Only For Now: Second Chances Read online

  "Alexa?" Cara's voice came muffled through the door. "Are you in there?" She sounded a little worried.

  "I'm here." Alexa jumped up and ran to open the door.

  Cara looked past her and glanced quickly around the room. Her worried brow smoothed as a relaxed smile spread across her delicate features so similar to Alexa’s own. "Thank goodness." She walked into the room and perched on the edge of the bed. "I have to admit I was starting to worry about you. What happened? Where did you go last night?"

  Alexa opened and closed her mouth a few times, searching for a good explanation, but Cara continued on, seeming not to notice Alexa's discomfort. "I thought you were going to catch up to us at the next stop, but you never showed up, and you didn't answer your phone. The girls all said you must have been tired and come back here, but I wasn't sure." She smiled up at her with perfect porcelain white teeth. "I guess I'm lucky to have gotten you out for a bit anyway. Did you come back here to work?" She laughed.

  Alexa's smile was strained. "I didn't get any work done. I just passed out."

  Cara grabbed her hand and squeezed. "Oh, I'm just teasing you. But since we're talking about it, please try to let go of your work next week. I'd like you to have some fun and make it a real vacation. You work too hard for the magazine. I just want you to relax at the beach with us. I know you don't know all the girls that well, but it will be fun."

  So she had said about a thousand times before. She really wasn’t thrilled to be with Cara’s friends all week. They were just so different from her. "It's hard, Cara. I don't expect you to understand, but my job means everything to me. I have to make sure I do my very best at all times. I'm not going to throw away everything I’ve worked so hard for by not giving one hundred and ten percent."

  "I get that. But like I said, you deserve a break. And honestly, you’re going to work yourself to death. You’re very successful, but I care more about you being happy."

  "I'm happy." It didn't sound convincing, even to her own ears.

  "If you say so. I was halfway hoping you had snuck off with some hottie last night." Cara laughed and shrugged her shoulders, and for a split second Alexa thought she caught some knowing look in her eyes, but then it was gone. "Maybe next time. You know what they say about all work and no play. You're only twenty-six. Live a little." She stood up and gave Alexa a quick hug. "I've got to get ready for brunch. See you downstairs at eleven."

  Alexa shook her head as Cara breezed out of the room, her long blonde hair floating behind her. If she only knew.

  * * *

  Alexa glanced at the clock on her desk for what must have been the fiftieth time in the past hour. It was after seven on Friday and she still wasn't finished with her story. She had a Sunday deadline, which wouldn't be a problem if she wasn't supposed to fly to Sunset Bay the next morning. She wasn't making near the progress she thought she would, and the magazine would in no way extend her deadline. She was lucky to even be given a feature story, given her short tenure, but she had worked hard and proven herself to the editors over the last two years, and they were tossing her a bone.

  Unfortunately, instead of contemplating the economics of summer tourism, all she could think of was a pair of chocolate brown eyes. She must be losing it. Pushing back from her desk with a frustrated grunt, she left her cube to stand at the floor to ceiling glass windows and look out at the city with its flashing lights and constant activity. She loved living in New York, but sometimes she also felt like a rat in a cage. Especially when she spent most of her time behind a computer while the world moved all around her.

  "Aren't you supposed to be on vacation?" Alexa looked over her shoulder at her friend and fellow copy editor Marnie as she made her way toward the bank of elevators.

  Alexa nodded and turned back to the city lights. "I have so much left on my story, though. I can't screw this up. It could be my big break."

  "I get it, girl, believe me. But please promise me this." She paused, waiting for Alexa to turn to her. "Let go of the constant pressure and have some fun. You deserve this break. All you ever do is work, and it's not good for you. Life is passing you by."

