He turned away from the window and glanced at Chewy, curled up in the plush chair, sleeping. There was nothing on Chance’s agenda today. Nothing to offer even the hope of distraction from his distraction. He had gotten into town early for lack of anything else to do. He didn’t have to make his first appearance at the station until Monday.
He could do this. He only had this day, and a long, boring weekend, to get through. Once he was at work, he could focus. At least, that’s what he told himself.
He hadn’t wanted to stay in California. She’d tainted his condo for him now. He wouldn’t be able to look anywhere without seeing her there—standing at the door to the balcony, standing in his kitchen, naked except for a diamond necklace while lying in his bed.
Chance rolled his head, trying to work the kinks out of his neck. He looked down at himself. In pajama bottoms and nothing else, he figured he should get dressed, though he didn’t know why. He wasn’t going anywhere, didn’t want to do anything.
Getting dressed was what normal people did each day, however, and he was normal. No matter how screwed up he was over one unbearable woman, he was still normal.
He looked at the bathroom. All he had to do was jump in the shower, get dressed, and do something. That would be normal.
He should start looking for a place to stay other than a hotel suite. It wasn’t difficult; he just didn’t have the urge to do anything at all. Chance frowned.
Well, damn. He was brooding.
There was a knock on the door. He slowly turned toward it as Chewy started to bark. Chance’s gaze moved to the bedside clock. It wasn’t even seven yet. Who the hell...? His pulse quickened at the thought, the hope, that it could be Lo—Stephanie.
It was an idiotic thought, of course, because she was back to hating him. Rather, she’d never really stopped. He’d only thought she had. Still, he walked to the door a little more quickly than he would have any other time.
“Chew, quiet.” The dog ceased barking as they made it to the door. Without pausing for a moment more of reflection, Chance nearly yanked the door off its hinges in his haste to get it open.
Ross Lucas frowned, with an unlit cigar hanging from his lips, as he looked Chance up and down. “Good Lord, boy, it’s almost seven, and you’re not even dressed yet?”
Chance stood aside to let him enter. “What are you doing here?” he said with a sigh as he closed the door.
“Needed to see you.”
Chance spread his arms. “Here I am.”
His grandfather snatched the cigar out of his mouth and jabbed it in Chance’s direction. “You watch that tone with me. You may be a big, strapping thing now, but I am still your—”
“Gramps.”
He waved the name away as he walked farther into the room. “Your mother told me where you were. I’d been planning to fly in and tour the station anyway. Figured now was as good a time as any.” He looked around. “Dark in here, huh?”
“I like it dark.”
Ross nodded. “More now than ever, apparently.”
“I’m sorry?”
“Jenny tells me you’re brooding. Your grandmother agrees. And now that I see you for myself,” he gave Chance another up and down look, “I have to say they’re right.”
“I’m fine.”
Ross replaced the cigar in his mouth as he went over to look out the window. “What are you doing in New Orleans?” he asked quietly.
“You know very well what I’m—”
“Now, boy? What are you doing here now?” Ross glanced back at him. “We both know you always take your sweet ass time getting to your destination. Yet, you’re here early.”
Leaning against the door, Chance folded his arms and stared at his grandfather’s back. “Maybe I’m turning over a new leaf.”
Ross scoffed. “Not likely. Not when it comes to that anyway. You’ve turned over a new leaf in other ways, though, so I guess that’s something.” He stared straight ahead through the window. “Did you take care of your little problem?”
Chance looked down at the floor. “I didn’t have to.”
“Why’s that?”
“She quit. Someone overheard me talking to you on the phone that day, and she told her. She—”
“Quit before she could be fired. Huh. You wouldn’t have done it anyway, would you?”
“Guess we’ll never know.”
His grandfather chuckled softly. “We know, boy. We know.” Sighing, he faced Chance. “There’s nothing to do now but to go and get her. You have this weekend. Just make sure you’re back here by Monday. And you can’t screw around here, Chance. There’s no assistant at this station. Everything’s on you.”
