Chapter 1
Chance
Guzzling coffee from my travel thermos, I stepped out of my apartment, letting the door slam behind me and not giving a single fuck if it woke any of my tenants.
It was bullshit-early, the sun barely peeking through the clouds after the storm of the night before.
It was still sprinkling lightly, which was annoying as hell.
I’d rather it poured from the heavens than be aggravated by that constant mist.
Over the past few weeks, all I’d done was work and sleep. From one project to the next, spreading myself thin. Being the head electrician for Barker & Reid Construction was something I’d worked my ass off for, but my ass was also fucking tired.
Stomping down the stairs, I kept my focus on my truck in the parking lot, wishing I could take my motorcycle instead.
I needed to feel the wind in my face, the sensation of flying coursing through my veins.
Being cooped up in the cab of my work vehicle day after day, or stuck inside whatever building I was wiring, was suffocating.
Before I reached the bottom step, a breeze brushed across my skin, and I couldn’t contain the longing sigh that left me.
It had stormed hard last night, but it had eased up around dawn.
Whether it continued to rain or not, I still had work, unlike my cousin Reid, who could take the day off since the weather would halt many of his projects.
Lucky bastard.
Movement at the bottom of the steps pulled my attention to a small form bundled under a blanket.
Slowing my steps, I watched as it turned, the fuzzy material falling from a girl’s head as she lifted a mug to her lips.
All the air rushed from my lungs as I took her in.
That Aphrodite face, the slender body wrapped in a pink blanket, all that gorgeous blond hair that made her look like a goddamn Disney princess sitting there on that bottom step.
I had no idea who she was, but it was that time of year when Trinity University was starting back for the fall term.
We didn’t lease our apartments to many college kids, definitely not any freshmen.
That rule was unbreakable, one I’d been firmly on board with when Elias and Reid had suggested it.
That was a bad business move of epic proportions.
I’d been a young and dumb eighteen-year-old once upon a time.
But at first glance, this girl didn’t look like a teenager. Young, yes, but not that young.
I hoped.
Sammy could joke all she wanted about my only requirement being barely legal, but I didn’t go for jailbait. Why the fuck would I do something stupid like that when I could easily get any pussy I wanted and not risk a felony?
A pleased hum drifted to my ears, and I suddenly felt kicked in the gut.
Pale blond hair, like freaking silver moonbeams, fell down her back, a smile teasing at her lips as she savored that taste on her tongue.
The breeze picked up for a moment, that mist still in the air, but not so annoying now as a mouthwatering scent floated to my nose.
It was sweet with a hint of floral, making me think of peaches and honey mixing together.
Hunger gnawed at me, my tongue sliding across my bottom lip in hopes of tasting that scent that was so fucking intoxicating. Hypnotized by the sight of her smile, the scent that was filling my senses, enticing me closer, I didn’t even remember descending the rest of the stairs to get to her.
She swiveled her head toward me at some point, her smile never once dimming as she scooted aside to make room for me to pass. “Oh, good morning,” she greeted in a voice that was the sweetest sound I’d ever heard.
Unable to tear my gaze from her, I dropped my ass onto the step above hers.
My knees felt unstable, weak, while my heart was beating triple time in my chest. It was her eyes—they were mesmerizing.
Having her attention focused on me went straight to my head.
I pressed my fist to the center of my chest, not sure if I wanted the pressure there to ease up or hurt more.
Silence fell around us. For me, it wasn’t uncomfortable. I liked silence. But not now, not after hearing her voice. I wanted more of it. More of those eyes on me too.
I leaned forward, enthralled by the unusual color.
No, colors. They were a blend of every shade, from honey in the center, so warm and comforting, blending into lighter tones until they reached the palest green, only to fade into cerulean.
From there, the blue-green switched to soft blue and finally ended in a dark blue that reminded me of the ocean at midnight, a beautiful almost-black shade around the outer rim.
She ducked her head, tucking a lock of pale, shimmery blond hair behind her ear. Pink flooded her cheeks. I could almost taste her innocence in the air. Fuck, I bet it tasted just like her scent. Peaches with just a hint of honey.
