A Lucky Chance Read online

  www.beautifultroublepublishing.com

  Copyright © 2011 by Milana Howard

  All Rights Reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or shared in any form, including but not limited to: printing, photocopying, faxing, recording, electronic transmission, or by any information storage or retrieval system without prior written permission from the authors or holders of the copyright.

  This book is a work of fiction. References may be made to locations and historical events; however, names, characters, places and incidents are the products of the author’s imagination and/or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons (living or dead), businesses, events or locales is either used fictitiously or coincidental. All trademarks, service marks, registered trademarks, and registered service marks are the property of their respective owners and are used herein for identification purposes only.

  Published by

  Beautiful Trouble Publishing, LLC

  PO Box 61

  Colfax, NC 27235

  www.beautifultroublepublishing.com

  Cover Art: Marteeka Karland, http://www.marteekakarland.com/

  Editor: Stephanie Parent

  Proofreader: Novellette Whyte

  http://authorgurunovellette.blogspot.com/

  Formatter: Jim & Zetta, http://www.jimandzetta.com/

  E-book Conversion: Jim & Zetta, http://www.jimandzetta.com/

  ISBN: (e-book) 978-1-61788-240-1

  To the man who will always be my inspiration—this one’s for you.

  NOTE ABOUT EBOOKS

  eBooks are NOT transferable. Re-selling, sharing or giving away eBooks is a copyright infringement. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without written permission of the author or Beautiful Trouble Publishing.

  CAVEAT

  This work of erotica contains adult language and sexually explicit scenes, which are smoking hot. This book is intended only for adults, as it is defined by the laws of the country in which the purchase is made. Keep this book out of the hands of under-aged readers.

  A LUCKY CHANCE

  Amara didn’t know why the sound of rain falling could charge a moment with such sexual electricity or why Chance’s mouth looked so kissable. Maybe it was because when he’d stepped through her door, he’d come in minus his shirt. Tiny beaded droplets of water clung to the contours of his brawny chest. She was struck with the urge to lick each and every drop, to taste the rain along with his skin. His jeans hung low, allowing her to admire his defined oblique muscles.

  “It was soaked. I didn’t think you’d mind.” Chance’s low, teasing tone was a welcome intrusion into her fantasy. Hearing his voice reminded her that this moment was real and filled with possibilities. “You should get more comfortable too…if you’d like.” His gaze traveled down her body, lingering at the parts of her that were most in need of his touch.

  Amara led the way to her bedroom, sensing that Chance’s eyes remained trained on her body. It was as if every nerve ending, every fiber of her being became more alert in his presence. Already she could anticipate the sensation of his lips on hers, the feel of his hands exploring.

  She stood to one side of her canopy bed, partially shielded from his view by panels of gauzy ivory fabric. Chance stood across from her on the other side of the bed. His position afforded her the ability to perform a sexy striptease just for him. As she removed her clothing piece by piece, Amara remembered to savor the moment.

  With purposeful deliberation, she slid her lacey, black camisole up overhead, playfully tossing it aside. She could feel Chance watching her through the curtains. His eyes never left hers.

  Amara smiled to herself. She remembered how they’d first met, how far they’d come in a short amount of time. It was only a couple of months ago that she’d met Chance on St. Patrick’s Day, her new favorite holiday.

  Damn it! Could this have happened at a worse time? Amara Foster pulled off to the side of Las Vegas Boulevard as fumes wafted up from the hood of her car. She thought about calling her boutique manager, Michelle, to give her a ride back to work, but that didn’t seem to be the best idea. Michelle was second in command when Amara wasn’t there. She’d rather not leave her staff unattended, especially on a Saturday─the busiest day of the week for her boutique.

  Moda Amara, her formal-wear shop, had recently taken off since she’d added event planning as a service to her clients. Slowly but surely, Amara had built her business into everything she dreamed it could be. Today was proof of that, as she’d just been at the Sondrio casino to scout out a possible location for an A-list celebrity’s wedding.

  Amara dug into her handbag for her cell phone. As usual, it’d somehow mysteriously reached the very bottom corner of the slouchy hobo bag she’d purchased more for style than functionality. She scrolled through her contact list and decided to call her sister. More than likely Sabrina would be working, but it didn’t hurt to try. Relief washed over her when she heard her younger sister’s voice.

  “Hey girly, what’s up?”

  “I was checking out a venue on the Strip and my car overheated.”

  “Sorry, sis. Car trouble’s a bitch.”

  “Tell me about it. I’m supposed to meet with a bride-to-be today at the store.” When her sister didn’t reply, it became apparent that she was carrying on a conversation in the background.

  “Sorry about that. I was talking with Bryer. There’s this friend of his that has an auto repair shop. He’ll call him out to take a look at your car.” Sabrina’s voice lowered. “Let me tell you, he’s come here quite a few times and…yeah.” Her tone returned to normal as she asked, “Where are you at on the Strip?”

  Amara laughed a little and gave her the intersection. “I’m just past the Sondrio parking garage on Flamingo.”

  “All right. I’ll text you his info as soon as Bryer gets off the phone.”

