Second Rate Chances

  “Chance?” he whispered, smiling.

  Chance had put his hand on his shoulder. “Quiet, you need your rest, old man.”

  He’d laughed, coughing up a trace amount of blood. “Old man…” Then his laughter had faded and he’d locked eyes with Chance. “I don’t think I’m getting out of this one, kiddo…and before I go,” he’d wheezed, his breath stuttering, “I need to tell you how sorry I am.”

  Chance balled his fists as he remembered the confusion that had swept through him.”You’re sorry…for what?”

  The old, dying thief had looked down, no longer able to look Chance in the eyes. “I helped him take you…and I shouldn’t have.”

  Getting lost in his memories, Chance’s eyes watered as his vision swept over Makayla. He hadn’t known what the man had been referring to at that moment. Sighing, Chance wished he could go back to the time when he’d been ignorant…it truly is bliss to be in the dark. The words haunted his brain as he stared at Makayla. He held her in his vision like she was the only thing grounding him, like he’d die if he looked away. Even still, a causal smile was on his lips as his heart broke apart for the thousandth time. No one around him would ever suspect the grief Chance was currently experiencing.

  The old man’s last words hung in Chance’s ears. “Your father…needed a child for a job…he took you…then kept you…and I’m sorry for my part in it.”

  Yes, that was Chance’s truth. He’d been conned for his entire life…he didn’t even know his real name. Everything he’d once believed in was a lie. And a part of him felt like a hypocritical bastard for using Makayla like he was. He didn’t deserve her…not one tiny little bit.

  Chapter 7

  Exposure

  Makayla watched her thief sit down on a plush lobby chair. He seemed perfectly at ease, just waiting for his girlfriend to go on break. Girlfriend? Makayla frowned. They’d only gone on a couple of dates. Was that what she was? Chance leaned back in his chair and lazily looked around the room. He reminded Makayla of herself, the way he always took in his environment. She did that too, always surveying where she was, where other people were. Makayla knew the reasons she did it. She wondered if Chance’s motives were as pure as hers. For all she knew, he was looking around and contemplating his next score. God, she hoped not.

  Makayla looked away from her date. And that was exactly why she couldn’t consider Chance her boyfriend and herself his girlfriend. No, he was just a man she was getting to know, a man she was casually dating. A man that she didn’t trust yet at all. Biting her lip, she wondered if she ever would.

  “Hey, you okay?”

  Neil propped his elbow on the edge of the counter separator. “You look a little defeated.” He frowned, his pale eyes glancing over to Chance and then back to Makayla.

  Makayla rolled her eyes. “Yeah, just inserting drama where there is none.”

  Neil twisted his lips and narrowed his eyes; it was adorable on him. “If you mean Chance, then you’re not inserting imaginary drama…he’s up to something, Makayla.”

  Makayla cocked her head, a little irritated. “Because he wants to get to know me? Because he says he likes me?”

  Neil crossed his arms over his chest. “You know that’s not what I meant. Don’t go all insecure-defensive-girl on me. You’re smarter than that, Mack.”

  Sighing, Makayla relaxed and looked back at Chance. He was staring down the hallway that led to the break room, the same hallway Makayla had found him in yesterday. He was doing it in a subtle way, using only his eyes and not his entire head, but Makayla had an eye for detail and the subtle distinction wasn’t lost on her. Frowning, she whispered, “Yeah…I know.”

  She looked back at Neil and shrugged. “Do I just break it off with him? Refuse to ever see him again?”

  Neil looked down. “I can’t tell you that…but…it would be the smart thing to do.” He peeked back up at her, a small, apologetic smile on his face.

  Makayla looked away. Yes, she knew it was the smart thing to do. The only problem was…she liked Chance. He sparked something in her, something that hadn’t been sparked, kindled, or even touched, in a very long time. It was hard to walk away from something that enticing. It was hard to walk away from a real connection…when it had been ages since she’d had one.

