Page 2

CHAPTER 2

CHANCE

“Coming to you live from Everville, forty-five miles outside of Charlotte in the Blue Ridge Mountains. The quaint town and home of the Everville Triple-A baseball team, the Hound Dogs. I’m here with pitcher Matty Brown. Matty, you’re on a home stand and have a couple days off. How are you spending your time?” Holding my hand out like it was carrying a microphone to my best friend.

“Knock it off.” Matty pushes my hand away as he laughs.

“I need to practice!”

“Practice on Kian. He’s a ball and mic hog. He’ll love it. He’d keep you at it for hours, so you’ll get all the practice you need.”

I lift my brow and look around Matty’s living room, “But he’s not here, and he’s not my best friend. Last night, I didn’t act as his wingman to get him laid.” I drop my chin and stare him in the eyes. “That was you, if you don’t remember after all of the sex you had.”

He rolls his eyes and sits back in his seat, “Man, I knew you were gonna pull that out. Fine.”

I smirk and shake my hand back and forth in front of his face. He laughs and throws his hands up in the air in a why-not motion.

“So, Matty, what’re your thoughts on moving your way up in the league? Do you think it’s in your future and what would that mean to you either way?”

“Seriously, you’re gonna go there?”

I shrug, “I need to get the dirt. I’m a sports commentator, after all.”

“You’ll be a sports commentator soon enough.”

“Ouch, man.” I place my hands over my heart as if he wounded me. “That hurts.”

“Well, you’re not on T.V. Yet.” He smirks and that “yet” from my best friend is clear. He knows it’s going to happen for me. Maybe he knows it better than I do. His faith in me means a lot. Especially with how well-known he’s in the AAA league. It’s only a matter of time until he gets pulled into the majors. I feel it in my bones. It’s a symbiotic relationship of him wanting to play the sport and me to report the sport.

We hassle each other for a bit longer. We’re going for the cheap shots that only best friends can do.

“So, Matty, is there a special lady in your life?” I say in my serious TV voice.

Matty narrows his eyes at me, “Off limits, Clayton. Forever.”

Knowing that as an interview question, he’d never disclose any of that, but as my friend he’d tell me. But even if I became a TV commentator, I’d never talk about his personal life or discuss it either. Ever. That’s a line I’ll never cross with him. Unless he wants to discuss it with me on the air and says so explicitly, I’m a vault.

The door snaps open, and our attention drags toward the front of the house. Alanis walks in, and my breath catches in my throat.

Her usually brown hair is gone, dyed into this sassy, fiery red that perfectly plays off her alabaster skin tone. Her honey-brown eyes light up when she notices me, but there’s a tinge of red around them like she had either a long or fun night.

Matty mentioned that she’s living with him while her house is being renovated but seeing her still surprises me.

Or better yet, intrigues me.

She’s most definitely not the pimply teenager she once was. Alanis is all grown up, with curves to make me want to fall to my knees and beg for even a moment of her time and an hour of her body.

A massive smile appears on her face, “Hey, Chance.”

I stand up and get a little lightheaded, and my heart beats faster as my name rolls off her perfectly plump lips.

“Hi, Alanis,” saying her name aloud makes me a little weak. Fuck! What the hell is happening?!

“I didn’t know you were coming into town.” She drops her keys on the table by the door and then hangs up her bag on the rack on the entry wall.

Her nonchalant attitude brings me and my ego down a couple of notches. Of course, why would this beauty be as affected by seeing me as I was by her? I’m her older brother’s best friend and she’s probably already got someone. A girl as stunning as her isn’t usually single.

Please be single…

I try to shake myself from the constant hope. She should be happy either way.

“It’s been a long time.” She finally looks back at me, still with a kind smile.

I put my hands in my pockets, “Two years?”

“Nope. Three. June, on Father’s Day.”

She knows the exact day that we last saw each other. That says something, right?

We keep eye contact when Matty stands up and ruins the moment.

“Well, as touching as this reunion is… I’m gonna get the stink of last night off me.” Without another word, he walks to the back of the house.

The reminder of his presence flashes over me like a cold shower. Matty has made it abundantly clear that Alanis is and always has been off-limits. As soon as she was old enough to date, Matty enforced a firm bro-code rule. I’ve heard him drive home the reminder with his teammates, in high school… college, and now in the minors. I’m honestly surprised there isn’t a contract to sign for just being in her presence.

