Chance made another noise, then pushed her backwards. Keeping his body flush to hers, he pushed her into a secluded corner of the bank’s walls. Nestled back in the berm area, they were mostly obscured from anyone’s vision. His body hard against hers, Chance deepened their kiss. Makayla’s breath picked up as she tugged on his hair. As crazy and impulsive as she knew this was, he ignited her, and caving into that feeling…was amazing. Chance’s hands slid over her body, his fingers clutching her thigh, hitching her leg up his, as much as her tight skirt would allow anyway.
As his need pressed against her, a little bit of common sense flooded into Makayla. She couldn’t continue with this intensely passionate moment, no matter how much she wanted to. It wasn’t smart, it wasn’t practical, and it definitely wasn’t casual anymore. Pushing against his shoulders, she firmly shoved him away.
“Chance,” she panted, “we can’t…”
He met her gaze, his breath heavy, his eyes hooded. “Makayla…” Her name was practically a groan across his lips. Makayla had to adjust her position against the wall.
She shook her head. “This isn’t casual…”
His lips came back to hers. “I don’t care…I want this.” He pulled back to look at her again. “I want you.” He blinked after he said it; he seemed surprised by his own words. Reluctantly he dropped her leg back to the ground. “You’re right,” he whispered. “This is…too fast.”
Makayla smiled that he understood, that he felt the same. As he stepped back from her, his face turned pensive. Makayla straightened her clothes and hair, watching him curiously. After a long moment, he said, “I’m sorry. I’m trying to be patient, but you’re…very beautiful.” Makayla flushed and looked down. His fingers lifted her chin back up. “And smart, and funny…loving, sweet, loyal…” He sighed. His eyes unnecessarily moistened as he searched her face. “I wish I deserved you.”
He moved away from her but Makayla grabbed his arm. He wouldn’t look at her at first. When he did, his eyes seemed haunted. Makayla bunched her brows, not understanding the severity of his mood. “Chance? What is it?”
Sighing, he stepped towards her. “Do you think people can change…if they really want to?” Makayla nodded. She believed anyone could change…it was the only reason she was still sort of with Chance. He looked down, then nodded. Chance closed his eyes, his hand clenching into a fist. After a moment of silent debate, he finally reopened his eyes and looked at her. His gaze was clearer, less emotional. Smiling slightly, he shrugged. “I hope that someday I’m worthy of your trust. I hope that someday…we won’t have to be causal anymore.”
Makayla placed a hand on his cheek, her heart swelling. “I want to trust you, Chance. I want to be…more than causal too.” She ran her fingers down his chest and he nodded. Leaning forward, she placed a soft kiss on his cheek. “I’m starting to have feelings for you,” she whispered in his ear, not able to say it any louder. Trembling, she added, “Don’t let me down.”
With that, she stepped away from him. Not looking back at where he was, she made her way to the front doors. She heard Chance let out a heavy sigh as she left.
Once she was back inside the bank, Makayla let out a long, shaky exhale. Things had gotten intense there for a second. She hadn’t meant to show Chance a piece of her heart, but it had slipped out anyway. She sort of felt like exposing herself to him was giving him a weapon to use against her. Makayla hated that she felt that way—dating was supposed to be about opening yourself up to someone—but she did. Opening up to someone, especially someone that she didn’t know very well, was a good way to get a knife through her heart. And with Chance’s background, shady and secretive, Makayla had a feeling that the knife he plunged into her would be twisted a few times as well.
Sighing, she plucked a stray piece of bark from her shoe and again wondered why she was seeing him. Why invite the heartache that was so obviously coming her way. It would be better for her to have Natalie’s problem, to lust over an unobtainable man, then to be with someone who’d use and abuse her.