  Chance looked over to Makayla’s direction and smiled at her. The smile was warm, genuine, and glorious. Smiling back, Makayla muttered to herself, “I’ve been smart all my life. Maybe Chance is right. Maybe I just need to be a little less…smart.”

  Hearing her, Neil wrapped his hand over her shoulder. “Well, just don’t turn into a complete idiot on me.”

  Makayla glared up at him and he laughed, his gorgeous dimples showing themselves. Removing his hand from her shoulder, Makayla prepared to finish the remainder of her shift before her lunch break. Neil started turning away, then stopped and looked back at her. Leaning in, he whispered, “Hey, Natalie invited me out yesterday. She made it sound really casual, but…do you think she likes me?”

  Makayla frowned, thinking back to the eager girl cornering her in the break room. Yeah, she definitely had a thing for Neil. Wrapped in her own thoughts all day, most of them steamy and inappropriate, Makayla had forgotten to warn Neil. Sighing, she looked around for the chipper girl. Seeing her high-lighted locks bouncing as she helped a customer open their safe deposit box, Makayla looked back to Neil.

  “Yeah, actually, I know she does. She may as well have told me yesterday.” Twisting her lips, Makayla shook her head. “You need to be careful with her, Neil.”

  He sighed, slumping a little. “I was afraid of that.” He looked over at the young girl who had allowed herself to be smitten with an unavailable man…not that anyone really has a choice about who they fall for. “She always has this look on her face when she talks to me.” He looked back at Makayla. “And she giggles a lot.” He frowned while Makayla tried unsuccessfully to not smile. Ah, puppy love.

  Seeing her amused expression, Neil rolled his eyes. “It’s not funny, Mack.” Sighing, he shrugged. “So…do I say no?”

  Makayla eyed Neil up and down. Neil was her best friend. If he hadn’t given her a chance to just be friends with him, she would have missed out on a lifetime of amazing memories with him. He was funny and outgoing, smart and endlessly entertaining. Makayla would hate for Natalie to miss out on an opportunity to get to know Neil. But could a crush as severe as hers be turned around into friendship? That was the real question, and it wasn’t up to Makayla to decide it.

  “I can’t tell you that, Neil. But, I would say, if you want to hang out with her and you want to go to the show, then go.” He nodded and Makayla leaned into his side. “But be very specific and upfront with her. Don’t give her any false hope.”

  Neil sighed and shook his head. “Yeah…alright.” Closing his eyes for a second , he muttered, “Girls are so complicated.”

  Makayla smiled. Neil was just as complicated as any girl she’d ever met. The two sexes weren’t nearly as far away from each other as they liked to pretend.

  When her break time rolled around, Makayla headed to the back to get her jacket and purse. Walking past the manager’s office, she heard the sounds of a keyboard clicking. She rolled her eyes. Dan sounded productive in there, but she knew that he was probably surfing the internet or playing solitaire. Yesterday she could have sworn that he was watching Jerry Springer.

  Pausing, at his door, she knocked. She could hear papers shuffling around, drawers being shut. After a moment, he responded with a gruff, perturbed, “Yeah?”

  She cracked open the door and peeked her head in. His office was always a mess, like a mini-tornado had just touched down. Makayla honestly wasn’t sure how he found anything in here. Glancing at the balding, paunchy man behind the desk, Makayla smiled her brightest smile. “Hi, Dan. I just wanted to let you know that I’m going on my break. After me, it will be Natalie, then Neil. The lobby is pretty slow, but I expect it to pick up pace in an hour or so. Ted just fini
shed with a loan so he’ll probably have some paperwork—”

  Dan cut her off with a wave of his pudgy hand. “Yeah, yeah, sounds great, Makayla. Enjoy your break.” Makayla frowned as his disinterested eyes drifted back to his computer. He was obviously just waiting for her to leave so he could resume whatever he did in here. Shaking her head, Makayla turned to leave. His voice stopped her.

