Chance on Love Read online

  They weren’t pleased, to put it lightly. Wilkerson had his walking papers before he’d even had the chance to sober up completely. It was delightful, really. The man had made everyone’s life living hell.

  Upon first receiving the news of his sudden departure, she’d wanted to party like a college student on spring break, but then it hit her. They’d traded the devil they’d known for one they didn’t. And what if this one was even worse?

  “No, don’t worry,” alpha elder said. “You won’t have to deal with any of us old coots.”

  Her coworkers shared an uncomfortable laugh.

  “The man of the hour is running a bit behind, but he should be joining us shortly. In the meantime, allow me to introduce myself properly. I’m Ross Lucas, the CEO of RL Communications...”

  Stephanie sat back and crossed her arms, listening as he talked about the history of his media corporation. After that, each of the other execs had a turn to chat while everyone waited for the man who was way past fashionably late. Nice.

  This guy was supposed to oversee an entire television station and he couldn’t manage a nine a.m. appearance at a scheduled, mandatory meeting. She couldn’t wait to get a load of this schmuck.

  The door opened behind her, but she didn’t turn.

  Alpha elder, Ross, extended his arm. “Speak of the devil.”

  Exactly. Stephanie rolled her eyes.

  “Ladies and gentlemen, allow me to introduce your interim GM, Chance Valentine.”

  He took his place next to the older men. Stephanie’s jaw dropped momentarily before she remembered to pick it up. She was loath to admit it, even to herself, but the schmuck was gorgeous.

  “Oh, um, wow,” Amber said under her breath.

  “Damn it,” Stephanie muttered. This was an added complication she so did not need.

  Chapter 3

  Even from this distance, Stephanie could clearly see the mischievous glint in his blue-gray eyes—more gray than blue. He had thick, black hair, and a killer set of dimples that flashed whenever he smiled. He looked to be even taller than Kenny, which put him around six-four or five.

  She couldn’t tell much about the physique beneath his expensive suit, but if everything else was an indication, it was breathtaking indeed.

  “Thanks for the introduction, Gramps,” he said, giving the alpha elder a hearty slap on the back.

  The older man shot him a harsh look.

  Her coworkers laughed again, sounding more natural this time. Some laughed longer and more loudly than others, namely the resident studio tramp, Carly Samuels. Her name was actually Carlene, but the former model and constant beauty pageant winner, now nightly news co-anchor, insisted on the nickname. Of course, that meant Stephanie called her Carlene at every opportunity.

  Rich chocolate-brown hair that lay just past her shoulders, long legs, fake boobs, and a dazzling smile, thanks to a cosmetic dentist in Edmond, one of the more affluent parts of the Oklahoma City metro area, Carly was a stunner. And she was more than happy for everyone to acknowledge it.

  This is probably why it gave Stephanie such a secret thrill when the sexy schmuck’s eyes went right past her without a second look as he scanned the room. His gaze briefly landed on Stephanie’s and she could have sworn she’d felt a tingle. It started in her stomach and traveled farther south in a nanosecond.

  She took a deep breath and averted her eyes. Sexy or not, he was still the enemy and would be treated accordingly.

  “Let’s get down to brass tacks, shall we?” His deep, low-pitched voice slid over her body in waves.

  She appreciated the fact that he didn’t like to mince words. But that was all she appreciated about the man. Yep, that was it. Her eyes roamed over his imposing form before she gave herself a mental scolding.

  Don’t even think about it, girl.

  Except...it was difficult to think of much else. Though, having been cheated on just the day before and ending what she’d thought was a beautiful seven-month relationship probably meant that it wasn’t the best idea for her to be ogling a man she’d hated sight unseen.

  “I’m Chance Valentine, but y’all can call me Chance.” He flashed a wicked smile that displayed both dimples to maximum effect.

  She thought she heard Carly’s panties hit the floor.

  “I’ll be your General Manager for the time being.”

  Stephanie couldn’t stop herself. “And how long will that be?”

