Hunks Pulled Over (17 page)

Grinning at her, Shauntie folded her hands on top of the magazine in front of her. “You’re right. Emerald is too quick to let someone go out of her life. Chance is the perfect guy for her. I’m going to make sure they end up together and this is how you’re going to help me achieve it. Are you game?”

“You better believe it,” Sapphire answered. “Did you see how sad she got when you talked about her breaking up with Chance? His arrogance gets on my nerves, but I saw how he was looking at Emerald when he was dancing with her. He’s in love with her and I won’t stand in the way of it.”

“You know Nash and Brian might not be happy with us interfering with this,” Shauntie pointed out.

“I believe you have Nash wrapped around your finger enough that he won’t give you too much of a lecture.”

Shauntie smiled. “You’re right. What about Brian?”

“You just leave Brian to me. After I’m finished with him he won’t care about what is going on with Chance or Emerald anymore. He’ll be way too happy to care about their love life.”

“Wonderful, let me fill you in on my plan.” Shauntie leaned closer to Sapphire and proceeded to tell her exactly what to do.

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Sitting in the very back of
Peppers
Chance took a sip of his drink watching as his sister Kate rushed towards the front of the stage to watch Coco perform. He wasn’t in any mood to be at a concert, not when he hadn’t found a way to get Emerald to listen to him. A week had passed and he was still struggling without her in his life.

Every time he went by her job to see her, Dr. David would come out in the hallway and tell him that Emerald wasn’t available and he needed to leave. He wasn’t even sure if her boss was being honest with him or not.

Over the last couple of years, he had been crashing and burning with different aspects in his life, but Chance was tired of going to the extremes and exhausting himself with women who weren’t right for him.

He probably would still be doing the same thing if Emerald hadn’t come into his life. She made him see that he was fed up with obsessing over small things that he shouldn’t have. He was almost at rock bottom but wasn’t ready to admit it until now. Emerald made him want to know about her desires, what she aspired to be in life.

Chance wanted to ride with Emerald through every one of her desires, emotions and dreams. He treasured the fact he could let down his guard with her and be himself. The night they had dinner at her house was one of his favorite memories.

But he dreamt about making more memories with her like private glances just between the two of them. Or quiet, yet thoughtful moments where they would get lost in each other eyes like no one else was around them.

Emerald probably ran the last time because she believed he wasn’t the kind of man she could count on. She didn’t understand he desired to be a part of all of her feelings and moods no matter how hard or scrambled they might be. He wasn’t going to run from any of her problems. She could call him and tell him about anything.

Why wouldn’t Emerald listen to him long enough to understand that he’d do anything in his power to protect their relationship? If he could, Chance would find a way to take away the pain Emerald might be experiencing because of him.

No matter what happened all of those years ago, he was in love with her. It could be them against the world if Emerald would stand still long enough to listen to him. All he had thought about doing over the last several days was getting lost in Emerald’s love.

Placing his glass back down on the counter, Chance watched as the club’s announcer came out on stage. Well, he guessed it was about time for Coco to perform. Chance hated being here with his little sister instead of Emerald, but he couldn’t change it. So, he might as well enjoy it as much as he could.

Getting more comfortable on the bar stool, he listened as the announcer hyped up the crowd before introducing Coco. Only a few minutes passed before she walked out on stage behind her husband/bodyguard Jax. Chance had to admit Coco was cute before she got married but now she owned this new sex appeal about her. He saw why her fans were drawn to her, but Emerald was so much more beautiful in his eyes.

Chance quickly glanced around the front of the stage and found his sister standing right below the microphone where Coco was standing. Even from this distance, he could tell how happy she was. Maybe he should have done something like this with her a long time ago.

After he got Emerald back, he might take all three of them out to dinner. Emerald was going to be a part of his life and he would love for her to be with him while he got to know his siblings better.

Drawing his focus away from his inner thoughts, Chance gave his attention back to the stage and the singer standing there.

“I want to thank everyone for showing up here tonight to hear my newest song, ‘If’,” Coco said, standing behind the microphone. “I hope everyone loves it as much as I do.” Looking over her shoulder, Chance watched as she cued her music and seconds later the song filled the room followed by Coco’s soft, smooth voice.

I have a secret

Something I have been

Holding on to for a while now

I don’t know how to tell you.

Should I leave it by text message?

Send it in an email?

Or should I go old school and

Write you a letter?

There is a tingling in my body

To reveal the truth to you.

Every time that we meet, but

I’m not sure of how you will react.

If I told you my secret

Would you tell me yours?

If I gave you a hint would

You get it or need another?

If you finally knew the truth

Would you look at me the same?

If the three little words ‘I love you’

Passed through my lips,

Could they make you stay?

Or would you still open that

Door and walk out of my life?

Men like you are so hard to understand.

You fight your emotions tooth and nail

To keep from feeling.

But you probably feel things deeper

Than me, yet are too afraid to open

Your heart a crack and let me in.

Why are you battling what we both

Know is right in front of us?

Something this good shouldn’t be

Ignored but explored.

If I told you my secret

Would you tell me yours?

If I gave you a hint would

You get it or need another?

If you finally knew the truth

Would you look at me the same?

If the three little words ‘I love you’

Passed through my lips,

Could they make you stay?

Or would you still open that

Door and walk out of my life?

My secret is yours all you have to do is

Let me know.

Some secrets are worth keeping

Close to your heart for eternity but this

Isn’t one.

