A Fighting Chance Read online

  “I put the truck in the garage, I was hoping we could take the Harley back to town,” she says as she presses her body to my back. She places a kiss on the center of my spine, reaches past me, and picks up the heart then holds it to my chest as she hugs me tight. Only then did I start to feel my own heart in my chest start to beat again.

  My entire body comes alive. I turn around and scoop her off the ground, hold her as close as I can get her and swear right then and there to never let her go again. I set her down and look her in the eyes. Yes, there it is. That light that I love so much, the one that gives me my own purpose, is back in her eyes, and I dedicate the rest of my life to making sure it stays that way.

  “Max?’ she questions as she wipes the tear from my cheek.

  “I saw the truck gone and I thought... never mind,” I lift her off the ground and she wraps her legs around my waist. She grabs my cheeks and I kiss her as if it’s been a lifetime since I’ve seen her. But honestly it has been since I’ve seen my Chloe, the Chloe wrapped in my arms right now, back.

  I walk her to the bed and climb all the way on before I lay her down, never breaking our kiss. Her hands are up my shirt frantically pulling it over my head. We break our kiss only long enough to remove my shirt. Her hands fumble at my belt, then my button and zipper. Releasing her lips I make quick work of my shoes and then hers. She’s breathing heavy, and the look of desperate need is in her eyes. Her swollen kissed lips beg me to kiss her again. She sits up and takes off her shirt, and it’s as if it’s in slow motion as her hair cascades from her shirt down her back. Coming closer to her face, I search her eyes looking for that sign that I’ve been waiting for. Please, God, be there. As her eyes twinkle, her lips meet mine in a soft gentle kiss. It’s the sign that I’ve been waiting for. I can feel it deep in my heart. It’s the perfect time to finally make her mine in all ways possible.

  As I deepen the kiss and pull her close, I unhook her bra and toss it to the floor. My hand around her waist comes up her ribs and cups her breast, as my lips trail down her chin, down her throat then over to her hardened nipple. Her head falls back as she moans. I suck hard earning another moan, then lick my way over to her other breast. My other hand descends down to her jeans, unbuttons and unzips them. I trace feather light kisses down the center of her stomach as my hands lift her ass off the mattress and move in between her jeans. Peeling her jeans down her legs, she sits up on her knees wearing only panties.

  Kneeling in front of her, I brush her hair from her face and smooth it to the side. She tilts her head, and the light in her eyes shines so fucking bright, but it’s her smile that takes my breath away. For the love of God, I can’t believe he’s giving me such a perfect angel.

  She grabs the waistband of my jeans, and sends them and my boxer briefs as far down as they’ll go. She trails her tongue down my abs never breaking eye contact. Grabbing my hips, she slowly moves her hands down and takes me in her hand. As one of her hands cups my balls and gently massages, the other hand caresses up and down my straining erection. Coming up, she thrusts her tongue in my mouth as my senses overload. She backs away ever so slightly and gives me a devilish grin that has my dick throbbing. She pushes me back onto the bed and completely removes my jeans. She takes me back in her hand, then descends down and takes me in her hot little mouth. Her perfect pink lips wrap around my dick as a low guttural groan escapes my own. Slowly, her lips move up and down as her tongue wraps around the underside, then slides to my tip. As she moans with me in her mouth, I dig my hands in her hair and guide her in and out. I can feel my release coming. I grab her head and pull her up to my lips and sink my tongue in her mouth, as I turn her on her back on the bed. Massaging her breast, my hand trails down and under her panties. My God, she’s so ready for me. I grab a fist full of her panties and rip them off in one swift motion. Lifting up, I look in her eyes one more time, and they’re on fire, she’s so ready for me. I take myself in my hand and rub her entrance with my tip.

  “Max,” she breathes.