  “Makayla?”

  She turned back. “Do you think you could close up for me again? I’ve got a…doctor’s appointment to get to in a couple hours.”

  Makayla kept her face as expressionless as she could. The man had more “doctor’s appointments” than any person she’d ever met. He must be seriously ill…or really getting good on his back stroke. “Sure thing, Dan.”

  He smiled and Makayla twisted around. Honestly, she felt better about being the one to close up shop. At least, if she did it, she was sure that everything was secured and locked. It wouldn’t surprise Makayla in the slightest if Dan “forgot” to lock the front doors one night.

  After grabbing her stuff, Makayla headed back down the hall to meet up with Chance. Once again, he was waiting for her. This time, he was leaning against the wall at the end of the hallway. Makayla glanced around the hall. The security room’s door was tightly closed, the secret guard inside carefully out of sight, but she’d accidentally left Dan’s office door open. She could hear Dan clicking away on his keyboard, absorbed in whatever he was doing.

  Makayla knew that the bank’s overflow was tucked into a safe in Dan’s office. She jokingly referred to it as the vault, but really, it was just a good-sized safe built into the wall, covered by an obnoxiously bright painting. Chance didn’t seem to be interested in the room one bit as he watched her walking towards him, but Makayla casually closed Dan’s door as she walked past, just in case. Chance smiled wider.

  “Ready?” he asked.

  She nodded, ignoring the way his grin made her stomach belly-flop. “You’re not supposed to be back here, remember?”

  He put his hands up, feigning innocence. “I stood right here, at the very end of the hall.” He smiled brighter. “Scout’s honor,” he drawled.

  Makayla rolled her eyes. “Yeah, I’m really sure you were a boy scout.”

  Chance chuckled, looking down and peeking up at her from under his brows. God, it was an attractive look on him. “Yeah, you caught me…I lied.”

  Biting her lip, Makayla latched onto his arm. His smile turned sultry as he glanced at where they were connected. “I will always catch your lies, Chance…eventually.” Her face turned serious as she gazed at him. “So don’t lie to me.”

  Chance swallowed, his eyes flicking down to her lips before searching her face. “I won’t,” he whispered.

  Makayla’s eyes drifted to his lips. They looked so soft and inviting…and she knew they were. Was it causal to kiss your date in greeting? She leaned forward slightly, not really caring if it was causal or not. She needed to feel the connection. Her body warmed with every centimeter she got closer to him. He didn’t move, just let her painstakingly inch towards him. But his lips parted and his breath was just a bit faster. When his smooth skin was the only thing in her vision, Makayla closed her eyes. Her lips brushed against his. They each barely moved against the other’s, neither one rushing or deepening it. An ache shot right through Makayla and her heart started pounding. She wanted to grab his face and press her lips against his. She wanted to lightly slip herself inside him, feel the heat and warmth, feel the softness of his mouth. But that…wasn’t exactly causal…so Makayla pulled away from the peck as soon as she could make herself.

  Chance’s eyes were closed, like he was imagining everything she’d just imagined. He sucked on his lower lip, then opened his eyes. The desire was so clear to her in his gaze that Makayla nearly wanted to throw casualness and caution out the window. She nearly wanted to yank him into Dan’s office and start going at it right there on the desk, next to Dan’s computer. Maybe that would get her lazy boss’s attention.

  Amused by her own fantasy, Makayla smiled and pulled on his arm. “Come on, let’s go eat.” She raised her eyebrows in a playful, seductive way. “I’m starving.” Her eyes trailed down his body and she bit her lip. She meant that in more than one way.

  Chance groaned a little as he followed behind her. Catching up to her, he murmured in her ear, “Just so you know…you’re killing me with how sexy you are.”

  Makayla grinned and giggled, just like Natalie. Guess she had something in common with the teenager after all. They were both pursuing ill-advised relationships that would probably end unsatisfactorily for both of them.

