Page 2 of Second Chance for Mr. Alden

Her heart-shaped face whipped towards me. Her familiar almond-shaped amber eyes met mine. My first thought was that she still looked the same. The next was that I was wrong—she looked even better.

Fuck me.Jessamine Sulton.

Her gasp took me by surprise, and so did the attention she was giving my chest and abs.

“Hey, Alden.” She recovered quickly, her familiar come-hither smile replacing the “o” of her astonishment at catching me half-naked.

I crossed my arms over my chest but didn’t move from my spot.

Jess reached out to touch my arm. Her fingers grazed my bicep before she yanked them back, thrusting her hand down by her side. I repressed the shudder that moved through me at her brief touch.

It had been a long time since I’d felt her hands on me. Ignoring the jolt of desire, I narrowed my gaze. “What do you want, Jess?”

“Just to see you again. I thought we could catch up.”

At this hour? When I hadn’t seen her in almost a decade? Something didn’t ring true. She’d had nine years to stop by and see me again and instead had stayed away like I asked her to do. I arched an eyebrow, keeping my lips sealed, waiting for her to tell me why she was really here.

She rubbed a perfectly manicured hand over her eyes. The bright red nails a contrast to her light brown skin. In the dim hall lighting the shadows underneath her perfectly applied makeup were exaggerated and instead of the makeup enhancing her usually bright eyes, it had the opposite effect, leaving them looking tired and hollow.

“Can you at least let me in?” Her voice had taken on an unfamiliar, raspy edge.

She’d promised to never ask me for anything ever again, and to hear her do that just now was the only reason I didn’t shut the door in her face. At least that’s what I kept telling myself.

I glanced up and down the hallway, stepped aside, and gestured for her to enter. She pulled her black trench coat tighter around her body, drawing my eyes to her voluptuous curves. Jess was sexy without even trying. Once upon a time, I thought she and I were perfect together. Back then, I would’ve backed her up against the door and pinned her there while my mouth plundered hers, until we were both moaning.

Things were different then.

Nine years ago, Jess had come to Rhode Island to ‘find herself”. We met while Lexi and I were touring the gardens at Blithewold Mansion. She was bright and bubbly and everything my sister and I were missing from our life. She’d drag me along with her on her shopping trips for items to show off on her fledgling YouTube channel, and when I couldn’t go, Lexi would go with her. Jess had a good eye for fashion and what was in style that season.

She never talked about her family or what she was running from, but from what I’d gathered during late night conversations, her social media accounts were her way to connect with the world. People gravitated to her posts and wanted to buy what she was wearing, but it wasn’t just her clothes, it was her message too. It had been important for her to show other women that curves were beautiful. And with the right clothes, a size eighteen or higher could be dressed as fashionably as a size six or lower.

In the time we’d been apart, her sponsorships and popularity overshadowed anything else. Her posts now seemed to favor what was trending more than loving your body no matter the size. She was idealistic at twenty-one, but something in her eyes told me she’d changed.

Jess’s shoulders dropped in relief the moment we were inside. “Thank you.”

Seeing her here, in my marginally functional apartment, only reminded me that she’d always looked out of place in my world. My meager existence fell far below her net worth, and nowhere near what she deserved. Her entire outfit screamed casual, but I bet it was worth at least half my month’s rent.

“Why are you here?” I asked, determined to end this unexpected meeting as quickly as possible. I learned my lesson long ago. Jessamine Sulton could only bring me pain and heartache. And she needed to get the hell out before my heart forgot and fell for her again.

“I need your help.” She stepped around me to shift further in the room, her eyes darting around, likely noticing not much had changed. “I need a bodyguard.”

Why had she come to me? She could hire an entire security team and never miss the money. “Find someone else.”

Irritation sparked in her eyes. “I don’t want to find someone else. I needyou.”

Hearing her say she needed me knifed me right in the gut. She hadn’t needed me then, and she certainly didn’t need me now. “Why?”

“Because I don’t know who else I can trust.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Trust? Last I checked, you were peddling customizable shampoo, long-lasting lip gloss, and clothes, not trade secrets.” The moment the words left my mouth, I regretted them.

Her body stiffened as she leveled a haughty glare at me. “I don’tpeddleanything. I’m a brand ambassador and influencer for cosmetics, skincare products, and clothing lines that I believe in.”

“I don’t see how that’s dangerous enough to warrant a bodyguard,princess.” She flinched at the term, just as I knew she would. I needed to keep her at arm’s length. It was best we kept the past in the past, and if that meant me being an asshole to her to make her remember we weren’t good together, well, then that’s what I’d do.

“It’s not,” she snapped, slamming her foot down. “God, why do you have to be such a self-righteous prick, Alden?”

“Jess, you have enough money and connections to hire a dozen bodyguards.” I turned the knob and pulled the door open. “I’m not available.”

---