A Second Chance (18 page)

‘Spoiler alert.’ Rocco didn’t seem embarrassed at all at this rather less
th
a
n
perfect introduction, his tanned face close enough for her to see the little wrinkles around his blue eyes.
‘I would say let her decide for herself
if I really am
a wolf in a
sheepskin
.
Who knows, she might even like it.’

She
definitely
had some catching up to do, Jade thought as she felt yet another blush warming her cheeks. She wasn’t fifteen anymore, for God’s sake. She
silently
scolded herself, upset with her own awkwardness at
th
e
witty repartee
that came so eas
il
y to everyone else. Years of being with Brian
certainly
had put a damper on her ability to interact with other young, attractive males, reducing her to
a
shy, reclusive mess.

Determined to overcome her inhibitions, she smiled back, her
tone
playful as she retorted
,
‘You definitely don’t strike me
as
too much of a wolf, Rocco. And since you are Australian
,
I think that comparing you to a dingo would be more accurate anyway. What part of Australia are you from?’

‘Perth
.
’
H
is tanned face
was
relaxed and friendly. ‘
Life
there is much slower, that’s for sure.
Ever since I came to the States years ago
,
I
’
m just running to catch up with everyone else.’

‘I’d say you overtook a few in this race.’ Liam interrupted, gesturing towards a table right behind them. ‘
Speaking
about running, how about we run for this
spot?
Unless you
’
re busy, Rocco?’

‘Are you kidding me?’ White teeth flashed in a careless grin as he moved forward, his tall, sinuous frame effortlessly cutting
through the crowd. ‘I have a
h
u
nch
this is going to be a fun evening
.
A
nd
it
’
s just beginning
.
’

Jade found herself sitting next to Rocco, his easygoing nature and sense of humor soon making her laugh as she
hadn’t done
in the longest time. She sipped her cocktail and listened to
the
playful bickering of
the two men, Liam’s
calm
attitude a perfect
counter
point
to
Rocco’s exuberant nature.

She let her eyes travel around the room,
taking in the colorful crowd that spilled
onto the dance floor in
the middle, the rhythm of the music almost hypnotic in its insistent melody. She felt a sudden desire to dance, something she hadn’t done in ages.
She
and
Brian
hadn’t gone
out much
,
and he had an almost inborn aversion
to
dancing, convincing her with little effort to avoid it whenever possible. But things were different now, she mused rebelliously, her fingers tapping against the
tabletop
in sync with the music.

‘How about we
give it a try
?’ Liam’s voice interrupted her
thoughts,
and she looked up to find him watching her with a little smile.
She
had
the unsettling
feeling
that
he
could
read her
again
like an open book.

‘I
’
m
a little
rusty
.
’
The
idea of making a fool of herself in front of him
was
not
at all a
pleasant one. ‘I think by now I
’
ve
totally forgotten how to dance, Liam. You better try
Laura
if you want to have any fun.’

‘
No
excuses
.
’
H
e
wasn’t taking
‘
no
’
for an answer, his eyes
insistent
as he rose from the table, his hand outstretched in a gesture she could hardly ignore. ‘I promise
it will be fun
. And you have my official approval to step all over my toes
,
if it makes you feel any better.’

There wasn’t much she could say
.
Laura
certainly
was no help, cheering them on as they moved
through
the crowd.

Liam’s fingers wrapped around her hand, his strong, warm grip the only sane thing in th
e
dark space
filled with explosions of light and
the pounding of loud noises
.
But suddenly the tune changed, mellowing to something much more intimate and sensual. It wasn’t fair, she
thought
, as she felt his hand pulling her closer, her rigid frame unsuccessfully resisting his guidance. She didn’t want t
o dance with him to this song that was suited for people far more intimate and at ease at being close together than
they
would ever be. True, it wasn’t one of those horrid romantic ballads that everyone looked forward to
on prom night, where
any
excuse to get physical seemed good enough. But it certainly was much slower than the piece before, the haunting tune leaving little space for her reservations.