  Her words were eerily similar to Cara's from last weekend. It was easy to brush off the comments she got from coworkers that didn't know her. But Marnie was her closest friend in New York and Cara, being her sister, had to have a decent take on her life. Were they right? Was she working so hard that she was missing out on what really mattered? She had to admit the thoughts had been there on more than one occasion, but she always pushed them away, convincing herself that she had to work this hard to prover herself. And to keep her demons at bay. But that was another issue altogether.

  "You're right," she decided suddenly. "I do deserve a break." The more she thought about it, the more excited she became. She lived in one of the most thrilling cities in the world, yet she never experienced anything it had to offer. She had to admit it. She was boring. It wasn't who she truly was, deep down, but it was what she had become.

  "I never thought I'd see the day," Marnie joked.

  "Only problem is, I still have this story to finish and I have to pack and be at the airport at the crack of dawn."

  "Then you better stop staring out the window and get in gear, lady. Have fun. Promise me." Marnie gave her a quick hug then ran to catch the elevator that was quickly filling up.

  Refreshed, Alexa returned to her computer and began typing with laser focus. She just had to get this done so she could make good on her resolve.

  * * *

  "Come on, Lex, how much longer are you going to be sitting here?"

  Alexa leaned back in the plush dining chair and rubbed her eyes. They felt like they were going to fall out from the strain of staring at the laptop screen all day. She looked up at her sister's pleading face and felt a wave of guilt wash over her.

  "I'm so close to being done. I'm so sorry. I should have finished this before I left, but I just couldn't pull it together in time." She didn't mention that all she'd been able to think about the week before was a very sexy and very shirtless Will. As hard as she’d tried, she hadn’t been able to forget about him.

  Rationally, she knew she should talk to him. After all, they’d known each other forever. But she’d run from him before, and he was the one who’d so horribly taken advantage of her in New Orleans, so she tried to justify herself by placing the blame on him.

  "I know you have to do this," Cara began, "but it's my wedding week and I want to enjoy spending it with the people who mean the most to me. That means you." She ruffled Alexa’s already mussed hair that was falling out of her topknot.

  "I want to as well." And she meant it. Her plan to finish her story before leaving town had failed miserably. After determining that she was going to actually enjoy her time off, her mind had preceded her body on vacation, leaving the end of her story looking like an editor's nightmare. "But there is no way I can turn in my story in the shape it's in now. It is nearly unheard of for such a rookie to be given a good story like this, and I don't want to blow it. This could set me on the right career path. Besides, my deadline is tonight anyway, so as of tomorrow, I'm a free woman."

  "Good. That's what I want to hear." She bent down and kissed her forehead and walked out the French doors to join the rest of the wedding party on the pool deck.

  The beach house was an absolute dream. Cara and her fiancée Jace had spared no expense in making this a week to remember. It was part of the luxurious Sunset Bay Resort, but off in a more private area that boasted tropical bungalows. The living area was an open expanse of luxury with a wall of windows that overlooked the turquoise waters of the Gulf of Mexico. The deck spread across the entire beach side of the house, complete with an infinity pool and spa, with steps leading right down to the white sandy beaches. The fact that all the other members of the wedding party had been living it up in the sun since they'd arrived yesterday evening wasn't helping her concentration either. She truly did want to enjoy hersel
f this week, but this story just wouldn't come together. Somehow the economics of tourism just weren't lending themselves to interesting journalism.

  She got up and walked to the kitchen to get a bottle of water. Maybe she needed a break so she could look at her work with fresh eyes. Glancing at her watch, she saw that it was almost two. Okay, maybe not. She had seven hours to send in the best draft she could muster, and right now, it didn't cut it.

  Cara poked her head back in. "We're going to head down to the water for a bit. Let me know if Jace’s groomsman gets here. He said it would be this afternoon sometime." Jace's fourth and final groomsman was coming in a day late due to some problem or other with his job.

  "Gotcha," she called after her sister. Okay, time to get cracking. She was down to six hours and fifty-nine minutes. Settling back at her laptop, she reread the last portion of the piece, the segment she'd been working on Friday night. The vibe was totally different than the rest of the story, and that wasn't going to fly. The problem was, she really liked the last part, but she didn't have time to rewrite the rest of the story to carry that tone throughout.