  Ever so slowly I enter her. Never in my life have I wanted something to last forever. This feeling, this moment, right here, the love that I feel bursting from my chest, is something I’ve never felt before. It’s something I never felt like I deserved. But I feel like if I died today, I’d die a happy man knowing what true love feels like. This is what a man waits for his entire life. This is what being in love feels like. I’m not a pussy, but as I rooted myself deep inside her, I put my head beside hers in her hair and cried as I made love to the woman I’m madly, deeply in love with. Slowly pulling in and out, I start to feel her clench around me with her release. Only when I knew she was done did I release my own.

  “I love you, Max,” she whispers in my ear.

  “I love you too, Chloe,” I whisper back.

  Lying on my back, I hold her close as I draw lazy circles on her back. She places a soft kiss on my chest, and then looks in my eyes.

  “You were right about needing to forgive myself. I think until I said it out loud, I didn’t really believe it. But saying it out loud, somehow, it gave me permission for the first time, to let it go and to finally, truly forgive myself. Thank you for bringing me here. Thank you for bringing my family and friends here.”

  “You don’t need to say thank you, but it was my pleasure. Did you really say it out loud?”

  She laughs and says, “I didn’t just say it, I screamed it. And it felt unbelievably freeing.”

  “Good, now get your ass off of me so we can get on my badass bike and get out of here,” I say as I swat her on the ass.

  Chloe made the bed…again, as I got my bike out of the garage. She comes out and stops cold when she sees what I’m wearing.

  “What in the hell are you wearing?” she asks with a grin mixed with lust and confusion.

  “Chaps,” I answer matter-of-factly. While she was in the house I got on my riding gear. Black leather chaps and a black leather jacket. I always thought I looked irresistibly fucking hot in them, if I do say so myself.

  By the look on her face now, I think she thinks the same thing too.

  “We’ll get you your very own get-up when we get home.” I just said, when we get home, there’s a when we get home with Chloe. I came here on a wing and prayer with the only idea I could come up with, and fuck me, it worked. We’re leaving here together as a couple. There’s a when we get home for us now.

  “Do you think they come in purple? Can I get a purple leather jacket and purple chaps?” she asks breaking me out of my thoughts.

  “Babe, we’ll get you whatever you fucking want,” I tell her. I pull her to my lips and kiss my woman.

  “What about a purple helmet?” she says on my lips.

  Smiling on her lips I say, “You got it, babe.”

  I load up the black leather saddle bags with the small amount of things we brought, hand her my spare helmet and strap on my own. I straddle the bike and steady it for her so she can climb on. She straps on her helmet then smiles so huge it lights my fucking world on fire. I will never get tired of this woman’s smile. She climbs behind me, wraps her arms around my chest and presses her body to mine. This feeling is one that I hope to save in my memory banks as the happiest day of my life.

  I fire up my girl, while my other girl’s thighs are pressed to the back of mine, kick the kick-stand up and feel her power rumble between my legs. I used to think this was the best feeling in the world, but having Chloe pressed behind me with her arms wrapped around my chest is by far the best fucking thing in the world.

  Chapter 10

  Chloe

  I don’t know why, but climbing on the back of Max’s bike and wrapping my arms around him felt like I was right at home. It felt like something I’ve never experienced before, but it was so right that it felt like I’ve been doing it my whole life. I am right now, right where I was always meant to be.

  I didn’t tell Max, but this is my first time on a motorcycle. At first I had a death grip around him. But as the wind blew
through my hair under my helmet, I started to relax and enjoy the ride.

  As the world speeds by with my arms wrapped around my tatted hunk of a man, I visually picture my deepest darkest demons leaving my body and being left in the dust behind me. I turn around and give them an obligatory nod farewell and a double middle finger salute. While I still dared, I let go of Max and held my arms out to the side, put my head back, and let the wind wash me clean. One of Max’s hands tightened on my knee and it was as if he knew just why I had let go of him.

  I feel like a new-born woman. I’m not naive at all, and I do realize that my past will always be carried around with me. There’s nothing I can do about that. There never was. Everyone has their story. I have mine. Each Wellington has theirs, Max has his too. And I’m lucky enough to have family and friends that love me and accept me for who I am. It just took me a little longer to accept it all myself. I wrap my arms back around Max. He pats my leg, and then squeezes my hands tight to his body. Yeah, he felt what I just felt, like it was his own. His hands go back on the high handlebars as he increases his speed, and we head down the winding mountain road.

