A Second Chance (25 page)

‘Now I
’
ll take you home and hope you
d
on’t change your mind overnight
,
’ came his wry reply, accompanied with a wink
.
‘If you are still
OK
with all that tomorrow, we c
an
talk over the details
,
and I c
an
take you to my house to start planning for the reno
vation
. I
’
ll bring you some estimates for the commission I had in mind, and you are very welcome to correct
them
if you find
them
unreasonable.’

Somehow she doubted she would have a reason to complain. Liam
Latimer
was definitely known for his generosity,
al
though
he kept
a low profile about
how
he spent his money. She remembered reading about his support for more than a dozen charities
,
together with a generous donation to the local youth rehabilitation
center
.
His
money
had
allowed
for the expansion of
the
previously
shabby, overcrowded building that provided shelter for troubled teens
into
one that
bo
a
sted
a large wing equipped with a gym, computer center
,
and library. Plus, he
had
designed the area around it
,
a skateboard park and an Olympic
-
size pool only some of the attractions that it offer
ed
to kids coming from all kinds of rough neighborhoods and walks of life.

The rest of their drive was
peaceful
, the long day finally catching up with her. Ever since
her breakup with Brian
,
she had found herself having diff
iculties falling asleep. Nights seemed very long as she tossed and turned, her
restless
mind not allowing her to relax. When she finally managed to drift away into the land of dreams, it was
Liam’s
face she kept seeing, watching her through a haze of fog that swirled around her. Or she would dream of running after him, his broad back barely visible in the distance as she tried to catch up, calling his name with desperation that left her lungs parched and burning. No matter how fast she ran, he seemed to always be just far enough to be barely visible,
her futile efforts repeating
night after night.

Right now, sitting next to him and watching his hands hold the wheel with a
self
-
assurance that
ha
d
nothing to do with cockiness or
brav
ado
, she
was struggling with the overpowering sleepiness that
weighed down
her eyelids. It was as if some invisible blanket of safety was wrapped around her, her body and mind finally allowing her to switch off and relax, the iron ring of
worr
y
and stress that seemed to be a constant companion for the last few
weeks loosening
and dissolvin
g in the warmth of his presence.
She snuggled deeper into the soft cushions and closed her eyes, promising herself
she would just rest for
a moment.

‘
Jade
, wake up
.
’
S
he
didn’t want to listen to this persistent voice that tried to coax her gently into waking up.
A
llowing
herself to drift away
with
no particular image appearing before her inner eyes was just too pleasant
.
She was
enjoying
an
immense sense of peace, the intrusion of the voice an unwelcome interruption. She moved her head in refusal,
trying
desperately to hold on to this sensation.

‘
Hey
,
S
leeping
B
eauty
.
’
A
mused
and warm, the voice persevered, the delightful haze
that had surrounded
her till now dispersing as she felt conscious thought returning. Blinking
,
she looked up, only to be confronted with Liam’s face, near enough to feel his breath fanning her face. Her eyes went to his cheeks, the soft darkness
of a few days
’
worth of stubble giving him the appearance of some pirate or an exotic robber. He looked wild and free
, the
dark wisp of hair that grazed his forehead practically begging to be brushed to the side. Thankfully, her brain
awakened
,
and she regain
ed
her
self-control
before making some colossal mistake, embarrassing both of them with her unexpected need to touch him.

‘Did I fall asleep?’ she asked pointlessly, knowing the answer even before he nodded, his jet black eyes still focused on her face.

‘You were out for the count, Jade
.
’
H
e
grinned, the whiteness of his teeth even more brilliant against his dark stubble. ‘
You
slept as peaceful
ly
as a baby. I was just telling you a story when I realized that I
h
ad
successfully put you to sleep
.
T
alk
about engaging storytelling
.
’

‘I
don’t
think it
’s
your fault, Liam
.
’
S
he tried to straighten up, mortified to notice that her head was almost on his shoulder. ‘I… had a few bad nights, that’s all.’

‘Brian?’ he asked, his eyes warm and understanding
.
‘
A
re you still very heartbroken?’

