Her Chance At Love

Blake looked at his watch. The doors would be opening in less than a minute. “Okay. Is everyone up and running?” The group responded with a collective yes. “Great! We are ready to go.”

Seconds later, the doors opened and students from all backgrounds poured into the gym, filling the space with their wide-eyed excitement. Immediately, all fifteen volunteers were busy helping to proofread, evaluate and rewrite résumés and offer career advice in response to the many questions the eager students asked.

It was quickly determined who served best in certain capacities, and the group made the necessary adjustments to keep the flow of traffic moving. Alana’s hands moved like lightning across the keyboard. She and a few others who typed fast focused on retyping résumés that required major editing. Cadence and Blake were really good at helping the students put their skills into words. They began to help those students who needed assistance with sprucing up their job descriptions.

With so many people seeking their help, the morning blazed by. Blake hadn’t realized how hungry he was until his stomach growled right in the middle of telling a young woman how to reword her administrative skills. Her endearing eyes bore into him the entire time he spoke and she smiled sheepishly when it was time for her to speak. When they were done, he typed in the last of her changes, printed the résumé and bid her good luck with a professional handshake.

As much as he loved the attention from women, he was never one to take advantage of a young starry-eyed girl. Politely he sent her on her way. As she made her way around to the vendors’ tables, she kept looking back at him.

His stomach growled again, reminding him that it was time to eat. He stood before another student took the seat in front of him. “You guys hungry?”

“Yes” rang out at various pitches.

“We can take turns going to get something to eat or I can just run and grab something for all of us.” Blake looked out over the line of folks that never seemed to cease. “Things don’t seem to be slowing down anytime soon. How about I go get something for all of us? I could use some fresh air.”

“That’s probably the best idea,” Alana confirmed.

“So what do you say? Pizza? Sandwiches?”

“Pizza is probably easiest,” Cadence said.

When she spoke, it was like music to Blake’s ears. He agreed just because she made the suggestion. “Pizza it is!” he said before anyone else could offer any other suggestion. “I’ll grab a couple of pies with a few different toppings.” Blake paused a moment, not wanting to seem too anxious. “Cadence, would you like to ride with me? I could use some help picking toppings.”

Cadence seemed to stiffen. It took a moment for her to respond. Alana’s back straightened and she turned to see how Cadence would answer. When she finally said yes, Blake realized that he’d been holding his breath.

Chapter 6 (#ulink_3dbd58c4-27a7-5bfe-b448-9e55a7c5502a)

Cadence needed Blake to help her climb into his big shiny pickup truck. He handled her so gently she had to tighten her body to keep it from shivering under his touch. She almost couldn’t believe that she had agreed to go with him. Maybe it was because the side of him that she’d witnessed today made her want to get to know him better—even if she didn’t think she was his type. She noticed the special attention he paid to her—the way he held her hand just a bit longer than necessary, the way he softened his tone when he addressed her and the fact that she constantly caught him stealing glances at her.

Before today, Cadence pegged him as just another arrogant lawyer—a gorgeous arrogant lawyer. After watching him in action helping out the organizers and working so diligently with the students, she started to draw new conclusions about him. It took a special person to even volunteer time for a cause such as this. She loved the way he always seemed to have everything under control.

Now Cadence allowed her eyes to follow him as he rounded the truck, after helping her in like a gentleman. As she watched him, she recalled eyeing his beautifully masculine hands as they skillfully moved across the keyboard as he typed out résumés. She remembered the way the muscles in his back strained against his shirt when he leaned over to pick up a box of paper to refill printers. The majestic rise of his chest when he stood to talk to people painted a glorious picture in her psyche. Several times she had to force herself to look away and focus on a student or her laptop in an effort to clear her mind of him. She liked the way he operated. All of it was topped off with an incredible dose of swagger that made her want to swoon.

