The Chance of a Lifetime Read online

  Lacey reached for the door without looking back. It was probably a good thing she didn’t look back because if she had, she’d have seen his brown eyes narrowed in her direction. The intense look combined with the fierce scowl crossing Chance’s face might very well have scared the crap out of her.

  “I’ll be there as soon as I clean up a bit.” Lacey heard the bathroom door snap shut like a shot in the dark as she bolted from the bedroom.

  “I am such a damned idiot,” she mumbled. Her house had been broken into, her bed destroyed and here she was, alienating the man who had willingly taken her in.

  Lacey forced the memory of seeing her room tore up away even as she fought the panic rising in her chest over the feelings she didn’t want to have for Chance.

  If she admitted to loving Chance she’d be doomed. There would be no way out. No way to keep her heart separate from the sex she enjoyed so much.

  “As if you’re doing a good job of keeping them separate now.”

  She pulled the refrigerator door open with more force than necessary. Dammit! She was a new woman, an independent woman who’d recently fought to overcome so much and won, so why in the hell couldn’t she just sleep with the man without falling for him.

  The thought whirled through Lacey’s mind as she pulled sandwich fixings from the fridge, slamming them on the counter. She was so caught up in her fit, muttering to herself that she didn’t hear Chance enter the kitchen.

  When he grabbed her wrist before she could slam the jar of mayonnaise onto the counter, Lacey nearly jumped out of her skin.

  “Care to tell me what’s going on?”

  She plastered a mulish look onto her face but refused to look at him. Instead, she jerked her wrist from his grasp, thanking her lucky stars that he let her go, and said, “Nothing is going on. I’m hungry is all.”

  “You’re gonna have to try harder than that, baby, because I’m not buying it.”

  She turned then with the intention of laying into him. The words died on her lips when he pinned her to the counter. “Don’t take whatever is pissing you off out on me, Lacey. I already have a few things to take up with you. You don’t want to add to the list.”

  Men could be frustrating as hell but add to that a macho cowboy who is full of himself and the whole thing turned downright aggravating. Lacey wanted to say as much, to question his sanity as well as hers, but couldn’t manage to string enough words together to form a sentence.

  His closeness stole her breath. The width of his bare chest left her fingers tingling with want. It was enough to make a grown woman scream.

  “Just leave me alone for a few minutes, Chance.”

  “Not going to happen, sweetheart. You’re trying to block me out again and I won’t have it.”

  Chance grasped her arms, gently but firmly, and pulled her to him. His kiss was punishing. He took everything she offered and pushed for more. When she refused to part her lips for the invasion of his tongue, he wound her hair in his hand and tugged just enough to make her gasp.

  “Bastard,” Lacey breathed the word as his taste bloomed on her tongue and that was all it took for her to melt into him.

  His hand left her hair, trailing down the side of her head until it rested on her cheek. His other hand occupied the same spot on her other cheek, effectively caging her face in for his kiss, his desire.

  Never before had Lacey felt as cherished as she did just then. His thumbs stroked her temples as his fingers massaged her scalp, rendering her unable to do more than lock her knees and hope she could remain standing.

  She was left breathless and panting when he finally broke the kiss. A smile of sheer masculine triumph curved his mouth. “Much better,” the arrogant beast said, as he stroked a thumb across the sensitive plane of her kiss-swollen lips.

  Lacey tried not to notice Chance’s lack of dress as he moved across the kitchen toward the table. His jeans hugged his ass, outlining every luscious inch of him. When he moved around the table and turned to face her before sitting, she thought she might swallow her tongue.

  Unfastened, his jeans didn’t hide his obvious arousal. Sans underwear, it was hard to miss the glistening head of his erect shaft as it peeked over the lowered fly of his jeans. Knowing she wasn’t the only one affected by their kiss helped ease her irritation a bit, but not enough to keep her from huffing as she followed in his wake across the kitchen to plop their sandwiches onto the table.