  “Thank you, sweetie. And tell Bryer thanks, too. I appreciate it.” Now that she knew help was on the way, Amara’s stress level decreased exponentially. She took a sip of water from her travel thermos and kept her eyes on the early afternoon traffic whizzing by.

  She’d been waiting for a half hour when a truck pulled up in front of her car. On the side of the truck was an emblem that read “Murphy’s Mechanics,” the name her sister sent her along with a winking smiley face. A tall man got out of the truck and came around to meet her.

  Amara could almost hear Buddy Guy’s gritty blues playing in the background as she took in the six and a half feet of virility standing in front of her. He was dressed casually in jeans and a faded t-shirt that bore the same emblem as his truck. His demeanor exuded the quintessential qualities of the strong, silent leading men of old Hollywood.

  “Hi. You’re Amara?”

  She nodded. He tugged his aviator sunglasses down the bridge of his nose so that his eyes met hers as he spoke. “I’m Chance, Bryer’s friend. So what happened exactly?”

  “I started smelling this strange, syrupy scent, and then there was smoke. I pulled over as soon as I could.”

  “The sweet smell was most likely your coolant. Pop the hood for me.”

  Amara did as Chance asked, but not before noticing more of his rugged handsomeness. His light brown hair was cut short around the sides while the top was tousled in a sexy, bedhead kind of way. Thick brows a shade darker than his hair framed gray-blue eyes that seemed to reflect more than they revealed. Lips that looked to be well versed in the art of kissing were held in a slight frown as he examined her car.

  “It looks like you’re completely out of radiator fluid. We’ll take your car in to take care of the leak and check for engine damage. When’s the last time you had your car serviced?”

  “Uhh…”

 
“Let me guess, it’s been a while, huh?” he asked as he secured her car for towing.

  Sure has. The way Chance looked at her seemed to indicate that he was referring to something more intimate with his question. Amara was willing to admit she was long overdue for maintenance in more ways than one. “I had an oil change a few months ago.”

  “Hmm…maybe something went wrong there. You gotta be so careful of who you take your car to. A lot of shops take advantage when they see a woman coming, even a beautiful one like you.”

  Chance was having an uneventful day at his auto repair garage. Business was running smoothly, and there didn’t seem to be any reason to linger. Since it was St. Patrick’s Day, he’d already considered leaving early to stop by Bryer’s bar, Votives, for a drink.

  It’d been a while since he’d taken time to just kick back. When he’d received the call from Bryer, he never thought that agreeing to help a friend of a friend would lead to a woman like this. Amara was smoking hot.

  One of the first things Chance noticed about her was her eyes. They were a sultry ebony shade that lured him in, enticing him to know more about her. Her black hair hung in layers that framed elegant features. Though she was dressed professionally, her clothes didn’t mask the curves that lay beneath them.

  “Hop in.” He held the passenger side door open for Amara. As she was on her way into the truck, Chance was treated to an excellent view of her ass. The firm, round shape of it was showcased by her skirt. Although he could’ve admired her figure all day, he couldn’t help but notice her concerned expression. “Don’t worry. I’ll have my best guys work on it for you.”

  “That’s reassuring, but I’m supposed to meet with a client in an hour.”

  “If repairing the leak does the trick, we’ll have you up and running in no time. Otherwise, I don’t want to risk giving you a time frame that might not be feasible. Why not sit back and relax? It’s St. Patty’s Day, after all.”

  “True, but I still have work to do.”

  “I understand, but you know what they say about all work and no play…” He flashed a smile. “So I’ve got a great idea─while my guys are working on your car, we should go to Votives for a drink. We can walk there. It’d be nice to get some fresh air.” Chance could sense her hesitation. “Come on. Be rebellious. Seems to me you’ve got the whole workaholic thing down. Why not blow off all that responsibility just this once?”

  Amara looked at Chance for a few moments, considering his words. Maybe there was some truth to what he said. Running the boutique and event-planning business left little room for a day off. Even when she was technically “off” from work, she was still putting together ideas for a new garment design or a client’s party. She pulled out her cell phone and made a call. “Hi, Michelle, it’s me. I’m not going to be able to make my appointment with Valerie Jameson. Would you please call our contact for her to reschedule? Great, thanks.”

  “So are you game to hang for a bit?” Chance asked in a hopeful tone.

  Amara tilted her head as if even she couldn’t believe that she was agreeing. “To be honest with you, I could use a break.”

  He gave her a sexy smile as they pulled into the parking lot of his auto repair shop. As soon as they came through the door, Chance approached one of the mechanics and had a quick discussion about her car. By the time they’d left for their walk, his man had already started working on it.

  “I couldn’t help but overhear, but was that the Valerie Jameson you were talking about back there─the heiress to the casino fortune?”

  “Yes, she’s a friend. We go way back. She and I went to the same elementary school. This was way before her family came into money. She’s getting married later this year and asked me to design her dress and plan the wedding.”

  “That’s cool. What’s she like?”

  “Well, I shouldn’t say much since she’s such a private person. What I can tell you is she’s a stickler for details. She’s very particular about how she wants things done, and she knows I am too.”

