Chance.
“Lilly Walker.”Her resume didn’t do her justice. As she rambled about her hobbies and desperately grasping for straws to prove she wasn’t a loner, I got my fill of her.She intrigued me. Every single thing about this petite brunette tugged on strings I long thought dead.Her soft voice. That pouty mouth. Caramel-colored eyes. Her beautiful face.Her crimson cheeks made my dick twitch. She appeared younger than her age. Much younger. Until you looked into her eyes. Those were ancient. I couldn’t help but wonder why. I wanted to know her story. It was a novelty to me.Her face barely held any makeup, and she didn’t need any. Her beauty was more the fresh, natural kind. Dangerously beautiful. The kind of beauty that could make men like me do stupid things.Because I wanted to fuck her.My mind already contemplated ways to get her into bed. Except she was all wrong for this position.Regardless of what her friend told Byron, I’d bet my fortune she wasn’t the type to have sex without an emotional attachment. It was my number one hard rule. Then why in the fuck was I still thinking about her? I should pick up the phone and tell Kimberly, my secretary, to send her a denial letter before I did something stupid.Except I didn’t want to turn her away.She’d be competent. At everything. If only I could somehow keep the emotional detachment part of our agreement. I was used to women falling to their knees to please me, but somehow my sixth sense was warning me that Lilly Walker would refuse to please me unless she wanted to.Not because she was a defiant woman, but because she only pleased people she loved and cared about. I didn’t bother with background checks until the second round of interviews and right now, I fucking regretted it because I wanted to know everything about her. And when I said everything, I meant from the type of coffee she drank in the morning to her favorite color and what got her going. Things I wasn’t likely to find in a background check.How long was she married? Did she love her husband? I found the possibility of her being married unpleasant. Very fucking unpleasant. But at least she wasn’t a cheater, since she was a widow.A bitter thought slithered through my mind.I couldn’t stand women that cheated. They stabbed you in the back and smiled while doing it, all the while trying to take it all from you. My ex attempted that and failed, although she succeeded in dragging my family name through the mud. It certainly wasn’t the first time the Macklemore family was dragged through the mud. My own father managed it quite well himself, and after he destroyed our family reputation and company, it was on me to rebuild it from the ground up.Lilly Walker would be a distraction. I didn’t need those.Yet as I strode back to my desk and sat in my chair, I was fully aware I didn’t make the decision to flat out reject her application.LillyThree days.It wasn’t reasonable to expect a response so fast, but I hoped. Either way, I didn’t think I’d get it. So I applied to Target, Walmart, and even a fast food chain. Desperation clawed its way through me, overwhelming me, and I had to choke it down. Single mothers had no luxury of dwelling, self-pity or even desperation. Yes, I was overqualified for all of those positions, but it didn’t mean I couldn’t do them.Then why can’t I get a job, my thoughts hounded me and I ignored it.I tried my best to forget every second of my interview with Chance Macklemore. Not exactly a highlight in my life. People like him were clearly way out of my league. I wasn’t even sure I had a league beyond my daughters. But that sizzling attraction! For a moment it made me believe in all those smut books I read. I bet he did it as good as any book boyfriend. Just the thought of his hands on me had my heart speeding up into unhealthy territory.Instinctively, I knew Chance Macklemore would be
LillyMonday morning came too quickly.Back in downtown Washington, I walked into the elegant marble lobby with more confidence than the first time around, wearing an emerald green, Michael Kors business dress.Things are finally picking up, I thought enthusiastically.Noona’s husband, my late husband’s cousin, secured me an interview at his company and it went very well. Like an-offer-coming-soon well. My outlook on life had improved and I could feel the sheer excitement and hope deep inside that made me anxious to put the last few years behind me. A fresh start was exactly what I needed.With less of the pressure and despair, I reported to the front desk with the folder in my hand containing the signed confidentiality contact and was directed back to the fifth floor.As the elevator smoothly lifted up to the targeted floor, my heart did an awkward pitter-patter and my breathing grew erratic. My breasts tightened and excitement rushed through me. It was wrong. So darn wrong to feel
ChanceThat went unexpectedly.I groaned in frustration, rubbing the back of my neck. I thrived on control, yet I lost it around Lilly Walker. The moment her soft body molded against mine and I heard that little whimpering moan, I lost my tightly reined control. My cock strained against my zipper, eager for the dark-haired beauty with soft brown eyes.Fuck, I had lost my mind and my control.That never happened before. Even when I caught my wife sleeping with my best friend, I had punched Jonathan and then told them both to meet me downstairs. Then ended my marriage on my terms despite Jacqueline’s pregnancy. That ended up resolving itself - she lied about the baby being mine.I shoved that bitter memory aside and focused on the woman that somehow had me obsessing over her. There were candidates that were better suited for this role - cold and detached.Yet, I wanted this one. A simple brush of Lilly’s lips and the way she moaned into my mouth had me losing my goddamn senses. Her lips