  A hush fell over the room as his blue-gray gaze snapped back to hers. “As long as I want it to be, I suppose,” he said with a smirk.

  “Yippee,” she said, arms still crossed.

  “Steph,” Amber chided quietly.

  Stephanie felt Kenny’s elbow. “Watch it, kid.”

  The new interim GM cocked his head as he regarded her. “What’s your name and what is it you do here?”

  Ooh, she was in trouble now. She was shaking in her five-inch pumps. “Stephanie Love. And I’m the Assistant News Director.”

  The corner of his mouth lifted ever so slightly. “Not anymore.”

  Gulp. Okay, now she really was shaking in her pumps—with seething anger. This smug son of a bitch thought he could just waltz in, give her the boot, and she’d take it like a good little girl? He had another think coming.

  If she were on her way out the door, she would definitely be leaving a hell of a last impression. Fireworks in January—the show was starting at approximately 9:07 in the morning.

  “Come again?” she asked, voice cold as ice while she glared at him.

  He sat down on the edge of the conference table and folded his arms. “You heard me.”

  She stared daggers at him. “Mr. Valentine, I have a suggestion for you.”

  Amber groaned. “Don’t do it,” she whispered.

  Staring straight at Stephanie, he asked, “What’s that?”

  She leaned forward. “Why don’t you introduce your—”

  “Stop it,” Kenny scolded under his breath.

  Lips to my ass, she finished mentally. Only Kenny had the power to get through to her in time.

  The sexy schmuck lifted his eyebrows as he waited for her to continue.

  Stephanie cleared her throat. “Introduce your...self to our News Director, Kenneth Thomas.” She linked her arm with his. “He’s a wonderful asset to this station so no matter what my future holds here, his should be secure.”

  He glanced at Kenny before turning his attention back to her. “No matter what your future holds here?” He narrowed his eyes. “Are you planning on resigning, Love?”

  She frowned. “No, I just—you were about to—huh?”

  “I only meant that you were no longer Assistant News Director because I have a new job for you.”

  “Oh,” she said softly. She wasn’t usually rendered speechless, but this man had that effect on her. “Oh?” Could it be, Lord? News Director? She resisted the urge to put the edge of the table in a death grip. Her dreams were finally—

  “Executive Assistant.”

  Totally dead and in the toilet. May as well flush instead of staring at ‘em like they were sideshow freaks. She managed to find her voice. “I—I’m sorry,” she shook her head, “I heard ‘Executive Assistant.’”

  Valentine grinned at her, and she wanted to slap him silly. “That’s right.”

  “Well, then who’s taking over the News Director position when Kenny’s promoted to GM?”

  He frowned. “When Kenny’s promoted?”

  “Uh,” Stephanie arched an eyebrow, “yeah.”

  “Mr. Thomas isn’t being promoted.”

  “Why the hell not?”

  Somewhere in the background, Carly gasped.

  “Simple. He’s leaving the station.”

  The air rushed from her lungs as she turned to Kenny. “What?” She’d endured the stings of many a betrayal, but this one kind of smarted.

  He gave her a sad smile. “Sorry, kid.”

  “He’s gone as far as he can here,” Valentine said.


  “Oh, bullshit.” She shot up off the chair. “You people come in here with your thousand dollar suits, and you act like this is a game of Monopoly or something. These are people’s lives you’re screwing with. You make me sick.” She marched to the door of the conference room and threw a dirty look back at the schmuck. “You don’t have to fire me, Valentine. I quit.”

  ****

  “Steph, please, will you calm down?” Amber sat in front of the desk as Stephanie searched frantically for another box. Any size would do—she just wanted to start shoving more of her crap into it.

  “Calm down?” she asked incredulously. “That man just fired Kenny and had the gall to sit there and act like it was Kenny’s decision.”

  “Maybe it was, you don’t know.”

  “Oh, please. He’s busted his ass for this station for decades and now, when he has a real shot at making GM, he decides he wants out? Whatever. The nasty truth is that Valentine may be hot on the outside, but he has a fucking glacier where his heart should be.”