  "Ugh," she grunted, pounding her fist on the table and throwing her head back in frustration.

  "Wow." A low, lilting voice broke through the recesses of her brain. "I know we parted on bad terms, but I didn't realize the depth of your disgust."

  Alexa froze, eyes staring wide at the ceiling. She knew that voice. It had been haunting her dreams for a solid week. Well, more like the last four years. But it couldn't be. She must be losing her mind under the stress of her deadline.

  She heard the thud of luggage hitting the floor and knew she didn't imagine that. Slowly, she raised her head and her gaze was drawn in to the dark fire of eyes burning into her. Her breathing hitched and heart stopped, only to restart with a pounding vengeance. She'd either gone over the edge and was hallucinating, or her life had just become an episode of the Twilight Zone. Because less than ten feet in front of her once again, stood Will.

  CHAPTER THREE

  Will tried to keep his face blank as a whirl of emotions raged through his body. He’d known he would see her again, he just didn’t realize his reaction would be so strong. Perhaps it was due to her running out on him last weekend before he could explain everything.

  He'd not been able to get her out of his mind all week while he wrapped up his work in New Orleans. Yet even with her raven hair piled in a disheveled mess atop her head, glasses perched on her narrow nose, and dressed in yoga pants and a tank, the reality of her beauty far surpassed the memory.

  She stood slowly and tossed her head and narrowed her eyes. The look she gave him was as icy as their blue depths. "What the hell are you doing here?" While her demeanor was confident and in charge, the shake in her voice gave away that fact that she must be completely floored.

  He held up his camera bag. "Groomsman number four and wedding photographer du jour, at your service." Wedding photographer wasn't exactly the title he'd give himself, but it explained his presence. Sort of.

  She gaped. "Wedding photographer? You have got to be kidding me."

  "You can call me Will." He smiled in what he thought was a charming manner, but she evidently did not, as she advanced on him, hands on her hips.

  "There's a whole lot more I'd like to call you. Did you plan this? Why didn’t you tell me? What, did you think you would get a head start last weekend so that I could be your fling of choice this week? This has got to be the lowest of lows I've ever seen from you."

  Was she serious? That was a bit extreme, but she did have a flair for the dramatic. He held his hands up to fend off her rampage. "Whoa there, darlin', hold up just a minute. I'm just as thrown off by last weekend as you are."

  She stopped a foot from him and studied him closely. He had at least eight inches on her tiny frame, but the way she was looking had him taking a step back involuntarily. Something in his face must have given something away because she dropped her guard, if only slightly. "Maybe, maybe not. But I still don't understand. Why didn’t Cara tell me? How did you end up where we were last weekend?"

  He licked his lips and took a deep breath, trying to regain his balance. This woman continued to have him off kilter, and that was definitely not something he was used to. In his line of work, he had women constantly throwing themselves at him, so to be so affected by her was a bit disconcerting, even if she had been the one who got away. He cocked and eyebrow and tilted a corner of his mouth up. "The first question you can take up with your sister. I guess the second, too, as she’s the one who wanted me to come along once she knew I was in New Orleans.”

  She fell silent, mulling that fact over, then pursed her lips and looked him over again as if she was trying to figure out what game he was playing. Just as she opened her mouth to speak, the door to what he assumed was the pool deck swung open.

  "Will! Good to see you man," Jace's voice boomed out. He walked over and clapped Will on the back. "Why didn't you tell me he was here?" he asked, looking at Alexa. “Cara, Will’s here,” he called over his shoulder.

  He noticed that Alexa's eyes had gone wide and she was struggling to find the words to say. Will cut in smoothly. "I just arrived." As Jace's gaze shifted to Will and Cara came inside, he noticed from the corner of his eye that Alexa shook her head almost imperceptibly, giving him a pleading look. She obviously hadn’t told anyone about last weekend.

