She had no clue what was going on right then. Chance was saying things…the way he was looking at her…
“I wanted you.” His head bent toward her. His lips were so close. “If anyone was going to fuck you, it should have been me.”
This wasn’t happening.
He sucked in a sharp breath. “But I screwed up. I know I did.”
Yes, he had.
“I want another chance with you.”
She was pretty sure her jaw dropped. Her whole body was shaking from the cold, though, so it was rather hard to tell for certain.
“You and me,” Chance murmured. “Let’s see what can happen between the two of us.”
Gwen already had a pretty good idea of what would happen. An explosion. No, maybe an implosion. They’d touch. They’d go wild. It would be awesome.
But then the aftermath would come. She’d just be left with ashes.
Been there, done that.
She slipped away from him. Raised her hand. Got a taxi to miraculously stop in about ten seconds.
Chance just watched her with those dark eyes of his.
“Good-bye, Chance,” she said as she reached for the cab’s door. She’d learned her lesson before. Some fires burned too hot. It was better to be cold than to go up in flames.
She slid into the cab and mumbled her destination to the driver. When the cab eased away from the curb, Gwen told herself not to look back at Chance. But, dammit, she did.
The snow was falling on him. His hands were thrust deep into the pockets of his jacket. And he was just…staring after her.
Gwen shivered in the cab. She didn’t know why Chance Valentine was suddenly back in her life, but she wasn’t dumb enough to believe his reappearance was due to some overwhelming desire for her.
If only.
She knew how Chance felt about her. Chance and his control…the man never let anyone or anything break through that iron control of his. And he sure as hell wasn’t coming after her because his need for her had grown too strong.
No, something else was happening. She just had to figure out what it was.
But if Chance is involved…it can’t be good.
Chance had been her father’s chief of security. The man who took care of any danger that arose. He had a well-deserved reputation for being a bad-ass.
So why was the bad-ass after her?
***
He watched the taxi drive away. Chance didn’t even feel the icy touch of the snow around him. He seemed to be burning up from the inside. He’d screwed up in the club. A grade-A screw up. But he’d seen Gwen with those other men, and a white-hot jealousy had exploded within him.
His phone was ringing. He yanked it out of his pocket even as he stalked down the street. “Valentine,” he snapped.
“I thought the whole point…” Lex’s mocking voice said, “was to keep a twenty-four, seven watch on her. Not to have your pretty blonde lady run away as fast as she could.”
Lex could be such a dick. “You’re tailing her, right?”
“I’m behind the cab right now.”
Chance grunted as he climbed into his car. “I’ll be at her apartment before she is.”
“Cause that’s not going to make her uncomfortable,” Lex murmured.
“I understand Gwen. She ran tonight because I was an idiot.” He slammed his door. “I said the wrong thing, but I’ve got this.”
“You’d better, man. With the power her father has, the guy could make or break our business.” Lex wasn’t mocking anymore. “We need his clout, you know it. So if I need to take over this case, if there’s too much between you and Gwen for this to work out—”
“Gwen is mine.” He hadn’t meant to say those words. Had he? “I’ve got this,” Chance repeated. “Trust me.” And we don’t need Will Hawthorne. We can make this business a success on our own.
Lex’s sigh traveled over the line. “All right, but just remember, I’m here as backup, if you need me.”
He disconnected the call. He didn’t need Lex’s help. Not then. What he needed was to stop seeing the image of Gwen’s pain-filled green eyes in his mind. When she’d looked up at him, the hurt plain to see in her gorgeous gaze—well, she’d nearly gutted him. And the woman had no idea. She thought he was screwing around with her? Hell, no. Every word he’d said that night had been the truth.
As much as he could, he only wanted to give Gwen the truth.
He cut through the city, taking the path that Chance knew would get him to her apartment long before the cabbie arrived. His fingers were tight around the wheel. He’d gone into that club, he’d tracked her there when her apartment had been empty, and he’d been so pissed when he saw her slammed against that prick on the dance floor. Her movements had been pure sex, and the dumb-ass with her had been holding her tightly.
He’d looked at them and thought…
The fuck, no. When Gwen leaves, she’s only leaving with me.
He wasn’t going to wreck things with her again.
He cut through the falling snow and was soon at Gwen’s place. He parked his car, turned up the collar on his coat, and headed toward her building. He propped his back against the bricks there, standing in the shadows, as he surveyed the scene. No one else was out. No neighbors. This area was far too isolated for his peace of mind. Especially if Ethan Barclay really was trying to hunt Gwen.
He kept his hands shoved into his pockets. He’d have to play this one very carefully with Gwen…if he messed up again, there was no way she would let him get close.
The cab turned onto the street. He could see its lights clearly. The wheels slowed in front of Gwen’s building. The back door opened and Gwen slid out. Before she’d even reached the sidewalk, the cabbie had already left.
Gwen headed straight for her apartment building. She didn’t even look his way. There were too many places to hide on that street. Too much darkness. He stepped forward, ready to call out to her but—
She reached for the door to her building. Even as she pulled it open, someone else was shoving it back toward her. Someone was shoving Gwen back and knocking her to the ground.
Chance flew toward them, yelling Gwen’s name. He could make out a figure in black—black pants, black shirt, black ski mask. A big guy who was crouched over Gwen. She was fighting the fellow, punching at him.
The hell, no.
The attacker glanced up just as Chance threw a punch right at the bastard. The man flew back, slamming into the ground. Chance immediately reached for Gwen. He pulled Gwen to her feet. “Baby, are you okay?”