want to taste you again, Love.” His voice, so sexy and low, made her even wetter. Chance stroked her pussy. “Every fucking inch of you.”
Stephanie kneaded her breasts as she stared up at him, her eyes heavy with desire. “But first...” Something had been at the back of her mind ever since he’d hinted at it.
Chance devoured her body with his eyes while he slowly stroked his cock. “What?”
She jerked her head in the direction of the nightstand. “Lube.”
Laughing, he rubbed his hand over her pussy. He pulled it away and held it up to her as it glistened with evidence of her arousal. “I can make you even wetter than this, Love.” He returned his hand to his cock, spreading her wetness all over.
Her attention locked on to the sight of him jacking off for her. She tugged her bottom lip through her teeth as she slowly shook her head. “It’s not for my pussy.” Smiling, she tore her gaze away from his cock to look into his eyes. “That stays wet enough whenever you’re involved.”
Chance lifted an eyebrow.
She propped herself up on her elbows. “You said something about being a pain in my ass?”
He gave her a sinfully sexy grin that highlighted both dimples to perfection. “Mm, I did.” His hand closed firmer around his dick, sliding from base to tip. He rubbed his thumb over the head. “You like that, baby?”
She stared, completely captivated. “God, yes...”
Chance laughed. “Not that. Focus, Love.” She brought her eyes up to his. “The ass thing—you like it?”
Stephanie swallowed hard. “I...don’t know yet.”
“You’ve never...?”
She shook her head.
“Then why start now?”
No cowardice. She had to own up to everything. He would be gone soon and she wanted absolutely no regrets. “I—I want to do everything with you.” There. She’d said it.
Chance gave her a little smile. “I want to do everything with you, too,” he said softly. He lowered his eyes for a moment. “Confession time.” He sighed. “I’m not exactly experienced in this, uh, area either. And maybe...” His face reddened a bit. “Maybe I wasn’t experienced in the oral area until that time on my desk.”
She frowned. She’d been sure he had done everything and then some—at least twice. Only her happiness at the idea of being his first anything was strong enough to compete with her surprise. “I can’t believe it, Boo Bear,” she said teasingly.
“Hey,” he said in a harsh tone, “that’s not the best thing to call me right now.” He smiled.
Stephanie laughed. “Y
ou’re right. Gammy would hardly approve.”
“So,” he said as his smile faded, “are you sure?”
She nodded. “Do you want to?”
“Fuck yes. But I’m not worried about me. I think things work pretty much the same on my end.” He rubbed his hand up and down her thigh. “I don’t want to hurt you, Love,” he said gently. “That’s the last thing I want to do.”
Her heart swelled almost painfully at that moment. She had to be honest with herself. It turned out Kenny, Amber,—and even Carlene, ugh—were right. She was way past liking this gorgeous, cocky, vexing, naked man in front of her.
She loved him.
They weren’t completely right, though. Love and in love were two vastly different emotions, and she wasn’t sure she was even capable of the second. She wouldn’t dwell on how damaged she was inside, however. Not now. Now was about making memories to keep once he was gone.
She gave him a shaky smile. “It’ll be a good pain, Valentine. Come on. Scared?”
“Of hurting you? Hell yes. You might kill me.”
Laughing, she dropped back on the bed as he got a condom and the lube.
Chance waved the latter in front of her. “And why, pray tell, did you need this?” He smirked. “Clayton the Third wasn’t doing the job?”
“Not like you do.”
“Well, yeah,” he said with a shrug, “that goes without saying.”
She rolled her eyes as he joined her on the bed again. “Cocky.”
“You love it,” he said with a smile as he leaned over her.
She wrapped her arms around his neck. “I do,” she whispered. Pulling him in for a kiss, she reveled in how amazing it felt to be able to do that. But as wonderful as it was, she was ready to raise the temperature even more.
Smiling, she watched him put the condom on before spreading the lube along his shaft. She rolled over on her stomach, putting her bottom in the air.
“Ooh,” Chance said, “this is a nice position, Love.” He rubbed her ass as he moved to get behind her. “Spread your legs wider for me.” She obliged, and he groaned. “Shit,” he said, stroking her pussy from behind, “that’s fucking beautiful, baby.”
Stephanie closed her eyes while he rubbed her. She was fully exposed and in a highly vulnerable position, literally and figuratively, and she loved it. She felt him spreading the cool lubrication over and around her tight hole. Soon after, he eased his finger into her ass. In and out, slowly, and she moaned as she reached down to rub her pussy.
“Now,” she said. Her wanton desire and need for him was unsettling, but she was growing more accustomed to it. Who was she to look down on Frank? She had her own addiction and his name was Chance Valentine. The withdrawals were going to be hell.
She sucked in a breath when she felt his cock pressing into her ass. He grabbed her hips as he slowly pushed in more. “Oh my God...”
Chance froze. “Should I stop?”
“Don’t you dare,” she said through clenched teeth. Her skin was stretching, burning, but his cock felt so damn good, she never wanted it to end. The completely foreign, full sensation had her gasping when he pushed into her ass even more. As slowly, as gently, as he could, he gave her time to adjust to the sensations without being told. Once he’d gotten all the way in and had pulled back, he gradually increased the pace.
“You like it, baby?” he asked, his voice warm and seductive.
“Mm, yes, more...please,” she panted.
“Oh, fuck.” Sliding one hand up to play with her breasts, he moved the other one around to stroke the wetness between her thighs.