When he climbed in on the driver’s side, she turned her head to look out the window. Those visuals continued to flood her mind as she sat next to him in his truck. Being so close to him in such a small space made her skin grow warm on the surface. Shifting in her seat, she almost felt as if she couldn’t handle the pressure of sitting near him and having to stare into those dark mysterious eyes of his. Cadence could drown in the abyss of his dimples. She imagined sticking her tongue inside of them. Where did that thought come from? It embarrassed her, as if he could hear what she was thinking. Cadence looked down at her fumbling hands and chuckled.

“Did I miss something?” Blake inquired.

“Huh?” Dang it. Why did he have to speak? The deep sultry purr of his voice gave her pause. She was so lost in the soothing rumble that she hadn’t even heard what he said.

“I thought I heard you laugh. I was wondering if I missed something.”

“Oh. No.”

A beat passed. Then another. Neither of them moved. Cadence was caught in the smoky gaze he cast her way, hooking her like a fish. Then he smiled again, flashing pearly-white teeth lined up in a neat row framed by full beautiful lips. Blake licked his lips, and his smiled curled up on one side. The sexy grin woke up feelings in Cadence that she thought she buried months ago. His dimples sank into his cheeks and once again she felt the urge to stick her tongue in them.

Cadence cleared her throat and sat up straighter in her seat before looking around the interior of the vehicle as if she was taking it all in. “Big truck you have here.” She closed her eyes. Those words didn’t sound right. She tried to think of something else to say. “I wouldn’t have pictured you in a truck like this.”

Blake sniffed out a small laugh. “What makes you say that?” he asked as he put the pickup into gear and backed out of his snug parking spot.

“I don’t know. I just figured you’d be more of a luxury-car kind of guy.”

“Judging me, are you?” he teased.

“No. Not at all.”

Blake grinned. “I can’t fit my bikes into those cars.”

“You ride?” Cadence asked, and regretted the words the second they came out of her mouth.

Instead of answering right away, Blake let her question simmer, looking as if he was trying to suppress a naughty grin. “Why? Do you like riding...” He let his partial inquiry hang in the air. “Bikes?” he finally added.

“Blake!” Cadence called him on the innuendo and they both burst out laughing.

“You set yourself up for that one,” Blake said, still laughing.

“I realized that.” Cadence shook her head. Now that his focus was on the road they swiftly covered, she could steal glances. She paid special attention to the lines of his profile, the neat edge of his goatee and the jut of his strong chin.

“To answer your question, yes. I really enjoy my bikes.”

“Wow! Bikes as in plural, huh?”

“Yeah! My brothers and I are quite the adventurous types. We usually use my truck to haul our bikes, ATVs, Jet Skis, you know. Right now I’ve got my eye on a cruiser.”

Cadence wasn’t quite sure what he meant by a cruiser but just assumed it was another type of motorcycle. Those things were excessively dangerous for her liking. She didn’t miss the gleam in his eyes as he talked about what appeared to be his favorite pastime.

“You ever ride?”

“No!” she practically sang, shaking her head as if the thought of her riding was completely absurd. “I’ve never even been on a scooter.”

“Maybe I could take you for a ride one day.”

“Thanks, but no thanks!”

Blake just laughed. “There’s a pizza shop right up here. What should we order?” he asked as he cut a left on Hempstead Turnpike.

“I think three pies should do it. We can do a cheese pizza, one with pepperoni and one with some kind of veggies,” Cadence said.

“That’s cool. That way, we’ll have everyone’s tastes covered.”

Blake and Cadence continued to make small talk as they ordered and waited for the pies. Once they were back in the truck, a companionable silence settled between them. He managed to get the same prime parking spot next to the entrance of the gymnasium.

Blake turned off the engine, but instead of getting out, he simply sat back. Cadence wondered for a second, trying to figure out why he wasn’t moving.

“Cadence.”

Dang it! Every time that man called her name, it did something inexplicable to her. “Yes?” Her voice was mousy. She cleared her throat and tried again. “What’s up?”

“I’d really like to get your number.”