  We pull up in front of my condo. I dismount the bike with wobbly legs. The vibrations from the long bike ride make me feel like I have Jell-O legs. I whisk the helmet off my head and envision a sexy bombshell brunette as she takes off her helmet and flips her perfect hair out of the helmet, when in reality it’s matted to my head, and I look like a screaming banshee. Nothing graceful here.

  Max plants the kick-stand and takes off his own helmet, then lays it over one of the handle bars. He sees me trying to fluff out my hair and grins.

  “What?" Oh dear God, please don’t let there be a bug in my teeth.

  “You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen,” he says. Well if that doesn’t melt a person’s heart, it’s because you’re already dead.

  “Come over here,” he demands.

  I obey and walk into his open arms with a smile. His hand comes to my face and wraps around the back of my head. He pulls me to his lips and kisses me. His tongue caresses my bottom lip begging for entrance. Parting my lips, his warm tongue dances with mine. I press my body to his as I hear an, “A-hem,” coming from behind Max.

  Breaking away to see who could possibly be interrupting the best kiss ever recorded in world history, my brother is standing behind Max with his arms crossed over his chest. Why is Kyle here?

  “We’re all waiting, dinner’s getting cold. Get your lips off my sister and, more importantly, your hand off her ass, and get your asses in there,” he says. He turns around and starts to head back inside. My eyes dart to the door to see Amelia and Asher standing in the doorway with smirks on their faces. Why are Amelia and Asher here too?

  “I guess we should go inside,” Max says.

  I’m not quite sure what’s going on here, but Max gets off the bike, takes my hand with a smile and leads me inside. I’m instantly hit with the intoxicating smell of garlic and pasta. Asher and Willow, Amelia and Kyle, Adrian and Shay, Aiden, Samantha, Savvy, and my mom and dad are all sitting at the dinner table carrying on several conversations, while little kids run around in circles. Laughter flows freely as Ava sets serving dishes on the table. The look on her face isn’t like everyone else’s though. She eyes me with sad eyes then takes a seat at the table. My heart sinks as I remember just how awful I’ve treated her. Max squeezes my hand and pulls me to the table.

  We take the two open seats, and it’s kind of weird how everyone is acting like nothing ever happened. At the same time it’s kind of a relief, and I feel like I can just step back into my life.

  Dinner was amazing, and most everyone left, kissing me on the cheek, saying they’ll see me at Sunday dinner. I hadn’t thought about a Wellington Sunday dinner in so long. I smile just at the mention of it. Kyle and Amelia are the last to leave. Kyle walks up to me and hugs me hard, but I welcome it. It’s almost as if it kick starts our relationship again. I feel like I have my wonder twin back.

  “You have an early shift at the hospital in the morning, I’ll see you at six A.M.,” he says with a final squeeze. He grabs his wife’s hand and a sleeping Noah from the recliner and heads out the door. Not one of them has said a word about my behavior over these past few months.

  I had forgotten about the hospital too. It hadn’t entered my mind in days. I guess that’s a good thing, because the rivalry I felt toward Kyle hadn’t been thought about either. For the first time since I’ve been back to work, it just doesn’t matter either. It is what it is. There should never have been this need to be equal with Kyle. It’s not a game. Mother’s put their trust in me, and I work with people’s lives. I’ve worked so damn hard to become a doctor, and I’m a very good doctor, and that’s all that should matter. Ava clinking around dishes in the kitchen brings me out of my new-found revelation. Chills spread down the back of my neck and down my spine.

  Max walks over to me, takes my hand and offers a smile. He jerks his head toward the kitchen and says, “I’m going to take my bike back to my office and get my other truck. I’ll leave you two alone for a while to talk. I’ll be back in about an hour. I’ll stay here with you tonight and we can figure out tomorrow…tomorrow. Alright?”