  * * * *

  Chance wanted so badly to chuckle at Lacey’s antics. It was obvious she was trying to avoid him, or goad him, Chance wasn’t sure which but it didn’t really matter because, as soon as they were finished eating, he was going to take care of some unfinished business with Lacey perched face down over his lap.

  And as soon as that was taken care of, he was going to take her right back to bed and make love to her every way a man could love a woman. After accomplishing those two tasks, Chance might consider taking her down to the stables with him to check on the horses.

  The palm of his hand tingled in anticipation and there was no amount of mulish looks aimed at him that could ease the ache between his legs.

  He shifted his weight on the chair then said, “Eat up Lacey, we’ve got some business to take care of.”

  Chance took a large bite of his sandwich, trying not to smile at the narrow-eyed look she had pinned on him. Just as he’d said before, the minx was trouble with a capital T.

  Lacey’s lips opened, showing her straight pearly white teeth, as she put the last bite of her sandwich into her mouth and proceeded to chew slowly. When her tongue peeked out to gather a stray breadcrumb, Chance watched in utter fascination.

  He wanted to follow the path her tongue had taken with his own. To trace the seam of her lips, nibbling and nipping until her knees grew weak and her body sagged against his.

  “Now,” she started. “What business was it that we needed to take care of?” Lacey asked the question in the same tone a prim and proper teacher would use. The only thing that belied her nervousness was the fact that she had folded her napkin over and over until it formed a perfect square.

  Chance stood and held out a hand for hers. “Come on and I’ll show you.” He tried his damnedest to hide the anticipation in his voice. He’d waited a long time to paddle her fine ass and now that the time was upon them, he could almost hear her husky cries.

  He stood there with his arm outstretched until she placed her hand in his. Curling his fingers, Chance gently engulfed her small hand in his.

  He moved silently down the hall toward his bedroom with Lacey beside him. His arm was now firmly planted around her waist, holding her close. Savoring the feel of her petite frame next to his.

  When they reached his room, Chance released Lacey, then moved across the room to sit on a chair. Her eyes were trained on him, the need to ask questions written clearly in their depths.

  “Close the door, Lacey.”

  Chance smiled when she turned to do his bidding, no questions asked. He would bet The Lazy B’s prized brood mare that she’d be arguing soon enough. When the door was firmly shut and Lacey was once again facing him, he continued forward with his plan.

  “Come on over here, baby. I have a few things I need to say to you and I want you close so I know you’re paying attention.”

  Her pixie-like face scrunched up in a frown at his words, worry lines etching themselves between her pale brows. After heaving a noisy sigh, she moved across the room, stopping only when she was standing before him, held close in his arms.

  Chance kissed Lacey’s cloth-covered abdomen before releasing her. “What did you want to talk to me about, Chance?”

  “I’ve got a few points to get across. You want to sit or stand?” She made no reply. Instead, she lowered herself to his thigh, driving him insane. Chance could feel the heat of her right through the denim of his jeans. Knowing she was naked beneath his shirt only made it worse.

  “The first thing I have to say is that you don’t listen for shit.
Now don’t go pokering up on me, darlin’,” Chance said when she stiffened in his arms. He continued, undeterred by her reaction to his words.

  The first day I came back to your place as a client I warned you I’d paddle your ass if you walked away from me. You did it anyway and then I learn you single handedly chased away a would-be robber.”

  That alone was enough reason to set her ass on fire. Chance paused to see if Lacey had anything to say, but she remained silent, her lips clamped firmly shut, her eyes shooting blue daggers his way.

  “As if that wasn’t bad enough, today you follow me into your house not knowing what in the hell was going on in there and after I told you to stay put.”

  His second volley of words seemed to be just the thing needed to ignite her ire. Lacey leapt to her feet. Chance didn’t try to hold her. She stalked several feet away before whirling on her bare heel.

  She was a sight to behold. Her hair was a riot of untamed curls flowing around her shoulders. Her eyes were narrowed to mere slits and the way she held her balled fists on her hips outlined her shape perfectly in his overlarge shirt.