  They spent the rest of their walk in a comfortable silence. Here and there, she stole a few glances. Chance seemed to be checking her out as well. Before long, they reached Votives’ double doors.

  Bryer greeted them from the bar as soon as they entered. “Murphy, my man! Amara, sorry to hear about your car, but you’re in good hands. What can I get for you guys?”

  As they waited for their drink orders, Amara observed the St. Patrick’s Day theme going on. The retro lounge was decked out in festive twirled streamers in green, white, and silver. Shamrock-shaped decorations were suspended from the ceiling. She saw Sabrina talking to patrons across the room and waved.

  Once their drinks arrived, Chance turned to her with his glass. “What shall we cheer to, Miss─wait, is it ‘Miss’?”

  “Yes.” Amara laughed. “I’m single.”

  “Whew! That’s a relief.” He chuckled. “I’d hate to think I’m out carousing with another man’s wife.”

  “So what about you, Chance?”

  “What about me…let’s see…I had a girlfriend not too long ago. She knew how many hours I put in at the shop and took advantage of it. I came home one night and found her in bed with someone else. I’ve been on my own since then.” He shrugged. “Win some, lose some. I say we toast to a turn of luck,” he ended on a lighter tone. Chance tapped his glass to hers. “So what’s your story, Amara? It’s hard to believe a woman like you could be single.”

  “I was married for a short time after high school. He was the one my parents couldn’t stand. You know, kept me out past my curfew and took me to wild parties. When we eloped, my parents had a fit. I think something in me just wanted to prove them wrong, but after all those teenage hormones wore off there wasn’t much to hold onto.” She paused for a moment, noticing how Chance seemed to be hanging on to her every word. “And so after we got divorced I decided to focus more on me and less on romance.”

  “Do you think love could happen again?” His eyes seemed to study her intently.

  “I wouldn’t rule it out, but it’s not high on my list of priorities. How did we get on this subject anyway?” Amara ended her question with a laugh. Here she was providing him full access to her ex-files, which was a rarity.

  “There’s something about sitting at a bar next to a beautiful woman.” Chance leaned close to her, making her feel like she was the only person in the room. “It makes you want to let your guard down in the hopes she’ll do the same. Lucky for me, I’ve succeeded.”

  Their gazes collided. Amara felt something awaken inside of her. Desires that had lain dormant for a long time suddenly came to life.

  Chance’s cell rang, breaking the spell. “Chris, what’s up? Shit. Really? Okay. Yeah, all right. I’ll let her know.” He glanced over at her as he spoke. “Looks like it’s going to be a while. My guys test drove your car, and it’s still overheating. How about a game of pool while we wait?”

  “Okay, but I’ll warn you I’m not very good.”

  “That’s okay. I can give you some pointers. I’ll break.”

  Amara watched Chance’s expert shots. One by one, he knocked several striped balls into the pockets. When it came time for her turn, the cue ball ricocheted back and forth across the table without connecting with the solid ball she aimed to hit.

  “See that. Your aim is off. It’s because you’re not holding the stick to your advantage. Let me show you a way that’ll give you more control.”

  From where Amara leaned over the table, she felt Chance come up behind her. He put his hand over hers, guiding her fingers at the tip of the pool stick. It may have been an innocent gesture, but her mind was in the gutter thinking of another “stick” she could be holding.

  Amara felt his breath by her ear. As he coached her, the front of his body aligned with the back of hers. She could feel the warmth of his skin, skin that held the scent of a woodsy cologne that made her weak in the knees.

  After adjusting her grip on the pool stick
, Chance realized how much he liked the feel of Amara’s body against his. Their game of pool was quickly turning into foreplay. Every time Amara bent to make her shot, he felt his jeans get tighter. They played for a while, but soon it seemed as if he’d make a public spectacle if he didn’t get to touch her. He paid their tab.

  As they walked, rain that started off as a soft drizzle suddenly became a torrential downpour. Chance took off his button-down shirt and offered it to Amara. She took it and held it up over her head.

  By the time they arrived back at his garage, it was already past closing. He let them in, discarding his shirt as he turned on the lights. “I hope you don’t mind. It was soaked.”

  He pulled a few shop towels from the supply closet. “They’re not the softest, but you can use them to dry off. You could get more comfortable too, if you like.”

  “But I─I don’t have anything else to wear.”

  “I’ve got an extra shirt you can change into.” Chance grabbed it and handed it to her. “The restroom is down the hall there.” Before Amara walked away, Chance observed how her light blue blouse had gotten drenched in the rain, revealing a clear impression of her cleavage. The damp fabric of her black skirt clung to her thighs. It wasn’t difficult to conjure up an image of her without clothes on.

  With his arms crossed, Chance leaned up against the tailgate of his truck listening to the rain. It was still pelleting down hard. Just then, Amara returned from the restroom. As she came around the truck, she perched to sit beside him.

  Her hair hung in damp strands over her shoulders and her makeup was washed off. She was a vision of fresh-faced beauty. It was such a damn turn-on to see Amara standing there wearing his t-shirt. His shop’s logo across her chest seemed to mark her as belonging to him. If he had his way, she would be his.

  “So am I good to go?” she asked quietly.