LillyTwo days since I felt the most sinful touch that burned my skin.The memory lingered, my body remembered, despite the fact I tried to forget him. The entire last interview and how good those firm, rough hands felt on my skin. The whole incident played on repeat in my head - every touch, every kiss, his scent - during the day and night.His words haunted me, wondering what he meant by it. His comment about checking how my body responded to him lingered in the back of my mind. It wasn’t until a whole day later that his words finally sunk in.Stipulation of the second contract.My girls tucked into bed, I rushed to my office, my laptop still in the same spot I left it in when I printed out the first document. Clicking my email open, I double clicked the other attachment I never got around to.My eyes traveled over the second contract, widening with each sentence. I couldn’t believe what I was reading. The other duties of the job were clearly addressed here.Holy shit! This had to
LillyDressed in a dark navy button down, perfectly fitted suit, his walk shouted confidence to everyone without even having to open his mouth. Women gawked and men threw hesitant glances his way. He didn’t look like he belonged here with his tall frame and expensive three-piece-suit.And much to my reluctance, I had to admit that nobody ever wore a suit as good as this man. It highlighted his strong, muscular shoulders and his legs. I could just imagine their strength pushing against me. My stomach fluttered. What was it about this man that did this to me? He made me feel like a twenty-year-old virgin again.He stopped right next to us, his eyes on me.“Hello, ladies,” he greeted us, his eyes never wavering from me. His voice gave me shivers while remembering the words he murmured into my ear while his fingers snuck up my panties feeling my most sensitive skin. “I see you are having a good time. My apologies for interrupting.”He didn’t sound sorry at all.“You are way overdressed f
LillyStepping out of the car, I quickly pulled my hand from his. His touch overloaded my senses; he was just too much. Glancing around, I noted we were in the National Harbor area before my gaze landed on the building in front of us. Traveling up the architecture of the building, my hand shielded my eyes from the bright glare off the side before they settled on the large glass top.“The view must be fabulous up there,” I muttered more to myself.Washington D.C. was a fabulous city to visit when you had money. Yes, there were free museums to visit, but they gouged you when you grabbed lunch or brunch. Even snacks were outrageous. As such, I didn’t visit too much. Annapolis wasn’t exactly cheap, but compared to D.C., it was certainly affordable. Though, there were upscale restaurants that would empty your wallet easily with their price tag.Just like any other girl, I liked to be wined and dined. But I had given up on it a long time ago. The only expensive dining I got since my girls w
ChanceThat was an asshole move, I’d admit.After Byron delivered a detailed and in-depth background check, I finally understood this woman a bit better. Admired her even.“If you really want her,” Byron said, sipping his scotch, “-you have a way to blackmail her.”I skimmed through the documents. There was a lot more to Lilly Walker than met the eye. Daughter to immigrant parents, she spent a good part of her childhood in Croatia. After their death, she returned back to the States and went to college where she met her friends and her future husband.Her financial situation was stable and separate from her husband. Until she lost her job. Now, it was just bleak and she was a payment away from losing it all.But it was her husband that took most of the pages. While Lilly thrived, her husband was a goddamn loser. A cheater and a fucking broke playboy. About five years into their marriage, odd things started happening, all of which pointed to domestic violence. There was no record of it
LillyThis was playing with fire.My hands were tied and I was left without any options. None. Accepting Chance’s offer was a dangerous route to take, considering my body responded to him like a violin to a bow.It was the reason I stood in front of the W&W building on Monday morning.Despite the circumstances, I was excited to work. I couldn’t remember a time when I didn’t work. Even before college, when my parents were alive, I’d help them with their fruit stands in Croatia. It wasn’t a big job, but I loved it. The smell of the fruit mixed in the air and bees buzzed around, tempted by the sweet nectar.So opposite to my current situation with the man who blackmailed me into accepting this position. I couldn’t comprehend the reason behind his offer. Even more, I feared that the temptation to taste the sweet but forbidden fruit was too great.I checked in at the front desk at eight in the morning, wearing a black pencil skirt that was just an inch above my knee, black pumps, and a lig