  I nod as he kisses me on the lips then heads out the door. I owe Ava a huge apology. I’m not even sure where to begin. I grab the remaining dishes off the table and set them on the counter. She has her back turned to me at the sink as she angrily washes what must be the worst stuck on food I’ve ever seen.

  “Can I help?” I ask.

  She shrugs her shoulders without saying a word. I grab plastic containers out of the cupboard and put the leftovers in them, then place them in the refrigerator. I place the dishes next to her so she can easily grab them and wash them.

  I lean on the counter behind her and sigh. There’s only one thing I can say.

  “Ava, I’m sorry,” I simply say.

  She drops the dish she’s washing in the sink and sighs. She looks up and takes deep breaths. She turns around wielding a soapy spatula, points it in my face and says, “Just what are you sorry for, Chloe? Are you sorry you trashed my place? Are you sorry you yelled at me when I was only trying to help you? Are you sorry you weren’t here when I needed you the most, when my dad died? Are you sorry you weren’t here for the funeral when I crumbled into a million pieces? Or, are you sorry that you wanted to selfishly take your own life without even thinking how it would affect the rest of us?”

  Tears stream down both of our faces, and all I can do is stare at her blankly with my mouth hanging open and my heart tearing in two. I did do all of that. I wasn’t in my right mind. I would never in my right mind do anything to hurt Ava.

  I take a step toward her and reach for her as she holds up her hand to stop me.

  “Ava, I’m sorry,” I say again.

  “You know I agreed with everyone else that we’d just ignore how everything went down with you and just act like everything was peachy keen. Like life can just pick back up before Max broke up with you, but I’m sorry, I think that’s a flaming pile of bullshit. Everyone said it was the best thing for you. And I stupidly went along with it, but I’m sorry, I just can’t. What you did, hurt not only me, but every single person that was here for dinner. Maybe that makes me a bad person because I just can’t keep my mouth shut…”

  I take the remaining steps toward her and hug her before she can continue. She’s right, and I never asked anyone to act like nothing ever happened. I can own up to what I did. At first she tries to push away from me but I hold on tight. She stops struggling in my arms, and then wraps her arms around my back and squeezes tight, grabbing a fist full of my shirt as her body trembles with her tears.

  “I hate you for what you did. I hate that you’d be so selfish to want to take your own life and not even think what it would do to everyone else. I hate that man for what he did to you and I’m glad he’s dead. I love you too much to let you leave me. If you had killed yourself, I would ha
ve found a way to bring you back and then I’d kill you myself,” she says sobbing in my hair.

  I pull away and look in her tear stained face. I’ve been a complete idiot. And I don’t deserve the love that I have in my life, but I gladly and completely grab hold of it and swear never to let it go again.

  “Flaming pile of bullshit?” I repeat with a straight face.

  She pushes my shoulder, hard, and says, “Get your ass to the sink and scrub that damn dish before I break it. You’re cleaning up the rest of this mess, too.”

  With a smile, I attack the dishes and clean the kitchen. Ava stayed by my side and helped the entire time. When the last dish was done, she shoved my shoulder again with a smile as a knock came at the door. Max pops his head in and says, “Is the coast clear?”

  “Yes, I’ve got briefs to read and to get ready for the morning, you kids have a good night. I’ll see you two in the morning,” she says on the way to her room.

  She closes her door behind her and Max asks, “How’d it go?”

  “Honestly, I deserved so much worse for what I did to her. She was hurt, and rightfully so. But I think we’ll be alright.”

  Max takes my hand and leads me to my bedroom. I flick on the light and take a seat on the bed. Max leans against the closed door with a grin. He flicks off the light and walks over to me. Standing in front of me, I can see the outline of his dark frame against the black room. He removes his shirt, and then sends his jeans and boxers to the wood floor with a hard thud from his belt buckle. I feel myself getting wet just looking at the curve of his hips and ass. I can see the shadow of his hardened erection, and I instantly lick my lips in anticipation. Max’s face fills my vision, and then his soft, warm lips slowly start kissing mine. Gently, he pushes my back to the bed.