  With her hands on her hips, she began pacing. “No, Kenny wouldn’t choose this. But of course he’s too much of the strong, silent type to complain, to shout from the rooftops how unfair it is.”

  Her eyes felt damn near close to misting over and that could not happen, even for Kenny, whom she loved dearly. “No, he’d rather pretend he’s okay with this.”

  Amber regarded her silently.

  Stephanie stopped pacing. “What?”

  “Did you just call the interim GM ‘hot’?”

  “No. Pfft.” She stopped to think about it. “Did I?”

  “Pretty sure you did,” Amber said, smiling.

  Stephanie feigned interest in her manicure. “Well, if I did, it’s beside the point.”

  “Is it?”

  She pinned Amber with a glare.

  “Hey, don’t get mad at me because the man’s gorgeous. It’s not my fault.”

  “I don’t care how gorgeous he is; he’s a total asshole. And, yes, maybe under different circumstances, I’d screw his brains out, but under these circumstances, I’m more likely to shoot his brains out—got it?”

  A throat cleared, and Stephanie turned to see the bastard himself leaning against the doorway, staring at her.

  Aaaand...I can die now.

  “I’m sorry,” he said, smirking, “do go on.”

  Amber jumped up and stared at the floor like a shy schoolgirl. “I should be going.” She dared a peek up at him and shot out her hand. “It was nice meeting you. And, again, thanks so much for giving me this opportunity.”

  After Stephanie’s golden departure from the conference, the rest of the promotions had been made official, including Amber’s. She was now morning co-anchor for Channel 6 News.

  Valentine took her hand and brought it to his lips, making Stephanie want to gag. Of course he was a playboy. Why wouldn’t he be? What man could be that good looking without being a complete douche?

  Amber’s face reddened and she smiled coyly before floating away on air.

  Stephanie took a deep breath. “I appreciate you coming to say goodbye, but, really, it wasn’t necessary.” She threw him a fake smile before going back to her box search.

  “Are you always this bitchy?”

  If he was hoping the question would offend her, he was in for disappointment. “No,” she said nonchalantly, “this is one of my good days.”

  That earned her an unexpected flash of dimples.

  Caught off guard, she almost found herself smiling back.

  “You’re really quitting over the fact that your former supervisor is leaving?”

  “I’m quitting over how he’s leaving. Instead of a well-earned promotion, he gets fired. One of your very first acts as the all-powerful one around here and you boot the best fucking employee this station’s ever seen. Kudos.”

  Stepping into the office, he looked around. “If you do end up staying, we’re going to have to work on your language.” He squinted at her. “You’ve got a bad case of potty mouth.”

  Stephanie flipped him off.

  Tapping a finger against his lips, he nodded. “More than potty mouth, I see.”

  “Being raised in a testosterone-laden home can do that to a girl, I suppose.”

  “Oh? Big family?”

  She rolled her eyes. “The only thing I want to discuss with you is my severance pay.”

  “You shouldn’t quit, you know.”

  “Even if you hadn’t screwed my friend over, I’d still want out. Executive Assistant? That’s pretty much a demotion and you know it.”

  “It’s a promotion, really.”

  “Yeah? Instead of being News Director, I’d be your glorified secretary. Moving right up the career ladder at breakneck speed—I’ll pass.”

  “You do realize it’s a nice way to familiarize yourself with the General Manager position. After all,” he shrugged, “it is going to be up for grabs when I leave.”

  Well, that shut her up. Wait a minute. He’d dangled her absolute dream job in front of her as if it was a doggy treat, and she was an eager puppy. Oh, he was good. Nevertheless, she wasn’t willing to roll over just yet. No way was she screwing over a friend. Taking the GM position, should it ever become available to her, without discussing it with Kenny first would be a knife in his back.

  She squared her shoulders. “I’ll need some time to think about it.” Her new enemy didn’t need to know about the plan to get the okay from Kenny.