“Yes, Chance, don’t stop,” she said breathlessly. The discomfort blended with the pleasure until they were one and the same. As she fondled her breasts, her moans grew louder when Chance pushed his fingers into her. He stroked her from the inside out while he continued to slide his cock into her ass. “Ooh,” she cried. “Yes, more.”
He thrust his fingers into her harder and faster. “Ah, shit, Love... I’m about to come, baby.”
“Yes, yes...God...” was all she could say. She was close herself. When he eased his other hand around to rub her clit, it was all over but the screaming.
“Chance, shit,” she yelled. All of the sensations on one particular region were too much to bear. “Harder!”
“Fuck,” he said, easing his weight onto her. He started thrusting his cock into her ass faster while he increased the pressure on her clit.
She couldn’t even begin to decode the strangled gurgling sounds she was making at that point. She was dripping wet now and ready to come. “Chance...oh God,” she cried as she tensed. Grinding her ass against his dick, she squeezed her eyes shut as surges of pure bliss shot through every nerve ending in her body.
He grunted, bucking against her ass as he came. “Goddamn it, Love,” he yelled. He grabbed her hips, pulling her tightly to him as he jerked a few last times.
With a satisfying shudder, Stephanie lowered her ass out of the air. Chance collapsed beside her. Rolling to her side, she smiled at him. He was deliciously sweaty, his breathing as labored as her own. And he was giving her the dimpled grin that, had she not been absolutely drained, would’ve had her ready to go again, in an instant. He was...amazing. Schmuck or not.
No regrets.
She took a deep breath. “I love you,” she said quietly, her eyes drifting shut. She was officially exhausted, but completely satisfied.
Chance placed a gentle kiss on her lips. “I love you too.”
She opened her eyes to look at him. His more gray than blue gaze was warm and, yes, loving. She’d been wrong.
Now, she was completely satisfied.
Chapter 31
Chance couldn’t stop smiling as he drove to work with her the next morning. He still couldn’t believe they’d confessed to loving one another. Hell, he really couldn’t believe she had said such a thing.
And even though he’d known she only meant ‘love’ without the ‘in’ part, the admission had taken his damned breath away. He’d been compelled to admit to loving her too. It was a relief to have admitted it, both to her and himself.
However, no matter how cozy any of it had felt—waking up with her in his arms, taking the dirtiest shower ever together, sharing breakfast after he’d cooked it, holding hands after they’d dropped Chewy off at Chance’s short-term rental—he felt secure in the knowledge that it was just love. He cared about her deeply, but that was as far as it could go.
He wasn’t cut out for a real relationship. Something told him she would say the same thing about herself. It would be hard to leave her, but not impossible. He had a couple of weeks left before he’d have to prove it.
She squeezed his hand and he glanced over at her. “What are you thinking about?” she asked.
A smile touched his lips as the image of Clayton’s shocked, disgusted face popped into his mind. The bastard had shown up at Love’s earlier, with a goofy grin and a box of donuts. Chance had thoroughly savored answering the door while wearing nothing but a towel.
Clayton’s face had transformed into a scowl. “What are you doing here?”
Yawning, Chance stretched his arms. “Enjoying myself immensely. What are you doing here?” He added, “At my woman’s house?”
Afterward, he’d told himself that he’d tacked that on for effect, just to piss Clayton the Third off even more—and it had. However, Chance had to admit he hadn’t thought about what he was going to say before he’d said it.
Scary part was, it’d felt natural. Love wasn’t his woman; he knew that. Damned if he didn’t wish things were different, though.
She cleared her throat before repeating herself. “I said what are you thinking about?”
“Just...” He maneuvered his car into the freeway’s exit lane. “It’s funny how so much has changed in such a short time, you know?” he asked, glancing at her.
Love smiled before looking straight ahead. “Tell me about it.”
“And,” he said, m
ore to himself than her, “it’s almost over.” The closer the date came, the more the thought of it affected him. It was going to get even worse now that he’d realized that he loved her. He would forever worry about her. That was a given.
After a few seconds of silence, she spoke quietly. “That it is.”
They continued holding hands as Love started rattling off a list of tasks he needed to accomplish at the office today. So much for him being the boss. He smiled. It was clear that, when it came to this woman, he’d never been the boss. He was going to miss her like crazy.
He hadn’t even known her long, though, so why was the prospect of being without her so unimaginable? Chance gulped down the lump in his throat. Pulling into the parking lot, he headed for his reserved spot.
“Do you think you’re going to be able to handle this?” Love asked.
Staying away from you and keeping my sanity intact at the same time? “I doubt it,” he muttered.
“Well, get over it. You thought playing your little game was cute, but now you realize you’ve messed up. It’s up to you to make this right.”
It finally dawned on him that he had no idea what she was talking about. Zoning out when Love was speaking probably wasn’t a good idea. Frowning, he glanced her way. “What?”
“I’ve fielded the complaints long enough, Valentine. Carly is jacking things up as we all knew or,” she gave him a pointed look, “should have known she would.”
He sighed. Carly, and her newfound authority, had turned KMLP upside down. The fact that he was to blame didn’t exactly help his ego. In any case, he’d address the complaints immediately. As for Carly... She needed to be sent back to the news desk soon.
He wouldn’t do it today, though. First, he wanted to surprise Love with the news that she was getting the position she’d wanted all along. He just had to find a romantic time to do it. Then, he’d put her in some interesting positions of his own. Voilà—happy endings in more ways than one.
Chance on Love Page 20