Authors: Marie Rochelle
Chance grabbed hold of her legs, placing them over his shoulders and his thrusts became deeper, harder and more instant. She was minutes away from losing it.
“YES!” Emerald screamed as her orgasm tore through her body. She moaned again and again as the tip of Chance’s cock hit her g-spot.
“Emerald, you’re so tight, wet and so perfect for me. I’m never going to forget this. This night is burnt into my memory forever!”
Seconds later, Chance’s deep groan filled the room as he found his release and Emerald’s legs dropped down from his shoulders. He collapsed on top of her, capturing her mouth in a deep passionate kiss.
In the very back of Emerald’s mind, she realized that she was in a lot of trouble because she had fallen back in love with Chance Cutter.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Sitting on the side of the hotel room bed, Emerald glanced down at a sleeping Chance wondering where they were going to go from here. She had fallen for him hard twice in her life without any real knowledge of what his feelings were for her.
She wouldn’t have her heart broken again because of good—no, out of this world—sex. She was looking for something real, something good she would be able to build a future on with that one special guy.
Chance may not be that guy. He said all of the right words and was hot enough to melt all of the snow in Alaska, but she needed more in her life now than a hot body and a great smile. A lot of guys had those qualities, but they weren’t right for her. With everything in her, she wished Chance was the right one for her. However, she knew that he wouldn’t be.
Her point was proven by the fact after all of the time they had spent together, none of it jogged Chance’s memory of her. He still had to be reminded by another person of their connection.
If they were meant to spend forever together, Chance should have known who she was from the kiss inside of the living-room. The taste of her should have triggered something...anything at all, but nothing came to him.
Emerald couldn’t fault Chance entirely because she had been the one into him from first sight and not the other way around.
Why should she continue to fight for something or someone that honestly didn’t want her in the same way? She had to place Chance in a special part of her heart and get on with her life, but when she got back home there was someone who needed an apology from her.
Emerald glanced down at the letter in her hand. She knew that she promised Chance that she wouldn’t be gone when he woke up, but she couldn’t risk him talking her into staying here with him for another day.
There was a very slim likelihood that Chance would try to see her again. He was like a kid with a shiny new toy. He loved it for a few days right after it came out of the box, but after a week he was tired of it and tossed it to the side. She wasn’t about to be that toy for Chance.
Getting up off the bed, Emerald laid the letter down on the nightstand and then made her way across the room. She stopped to pick up her overnight bag and took one final glance at Chance over her shoulder. He looked so peaceful asleep. It was such a sad thing that this would be the last time she got to see him like this.
Blinking away the sudden tears in her eyes, Emerald rushed to the door, opened it and went out allowing it to close behind her and leave Chance in her past.
****
Chance waited until he heard the door close behind Emerald before he opened his eyes. Did she really think he was going to let her leave him for a second time in his life? She was out of her mind. She was his and last night proved it. How could he ever think about wanting someone else after the magic they had found in each other’s arms?
Sitting up in the bed, Chance fixed the sheet around his waist. He only probably had a few minutes to stay in Emerald’s room before she was completely checked out and the maid service came in to clean the room. It would give him enough time to read the letter she left for him. He reached for the letter on the nightstand and flipped opened the single sheet of paper.
Chance,
I wanted to let you know that I had a wonderful time with you yesterday. I can’t recall the last time I had so much fun with a man. Of course, last night I don’t think I have the words to describe it properly. I will remember it forever, but we both know that we can’t go on any further.
You and I are totally different people. We won’t find with each other what our best friends have. So, I think its best we part ways and leave what happened here in this room right here. I know when we see each other again around our group of friends that we will be able to get along. I wish you the best out of life.
Emerald
Folding up the letter, Chance laid it back down on the nightstand and shook his head. Did Emerald really think this ‘Dear John’ letter was going to work with him? He wasn’t that stupid college boy that couldn’t put two and two together to be able to find out where she had run off to all those years ago.
He was a grown man and he was in love with her. Of course, they could have everything their friends had and probably more. All she had to do was stop thinking she knew what was going on inside of his head, but he loved her anyway.
Tossing the covers off his body, Chance got out of the bed thinking about how he was going to play this with Emerald. She was running scared right now, so if he approached her it would serve in only making her run faster.
No, he would give her a week to calm down and then he would make his move on her.
One thing was for sure. Emerald wasn’t going to get away from him this time. She was the love of his life and he would do anything and everything in his power to prove it to her.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
A week later
Emerald continued searching the aisle of books until she spotted the person she was looking for. This was going to be hard for her, but honestly it was something that she should have done a long time ago. After being with Chance, she understood now what it felt like to be in love with someone who didn’t feel the same way about you.
Taking a deep breath, she turned down the aisle and walked up to the person who deserved an apology from her. “Adonis, can I speak to you for a few minutes?”
Spinning around, Adonis looked at her with a startled expression on his face. “Emerald what are you doing here?”
“I went to your workplace and they told me you were across at the book store having lunch,” she said. “I don’t need a lot of your time, only a few minutes. Can you spare that for me?”
“Sure, I guess I can,” he asked, sliding the book back into place. “Do you want to sit down?”
“No, I can only stay for a few minutes because I’m having lunch with my girlfriends,” Emerald said. “I owe you an apology.”
He frowned at her. “Why are you apologizing to me? What did you do to me?”
Sighing, Emerald slid her purse strap back on her shoulder after it slid down her arm. “For the short period of time we were together I didn’t give our relationship my full attention. I knew how much you cared about me, but I blew it off. I shouldn’t have done that and I’m sorry.”
“Emerald, thank you for coming here and telling me this but I’m okay,” Adonis told her. “I shouldn’t have tried to push you into something you weren’t ready for. I figured out pretty soon that you weren’t that into me, but I didn’t want to throw in the towel. You never encouraged me to believe there would be more between us. I saw what I wanted to see and that is all there is to it.”