  The schmuck raised an eyebrow. “Fine.” He walked closer, coming near enough for her to get a whiff of his expensive-smelling cologne. They stood toe to toe as she peered up at him, noting the faint stubble along his jaw. “Now,” he said, leaning down to bring his face close to hers, “did I hear you say something about screwing my brains out earlier?”

  She ceased breathing in that moment. He’d started an ache right between her thighs, damn it.

  “Because that could be...improper.” His gaze landed on her lips briefly. “You know,” he said as he headed for the door, “with you being my secretary and all.” He turned, giving her a wicked grin before vanishing.

  All Stephanie knew was—that bastard had been lucky there were no lamps within reach.

  Chapter 4

  Chance’s hands were warm and skillful as he slid them over her body. Her nipples hardened in anticipation of what his mouth was about to do. Stephanie closed her eyes, feeling the first wet swipe of his talented tongue against the sensitive, puckered flesh.

  “Oh, God,” she said between moans.

  The more he licked and sucked her nipples, the wetter her pussy became. She needed this man inside her more than she could remember ever needing anything. And that included air and water, so that was saying something.

  He eased one large hand down her body and it came to rest between her thighs. He began to rub the ache there and, by doing so, made it even worse. She moved her hips against his hand. Chance circled his finger over her clit and she cried out. She needed him. Now.

  “Fuck me,” she said.

  “Not just yet.” He smirked. “I’m going to make you beg for it.”

  Stephanie frowned. It would be a cold day in hell before she begged any man to— She gasped when his mouth replaced his hand. She started grinding her pussy against his face. He spread her legs even farther apart as he continued to drive her insane with his tongue.

  Fine, so the temperature in hell was dropping rapidly.

  She couldn’t wait to ride that big, thick cock of his. Moaning, she buried her fingers in his hair. She wanted him inside her, but she was reluctant to put an end to the oral attention. Damn. Decisions, decisions...

  Just then, Carly appeared out of thin air. Literally. And for some reason, she was singing ‘Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go’. Fucking bad timing. Awful. Horrible. Good song, though.

  “Go away, Carlene,” Stephanie said through gritted teeth.

  She stopped singing abruptly. “It’s Carly.” Then, she continued wi
th her solo.

  Stephanie groaned. She blindly reached out to stop her CD player slash alarm clock from blaring her eighties song of the moment, which happened to be the very one Carly had been performing. Two weeks straight of sexy dreams about the hot schmuck who was now her boss. How gross.

  They’d never managed to go all the way in the dreams, though. For that reason, she teetered on the thin line between relief and frustration.

  After dragging her reluctant body from its nice, warm bed, she prepared herself for the day ahead. More glorified secretary work—awesome! She’d had a long talk with Kenny before accepting the Executive Assistant position.

  He shared Valentine’s opinion; it was a good opportunity to put herself at the front of the line for GM candidate. And he’d also stated exactly what she’d known he would: He was fine with being let go from the station. Pure bullshit.

  She had a plan, though. If she could finesse her way into the General Manager spot, she’d rehire Kenny, put him in place there, and she would become News Director. That was her brilliant plan, and she was sticking to it.

  Now to go about getting Chance Valentine away from KMLP and out of her life, and hopefully her dreams, forever.

  The cocky bastard was something else. He got a thrill out of ordering her to do the most mundane of tasks: getting his coffee—the schmuck liked it black, no sugar...blech, sorting his mail, fielding his calls—many of which were from a particular breathy, pretty-sounding, giggling “Donna”.

  Stephanie sighed. Oh, this was so much better than planning news assignments and creating budgets.

  Frowning, she stepped under the hot spray of the shower. Those damned Donnas.

  No matter how yummy the man was, he had horrible qualities. The fact that he had absolutely no scruples was at the top of the list. Plus, he was a total man-whore. She supposed that went along with his lack of ethics, though. He’d leave work whenever he damned well felt like it because he always had something to take care of—probably a ‘project’.