Chance’s mouth fell open. “Go...get her?”
“Well, of course.”
He laughed harshly. “You do realize she hates me, right? I mean, she already hated me, but your little plan to have me fire her didn’t exactly help matters.”
Ross smiled. “That was just a...test.”
Chance clenched his jaw. “Excuse me?”
“You kept lying to me about your feelings toward that woman. But worst of all, you were lying to yourself. I just wanted to give you a little wake-up call. If I were wrong, you’d fire her and,” he shrugged, “I’d simply reinstate her after your stint there were over. If I were right, well...you wouldn’t fire her because you wouldn’t be able to.”
He wasn’t surprised. His grandfather didn’t mind using people as pawns in whatever game he happened to dream up. Chance couldn’t get on his high horse, though. He could be the same damned way. He rested his head against the door. “Reinstate her?”
Ross nodded. “And give her that promotion—hell, maybe a better one. The woman’s sharp. She’s got a sassy little mouth on her, but she is sharp.”
Chance smiled. Yeah, she had some mouth on her all right.
“I’d be a fool to let the likes of her get away.” Ross took a deep breath. “And so would you.” He jerked his head to the side. “Go get her.”
Chance just looked at him.
“What? What’s wrong?” Frowning, Ross took a few steps toward him. “Chance Valentine, are you...scared?” He laughed. “Nothing and no one has ever made you so much as jump before, and you’re scared of this woman?”
“I’m not scared of her, Grandfather.” Chance ran his hands down his face and sighed. “I’m terrified.” He pushed away from the door and began to pace. “She has the craziest effect on me. I look at her and I—I just— Look, I can’t even remember feeling powerless or weak before I got involved with her and now—she has the power, okay?”
“And you don’t like it.”
Chance scoffed. “Hell no, I don’t.”
“Natural. It’s natural to fight it, boy. When you fall in love, you give a vital part of yourself to someone else, and all you can do is hope, and trust, they’ll do right by it. You feel powerless because you are. It happens to the best of us.”
Chance studied his grandfather, feeling as though he were seeing him for the first time. They’d never even hinted that they knew love existed and now they were discussing it at length. “You and Gammy?” he asked quietly.
Ross smiled. “That woman is my weakness, always has been, always will be. Ms. Love is yours. If that changes who we are, it can only be for the better, I suppose. Now go and be with her. But,” he pointed at Chance, “that little lady better not ever tell me to pull my head out of my ass again. She’s going to be my granddaughter and no granddaughter of mine is speaking to me that way.” He shook his head. “Unbelievable.”
Chance gave him a sad smile. “I won’t go to her, Grandfather.”
“We’ve already established that love is frightening, Chance. Get over it.”
“It’s not that. She—she doesn’t love me. In fact, she was using me so I’d promote her before I left the station.”
Ross shrugged. “So?”
Chance was temporarily rendered speechless. “So?”
“That may have been how
it started, but how do you know that’s how it is now?”
He gritted his teeth. “She told me she hates me.”
“And you believe her?”
Chance looked away.
“Because if you don’t, then you do realize you’re a damn fool for walking away.” Ross came to stand right in front of him. “Because if you don’t, that means the only thing stopping you from going after the only woman you’ve ever loved is your pride. But I know that can’t be, boy, because that would just be stupid.” Ross smiled. “And you may be crazy, but you’re not stupid, right?”
****
Chance walked toward her with that incredibly sexy smirk. “Love,” he said in a teasing, seductive tone. “Come here.”
She almost ran to him, but stopped herself from taking even one step. “No, you come to me.” He stopped walking, and they glared at one another.
“Love,” he said, his voice ominous now.
“You left me, you bastard. I hate you.”
“Do you really hate me, Love?”
Stephanie peered into those amazing eyes. “No,” she whispered. “Do you really love me?”
Chance let his eyes roam over every inch of her face. “Yes.”
