Her Chance Encounters Read Free

known each other for about a year now, do you think you might manage to call me something besides Mr. Breaux? My first name is Chance. Take a chance and use it."
    "Chance," his name rolled off her lips way too easily. Adrienne enjoyed the feeling of saying it out loud for a change. "Your persistence might end up costing you in the long run. Aren't you afraid your eagerness might drive up the price?"
    Chance considered her words carefully, seeming to debate his reaction to them. "Aren't you afraid your stalling over the sale might drive up the stakes of this little game we're playing."
    Without thought, Adrienne pushed back in her chair. Good, Chance smiled. He had her attention. Maybe they could get somewhere now. Then the principal forced herself to lean forward again, squaring her slender shoulders. "Just how are the stakes going up, Chance?"
    "I was hoping to get this small matter of River Oaks out of the way before I took you to bed." Chance watched as Adrienne's mouth fell open. She was adorable when she was speechless, he decided, and a lot easier to manage, too. "Since you are intent on being so stubborn about the property, it looks like we'll have to deal with both issues at the same time now."
    Abruptly, a cool breeze filled the office, turning the sweat on Adrienne's olive skin to ice. A strange odor whipped up over the room. Adrienne recognized the smell immediately, and stood up to open a window. The same odor had plagued her apartment for the past few months.
    She had investigated, trying to figure out where the stench was coming from without success. The best Adrienne could figure was the odor seemed to be some type of burning metal. At least that was what she assumed the smell could be. She had to admit she had never encountered a smell like it before.
    She better have the school's maintenance crew look into it. Hopefully, they would have better luck than the men she called in at her apartment. The electricians had come up empty handed. With the smell, came the eerie feeling of being watched. Adrienne slowly looked out the window, then around the office, trying to catch whoever was spying on her. Her hazel eyes came up empty. The only person in the room, besides her, was Chance Breaux. He was not only watching her; the arrogant man was studying her every move, unnerving her even more.
    "Do you smell that?" she demanded.
    He reached over and turned off the fan. "The wiring on this thing might be bad." He walked over to where she stood. His gray eyes locked onto her full lips, watching them tremble slightly with the cool breeze. He bet he could warm her up. If only he could be certain she didn't bite. What the hell? Maybe biting might make the encounter more interesting.
    "You're avoiding the issues again, Adrienne. Let's get the sale of River Oaks over with so we can concentrate on one another."
    He was standing too close, Adrienne realized, but refused to back away. "First you try intimidating me into selling. Now you're switching to sweet-talking? You are full of contradictions, Chance. You insist the back taxes on the property will bankrupt me. Then you explain it is worthless, and you would be doing me a favor to take it off my hands. Is seduction your latest ploy? Why do I get the feeling once you own River Oaks, the only thing you'll be concentrating on is getting the hell out of my life?"
    "Is that what you are worried about, babe?" If possible, he inched even closer. "You think I only want you because of River Oaks?" Adrienne found herself backed up against the window, trapped by Chance's unyielding form. "Maybe this will convince you how sincere I am."
    Adrienne knew the kiss was coming before Chance even started to lower his warm mouth. At night, alone in her quiet, lonely apartment, she had dreamed about what it might feel like if he kissed her. His embrace was more gentle than she had imagine, more promising, more dangerous. The fluttering in the pit of her stomach surprised her, too. Her mind spun in