Just give me a wink or smile to let me know

And I will tell you my heart’s desire.

If I told you my secret

Would you tell me yours?

If I gave you a hint would

You get it or need another?

If you finally knew the truth

Would you look at me the same?

If the three little words ‘I love you’

Passed through my lips,

Could they make you stay?

Or would you still open that

Door and walk out of my life?

Chance sat in his seat in shock as Coco took a step back from the microphone and bowed as the place went crazy with applause. Her song was about him and Emerald, every single word she sang talked about how Emerald felt about him all of those years ago.

She used to look at him in Psychology class every day like he was the love of her life and he just blew it off. The only time he was drawn to her was the night of the party. No, he was still lying to himself. He had truly wanted Emerald from the moment he walked into the classroom, but he had been too nervous to approach her.

Back then, he was just a jock and fraternity boy but Emerald was smart, funny and gorgeous. Half of the kids had hated her, but the male teacher loved her and with good reason. Why hadn’t he asked her out back then instead of acting like she wasn’t there?

Chance could finally admit that his world was lonely and cold because Emerald wasn’t in it. She brought such a light to everything around him. She might think they were far away from each other, but she truly didn’t know how close they were. He was going to prove it to her, but he was going to need some help from a few other people first.

Chapter Thirty

Valentine’s Day

Emerald checked the sheet of paper in her hand again to make sure she had the right address of the restaurant. Shauntie had left a message on her answering machine telling her to come to this new location. She was surprised by the change because Shauntie had been so excited to have it at her house the last time she spoke to her.

Walking up the spiral staircase, Emerald paused at the closed door wondering why she didn’t hear any music coming from inside. Maybe she just couldn’t hear it through the door, but she knew everything was going to be perfect once she got inside.

She pushed opened the door, walked inside and literally stopped in her tracks when she spotted one candlelit table in the center in the room.

What in the hell was going on? Where was everything? There wasn’t a party here at all. Did she write down the wrong address?

Going further into the space, Emerald’s eyes searched the area hoping to spot someone she could ask about Shauntie’s party, but there wasn’t another soul around. Just as she was about to turn around and leave, Emerald heard the door click shut behind her.

“Hello, Emerald,” Chance said as he took a step towards her.

Taking a deep, unsteady breath, she stepped back from Chance. “What are you doing here? Where is everyone else?”

“We’re the only two people here tonight. Shauntie is still having her party at her house, but she planned this for us. I didn’t know about it until I called her yesterday for help winning you over.”

Emerald stared wordlessly at Chance across the room, her heart pounding away inside her chest. As his eyes held hers, she felt a shock run through her body. “I don’t understand why you’re here. I thought the letter I left for you settled everything.”

“Your ‘Dear John’ letter wasn’t worth the paper you wrote it on,” Chance said, walking across the room closing the distance between them. “I thought about running after you the second the door closed, but I held back. I knew you wouldn’t listen to me. You were way too upset.”

“I wasn’t upset,” Emerald lied as she tried to think a way out of this room. The longer she stayed in here the harder it would be for her to leave. Chance just had too much power over her and her willpower was getting weaker and weaker by the second.

“Stop lying to me. You were having flashbacks of the first time we were together,” Chance told her. “Haven’t I shown you by now that I’m no longer the same guy?”

“So, you’re telling me that ‘The Touchdown King’ is long gone and you’re ready to get rid of your bachelor card. Do you even know how to have a real commitment with anyone?” Emerald demanded, wanting to lash out at Chance. He still didn’t know how his betrayal had crushed her that night.

“Emerald, I can’t take that night back. As much as I want to I can’t do it; however, you have to know that I didn’t leave you that night and run to another girl.”

“You’re a liar. I saw you with that girl,” she shouted. “I saw you kissing her across the room.” It was a memory that would be burnt into her mind forever.

How did Chance expect her to forget about it
?

Instead of getting angry Chance reached out and touched her cheek; the soft brushing of his fingers against her cheek made Emerald close her eyes.

“You misunderstood what you saw. The girl was my ex-girlfriend Brianna and. I didn’t leave you to go be with her. She was about ready to charge in the room on you and I stopped her before she completely got inside and saw you in the bed. I told her to wait for me downstairs.

“When I got down there, she pulled me into the corner and kissed me. Brianna wanted to get back with me. It wasn’t the other way around. I was through with her. I didn’t want her anywhere around me anymore especially after I had just found you.

“You were everything I had been looking for in a girlfriend and I was going to tell you that. However, when I went back upstairs to let you know, you were gone and no matter how hard I tried. I couldn’t find you anywhere.”

“Are you being serious with me?” Emerald asked.

“Didn’t you ever realize that I wanted you from the first moment I saw you in our psychology class?”

Her eyes snapped open and Emerald found herself staring directly into Chance’s beautiful blue eyes. “What are you talking about? You never knew I was there.”

“Sweetheart, I knew you were there every single day. That’s why I’m kicking myself I didn’t recognize you behind the masquerade mask. I mean how could I have not known you?” Chance asked, running his thumb over her bottom lip.

“The second I knew who you were I was beyond thrilled. I wanted to tell you right then and there how much I loved you, but you got scared and ran away from me again. When are you going to stop running from what is in front of your face. Don’t you want to be in love?”

Emerald grabbed Chance’s hand holding it against her chest as tears filled her eyes. “Of course I want to be in love and you’re the man I want to find that love with. However, I’m not quite sure if you’re ready.”