“Then come to me.” She opened her arms to him. “Come back to me.”
He took one step before cursing under his breath. “I shouldn’t have to—”
“Get over yourself, Valentine. Do you love me or not?”
Chance took a deep breath and walked to stand right in front of her. “I love you, you little shit.”
Stephanie smiled. “I love you too. Now, Chance?”
He slowly bent down to kiss her. “Yeah?”
She pushed his head down. “On your knees.”
He chuckled as he dropped before her. “What do you want me to do down here?” He slid his hands up her thighs and she tingled all over.
She moaned. “Whatever you want.”
“In that case...”
Stephanie groped for the ringing phone without opening her eyes. She’d finally managed to sleep—after popping a couple of over-the-counter sleep aids, but still—and now she was being dragged from her sex-filled slumber by the damned phone. She was sure she’d been preparing to make the schmuck pleasure her orally, but now she wouldn’t know because of the fucking ringing that had intruded.
She snatched up the receiver. “What?” Her voice was thick with sleep, her head groggy as hell.
“You need to get down here,” Amber said.
Stephanie kept her eyes closed. “Where’s here?”
“The station.”
“Are you dying? If so, call nine-one-one. If not, leave me alone. I’m sleeping.” Stephanie ended the call. She was groping for the nightstand when the phone began to ring again. Shooting straight up to a sitting position, she answered. “If you call me one more time, I swear I—”
“You need to get here for the meeting. Supposedly, it’s a super important one.”
Dropping her head, Stephanie massaged her temple. She spoke calmly and slowly. “Okay, Amber, I no longer work there, which means I no longer have to attend meetings.”
“You have another week left after this one.”
“Were you right there in front of me when I said I was quitting or...”
Amber groaned. “Steph, please. This could have something to do with you.”
She rolled her eyes. “It has nothing to do with me.”
Amber’s voice perked up. “Ooh, what if Mr. Lucas is coming back and making some sort of announcement? Maybe he will ask you to stay on at the station.”
Yeah, the man who’d wanted her fired in the first place.
Doubtful. “I’m not coming, end of story.”
“Steph—”
“Hanging up now.”
“Maybe Chance will be there,” Amber said quickly.
“I don’t give a shit if I ever see that man again.”
Amber was silent.
“I’ll be there in an hour,” Stephanie said before hanging up.
Chapter 37
She looked down at herself as she entered the station. She thought she looked pretty good considering the fact that she couldn’t remember when she’d last had more than two hours sleep at a time. After hanging up with Amber, and cursing herself for being such a loser, she’d showered quickly before dressing.
She’d put on a knee-length, form-fitting black pencil skirt and a taupe, cashmere pullover long sleeved top. She had resisted the urge to put on the necklace, though she still carried it in her purse. If she had an opportunity to give it back to Chance—directly or indirectly through someone from corporate—she would take it.
She should want to take it. There were no reasons to hang on to the damned thing despite the obvious. It was gorgeous, and she could hock it for a bunch of cash. Stupid thing was, it wasn’t about the beauty or the money. The necklace could have been something out of a prize machine at an arcade and she would still want it. Because Chance had given it to her.
Stephanie cursed under her breath.
I am so pathetic.
Amber rushed up, smiling. “You look really good.”
“Thanks,” Stephanie said halfheartedly as she tried to be subtle in her search for the schmuck who’d screwed her entire world up. She attempted her best nonchalant voice when she asked, “Have you seen him?”
Frowning, Amber shook her head. “Sorry.”
Stephanie shrugged. “Whatever,” she said, continuing her walk to the conference room.
Amber followed and grabbed her arm, pulling her close. “He could still show.”
“It doesn’t matter. I just need someone, anyone from corporate. They can give him this stupid thing back.”
“What stupid thing?”
“The stupid necklace. I don’t want it. I don’t want any reminders of that man. I wish I’d never even met the bastard.” She shook her head when her eyes began to burn. “No. That’s it. I don’t want to talk about him anymore. Ever again, actually.”