  Chance took Makayla to a little bakery nearby. The smell emanating from the place when he opened the doors was amazing. Makayla was sure she gained a pound just by breathing in the pastries displayed under the glass counter. She almost objected to the choice of location. Her trainer had kicked her butt last night; she was still sore from the workout, her thighs shaking a little as she sat down. But Chance had a warm, sweet smile on his face and it halted Makayla’s tongue. Besides, she had enough willpower to not get the roll slathered in buttery, cinnamon-and-sugar sweetness.

  Sitting across from her in a booth, Chance placed his arms on the table and leaned over. There was something about his face that looked different to Makayla today. Something in his expression. She wasn’t quite sure what it was, other than…happiness.

  Tilting his head, he bit his lip, then asked, “So, anything of interest happen since our last date?”

  Makayla thought back to her training session followed by an hour and a half bath at home. “No, not really. You?”

  Chance’s smile widened; it was hopelessly attractive. “Nope, nothing worth repeating.”

  Makayla narrowed her eyes at his grin. “What did you do last night?”

  Chance chuckled and reached across the table to grab her fingers. His eyes stayed glued to her fingers as he stroked her short digits. “I worked, then went to a bar with a co-worker.” He looked back up at her, his smile genuine. “Then I went home…and thought about you.”

  Makayla flushed and looked down at their fingers. It had been an eternity since a guy had said something even remotely sweet to her. Frowning, she looked back up at him. Did he mean it, or was Neil right…and he was just up to something? Ignoring how nice his hand felt caressing hers, she stopped his fingers from their intimate exploration.

  “That’s all?”

  “That’s all…did you expect more?” He raised an eyebrow at her, amused.

  Makayla smiled at his expression. “Well, actually…yeah.”

  Chance leaned forward even more and whispered, “I really should let you start planning my evenings. They seem so much more interesting than mine.”

  Makayla giggled, and hated herself for it. Pulling her hand back, she tried to keep herself composed. She played with a long lock of her hair to distract herself. Chance’s eyes locked onto the silky strand she was running between her thumbs. Makayla felt someone coming up behind her and turned to see their waitress approaching. After ordering a couple of healthy sandwiches, the pair relaxed back against the padded seats.

  Makayla felt a silence wash over them, but it was a comfortable silence. She once again felt like she’d known Chance for longer than she had. Like, somehow, he’d always been around. After a pleasant meal and pleasant conversation, it was time for Makayla to head back to her shift. She found herself reluctant to go. She hovered outside the front doors of the bank, holding Chance’s hand in hers.

  He eyed the doors. “Do you want me to walk you inside?”

  Grabbing his other hand, she faced him. “No, it’s alright. I’m sure you have more important things to do than hang out in a bank all day.”

  His jaw tightened, just a tiny little bit, but Makayla saw it. “I don’t mind,” he drawled. He stepped closer to her, his body pressing into hers. “Anything to prolong the leaving part of our dates.”

  She smirked at him, but didn’t
step away from his closeness. She even considered wrapping his arms around her waist…but she was trying to keep things breezy. “Are you trying to seduce me?” she whispered, leaning her face up into his.

  His eyes glanced down to her lips, so very close now. Chance swallowed and shook his head. “No…I think I’m the one being seduced.” Makayla smiled and tilted her head, giving him just the right angle to complete the connection she was dying to have him complete. He leaned forward, just a fraction of an inch, then stopped. “Can I kiss you?” he whispered.

  She nodded, then impatient, leaned up to him. “Yes,” she murmured, her lips already brushing over his.

  She tried to keep the kiss a small one, but with their bodies smashed together, she found it difficult. Releasing one of her hands from his, she cupped his cheek. Then she parted her lips and slipped her tongue just inside of him. Chance made a deep noise in his chest, and his hand came out to clench her hip. The noise electrified Makayla, and she ran her hand from his cheek, to tangle up into his hair.