Second Chances Read Online Free PDF Page A

photos of Darren around, but for some reason this one always meant more to him. Christ, how much luggage would they be allowed to take to this God forsaken place? These photos had been his link to Darren. He couldn’t leave them behind.
    Gil stepped into the hall, said a quiet goodnight to Agent Alessi and closed the door. He didn’t hear the agent move off until he had locked the door securely behind him. Letting out a breath he had not been aware he was holding, Gil realised someone was in the living area. He spotted Miles over by the fireplace, back to him, intent on something. The look in Miles’ eyes as he turned to face Gil was positively guilty, and he knocked over a photo on the mantelpiece, fumbling it back to rights with trembling hands. “Miles? You okay?”
    Miles wiped his hands on his jeans and took a step towards Gil. What was he supposed to do now? “Yes.” He didn’t feel fine. You’d think he’d just been out jogging for half an hour, not standing here, waiting. Waiting for what?
    “You don’t look okay.” Gil closed the distance between them. When he had stepped through the door, he truly hadn’t had any idea what to do or say to the doctor. That kiss had been…amazing, and now he had no clue what Miles was thinking. If anything, the man looked scared.
    Miles took another step towards Gil until he stood within inches of the younger man. He drew in a deep breath to calm himself. Once again, the clean smell of his aftershave or whatever Gil used as a shampoo infiltrated his defences. His hand shook noticeably as he reached out to touch Gil’s arm. Had the kiss been just to get him to fall in with the other’s plans or was there more here? Ever since they’d met, they’d been jockeying like two adversaries in the arena, sizing each other up: sometimes colleagues, sometimes friends, sometimes even enemies, but always the interaction had been strong.
    It hit Gil with a suddenness that the dynamic between the doctor and himself was set to change, probably already had. He allowed himself a smile, tried to put warmth and reassurance into it, and failed to be certain that he had succeeded. If they were both set on this course, they would no longer be employer and subordinate. Gil almost heard a clatter as one of the barriers between them fell away.
    Miles swallowed and slid his hand up Gil’s arm to his shoulder, resting it there for a second, waiting for a reaction. None came, so he slid it higher, tracing the side of Gil’s jawline with the back of his thumb, stroking the short stubble. God, it felt good to touch someone like that again. Gil was so gorgeous, but young, damn it, at least ten years younger than he was. Why would he be interested in him? Gil’s eyes opened and the young man gazed at Miles with a smile. Miles finally found he could speak. “That kiss back in the hallway was…. incredible. Was it just to make sure I joined the team?” His thumb flicked the corner of Gil’s lips.
    “I won’t lie to you, I did the first thing that came to me.” Gil turned his cheek toward the caress, trapping Miles’ fingers gently against his shoulder in reassurance. “I just couldn’t…” there was a catch in his voice and he swallowed and cleared his throat, looked away for a second. “I couldn’t just let you go.” Gil turned his gaze back to Miles again. “I admit I wanted to do something, anything, to make you stay…. The thought of you not coming with us…” Gil shuddered, “but you have to know, Miles, surely you know, how I feel?”
    Miles stopped stroking and turned his hand, cupping Gil’s jaw so he could see his eyes better. The brown seemed to have grown darker, more intense, reflecting the depth of his sincerity. His heart skipped a beat. “That’s the problem. I don’t know how you feel. From the looks of things, you and Lyle had a thing going. I…” but Gil was shaking his head.
    “I like the man, a lot. He’s…. going through some personal shit right now,