No way was she stepping into the conference room an emotional wreck, especially when everyone would attribute her distress to Chance’s departure. Hell, they wouldn’t be wrong. Thanks to Carly’s big ass mouth, her former coworkers probably knew all the dirty details, like the whole mutual betrayal thing they’d had going on.
They made it to the conference room and Stephanie forged ahead. All eyes focused on her, and the room grew silent. She took a deep breath, squaring her shoulders before having a seat at the large table.
“Well, this isn’t awkward,” Amber said under her breath as she slid into the seat next to Stephanie.
From across the table, Carly cleared her throat. “I guess we may as well get this over with.” She stared at Stephanie.
Stephanie drew her eyebrows together. “Sounds good to me.”
“And I’m sure we will once corporate gets here,” Amber said cheerfully.
Carly gave her a tight smile. “No one else is coming.”
Stephanie’s stomach tightened just as her heart dropped. She’d figured he wouldn’t show. Still, knowing it for a fact knocked the air from her lungs. Her last shot at seeing him... Gone.
“What?” Amber gave a small, nervous laugh. “No, someone has to come.”
Carly said nothing.
Amber continued. “Who’s holding this meeting? Who called it?”
“I called it,” Carly said, voice flat.
Stephanie huffed even as she blinked back tears. No sign of Chance and she’d been called to a meeting by Carly? “Who the hell put you in charge?”
“No one, but...” She looked around the table. “Someone had to take some initiative since you weren’t.”
Stephanie cocked her head. “Excuse me?”
“Look, just because you and Mr. Valentine had a...” Carly cleared her throat. “A disagreement—it doesn’t mean this station’s operations can come to a screeching halt. I thought something would be done without any prodding, but once I saw it was
n’t, well...”
“I’m no longer an Executive Assistant, Carlene—”
“I’m well aware of that,” she said coolly.
“The standard of operations here, day to day or otherwise, is not—”
Carly pointedly looked away, turning back to Amber. “So, yes, I called the meeting, but I’m not the one holding it.”
“Huh?” Amber asked. “Then who is?”
Carly returned her attention to Stephanie.
Frowning, Amber and Stephanie spoke at the same time. “What?”
Carly folded her hands on the large table. “You can drop the shocked act now. I—,” her voice dropped, “I read the letter he left you.”
That bitch.
Amber slapped the table with the palm of her hand. “Ha, we knew it.” She looked around before ducking her head slightly.
“That letter,” Stephanie said as she leaned in, “was none of your business, you nosy ass—”
Amber held up her hand. “Wait.” She glanced at Stephanie. “What did it say?”
“Hell if I know.”
“You didn’t read it? So you really have no idea what’s going on?” Carly looked down as she continued, to herself now. “And if only I’d kept my mouth shut, everything probably would have worked out.”
Stephanie stared daggers at her, barely resisting the urge to leap across the table to beat the crap out of the meddling hussy.
“Nice of you to learn that lesson now, Carly,” Amber said. “What did the letter say?”
After a few moments, Carly snapped out of her stupor and lifted her gaze to Amber’s face.
“Well?” Amber asked.
Without warning, Carly shot out of the chair and rushed from the conference room.
Ignoring the flurry of hushed gossip from all who had witnessed her melodramatic performance, Amber leaned over to whisper to Stephanie. “What is in that letter?”
Stephanie began to shrug, but immediately froze. “It’s in my purse.”
Amber’s eyes grew wide. “Why didn’t you read it?” she cried in a furious whisper.
“I—I don’t know.” She couldn’t even begin to think of the reasons she hadn’t. A swirling mass of fog rolled throughout her brain, blocking out the most basic of thoughts.
“Dear God,” Amber said, squeezing the bridge of her nose. When Stephanie made no move to retrieve the letter, she elbowed her. “Steph.”
Chance on Love Page 25