A Baby by Chance Read Free Page A

her and grinned, obviously content with the close contact “—we could stay like this for a while.” He shrugged good-humoredly. “Up to you.”
    Madison gripped the dash, and using it for leverage, raised herself up. “Just get your arm out of there. Now!” she demanded, refusing to let his antics intimidate her. Nothing in her research had told her he was such a hellion. But then, she hadn’t exactly talked to anyone he had dated. Just those who knew of his business reputation, which had been stellar. And of his penchant for personal privacy, which had been unremitting. Nevertheless, she knew she could handle whatever roadblocks he tossed her way. He was a fool to think she couldn’t.
    “Yes, ma’am.” Chance slid his hand across the seat, just missing the backs of her thighs as he did so. Still grinning appreciatively at the unexpected contact, he circled the cab and slid behind the wheel while Madison tugged at her skirt, finding it wouldn’t go anywhere near her knees.
    “You’re going to have to sit over here.” Chance patted the middle of the bench seat.
    Given the tomfoolery that had just occurred, she couldn’t help but regard the area next to him as if it were a moat full of crocodiles. “And why, pray tell, is that?”
    Chance angled a thumb in her direction. “Seat belt next to the door doesn’t work. And I insist everyone who rides with me wear a seat belt. Safety, you know. So you’ll have to sit here.” Chance patted the place beside him again.
    Madison, who was still on fire from where they had touched, swiftly decided they did not need to be sitting that close. Not now or at any other time. Doing so would take her mind off business. “I’m sure I can get it to work,” she said cheerfully. She tugged at the shoulder harness. And tugged. And twisted. And tugged some more. He was right. It was stuck. So Madison did the only thing she could do under the circumstances. She scooted beside him. “Maybe I’ll just sit over here.”
    One hand draped loosely over the wheel, Chance regarded her drolly. “Good idea,” he said, and started the engine.
    As she tried to get comfortable, it soon became clear Madison had a choice. She could sit with her legs straddling the hump, which meant that her knees would be apart. Not a good idea. Or she could tuck her thighs together and keep her ankles to the right of the hump, which forced her weight, and her thighs, to brush against the side of his jeans-clad legs.
    Meanwhile, she was having more trouble trying to fasten this seat belt than the other one. In her attempt, she ended up bumping arms and shoulders, hips and thighs with Chance. Perspiration beaded her lip. He looked just as tense and uncomfortable.
    Finally, he said brusquely, “Why don’t you let me help?” And then did. Accomplishing in two seconds what she had been trying to do for two minutes.
    “Now,” he turned to her and asked, “all set?”
    As well as out of breath. Madison wasn’t used to feeling so darn aware of a man she would be working with.
    His heated glance slowly scanned her face. “You okay?”
    “Yes.” I just don’t like the fact that you got the upper hand between us without even half trying. Madison forced a smile and struggled unsuccessfully against a blush. “Why?”
    He paid no attention to the running motor or the cool air coming out of the dash air conditioner. “You’re breathing kind of hard.”
    More heat flooded Madison’s cheeks. Sitting this close to him had caused a greater reaction than she’d bargained for. There was a tingling in her stomach. Her thighs were fluid, her knees suspiciously wobbly. Higher still, a buttery warmth spread across her chest, culminating in her breasts. “It’s the heat,” Madison said flatly. It had to be. She did not get this turned on just sitting next to a man, no matter how ruggedly handsome he happened to be.
    Chance sent her a sideways glance as he backed his truck out of the parking space and thrust it