  “You are an arrogant ass, Chance Bodine and if you think I’m going to stand here and let you spank me, you’re crazy to boot.”

  “Not standing there, baby. That wouldn’t work too well, I don’t think. You’ll have to come back over here and drape yourself across my lap.” Chance patted his thigh to punctuate his point.

  He could almost guess at what was going through her mind. Could she make it to the door before him? Was he serious? Would he really spank her and if so, would she like it?

  The questions chased their way across the blue oceans of her eyes.

  “Come on back over here, Lacey.” Chance lowered his voice. “This could be one of the most arousing experiences of your life, baby, all you have to do is open yourself up to it.”

  Roaring his need wouldn’t get anything accomplished except to scare her, but for the life of him it was exactly what he wanted to do. When she inched her way closer to him, Chance smiled and held out his arm.

  His help was minimal as she awkwardly draped herself over his lap. He needed Lacey to do it herself, to take responsibility for her part in what was about to happen. Chance wasn’t about to leave an opening for her to play the victim. Either she was a willing participant or it didn’t happen.

  “Ready, Lacey?” Chance stroked her back over his shirt. To feel the warmth of her flesh right now would set things on a different course.

  When she nodded her head, Chance ran a finger up her spine, causing a shiver to reverberate down its length. “Say the words, baby.”

  “I’m, uh, I’m ready.”

  Chance gave her no time before laying a heavy hand on the pale globes of her ass. Her swift inhalation of air told him he’d caught her off guard. He landed several more swats. Each one intense. Burning. Serving a purpose. “You won’t ever put yourself in harm’s way again, Lacey.” Chance delivered another volley of swats to her now pink backside. “Do you understand?”

  “Yes. Ahhh.” Her voice broke as Chance changed the strength of each smack from punishing to that of a caress.

  He dipped his fingers between her thighs, feeling exultation when she shifted to widen her legs. Teasing her heated flesh brought forth cries of both pleasure and frustration.

  “You’re so wet, Lacey. Is that for me? Are you hot for me, baby?”

  “Oh God, Chance. Do something, dammit.”

  She rubbed herself against his lap. The movement caused the pinkened cheeks of her ass to jiggle invitingly. Chance could wait no longer. It was time. Time to hear Lacey scream his name in surrender. Time to love her until she knew once again what love was.

  Chapter Eleven

  It was embarrassing the way her body reacted to Chance’s nearness. It didn’t seem to matter whether they were nude in bed or mucking out the stables, as they had earlier in the day, her body still craved his touch, the taste of him on her lips. Hell, she even craved the burn of her flesh as his hand landed with quick, efficient strikes.

  The thought of all they’d done last night after her spanking left Lacey shaken and confused. Never before had she let loose with such wild abandon. It was infinitely startling just how much emotion Chance could wring from her body as well as her heart.

  It was time to come to terms with the fact that somewhere along the line, she’d fallen deeply in love with all that was Chance Bodine. From the top of his cowboy hat to the tip of his scuffed boots and all that lay in between, Lacey was lost.

  Being lost wasn’t one of the emotions she dealt with well, so as the day wore on, her nerves grew thin. She felt so brittle it seemed as if a good stiff wind could shatter the last of her control.

  Lacey thanked the stars that Chance had gone back to the stables after lunch to check on one of the mares who was showing signs of foaling. His absence gave her the time she needed to think.

  Not only had she let the man spank her, but she’d moaned and writhed beneath him as he pounded into her body, her moans of delight filling the room. There had been nothing one-sided about the whole experience, though. Not only did she take what Chance so willingly offered but she gave in return.

  It wasn’t until this morning that Lacey realized she gave as only someone in love could give. The thought made her stomach churn. How could she have fallen in love so easily when she’d barely managed to get on with her life after the mockery that had once been her marriage?

  Lacey shifted her thoughts in another direction. She wasn’t willing to dwell on what might happen when Chance tired of her. She’d deal with that bridge when she crossed it.