He must have noticed her discomfort, because he shook his head with a mirthless smile
.
‘Sorry,
I
shouldn’t be so pushy. It
’
s just that
,
with you
,
it
’
s very easy to forget about things that are considered right to do and the one I want to do
.
’ His long fingers came down to her cheek, tracing
its
skin with the lightest caress. ‘
You
know that when you sleep you look exactly as I remember you from the days
when
you girls used to nap around our pool.
Same complete peace of mind and calmness
.
’

He
sounded almost
wistful
, she thought as she tried to shake off the last remnants of her slumber.

‘Well, let me tell you
,
it
’s not
so easy nowadays
,
’ she said finally, her voice stronger. ‘
But
it doesn’t matter.’ She looked out the window
,
realizing they were parked on the street in front of Laura’s apartment. ‘Got to run, Liam.’ She stretched lightly and smiled at him, her senses finally firmly under
control.
‘
Thank
you so much for the ride. I think you were saying you had some plans to go through
,
too, right?’

‘I fibbed
,
’ he admitted shamelessly. His eyes sparkled as he got out of the car and opened the door for her, waiting for her with
old-fashioned
politeness. ‘I mean, I should be doing it, true, but I won’t. I still have to talk to mum though
.
S
he
’
s coming back tomorrow and
is already frantic about Laura.’

He walked her to the entrance, ignoring her protest. Dark eyes watched her carefully as she produced the key Laura
had
offered her at the beginning of her visit, and her fingers
start
ed
to shake under his gaze.

‘All right, Liam
.
’
S
he
was frustrated with her body’s response to
him
, her shoulders aching as she tried to stand very straight in a pose that she hoped
would
come across as confident. ‘
We
’
ll talk tomorrow then?’
T
his
was better, she thought
,
almost happy with herself, until she felt his hand pulling her closer, his arms going around her slender frame in a friendly embrace.

‘I am so glad you
’
re
here,
Jade
.
’
F
or a second
,
the careless, perfect façade
dropped,
allowing her a glimpse of the man underneath
—
a
man consumed with wor
r
y for
his sister and eaten by regrets that added lines to his magnificent face and dulled his radiant smile
.
She
stood on her tiptoes and
spontaneously
kissed his cheek, wishing
she
were
able to make him feel better. In
that
moment
,
she couldn’t care less if she
had
overstepped some invisible line that he had drawn between himself and the rest of humankind. She wanted to make him understand that she cared and was there if he ever needed someone to talk to, however impossible
things
seemed.

He must have understood, for he held her to him for a second, the strong beat of his heart right under her fingertips.
He seemed reluctant to let her slip back
,
his eyes burning with a
n
emotion
that she didn’t quite understand.

‘
See
you tomorrow
.
’
F
or
a second
,
she almost
hoped
he would kiss her, his inner struggle making her weaken in delicious anticipation. But he
didn’t,
his warm
smile the last thing she saw before he
slipped
into his car and drove
away
,
disappearing
into the darkness.

Jade watched the truck backing up into the driveway of Liam’s new home, wincing silently as she heard the low overhanging branches of the pine trees
scratch its
top
. He would have to get them trimmed i
f he wanted any more deliveries.
She
made a mental note to herself to let him know in the evening. For now
,
it seemed as if the overgrown front
yard guarded his new property with an almost jealous protectiveness, obstructing the efforts of the people
delivering
the materials she had ordered. Liam
had
left her a free hand for most of the project, obediently going over the plans she had prepared and agreeing to them with an ease that made her suspicious. In her desperation, she
had
challenged him to confront her on some issue, any issue really, since it felt as if he trusted her completely with the vision for his house.
It
scared her witless, because it made her responsible to a degree where disappointment would be a measure of her personal failure. He obliged, only the smallest hint of
a
smile around his mouth telling her that he saw
through
her fears and
discarded them as invalid.

He dropped by
around lunchtime
almost daily
,
bringing her a
sandwich from the local deli and checking on her progress.
Sitting at the little table in the backyard, the view of the ocean
distract
ed
her to the point that she moved to sit with her back to the blue expanse of liquid silk
as she
eyed him.
Dressed in a
black t-shirt and blue jeans, barefoot and relaxed, Liam went
through
her proposed changes, nodding quietly as he
progressed
.