‘
That’s
better
.
’ Liam’s dark head dipped toward her
,
and he smiled
the
heart
-
stopping
,
effortless smile that seemed to be etched into her memory forever. ‘I was hoping it would turn into something like that
.
At least if you walk all over my feet now, it will hurt less
.
’

He made it
impossible to
remain
serious, and she soon found herself giggling as they moved around the dance floor, Liam’s subtle
,
yet confident
,
lead easy to follow. She relaxed, enjoying the sheer pleasure of swaying to the music, his strong arms around her only adding to the surreal feel of th
e
night.

‘
What
are you thinking about?’
H
is
voice broke the
silen
ce
, intimate in the tiny space between them. ‘You see
m
miles away.’

‘I was just thinking how surprising it is for us to be here, together.’ The darkness made it easy to be honest without worrying about looking flushed.

He was quiet for a moment, his silence making her believe he might
not
have heard her. But he
had
, because when he finally answered, his voice was calm and warm
.

‘True, it isn’t something I thought
would
happen anytime soon.’ She felt his embrace tightening just a miniscule fraction as he dipped his head to her, his lips almost brushing against her hair. ‘
I
’
m very glad
,
though. I wondered about you quite a few times over the years,
b
ut you did a great job
of
avoiding me,
didn’t
you?’

O
bviously the darkness had
th
e
cathartic effect
on both of them
telling the truth. Jade bit her lip, not sure how to respond to his probing. In the end she opted for the only way out, successfully subduing the voice of reason that told her to remain aloof.

‘I guess that after my less than dignified performance the last time we were at
a
party together, I dreaded seeing you again.’ So
,
maybe she was crazy to be that honest, she thought rebelliously, waiting breathlessly for his answer.

‘
According
to my memory, I
’
m the only person who should be embarrassed
.
’
S
he could tell by the way his voice sounded
that h
e
was smiling. ‘
You
didn’t do anything wrong, of that I
’
m absolutely sure. I acted like a jerk and was kind of hoping to restore our relationship over the years, given a chance. Only you positively disappeared
,
and it took us twelve years
to
see each other
again.’
Their eyes met in the darkness, and she couldn’t help smiling back into his face.
‘
But
I
’
m not going to repeat my mistakes from the past, and you aren’t going to vanish into thin air ever again. I value our friendship too much to let the past
come
between us. Is that
OK
?’

He
was waiting for her to say something, Jade thought as she fought
the
wave of despair washing over her with surprising force. This was his way of admitting how inappropriate and misguided their one and only kiss
had been
and making sure she understood he didn’t have the slightest intention to ever repeat it.
What
clearer way to convey the truth that he saw her as his friend and nothing more
?
A
ny romantic hopes she might have been harboring since she had seen him walking down the hospital corridor
were
dashed irrevocably.

‘Sounds good
.
’
S
he
managed to sound cheerful and relieved, just as
she suspected one should. She would rather die than embarrass herself again,
successfully
overcoming the feeling of hopelessness that threatened to
cause
her
to
make yet
another
idiotic mistake.

‘
Great
.
’
H
e
was definitely relieved. For one crazy moment she wondered desperately if he had seen through her lies and knew exactly
how
she really felt. Being a gentleman, he would not admit
it,
le
t
alone
carry it
any further
.
Her playing along would be something he would certainly appreciate.

But what was she really feeling? She was confused and bewildered by her own unexpected response to Liam’s presence. Yes, she
had been
madly in love with him while growing up, in a different time and a different place. Her teenage infatuation obstinately defied the fact that she had grown up and almost married someone else, for God’s sake! She couldn’t feel anything like that for him anymore, could she?
T
hey were different people now, she convinced herself as her body effortlessly fit into his
tall frame. Their lives
had
moved on, both of them gaining experiences that
had
shaped them into entirely new beings, barely resembling the figures from the past.

The only explanation she could find for her obvious weak spot for him after all those years was the fact that it transported her back into the time
whe
n
her life was so much simpler and easier than
it
would
ever
be
again. Liam was a part of her past, irrevocably
connected
with the memories of her teenage years.

The man who held her in his arms with such deceptive ease was nothing like the young, breathtakingly handsome
boy with
the
win
ning
smile and daredevil attitude. She had seen the lines around his eyes and mouth, a certain haunting quality to his exquisite features
that made
her think of a masterpiece painting. There must have been things in his life that
had
carved him into this more mature, serious human
being
,
t
hings she had no idea about and most probably never would. Things that
had
made him into
a
man
who
was
both
alluring and mysterious.