A Perfect Chance by Becca Lee Read Free Book Online Page A

specifically his contact, I nodded again, this time a small smile lifting my lips. He looked at me while I gathered my thoughts and emotions, held back from interrupting me so I could handle it my way. I still wasn't quite sure how that would be, but a firmer sense of resolve formed in my chest.
    "I can do this," I repeated, this time ensuring I didn't tack on any uncertainty.
    Raising his hand, he smoothed a stray piece of hair away from my face. When the pad of his thumb caressed my cheek, I closed my eyes at the contact and released a sigh. Grounded. That was what this man did for me. I had no bloody idea what the hell was in his touch, but somehow his skin against mine, hell, any form of contact worked. Every time, without fail, I found myself leaning into the moment, absorbing it, soaking it all in.
    When his thumb brushed across my bottom lip, my eyes burst open in surprise. It was different, intimate, the first time he'd instigated any such contact. My stomach flipped and my breath hitched. I fought with the desire to latch on to his thumb and suck it into my mouth.
    Before I succumbed, he pulled away. I gulped audibly at the loss and offered a tentative smile when I soaked up his wide-eyed surprise.
    Clearing his throat, Mace gave me a firm nod and turned in his seat before pulling out and heading in the direction of my house, which I shared with my brother. It was a damn long, painful drive for the short ten minutes that it took. I was aware of every slight movement he made and every breath. It wasn't lost on me that his gaze was hard, his stare stoic as he refused to even glance in my direction. I just wondered how the hell I was going to survive my time alone with Mace. The thought left me grinning internally. Maybe if I was so focused on Mace, it would be enough for me to deal with the unexpected situation I'd found myself in.
    Only time could tell.
    #####
    I stared at myself in the unfamiliar bathroom mirror while brushing my teeth. Rather than the pale skin that usually went hand in hand with entering a new space or tackling the unknown, my cheeks were pink, and my eyes were bright. I spat my toothpaste out and grinned. I was so fucking proud of myself. Like seriously damn proud.
    After collecting some of my things to take to Mace's, he then spoke to me the entire journey to his place. He'd handed me his phone before we'd set off from mine and given me permission to scroll through his photographs. Confused, I did as he asked. Immediately I'd gasped and looked at him in awe. His jaw had been ticking and he’d had a hard grip on the steering wheel. When he didn't look my way, I’d refocussed on the images before me. They were of his house. It seemed every room was there, from different angles. He'd done this for me. "How?" I was at a loss for words.
    Over the few years that I'd known him, Mace had remained pretty much elusive. Most saw the hard and distant version of Mace; that wasn’t lost on me, but I saw so much more, and it was gestures like this that blew my mind.
    His voice was low and deep when he spoke. "I wanted to be prepared. I took them as soon as the decision was made for you to work for me." Still, he didn't look my way when my focus once more flicked to him.
    "Thank you," I whispered, catching myself before my voice broke with gratitude.
    Once more, he'd offered an abrupt nod, eyes still fixed on the road ahead. After a minute of quiet while I'd looked through the images, he'd continued to speak, talking me through the journey and his home, his routines.
    Drying off my mouth before I headed to the kitchen for a glass of water, I realised that gratitude didn't even scratch the surface. Mace had constantly gone above and beyond what anyone should do for a friend, let alone an employee. I had no idea what that meant exactly. I thought back to when I'd ordered our drinks. There had been a moment there when I'd thought for sure he was going to kiss the crap out of me. The thought thrilled me as much as