Spying Neil talking to Natalie in a corner, both of them smiling and laughing, Makayla sighed again. But Chance had exposed himself to her as well. And he seemed to want something in his life to change. Makayla just wasn’t sure what, really. But she wanted to help him. And…if they fell in love along the way, wouldn’t that only help him more? If he truly did want an honest life, a life with her, love could be the lifeline that pulls him out of the darkness that he sometimes surrounded himself with.
Smiling as she headed to the back to deposit her jacket and purse in the employee area, Makayla hoped against all hope that Chance wanted to become the man she wanted him to become.
When Makayla came out of the hallway, Natalie bounded over to her. Her face flawless and beaming, she grabbed Makayla’s arms. “Guess what?”
Containing both a sigh and a smile, Makayla shook her head. “What?”
“Neil said yes!” She giggled after saying it.
Makayla frowned at the look of sheer bliss on her face. Did she look like that when she giggled in front of Chance? God…she hoped not. “Oh…well, I’m sure you’ll have a good time.”
Natalie bounced up and down, like she had springs in her high heels. “We’re going to have the best time.”
The woman started to edge past Makayla, on her way to take her own lunch break, but Makayla grabbed her elbow. “Hey, you know that the two of you are just friends, right?” Makayla hated to be so blunt, but she couldn’t let Natalie harbor any hope of a lasting romance with Neil. No, Makayla should be the only one harboring impossible hope.
Natalie frowned, her perfectly highlighted cheeks flushing. Looking down, she blinked rapidly. “Yeah, I know.” She looked back up and flicked a quick glance at Neil before looking at Makayla again. “I just…want to spend time with him.”
The pleading in her eyes was nearly painful to Makayla. She wanted to spare the young woman the heartbreak she was setting herself up for, but there really was no way to do that. Sometimes, life lessons had to be learned to be absorbed. Mom can tell you that the stove is hot…but you’ll never understand until you touch it yourself.
Sighing, Makayla nodded and let the peppy woman walk away. Makayla didn’t have much room to talk anyway. She was dating a crook. A crook that she wanted to believe could be saved…but who knows if that was true or not. For all she really knew, Chance had played her from day one. For all she really knew, Chance was still playing her.
Trying to save someone that couldn’t be saved was one thing…being duped by a skilled manipulator, quite another. Until she knew for sure which side of the coin Chance really was on…Makayla would have to be extra cautious.
As her work day wound down, Makayla considered her options. She could continue on her light and breezy path with Chance, where he seemed to have all the control against her ever-declining will power, or she could shake things up a bit. Surprise him. Maybe throw him off, if he was trying to play some game with her. Intrigued by that idea, Makayla was grinning ear-to-ear as she locked up the overflow cash in the bank’s safe tucked in Dan’s office.
Covering the vault with the picture that used just about every color in the rainbow, she startled a little when the door was knocked on. Neil stood in the entryway, frowning. “Dan shouldn’t have you doing his job for him. It’s not right.”
Makayla shrugged as she surveyed the wall, making sure everything looked untouched. “At least I know it’s being done right if I do it.”
She looked back at Neil and he smirked. “You should be the manager…he should be fired.”
Makayla brightened. “I don’t want to be a bank manager. I want to chase bad guys.”
Neil left the smirk on his face but his gray eyes narrowed. “Speaking of bad guys…how was your date?”
Makayla started to giggle, but stopped herself. Shrugging, she stepped out of the room and closed the solid door. Locking it, she said over her shoulder. “It was…fine.”
“Fine
?”
Twisting to Neil, she shrugged again. “Yep…fine.”
Neil shook his head, then looped his arm through hers. He started to pull them through the doors, but Makayla balked. “Go ahead, I’m not quite done here.”
Neil nodded. “Alright, have a good night, Mack.”
Once he exited the bank, his hand lifted in parting, Makayla rapped on the surveillance room door with two quick knocks followed by three, followed by two. It was their silly code for “I’m done for the night, time to lock up with me.” Ricky, the slightly pudgy, gentle-looking security guard came out of his room. For a second, Makayla pictured Chance getting a job here as the bank’s security. It would be a little ironic, considering his history, but then she’d see him a lot, and…make sure he was staying out of trouble during the day.