Emerald had never felt such relief in her life. “Are you sure? I never wanted you to feel bad for wanting to be with me.”
Adonis placed his hand on her shoulder and gave it a squeeze. “No, you didn’t do a thing wrong. You were always very upfront and honest with me. I was the one who was blinded by something that wasn’t there. So, how about we forget about all of this? I’m dating someone new and she’s wonderful.”
She was very happy for Adonis. He was great boyfriend and even husband material, so she hoped things turned out great for him. “I’m so glad to hear that. I wish you all the luck in the world.”
“Thank you,” he smiled. “How are things going for you? I heard you were dating a cop. I never saw you as the type to go for a man in uniform.”
Chance
...Emerald tried not to think about him.
She’d been lucky enough that the times she had been out with Shauntie and Sapphire that she hadn’t crossed paths with him. Honestly, she hadn’t heard a word from him since the night they shared together.
A couple of days after she’d gotten back home, doubts about leaving Chance had entered her mind. Yet, seeing how he hadn’t tried to contact her at all, Emerald realized that she had made the right decision about ending things with him.
“Oh, we aren’t together anymore,” Emerald answered, trying to keep it together.
“Well, it’s his loss. You’re an amazing woman and this guy should have known it.”
“You’re so sweet. Thank you for that, but I have to leave now. I just wanted to tell you about how I felt,” Emerald said.
“There was no need for it, but thank you,” Adonis told her.
“Okay, bye.”
“Bye, Emerald.”
Pivoting, Emerald walked away from Adonis feeling good about what she just did. A lot of times she came across as selfish and self-centered, but she felt she had grown as a person by apologizing to Adonis. Now all she had to do was get over her lingering love for Chance and her life should be right back on track.
****
“Emerald, you’re awful quiet. Are you okay?”
Placing the bridal magazine back down on the table, Emerald found Sapphire staring at her across the dining-room table. She almost thought about canceling this lunch with Shauntie and Sapphire after her talk with Adonis, but she didn’t.
“I’m fine,” she answered, hoping the conversation would end.
“Why are you lying?” Shauntie asked as she placed turkey club sandwiches down on the table next to the glasses of lemonade. “We’ve known you for way too many years not to know when something is wrong with you. Does it have anything to do with Chance?”
“Why do you think it has anything to do with him?” she asked.
“Come on Emerald,” Sapphire said. “All of us have eyes and ears. We all know how the two of you have been trying to keep your relationship a secret from us. Brian isn’t too thrilled about it. He thinks you can do better than Chance.”
“Okay. Chance and I were going out for a while, but it’s over now,” Emerald confessed. “We weren’t able to get over the baggage between us.”
Shauntie took a seat at the table and stared at her. “How do you and Chance have any baggage?”
“Yeah, I was wondering the same thing,” Sapphire said. “You aren’t making any sense.”
It came as no surprise to her that her girlfriends caught her slip of the tongue. She became fully aware that she wouldn’t be able to leave today without telling them about her past with Chance.
“I guess I should have told both of you about this before now, but it isn’t something that I’m proud of so I just kept it to myself,” Emerald admitted.
“You’re scaring me,” Shauntie said. “Tell us.”
“Don’t get excited. I’ll tell you.”
Blowing out a deep breath, Emerald got herself together allowing her thoughts to filter back to the first day she laid eyes on Chance. As she proceeded to tell her girlfriends about her past with him, she watched as Shauntie and Sapphire leaned back in their seats in stunned silence.
“I can’t believe it,” Sapphire gasped. “Talk about second chances.”
“Emerald, do you know what this means?” Shauntie asked her.
“No, what does it mean?” Emerald asked in a shakier voice that she would have liked. Just thinking about Chance was still hard for you.
“He’s your hunk. You can’t let him go. Why are you fighting this so hard?
“I’m not fighting anything,” she managed to reply through stiff lips. “I’m seeing reason and that’s it. Please just drop it. I thought I came here to help you look at wedding dresses and plan a Valentine’s Day party. I’m done talking about Chance. Will you please respect my decision?”
“I still think you’re wrong, but I’ll stop,” Shauntie agreed. “Now, will you help finish looking at wedding dresses with me? I’m torn between two and I also still need help on the list for the party.”
Emerald gave Shauntie a glance of utter disbelief. Why had her friend given up so easily? Usually once Shauntie got hold of something, she didn’t like letting it go until she got her way. She spent another two hours at Shauntie’s house going over wedding plans and last minute things for the Valentine’s Day party.
She tried to keep her disappointment at a minimum that she was going to be alone on her favorite holiday, but it wouldn’t be the first time. So, she would just deal with next week and get through the day.
“I hate to leave, but I have a few errands I need to run before I get home,” Emerald said as she grabbed the notepad off the table. “I’ll be sure to get these items and bring them by before the party.”
“How about I come by and pick them up from your house?” Sapphire suggested. “I’ll be near your house tomorrow.”
“Could you?” Emerald asked. “If you did that then I wouldn’t have to drive back out here until the night of the party.”
“Girl, you know I don’t mind helping out with this.”
“Shauntie, I want to thank you again for not bringing Chance up again with me.”
Shauntie placed the wedding invitations magazine back down on the table and looked at her. “I told you I would and I did. I only wanted you to be happy and if Chance isn’t the guy then I’ll leave it alone.”
“Alright, I’ll see both of you next week at the party.” Emerald said a few more words to her friends before she walked out of the room and let herself out of the house.
****
“What are you up to Shauntie?” Sapphire questioned. “I don’t believe for one second you aren’t going to try something to put Emerald and Chance back together.”