Second Chances Read Online Free PDF Page B

forward and rubbed her temples while her elbows balanced on the desk.  She heard footsteps approaching, but since everyone had been walking on eggshells around her at the office ever since Brett left, she figured that in her state she would most definitely be left to her own devices.  Instead the feet stopped before her desk, but she refused to acknowledge them.
     
    “Hannah Matthews?”  A deep voice asked determinedly.
     
    Leaning back and looking up warily she nodded.  “Can I help you?”
     
    The sunlight streaming through the window behind him created a luminous quality to his image.  For the briefest moment, Hannah’s gut clenched and she actually thought he might be the man she’d been waiting for.  Almost immediately, she dismissed the ridiculous idea.  He was far too perfect, wholly masculine with his angular jaw, straight nose, and spectacularly black hair.  The blazer struggled to contain his broad shoulders and healthy biceps. Tall, dark, and handsome, this man was everything that Brett wasn‘t. 
     
    “Actually, I rather think that I can help you,” he responded, smiling widely as he stared down at her.  Seeing she was even more attractive in the light of day and up close, he knew that he was in over his head and knots formed in his stomach.  Hannah Matthews was a vision in chocolate, from her cropped chestnut locks, to her deep brown eyes, to the varying shades of taupe cloaking her figure.  It was obvious that she was trying to downplay her features and strike a professional look, but for him, it only created an even more sensual appeal.  Here was a woman who was oblivious to her charms.  It nearly sucked the breath right out of him.
     
    Arching an eyebrow, she crossed her arms over her chest.  “And you are?”  She asked seriously, desperate to create an air of detachment and disinterest.
     
    “I’m the man you’ve been looking for,” he responded cockily.
     
    To which she nearly choked.  Instead she let out a hollow chuckle.  “Really?  What makes you think so?”  And before he could respond she added, “And when I said ‘and you are?,’ I was hoping for something more concrete, an introduction of sorts.  Start with your name.”
     
    Gavin’s eyebrows arched involuntarily.  Every step of the way he was discovering this woman was not who he expected her to be.  “My name is Gavin Meyers.”  He studied her for a moment; waiting to see if the weight his name usually carried meant anything to her.  Clearly it didn’t, even more clearly he could tell that she knew it was supposed to, and at that moment seemed to be racking her brain for a connection.  He smirked.  “I can tell you are unimpressed,” he commented dryly.  “Have you found what you’re looking for, yet, Ms. Matthews?”  Her eyebrows knit together.  “What I mean to say is…have you found yourself a sugar daddy?”
     
    At that, Hannah glanced nervously about the room.  “This isn’t really the time or the place,” she began; ready to boot him out the door.  She sat ramrod straight at her desk and moved to stand and escort him out.
     
    Understanding her intention, he paused and lowered his voice.  “Answer the question, please.”
     
    It was a definite command, cloaked as a request in that he had the sense to soften it with a ‘please.’  Still, it didn’t appease Hannah.  She was humiliated.  This could prove to be the final blow to her ego.  Several of the women in nearby cubicles were glancing around anxiously, trying to catch the eyes of the other gossipy co-workers, prepared to reveal the latest dirt the moment the coast was clear.
     
    Sighing, she grabbed her coat off the back of her chair, observed that it was very nearly lunch time and she needed the air anyway, and nudging him in front of her, moved to leave the office.  Hannah paused for a brief moment at the door and made a general announcement.  “I’ll make it easier on you,” she began loudly;