He walked out of the door with her, then raised an eyebrow, silently asking if she wanted an escort to her car. Smiling, Makayla shook her head as she locked the bank. She wasn’t afraid to be on her own and she had a private phone call she wanted to make, one of the reasons she’d sent Neil away. Ricky shrugged and mumbled something about heading home to watch the game.
Makayla waited until he was long gone, then dug through her purse. Finding her cell phone, Makayla entered in Chance’s phone number. The phone rang forever. Just when she thought it would go to voicemail, the line picked up. “Hello?”
“Hi, Colton.”
Chance sighed softly. “You’re the only one that keeps calling me that. Maybe I shouldn’t have told you my real name?”
Now Makayla sighed. “No, I’m glad you did.” As Chance chuckled, Makayla remembered her reason for calling. “Are you working tonight?”
Chance paused. “No…I have the night off. Why?”
Twirling a long lock of hair around her finger, Makayla looked out the bank’s front window. An office building was next door, but the windows were so dark, Makayla only ever saw her own reflection in them. Her cheeks flushing, Makayla wondered if anyone next door had seen her steamy moment with Chance at lunch? That would be kind of embarrassing. Sometimes it was easy to forget that no place was really private anymore. Eyes were everywhere.
“Well, I thought I’d come over to your place. Maybe we could watch a movie?” And maybe Makayla would see something if she dropped in unexpectedly. Or maybe he’d let his guard down, if she questioned him where he was most comfortable.
Chance was silent a moment. “Uh…yeah, that sounds nice, actually. But, isn’t that…a step up from casual?” He chuckled. “Unless you’ve reconsidered the sleepovers?”
Makayla ran a hand over her cheek, her neck. She was warm, just from the thought. “No, no sleepovers…just a friendly movie.”
Still chuckling, Chance sighed. “Too bad…I like the image of you waking up in my bed.” Voice soft, he added, “I like it a lot, actually…”
Makayla bit her lip. She liked the image too…sprawled out across his chest…kissing his neck…his fingers trailing up her warm back… Shaking her head, refocusing her thoughts, she murmured, “Well, just a movie tonight.”
Chance paused, then , “Okay…sounds nice. Here’s my address…”
He rattled off a series of numbers and gave her a quick idea of where to go. Smiling, Makayla told him, “Great, that’s pretty close to my work, so I’ll see you in a few.”
“Uh, okay. I was just out running an errand, so I’ll be a few minutes behind you…you need anything while I’m out?”
Makayla twisted her lips, intrigued by the idea of checking out his place before he got there. Maybe he’d left it unlocked? Surely, as his date, she could let herself in? “No, I’m good…thank you.”
“Okay, I’ll see you in a few.” His exit was rushed, but Makayla was rushed now herself, so she didn’t dwell on it long. She had a chance to spy on his place without him around, if she got there soon enough.
Quickly tossing her phone in her purse, she hustled to her car. His address was in a nicer part of town, which Makayla found interesting. She hadn’t realized that a part-time security guard could afford living in such an uppity neighborhood. Maybe he rented with other people? Or maybe…he supplemented his income in a way that Makayla didn’t want to hear about. But, no, that was the whole reason for her to surprise him—she wanted to know.
The streets were slick with rain as Makayla drove along. It had poured in the afternoon, and the previously dry roads were a little slippery. If it was still the heart of winter, Makayla could have put on ice skates and glided over to Chance’s house. People did that sometimes, during the coldest months of the year, when inches of ice covered the little used side roads.
Makayla let out a low whistle when she pulled up to Chance’s curb. She had to double-check her memory, to make sure she had the right house number. But she did, and she knew she did. Her brain held on to facts like that. Chance lived in a two-story home that was made completely out of brick. Makayla had never actually seen a perfectly brick home. She supposed it was just a façade, she was sure that the actual home was made of wood, but, still…it was impressive.