“Look at me.” I didn’t recognize my own voice when I heard it. It had gotten lower, a little bit growly, the command turning into a plea and catching in my throat.
Eyes so beautiful they stole my breath locked with mine once again, and I nearly dropped to my knees to thank whatever higher being had brought me this goddess. If I hadn’t already been on my ass, I probably would have started praying in gratitude by now. And I didn’t pray. Ever.
“That’s my good girl,” I murmured, reaching out to brush my thumb over her cheek, needing to feel her skin, to know if it felt as soft as it looked. Christ, it did.
She didn’t shy away from my touch. Her lashes lowered a little as she leaned into it, another pleased hum leaving her like a purr. At that sound, the feel of her, my cock was hard enough to use as a steel beam, the tip leaking so much it soaked through my boxer briefs.
“You smell good enough to eat. My mouth is watering for a taste of you.”
Her nose scrunched up, pleasure and confusion dancing in her eyes.
“Do you like peaches too? I kind of smell like a peach grove. They’re my favorite fruit, and recently, I started using a peach-scented…
well, everything. Shampoo and conditioner.
Body wash. Bubble bath. Lotion. I even found these amazing laundry beads, so my clothes and sheets smell like peaches as well. ”
All I could do was sit there and listen, drinking in the sight of her as she got animated over her peach-scented hygiene products. When she paused to take a breath, I didn’t move, just waited, silently urging her to keep talking.
More pink darkened her cheeks when I didn’t comment. I wasn’t even sure I could. She ducked her head, vulnerability dropping her shoulders ever so slightly. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to overshare.”
“I enjoy the sound of your voice,” I told her, hoping it encouraged her to give me more. She just sat there, nibbling away on her bottom lip, uncertainty flickering across that gorgeous face. “I’m Chance. My cousins and I own the building.”
Introducing myself wasn’t something I was used to.
Everyone who lived in Creswell Springs knew who I was, and the newcomers I met weren’t interested in my name.
A quick fuck, yes. Hooking up was all I wanted.
Exchanging names and numbers wasn’t part of the deal.
It wasn’t as if I would remember it anyway.
Not that I would ever forget a single thing about this little peach goddess.
“Evie Adams,” she murmured softly.
Jesus Christ. Evie Adams. Of course it freaking was. She was temptation wrapped in a fuzzy pink blanket. I sure as hell would have taken a bite of the apple in the Garden of Eden if it were offered from her hands. A single taste of her would have been worth getting kicked out of paradise.
“What brings you to Creswell Springs, peaches?” I traced my thumb along her jaw, grateful she hadn’t attempted to pull away from my touch yet.
“We just moved here a few days ago. I’m a senior at Trinity University.”
“We?” I couldn’t stop the growl. If there was a man in her life, part of the we equation, he was a dead man.
“Evy, my sister,” she said with a soft smile at the mention of the other girl. “We live in apartment four.”
I twisted my neck side to side, trying to loosen the tension that had tightened my muscles at the thought of Evie being in a relationship.
Jealousy was a new sensation for me. I’d seen plenty of my MC brothers, cousins, and even my dad turn into Hulks over their women, but I’d never actually experienced it for myself.
Now I understood, and I wasn’t a fan.
“I’m upstairs in eleven. If you need anything, you come to me.” I tucked a few strands of her hair behind her ear, lingering to savor the silky tresses.
“Oh, okay. Thank you.” She leaned into my touch for another moment before seeming to force herself to pull away. Tipping up her cup, she drained the rest of her coffee, leaving behind a little frothed milk.
Realizing I might be scaring her, I reluctantly released her hair.
New emotions were being released inside me faster than I could keep up with.
Possessiveness. Obsession. Jealousy. And something more.
That something created a gnawing need that was demanding I touch her, hold her, imprint myself on every inch of her. Mark what was mine.
Fast, I was used to. When it came to sex, I was down to fuck as long as the woman knew it was a one-and-done. They approached me at Hannigans’, and if I liked what I saw, I was ready to go. But if I got so much as a hint that they expected more, I moved on without a flicker of regret.
Evie was not going to be a one-and-done. She was going to be my forever. And that meant fast wasn’t on the table. I needed to lock her down and then take things slow, show her she was special.