  In order to keep her train of thought off of Chance, Lacey concentrated on going over the shocking events of the night before. Closing her eyes, Lacey pictured within her mind the destruction of her bedroom.

  Knowing someone had been in her bedroom made her feel violated, and normally that would have angered her, but it seemed that in this instance, the only emotion she could muster was fear.

  As the memories assailed her, her hands began to tremble slightly. She’d never considered herself a wimp, but there was just something about knowing someone had been in her home, her bedroom, with the intent to do damage that shattered every vestige of innocence she might have still carried deep within her heart.

  The shrill ring of the phone caused her to jump, but Lacey welcomed the interruption. Dwelling on the break-in would accomplish nothing, she silently told herself.

  “Hello.”

  “Hey sweetie. You okay?”

  Lacey recognized Bobbie’s voice right away. She smiled at the other woman’s worried tone, thinking how nice it was to have a friend to lean on.

  “I’m fine, Bobbie. How’s Maddy?”

  “Almost as mean as her daddy.” Lacey giggled at Clay’s outraged bellow in the background.

  “I’ve been worried about you since Clay told me what happened.” Bobbie’s voice was low and steady. Lacey silently thanked her for not calling in hysterics or overly emotional. She felt as if she were hanging on to her emotional sanity by a mere thread.

  “I’m still in shock really. It was pretty scary showing up to my house only to find it unlocked. Then Chance went inside without waiting for anybody…”

  The possibilities lingered in Lacey’s words as well as in the shake of her voice. She didn’t realize how much the thought of Chance getting hurt had affected her.

  “He’s a big boy, sweetie, and can take care of himself.”

  “I know, but that doesn’t make it any easier. Besides, I was embarrassed for him to see what had been done to my room.”

  Another realization to sneak up on her.

  “Will you be able to salvage anything? If not, I’ve got clothes and anything else you might need, and what I don’t have, we’ll buy. Okay?”

  “Thanks Bobbie, but that won’t be necessary. The damage seemed to be single-mindedly thought out. Other than painting obscenities on the wall, the only things damaged
were my bed and the lingerie Chance bought me.”

  Something clicked in Lacey’s head as she spoke the words. Visions of Andy watching her and Chance as they’d left the lingerie shop, flashed before her eyes. The way only her bedroom had been ransacked but nothing had been stolen, it all fit.

  “Lacey? Lacey are you there?”

  Bobbie’s persistent voice pulled Lacey from the disturbing images crowding her mind. A red cloud of anger seized every muscle in her body and for the first time in her life, she wanted to do bodily harm to another human being. Not just any human being but her no good, sorry ass excuse for an ex-husband.

  “I’m here, but I’ve got to go. I’ll call you later.”

  Bobbie must have heard something in her voice. “What’s going on, Lace?”

  “That coward thinks he’s going to get away with terrorizing me, but he’s got another think coming.”

  The more Lacey vented her anger the worse it became. “I’m going to wipe the floor with his ass and then I’m going to have him thrown in jail, ex-husband or not.”

  Lacey hung up the phone and headed for the door. Instead of relieving some of the anger boiling inside of her, the walk to the stables where Chance’s truck was located only increased the amount of betrayal she felt deep inside.

  As Lacey rounded Chance’s truck, she knew she had another battle to win before laying into Andy. Chance stood in the doorway of the stables. His legs were spread, his arms crossed over his massive chest and he didn’t appear to be too happy. Bobbie must have told Clay what she’d said because he stood beside Chance. He seemed to be relaxed, but Lacey knew better than to dismiss the man. He was just as protective of women, if not more so, than Chance.

  Lacey took a deep breath to calm her nerves, then straightened her spine and stalked over to the pair.

  “I need to use your truck. I’ll bring it back as soon as I’m done.”

  Short, simple and to the point. Of course, she knew he’d never agree, but she didn’t feel as though she had any choice but to try. Lacey turned her head to glare at Clay when he chuckled. He held up his hands as if to ward her off, but didn’t leave her alone with Chance.