  Cara gave Will a huge bear hug. “It’s been far too long. I’m so glad you could make it for the wedding.”

  “That makes one of us,” Alexa mumbled. Cara frowned slightly. "You'll have to excuse her. She's on deadline and hasn't quite been able to enjoy the festivities yet." Deadline? She was a writer? That was news to him.

  "Yes, and I need to get back to it. Nice to see you." Her voice was dripping with sarcasm.

  Cara met Will’s eyes and shrugged sympathetically. Neither of them had known how this would go, but only Will know why it was playing out so poorly.

  "Hey, I have a great idea," Cara exclaimed suddenly. Both Will and Alexa snapped their heads toward her. "Will is a journalist, too, you know, Lex. He could help you out with your story so that you can finish up sooner and join us outside." His face was eager as he slung an arm around her shoulders. "What do you say?"

  "I really don't think so," she stammered. "I really want to do this on my own. You know how important it is to me." Will noticed her clenching her jaw.

  "And you know how important it is to me that you spend some time with us," Cara returned. This appeared to be a conversation they'd had several times already. "Come on, do it for me and Jace," she wheedled. "Will is a pro, and he can help you get it done in no time."

  Alexa caved. "Fine." She stomped off and threw herself back into her chair, clicking away at her laptop.

  Cara leaned in closer to Will and spoke so that Alexa couldn't hear. "I hope you don't mind. This is all she's done since she arrived, and I just really want to spend some quality time with my baby sis this week."

  Will almost laughed. He wouldn't mind some quality time with her as well. He didn't think she was too keen on the idea though. "No problem. We'll knock this out and be on the beach in no time."

  "Perfect. And hey, it's good to have you here. It wouldn't be the same without you. Give her time, I think she’ll come around," she added so only he could hear, then hugged him again and went back to the beach with Jace in tow.

  Will brought his attention back to Alexa who was staring daggers at him. Putting things back on an even keel was definitely going to take a little finesse. He approached her and pulled out the chair to her left, settling in and gesturing toward her laptop. "May I?"

  She pursed her lips and rolled her eyes. "So now you're asking permission?"

  Ouch. What must she think of him? He was going to have to set the record straight, and soon, but first he needed to know how much time they had. "Okay, obviously we have a lot to talk about." She bit out a sarcastic laugh and he
held his hands up. "And obviously you don't want to share your work with me. I get that. But since you've agreed to do this for your sister's sake, let's call a temporary truce, and we can hash out the rest later. When is your deadline?"

  She sighed and he could see her internal debate. "In a little over six hours."

  He rubbed his palms together as if he were warming his hands. "Then let's get started."

  * * *

  Alexa tried to focus as she summarized her assignment for Will. It was a really difficult task, seeing as how she was so out of her element on so many levels. For one, just being in such close proximity to him had every nerve standing on edge. Then there was the fact that she never, ever, shared her work with anyone until it was in what she considered near perfect condition. Add to the mix that she couldn't believe the one man she had simultaneously hoped to see and never see again was going to be with her for the rest of the week, and she couldn't pull herself together.

  She met his eyes for a brief second, then realized he was staring at her expectantly. Oh God, when had she stopped speaking? She had been so lost in thought about him that she must have trailed off. She shook her head to clear it.

  "I'm sorry. This is really hard for me."

  He smiled gently. "It's okay. I don't like to share my work either. How about I just read what you've got so far, and we go from there?"

  She nodded wordlessly and pushed the laptop toward him. Sitting back, she pulled her knees to her chest and chewed on the inside of her lip while she watched him read. What would he think of it? If he was a professional journalist then he knew what he was doing. What if he thought it was utter crap? Then his opinion of her would be even lower. And why was she so concerned about his opinion of her in the first place? She reminded herself that she was angry with him. That he was a complete bastard. But her body didn't want to listen to her mind.