The house had chimneys on both ends of it. Near the center, the home bulged out into an opulent, bay window. The bricks curved there, rounding in places that bricks generally didn’t round. It was breathtaking, and for a moment, Makayla just stupidly stared at it.
Snapping out of it, Makayla remembered to look for Chance’s car. She didn’t see his parked along the street, and didn’t notice any sort of driveway beside the house. A small alley to the left led behind the row of homes. Makayla figured that’s where Chance probably parked—out of sight, so his magnificent home wasn’t blemished by his modest vehicle.
Makayla stepped out of her car, wondering if she should head around back? If that’s where he parked, then maybe that’s the door he’d possibly left open. It wouldn’t be weird for his girlfriend to enter from the back of the home…right? Shaking her head, Makayla marveled at how quickly she put herself into the girlfriend roll when it suited her purpose.
Looking around at all of the dark and quiet homes along this sleepy street, Makayla made her way down the sidewalk leading to the alley. She peeked up into Chance’s windows as she passed; they were all dark, quiet, he didn’t seem to be home yet. Smiling, she bundled her thick jacket around herself and carefully traversed the slippery cement.
Makayla ducked under a thickly branched tree. Its limbs created lines of dark shadows along the already dark alleyway. She could smell the acrid stench of cigarette smoke on the other side. Frowning, Makayla wondered if Chance smoked; she’d never smelled it on his clothes before. Popping out of the other side of the overhanging branches, Makayla stopped dead in her tracks. A rough, menacing man was leaning against a strange car, staring at her.
His dark eyes glanced down her body as he sucked on his smelly habit. “What are you doing here?” His voice was just as imposing as his size.
Her mouth dropping open, Makayla prepared herself for one of two responses. She was either going to demand the same thing from the man in front of her, or she was going to turn around and hightail it back to her car. Heels or not, she was sure she could beat the hulk of a man to her vehicle.
What happened though, was not either of her two choices.
Her foot, continuing its forward momentum, slipped on a slick patch of freshly muddied dirt. Surprised at seeing the gruff man in Chance’s driveway, Makayla couldn’t correct her footing in time. Slipping, her ankle twisted painfully and she collapsed to the ground in a heap. And because tonight was not her night and gravity was not on her side, her body continued its downward momentum once it started it, and her head smacked the edge of the decorative bricks lining the lawn.
Damn decorative bricks.
Chapter 8
Manufactured
Chance had been watching the bank when Makayla called; he’d watched her make the phone call. It had nearly startled him out of his skin when his phone beside him had rung. He just hadn’t expected her to call him so soon.
Once their plans had been hastily made, he’d had to change his course and whip home from another direction. It would have been pretty weird if he’d followed her home, then pulled in right behind her.
As it was, Chance arrived at his place just in time to see Makayla go down. Not able to see why she’d fallen, shock and fear burst through his chest simultaneously. Then his eyes locked with Reggie’s. Chance narrowed his as he squealed into his parking space. Pure rage flowed over the panic in his heart. What was he doing here? Did that bastard touch her? If he did…he was dead…no ifs, ands, or buts.
Flying out of his car, Chance surveyed the seemingly unconscious woman on the sidewalk. He immediately rushed Reggie, slamming the huge man back into his vehicle. “What the hell did you do!”
Reggie struggled, then shoved Chance back. Blowing a swirl of smoke into Chance’s face, he snarled, “I said hello…that’s it.”
Calming himself, Chance looked back at Makayla. He couldn’t let Reggie see the emotion swirling in his body. If Reggie knew that Chance actually cared for Makayla…things would get really, really complicated. Bending down to Makayla, Chance felt for her breath. It was light and even against his cheek; it made him shiver. Gently, he felt the back of her head. No blood, but a decent knot was forming. Whispering her name, he waited for a response. She groaned, her eyes fluttering, but she didn’t snap out of it.