His extra protective nature comes from years of them being each other’s best friend, ride-or-die, needing help to bury a body type of siblings. They’ve always been close and growing up, I was envious of that. Not of them. It’s incredible they have that connection. But I wanted that for myself. Still do. A relationship with someone that feels right, simple, and gut deep. Matty comes close, but there’s always some forcefield with him. He’s not a human robot but damn close.

Taking in Alanis, I wonder what Matty would do now, though. It’s been years. And we’re all adults.

Man-oh-man is Alanis an adult.

Matty and I are as close as brothers, but there’s no blood relation with either of them. What’s the harm in a little flirting? It’s not against the law of the land. Even if he would consider this house to be covered by Matty’s Bro Rules.

But on one hand, Matty could kick my ass. I’m not a fighter. But would he really? And wouldn’t Alanis be worth the chance? Even just to get to know her as an adult sounds like a chance I’m willing to take to get my face rearranged.

“So, what’ve you been up to?”

She lifts her fingers to her lips in a shhh motion. “It’s top secret.”

I tilt my head, “Are you in the Bureau?”

She giggles and jump starts my heart with that girly reaction. “No. What I do for a living is kinda… on the DL.”

Confused, I think what that might be. “Like… as in Only Fans ?”

Her laughter springs free, “No! Down. Low.” She shakes her head and moves in closer to me. “I’m an airplane repo specialist. I find and return stolen, repossessed, bankrupt property and fly it back to its new or original owner. And they pay me.”

I stare at her in amazement.

That’s a real thing? Seriously?

I eye her up and down, as the information inspires me in a new way. I take in her body and realize that the poor saps probably know what’s hitting them when she gives them her best moves.

“No shit? What’s the pay like for something like that?”

She lifts a shoulder in a nonchalant shrug. “I only work two weeks a month. And it’s not a full two weeks. Only three days out of each week, and well… it’s quite lucrative.” She winks at me.

“Why not fly the friendly skies with a commercial airline?”

She stills, and her eyes shift as she stops to think about the question. “I think I like the challenge. It’s an interesting job. It’s unsuspecting. And it’s like I get to play someone else for a little while. I act a part.”

Memories of her in theater class play out in my head. Matty was so supportive that we made it to one showing of every play she was in. He’d get her a single rose, even if he had to borrow the money from me. I used to pretend that I hated being dragged along, but secretly I loved watching her up on stage. She’s got this magnetic energy and I couldn’t keep my eyes off of her. Not only an amazing actress, but also that she made the others around her better. I wouldn’t put it past her to still be convincing and captivating… and yet, gentle with her approach.

“You always were into acting. I remember seeing you in Annie . You stole the show. People couldn’t keep their eyes off you.”

Her jaw drops and her head tips to the side. “You remember that?”

“I remember, but you’ve changed… you’re… a…” I sweep my eyes slowly over every inch of her body. I’m devouring every morsel of every curve, sweet and decadent. My pulse beats harder. Finally, my eyes land and connect to hers— the sweetest blush blossoms on her cheeks. I fantasize about where else that blush blooms.

“Alanis? Alanis?!” She jumps at Matty’s intrusive outburst. “Can you get me a clean towel from the dryer? I forgot to grab them.”

Alanis drops her eyes and huffs. “I swear I’m playing the role of our mother to him. It only got worse when I moved in.”

She starts moving toward the kitchen where the washer and dryer are.

Before she can proceed, I head into the kitchen, saying over my shoulder, “I’ll get him one.”

“No, you don’ have to do that.” Her heels click behind me.

Bending down, I open the dryer door and pull out the towels.

“Gotta love a man who does laundry,” she comments quietly.

Chuckling, I stand up and notice she quickly averts her eyes. I smile, loving that I caught her checking me out. “The dream of every woman?”

“Top ten desire material. For sure.”

Her voice has a lilt that makes me wonder what she’d sound like beneath me as I filled her and our bodies rubbing against each other. The imagery clogs my brain as her proximity has her perfume swirling around me. It’s bolder than I’d have thought she’d go for. But it makes my mouth water and only proves Alanis surprises me in many ways.